Wednesday, October 9,2002
Cloudy High 70, Low 57 www.chronicle.duke.edu Vol. 98, No. 35
The Chronicle *
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Fourth and go? Statistical evidence suggests that football teams should pursue plays more often on fourth down. See page 11
THE INDEPENDENT DAILY AT DUKE UNIVERSITY
Graduate advising key to retention This is the third story in a five-part series examining attrition among graduate
students. ■
By JENNIFER HASVOLD The Chronicle
In combating the high rate of attrition across graduate programs, departments have concentrated energy on strengthening the advising system, although students and faculty members are divided about whether strong advising has been successful in retaining students. Traditionally, graduate students apply to a specific program because of the overall strength of a department or because they have contacted a faculty member with whom they share a common research interest. In both cases, students are paired with faculty to develop an adviser-student relationship, and many think the strength of that relationship contributes to a student’s likelihood to continue on a doctoral track. “Mentoring is about keeping students here and getting them through the program,” said Lewis Siegel, dean ofthe Graduate School. Jorge Bravo, a second-year graduate student in political science who trans-
ferred from the University of California at Los Angeles last year, said the See ADVISING on page 8
SAM MORGAN/THE CHRONICLE
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS build the parking garage on Science Drive behind the Bryan Center. Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta said plans for a new building that would have neighbored the garage have been suspended while officials finalize plans for the student village.
Village plan puts building on hold Moneta to release West Campus student space report next week By ALEX GARINGER The Chronicle
Plans to begin construction of a new building next to the Bryan Center are on hold and may possibly be scuttled as administrators finalize a program statement for the creation of the encompassing West Campus student village. Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta presented a preliminary version ofthe statement to members of the Board of Trustees this weekend and will hold a similar meeting with student leaders and Student Affairs
officials after fall break. “Everything is pretty much stopped,” Moneta said. “We decided that instead of lots of incremental changes, let’s see what the whole game plan is first.” In the University’s initial discussions, the new building was earmarked for Auxiliary Services offices, the Textbook Store, the Duke Barber Shop and The Chronicle’s offices. Ground was supposed to be broken last spring, but was delayed indefinitely in order for officials to map out completely all of the plans for the student village.
Executive Vice President Tallman Trask said what was originally conceived as an “auxiliary” building is now open to almost anything. The Textbook Store, for instance, could be relocated to the West Union Building, and Great Hall-type dining could move to the Bryan Center or the new building, Trask added. The location of the building is also unconfirmed—the latest possibility as the base of a new football field-sized plaza that would See VILLAGE on page 7
Whitewashed: LGBT community recalls East bridge censorship By CHRISTINA NG The Chronicle
For decades, students have grabbed their paintbrushes, paint buckets and creativity, and headed out to Duke’s hub of free expression—the East Campus Bridge—to share their ideas and events with the community. But five years ago this week, when members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community turned to the bridge to celebrate Coming Out Week, they instead found
SILAS HOLLAND (FRONT) and ALIARAIN, Trinity ’Ol, paint the East Campus bridge pink for Queer Awareness Week in March 1998.
Inside
A U.S. Department of Education grant will link Duke and other universities to local high schools to increase the quality of U.S. history instruction. See page 3
censorship. On Oct. 8 and 9, 1997, LGBT students decorated the bridge with slogans and pictures of gay pride, including phrases such as “queer” and “be gay,” and a picture of two girls holding hands. Facilities Management Department officials, however, believed them to be offensive and ordered a whitewashing. Debate immediately sparked on campus about censorship and the attitude toward the LGBT community. “I believe the University should be fostering, not suppressing, free speech,” said Silas Holland, Trinity ’Ol, who participated in the 1997 bridge painting as a freshman. “I would have understood if some ignorant Medical Center researchers are beginning a study on the use of health care coaches who make recommendations to prevent the onset of disease. See page 4
person had come along and messed it up because they think ‘God hates fags,’ but it is another thing all together for a university that ostensibly supports dialogue and free speech to selectively censor its students,” Holland said. He added that the University was showing a double standard by only whitewashing some expressions. Others do not share Holland’s sentiment “Many tempers flared after the [incident], but eventually, it was clear that the ‘whitewashing’ was a misunderstanding—not an action of overt censorship,” Brian Denton, assistant director of student activities and adviser of the Alliance of Queer Undergraduates at Duke, wrote in an e-mail. After the controversy, Duke Student Government, Facilities Management and other administrators collaborated to clarity the bridge painting policy, Denton added. Denton, Holland and many other LGBT community members said no similar censorship issues have arisen since 1997 and noted that the incident had an unforeseen benefit, namely a campus-wide debate over free speech. Although students said then that the University would have a long way to go to mend its reSee ANNIVERSARY on page 10 The Graduate and Professional Student Council met in committees Tuesday night to prepare for the academic year. See page 5