Opening
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PAVILION, NOW SERVING FOOD
HAWKS TO BE FREED AT DUKE GARDENS
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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, AUGUST 23, 2013
ONE HUNDRED AND NINTH YEAR, ISSUE 2
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
DukeEngage Students find the pearl within at convocation not changing after recent cancellations by Carleigh Stiehm THE CHRONICLE
Over 1,700 freshmen filled the chapel to be welcomed to their college experience at Wednesday’s Convocation ceremony. The students—selected from over 32,000 applicants and representing 50 countries— were challenged to step outside their comfort zones and take advantage of all the University has to offer. “As I look at you, Duke’s Class of 2017, I think of oysters,” said Steve Nowicki, dean and vice provost of undergraduate education. “When I see an oyster, I see the potential for a pearl to be formed inside of it.” He continued by explaining that it takes a grain of sand to make the oyster feel uncomfortable, which prompts the mollusk to develop the precious pearl. By stepping outside of their comfort zone and trying new and challenging things, Nowicki said, students—like oysters—will gain personal value. “The best thing you can do in your time at Duke is to ask yourself, allow yourself to be a little uncomfortable along the way,” Nowicki said. Freshman Natalie Markowitz noted the meaningful symbolism of comparing the freshmen to oysters.
by Emma Baccellieri THE CHRONICLE
Despite canceling two DukeEngage programs, DukeEngage administrators say they feel positive about the summer and do not anticipate policy changes. The programs in both Cairo and Haiti met early ends — students in Egypt were sent home nearly a month early due to the nation’s political unrest, and students in Haiti were forced to leave due to unprofessional behavior exhibited by their in-country coordinator. DukeEngage executive director Eric Mlyn noted, however, that DukeEngage policies were carried out successfully with both cancellations and the program terminations will likely not prompt any revision of policy. “We had a number of challenges, in Egypt and Haiti particularly, but we’re proud of the DukeEngage staff,” Mlyn said. “They handled these issues very professionally.” Haiti program participant Kevin Duh, a senior, noted that the program coordinator “behaved very inappropriately with a member of the group,” prompting the decision to cancel the program. DukeEngage was unable to find a replacement coordinator, given the short window of time, forcing the students to leave the country. “The decision to send us home came up pretty quickly,” Duh said. “The situation unraveled about 4 weeks in, we were told we were going home at the end of the fourth week and we were sent home the following Wednesday.” The coordinator, who was not a Duke employee, worked for Family Health Ministries—the organization with which the students in Haiti partnered to do service work. See DUKEENGAGE, page 16
JISOO YOON/THE CHRONICLE
Incoming freshmen learned about their Class at convocation Wednesday.
See CONVOCATION, page 16
Admins optimistic DKU will open Fall 2014 by Lauren Carroll THE CHRONICLE
Around this time in 2012, administrators thought they were a year away from welcoming students to Duke Kunshan University. But the new China campus is still under construction and awaiting final approval from the Chinese Ministry of Education. Despite several notable delays, administrators insist that DKU will be up and running Fall 2014. Significant construction progress and suggestions that
ministry approval is just weeks away have strengthened their confidence. “We’re getting extremely positive signals,” Provost Peter Lange said. Executive Vice President Tallman Trask said he is more optimistic than ever before that the campus will be completed by the goal date. The construction team has a detailed schedule—pushed by project manager Dudley Willis, who recently became the first Duke employee to oversee DKU construction on the ground.
In February, a Chronicle article revealed that construction had stalled for almost all of 2012 due to communication issues, as well as questions of standard. Since then, these concerns have largely dissipated, Trask said, and the Chinese construction team has stuck with their financial and quality commitments. He noted, however, that the quality would always fall in between Chinese construction standards and Duke stanSee DKU, page 17
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