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THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2005
KXHIi Anniversary
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THE INDEPENDENT DAILY AT DUKE UNIVERSITY
W
ONE HUNDREDTH YEAR, ISSUE 112
2 fee hikes fail to pass DSG by
Sarah Ball
THE CHRONICLE
WEIYITAN/THE CHRONICLE
DSG legislators debate fees to fund Last Day of Classes events and class councils.
Daycare
After pushing through more than an hour of gridlocked debate Wednesday night, Duke Student Government failed to pass two resolutions regarding the student activities fee. The first of the two worked in part to balance fund distribution between the sophomore, junior and senior classes; it was struck down in a roll-call vote. The second, which aimed at raising additional funds for Last Day Of Classes events, was tabled indefinitely.
If they had passed, the two resolutions would have been submitted for student approval as part of the DSG executive ballot; pending a majority student vote, the referendums would have become law. “I’m very disappointed that DSG is not trusting students to vote on whether or not they want the fee,” said Brittany Greenfield, treasurer of Campus Council and co-sponsor of the bill. A proposed $6 per semester increase in the student activities fee was intended to raise addi-
tional money for class councils. Funds for all class activities and programming currently come from the residential programming fee. But because of housing discrepancies—those living offcampus do not pay the fee—the senior class has a disproportionately small budget. “People are being penalized by the fact that there aren’t enough beds on campus, and that’s not fair,” Campus Council President Anthony Vitarelli said in defense of SEE DSG ON PAGE 6
ERWIN CHEMERINSKY | FROM THE SCHOOL OF LAW TO THE SUPREME COURT
scarce on
campus by
Liz Williams
THE CHRONICLE
As a graduate student, Anathea Portier-Young just wanted a safe, convenient
and affordable source of childcare. Unfortunately, that was not something she found readily available on Duke’s campus. She was hardly alone. Now an assistant professor of the Old Testament in the Divinity School, Portier-Young recalled how she and several other Divinity School students tried to establish a parent-run co-op in the fall of 2003 to address the insufficient daycare options. Not only did they hope to avoid the expenses of formal childcare, but they also sought to create a safe environment for their kids. “Child care has been the single greatest issue I’ve had to deal with as a graduate student, and the same is true for many other grad-student parents,” Holly Taylor Coolman, a Divinity School graduate student and parent who participated in the same co-op as Portier-Young, wrote in an e-mail. Professional school students like to maximize the flexibility of their schedules in order to spend as much time as possible with their children, PortierYoung said. “Many graduate students don’t want full time daycare,” she added. The numerous factors that come into play when establishing student-run childcare makes starting co-ops extremely difficult. Coolman said the two most crucial things her group needed from the University were space on campus and an initial investment. “As graduate students, SEE CHILDCARE ON PAGE 7
MICAH WALTER/REUTERS
As the Supreme Court debates whether to allow displays of the Ten Commandments on government property, two reverends demonstrate outside March 2.
Prof argues before Supreme Court Adam Eaglin THE CHRONICLE
by
Last Wednesday, the Supreme Court began reviewing an issue that has plagued
believers and non-believers alike since the ratification of the Constitution—the separation of church and state. At the heart of that current discussion stands Duke law professor Erwin Chemerinsky. Chemerinsky represents defendant Thomas Van Orden in one of two cases currently being examined by the Supreme Court involving the display of the Ten Commandments—a distinctly religious icon that is referenced in Ju-
daism, Christianity and Islam—on public property. Van Orden challenged the placement of a privately funded 6-foot monument of the commandments on the grounds of the Texas Capitol Building in Austin. “There is such a sense of the possibility 0f... making history,” Chemerinsky said of his involvement with the case. “I think that this case really does present the question of whether the government can put a profoundly religious message at the center of the government.” SEE COURT ON PAGE 6
MYUNG CHUN/LA.TIMES
Duke Law Professor Erwin Chemerinsky is representing a defendant in front of theSupreme Court.