The Chronicle
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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
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020 DUKECHRONICLE.COM
Does Duke have a presidential line of succession? By Nathan Luzum Managing Editor
It’s the fodder of many doomsday movies— once the president goes down, how does the government continue to function? It turns out Duke has a plan in place too. If there were to be an unanticipated vacancy in the president’s office, the provost would step in to fulfill the duties, according to Richard Riddell, senior vice president and secretary to the Board of Trustees. Currently, this would place Provost Sally Kornbluth in line behind President Vincent Price. “Generally speaking, the provost would be expected to step in for the president if there’s an unexpected vacancy,” Riddell said. “That’s just the normal succession in a temporary manner.” Duke boasts five executive leadership positions, including the president, provost, chancellor for health affairs, executive vice president and Riddell’s role. Because the provost is generally perceived as the No. 2 position at research universities, he noted that the individual in that position would be a natural fit to temporarily take the reins. “Typically, if you put the medical center off to the side and you put my position off to the side, you’ve got the provost and the EVP,” Riddell See SUCCESSION on Page 12
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 42
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Charles York | Photography Editor The luxury apartment complex at 300 Swift has seen floors sink in several centimeters since it was first constructed.
By Ashwin Kulshrestha Senior News Reporter
There’s trouble in paradise. The luxury apartment complex at 300 Swift, purchased by Duke in December 2016, is beginning to show some wear and tear. Students living in the building— currently numbering more than 400— have reported a number of problems with the facility. In their August 2019 training,
resident assistants were told that the floors in the Swift complex had fallen a few centimeters from the time they were built. Joe Gonzalez, assistant vice president of student affairs and dean for residential life, confirmed the floor problems in an email to The Chronicle. “We are aware this has occurred in a couple of apartments and will make repairs after the spring semester ends as the work is disruptive to the apartments involved,” Gonzalez wrote.
Although the University has not provided an explanation for why the floors have fallen, students have suggested one possible explanation: the volume and size of parties that occur within. “[Swift is] a great building that has undergone unplanned abuse from college students who view the space as temporary and pay little consequence for damages See FLOORS on Page 12
Ibrahim Butt elected next Young Trustee By Carter Forinash University News Editor
Special to The Chronicle Butt helped spearhead the Duke LIFE student group.
Undergraduates have elected senior Ibrahim Butt as the next Young Trustee. In an undergraduate student-body wide election held from noon Feb. 11 to noon Feb. 12, Butt was chosen from a fourperson field—all of whom were seniors. He won on the third round of instant voting. In the first round, Butt received 36.7% of the vote, ahead of Leah Abrams, who earned 29.9% of the first-round vote. Tim Skapek and Maryam Asenuga finished third and fourth in the first round with 21.1% and 12.3% of the vote, respectively. In the second round, Butt climbed to 40.3%, with Abrams at 33.7% and Skapek at 22.9%. 3.1% of ballots did not have any of those three candidates. In the third round, Butt won with 43.8%, besting Abrams at 37.7%. 18.5% of ballots did not have either Butt or Abrams
on them. Sophomore John Markis, attorney general for Duke Student Government, sent the results. “In a year with three other superb candidates, Butt stood out as the candidate who could most clearly have an impact on the Board of Trustees,” Markis told The Chronicle. “I look forward to what he will accomplish during his term.” Butt, who grew up in Blackburn, U.K., emphasized his experience overcoming barriers at Duke and seeking out campus involvement as a low-income, first-generation student. Butt helped spearhead Duke Low-Income, First-Generation Engagement, organizing its first conference and serving as co-president of the organization this year. He also brings experience with the Board of Trustees to his new position—he currently sits on the Undergraduate Education Committee. He picked up endorsements from Duke Catalyst, Duke See TRUSTEE on Page 12