camp us
academics
Duke receiv ed a $4.5 M naming gift for the new student plaza
A new partnership will allow students to hear radio shows on iPods
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Shelden Williams helped the USA capture gold in Turkey
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The Chronicle THE INDEPENDENT DAILY AT DUKE UNIVERSITY
FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2005
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ONE HUNDRED AND FIRST YEAR, ISSUE 1
Bell Tower opens to Class of 'O9 Security by
services switch
Tiffany Webber THE CHRONICLE
When East Campus officially opened to the Class of 2009 Wednesday, a crop of eager freshman students unloaded clothes, books and other belongings into their new home: Bell Tower Dormitory, the University’s newest residence hall. Bell Tower is a point of contact among different parts of the University and includes several unique, collaborative features. It is a place where students can live in spacious dorm rooms, socialize in media and game rooms, learn in classrooms, voice concerns to police officers at the Duke University Police Department substation, meet with professors in conference rooms or concentrate on their health and nutrition at a health space dubbed the “Zen post.” Though many of the freshman residents marveled at the novelty of living in a brand new dorm, some said they were surprised by other people’s reactions to their living situation and are still grasping the idea of spending their first year at Duke in the state-of-the-art dorm. “I’ve gotten a lot of envious glares when I tell people I’m living in Bell Tower. I didn’t even know it was such a commodity,” freshman SEE MOVE-IN ON PAGE 10
by
Saidi Chen
THE CHRONICLE
TIAN QINZHENG/THE CHRONICLE
Freshmen David Weisberg (left) and Peter Alien (right) move boxes into a room in the new Bell Tower Dormitory.
University celebrates completion of dorm by
Tiffany Webber THE CHRONICLE
After more than two years of
plans and anticipation, the University’s top brass and other Duke community members celebrated the opening of the brand new $ 15-millionBell Tower Dor-
mitory Aug. 16. The dorm is the first to open on East Campus since Randolph and Blackwell dorms opened in 1994. The ceremony began with the first ringing of the Trinity College bell from its new home atop the dorm tower coupled with the an-
nouncement that
a new Duke tradition will include the president of the University ringing the bell for the yearly opening of East Campus. President Richard Brodhead, Executive Vice President SEE DORM ON PAGE 13
Student receives sentence in Armenia by
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Graduate student Yektan Turkyilmaz was released from Armenian custody Aug. 15 with a suspended sentence for violation of a law governing book exportation.
Tiffany Webber THE CHRONICLE
After being arrested June 17, Yektan Turkyilmaz—a fourthyear graduate student in the Department of Cultural Anthropology—was released from Armenian custody Aug. 15. Although Turkyilmaz, a citizen of neighboring Turkey, was found guilty of violating an Armenian law that bans the exportation of books more than than 50 years old, he was released from a nearly twomonth long custody at police headquarters in the city of Yerevan. He was given a two-year suspended sentence on charges of trying to take approximately 90 old books out of the country. The maximum penalty for the crime is four to eight years in prison, but prosecutors in the trial requested Turkyilmaz not be imprisoned due to his
admittance of guilt and cooperation with authorities, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. The scholar’s imprisonment spurred a multi-pronged effort in which Duke administrators, government officials and more than 200 students issued letters and pleas to Armenian President Robert Kocharian for Turkyilmaz’s release. Former U.S. Sen. Robert Dole and husband to current Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., Trinity ’5B, issued an open letter to Kocharian. “Armenia has many friends in the United States,” Dole wrote, “but we cannot and will not defend the indefensible.” Turkyilmaz has not been released from Armenia, as it is customary in the country that the judge’s verdict not take effect until two weeks after it is issued. SEE
ON PAGE 12
Duke officials announced last week that they hired Allied Security to provide security services for the University this year. The new firm will assume the responsibilities formerly held by Securitas USA, Duke’s previous security services provider. Allied safety personnel began patrols around East, West and Central campuses using bicycles, cars and Segways Aug. 19. “We’re looking to improve the reputation of security officers on campus. That’s one of the reasons we’re looking to make some changes,” Vice President for Campus Services Kernel Dawkins said. “We believe Allied will be able to provide the services we’re looking for more in keeping with what our goals are.” Securitas’ contract with Duke expired in May, and the hiring of Allied came as a result of an internal review ofDuke’s safety and security needs. Both Securitas and Allied submitted proposals, and Allied was chosen based on its strong professional reputation at peer institutions and its rigorous training program for employees, Dawkins said. Leanora Minai, senior public relations specialist for Duke University Police Department, noted Allied already has contracts at Harvard University, Columbia SEE SECURITY ON PAGE 14
Allied Security has replaced Securitas USA as the safety service on campus.