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What Are You so Afraid Of?

Our annual special issue this year addressed the topic of fear. To introduce it, we invited recent Duke alumni to tell us what they were afraid of.

TRANSCRIPT of AUDIO POSTCARD: WHAT ARE CLASS OF’18 GRADS AFRAID OF?

ACTUALITY
What if I don’t know what I’m afraid of?

TRACK
Good question. So to coordinate with the upcoming Duke Magazine special issue, which focuses on fear, we went to where 2018 Duke graduates picked up their class gifts and talked to …

ACTUALITY: DIFFERENT VOICES [up then under]

NAME harsh
NAME gary
NAMES CONTINUE
TRACK [over recited names]
… to the class of 2018. They graduated from …

ACTUALITY: DIFFERENT VOICES [Up, then under]
sanford, trinity
fuqua school of business
econonics and computer science
masters in mechanical engineering
Physical Therapy
public policy major
school of divinity
duke law school
graduated from the medical school

TRACK
Let’s just say they were…

ACTUALITY
Duke 2018 now.

ACTUALITY
Can you tell me generally what the question’s going to be about?

TRACK
… characteristically well prepared, but when pushed, they were scared of …

ACTUALITY
VOICE i don’t know … spiders?
VOICE what am i afraid of? Probably skydiving
VOICE what am i AFRAID of?

TRACK
Well, yeah. That’s the question.

ACTUALITY
VOICE What I’m afraid of! Oh, goodness…
VOICE yeah that is a very tricky question actually

TRACK
Nobody mentioned climate change, incipient fascism, or the ocean running out of fish.

ACTUALITY
VOICE Oh no!

TRACK
But really, even Duke grads face their new post-Duke world with uncertainty. They fear….

ACTUALITIES

VOICEI was afraid about not getting a job but I got a job so … that consumed everything and all other fears fell out the window
VOICE I’m afraid of the real world so I’m going for my PhD because I’m afraid of the real world.

VOICE i’m afraid of meeting new people in Dallas. Totally new city and worried about meeting new friends.
VOICE i think for me i’m leaving my family behind they’re all in the Washington DC area and moving to San Francisco. It’s a little bit nerve racking to move so far away

VOICE I think the biggest thing I’m afraid of is feeling like i didn’t do everything I wanted to while I was here.

VOICE Most frightening is the fact that i have even larger goals I have to take care of in the next few years as a PhD student

VOICE I’m really afraid of not having the summer break, spring break, fall break ever again. that’s my biggest fear

VOICE i’m afraid of not being able to do what I want to do

VOICE I’m afraid of the unknown but i think we have such a great connection here that’s not going to be a problem

VOICE I’m afraid of uncertainty. i like knowing whats ahead of me. but i know thats something you really cant fix. uncertainty was scaring me all year. but now that that uncertainty is cleared up i’m happy to be graduating Duke this weekend

VOICE How about this I’ll say not attaining my potential. Yeah. I’ll say that.

VOICE to be honest death

VOICE I would say the unknown but thats so like classic
VOICE I’m afraid of doing something that’s not aligned with my values — or like not feeling fulfilled by what i’m doing

VOICE
Probably the fear of the unknown.

VOICE Being coresidents with my wife.

TRACK
But fear not: these people were getting degrees from Duke — they felt …

ACTUALITY
VOICE no more afraid than i was yesterday

VOICE my faith is strong enough that i know who sustains me and it got enriched here at Duke so I fear nothint.
VOICE I’m not afraid of anything currently. I’m very optimistic.
VOICE nothing. Duke has prepared me for everything.

TRACK
This has been an audio postcard from Duke Magazine.

ACTUALITY
Wait Do I start now?

ACTUALITY
Hmm

ACTUALITY
Of course! Of course!

ACTUALITY
Thank you.

ACTUALITY

Oh, what am I afraid of?

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