May 15, 2003

Page 1

The Chronicle

Thursday, May 15,2003

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Morning Rain High 67, Low 57 www.chronicle.duke.edu Vol. 99, No. S1

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How sweet It is The women’s tennis team travels to Florida today to take on William and Mary in the NCAA Sweet 16. See page 17

THE INDEPENDENT DAILY AT DUKE UNIVERSITY

By MIKE COREY The Chronicle

By ANDREW COLLINS The Chronicle

can go to the Washington Duke,” he said. The Oak Room has also gone through a series of transformations in recent years, as various managers tried changing the menu, low-

After 57 years as Duke’s “fine dining” facility, the Oak Room has closed its doors for good. Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta cited the ering prices and restaurant’s continaiming for the atued financial woes mosphere of a large and the need for chain restaurant multicultural space such as Outback as reasons for its Steakhouse. Efforts departure to jump-start sales, The Oak Room’s however, were unformer space on the successful. second floor of the As recently as West Union Buildlast year, the future ing will soon be oc- Larry Moneta of the Oak Room seemed cupied by the Mary secure. Lou Williams Center for ARAMARK Corp. regional Black Culture. In a reshufmanager David Randolph said fling of sorts, the Center for in Jan. 2002, “I don’t think Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Duke’s ever going to shut it Transgender Life will move down.” ARAMARK, which to the West Union basement, manages most of the Universiand part of the Office of Stuty’s eateries, relinquished condent Affairs will replace the trol of the Oak Room earlier LGBT on the second floor of this year to the University. the Flowers Building. With the Oak Room’s closMoneta said a confluence of ing, a void exists on the Unifactors contributed to the Oak versity dining scene. Room’s demise, most uuiaUj changing student tastes and long-term, sit-down, full-service venue,” said Moneta, who is more variety on and off camto pus. “Now, a student looking See OAK ROOM on page 8 have a fine dinner on campus

In a 7-2 vote Tuesday, Atlantic Coast Conference university presidents voted in favor of an expansion plan that would increase the number of league schools to 12 from nine,

Expansio current teams

a move that—if finalized—would reverberate throughout

in the ACC

$ Clemson

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North Carolina

Duke

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possible

major and mid-major conferences across America. Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, both traditional basketball powers, voted against the proposed expansion, which would have significant ramifications for basketball, which has been the ACC’s signature sport since its the conference’s inception in 1953. Specifically, the ACC’s rivalries, double round-robin regular season format, and post-season

additions t

tournament arrangement would be greatly altered. Additionally, a 12-way split of confer-

ence proceeds earned from television revenue would equate to less money per school. Last sea-

son, the ACC divvied out $9.7 million to each of its schools, the most of any conference. “It Ts no ’ secret that Duke has some reservations about worKs tveu as ids,

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Oak Room closes in ACC expansion looms large space reorganization THE ACC’S P<

protect some of the important See EXPANSION on page 20

Jean-Baptiste, others cleared in assault case

Bright futures indeed...

Victim: Witnesses failed to appear

during Sunday’s Decked out in shades, members of the class of 2003 rise to sing the alma mater for the and photos. 3 and story 11 Wade See pages Stadium. ceremony at Wallace

i«*we ings last weekend. See

page 4

commencement

Latino patients. See page 4

“This is not because I found By CINDY YEE The Chronicle everything credible, because Duke students that is certainly not the case,” Three charged with assaulting a McKown said in her ruling, according to The Herald-Sun. North Carolina Central University student March 30 were “But based on the burden of acquitted May 6 in Durham proof, the plaintiff could not prove [the charges] beyond a County District Court. Judge Ann McKown found reasonable doubt.” None of the defendants former Duke Student Governbe reached for comment. could JeanJoshua ment President senior Rashan NCCU Baptiste, Trinity ’O3, former the who filed Crumpton, DSG Treasurer John Njoku, Duke the three charges against all-ACC and Trinity ’O3, wrestler Michael Mitchell, a students, said he was disappointed with the ruling. senior, not guilty of misde“None of my witnesses meanor assault inflicting serishowed up. I don’tknow why,” he ous injury. Jean-Baptiste and “The case was handled said. graduaNjoku participated in pretty badly because it was prettion ceremonies Sunday. The Herald-Sun of Durham ty much them against me again, and it shouldn’t have been.” reported May 7 that McKown attributed the ruling to a lack of See NOT GUILTY on page 8 evidence against the defendants.

meeting. See page


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