President's arrest tops DSG's list

Legislators may face a packed agenda at tonight's Duke Student Government meeting, from a possible address regarding the DSG president's assault charge and arrest to cabinet nominations and a resolution concerning the new parking permit fee on Central Campus.

Although DSG President Joshua Jean-Baptiste is scheduled to speak to the Legislature, he had not yet confirmed that presentation as of last night and the senior still could not be reached for comment.

Justin Ford, DSG executive vice president, said he had also not heard from Jean-Baptiste.

"I have not spoken to Josh since the [assault charge]," said Ford, a senior. "I don't know if he'll come or not. I hope that he does, because I feel that Duke students and legislators would like to hear a response."

DSG executive members said that Jean-Baptiste was instructed by his lawyer not to make any statements.

Junior Matthew Slovik, DSG president-elect, also plans to present four nominations for his future cabinet: sophomore Vanda Chou for executive secretary, junior Dave Kahne for attorney general, sophomore Eileen Kuo for director of internal computing and junior Donald Wine for head line monitor.

Wine tented for two years and has been an assistant line monitor.

"In terms of head line monitor, Donald has experience both as a tenter and as a line monitor," Slovik said. "He has a thorough understanding of basketball and Krzyzewskiville and a passionate dedication to Duke basketball and the Cameron Crazies."

Last year, Jean-Baptiste's appointment of senior Jeremy Morgan--who had never tented before--as head line monitor proved controversial and angered veteran tenters.

Kahne served as a freshman legislator and planned and ran the ACC Leadership Conference last year. Chou ran a work-study system in the DSG office. Kuo was the director of undergraduate computing this year.

Legislators will vote on whether to approve the nominations this evening.

Sophomore Avery Capone and junior Rick Garcia also plan to submit a resolution in response to the $190 increase in the Central Campus parking permit fee.

In past years, that fee has been included in rent payments on Central Campus. However, students were not notified of next year's change until the day of their housing selections.

"This year, the change was presented to students at the last minute, and that happened at housing picks when students had already chosen their living options," Garcia said. "We felt that that was terribly unfair."

The proposed resolution calls for Parking and Transportation Services and Residential Life and Housing Services to reduce the fee for next year and to phase that permit cost into the system over a two-year period, beginning next year.

Garcia said DSG's Facilities and Athletics Committee heard about the proposed fee increase earlier in the week of housing selection, but "were under the understanding that the residential rate was going to decrease by that same amount."

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