the independent
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at duke unive
SITY
The Chronicle Merger elicits student outcry Lighter Joanna CHRONICLE THE
More than 150 students convened Wednesday night to express their dissatisfaction with the impending merger of the Multicultural Center and the International House. In response to the announcement of the merger earlier this week, the Center for Race Relations organized 'an emergency meeting to provide a forum for student reaction. “We had no input as stu-
dents,” said senior Aileen Joa, a member of the Mi Gente Counsel Board. “The bigger issue here is the fear. Duke students should be alarmed.... You too can be swept under the rug.” Zoila Airall, assistant vice president for student affairs, announced initial plans for the new combined Global Cultures Center—as it is currently being called—Monday night in a meeting with the Council of Cultural SEE MERGER ON PAGE 5
Faculty retirement plans remain vague Lindsey Rupp THE CHRONICLE
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Administrators have provided few details about the recently introduced retirement incentives for faculty, and it remains unclear how the incentives are being discussed with professors and how much money may be offered. In an e-mail obtained by The Chronicle, Srinivas Aravamudan, dean of humanities and professor of English, gave some department chairs guidance about the faculty retirement incentives.
“Please make sure that your
faculty is aware of this program,”
Aravamudan wrote. “While there is no faculty retirement target list and theoretically any faculty member who fits the Rule of 75 is eligible, chairs should not ap-
proach anyone.”
In order to be eligible for the University to supplement their retirement packages; faculty have 79 days left to decide whether to commit to retire by June 30, 2011. The value of the incentives is unknown. They SEE
ON PAGE 6
MICHAEL
NACLERIO/THE CHRONICLE
A fallen tree obstructs traffic on Chapel Drive Wednesday night.The inclement weather, caused by Tropical Storm Ida, brought down several trees on campus, including one in front ofWilson dormitory on East Campus.The rain is expected to continue through Friday.
Storm uproots tree blocks buses 9
by
Jessica Julia Love
Chang and
THE CHRONICLE
The remnants of Tropical Storm Ida raged through campus Wednesday, uprooting trees and felling ceiling tiles in its path. A pine toppled on West Campus at around midnight, landing squarely between two gateposts near the traffic circle and blocking the entrance to ChapelDrive. A C dodged the tree by several minutes and was trapped on Chapel Drive. Driver Mike Eubanks said he
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thought the pine was bound to ily pose more of a threat, but noted that there is “always a danger fall, noting that it had been leaning significantly. He pointed to with older trees.” He predicted several other trees along campus that the debris would be cleared drive that have also grown with a within a few hours at a cost of slant toward the road and suggestabout 11,500 to the University. ed they should be removed. Several motorists who had “These things are unpredictbeen parked near the Chapel were able, but I’m concerned thatDuke forced to drive through foliage to has not had common sense,” he circumvent the fallen tree. With said. “This tree has been leaning the C-4 stranded, one of the two for a long time.” C-l buses in operation transported students living on Central Campus Roger Conner, a senior member of the groundskeeping staff, said slanted trees do not necessarSEE STORM ON PAGE 3
DUKE STUDENT GOV'T
DSG OKs sweeping
YT reform by
Matthew Chase THE CHRONICLE
In what is perhaps Duke Student Government’s most significant move of the year, Senators approved a Young Trustee bylaw that will open the final selection of the Young Trustee to the undergraduate student body. Although DSG approved an amendment that SEE DSG ON PAGE 4
WarhUlß mes MasKer with'Big iJSSS. RECESSi
ontheRECORD "I think we've made, objectively, tremendous strides in Durham in the last five to eight years."
—Councilmember Eugene Brown on Durham's development. See story page 3
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