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
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2009
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 25
www.dukechronicle.com
K-ville’s rigor to be reconsidered Report shows some crimes down in ’08
by Ethan Marks The chronicle
Students tenting this year may be able to avoid previous tenters’ experiences, such as rushing back to a thin sleeping bag for a 10 p.m. curfew. In a few weeks, Head Line Monitor Zach White will propose Krzyzewskiville policy changes to the Duke Student Government Senate for approval. Many of the potential changes are designed to reduce the rigors of tenting requirements and encourage continued student participation. “Some people who tent freshman year leave with the feeling that tenting was an unbelievable experience but that they would never want to do it again,” said White, a senior. “That’s not what we want to see this year.” One of the biggest changes being discussed is a reduction in the number of students required to sleep every night in each K-ville tent from eight to six. Other likely proposals include allowing students to stay out until midnight on Thursday nights and raising the minimum temperature needed for line monitors to award grace. “It’s important to strike a balance between a challenging and a unifying K-ville experience,” said sophomore Pete Schork, DSG vice president for athletics and campus services. “Tenting is a very rigorous experience, but we don’t want it to interfere with students’ academics or their quality of life.” The push for changes this year is in large part due to a perception that it is extremely difficult to get into basketball games, White said. Two years ago, the first tenters arrived in See k-ville on page 6
by Lindsey Rupp and Zachary Tracer The chronicle
Maya robinson/Chronicle file photo
Krzyzewskiville may see lessened requirements this tenting season. Head Line Monitor Zach White, a senior, will propose to reduce the number of students required to sleep in a tent at night from eight to six.
The Duke University Police Department released the latest crime statistics in its annual Clery Security Report, which shows that although reports of some serious crimes were down, drinking and drug violations were up in the 2008 calendar year. In 2008, 51 burglaries were reported—14 fewer than in 2007. The number of reported robberies decreased to two in 2008 from seven in 2007. Reports of forcible sex offenses remained steady at five. The report, which universities are required to publish each year by Oct. 1 under the federal Clery Act, only reflects crimes committed on campus and immediately adjacent to it. The report does not include incidents that occur off-campus—such as the January 2008 murder of graduate student Abhijit Mahato. According to the report, 34 of the burglaries reported in 2008 occurred in residential facilities. “In just one or two cases was there forced entry,” DUPD Chief John Dailey said. “If students would lock their doors—and I understand it’s inconvenient—most of those would be prevented.” See CLERY on page 12
Freshman describes robbery as ‘a surreal moment’ by Zachary Tracer The chronicle
zachary tracer/The Chronicle
Freshman Neha Sharma was robbed at gunpoint on Campus Drive near the East Campus Bridge Tuesday night.
The Duke University Police Department is increasing patrols after a student was robbed at gunpoint Tuesday night, DUPD Assistant Chief Gloria Graham said. Freshman Neha Sharma was walking near the East Campus Bridge when a man with a gun got out of the passenger seat of a dark car and robbed her of her backpack, she said. Sharma was not hurt in the 9:45 p.m. incident, which occurred as she walked from West Campus to East Campus. “I think I was just really shocked. It was kind of a surreal moment,” she said. “I’ve never seen a gun that big.” Duke Police have been working closely with the Durham Police Department to investigate the armed robbery, DUPD Chief John Dailey said. He added that the incident may be connected to a robbery in Durham that occurred after the robbery at Duke. He declined to release further details to avoid jeopardizing the investigation. “We’re working very closely with the Durham Police Department,” he said. “We typically do that any time we have any type of crime.” In a news release, Duke Police describe the suspect in the on-campus robbery as a bald, large-built black
ONTHERECORD
“Wireless is a solution that health care desperately needs.” —Medical Innovation and Strategies Conference Coordinator Dr. Gopal Chopra on medical technology. See story page 3.
man in his 30s wearing dark pants and a dark baggy sweatshirt. Dailey said police do not have the license plate number of the vehicle involved. Sharma said she was most upset about losing her books and notes, which were in her backpack along with an iPod. “They were very good textbooks and very good notes and very good annotations,” she said. “Even if I don’t get my notes back, all he gets is a malfunctioning iPod.” When the attacker demanded her backpack, Sharma said she asked the man if she could keep her books. “He told me to turn around and keep walking, and don’t look back,” she said. A DukeAlert e-mail about the incident was sent to the Duke community Tuesday night at approximately 11 p.m. The message was the first DukeAlert since Aug. 28 when a female employee was robbed at Parking Garage II on Erwin Road. Tuesday’s robbery is the third on or near East Campus in recent months. A senior was robbed at gunpoint two blocks from East Campus Aug. 8, and then shot in the abdomen when he fought back. A junior was robbed at gunpoint July 28 behind the East Union Building, which houses the Marketplace.
Women’s Soccer: Looking up Blue Devils face No. 1 North Carolina tonight in Chapel Hill, PAGE 7
Tucker Max drops his new film, RECESS 5