October 8, 2002

Page 1

Tuesday, October 8,2002

I

»

Partly Cloudy High 66, Low 54 www.chronicle.duke.edu Vol. 98, No. 34

m

i

j

I M

| A TI|lf |

I I

1 I

L \

"T" Iff I I

1

"T I I

Wade to go

|i

XIIL vl Jl\V/L i IvLL \

He’s Duke’s answer to the defensive line. Find out why Alex Wade is Carl

THE INDEPENDENT DAILY AT DUKE UNIVERSITY

Hull named residential life director By WHITNEY BECKETT The Chronicle

Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta announced this week that he had found the right man to lead a reenergized residential life system, the last vacancy to be filled under the newly-restructured Division of

Student Affairs. Edward Hull, assistant vice president for Student Affairs and director of residence life and student housing at Southern Methodist University, will become Duke’s first director of residential life and housing services. Moneta said that Hull, with 25 years of residential experience, understands residential life, students, housing, private institutions and the quad system and should be ready to take over Nov. 1. “This is his calling,” Moneta said. “He’s fabulous—he understands exactly

the kind of system we’re looking for.” Although Hull said he did not have any immediate plans, one of his first tasks will be to further implement the residential life plan that Moneta initiated last year—including the development and integration of more technical, academic and outreach programs for students at the quad level. The new unit, housed on Central

Campus, is comprised of the former housing management department See HULL on page 8

CATHERINE CULLEN/THE CHRONICLE

CUSTOMERS AT GRACE’S CAFE, currently located on the ground floor ofTrent Drive Hall, may see the eatery move closer to the heart of Central Campus soon if Auxiliary Services officials approve a plan to merge the Chinese restaurant with Central grocer Uncle Harry’s.

Grace’s may move in with Uncle Harry’s By ANDREW GERST The Chronicle

Hampered by a plummet in Trent Drive Hall’s student population from nearly 300 to 67, Grace’s Cafe may soon desertthe increasingly vacant dorm to share space with Uncle Harry’s. Jack Chao, Grace’s owner, said he plans to discuss the possibility of re-opening in the back of Uncle Harry’s grocery store this month with Auxiliary Services officials. The University hopes the potential move might also help the Central Campus store’s struggling revenues. “I see it as a win-win situation,” Chao said. “A student will come in for lunch and pick up a gallon of milk on the way out. Or maybe they’ll come to shop and then grab a sandwich.” Chao estimated it would cost $120,000 of renovations at Uncle Harry’s—including replacing the deli with a full kitchen and student dining area—before the Chinese restaurant could move in.

To assess the project’s feasibility, Jim Wilkerson, director of Duke Stores, and Jim Wulforst, director of dining services, are writing a report to consider potential price structures at Uncle Harry’s, Central Campus renovations and the ramifications for both Central and Trent. The report should be ready Oct. 14 and the decision hinges on its findings, said Joe Pietrantoni, associate vice president for auxiliary services. “We can either help Grace’s financially [through subsidies] or we can consolidate it with the grocery store,” Pietrantoni said. “But we just have to wait to decide if it’s a good move.” Losing almost three-quarters of last year’s Trent residents prompted Chao to propose the move in late August. Chao said he is unsure when the relocation would occur. “If we had a choice, then v/e would prefer not moving,” he See GRACE’S on page 8

Graduate school examines admissions to lower attrition This is the second story in a five-part series examining attrition among graduate students. By KIRA ROSOFF The Chronicle

While the University’s doctoral programs go to great lengths to bring in applicants, the increase in attrition rates throughout most of the Graduate School has led administrators to question the thoroughness of admissions processes. Lewis Siegel, dean of the Graduate School, said virtually no correlation exists between degree completion and GPA and GRE scores, and that programs should delve further into the actual applications, giving priority to those students with deep-rooted interests in the respective fields of study. “Just using numbers is a lousy way of determining the best fit,” Siegel said. “We

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL is trying to match potential doctoral students better with departments during the application process to avoid high attrition rates.

lii&IIIC

The Ciom P' Quartet has traveled worldwide to perform, but has ca||ed Duke>s musjc department tj s home for the last 40 years. See page 3

need to read the damned applications.” The University Program in Genetics has the highest completion rate at

The Duke Poets Society formed last spring, but has launched into this year with two East Campus Coffeehouse readings. See page 4

the University, about 87 percent. Dr. Joseph Heitman, the program’s director, said their low attrition rate is due largely in part to strong faculty-student relationships. Heitman stressed the importance of making sure the student-adviser match is strong. He said applicants are also encouraged to view the website, which has links to all of the current students, newsletters and descriptions of events hosted by current students. “In any graduate program, you have to consider that there are different career aspirations,” Heitman said. “Not everyone who enters the program will become the head of a lab, but we don’t admit anyone that we don’t think should be getting their Ph.D.” Marcy Speer, director of graduate studies in genetics, agreed that the program looks for students who show their commitment from the beginning of the process. She said they pay special attenSee ADMISSIONS on page 7

The Department of History is implementing a plan to make its major more attractive by allowing students to substitute AP credits for prerequisites. See page 5


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.