The Chronicle T h e i n d e p e n d e n t d a i ly at D u k e U n i v e r s i t y
MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010
Record class will strain East dorms
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 1
www.dukechronicle.com
Authority of DUPD may be challenged
Noise pollution
by Joanna Lichter
by Alejandro Bolivar
For some freshmen, “fitting in” at Duke will require some physical maneuvering. Due to a record number of incoming students, some members of the Class of 2014 will have smaller living spaces and additional roommates. With roughly 40 more freshmen moving into East Campus than last year, about two dozen rooms were adjusted over the summer to accommodate an additional person, said Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta. “We were done [with admissions] but kids kept on making funny decisions,” said Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag. “We’re going to end up with a class of about 1,745 to 1,750 students. Our yield is going to be a shade under 42 percent.” The University received a record 26,694 applications this year—an 11.6 percent increase from last year. The 42 percent rate at which students accepted offers of admission marks a half percent increase from the yield of the Class of 2013, Guttentag said. Guttentag attributed the higher number of freshmen to a combination of three factors: wait-listed students took longer to respond to
tion] confidential,” Dzau said. “We are in active discussion, if not the final stages, of arranging for a totally neutral, objective [and] distinguished panel of reviews conducted by a most distinguished organization.” The University completed its own review of the controversial cancer research—used to tailor chemotherapy with individual patients—in January after charges by biostatisticians Keith Baggerly and Kevin Coombes of MD Anderson Cancer Center alleged that Potti’s work contained errors. At the time, Duke stood behind the research, noting that it was “viable and likely to succeed.” But recent allegations that Potti falsified his resume and qualifications on resumes for federal funding brought Potti’s research to the forefront. Potti is accused of posing as a Rhodes Scholar, falsely claiming to be a recipient of numerous awards and claiming work under a mentor who told The Cancer Letter he did not know Potti at the time. For the second investigation, Dzau noted that the Duke community, as a whole, believes it is the best decision to use an
A group of Durham lawyers will likely challenge Duke University Police Department’s authority to make arrests following a recent ruling in a case involving Davidson College. The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled Aug. 17 that the college cannot make arrests due to its strong religious affiliation to the Presbyterian Church. The court tossed out charges against Julie Yencer, who was arrested by a campus police officer driving while impaired, after the defendant appealed on the ground that the the arrest violated the separation of church and state. Whether the challenge of Duke’s power will be successful remains unclear. Duke has long-standing ties to the Methodist Church—ties that could limit the police force’s authority to make arrests. For example, of the 36 members of the Board of Trustees, 24 are elected by the United Methodist Church and the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, according to the University’s bylaws. “The aims of Duke University... are to assert a faith in the eternal union of knowledge and religion set forth in the teachings and character of Jesus Christ,” the bylaws state, though—despite the historical and formal times—the University is independent and non-sectarian. Durham-based attorney Bill Thomas, one of the lawyers set to challenge DUPD’s authority, however, noted that Duke is susceptible to a constitutional challenge due to its “adherence to the Christian tradition and [promote] Christianity,” according to The Herald Sun. Thomas could not immediately be reached for comment. DUPD Chief John Dailey referred all comment to Michael Schoenfeld, vice president of public affairs and government relations. Schoenfeld said the ruling by the N.C. Court of Appeals concerned Davidson in particular and cannot necessarily be applied universally. “It was a specific case regarding Davidson College Police Department,” Schoenfeld said. “We’re studying the ruling and what the potential impact on Duke may be.” For now, it’s “business as usual,” he added. Davidson is not the only institution in the state to have its police authority challenged. The police departments at Campbell University and Pfeiffer University were
See potti on page 7
See dupd on page 6
THE CHRONICLE
THE CHRONICLE
courtney douglas/The Chronicle
Construction on the new K4 dormitory is “slightly ahead of schedule,” administrators said, adding that noise will be minimized for students this Fall, SEE STORY PAGE 3
See freshmen on page 7
Duke nears ‘final stages’ of naming external review body in Potti case by Tullia Rushton THE CHRONICLE
The external organization set to lead the investigation of Duke cancer researcher Anil Potti’s allegedly flawed findings is nearly determined. Dr. Victor Dzau, chancellor for health affairs and president and chief executive officer for the Duke University Health System, said the University is almost certain about which organization will conduct the external review of Potti’s research. According to The Cancer Letter, National Cancer Institute Director Harold Varmus has contacted the Institute of Medicine to Anil Potti request that the organization lead the review of Potti’s findings. Dzau declined to comment on whether IOM was in fact the organization that Duke has been in talks with, citing an confidentiality agreement with the organization’s president. “It could negatively impact the decision making [with respect to Potti’s work] if we don’t keep the identity [of the organiza-
ONTHERECORD
“It is always good to see Duke recognized among the very best universities in the country...”
—VP for PR and gov’t relations Michael Schoenfeld. See story page 3
Coach K leads Team USA past Spain, Page 15
Giles fire leaves interior unharmed, Page 4