INC NEWS - response to Duke's all-student email about rumor of drive by shooting

[John Schelp]

posted with permission of the author...

Subject: Response to Duke VP for Student Affairs
Moneta's Email to Students [copied below]
From: Alex Cho, MD 
Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2006 

Dear Dr Moneta,

As a concerned member of the Duke community both at
the medical center and at Fuqua, I wanted to write b/c
I love this university as much as anyone, and have
hated seeing its good name soiled on the national
stage.  But it is striking that it took you almost no
time at all to respond to these 'rumors' in your email
to the Duke community -- and in such a way as to only
deepen the chasm between Duke and Durham -- whereas it
took the University nearly two weeks of dithering,
while the world was watching, before it even took the
'courageous' step of suspending the Duke men's
lacrosse team's season.  I also note that you do not
acknowledge the University's own contribution, through
the appearance of inaction, inadvertent or not, to
these 'unfortunate' tensions.

Even allowing the players to continue practicing on
Duke's athletic fields -- which, I assume, is yet
another privilege that it is well within Duke's rights
to withhold even given just the information the
players have themselves admitted to -- sends the
message to many that it is 'business as usual' on this
campus.   Many find this implied nonchalance
abhorrent, especially since, as University officials
and supporters of the lacrosse team who can't spell
despite the aid of an online dictionary ("Turbulent
times for Duke and Durham," ESPN.com, accessed April
1, 2005) are fond of saying, the players are 'innocent
until proven guilty.'  While we must acknowledge the
fundamental truth of this statement, being one of the
core principles upon which this great nation was
founded, does that mean that as a University community
we are supposed to do nothing?  Say nothing?  Until
all charges, trials, appeals, etc. have concluded? 
That could be years from now.  By then it will have
been much, much too late for Durham or anyone else to
believe that Duke cares, even one little bit, about
what happened.  

It's only if we start now, to show Duke's true heart,
by reaching out to NCCU and to Durham, by working to
repair the multiple rifts between Duke and Durham that
have appeared and persisted over the past 100 years,
only by truly recommitting this University to changing
its party culture and to protecting women from sexual
violence, can Duke begin to make amends.

It is this message, this positive message, that many
in the Duke community are aching to hear from our
leaders.

Respectfully yours,

Alex Cho  MD
Fellow
Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care
VAMC Durham
Division of General Medicine
Duke University Medical Center
MBA Candidate, '07
Fuqua School of Business
alex.cho at duke.edu

****

From: Larry Moneta 
To: students-undergrad-all at duke.edu,
students-grad-all at duke.edu

Subject: Safety Information


Dear students,

I write to inform you of a rumor I've just learned. I
don't have a way of validating the credibility of the
rumor as it came to us third hand from the Durham
Police to various members of the Duke community. What
we've heard is threats of "drive by shooting" of the
lacrosse house in the Trinity Park area. As of the
time I write this (approximately 9pm), we are aware of
a gang-related shooting that took place this afternoon
on Sedgefield Street in Walltown (several blocks from
Trinity Park). We are assured by Durham Police that
this is not related to Duke in any way. We also have a
report that passengers in a car yelled at Duke
students in houses on Buchanen Street.

I share this information with great discomfort. I
neither want to create any sense of hysteria for the
Duke and Trinity Park communities nor withhold the
existence of this information. We've spoken with
several of the students who live in those houses and
many have chosen to stay elsewhere tonight.

Duke and Durham Police have substantially increased
patrol coverage of the area including Trinity Park,
Ninth Street and East Campus. That coverage will
remain in place for as long as necessary. I would
suggest that until we have information to discredit or
validate this rumor, we all take appropriate
precautions.

Unfortunately, tensions are very high right now and
may not abate for awhile. I would anticipate further
rumors and conflicting information and we'll do our
very best to keep you informed. Most important will be
to care for each other as we all struggle with these
challenges. We have work to do to restore confidence
in our community and I have absolute belief that we
can and will.

Please contact Duke Police *anytime* if you feel
threatened or have information related to any unsafe
situations. Call 911 or 684-2444 for immediate
support.

Larry Moneta
Vice President for Student Affairs