Sept. 20, 2011 issue

Page 1

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

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

Procurement process to save NC $30M

ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 19

WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM

A place to ‘enliven your senses’

by Tiffany Lieu THE CHRONICLE

The findings of a one thousand-page report can save North Carolina $30 million, state officials said. State agencies will now consolidate their purchases based on a new model for acquiring items developed by the N.C. Department of Administration, said Sam Byassee, state purchasing officer for the DOA. The new policy affects items such as processed foods, office supplies and medical supplies. Gov. Bev Perdue announced the initial implementation of the plan—the Procurement Transformation Project—in a Sept. 9 release. “Consolidation of individual state purchases will generate larger contracts, which will allow for leveraging to lower the cost per transaction,” Byassee said. The DOA partnered with Accenture—a management consulting firm—to assess the procurement process in North Carolina and recommend improvements. This process involved a close examination of the state’s purchasing history to determine the relationship between particular vendors and state agencies. “The rules and regulations for the procurement process have not been updated for the past 20 to 30 years,” Byassee said. “Meanwhile, procurement in the private business

SAMANTHA SCHAFRANK/THE CHRONICLE

Duke Integrative Medicine, located in the Duke Center for Living Campus, offers a variety of alternative medical procedures and treatments. by Julian Spector THE CHRONICLE

Hypertension-prone Barry Taylor wishes he could spend more time at the doctor’s office, even though he has been going about three days per week for more than a year. Taylor relishes the experience, like the sound of water trickling down the glass wall of the doctor’s waiting room. An emergency room doctor had recommended he seek out DIM after treating him for an episode of hypertension and hearing Taylor’s thoughts on alternative medicine. Taylor

attends weekly group meditation sessions, which are followed by lunch gatherings out on a garden patio. “I went into the foyer and immediately had this feeling like I was home,” Taylor recalled of his first visit a year and a half ago. “It’s what I was looking for a whole long time, and I didn’t know it existed.” Tucked away in the forest of the Duke Center for Living Campus near the intersection of Erwin Road and Cameron Boulevard, the Duke Integrative Medicine complex serves the mission of the Duke University Health System with a

holistic blend of conventional and alternative medicine. Services and treatment programs range from massage therapy to nutrition counseling to stress management classes, as DIM integrates medical techniques from different sources. “I was expecting like a seven-story Duke Medicine high-rise,” Taylor said of his first visit to the center in February 2010. Taylor, who spent five years in Japan, said DIM’s philosophy of medicine is reminiscent of Eastern holistic methods, SEE DIM ON PAGE 6

SEE CONSOLIDATION ON PAGE 5

‘Gameday’ limited by access concerns DukeEngage by Anna Koelsch THE CHRONICLE

JAMES LEE/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Due to access constraints, student leaders said they had little choice as to the location of“Football Gameday.”

What expansion could mean for the ACC, Page 7

After a drawn-out process to reinvent Tailgate, the end product—Football Gameday—was far removed from student leaders’ original hopes. After Tailgate was canceled last year, some student government leaders said they wanted to preserve the community aspect the event was known for, as well as create a stronger tie to football games. They faced a number of administrative roadblocks when searching for a location for the new event that could allow both of these aspects. “We had plans laid to have a new event that would be based on community and trying to go the football game,” said DSG President Pete Schork, a senior. “We were basically told that we can’t have the event [the way we wanted].” Schork said student leaders initially considered the Whitford parking lot—directly next to the student

American engineering corps in question, Page 3

section of Wallace Wade Stadium—in May or June when trying to find a new location. Administrators informed student leaders, however, that the lot was not a possibility due to a legal conflict with the American Disability Association—a conflict that had been solved earlier that year. “We worked for several months and had hoped to place students somewhere on athletic campus to be part of the overall Gameday experience,” Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta said. Moneta could not be reached for further comment Monday.

earns national recognition by Yeshwanth Kandimalla THE CHRONICLE

Limited access Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, said the conflict involved a handicapped individual who came to

DukeEngage has earned the University recognition at a national level. Duke was among six out of 140 candidates in the United States to receive the Higher Education Civic Engagement Award announced Monday. The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars recognized Duke for its commitment to community service in other parts of the world through the DukeEngage program. DukeEngage, which was launched in 2007, provides opportunities for undergraduate students to volunteer all over

SEE GAMEDAY ON PAGE 12

SEE AWARD ON PAGE 4

Blue Devils face UNC-W tonight in Koskinen, Page 7


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