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, September 10, 2010
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 12
www.dukechronicle.com
Duke apparel supplier pays ethical wages
Duke looks to exorcise Demon Deacons
Sophomore arrested on rape charge
by Maggie Love
by Julia Love
The University Store has a fresh face at its entrance—and she’s greeting customers with a new message. “With every purchase, you are supporting a better life for our community,” Yolanda Simon says on an oversized poster recently placed at the store front. Simon is one of 120 employees at the recently-opened Alta Gracia factory located in the Dominican Republic’s Villa Altagracia that is now supplying Duke apparel. The poster is part of an extensive marketing campaign to encourage members of the Duke community to buy into ethical work standards. “We’re really thrilled to have the opportunity to sell these products—Duke has long wanted to be able to source apparel from factories where compliance with the code of conduct is guaranteed,” said Jim Wilkerson, director of Duke stores and trademark licensing. Wilkerson’s work with anti-sweatshop policies dates back to 1998, when he spearheaded efforts to implement a set of labor regulations for University suppliers. The code was widely applauded for setting standards higher than those of any other university, and was subsequently used as a
A sophomore withdrew from the University Thursday after being arrested for the alleged second-degree rape and first-degree kidnapping of a fellow student. Eric Irons, a 19-year-old from Hong Kong, was arrested by Duke Police and taken into custody Wednesday. He was charged and released the same day on a $75,000 bond, according to court records. A district court date has been set for Nov. 9. Irons allegedly assaulted a female student at a party on Central Campus April 17, according to the probable cause affadavit, part of the application for a search warrant submitted by the Duke University Police Department. Several witnesses described the alleged victim as “very intoxicated” at the party, according to the affadavit. The next day, the alleged victim went to the Duke University Medical Center’s Emergency Department, where a sexual assault kit was used. Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, wrote in an e-mail that the DUPD investigation was conducted in a “timely manner,” but the incident was not included in the initial DUPD crime log to protect the alleged victim, avoid jeopardizing
THE CHRONICLE
THE CHRONICLE
james lee/The Chronicle
After topping Elon 41-27, Duke travels to Winston-Salem Saturday to face Wake Forest and its highpowered running game. The game is set for 12:00 p.m. SEE STORY PAGE 9.
See alta gracia on page 8
See arrest on page 7
Handicap accessibility varies across campus by Amanda Young THE CHRONICLE
chris dall/The Chronicle
Although the University has made efforts to improve campus accessibility, there are still areas that are not easily reached by handicapped persons.
Mi casa es su casa Campus Council explores Duke’s return to a residential house system, PAGE 3
For students like senior Caleb Winebrenner, getting around campus is not always too easy. Born with cerebral palsy, which causes physical disabilities in his legs and part of the right side of his body, Winebrenner must use either a wheelchair or canes to walk, making getting around campus difficult. Since arriving at the University, Duke has made efforts to accommodate his disability. As a freshman, Winebrenner wanted to live in Pegram Dormitory, so Disability Management System built a ramp in the back of the building for him and personalized a room to accommodate his wheelchair. This room is now used specifically for students with disabilities. But problems remain on campus. Some of the buildings designated as accessible on campus are difficult to enter or are only accessible on the first floor, Winebrenner said, adding that the inconvenience hinders students in wheelchairs or using canes when traveling on campus. “The West Campus Union is terrible,” Winebrenner said. “There is only one accessible entrance, and there is only one elevator, which is not open to student use. There’s no way for me to get up to things like the recording studio in a wheelchair. I can only really do anything on the first floor.”
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any public and commercial facilities built after July 1992 must comply with certain architectural guidelines that ensure accessibility for all people. For buildings built before that year at the University, Disability Management System has tried to add ramps or eliminate barriers when possible. Most buildings at Duke are designated as accessible, though there are a number of notable exceptions, including Crowell Quadrangle and many of the apartments on Central Campus. Still, Duke does try to accommodate students, said Jim Baker, the disability coordinator in Student Disability Access Office. “No matter where the student is or wants to live, we have accessible dorm space or apartments for them,” Baker said. But for students like Winebrenner, changes in transportation and physical infrastructure are still necessary. “The transportation system at Duke is really a hit or miss,” Winebrenner said. “The bus lifts are unreliable— some work, but others don’t.” Last Fall, Winebrenner’s frustration over different aspects of Duke’s transportation system and the infrastructure led him and junior Lauren Blake to create a commission group called the Integrated Campus Advocacy
ONTHERECORD
“The technology and standards we have today are night and day from what they were 10 years ago,”
—Interim SBI Crime Lab Director Gerald Arnold. See story page 3
See accessibility on page 7
Mexico cautious over California vote to legalize marijuana, Page 4