Corner of W Peabody St and S Buchanan Blvd, one of Duke's sanitation sites, used by Athletics Facilities to discard various materials.
On our first day of fieldwork with Jeremy from Duke Athletics Facilities, it became clear that maintenance and repair rely on an expansive, often invisible network of care that underpins the polished appearance of Duke’s campus. What began as the simple task of finding and discarding several Countdown event arches revealed how quickly objects of spectacle become waste, and how much unseen labor is required to manage that transition. Following the arches from their moment of display to their disposal highlighted the hidden infrastructures and relationships that sustain the university’s aesthetic order.
The sanitation site, tucked away on the outskirts of campus, was especially revealing. Its isolated location reflects the spatial politics of waste at Duke: essential but displaced. The campus’s beauty depends on this quiet removal of what no longer fits its image. Situated next to a Durham Catholic school, the site also illustrates how Duke’s reach extends into and shapes the surrounding community. The sanitation area, and the labor that maintains it, demonstrates the unseen care that upholds Duke’s public image and its broader influence on Durham.
When I asked Jeremy whether working in Facilities made him more attuned to details others overlook, he didn’t hesitate, “absolutely.” He explained that while people often praise how beautiful Duke’s campus is, he can’t help noticing the weeds pushing through sidewalks or the paint beginning to chip. His labor has reshaped his aesthetic perspective: what others see as seamless beauty, he experiences as an ongoing list of things that need care.
AESTHETIC MAINTENANCE
The Duke logo on the Blue Devil Tower was repainted due to sun damage, Summer 2025
Maintaining the intricacies of the Duke aesthetic and identity.
Observing the Duke Softball fields on East Campus, we saw the often-invisible reproductive labor required to maintain field quality through shifting weather conditions. After heavy rain, facilities and grounds crews pour sand onto developing puddles, working the material into the clay to restore safe, even playing surfaces. This practice illustrates how these workers function as intermediaries between athletes and the natural environment, constantly negotiating moisture, terrain, and time so that the field can perform as an idealized, predictable space for sport. Their labor, though rarely acknowledged, is essential to sustaining the conditions that make athletic play possible.
Network of care: what started off as the work of a single person became a united task with the rest of the crew.
Mike and Ana would regularly check the bathrooms to make sure everything was functioning and properly stocked. They tested the toilets to see if they flushed correctly, confirmed that the soap dispensers were filled, and checked whether toilet paper or paper towels needed to be replaced. When supplies were running low, they took care of restocking them on their own. However, if they noticed a bigger issue, like a sink not working or something they couldn’t fix themselves, they reported it to maintenance or the housekeeping staff. Their goal was to ensure the bathrooms were always clean, functional, and ready for people to use without any problems.
For the indoor tennis courts, Mike’s main responsibility was to check that the space was free of trash or debris. Since these courts were private, they were usually well-maintained, and he rarely found anything out of place. The outdoor varsity courts were also generally clean, but Mike still had to make sure there were no leaves, trash, or other debris that could affect play. He also inspected the area for any signs of wear and tear on the court covers, paint, ground surface, and nets. The recreational courts, however, required the most attention. Because they were open to the public, they were often the messiest, and Mike frequently had to clean up the trash and items people left behind.
The indoor tennis courts often had tennis balls scattered around, but Mike usually left them on the court since players were constantly using them. However, when he found balls behind the courts, under the stairs, or in places where they clearly didn’t belong, he gathered them and placed them into a recycling bin that he later used to donate balls to local schools. On the varsity courts, any loose balls were also collected and added to the recycling bin. In contrast, the balls found on the recreational courts were intentionally left there so that anyone who wanted to play would have access to the equipment they needed.