What is your favorite memory with the LLC, why did you, what is the best conversation you’ve had with the LLC?
“I enjoy all the times I get to talk with my housemates about their beliefs, but one occasion really stands out to me. After house course one evening, a group of us ended up talking in our common room late into the night, really digging into the cores of each of our belief systems. I took away from it a deeper understanding of what ideas really support and motivate my friends’ lives, which has given me a new, refreshed perspective on the higher level political and ethical disagreements between us.”
—- Peter Hase, Duke University Class of 2019, Member of VOF LLC
“What makes Duke a great place is simply the conversations one can have with like-minded peers of various backgrounds. Unfortunately, campus life often makes these difficult: everyone gets busy and, living in different places, it’s hard to coordinate times where we can just sit and talk about things we care about. The LLC removes these obstacles. Living together means there is no distinction between the personal and the academic: dorm rooms, study spaces, and group lunches all host some of the most stimulating discussions one can have. When we’re looking for more structure and cohesion, the house course provides the opportunity. When we’re looking to be inspired, the field trips and faculty talks step in. The LLC simply takes what’s best about Duke and makes it readily available.“
—- Aron Rimanyi, Duke University Class of 2018, Member of VOF LLC
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As someone who came to Duke in search of intellectual engagement and stimulation, being a member of the Visions of Freedom Living Learning Community has been a rewarding and fulfilling experience. In many ways, the dorm is the center of student life – it is not only our home, but it is also where we study, spend time with friends, eat, and relax. The bifurcation of academic and residential life in the traditional model can sometimes stifle intellectual engagement because it doesn’t allow conversations from the classroom or a seminar to continue into other facets of student life. The LLC mitigates this problem by allowing a group of students who are interested in similar academic topics and ideas to have a shared living space. For example, on countless occasions, I have begun conversations with LLC members in a classroom or seminar, and then continued these academic discussions with other LLC members on the way back to our dorm and in our dorm’s common room – this would not be possible were it not for the unique model that the LLC offers. “
—- Aakash Jain , Duke University Class of 2018, Member of VOF LLC
