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
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2011
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 102
www.dukechronicle.com
Durham on track with gang policy Wuhan’s role Officials reject prediction of gang war, optimistic about city’s direction by Chinny Sharma THE CHRONICLE
Recent ominous comments from one controversial law enforcement official have drawn some attention to Durham gangs, a subject local officials make few statements about. In January, Maj. Paul Martin of the Durham County Sheriff’s Office reported his personal belief that a war was pending between black and Hispanic Durham gangs in a recent paper. Martin’s statements have been called “unbelievable” by county officials and received no credence from the Sheriff’s Office and the Durham Police Department. Still, his inflammatory statements have prompted some officials and community members to discuss the status of gang activity in Durham. “[DPD] has been in contact with the Durham County Sheriff’s Office... and have found no data to support Major Martin’s allegations of an impending ‘gang war,’” said Lt. Patrice Vickers, executive officer to the DPD police chief. “Although [DPD] investigates and monitors gang activity, we realize any publicity about gangs is counterproductive because it inflates the egos of those who believe themselves to be gang members and instills unfounded fear in our community.” A 2010 report from the Durham County Juvenile Prevention Council ranks Durham ninth in total number of gang members compared to “similarly sized communities” in the Southeast.
in partnership still developing by Lauren Carroll THE CHRONICLE
Duke’s partnership with Wuhan University provides a new understanding of Duke’s planned campus in China, though many concrete details remain uncertain. The joint effort between the two schools news was announced last week analysis after the deal to partner with Shanghai Jiao Tong University fell through last summer. Duke is legally required to partner with a Chinese university before opening its own institution there. Although Wuhan is not located in the same province as Kunshan, it has an operating license in the province, Provost Peter Lange said. The role of Wuhan in this relationship remains uncertain but will differ from original plans with SJTU. In developing the vision for what will be called Duke Kunshan University, Duke administrators will have control in determining curriculum, hiring faculty and setting admissions standards, President Richard Brodhead said. Previously, SJTU was expected to be involved in hiring and curriculum development for joint programs, Brodhead added. This deal fell through in the summer, as Shanghai is not located
See gangs on page 6
chronicle graphic by melissa yeo
See wuhan on page 6
Suspicious packages force Brightleaf evacuation by Yeshwanth Kandimalla THE CHRONICLE
After a report of two suspicious packages at the Duke University Press office in Brightleaf Square Monday morning, Durham Police Department officials declared the situation to be “all-clear” later in the afternoon. Employees were allowed to return around 12:15 p.m., about two hours after the press office notified police of the packages at about 10 a.m. The alert prompted police to evacuate all facilities, vendors and offices in Brightleaf, said Kyle Cavanaugh, the University’s emergency coordinator and vice president for human resources. In addition to all vendors in the area, at least 120 Duke employees were evacuated due to the incident, Cavanaugh said. The DPD Public Information office could not be reached for comment Monday. DPD officers worked in conjunction with the Duke University Police Department to address the scare, DUPD Chief
‘Simple 600’ allows students to count calories, Page 3
John Dailey said. Police officers instructed people inside every Brightleaf establishment to evacuate the area, Dailey added. “The evacuation was orderly and staggered [by each Brightleaf facility],” he said. After all individuals in Brightleaf Square were evacuated, which started at 10:20 a.m., authorities determined the packages needed “further scrutiny.” Law enforcement officials called the Durham County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad, which arrived at 10:45 a.m., Dailey said. He declined to provide specific details about the nature of the packages, but he said the Duke University Press staff reacted appropriately to the situation. Stephen Cohn, director of the Duke University Press, referred all questions to Cavanaugh. Salvador Sanchez, an employee at Torero’s Mexican Restaurant in Brightleaf, said the restaurant was evacuated at 11:30 a.m., adding that the process was relatively calm.
melissa yeo/Chronicle file photo
Brightleaf Square was evacuated Monday morning after the Duke University Press Office reported two suspicious packages to the Durham Police Department. The situation was later deemed “all-clear.”
ONTHERECORD
“I only have a few months left [in college] and after graduation, wearing T-shirts regularly is no longer socially acceptable.” —Senior Molly Lester in “No more T-shirts.” See column page 15
‘A World Together’ to host main event during Duke in Depth, Page 4