“Americans have not heard enough about the tremendous outpouring of support and sweat from citizens working on their own or in small community-based organizations. News has emphasized problems and has ignored those working for solutions.” --Charlie Thompson, instructor of “Who Cares and Why?”

—--Charlie Thompson, instructor of “Who Cares and Why?”

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“Every day it’s freshly in your power to think of the use you’re making of this place and decide to engage its opportunities more aggressively and imaginatively. Show a little courage and you’ll find that this place rewards the active seeker.”

—President Richard H. Brodhead

President Brodhead
President Brodhead

President Richard Brodhead
Founder's Day Talk: What Makes Duke Distinctive?
September 29, 2005

"In a way I have come to find quite inspiring, Duke has taught me to think of the university as a problem-solving place ... a place where intelligence is energized by the challenges of real-world problems and exercises its powers in devising their solutions."

Full text of speech: Full text

In my March 2005 conversation with you I promised a single web location where undergraduates can go to find a listing of opportunities, ones that allow you to draw on your more formal academic learning to respond thoughtfully and innovatively to “real world” concerns. This is, I believe, a signature characteristic of Duke, one I hope you will explore and embrace during your time here.

My hope is that you will find a way during your Duke years not just to learn but to translate that knowledge outward, towards a greater good. You may follow the paths of other students who have conducted field work in South Africa, or developed devices for children with disabilities, or captured experiences in the local community through a Documentary Studies photography course, or participated in a Research Service Learning sequence. Perhaps you’ll even find new, creative, unique ways to connect your knowledge and real issues, your interests and social problems, your talents and service.

So, where will you begin—or continue—your exploration?

Read more of President Brodhead's speeches and writing.
http://www.duke.edu/president/speeches.html