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
The Chronicle
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 6
Gender-neutral For graduating seniors, job housing off to prospects on the upswing problematic start by Ashley Mooney THE CHRONICLE
Despite a few technical glitches, Duke has integrated the sexes—at least residentially. Fourteen individual students have taken advantage of the gender-neutral housing policy on Central Campus this year, said Joe Gonzalez, associate dean for Housing, Dining and Residence Life. “We really didn’t expect large demand for it its first year,” Gonzalez said. “Actually, the number turned out to be about what we predicted for the first year.” HDRL has yet to discuss exactly how gender-neutral housing will be integrated into the house model, Gonzalez added, though he noted that he assumes it will continue. “We haven’t gotten to that level of detail yet,” he said. An additional eight students are living in gender-neutral housing as members of the Nexus, the only Selective Living Group to currently offer gender-neutral living situations, wrote Nexus Executive Chair, Elena Botella, a junior. This puts the total number of students participating in the option at 22. HDRL decided to implement a gender-neutral housing policy last Fall after receiving a recommendation from Campus Council, the University’s former residential government, which was absorbed by Duke Student Government in the Spring. The housing policy was largely motivated by a report from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Life for the 2010 Committee on Gender. The policy’s development was also aided by members of Blue Devil’s United. There are also two gender-neutral sections in Kilgo and SEE HOUSING ON PAGE 5
CHRONICLE GRAPHIC BY DENNIS OCHEI
by Matt Barnett THE CHRONICLE
After several years of decline, job prospects for Duke’s graduating seniors are returning to pre-recession levels. According to the Career Center’s Senior Exit Survey, 38 percent of the Class of 2011 had accepted jobs by April—this is a 7 percent increase from last year and is a near return to Spring 2008—just before the econmic downturn when 39 percent of seniors reported that they had taken offers. Additionally, the percentage of students still seeking jobs fell from 19 percent in 2010 to 15 percent this year.
Students, however, still need to adjust their job searches in order to work with a still recovering market, said William Wright-Swadel, Fannie Mitchell executive director of career services at Duke. “I would suggest to students that when a market is tough... students need to really broaden the way they’re looking and consider the kinds of options they have for searching,” Wright-Swadel added. The percentage of students who reported that they SEE JOBS ON PAGE 5
DPAC brings $1.02M to Durham by Mike Myers THE CHRONICLE
TORI POWERS/THE CHRONICLE
In the first year of its existence, the gender-neutral housing option attracted 14 independent students to sign up and live on Central Campus.
Although profits dipped slightly, the Durham Performing Arts Center is still a source of revenue and recognition for the Bull City. DPAC earned $1.02 million for the city of Durham in the latest fiscal year, according to a preliminary financial statement issued by the city. As a premier theater venue, DPAC hosts more than 150 events per year and made a total of $2.5 million last year—40 percent of which went to Durham. Although Durham owns the facility, PFM/Nederlander serves as its management company. The 2009-2010 fiscal year yielded a profit of $2.9 million for the theater, slightly greater than the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The revenue earned by the city, known as the DPAC Fund, is used to fund capital improvements to the theater, cover revenue shortfalls in the city’s budget and pay down the debt incurred during DPAC’s construction, said Beverly Thompson, Durham’s public affairs director. “This is really amazing,” Shelly Green, president and CEO of the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau, wrote in an email. “Most publicly owned facilities do
not come anywhere close to paying [for] themselves.” Beyond the direct revenue, DPAC facilitates spending in the surrounding downtown Durham community, Green said in an interview. The DCVB calculated that visitors to DPAC also spent more than $40 million in Durham on restaurants, hotels and retail stores in the past year alone. DPAC’s presence is responsible for approximately $28 million of the spending, Green said. “Eighteen years ago, when we would go out and survey residents of Wake County, for every one person that was positive [about Durham], there were four negative. Now, for every one negative, there are six positive,” Green explained. “It took 18 years. Eventually you can get them to be positive.” DPAC, which opened in 2008, was part of an effort to revitalize downtown Durham and enhance the appeal of the area to residents and visitors. In 2005 the city completed renovations to the American Tobacco Historic District to create the American Tobacco Campus. Recent renovations to Durham’s North SEE DPAC ON PAGE 5
ONTHERECORD
“No other kind of physician would have to follow state counseling when trying to talk to their [patients].” —Paige Johnson on abortions. See story page 4
iPad app quells theft, Page 3
Duke football kicks off against Richmond, Page 7
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THE CHRONICLE
worldandnation
Justice dept. sues to block AT&T and T-Mobile merger
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Justice Department sued to block AT&T’s $39 billion pursuit of T-Mobile Wednesday, saying the deal would leave consumers with fewer choices and higher bills for mobile phone service that has become “indispensable” to the way Americans live and do business. AT&T immediately vowed to challenge the lawsuit, setting the stage for the most significant antitrust battle of the Obama administration, which had vowed to rigorously police big business deals that are bad for consumers. But Justice has rarely gone to court to stop blockbuster deals, and it failed the last time it sued to prevent a big company merger seven years ago. “Unless this merger is blocked... consumers will suffer,” said Sharis Pozen, acting assistant attorney general of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Anyway you look at this transaction, it is anti-competitive.”
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onschedule at Duke... Duke Campus Farm WorkdayDuke Campus Farm, 4-7p.m. Head to the Duke Campus Farm this fall for public workdays every Thursday and Sunday. Volunteers will be planting, harvesting, weeding and working on projects.
Senior Kickoff!
Republicans call Obama’s Aruba holds Md. man in foreign policy weak friend’s disappearance MINNEAPOLIS — In a series of speeches, President Barack Obama and his chief political rivals have presented dueling assessments of the administration’s record abroad, with Republicans offering an ominous view of a weak and uncertain America under Obama’s leadership.
Gary Giordano, the Gaithersburg, Md., man arrested in Aruba in connection with the disappearance of his traveling companion, Robyn Gardner, was ordered held for another 60 days Wednesday as prosecutors prepared to try him on criminal charges.
Being a philosopher, I have a problem for every solution. — Robert Zend
on the
TODAY:
BC Von Canon rooms, 5-7p.m. Jumpstart your Senior year with the Career Center’s annual event specifically designed for seniors. Whether you’re searching for a job, fellowship or planning for graduate school, this event is for you.
East Campus Social East Campus, 5-7p.m. The Center for LGBT Life will be hosting its East Campus Social on the lawn in front of the Marketplace.
Graduate Student Etiquette Dinner Downtown Marriott, 5:30-7:30p.m. Graduate students will learn rules for navigating a professional lunch or dinner.
TODAY IN HISTORY 1985: The wreckage of the Titanic is located.
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“Despite having as many as 12 scholarship players held out of practice at some points during camp, Cutcliffe mentioned that the team did not allow the injuries to affect their morale. They showed up willing and ready to work everyday due in large part to the senior leadership of the team.” — From The Blue Zone bluezone.dukechronicle.com
on the
calendar
Independence Day Uzbekistan
Revolution Day Libya ANDREW HARRER/BLOOMBERG NEWS
Billionaire investor Warren Buffet (left), awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February by President Barack Obama, has become an outspoken critic of the tea party movement. Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., was cited as an exemplar by Obama at least three times since July.
Disaster Prevention Day Japan
Research Participants Needed Behavioral Lab The Fuqua School of Business Duke University We need research participants! Participate in studies at the business school! Help us find the answers to tough business questions! Our studies are completely voluntary. You can sign up online at your convenience. These are pen and paper or computer studies. Registration is easy and convenient through our website: http://fuqua.sona-systems.com. If you have questions, please contact the Behavioral Lab Manager at ah234@duke.edu.
