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, FEBRUARY 24, 2011
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 104
www.dukechronicle.com
Feeling the impact Students deal with emotional challenges in aftermath of quake
Duke, AIG settle 2008 claims suit from Staff Reports THE CHRONICLE
brett phiBbs/ap
Monday’s 6.3 magnitude earthquake outside of Christchurch, New Zealand caused at least 75 fatalities and severely damaged the city’s central business district. Because of the ruined infrastructure, several Duke students from New Zealand relied on on Facebook for news of their families back home. by Matt Barnett THE CHRONICLE
A devastating earthquake in New Zealand is hitting home for some Duke students. Monday in New Zealand an earthquake destroyed several buildings and resulted in at least 75 fatalities in Christchurch, according to the country’s Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management. The
epicenter of the 6.3-magnitude earthquake occurred 10 kilometers from the city, which is New Zealand’s second largest. The most recent major quake, which occurred in September 2010, measured a 7.1 but caused less damage and no casualties. Some of the worst damage was sustained in the city’s central business district, where several buildings collapsed. The area was
promptly evacuated and a national state of emergency declared. Although rescue workers continue to seek out trapped individuals, authorities expect the death toll to rise. For some Duke students from New Zealand, the earthquake has highlighted the emotional difficulties of living so far See earthquake on page 5
Nicholas school Perdue vetoes budget bill, first graduate lived life of new legislature to the ‘very fullest’ by Michael Shammas
by Julian Spector
Gov. Bev Perdue’s relationship with the newly-elected North Carolina legislature is off to a rocky start. Perdue gave her first veto of legislation proposed by the new GOP-dominated General Assembly Tuesday, arguing that it would stifle job creation. The Republican-sponsored bill—”The Balanced Budget Act of 2011”—was intended to help close an estimated $2.4 billion budget deficit, but Perdue says it would substantially reduce the state’s ability to create more jobs by reducing the amount of money dedicated toward attracting industry. “The bill in its current form forces a one-time cash grab from funds that are intended to create jobs and spur economic
Recent Nicholas School graduate Chris Beauvais, a generous friend and hiking enthusiast, passed away Saturday morning at age 29 due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Beauvais, who studied as an undergraduate at Brevard College, graduated in Fall 2010 from the Nicholas School of the Environment with two degrees: a master of environmental management and a master of forestry. After completing his studies, Beauvais launched an environmental consulting business that quickly took on contacts, said his father, Dan Beauvais. “[Chris was] someone who lived his life to the very fullest,” Amy Morsch, a close friend who first met Chris at their Nicholas School orientation in the Fall of 2008, wrote in an e-mail Tuesday.
See veto on page 6
See beauvais on page 5
THE CHRONICLE
Duke topped a ranked Temple squad last night, Page 7
A legal settlement Tuesday brought Duke another step closer to tying up the last pieces of the lacrosse case. Duke and a subsidiary of the insurance company American International Group Inc. have settled a 2008 lawsuit Duke brought to recover expenses related to claims from the 2006 incident. AIG and Duke mutually agreed to dismiss the suit, Bloomberg News reported. The terms of the settlement between Duke and National Union Fire Insurance Co., the AIG subsidiary, have not been disclosed. In 2008, a lawyer for AIG said the company offered Duke $5 million to end the case, Bloomberg News reported. In an interview, Michael Schoenfeld, Duke’s vice president for public affairs and government relations, declined to comment. A spokesman for AIG declined to comment to Bloomberg News. Duke filed the suit in November 2008 after the AIG subsidiary that was insuring Duke refused to cover the costs of confidential settlements with the three wrongly indicted lacrosse players and with former men’s lacrosse coach Mike Pressler. Duke said the company had breached See suit on page 5
THE CHRONICLE
Twenty apply for Duke INtense Global, Page 3
Chronicle file photo
Former Board of Trustees Chair Robert Steel and President Richard Brodhead speak at a press conference in mid-2006, reinstating the men’s lacrosse season.
ONTHERECORD
“I have run into many good people who just didn’t know the laws and appreciated someone explaining them.”
—Durham PAC 2 co-President Bill Anderson on minor crimes. See story page 3