Skip to main content

News

Duke and the Greek Community

The Duke University Advisory Council, which advises the Duke Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and is comprised, among others, of several members of the Duke administration) unanimously adopted on September 26, 2009 a Statement of Relationship between Duke University and the Greek Community. Click here for a copy. If, as planned, this Statement is adopted by the numerous appropriate Duke officials (and there are indications that it will be) it will put Duke firmly on record in support of the fraternity system.

[Ed. Note: The following two paragraphs were added to the proposed document. No word as yet on the progress of the draft though the Duke administration]:

  • Fraternities/Sororities will promote diversity and gender relations, helping to create a welcoming and stimulating environment for all members of the University community, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, class or political viewpoint.
  • The national/international organizations will work with their chapters to ensure they are conducting their affairs in accordance with the mission and purpose of Duke University.
Ogden at Work

Warren Ogden # 1120 owns/runs a Gym/Spa/Yoga studio in Granada, Nicaragua where he resides. He advises that he would love to host Duke Betas who find themselves traveling to or living in Central America. His place has ducks, a giant turtle, cats, etc., all of which would love to meet and visit with Duke Betas. Contact him at warrenogden@hotmail.com.

Steel Named

Bob Steel # 646 has been named to the Board of Trustees of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Academics and Athletic Recruiting at Duke

A recent article in the Chronicle on academics and athletic recruiting at Duke may explain this whole complicated issue (and then again it may not):

"Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Gutentag described the admission process for varsity athletes as similar to that of non-athletes with a stronger emphasis on extracurricular athletics.

'Athletics is one of the many things that is taken into account in the admission process for all students.' Guttentag said. 'It is true that one of the many things we look carefully at is the ability to contribute to our athletic program. We pay very careful attention to the recommendations of coaches and their interests. For athletes that have accomplished at the level that they're going to catch the attention of a program at Duke, their extracurricular activities are going to show some impressive areas in athletics.' "

Duke Alumni Association Salute

TDB salutes Duke University and DAA for the tribute on October 23, 2009 to alumni who lost their lives while on active duty since WWII. TDB does not know of any Duke Betas included in this group. There are a number of Duke Betas who died in WWII and TDB believes their names are included on a plaque in the Duke Chapel Memorial Quad (the area between the chapel and the Divinity School) and will check on this.

Beta Chairs Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Gala

Blake Byrne # 350 was a Chair for the Gala honoring Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans on November 14, 2009 at the Nasher Museum for what she has done for Duke and especially for the Nasher Museum. Also attending were Carol and Bill Griffith # 186, Dorothy and John Swartz # 314, Martha and Bob Leak # 321, and Kent and Bill Graham # 322. Pelham Wilder # 658 and his sister, Sterly Wilder (chief honcho of Duke Alumni Association) also helped honor Mrs. Semans.

Help us write an article

TDB has almost from the first issue had on its "Find a Duke Beta to write this article" list the words "History of Housing", telling where the Beta Section was at Duke, why and when it moved, and something about the differences in each section. Obviously, this is one of the things that was never gotten around to. The project is still on the list, but the task now would have to be expanded into a major research project. For years it was generally assumed that a fraternity would stay where it was so long as it could fill the section, even if it had to be done by some non fraternity members. The decision was thought to have been made by some unnamed member of the Duke administration. Perhaps there was some cheating, perhaps there was not, in any event, many complained, but the system worked for many years.

Now things have changed. Things really started to change when the administration decreed that there could be no fraternities on the main quad. A lot of reasons were given, none of them very meaningful. Then something called the Residential Group Assessment Committee which is connected in some way with the Campus Council took over the job of determining which group lived in which section. RGAC, using a complicated formula understood by few, determines which groups can maintain, or to use the present term, squat, in their section.

The ratings are impossible on their face as there are different standards for different size groups and apparently different standards for fraternities and other Selective Living Groups. Couple these ratings with the requirements of the Residential Life and Housing Services, an administration office with the appropriate responsibility of requiring that all student housing is utilized by the SLG, with its two size allotments and it is no wonder that the Durham bar may be developing a specialty in assisting groups who want to live together on campus.

Thus, a Duke Beta smart enough to pull all this together from the first section occupied by Gamma Rho to what can be expected if Beta ever gets back to Duke is welcome to try and your article will be published.

Corrections

Ordinarily corrections are left for the next issue of the printed TDB, but this one is so serious that it simply cannot wait! Drew Michael # 1139 is the Three Star Award Winner (his full real name is Andrew Ronald Michael -that was the first error). The even worse error is that Eric Husketh # 1098 is the Duke Beta in Rwanda, not Drew Michael. TDB hereby formally apologies to both of them. A few typographical errors were to be expected in the November 2009 issue as TDB was working with new people but this was ridiculous.

Tony Weir # 363 no longer has a place on the Eastern Shore but definitely intends to

He writes: "We are all [well and active], with nine grandchildren to keep us hopping (some in Columbia). I'm still totally involved at work, and still love it. We just bought a major competitor, which has added significantly to our business as it removes a price-crazy competitor from the market. One day when my partner decides to sell the business (he owns voting control of the stock; I'm # 2, I'll buy the Eastern Shore and [serve blue crabs]."

John Hobbs # 305 died October 27, 2009

From an Atlanta newspaper:

John Earl Hobbs, 72, of Atlanta, GA., passed away October 27, 2009 at Altus House Hospice. He was born in St. Louis, MO on Jan 10, 1937, a son of the late Dr. John Earl Hobbs, Sr and Dorothy (Radle) Hobbs. Preceding him in death is his brother Dr. Donald N. Hobbs. Surviving are his wife, Betty (Foss) Hobbs, his daughter Stacy Hobbs-Stacy of Ft. Myers, FL and his son Scott Allen Hobbs, of Alpharetta, GA.; and five grandchildren. He was a retired salesman with IBM. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Altus House Hospice. Please sign online guestbook at www.fischerfuneralcare.com A private funeral service was held.