THE CHRONICLE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | 3
DUKE STUDENT GOVERNMENT
iPadiPhone app iPad, halts criminals by Anna Koelsch THE CHRONICLE
Sometimes when expensive technology disappears, a real-time tracking device can significantly improve the situation. Apple’s iPads—increasingly prevalent on campus and in tester classes—can be easily equipped with an application called “Find My iPad,� which enables users to track their iPad on a map, password protect their device from afar, display a message on the screen and increase its privacy protection with the ability to wipe the iPad’s memory. “It’s great technology to have that tracking option on,� Duke Police Chief John Dailey said. Dailey said there were three instances during the past year where an iPad or iPhone was stolen, but Duke Police was able to recover it because of tracking software. The most recent occurrence of this was
August 26. “An individual did steal an iPad from an office [in the Bryan Center],� he said. “The tracking was on the iPad, and we were able to find the person who stole it on the Main [West] Quad[rangle].� In one case, Dailey said, the iPad was in a suspect’s car on campus. Another stolen iPhone was tracked to an off-campus address, where Duke Police obtained a search warrant and found the phone. This tracking software has become all the more relevant with the recent move by Duke to incorporate iPads into teaching and learning. The Duke Digital Initiative and the Center for Instructional Technology collectively purchased 100 iPads last Fall to loan to students and faculty, according to the DDI 2011 report. SEE IPADS ON PAGE 6
DSG elections could see significant changes by Joel Luther THE CHRONICLE
Beginning this spring, elections for upperclassmen positions in Duke Student Government may take place in a different form. DSG Executive Vice President Gurdane Bhutani, a junior, said for at least the past four years, Spring elections have typically consisted of two elections—one for executive positions such as president and executive vice president, and another for Senate positions. A piece of legislation introduced by Bhutani at DSG’s first meeting Wednesday night, however, seeks to combine them. Bhutani said in the past, the reason for splitting the elections was to allow candidates who lost executive elections to run for Senate positions. He noted a case when a candidate lost both an executive and Senate position, and attributed his loss in the Senate election to fatigue gained through the executive campaign. “Students will suffer less election fatigue, thereby improving voter turnout,� Bhutani wrote in the legislation discussed Wednesday. He added that a joint election would make the Senate election more important and that DSG often has a difficult time recruiting in the Spring for Senate seats. Bhutani’s legislation was not
without opposition. Senator for Durham and regional affairs Marcus Benning, a sophomore, spoke in opposition to the bill, saying that the student body may feel overwhelmed deciding executive positions and Senate positions during the same election. Ultimately, senator for Durham and regional affairs Gracie Lynne, also a sophomore, motioned to table the issue. After a roll call vote, Lynne’s motion to table passed by a vote of 15 to 10, meaning that the bill will not receive a final vote for about one month. In other business: The freshman election schedule was approved by unanimous consent. Petition forms were released Wednesday and will be due Friday, Sept. 9. Campaigning will begin on Monday Sept. 12, and DSG elections will be the following Monday. During a question segment with the executive board, DSG President Pete Schork, a senior, said recent campus decisions were made without student input. Responding to a question about the Merchants on Points program reducing its hours, Schork said he had not been consulted. SEE DSG ON PAGE 6
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THE CHRONICLE
Across the nation, less doctors willing to perform abortions by Jacob Zionce THE CHRONICLE
While abortion remains a heated topic in U.S. politics, a new survey suggests that the number of doctors willing or able to provide such services is decreasing. The study, conducted by Duke University and the University of Chicago, sheds new light on American doctors’ sentiments towards abortion. A survey of 1,144 doctors found that only 14 percent of obstetricians and gynecologists are willing to perform the procedure, a steep drop from the 22 percent of doctors who said they would provide these services in 2008. Paige Johnson, vice president of public affairs at Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina, said the decline in the amount of doctors willing to
perform abortions is unsurprising, especially given recent legislation passed by new Republican majorities in state legislatures. Johnson noted that the North Carolina state legislature passed one such regulation in July, which requires women to have “state-scripted counseling.” It also requires potential patients to be presented with an ultrasound image of the fetus before deciding whether or not to abort. She added that she believes that doctors who provide abortions are being unfairly singled out. “The doctors have been targeted,” Johnson said. “No other kind of physician would have to follow state counseling when trying to talk to their [patients]. If I take my son to the pediatrician, [the
doctor] is free to speak directly to me. The real issue is… the harassment of doctors. Doctors who continue [to provide abortions] do [so] because of their unique sense of morality.” The survey examined a variety of factors—including political orientation, population density and religion—that could influence whether or not a doctor is willing to provide abortions. Physicians in traditionally liberal regions such as the Northeast and West are more likely to provide abortions than their counterparts in conservative strongholds such as the South and Midwest. Similarly, liberals were more likely to carry out the procedure than conservatives. The survey also took the doctors’ religion into account. While 26.5 percent of non-religious doctors are willing to
perform the procedure, only 1.2 to 10.1 percent of their Christian colleagues said they would provide abortions. At 40.2 percent, Jewish doctors were most likely to perform the procedure. Jeremy Yoskowitz, rabbi and assistant director for Jewish Life at Duke, attributes these results to a number of factors such as geography. “You would be hard pressed to find as many Jewish doctors in Tuscaloosa as you’d find in New York,” he said. He added that abortion is a complex issue in Jewish law—or halacha. “Halacha is neither pro-life nor prochoice in the conventional way those terms are taken in the U.S.,” he said. “Jewish law views the fetus in most respects as SEE OB-GYN ON PAGE 6
Obama jobs speech creates conflict with GOP by Peter Wallsten THE WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced his intention to lay out a new jobs plan in a prime-time speech to Congress next week that strategists hope will set a new tone for his tenure. But the announcement provoked an instant confrontation with Republicans, which felt very much like the old tone, and underscored Obama’s dilemma as he attempts to show progress on the economy while distancing himself from a dysfunctional Washington. The joint-session speech, harnessing one of the grand symbols of his office, reflects a calculated attempt by Obama to regain an advantage in his bitter battle with Republicans over the economy, restore fast-eroding public support and, perhaps, turn around a presidency with
less than 15 months before he faces the voters. White House officials said Obama would lay out a much-anticipated package of new proposals to stimulate job growth, such as spending programs for roads, bridges, school repair and training for the long-term unemployed. And yet even scheduling the address quickly turned into another partisan spit-fest. It began around lunchtime Wednesday, when Obama sent a letter to congressional leaders requesting an 8 p.m. speech next Wednesday—coinciding with a previously scheduled Republican presidential candidates debate. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, citing parliamentary and logistical “impediments,” sent a letter back with a rejection, inviting the president to come on Thursday, instead. Democrats charged that the speaker was out of line,
and that presidents are always given deference in scheduling speeches to Congress. A Boehner spokesman charged that the White House “ignored decades—if not centuries —of the protocol of working out a mutually agreeable date and time before making any public announcement.” Either way, the exchange illustrated the challenge facing Obama as he confronts the urgent task of reintroducing himself to an increasingly skeptical electorate. For nine months since tea party Republicans prevailed in the 2010 midterms by railing against the ever-expanding government debt, Obama and his aides have embraced the goal of deficit reduction—a shift that White SEE OBAMA ON PAGE 6
Make a Difference in the World of Health Disparities The Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) works to reduce health disparities in our local community and worldwide. Recognizing that many global health problems stem from economic, social, environmental, political and health care inequalities, DGHI brings together interdisciplinary teams to solve complex health problems and to train the next generation of global health scholars.
VISIT http://globalhealth.duke.edu/student-portal for information about opportunities and events.
SUBSCRIBE to DGHI’s weekly e-newsletter: www.globalhealth.duke.edu/news-events/newsletter
LEARN about global health. Take a GLHTLH course or join the Global Health Certificate Program. For complete course listing, go to www.globalhealth.duke.edu/education
JOIN a student group. Duke hosts a variety of student groups dedicated to various aspects of global health. Visit www.globalhealth.duke.edu/education/student-groups
ATTEND a DGHI event or seminar. Sept. 7 — “Stigma and AIDS: The Personal and the Political” 4-5 pm, 240 John Hope Franklin Center Oct. 3 — “Global Health 2020: Acting Today to Improve Tomorrow” 1-8 pm, Bryan Center and Duke Gardens
FOLLOW US Twitter: DukeGHI Facebook: DukeGlobalHealth YouTube: DukeGlobalHealth
PARTICIPATE in career and professional development workshops. Sept. 29 — Guide to a Career in Global Health 5-6 pm, 040 Trent Hall Visit the student portal to view all upcoming talks and workshops.
