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See Inside Duke takes down No. 1 Tar Heels Page 4

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, APRIL 23, 2018 DUKECHRONICLE.COM

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 82

TOWERVIEW

SHOOTERS OWNER TOOK A STANCE IN LACROSSE CASE What that means for Duke students today By Riley Griffin Contributing Reporter

Kim Cates, owner of popular off-campus bar Shooters II, was a staunch defender of the 2006 men’s lacrosse team after three of the co-captains were accused of rape. 1. A poster signed by the team hangs behind the main bar. Photo | Special to the Chronicle 2. Now, Shooters draws in about 1,800 students—in 2006, it was 300. Photo | Chronicle File 3. Cates is pictured here with players from different years. Photo | Special to the Chronicle 4. Cates placed 38 cameras around the bar for security. Photo | Special to the Chronicle

Student Conduct closes cases against student protesters By Adam Beyer Digital Strategy Director

The clock strikes midnight. It’s Wednesday—or it was—but students continue to pulse to “Mr. Brightside,” unaware of the coming morning. Kim Cates glides from a corner of the bar, which she affectionately named “Lacrosse Alley,” toward the mass of tangled bodies that now spills across the dancefloor. Her eyes scan the crowd. She’s on the lookout. But for what? Cates is the owner and manager of Shooters II Saloon, a staple for Duke student nightlife. Her bar’s success has made her a household name in the surrounding community. She’s frequently listed in The Chronicle’s “Who’s Who at Duke” alongside administrators like President Vincent Price and Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs. At a petite five feet tall, Cates quietly patrols her territory watching for disorderly conduct. She’s wearing chains of bullets, which have been refashioned into jewelry, on her neck and wrists to be in theme with the honky-tonk saloon. She’s 50 years old. This year, her bar turns 20. Cates is a Durham native, known for her southern charm and her no-nonsense attitude. The combination of these qualities have made her a savvy business-owner, drawing students to the local bar every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. But what is her relationship to the Duke community beyond a shared zip code? For Cates, the connection is obvious—she developed an unbreakable bond with the Duke men’s lacrosse team. The rest is history. “It’s a bond I don’t think could ever be broken,” Cates said. Many students are aware of Cates’ devotion to the men’s lacrosse team. It’s hard not to see. Above the entrance to Shooters hangs a life-size poster of the 2009 roster. Beside it is a hand-painted banner of Cates herself, riding a mechanical bull and holding a lacrosse stick. “Score one for Shooters” is written to the side. The banner was made for her by the mother of a former player. Cates attends most of the men’s lacrosse home games and has traveled to a few road

Students who were told they might face disciplinary action for their disruption of President Price’s speech last Saturday have had their student conduct cases closed. More than 20 students had received email notifications from Stephen Bryan, associate dean of students and director of the Office of Student Conduct, notifying them that his office had opened an inquiry into their conduct. Duke policy prohibits “disruptive picketing, protesting or demonstration.” “We are celebrating this win and are excited to hear that the administration chose the correct action,” the students, who call their organization the People’s State of the University, said in a statement on Saturday. “We look forward to working with the administration

tournaments. She’s been a guest at family banquets and personally knows some of the coaches. Walking behind the main bar, Cates points to a different poster. This one, she says, was the most meaningful: “INNOCENT FROM THE BEGINNING! INNOCENT NOW!! INNOCENT FOREVER!!!” The poster was signed by the 2006 men’s lacrosse team, which was drawn into the national spotlight after three of the four cocaptains were falsely accused of rape. Cates attributed the success of her bar to the tenuous year following the accusations. She said that while Duke administrators and surrounding Durham community members assumed the players’ guilt, she voiced their innocence to all who would listen. Her activism had an effect on her business, she said. “When Duke students caught wind that I was supporting the lacrosse boys, my clientele started changing. My crowds started booming. I had to hire people like that,” Cates said, snapping her fingers. During a moment of turmoil and tension between Duke and Durham, Cates forged an irreplaceable relationship with the men’s lacrosse team. The allegations of sexual assault were ultimately unfounded, but Cates’ early and highly public support for the accused players and their teammates raised Shooters’ profile on Duke’s campus. And her business has “boomed” in years since. In 2006, Cates’ relationship to the team complicated the existing campus discourse on privilege and power, race and class, gender and misconduct. Twelve years later, it still might. The prevalence of sexual assault on and around Duke’s campus today has administrators and students once again wondering who’s side she’s on. A honky-tonk saloon Well before the infamous lacrosse case began, Shooters was known as a local country bar. The saloon hosted live music, line-dancing lessons, wet T-shirt contests and “biker days.” See SHOOTERS on Page 2

[toward] fulfilling our vision of a better Duke.” Student conduct is closing the investigation into the students through an informal resolution, explained the students’ statement. The informal resolution, a written admonition, is not considered disciplinary action and will not become a part of their disciplinary record. Nearly 60 faculty members signed a letter to administrators supporting the students Thursday evening. Earlier this week, the students had called it “ironic” that the University would launch investigations given the history of

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