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
FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 140
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
Senior Sadanani to speak during commencement
Rocking the vote
by Andrew Luo THE CHRONICLE
year’s Senate members Monday. “Vice presidents must be able to manage their committees well and make sure their projects come to fruition,” said DSG President-elect Alex Swain, a junior. “They should have their individual agenda and also be key players on the executive board when it comes to making key
Senior Roshan Sadanani will put his oratory skills to the test at commencement next month. Sadanani will address his peers, their families and Duke faculty as the student commencement speaker May 13 at Wallace Wade Stadium. He Roshan Sadanani hopes to share what he has learned from his wide array of Duke experiences with his graduating class. In his speech, Sadanani said he will urge his fellow seniors to be introspective when reflecting on their four years in college. “From burning benches after the UNC game to watching the Symphony Orchestra perform, there are so many activities going on all the time,” Sadanani said. “I like the idea of trying new things, and I tried to take in as much as I could during my time here at Duke.” Sadanani, president of the Duke Debate team and a biomedical engineering major, will join author and renowned journalist Fareed Zakaria, who will deliver the main commencement speech. Sadanani’s involvement in Duke Debate not only trained him in public
SEE DSG ON PAGE 16
SEE SADANANI ON PAGE 7
LUCY DICKS-MIREAUX/THE CHRONICLE
Students participate in early voting in the Old Trinity Room in the West Union Building Thursday.
Ten students run for DSG VP posts by Danielle Muoio THE CHRONICLE
Ten students are running for Duke Student Government vice president positions but only two races are contested. The election, which will take place Monday, will decide the vice presidents for the seven DSG committees— academic affairs; Durham and regional affairs; equity and outreach; facilities
and the environment; residential life; social culture; and services. The only contested positions are vice president for Durham and regional affairs and vice president of equity and outreach. DSG’s restructuring in March expanded the number of committees from five to seven, making this the first year that seven vice president positions are available. Students will also elect next
NC gubernatorial race Activist Davis promotes focuses on education role of black scholarship by Michael Shammas THE CHRONICLE
As the state’s gubernatorial election heats up, candidates are courting North Carolina college students on the issue of education With two and a half weeks left in the gubernatorial primaries, the race for the Democratic nomination has boiled down to a battle between former U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge and Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton. Whichever candidate cinches the nomination will face former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, the presumptive Republican gubernatorial candidate, in the general election Nov. 6. “North Carolina stands at the crossroads. Down one path lies hard work and high achievement. Down the other lurks the dirty politics of divide and conquer,
Academic Council to vote on new DKU program, Page 3
with disastrous results for our prosperity and our posterity,” Etheridge wrote in an email Wednesday. Over the past year, the Republicancontrolled state legislature has passed legislation that has hurt North Carolina voters, Etheridge said, citing policies that have resulted in firing teachers, limiting college curriculum, slashing funding for community colleges and reducing scholarship opportunities for young people. He noted that it will be especially important for students to vote in the upcoming elections, given the issues revolving around the future of the state’s education. “I am running for governor because SEE RACE ON PAGE 5
by Andrew Luo THE CHRONICLE
In order to alleviate racism, people need to create solutions that are not grounded in violence, said political activist and author Angela Davis. Davis discussed the role of black scholarship in society to a packed audience Thursday in Richard White Lecture Hall. She noted that achieving justice should not be centered around individuals but should be addressed by for the greater community. The keynote speech was part of Reggie Day, an annual program that commemorates the legacy of Reginaldo Howard, Duke’s first black student body president. The event was presented by the Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholars and Duke University Union.
ONTHERECORD
“This is the point where I invite the relatively well-adjusted people reading this to leave the room.” —Harry Liberman in “Girls: from White Castle to the Nile.” See column page 15
One of the most important tasks of a black scholar is to fight for equality for future generations, Davis said. All black scholars are linked to the historical struggle for freedom, but people tend to forget about the deeper community issue. She added that young people today are affected by capitalism and its emphasis on the individual. “Even if a criminal is sentenced to death, it will not solve the root of the problem,” Davis said. “We don’t always have to think about punishment as justice.” Davis noted that the recent case of Trayvon Martin is an example of continued racism in today’s society. People are too concerned about the fate of George SEE DAVIS ON PAGE 6
Stroman sizes up as a top pro prospect, Page 10