HARNESSING THE PASSION FOR GLOBAL HEALTH
THE CHRONICLE
JOBS from page 1 were pursuing further education dipped from 31 to 24 percent this year, though Wright-Swadel noted that this shift may have been due to a change in the survey’s wording. Previous surveys asked about students’ anticipated post-graduation plans, but the survey administered in April asked about students’ immediate post-graduation plans. “When you change the wording of a question, you often change the way that people answer it,” Wright-Swadel said. “We’ll have to wait a year to see trend data.” The response rate for this year’s survey was 81 percent—a 3 percent decrease from last year. The survey also asked students what employment sectors they are entering and where they plan to live after graduation. Most seniors reported that they would pursue financial services, consulting and education, and their top three cities were New York City, Washington, D.C. and the Research Triangle area. Emma Rasiel, director of the Financial Education Partnership and assistant professor of the practice in economics, said she was not surprised that financial services were the top employment sector for the Class of 2011. Finance has the most opportunities for students seeking jobs in big business, she said, but warned that future prospects may not be as lucrative. “I think that the Class of 2012 may have a little bit harder time finding jobs in finance because of the economic downturn,” Rasiel said. “Especially in an economy like this one… I would encourage students to look at non-trade ways of getting into finance [like] corporate finance.” Wright-Swadel said students should broaden their searches to include similar careers related to their areas of interest and not limit themselves to a specific geographic region. “Though it may be more challenging
HOUSING from page 1 Few Quadrangles on West Campus. In these communities, same-sex roommate pairs can live next to another same-sex roommate pair of the opposite gender. In these areas, residents also have the opportunity to use a gender-neutral restroom. Central Campus offers a slightly different take on gender-neutral housing, Gonzalez said. Those who opt-in to gender-neutral housing on Central can live in an apartment with a member of the opposite sex, though roommates must have separate rooms and a bathroom that locks, according to HDRL policy. These apartments hold four students and vary between two doubles or one double and two singles. Residents, however, endured some technical issues with the new housing and room assignments, especially for Nexus residents. Sophomore Andy Chu, a Nexus member living in a gender-neutral apartment, said he encountered some inconveniences with his room assignment under the new system. Chu and his roommates were not given their housing assignments until the end of the summer, he said, adding that their problems did not end there. “When we got to campus, all of our room keys were wrong,” he said. “We were all given keys to the wrong apartments.” They were not only given the wrong apartment keys, but each roommate was given keys to a separate apartments scat-
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | 5
to get the job in New York, [similar] opportunities will exist in other places,” he said. He added that the results also may not fully reflect student placement because the survey was administered prior to graduation. “Some have not received their [offers] by the survey,” Wright-Swadel said. “Not everyone has made a complete commitment—they’re still in the decision making loop.” One graduate who found employment soon after the survey was Chris Perry, Pratt ’11, who said he attributes his success to luck. “I didn’t do myself many favors by waiting until after graduation to start applying to things, but I was more focused on actually graduating during the semester,” Perry said. “I actually only applied to maybe five jobs before I got the one that I have now.” Amanda Robison, Pratt ’11, found a job in technology services before graduation. Robison said she suggests students expand their search beyond eRecruiting—an online career and internship database. “A lot of people seem to limit themselves to eRecruiting—it’s not worth it,” she said. “One of the biggest problems is that everyone applying is from Duke. When you aren’t competing against other Duke students, the name really means something.” Wright-Swadel noted a 3 percent increase in students who reported that they were unsure of their post-graduation plans, up from 9 percent in 2010 to 12 percent this year. He encouraged undecided students to confront their potential post-graduation options before they leave Duke. “Frankly [the Career Center is] very interested in working with students who are undecided,” he said. “Students have a lot of advice available on campus. What’s critical is that one takes steps to become undecided, and while you’re here is a better time to do that than after graduation.” tered throughout different locations on Central. Botella said, however, the issues stemmed mainly from RoomPicks software problems. “The online process does not allow people of different genders to be put into the same apartment,” she said. “We had to work with [HDRL] to input it manually.” When HDRL manually filled the section, they accidentally used an outdated version of the Nexus’ roster, leaving out eight people, Botella added. The apartments that should have gone to those students became double-booked because they appeared as available during regular RoomPicks. Botella said she hopes that the software is fixed by Room Pix next year to avoid the same confusion. “I think it would make more sense that [the program] doesn’t make the distinction between male roommates and female roommates, at least in the two and three bedroom apartments,” she said, adding that the problem is now resolved. The eight students displaced are now properly accommodated, as are the students originally assigned to the apartments. Residents living in gender-neutral housing seem content with their assignments. “It is very normal, in the case of the apartments,” Chu said. “It’s a lot like being in a dorm with guys and girls living right next to each other. There’s still a lot of personal space and we haven’t had any issues [with each other] yet.” Nicole Kyle contributed reporting.
DPAC from page 1 Carolina Museum of Life and Science and the Carolina Theatre are among the most recent improvements to Durham’s downtown area. “So many people come to DPAC, and they see all the other great things going on here,” Thompson said. “I’ve heard a lot of people say ‘Gee, I didn’t know that Durham has changed this much, that it has this much to offer.’” Duke, as the largest employer in Durham, has a special interest in promoting growth in the city, Vice Provost for
the Arts Scott Lindroth said. The University saw DPAC as a good opportunity for growth. “Development of DPAC was very much carried out in collaboration with Duke,” Lindroth said. “More opportunities for economic growth attract people that would not have thought about Durham or Duke before.” Duke contributed $7.5 million—approximately 17 percent—of the $46.8 million needed for DPAC’s construction, The Chronicle reported in July. “It’s been a great investment for the city,” Thompson said. “It’s certainly exceeded our expectations.”
KARI VAUGHN/THE CHRONICLE
The Durham Performing Arts Center, which hosts more than 150 events per year, grossed profits of $2.5 million in the previous fiscal year. More than $1 million of those dollars went directly to the city of Durham.
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THE CHRONICLE
OB-GYN from page 4
DSG from page 3
OBAMA from page 4
a person, but not fully, in the sense that in a case where a mother’s life is endangered by the fetus, then abortion is permitted and [according to] some [is] even required.” Dr. Stanford Walker—an OB-GYN at the Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in Patchogue, N.Y.—does not perform abortions due to his Christian beliefs. He said, however, he disagrees with the notion that religion is a major factor in doctors’ decision-making process. “I can’t say [a large factor for most is] religion,” he said. “It’s more so [an] economic [issue].” Walker cited the risks such as malpractice suits that doctors might face if they agree to perform abortions. “A lot of it has to do with a slight change in moral thinking and ethics, but the biggest reason has to do with economics and dealing with your patients and clientele,” he said. “Most of the physicians I have worked with are backing away from that area because it’s sticky for a lot of institutions.”
“We were taken aback by that just like you were,” Schork said. Similarly, when asked about changes at campus eateries—such as the Tower and the Devil’s Bistro— Schork responded that DSG had no idea that the changes were happening. “It’s certainly troubling,” Schork said. “You have to consult students first. It’s not okay to act first and notify students later.” Schork and Bhutani also spoke briefly about their goals for the upcoming school year. Schork spoke to the value of DSG, adding that he hopes members recognize the opportunity to leave a legacy at the University. “As an institution, we’re going through a lot of change with the house model and West Union, and I think our goal is making sure that old stakeholders are accounted for and that we are working with and growing with the University,” Schork said.
