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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, NOVEMBER 13, 2017 DUKECHRONICLE.COM
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 33
‘Our peers are suffering. Our community is suffering. Our university is suffering and we are all complicit.’ Jack Dolgin | Contributing Photographer Outside of Duke Chapel, Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc., a National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternity, held its probate Saturday to reveal its new members to a large crowd.
By Likhitha Butchireddygari | Editor-In-Chief Kenrick Cai | News Editor If you have had experiences with hazing that you would like to share with The Chronicle in a confidential manner, please contact Likhitha Butchireddygari or Kenrick Cai. A group calling itself Concerned Black Students criticized Duke Student Affairs and the student body for their “willful ignorance and complicity” of hazing in National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations at Duke. Eight NPHC chapters, historically African American fraternities and sororities, currently exist at Duke, according to the Fraternity and Sorority Life website. Wednesday morning, Concerned Black Students sent a letter to Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, and other campus leaders about “the annual abuse of black students,” in reference to the pledging process of NPHC organizations.
Group of concerned students alleges hazing in black fraternities and sororities “National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations at Duke have had a long history of using mental, physical and emotional abuse as part of their pledging processes,” the letter stated. “Not only is this abuse illegal, it infringes
on prohibitions on hazing set to protect all students at this university and contradicts everything we hold dear as an institution.” The letter claimed that the University has attempted to cover up hazing in these organizations and requested that it instead serve sanctions to the organizations that commit hazing. “If action is not taken, we are prepared to bring forth specific information on the practices of these organizations and the methods in which the University attempts to cover it up,” the letter stated. Twenty minutes after the original letter was sent, Moneta refuted the group’s claims, stating in an email to the group that Duke has “no interest” in covering up hazing by any group. He added that the University has “always” taken hazing allegations seriously and cited past instances where student See HAZING on Page 4
Duke alum Justin Fairfax reflects on winning Va. Lt. Gov. race By Claire Ballentine Towerview Editor
Justin Fairfax’s path to career success wasn’t always an easy one, but help from family and mentors opened new doors for him. Now he’s working to provide others with the same chances he had. Last week, Fairfax—who graduated from Duke in 2000 with a B.A. in public policy studies and French—won the race for lieutenant governor of Virginia, becoming only the second African American to hold the position. He defeated Republican Jill Holtzman Vogel, a state senator and former chief counsel for the Republican
National Committee. “The reason we ran is because I’ve always had a deep passion for public service, for creating opportunities for people in much of the way people created opportunities for me,” he said. Fairfax’s campaign focused on increasing economic opportunities and access to highquality, affordable health care. He is also passionate about making college more equitable by allowing people to refinance their student loan debt and reforming the criminal justice system by dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline. He noted that he was raised primarily by his mom along with his maternal
grandparents who let his family to move into their home when times were hard. This allowed his mom to save up money working as a pharmacist and buy the house across the street from his grandparents. “With the help of so many people, she sent all four of her kids to college and two to law school,” Fairfax said. “We didn’t have a lot of money, but we had faith and hope and optimism.” This instilled in him the importance of lifting up other people and fostering positivity. “When you get spiritual wealth in your life, you then have a spiritual debt that you must repay, and you have to go out and fight and make that story possible for more people,” he
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said. “That’s why I ran.” The job of lieutenant governor is a parttime position with the main responsibility of presiding over the state senate and breaking ties when necessary—a likely situation given the senate’s current breakdown of 21 Republicans and 19 Democrats. The role also involves sitting on boards and commissions that deal with policy issues like economic development, climate change and higher education. Fairfax explained that he has always had a passion for public service, but that this became solidified when he came to Duke on See FAIRFAX on Page 12 @thedukechronicle | © 2017 The Chronicle