August 31, 2016 by Duke Chronicle

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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

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

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ONE HUNDRED AND TWELFTH YEAR, ISSUE 5

Donations to Duke break record for fourth straight year Claire Ballentine The Chronicle Duke donors have set a new record, giving $571 million in gifts and pledges to the University during the 2015-16 fiscal year. This is the fourth consecutive year the donations record has been broken. According to a Duke Today release, the University received $506 million in cash this year—a 5.85 percent increase from the $478 million in the 2014-15 fiscal year. Among the largest donations in the past year were a $25.5 million award from the Marcus Foundation to Duke Health for stem cell research in the treatment of autism, stroke and cerebral palsy, as well as a $16.5 million donation from Duke medical school alum Dr. Robert Margolis and his wife Lisa for the establishment of a new health policy center to develop ideas for healthcare reform. In addition, the Duke Annual Fund— which supports faculty, financial aid and fellowships as well as educational programs at the University—also set a new record in donations with more than $37.5 million received this year. “Thanks to our generous alumni and friends, Duke can empower our faculty and students to create solutions to the most difficult challenges in the world,” said President Richard Brodhead in the release. “We’re grateful for the loyalty to Duke that inspires so many alumni and friends to want to sustain and enrich the Duke experience for the future—and to ensure that we welcome the most talented and promising students, regardless of their financial circumstances.”

Graphic by Carolyn Sun | The Chronicle

Of the donations, $180.4 million was will support research, $83.9 million went to financial aid, $71.1 million went to “hallmark” programs like DukeEngage and Bass Connections, $47 million went to faculty support and $41.1 million went to campus transformation projects, according to the release. This July, Duke Forward—the University’s largest fundraising campaign to date that set aside different goals for each of Duke’s 10 schools, athletics, the libraries and “University-wide priorities”—reached its $3.25 billion goal almost a year early. In an email sent to donors and Duke staff at the time, Robert Shepard, vice president of

alumni affairs and development, noted that the campaign had raised more than $390 million toward financial aid and established 77 new endowed professorships. Despite reaching its goal early, Duke Forward will continue fundraising as scheduled until June 30, 2017. Brodhead told The Chronicle that the funds given to the University reflect people’s commitment to Duke. “I’ve been on the road doing Duke Forward events for the last few years,” he wrote in an email. “In city after city, the audiences have been huge, by far the biggest we have ever seen. It’s palpable how much people love this University and how

excited they are by its continuing progress. The dollars are an index to how much people believe in this place.” When asked if he expected the record to be broken this year, Brodhead wrote that he was “hoping, to be sure!” and noted that Duke’s future fundraising plans are “to build on our momentum to assure the University’s trajectory continues to rise.” Other sizable donations received during the 2015-16 fiscal year include a total of $30.5 million for the Access and Opportunity Challenge, a challenge fund established this year for undergraduate See DONATIONS on Page 12

Duke College Republicans ‘abstain’ from supporting Trump Neelesh Moorthy The Chronicle

Special to The Chronicle The Duke College Republicans are focusing their support on lower-ballot races.

As college Republican organizations disagree on whether to support Donald Trump’s controversial presidential campaign, the Duke College Republicans are choosing to abstain from taking a position on Trump. Harvard University’s Republican Club made headlines over the summer after announcing their intention to not endorse Trump and heavily criticizing his policies. A week later, the Yale College Republicans made the opposite decision—declaring their support. Subsequently, a group of former members split off to form the Yale New Republicans in opposition. Similar debates have taken place at other institutions. Penn State’s chapter publicly

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announced it would not support Trump, adding they would not endorse anyone. In response, the Pennsylvania Federation of College Republicans has threatened to sanction the group. The Duke College Republicans have not issued a public statement on the matter. Instead, they are focusing their support on lower-ballot races because the board is split regarding Trump. “The Duke College Republicans’ members come from a diverse and wide array of opinions and backgrounds all along the conservative spectrum,” wrote junior Colin Duffy, DCR chair, in an email. ”Our club has limited time resources, and North Carolina has highly competitive state and local elections this year. Therefore, DCR will be focusing the club’s efforts and resources on the gubernatorial and senatorial races.” The decision not to take an authoritative

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stance came after significant disagreement within the board, said sophomore Madison Laton, one of the group’s vice-chairs. Opinions varied, she said, ranging from adamant supporters to those on the fence to adamant opposers. She noted that a non-endorsement, like theirs, is not the same as the Harvard chapter’s “anti-endorsement.” “More like abstaining, then voting against,” said Laton, who is undecided on if she supports Trump. Although Duke’s chapter has not provided an “anti-endorsement,” Republicans at other universities have differing views on whether even a “non-endorsement” betrays the party at large. Michael Fitzgerald, co-founder of the Yale New Republicans, encouraged people to See REPUBLICANS on Page 12

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