House strategists believed would put the president in good stead with crucial independent voters. But since January, Obama’s job approval ratings have sunk to new lows, now hovering around 40 percent in most surveys. A series of disappointing monthly jobs reports and wild fluctuations in the stock markets have increased public anxiety, and raised concerns among economists that the country may be close to another recession. Analysts expect the August jobs report, due Friday, to show modest growth, but not enough to substantially change the country’s 9.1 percent unemployment rate. “In the last couple of weeks, the White House has recognized the gravity of the moment for the economy and the public’s judgments of Washington itself, and has shifted quickly from deficits to jobs and growth, which is what the public is most anxious about,” said Neera Tanden, chief operating officer of the liberal Center for American Progress and a former policy adviser to the Obama administration. Recent surveys have shown the extent of the political problem for Obama, with independent voters who backed the president in 2008 expressing growing disapproval of his handling of the economy. Moreover, vast majorities of Americans see the country heading in the wrong direction, and disagree with Washington’s priorities. “If he is focused in that majestic House chamber on building a consensus in Washington, or if he speaks in partisan terms, then he’s misstepping,” said Ken Duberstein, who was chief of staff in the Reagan White House. “Because what he needs to focus on is building a consensus in America on behalf of the path that he lays out.” Obama, in his letter to congressional leaders, cited “unprecedented economic challenges” facing the country as he invoked images from his campaign-style swing through the Midwest this summer. “As I have traveled across our country this summer and spoken with our fellow Americans, I have heard a consistent message: Washington needs to put aside politics and start making decisions based on what is best for our country and not what is best for each of our parties in order to grow the economy and create jobs,” he wrote.
IPADS from page 3
Thursday, September 1
Friday, September 2
Friday, continued
Saturday, September 3
Open House – Connect. Learn. Grow. International House—Come meet the staff and learn more about cross-cultural connections at Duke! 5-6:30pm
OSAF’s Student Org Fair East Campus Quad Find out about all the awesome student organizations at Duke 4-6pm
Buddhist Community Open House Center for Multicultural Affairs, lower level of the Bryan Center Food, fun, games and raffle....Get your bodhisattva on! 7:00-9:00pm
Center for LGBT Life East Campus Social Market Place Quad Come meet the staff, socialize, meet new friends, and create connections! 5-7pm
Heat Wave (New Boyz, Stay, Walk the Moon) West Campus Quad New Boyz Stay Walk the Moon: Can’t wait to see you at Heat Wave 5-9pm
Black Campus Ministries BBQ Bryan Center Plaza Please join BCM for music, fellowship, and great eats! We will be on the BC Plaza with ribs, potato salad, and all the makings of a GREAT BBQ! 5-7pm
Devils After Dark (East RC) Bus to Southpoint (1st Years get priority) East Campus Bus Stop Shop the night away with your friends at Durham’s trendy Southpoint Mall 6pm-1am Happy Feet Movie in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens Enjoy the Duke Gardens while catching a movie! 7:30-9:30pm A Night in Wilson Recreation Center Join a Sports club and/or Experience the fun of Rock Climbing, K-Ville games, and demonstrations in fencing, yoga, and more! Also, find the food trucks outside…..YUM! 8pm-1am Mike Super/Team Rootberry Magician/Mystifier Mike Super Team Rootberry Reynolds (Bryan Center) 11pm-1am
Traditional Egalitarian Shabbat Services Reform Shabbat Services Free family-style Shabbat dinner (Please register at http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/jewishlife) Freeman Center for Jewish Life Take time to center and balance your life at Duke. Food, fellowship, and Fun! 6:15pm and Dinner at 7:15pm Craicdown - Music On The Lawn Concert "Back Porch Music" (FREE admission) American Tobacco Campus Amphitheatre 318 Blackwell St. (Free Bus ride: Bull City Connector) 6pm-8pm Johnny White & The Elite Band Brightleaf Square Concert FREE admission. Brightleaf Square, Gregson St. at Main St. (Bull City connector) 7-9pm InterVarsity White Lecture Hall, East Campus Praise, Worship, and Testimony 7:00pm
Men’s Soccer Koskinon Stadium 7:30pm Presbyterian Campus Ministry Movie Night The King's Speech (outdoor showing) the North Carolina Museum of Art! Meet at the East Campus Bus Stop at 8pm to Travel First Big Weekend Dance Glow party/DJ and Light Show on the Plaza 9pm-1am A Taste of Honey - Art & Soul Sponsored by the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Cutlure and Residence Life Live music, spoken word poetry, eclectic food samplings, and cutting-edge art. McClendon Walkway West Campus 10pm Devils After Dark Tie-Dye Duke T-Shirt Making East Campus Quad Need we say more? 10pm-12am
Duke Football Game Wallace Wade Stadium 7pm Wesley Fellowship Open House Wesley House on Buchanan St. Free food and fellowship! 8pm Novelty Night in the BC Wax Hands, Henna Tattoos, Caricatures Bryan Center 9pm-1am $1 menu Breakfast (dining/West RC) Great Hall Late night breakfast with $1 menu items! 10pm-1am
Sunday, September 4 Men’s Soccer 2:30pm BBQ Picnic Mill Village Some fun, food, and relaxation before the start of your week! 2:30-5pm Duke Symphony Orchestra Pops Concert East Campus, Outside on the lawn in front of Baldwin 6pm
http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/first-big-weekend
The report noted more than 4,000 loans were made in the 2010-2011 academic year, with iPads in a large demand. CIT also purchased 20 iPad 2 devices for use in undergraduate classes, according to the report. Professors have incorporated iPads into classes as diverse as the Pratt School of Engineering’s “Machine Shop,” Music 49S: “Bach, Beethoven & Brahms” and Religion 20S: “Muhammed and Prophecy.” Steve O’Donnell, senior communications strategist for the Office of Information Technology, said there has not been an issue with DDI iPads being stolen. Duke administrators also have signalled their enthusiasm for iPads. Mike Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations called himself as an “iPad evangelist,” adding that Provost Peter Lange and President Richard Brodhead are also extensive iPad users. Schoenfeld said his iPad is more portable and easier to use than a laptop—and more fun. “I can do email, web, take handwritten notes, listen to music, edit documents and do PowerPoint presentations, as well as play some games,” he said. “I haven’t used a laptop since I got the iPad 2.” Schoenfeld added that he set up the iPad tracking software when he first got the device, noting that it is useful to be able to track the device if lost or stolen. A similar version of the iPad tracking software is also available on the iPhone—“Find My iPhone”—and is frequently used by Duke students. Sophomore Helen Cai said she was able to use this software to track her iPhone’s journey down Anderson Drive after she left it on a C-2 bus. Sophomore Andy Chu said he and his girlfriend have used Find My iPhone to find where the other is on campus. “When she was in class, instead of texting and trying to get a surreptitious answer, I could just find her on my iPhone,” he said. “It’s actually been very useful.” Freshman Bridgette Alanis, an iPad and an iPhone user, said she used the tracking feature on her iPhone shortly before she left for Duke. “I dropped my iPhone in downtown [Los Angeles] and wanted to see where it was.... I used my mom’s iPhone to track my iPhone and watched it travel through downtown L.A.” Alanis said. “I’m definitely going to use the software at Duke.”
