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
The Chronicle
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 6
Gender-neutral For graduating seniors, job housing off to prospects on the upswing problematic start by Ashley Mooney THE CHRONICLE
Despite a few technical glitches, Duke has integrated the sexes—at least residentially. Fourteen individual students have taken advantage of the gender-neutral housing policy on Central Campus this year, said Joe Gonzalez, associate dean for Housing, Dining and Residence Life. “We really didn’t expect large demand for it its first year,” Gonzalez said. “Actually, the number turned out to be about what we predicted for the first year.” HDRL has yet to discuss exactly how gender-neutral housing will be integrated into the house model, Gonzalez added, though he noted that he assumes it will continue. “We haven’t gotten to that level of detail yet,” he said. An additional eight students are living in gender-neutral housing as members of the Nexus, the only Selective Living Group to currently offer gender-neutral living situations, wrote Nexus Executive Chair, Elena Botella, a junior. This puts the total number of students participating in the option at 22. HDRL decided to implement a gender-neutral housing policy last Fall after receiving a recommendation from Campus Council, the University’s former residential government, which was absorbed by Duke Student Government in the Spring. The housing policy was largely motivated by a report from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Life for the 2010 Committee on Gender. The policy’s development was also aided by members of Blue Devil’s United. There are also two gender-neutral sections in Kilgo and SEE HOUSING ON PAGE 5
CHRONICLE GRAPHIC BY DENNIS OCHEI
by Matt Barnett THE CHRONICLE
After several years of decline, job prospects for Duke’s graduating seniors are returning to pre-recession levels. According to the Career Center’s Senior Exit Survey, 38 percent of the Class of 2011 had accepted jobs by April—this is a 7 percent increase from last year and is a near return to Spring 2008—just before the econmic downturn when 39 percent of seniors reported that they had taken offers. Additionally, the percentage of students still seeking jobs fell from 19 percent in 2010 to 15 percent this year.
Students, however, still need to adjust their job searches in order to work with a still recovering market, said William Wright-Swadel, Fannie Mitchell executive director of career services at Duke. “I would suggest to students that when a market is tough... students need to really broaden the way they’re looking and consider the kinds of options they have for searching,” Wright-Swadel added. The percentage of students who reported that they SEE JOBS ON PAGE 5
DPAC brings $1.02M to Durham by Mike Myers THE CHRONICLE
TORI POWERS/THE CHRONICLE
In the first year of its existence, the gender-neutral housing option attracted 14 independent students to sign up and live on Central Campus.
Although profits dipped slightly, the Durham Performing Arts Center is still a source of revenue and recognition for the Bull City. DPAC earned $1.02 million for the city of Durham in the latest fiscal year, according to a preliminary financial statement issued by the city. As a premier theater venue, DPAC hosts more than 150 events per year and made a total of $2.5 million last year—40 percent of which went to Durham. Although Durham owns the facility, PFM/Nederlander serves as its management company. The 2009-2010 fiscal year yielded a profit of $2.9 million for the theater, slightly greater than the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The revenue earned by the city, known as the DPAC Fund, is used to fund capital improvements to the theater, cover revenue shortfalls in the city’s budget and pay down the debt incurred during DPAC’s construction, said Beverly Thompson, Durham’s public affairs director. “This is really amazing,” Shelly Green, president and CEO of the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau, wrote in an email. “Most publicly owned facilities do
not come anywhere close to paying [for] themselves.” Beyond the direct revenue, DPAC facilitates spending in the surrounding downtown Durham community, Green said in an interview. The DCVB calculated that visitors to DPAC also spent more than $40 million in Durham on restaurants, hotels and retail stores in the past year alone. DPAC’s presence is responsible for approximately $28 million of the spending, Green said. “Eighteen years ago, when we would go out and survey residents of Wake County, for every one person that was positive [about Durham], there were four negative. Now, for every one negative, there are six positive,” Green explained. “It took 18 years. Eventually you can get them to be positive.” DPAC, which opened in 2008, was part of an effort to revitalize downtown Durham and enhance the appeal of the area to residents and visitors. In 2005 the city completed renovations to the American Tobacco Historic District to create the American Tobacco Campus. Recent renovations to Durham’s North SEE DPAC ON PAGE 5
ONTHERECORD
“No other kind of physician would have to follow state counseling when trying to talk to their [patients].” —Paige Johnson on abortions. See story page 4
iPad app quells theft, Page 3
Duke football kicks off against Richmond, Page 7