September 17, 2013

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Moral Monday

Dogs and PTSD

YOUTH TAKE ON MORAL MONDAY

WHAT CAN YOUR FURRY FRIEND DO FOR YOU?

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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 WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM

XXXXXDAY,SEPTEMBER TUESDAY, MMMM XX,17, 2013 2013

ONE ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED AND AND EIGHTH NINTHYEAR, YEAR,ISSUE ISSUEXXX 17

China gov’t Vargas redefines American at tearful event gives DKU go-ahead by Lauren Carroll THE CHRONICLE

Now that Duke Kunshan University has China’s final stamp of approval, admins can start recruiting for Fall 2014. Since submitting a 400-page application more than two years ago, administrators have anxiously waited—without a definitive timetable—for the Chinese Ministry of Education to sign off on Duke’s new campus in Kunshan. As of Monday, it is official—the Chinese government has given its final approval to Duke Kunshan University, which administrators expect will open Fall 2014. Now, Duke must rush to recruit students for the inaugural class. The announcement comes without much fanfare, though most Allen Building offices received tall bouquets of blue and green balloons adorned with the DKU logo Monday afternoon. Last December, Duke held a highprofile celebration in Kunshan after receiving preliminary approval, said Nora Bynum, vice provost for DKU and China initiatives. This was a largely symbolic step because the University was still not permitted to formally recruit students. There will be no such event for final establishment approval, Bynum added. “Right now, we’ve got a lot of work to do,” she said. “We need to focus on moving forward because we don’t have much time.” Provost Peter Lange said that in recent weeks, he has been confident that establishment approval was right around the corner. Administrators got final word from the Chinese Ministry of Education last week, in a “flurry of emails and phone calls,” Bynum said.

by Mariana Calvo THE CHRONICLE

Tears fell in Page Auditorium as Jose Antonio Vargas recalled his experiences as an undocumented immigrant and his efforts to change the conversation sur-

rounding immigration. Vargas discussed his individual experiences and struggles as a result of his immigration status. An award-winning journalist, he gained even greater media attention after he “came out” in 2011 in

a New York Times Magazine article titled “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant.” “If they say I can’t be here because I See VARGAS, page 9 DARBI GRIFFITH/THE CHRONICLE

Bass Connections tributary launches in Amazon by Ray Li THE CHRONICLE

A Bass Connections initiative took Duke students and faculty through the Peruvian Amazon, where they researched the impact of mining and brought aid to the local communities. Led by William Pan, assistant professor of global environmental health and organizer of the trip, the trip spanned three months and gave students the opportunity to study the environmental and health impacts of gold mining

sites in the region. The trip began with a month of on-site training from United States Navy on essential research skills— such as how to collect field samples and conduct medical trials on site—and was followed by a six-week boat trip on the Amazon. The boat trip allowed the team to visit 15 river communities, where the three undergraduates and four graduate and professional students studied the impact of heavy metal contamination and emerging infectious diseases

See KUNSHAN, page 6

in the area. “My personal belief is that gold mining is a devastating activity ecologically and can lead to significant long-term damage to people and societies,” Pan said. Ernesto Ortiz, associate researcher at the Duke Global Health Institute and in-country trip coordinator, noted that a major concern was the contamination of the Amazon with mercury. The removal of huge amounts of soil due to See AMAZON, page 6

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