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volume 13 issue 1 september 1, 2011
(RE)START
2 d n u Ro
Hopscotch Triangle’s premier music fest returns for its second edition
CENTER
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHELSEA PIERONI/THE CHRONICLE
lil wayne
tunechi’s latest Carter offering doesn’t stand up
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devil’s double
story of Uday Hussein’s body double wants for depth
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antic shake
new student group takes on shakespeare
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theSANDBOX. Johnathan Safran Foer was on campus last week. For those of you who don’t read enough to know who this man is, I can provide a little bit of background: He’s the literary standout behind Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Written from the perspectives of a non-native English-speaking Safran Foer himself and an eight-year-old interested in training his anus to talk, the narratives are fractured like nothing you’ve ever seen—it makes Burroughs look downright readable. Moreover, Foer is the type of writer who knows how to capitalize on a global tragedy, basing his books around the Holocaust, 9/11 and, most recently, the injustices of the modern food industry. In doing so, he is able to take advantage of his readers’ pre-existing emotions, liberating him from the limiting task of creating compelling characters and stories. And, because readers have already
decided how they feel about war crimes and untrustworthy corporations, Foer doesn’t have to evoke any of the emotions himself. It’s all very liberating, and frees the young writer up to spend more time on flip-books, like the one at the end of his second novel. It’s things like that flip-book that make me feel the way I do about Johnathan Safran Foer. It’s the way he asks important questions, like “What if, instead of jumping out of burning buildings to the ground below, people did the opposite?” Foer’s unwillingness to accept the tragedies of our past as they stand trivializes them into near-oblivion. And I think Foer provoked an important question this week. You could almost hear him thinking it to himself: “How long can I keep pulling stunts like these, getting invited to speak at elite institutions with some of the best English departments in the world —Chris Bassil
[recesseditors] in another life Ross Green.............................................................................still not Kevin Lincoln Maggie Love...........................................................................could be Angela Davis Michaela Dwyer.................................................................................could be a man Chris Bassil.............................................................................Pan’s f—ing Labyrinth Brian Contratto..................................................................could be in Superchunk Josh Stillman......................................................................................................Burial Chelsea Pieroni...............................................................................not a real person Sanette Tanaka..................................................................................getting into law
[EDITOR’S NOTE]
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Do you perceive a relative lack of quality among today’s artists w when measuring them against the Eagles, E or even Chuck Berry? Have th sense that you’re part of a genthe eration er robbed of the chance to see so of the the “best of all time” by some a greedy, monolithic music industry myopic m enough to actually discourag innovation? Am I deliberately age se setting up a straw man right now? Hopefully, the answers to these questions qu are, in order: “No,” “Huh?”, “H and “No, I think I’ve read this th somewhere.” If this discussion isn’t is remotely familiar, you can stop reading here. What follows is an re im impassioned defense of today’s musical si climate as measured against luminaries of the past. I have never “sniffed” musical royalty (yes, there is a Watch the Throne joke here; no, I won’t bother to make it). I wouldn’t know musical royalty if I saw it, and especially if I read about it seven years ago in Rolling Stone, a publication as woefully out of touch with music criticism as it is with music itself. But I have heard some incredibly adventurous music even in the past twelve months, evidence of the enormous and satisfying progress of popular culture in the last 40 years. Is Jay-Z really the 83rd best artist of all time? Is he objectively “worse” than say, an Irish arena rock band called U2? And how could we ever begin to make an argument either way? But aside from the fact that there’s something inherently absurd about trying to make comparisons across the broad spectrum of popular music, I’ve got a particular bone to pick with what James Murphy once called “borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered ‘80s.” James Murphy, by the way, was until recent-
September 1, 2011
ly in a band called LCD Soundsystem, an outfit that wore their influences on their sleeves with true reverence. But they also transcended those influences, by blending them together and adding new little pieces along the way, and I’ll mourn their breakup far more than I would that of, say, Can. Likewise the Weeknd, a twenty-one year old whose mixtapes (which are free, I might add, so there’s not much for him to lose commercially) take the archetypal personalities and sonic templates of R&B and rearrange them in undeniably compelling ways, aided by studio effects of which Michael Jackson circa Thriller could hardly dream. And while we’re on Michael Jackson, consider Kanye West, whose career arc is emblematic of both the continual refinement of popular music and its current vibrance: on debut College Dropout, he displayed a deft touch with the sort of soul-sampling beats he’d grown up with; subsequent releases saw him marrying these classic hip-hop signifiers to far more ambitious song structures and instrumentation. Look a little outside the mainstream, and you’ll find a whole range of acts, from producers like Flying Lotus and Four Tet to songwriters Kristian Mattson and Merrill Garbus, who are informed by various traditions while pushing the boundaries of genres in exciting ways. If you’re not interested by the current climate of music, you’ll certainly be missing out, but I can’t fault you for your preferences. But looking no further than Lady Gaga before insisting that “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” is lazy and deliberately ignorant: in fact, they make them even better. Pop music’s progress, while less concrete than that of the academic community, is nonetheless similar: new contributions to the literature build on the foundations established by older ones, and we march inexorably forward. —Ross Green
Congratulations! The Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation
Ms. Paula J. Mangiafico: Technical Services — Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library History of Medicine Collections Manuscripts Access Project
is pleased to announce our spring 2011 grant recipients.
Professor Denise Kendall Comer: Thompson Writing Program Ronald McDonald House/Duke University Family Story Project Ms. Margaret L. Brown: Kenan Institute for Ethics Well-being and the Moral Worlds of Refugees Professor Daniel H. Foster: Theatre Studies Are You Ready?
THE JOSIAH CHARLES TRENT MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC.
Ms. Katie Hyde: Documentary Studies Through Insider Lenses: Exploring Educational Practices and Philosophies in Tanzania Professor Anne-Maria Makhulu: Cultural Anthropology An Inquiry into Market Speculation in Johannesburg and New York Professor Sean Metzger: Department of English Zhang Yimou’s Impressions of China Professor Charles D. Thompson: Documentary Studies Traveling the Valley of the Shadow of Death: A US/Mexico Borderland Odyssey
The Trent Foundation makes grants in the $3,000-$5,000 range to Duke faculty and staff for projects related to human sexual function, medical history, medical ethics and humanities, and international studies. The next deadline is September 30, 2011. For more information, contact Kristin Anderson at kristin.anderson@dev.duke.edu or visit our website http://giving.duke.edu/cfr/trent/.
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September 1, 2011
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SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Duke’s new student theater group will be the first to take on Shakespeare’s canon, with help from faculty advisor Jay O’Berski, an assistant professor of the practice in the Theater Studies department.
Antic Shake looks to give Shakespeare a new context by Gracie Lynne THE CHRONICLE
This fall, a new group on campus will be devoted to the infamous playwright and the original bard himself-William Shakespeare. Jay O’Berski, assistant professor of the practice for the department of Theater Studies and visiting lecturer Dana Marks are the founders of Antic Shake, the only Shakespeare performance group on campus. In his professional career, O’Berski has worked in some capacity with almost every Shakespeare play. Throughout his 13-year teaching experience, he knows of no Shakespeare-centered performance groups to have existed at Duke, though he has attended informal readings and sporadic Shakespeare plays and performances put on by Duke students. Because he has never seen a Shakespeare-focused ensemble crystallize, he’s been wanting to do “something Shakespeare at Duke� for a while. “I realized I was graduating Theater Studies majors at Duke who had never done Shakespeare before,� O’Berski said. Moving outward from his own department, O’Berski harnessed his long history of experience with and love for the playwright to found Antic Shake. The group initially began two years ago, but took a break due to O’Berski’s heavy involvement in the Durham theater
company Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern. With only one original member of the group still at Duke, O’Berski hopes to grow the company into something accessible and fun for all students. “The aim of this group is really to de-stigmatize Shakespeare as that farty old guy you read in high school. Everyone has some experience with his plays, and we want to make this group open to everyone,� O’Berski said. O’Berski has high hopes for a program with the potential to pull students from many different backgrounds together; it isn’t just Theater Studies or English majors whom he wishes to attract. O’Berski is interested in, among others, engineers, athletes and students with a broad range of other interests. In fact, he suggested only one requirement for participation in the company. “Of course, they should all be tied with a common interest in Shakespeare,� he said. Ideally, ten actors and actresses and four to five directors will compose the club. There will also be opportunities for students to work behind the scenes in design and dramaturgy. In its inaugural year, Antic Shake will present a handful of performances. On December 3 the company will perform scenes from some of Shakespeare’s late romance plays, centering on the theme of forgiveness. Sarah
Beckwith, chair of the department of Theater Studies and professor of Theater Studies and English, will be on hand to help with applied theory. After the winter performance, the spring semester will allow for more shows and collaborations. In February, as a joint effort with Duke Performances, Antic Shake will work closely with New York City’s Fiasco Theater Company. British actor Jonathan Cullen, who trained with the Oxford University Dramatic Society, is scheduled to be a guest director. And in April, the group plans to undertake a one-hour chamber version of a Shakespeare play. No matter the production, Antic Shake aims to keep Shakespeare relevant to Duke students and audiences. “I think we all learned in high school that Shakespeare can be very reverent or boring or daunting. But really, it’s this incredible, intense, sexy material that needs to be approached like anything else that’s worth watching and performing,� O’Berski said.
lil wayne
tracks, they virtually save them. Wayne is conspicuously absent on two of the album’s superior tracks, including the outro—a kind of humiliating withdrawal from his own race. It’s a shame, really, because Wayne had established himself as one of hip-hop’s most dexterous artists poised on the brink of legend. Before, people listened when he called himself the “best rapper alive.� Now, after three consecutive misfires, his incessant boasts have all the credibility of Gadaffi’s Libyan regime: a toppled commander clinging in vain to his former authority.
