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The Chronicle 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
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014
ONE HUNDRED AND TENTH YEAR, ISSUE 6
Controversy With blood donations down, DUHS hosts drive sparked after Div. orientation Alleged remarks by Dean Hays result in student demonstration Rachel Chason University Editor Dozens gathered before the Divinity School’s convocation Tuesday in a show of support for the LGBTQ community, following the circulation of a statement allegedly made by Dean Richard Hays that some deemed homophobic. After Hays spoke at the Divinity School’s orientation Friday, an account began circulating online that Hays’ comments on diversity included the line “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” Tuesday morning’s demonstration was organized in response to the purported statement. Hays addressed the demonstration in an open letter to the Divinity School community Tuesday evening, saying that the statement circulating online was a truncated version of his remarks and that his message had been “gravely Read Dean Hays’ misinterpreted by some who response to the were present.” controversy. In the letter, Hays said that he used his orientation remarks to inform students of the importance of diversity and to share that “all are encouraged to come to one table in an atmosphere of love, respect and mutual acceptance.” His speech then addressed the Discipline of the United Methodist Church’s position on LGBTQ individuals, which declares that all persons are “individuals of sacred worth” but does not approve of same-sex marriage and prohibits clergy from performing same-sex unions. He added that the church’s position on the matter is currently “under debate.” Duke Divinity School is an official theological school of the United Methodist Church, though it accepts students from all religious backgrounds. “My intent was simply to make students aware that there are many contested questions in the community,” Hays wrote in an email to The Chronicle Wednesday. “Diversity includes the diversity of traditions represented in the school, and these traditions sometimes disagree. The goal is to foster a community where these differences
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Amanda Brumwell | The Chronicle
Members of the local community, pictured above, donated blood at a drive hosted by the Duke Hospital and the American Red Cross Tuesday. The drive was organized so as to address a recent 8 percent drop in blood donations. (See story on Page 4.)
Edens renovation beginning next summer Imminent renovations to Edens Quadrangle may soon change its unpopular reputation among students Bernice Kwan The Chronicle Edens Quadrangle has traditionally had the reputation of being among the least desirable housing options on West Campus—but with a renovation project this summer, Duke hopes to change the dorm’s reputation. Generally overlooked for its position on the edge of campus and lack of aesthetic appeal compared to other dorms, Edens has struggled to attract students in the new housing model. Beginning this May, the Housing, Dining and Residence Life staff will undertake a project to improve the dorm and its sense of community. “We are all really excited about the potential of this project,” Dean for Residential Life Joe Gonzalez said. “We will be able to offer students some nice changes.... Over the years, there has been student unhappiness with
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Edens, and we want to change that.” The HDRL team is calling the program the Edens beautification project, set to begin after Commencement in 2015. A number of improvements—including more amenities in common rooms, renovated kitchens and laundry rooms and better landscaping —will be made to increase resident satisfaction. Current residents agree that the dorm leaves something to be desired. When sophomore Gopi Neppala was assigned to Edens at the end of last year, he and his housing block tried switching into a Central Campus apartment instead. “Before I moved in, I was kind of sad I had to live there, because I had heard that it was extremely far away, the halls were tiny and that it was a lonely place to live,” Neppala said. In addition to being further from the heart of West Campus than all other dorms, Edens has smaller rooms. A 2006 Chronicle analysis of HDRL floor plans found that the average
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Izzi Clark | The Chronicle
Bedrooms in Edens, such as the one pictured above, tend to be smaller than bedrooms in other quadrangles. room size of an Edens double is about 170 square feet, compared to the 220 square feet
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See Edens on Page 5 © 2014 The Chronicle