The Chronicle Prof, admin contributions lean to left
OVER THE TOP, NOT OVER THE HUMP
Short timetable for proposal criticized
Donations favor Obama to McCain by 7-to-1 ratio by
Troy
Leaders not all sold on fee proposal
Shelton
by
Emmeline Zhao
TOE CHRONICLE
THE CHRONICLE
With election season in full swing, Duke professors and administrators are showing the money to their top picks for the next U.S. president. Faculty members and administrators financially support Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama over Republican nominee John McCain by more than 7-to-l, according to 2008 records from the Federal Election Commission, which governs and tracks all political contributions at the national level. According to Gallup polls of the general public, Obama can claim 48 percent of support and McCain 42 percent. But polling among people with a postgraduate education shows 57 percent supporting Obama, with only 37 percent supporting McCain. Michael Munger, chair of the department of political science and Libertarian candidate for North Carolina governor, said he was shocked by the margin. “I would have thought it would have been greater,” he said. “If anything, the 7-1 ratio underrepresents the extent to which Duke faculty lend to lean toward the left”
Since Duke Student Government announced its proposed student activities fee increase last week, student leaders are examining the scope and importance of the policy and its timeline for consideration. “The student activities fee . our single biggest responsibility,” said DSG President Jordan Giordano, a senior. “It’s bigger than lobbying, bigger than [the Student Organization Finance Committee], bigger than anything else we analysis DSG have ever done\This is honesdy the only thing we have actual control over.” The DSG Executive Board submitted the proposal in the form of a letter to the student body in The Chronicle Tuesday, asking students to approve a referendum SepL 15 that will increase thestudent activities fee over the course of two years. Giordano noted that in order for the increase to go into effect, it will need to be put before the Board ofTrustees at their next meeting, making a September referendum the only feasible option. If thereferendumpasses, the fee—currently $222 per year—will increase by SSO to $272 for the 2009-2010 academic year, and then another SSO to $322 for the 2010-2011 academic year. In the past week, some campus leaders have expressed concern over the time frame they have until the referendum to debate and discuss issues surrounding an increase. After speaking to a former leader of North Carolina State University’s Student Union, Duke University Union President Chamindra Goonewardene, a senior, said he discovered that a similar initiative there took almost three years of planning. “It’s not about [DUU] getting more money,” he said. “I just don’t think it’s well-thoughtout, and I don’t think two weeks is an acceptable time period for a proposal of this nature to be talked about and to be voted upon.” DSG plans to use the money from the increase to fund a rapidly growing number of student groups as well as three major initiatives: ZipCars car-rental service and a bus-tracking system—an estimated $150,000 and SBO,OOO up front for the first year, respectively—and a
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LAWSON Kl
CHRONICLE
Duke dominated nearly every relevant statistical category, but could not muster touchdowns or key stops in itsfirst loss of the year, 24-20, to Northwestern Saturday,SEE SPORTSWRAP 4-5.
SEE FEE PROPOSAL ON PAGE 6