THA CARTER IV CASH MONEY
The problem with putting out a towering album like Tha Carter III is that every subsequent release is measured against it. The failure of Lil Wayne’s last two records, 2010’s Rebirth and I Am Not a Human Being, to equal their predecessor can in large part be excused due to the nature of their content—Rebirth was a laughably misguided foray into rock, and Human Being consisted essentially of unreleased session material. There’s no excuse, though, for the disappointing quality of III’s rightful and hotly anticipated successor, Tha Carter IV. Early singles “6 Foot 7 Foot,� “She Will� and “How to Love� suggested a return to form, ranking among Wayne’s best work (“How to Love,� a tender homage to 2Pac, even displays a rarely-witnessed compassion and sensitivity). Unfortunately, the rest of the album fails to deliver on that potential. One thing that made III so successful was that, in addition to charting four hits, it remained consistent in its entirety; IV’s appeal rests almost exclusively on its singles. The source of much of the album’s shortcoming is its lack of innovation, both in terms of production and lyrics. The production here offers none of III’s gleeful inventiveness, instead relying too often on the overused formula of minor-key synth progressions and monotone bass hits. But even more disappointing is Wayne’s lyrical performance. He seems to have abandoned rhythmic variation altogether, delivering his trademark setup and punch line verses with freeze-dried repetition. In fact, his style has become so exhausted that he comes off as a one-trick pony; guest artists like Tech N9ne, Nas and Busta Rhymes don’t just enhance the
Auditions for Antic Shake will be held Saturday, September 10 in Brody Theater in Branson Hall on East Campus. More information can be found at the Duke Theater Studies website and questions should be directed to jayoberski@yahoo.com.
—Josh Stillman
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September 1, 2011
Arts At Hopscotch
Interactive panels enrich Hopscotch experience by Michaela Dwyer THE CHRONICLE
To most, Hopscotch Music Festival means nothing more than its title—that is, a long three-day stream of concerts and gigs in downtown Raleigh. For those seeking to supplement their festival experience with more than just music, however, Hopscotch will again present a series of daytime panels featuring musicians, writers, artists and critics discussing everything from narrative songs to the burden of traditional musical influence. The panels, together formally titled the Edward McKay Used Books & More Artist and Author Series, aim to engage music affiliates and the general public in conversations about the interdisciplinary nature of music in pop culture. With titles such as “Present the Past: Honoring and Outstripping Influences,” “Simple Words: The Power of Narrative Songs” and “The Bubble: The Limits of Pop Music,” the panels center around specific themes that invite multiple interpretations. Grayson Currin, the music editor for the Independent Weekly and the curator of Hopscotch, said the idea for the panels came about organically in discussions with his colleague and festival director Greg Lowenhagen. “Greg and I are always in this battle to come up with cool ideas to make the festival better,” Currin said. “[Last year] we had friends coming into town who are writers, and we tried to find a way to put them into conversation with some of the bands [playing at Hopscotch].” Last year, the festival’s inaugural run featured similar panels dealing with different themes. One panel focused solely on the poetry and artistic experimentation of Black Mountain College in the 1940s and 50s, featuring a live re-creation of “happening,” a multimedia experiential art form pioneered by John Cage and Merce Cunningham. Another panel dealt with the roots of North Carolina-based music, while the third explored the social influences of hip-hop. Panelists included Megafaun band member Phil Cook, Duke Professor of African and African-American Studies Mark Anthony Neal and Broken Social Scene band member Andrew Whiteman. This year, Currin and Lowenhagen hoped to bring together a similar
conglomerate of speakers to work with new ideas. “The [panel] ideas come from thinking about the bands we have here and looking at the schedule and when they’re in town,” Currin said. “We try to think, ‘What’s a conversation we can create that’s interesting that could shed some light on something?’ Then we stare at the bands’ schedules until something pops out.” One of those bands is Mount Moriah, whose lead singer and lyricist Heather McIntire will participate in the panel “Simple Words: The Power of Narrative Songs.” McIntire, who holds a BFA in Creative Writing, is fascinated by the power of storytelling through music. “To me, narrative songwriting is basically storytelling, and that’s something that is particularly rooted in Southern folk/Americana music, which—in writing for Mount Moriah and growing up in the South—I’m deeply inspired by,” McIntire said. She also stressed the benefits of incorporating the three panels into the Hopscotch festival at large. “As an artist, [these panels] offer a forum where we can communicate our creative processes publicly, learn from each other and learn about ourselves,” McIntire said. “For festival attendees, they reveal the complexities of making music and the idiosyncrasies of the artists who make the music we listen to.” Brian Howe, a freelance arts and culture writer and editor of Duke Performances’ blog The Thread, shared a similar sentiment, praising the types of audiences in the Triangle area that would be drawn to these panel events. “To me, the inclusion of these panels speaks to The Triangle’s impulses for conversation and community-building, which are what make it so special and have kept me living here for so long,” Howe said. “It’s a place that it big enough to feel justly proud of its arts scene, but not so big as to be cynical, and in arts presenters here I find a real energy and verve for pushing beyond the practical mechanics of presenting and engaging the community in novel ways.” The Edward McKay Used Books & More Artist and Author Series panels will be held at 3 p.m. on Sept. 8, 9, and 10 at the Raleigh City Museum, and are open to the general public.
o H
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Fans attend a headlining concert last year at Raleigh City Plaza. Festival organizers expect to draw between 15,000 and 20,000 concertgoers for this year’s event.
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SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Festival director Greg Lowenhagen (left) and curator Grayson Currin (right) have lined up more than 150 acts to play at 13 venues for the second edition of Hopscotch
p o
scotch by Ross Green THE CHRONICLE
As recently as two years ago, the second weekend in September didn’t hold any particular significance to Raleigh-Durham music fans. That’s changed, in a big way: now in its second edition, Hopscotch Festival will take over downtown Raleigh next weekend, with a lineup of over 150 bands spread over thirteen different venues. Headliners include psych-rock legends the Flaming Lips and venerated ‘90s alternative outfit Guided By Voices, among others, playing at City Plaza, the recently opened centerpiece of downtown Raleigh. By any measure, it’s one of the biggest music festivals in the southeastern United States. So how did it get here? In the summer of 2009, an ad executive named Greg Lowenhagen at the Independent Weekly, the largest and longest-running alternatively weekly newspaper in the Raleigh-Durham area, sensed a vacuum in the otherwise vibrant local music scene. Lowenhagen, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, had recently relocated after stints living in Chicago and Austin, Texas, home to some of the biggest music festivals in the nation: Lollapalooza, in Chicago’s Grant Park, and Austin’s city-wide SxSW and Austin City Limits. So he went to Independent Weekly owner Steve Schewel with a pitch: a large-scale urban music festival, held by the paper, befitting the Research Triangle’s stature as a hotbed of musical talent. “I was thinking about places I’d already lived, and the venues and heritage and reputation of music in the Triangle,” Lowenhagen said. “I was surprised there wasn’t anything in place already.” Oddly enough, the financial crisis of the previous year helped his cause. Between the general economic downturn and the ongoing difficulties facing the newspaper industry, Lowenhagen’s idea wasn’t a tough sell. “With the [economic] climate at the time, a lot of the people in the alt-weekly business were looking to diversify their brand,” Lowenhagen said. That included Schewel, who had been doing research of his own to try to find new revenue streams for the paper and recognized the potential for a high-profile local festival. “The Independent has such a great music franchise, and our music writing is so popular,” Schewel said. “It certainly seemed like a natural fit.” Enter Grayson Currin, the Independent Weekly’s music editor, who went to work alongside Lowenhagen to put together the festival that became Hopscotch: finding and inviting bands, booking venues, putting together a volunteer staff and publicizing the event. The pair are the only
paid, full-time employees of the festival—officially, Lowenhagen is the director, and Currin, the curator. Without assistance from outside promotion companies, the two have total creative and administrative control. It’s a unique management structure among music festivals, which are increasingly run by festival organizers like Superfly, which puts on both the Manchester, Tennessee mega-fest Bonnaroo and Asheville, NC’s Moogfest. “We can be very hands on and decide exactly what’s happening,” Currin said. “Some days, it’s exhausting, but it allows us to micromanage in a good way.” Without an extensive and costly organizing apparutus, Hopscotch also has a particular advantage—relatively cheap tickets. “An overwhelming majority of our budget is spent on talent,” Currin said, “and that turns around to a pretty low ticket price.” As a result, the festival’s aesthetic bears a heavy resemblance to its creators’ tastes. It’s a carefully constructed blend—of national and local acts, of emerging and established bands, of a range of different genres and mentalities. Currin cites a number of contrasts in the lineup: blackmetal innovators like Liturgy next to the performance art of the Flaming Lips, the Southern-fried speed-rap of Yelawolf next to revered Dinosaur Jr. frontman J. Mascis. “Hopscotch as a whole sounds a lot like my brain, and Greg’s brain,” Currin said. “The goal is to present music that’s as interesting and compelling as possible.” And even though last year’s edition ended up in the red, organizers are optimistic about the festival’s financial outlook, both for the Independent Weekly and for the Raleigh area. Hopscotch has already sold out their 3500 three-day, all-inclusive passes, and Lowenhagen estimated that more than 15,000 will attend some portion of the festival. “The money we lost last year, we knew we’d lose it,” Schewel said. “I viewed it as an investment, and I feel certain we’ll make money this year.” Currin emphasized that, despite the scope of the festival and plans to expand it in the future, Hopscotch will remain a distinctly local event. “Next year might be even better, and take the festival to another level,” Currin said. “But we’ll only do it in a way that’s comfortable and that fits with Raleigh.” What the next level might be remains an unknown. But considering Hopscotch’s rapid ascent to artistic and commercial viability, the future looks pretty bright. Hopscotch Music Festival runs from Sept. 8-10 at various locations in downtown Raleigh. Select tickets are available through http://hopscotchmusicfest.com
