April 30, 2010

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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

FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2010

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 143

www.dukechronicle.com

Brodhead to Closed LDOC sees fewer incidents attend forum in Nanjing by Joanna Lichter THE CHRONICLE

by Alejandro Bolívar THE CHRONICLE

President Richard Brodhead left Durham Thursday to discuss sustainability at the Fourth Chinese-Foreign University Presidents Forum, which will be held in Nanjing. The theme of the forum, which runs May 2-4, is “Enhancing Cultivation Quality of University Talents.” Presidents from more than 150 universities from around the world are scheduled to Richard Brodhead attend, including 120 presidents of Chinese universities. This is Brodhead’s second visit to China in 2010, the first being for the ground breaking ceremony for Duke’s new campus in the city of Kunshan. Brodhead said he hopes this conference, along with the new Kunshan campus, will contribute to expanding relations between Duke and China. “We expect to have a long-term presence in China that will continue to evolve as our faculty and students create new opportunities,” he wrote in an e-mail. “I look forward to meeting our counterparts from China.” See brodhead on page 6

nate glencer/The Chronicle

Flogging Molly performs on the Main West Quadrangle to close out the Last Day of Classes concert Wednesday. Students demanded an encore from the Irish rock band.

From a closed campus to Flogging Molly’s musical encore, Wednesday’s festivities marked several “firsts” for Duke’s annual Last Day of Classes celebration. Policy changes this year included requiring students to wear wristbands and limiting the amount of alcohol they could carry at a time. These changes contributed to a healthier, safer environment with less than half as many calls to emergency medical services compared to last year, said LDOC Committee co-Chair Liz Turner, a senior. “From what we saw, the changes were actually really helpful. [LDOC] was mostly under control,” Turner said. “Obviously there’s still trash on the quad and some people were still drinking, but I didn’t actually see any issues with it.” Out of 15 students who received EMS attention, about four were hospitalized, said Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta. One student was hospitalized due to a minor injury, and two or three of the hospitalizations were alcohol-related. “LDOC is the one day of the year that there are alcohol concerns for everybody, but compared to years past, yesterday was much much much better,” said junior Eli Freiman, internal coordinator for Duke EMS. “All the planning that went into the day that was strict and reduced dangerous drinking worked.” According to police reports, there were three minor incidents on campus. In one See ldoc on page 5

Profs’ election to National Academy of Stray bullet hits patrol car driven Sciences one of the ‘highest honors’ by Sonia Havele THE CHRONICLE

Two Duke scientists have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. NAS, which selected 72 new members Tuesday, currently includes 18 other Duke professors. The society has 2,100 total members. Recognized for their excellence and achievements in research, Philip Benfey, Paul Kramer professor of biology and director of the Center for Systems Biology in the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, and Vann Bennett, James B. Duke professor of cell biology, biochemistry and neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, will be officially inducted into NAS next April. According to the NAS website, election to the Academy is considered “one of the highest honors that can be accorded to a U.S. scientist or engineer.” As of 2009, in addition to its 2,100 members, NAS is composed of about 380 foreign associates, 200 of whom have won Nobel Prizes. NAS members often serve as advisers to government

Duke faces challenge in No. 1 Virginia over weekend, Page 7

by police chief

officials—including the President—on science, engineering and health-related issues. “They are potentially a source of non-political science policy advice,” Bennett said, noting that NAS has made comments and provided reports on controversial issues like climate change and stem cell research. “They can potentially be used... as a source of non-biased, nonpartisan views on a topic.” Benfey came to Duke in 2002 as chair of the biology department. His research has focused on the use of a combination of genetics, molecular biology and genomics to better understand the mechanisms that underlie the function and formation of plant cells, particularly those in the root. He holds a Ph.D. in cell and developmental biology from Harvard University. Bennett, who began conducting research at Duke in 1987, studies the functional organization of membrane proteins, particularly the ankyrin family of adapters, in the tissues of vertebrates. He earned both

A bullet hit an unmarked patrol car driven by Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez Thursday afternoon. He was not injured. According to a statement issued by the Durham Police Department, occupants of two moving vehicles were exchanging gunfire near the intersection of South Roxboro and Dillard streets shortly before 2 p.m. when a bullet shot by one of the occupants struck and damaged Lopez’s front windshield. Jose Lopez Lopez was driving to a leadership conference at the Durham County Detention Center when the bullet struck his car, according to DPD Lt. Mark Sykes in an

See nas on page 9

See lopez on page 5

from Staff Reports THE CHRONICLE

ONTHERECORD

“People don’t realize the amount of maintenance that goes into the plants, fountains, roads and benches.”

­—Director of Horticulture Robert Mottern on Duke Gardens. See story page 3

What we remembered Students reflect on their LDOC 2010 experiences, SEE SOUND-OFF PAGE 5


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