THE INDEPENDENT DAILY AT DUKE UNIVERSITY
The Chronicle University prepares to ‘fight flu’ by
Rachna Reddy THE CHRONICLE
This week, around 13,000 students will convene on Duke’s campus following a summer offlu outbreaks. While the majority of students were away in June andjuly, more than 70 suspected cases of the HINI virus, commonly known as swine flu, appeared on East Campus, said Dr. Bill Purdy, executive director of Student Health. To prepare for this month’s influx of students arriving at Duke, administrators are focusing on educational and preventative measures. “We had a number of cases of influenza reported among young people at Duke who were in various [summer] programs,” said Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations. “The cases were very mild, even milder than typical seasonal flu.” Only programs located on East Campus were affected, including Duke’s Talent Identification Program and the American Dance Festival. Students exhibiting symptoms were sent home immediately, but if a parent could not arrive within 24 hours to pick up their child, diagnosed students were quarantined in Giles dormitory for seven days, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But according to the CDC Web site, the virus can only survive outside the body for a maximum of eight hours, so SEE FLU ON PAGE 6
295 retirees could save
Duke S2OM Lindsey Rupp THE CHRONICLE
by
The numbers are in and 295 bi-weekly
paid employees have accepted the Uni-
MICHAEL NACLERIO/THE CHRONICLE
An RLHS employee hands out a 'Fight the Flu'flier to an early move-in participant Sunday.Theflier is part of the University's effort to combat the outbreakof swine flu on campus as it preparesfor thearrival of students. More than 70 suspected cases of the MINI virus were reported during the summer sessions.
versity’s early retirement incentive, Vice President for Human Resources Kyle Cavanaugh said. Duke offered a “defined benefit”—or pension—plan to 825 staff members who have worked at the University for at least 10 years and are at least 50 years old. Executive Vice President Tallman Trask said the University hoped 20 percent of eligible staff members would accept the plan—about 35 percent actually did University officials said early projections of the acceptance rate estimate Duke will save about $lO to $2O million in salaries, benefits and equipment. “Two hundred [people accepting the plan] was just a guess as to how many we might get, the target was as many as we could get,” Trask said. “Three hundred surprised me but not outrageously so, what surprised me was the number of SEE RETIREMENT ON PAGE 10
Shooting, robbery raise safety issues As Brown resigns Senior recoveringfrom gunshot wound afterAug. 8 robbery by
MICHAELNACLERIO/THE CHRONICLE
A Duke senior was shot in an armed robbery Aug. 8 near the intersection ofWatts Street and Trinity Avenue. Six robberies have been reported within a quarter-mile of this intersection in the last year.
Zachary Tracer THE CHRONICLE
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Nur seeks Young Trustee reform
In a span of 11 days this summer, three people were attacked in two late-night incidents just 350 yards apart. A senior was shot and robbed Aug. 8 as he walked home on Watts Street with his girlfriend, and a junior was robbed at gunpoint July 28 behind the East Union building, which houses the Marketplace. The senior was still recovering Sunday in Duke Hospital. His girlfriend and the junior were not injured. The incidents appear unconnected and occurred in an area police say is relatively safe. “I think if you look at the actual crime numbers, Duke is a very safe place,” Duke University Police Department Chief John Dailey said. “People just need to be aware, and not fearful.” He added that even off campus, crimes committed against Duke students are rare. And the armed robbery was the first robbery ofany kind reported on East since 2005, according to Chronicle archives.
Under an upcoming Duke Student Government referendum proposal, the position of vice president for the Inter-Community Council would no longer exist. Junior Andrew Brown, who ran unopposed for the ICC position in April, formally resigned his post in an e-mail to DSC members at the end of June in order to participate in the Duke in New York: Financial Markets and Institutions program in the Spring. Brown said he did not know about the program’s existence when he ran for DSC office, otherwise he would not have participated in the elections.
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SEE NUR ON PAGE 9
ontheRECORD "It turns learning (which should be a deep pleasure, setting up for a lifetime of curiosity) into a crass comptetition...."
—Professor Cathy Davidson on grading. See page 4
SEE ROBBERIES ON PAGE
by
Lisa Du
THE CHRONICLE
Men's Basketball; Incoming! Recruit Andre Dawkins confirms he will join Duke this year and wear No. 20, PAGE 15
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