Where it came from
Festival now an integral part of local music scene
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September 1, 2011
Beirut thanks to a brass section more evocative of big band jazz than heartsick poetry. Instead of heralding European landmarks, Condon pays tribute to his hometown on “Santa Fe,” a sunny track that still incorporates horns into a polished sound. Even the lilt in Condon’s voice is cheerier, which makes wistful lyrics like “As the air grows cold, the trees unfold/ And I am lost and not found” sound hopeful. The Rip Tide’s brevity and pacing keep the album fresh; the songs move in waves of fluid momentum that reflect its nautical name. Despite this excursion into less exotic locales, Beirut remains distinguished from its peers. Whether roaming the Parisian streets at midnight or exploring a Spanish street market in “East Harlem,” Zach Condon invites listeners to join his enchanting travelogues. This time around he leaves his passport behind, but explores familiar territory with the same sense of amazement he found abroad. —Katie Zaborsky
red hot chili peppers I’M WITH YOU WARNER BROS
The departure in 2009 of John Frusciante, whose maximalist guitarwork was inextricable from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ sound, left the band at a crossroads. I’m With You demonstrates a lack of creative vigor that isn’t quite compensated for by the other members’ technical abilities. New guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who has worked with Gnarls Barkley and PJ Harvey, misses the opportunity to contribute a distinct personality to the music. For instance, tracks like “Did I Let You Know,” which would have benefitted from Frusciante’s technical, soaring guitar heroics are instead undistinguished. Other cuts lack Frusciante and Michael “Flea” Balzary’s guitar-bass interplay that characterized the dynamism of classics like “Can’t Stop.” The overarching sound of the album evokes the Chili Peppers’ early work. Lead single, “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie,” harkens back to the funk rock of 1989 album Mother’s Milk: the prominent use of cowbell welds with Flea’s trademark bass melodies and aggressive slap bass. I’m With You highlight, “Brendan’s Death Song,” is a tribute to Brendan Mullen, a nightclub owner and longtime friend of the Chili Peppers who helped them gain standing in the L.A. punk scene. The song starts off as an acoustic lament, but gradually becomes more rousing and increases intensity. Lead singer Anthony Kiedis mourns the loss of his friend and relates to his own mortality: “Like I said/ You know I’m almost dead/ You know I’m almost gone.” All in all, I’m With You constitutes a competent follow-up to Stadium Arcadium that will cater to the tastes of devoted fans, but have little impact on the current musical landscape. And Kiedis’s rap-rock vocals, though marking a return to the funk roots, will elicit little more than fond nostalgia. —John Tarpey
beirut THE RIP TIDE POMPEII
At just 25 years old, Zach Condon has already enjoyed an enviable life. After dropping out of high school, the boy behind Beirut traveled to Europe and heard the Balkan gypsy music and French chansons that would inspire his music and reputation as an indie prodigy importing a worldly sound. Both of his accomplished previous albums are deeply rooted in the cultural sounds of Eastern and Western Europe, which makes his third album, The Rip Tide, an outlier. Foregoing the distinct, grandiose instrumentation of Gulag Orkestar and The Flying Club Cup, Beirut has produced a more domestic pop album that only hints at Condon’s past life as a vagabond. Belying his youth, Condon gives the impression that he is ready to settle down with this release, an effort more refined in sound and lyricism. The LP’s opener, “A Candle’s Fire,” sounds a little brighter than classic
THE CHRONICLE’S SUMMER
COSMIC CANTINA a Spirited Duke Tradition MENU SAMPLING
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DUKE E P PERF PERFORMANCES ERF FORM F MA MANCES ANCE FALL
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the devil’s double DIR. LEE TAMAHORI LIONSGATE
“You are asking me to extinguish myself.” This is the observation—or reprimand, it’s a bit unclear which—that Latif Yahia makes to Uday Hussein at the outset of The Devil’s Double. As a defense of self-sovereignty, the statement primes the audience for a promising allegorical foray into the duality of man to follow. The only problem is that it never materializes. The Devil’s Double, which follows Latif’s coerced transformation from officer in the Iraqi army to body double for the psychotic son of Saddam, is full of little let-downs like this, moments that stimulate the psyche before ultimately going nowhere: Latif standing before a mirror, seeing his likeness reflected back at him, before he turns to face the identical Uday, seeing himself again in the face of his captor; Latif approaching two husky, dark-haired men as they shuffle about a tennis court, visibly disturbed to see
Facllial Spe
that they bear an identical resemblance to one another, as well as to Saddam Hussein; Uday’s lover—the main one, at least—distinguishing between Uday and Latif solely on the basis of their dangling anatomies (Latif’s, evidently, is bigger). Unfortunately, stunning as they are, these parlor tricks never reach below the surface in The Devil’s Double. The fact that any two characters—most centrally, Latif and Uday— look the same ends up telling us quite little about them, and quite little about identity in general. It’s frustrating: long shots dwelling on aesthetic similarities are employed so extensively that it feels like they should go somewhere. In fact, the film’s focus on body doubles becomes an unintentional red herring that breaks an implicit promise to the viewer--it’s a visual crutch, nothing more, and never approaches its hinted-at significance. “Don’t overthink this one, too,” you begin to say. “It’s probably only another couple of guys who just look the same.” Because although Uday and Latif, both played by Dominic Cooper, are identical, and although they consistently struggle with each other throughout the film—exchanging words and gunfire every other scene—we never see them
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struggle with themselves. The spectacular outward dualities of the characters are not reproduced, despite the expectations that they invite, within the characters themselves. So although Latif, to put it in his own words, is consistently in danger of being extinguished by other people, he is never really faced with the crisis of extinguishing himself. It’s a shame, too. Director Lee Tamahori had a great premise for a film about identity: an honorable family man is forced to serve as body double for a megalomaniacal son of a dictator, played by the same actor. It’s too bad they left it at that. —Chris Bassil
don’t be afraid of the dark DIR. TROY NIXEY MIRAMAX
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark begins with all the trappings of a good horror story: an ominous ancient mansion, a deal with devilry – even a Victorian-era curbstomp. The films then jumps to the present day when unseen monsters begin to persuade Sally, an angsty eight-yearold who moves into said mansion with her father and his new girlfriend, into setting them free from centuries of captivity. “What are you?” asks Sally, fearful but curious. “Hungry,” reply the demons in hoarse unison. These early scenes deliver genuine terror, and impressive camerawork and production design, breathing life into the gothic mansion and its ghoulish inhabitants. As the film wears on, however, it becomes increasingly clear that the demons have no relation to the characters’ personal struggles, and the house’s haunting feels more like coincidence. Compare this to Pan’s Labyrinth, also associated with Guillermo del Toro (who produced and co-wrote Dark), where a different young girl encounters persuasive, treacherous beasts of her own. The monsters reflect the realities of the horrific war around her, and her imagination helps her confront obstacles on her own terms. Sally, by contrast, faces the fairly mundane experience of disliking her stepmom-to-be – and not much else. That is, until she gets attacked by monsters from the basement. Even then, though, there is no mystery (we know the demons exist), no internal conflict and nothing at stake. The challenges demand little personal growth, and the only thing the monsters test is Sally’s prowess in physical combat. Far from a story driven by character development, then, the film is simply about waiting for monsters to attack a little girl – an acceptable payoff only if there were any reason to care about Sally in the first place. The ending—without revealing too much—may come across as poignant, but in reality is simply a character exhibiting some common sense for the first time in the film. If that’s what the screenwriters call a climax, then I’m not afraid of the dark– I’m afraid of a sequel. —Derek Speranza
Sports
>> INSIDE
The Chronicle
THURSDAY September 1, 2011
Duke heads west to take on national power Stanford in Palo Alto. The Blue Devils will also play Pacific on Thursday and St. Mary’s on Friday. PAGE 8
www.dukechroniclesports.com
FOOTBALL SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Duke starts 2011 campaign against Richmond The Spiders kick off the year ranked No. 19 in Div. I-AA
Richmond
SPIDERS
by Alex Young THE CHRONICLE
6-5 in 2010 4-4 in CAA SPIDERS 15.5 PPG 131.6 RUSH/G 141.4 PASS/G 21 TD 10-11 FG-FGA SACKS-YDS 19-155 TURNOVERS 32
OPP 20.5 167.5 197.1 31 5-13 15-97 25
The Spiders’ quarterback Aaron Corp will take the reins full-time after transferring from USC in Jan. 2010. The redshirt senior, named one of six NFL draft ”sleepers” in the preseason by The Sporting News, has his work cut out for him with an offense that averaged just 15.5 points per game last season.
