The Chronicle T h e i n d e p e n d e n t d a i ly at D u k e U n i v e r s i t y
FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2010
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 2
www.dukechronicle.com
Brodhead welcomes largest class ever PTS launches tracking, new campus routes by Matthew Chase THE CHRONICLE
As the members of the largest-ever freshman class sat in the Chapel during Wednesday’s Convocation ceremony, they heard about the economic downturn, a “Star Wars”-obsessed roommate and tales of travels from Prague to Pennsylvania. For President Richard Brodhead, though, the arrival of the freshmen could be described in one word. “If you know me, you... know how seldom I use the word ‘awesome,’” Brodhead said in his address. “What’s awesome is what begins on this day. You came here to grow into the person you have the capacity to be. Welcome to this great sea of becoming.... Welcome to Duke.” Using the words “unusual uncertainty”— a phrase coined by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke—Brodhead encouraged freshmen to “ride the waves of change” and use their talents to make a difference in the world. “‘Unusual uncertainty’ is not some transient condition that can easily be fixed by the Dow,” Brodhead said. “Learn to love it. ‘Unusual uncertainty’ is the normal condition of our interactive and metamorphic world. All this change will indeed be very challenging for people who have few skills for adapting. But all this uncertainty will not necessarily be bad, and it could even actually be fantastically stimulating, if you approach it in a different way.”
See convocation on page 13
by Sanette Tanaka THE CHRONICLE
courtney douglas/The Chronicle
Students and parents congregate outside Duke Chapel before Convocation, where President Richard Brodhead urged new freshmen to use the University to embrace their potential.
This Fall, many of Duke’s buses will run on different routes as the University seeks to cut costs and better integrate students living on Central Campus. Changes implemented by Duke Parking and Transportation Services include an alternative C-1 bus route—the C-1 Class Change bus, which will replace the C-3 and C-6 routes—and an extended C-2 route will run in place of the C-4. Additionally, DuTrack.com is a new website created to track University buses online, said Sam Veraldi, director of parking and transportation. The website, originally developed by Matt Ball, Pratt’10, is currently being revised and updated by members of the Duke Smart Home Program and will be launched within the next few weeks, said junior Dean Chen, chief operating officer of the Smart Home, who also serves as managing director of online operations for The Chronicle. The new Bull City Connector, which provides transportation between Duke and downtown Durham, is also up and running, Veraldi said. The C-1 buses will continue to run between East and West campuses, and some buses will See bus on page 15
Storms flood Keohane Quad, BP spill in Gulf temporarily displace students boosts tourism by Taylor Doherty THE CHRONICLE
courtney douglas/The Chronicle
Flooding in Keohane Quadrangle 4D from a severe thunderstorm Sunday night resulted in the temporary relocation of seven students and a residence coordinator to Central Campus.
For a few returning students, settling in will have to wait. A storm Sunday night flooded the rooms of seven students and a residence coordinator on the first floor of Keohane Quadrangle 4D. The students have been temporarily relocated to Central Campus for the first week of school, said Joe Gonzalez, associate dean for residential life. It is likely that the flood was the result of a change in water flow patterns from construction of the K4 residence hall, the new dorm that is expected to open in Spring 2012, Gonzalez said. Parts of Craven and Edens quadrangles also flooded, but no student rooms were affected, Gonzalez added. “We think that change in the landscape pushed the water into the archway of that area, which then went to the residential area,” he said.
ONTHERECORD
“We need more spaces like that....”
—Provost Peter Lange on The Energy Hub. See story page 4
for NC beaches by Samantha Brooks THE CHRONICLE
After this summer’s oil spill in the Gulf Coast, some environmentalists were concerned that other coastal states could see damaged beaches if the oil drifted north. But instead of oil, it has been tourists who have been making their way up the coast. This July, AAA Carolinas predicted a 12 percent increase in Fourth of July tourism and more coastal tourism than in the previous two years, according to the Charlotte Observer. Connie Nelson, communications and public relations director at the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, wrote in an e-mail that North Carolina beach accommodations saw an increase in business from people displaced by the spill.
See flooding on page 16
See tourism on page 11
Lester excels after recovering from injuries, Page 22
Students sound off on orientation week, Page 6