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
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2011
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 15
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
Top DUHS Class of 2014 gathers for inaugural admin takes Sophomore Convocation ceremony nat’l post by Andrew Karim THE CHRONICLE
Just 383 days after their Freshman Convocation ceremony, members of the Class of 2014 filled the Duke Chapel to witness the first-ever Sophomore Convocation. The primary focus of the ceremony was to address the impact of the sophomore slump, a common experience where some students’ second year does not live up to the first-year experience. “With a large portion of the juniors studying abroad and a lot of seniors preoccupied with life after Duke, [sophomores] are truly the shapers of Duke,” said Class of 2014 President Andrew Hanna, a sophomore who was central in organizing the convocation. Steve Nowicki, dean and vice provost for undergraduate education, and Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek followed Hanna’s remarks and assured the sophomore students that the year ahead would be difficult but manageable nonetheless. Wasiolek affirmed the necessity of the sophomore-specific ceremony, as she noted that less attention has been placed on the sophomore class in previous years. After being united as a class on East Campus, she added, it can be hard for relationships to remain tight after the move to West Campus. “It is often said that sophomore year is the toughest because students no longer feel motivated,” Wasiolek said. Sophomores often feel urgency in deciding a major and career path, she added.
by Nicole Kyle THE CHRONICLE
A top administrator in the Duke University Health System is leaving to pursue a national opportunity this fall. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Cuffe will take over as president and CEO of physician services for Hospital Corporation of America Healthcare, the company announced Tuesday. Cuffe, who also serves as vice president for ambulatory services, put in his resignation from the University and DUHS Tuesday, though Cuffe will not join HCA until Oct. 26, said Dr. Victor Dzau, chancellor for health affairs and president and chief executive officer for DUHS. “This is a significant opportunity for him, obviously,” Dzau said. “It’s an even bigger job than what he has right now. It’s a much larger position, managing a growing physicians network.” The Tennessee-based hospital company is one of the nation’s leading providers of health care services. It manages more than 160 hospitals across the nation and serves approximately 18 million patients per year. Dzau said to his knowledge, HCA approached Cuffe about three to four months ago. “There was some discussion that he SOPHIA PALENBERG/THE CHRONICLE
SEE CUFFE ON PAGE 5
A cappella group The Pitchforks closed the Convocation ceremony with a performance of the Alma Mater.
SEE CONVOCATION ON PAGE 6
Vote will decide possible tax University responds to raise to fund transit system dip in US News ranking by Jack Mercola THE CHRONICLE
This fall, buses and trains will make their way into Triangle area ballot boxes. Durham County residents will vote Nov. 8 on a referendum concerning transit in the area. If the referendum passes, an additional half-cent sales tax will be imposed on various goods, and the resulting tax revenue will be used to provide improved public transportation throughout the local and regional areas, including a light rail system said David King, Triangle Transit CEO and general manager. Goods and expense that will not be subject to this potential tax include food, medicine, gasoline, utilities and housing costs. “The Triangle is expecting an additional 1.2 million people in the next 20
U.S. businesses increase spending on social media, Page 4
years,” he said. “We are on the verge of choking on our own success. Our high quality of life is at risk.” King spoke at a sparsely attended information session on the proposed tax increase Monday afternoon. Transportation Demand Coordinator Brian Williams said that though he cannot comment as to whether the University supports this referendum, he believes an increase in offerings would generally promote an increase in use. “The more options students have, the more likely they would use public transportation,” Williams wrote in an email Tuesday. “Duke Parking and Transportation works with the city of Durham and transit providers to make it easier SEE VOTE ON PAGE 4
by Gloria Lloyd THE CHRONICLE
After a fleeting rise in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, Duke has returned to No. 10—its lowest position in a decade. According to the 2012 rankings released Tuesday, Duke dropped from No. 9 last year to No. 10—the same position it held two years ago. In the 2011 rankings, Duke shared ninth place with University of Chicago and Dartmouth College, but this year it was ranked alone, following a five-way tie for fifth place. Regardless of where the University is ranked, rankings are not a large factor for potential Duke applicants, Director of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag said. “I will say that in the 19 years that I’ve
Beck, Duncan record top-10 finishes at Cougar Classic, Page 8
been here, I can’t remember the last time a student or parent who I’ve met has mentioned the rankings,” Guttentag said. “We know that this is something that sells magazines. We know that there’s always chatter in the media about rankings.” Guttentag said even though the rankings themselves do not provide much information to potential students, the raw data used to compile the rankings could be helpful if it were given to students on a CD-ROM along with the print edition. Students could then weigh that data according to what factors they think are important in schools. Freshman Jackie Pfeiffer said the U.S. News rankings had no effect on her decision to attend Duke. SEE RANKING ON PAGE 5
Why Duke needs to start throwing the ball, Page 7