Two years ago Richmond came into Durham for the season opener and surprised the Blue Devils with a 24-16 victory through strong special teams play and a stiff rush defense. The Spiders are aiming for a repeat performance come Saturday. This time, though, the faces on the sidelines will look a little different with interim Richmond head coach Wayne Lineburg replacing the recently resigned Latrell Scott. Scott’s departure comes after his second arrest for a DWI. Scott’s resignation caps a disappointing calendar year for the No. 19—in Div. I-AA— Spiders after a rash off injuries led to a 6-5 campaign last season. The Spiders’ injury bug was no more evident than at the quarterback position, where four different players started under center. Richmond’s offense returns eight starters and is led by senior quarterback Aaron Corp—a former USC transfer— who suffered a season-ending knee injury during only the fifth game last year. Corp, named one of The Sporting News’ six NFL draft “sleepers”, posses a strong, accurate arm that should pose an early challenge for Duke’s secondary. Rounding out the backfield is Garrett
Turner—who recorded 181 yards on 40 rushes with one touchdown last year— and preseason All-CAA junior fullback Kendall Gaskins. There are questions of whether Lineburg will continue the transition to a more run-oriented offensive philosophy, as was the case last year under Scott, or if the change in approach was simply a reaction to the multitude of quarterback injuries. The wide receivers are led by senior Tre Gray and sophomore Ben Edwards. Gray, first team All-CAA last season and a preseason All-CAA selection this year, had only 38 catches for 478 yards and two touchdowns in 2010, but suffered with the rest of the receiving corps from the lack of a consistent passer. He needs 51 grabs and 756 yards to set the Richmond career records in both categories. Defensively, the Spiders were inconsistent last season, allowing 364 yards a game and 30 total touchdowns. Losing CAA Defensive Player of the Year Eric McBride and cornerback Justin Rogers— taken by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft—won’t help. Richmond will also need to be prepared for the possibility of the most
prolific Duke offense in years. With Sean Renfree—who threw for 3131 passing yards and sported a 61.4 completion percentage last season—under center, and with depth at other skill positions led by Desmond Scott and Conner Vernon, the Richmond defense will be tested. While the Spiders have some experience in the second level after the transfer of former Georgia Tech safety Cooper Taylor, the front seven will deal with inexperience and could struggle against the Blue Devil rushing attack. But if their last meeting was any indication, special teams play could be an important factor. Johnathan Mayfield recorded the game’s first score on a blocked punt and kicker Andrew Howard made a 45-yard field goal with just over four minutes left to essentially clinch the game. Kicker Wil Kamin leads the Richmond unit and along with Gray and Gaskins was named preseason All-CAA. The Spiders come into the game looking for their third straight win over the Blue Devils, having won the 2006 opener in addition to their 2009 victory. But with two high-octane offensives and two inexperienced defenses, it might take quite a few points to get that done. Expect a shoot-out in Durham.
Duke vs. Richmond Durham, N.C. • SATURDAY • 7 p.m. • ESPN3 FIRST DOWN: The Offense
ADVANTAGE:
RUNNING: Desmond Scott leads a whole stable of Duke running backs, though Josh Snead is out with an ankle injury. Garrett Turner will lead the Spiders’ ground attack. The senior has piled up 774 yards and 5 touchdowns in three seasons. PASSING: Since transferring to Richmond from USC in Jan. 2010, Aaron Corp has reemerged as a potential NFL prospect. Sean Renfree will look to build on the end of last season, when he threw just two picks in the final five games.
SECOND DOWN: The Defense ADVANTAGE:
RUNNING: Duke gave up a whopping 208 yards per game on the ground last season on 4.8 yards per carry. Richmond gave up over half a yard less per carry and eight fewer rushing touchdowns on the year. PASSING: The Spiders also gave up almost fifty fewer yards per game in the air than the Blue Devils, 197.1 to 241.8, though Renfree’s favorite targets, Connor Vernon and Donovan Varner, are back and healthy.
THIRD DOWN: Players to Watch MATT DANIELS, DUKE: New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles switched to a 4-2-5 scheme in large part to give Daniels more freedom to make on-field TRE GRAY, RICHMOND: The Blue Devils’ new look 4-2-5 defensive scheme will be tested right out of the game by Gray, who needs 51 catches and 756 yards to break both all-time Spider records. BLUE DEVILS TAKE REVENGE IN 2011 OPENER: Richmond snuck by Duke 24-16 in 2009 despite getting outgained by the Blue Devils 369-282 in total yardage, but the Blue Devils won’t be surprised again. The Spiders need time to adjust to an interim head coach after Latrell Scott resigned on Aug. 23.
31-17
—by Chris Cusack
ADVANTAGE:
FOURTH DOWN: Our Take
MELISSA YEO/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO
Junior Connor Vernon led the Blue Devils with 973 receiving yards on 73 receptions last fall.
8 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011
THE CHRONICLE
VOLLEYBALL
Blue Devils going back to Cali for three games Duke will take on Pacific, St. Mary’s and Stanford over the weekend by Dawei Liu THE CHRONICLE
TED KNUDSEN/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO
Senior Sophia Dunworth, a Pleasanton, Calif., native will get her first chance to play collegiate volleyball in her home state this weekend.
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Despite being only three matches into the young season, today marks the beginning of Duke’s toughest road stretch of the year. Playing three games in three days, including a contest against perennial powerhouse Stanford, the No. 18 Blue Devils (3-0) will have their work cut out for them in their first trip to California since 2008. Duke will take on Pacific (2-0) on Thursday, St. Mary’s (1-2) on Friday and the No. 6 Cardinal (20) on Saturday. Stanford projects to be the highestranked team the Blue Devils will face all season. “This is an unbelievable opportunity to represent Duke on the West Coast,” senior Kellie Catanach said. “We’re not really a name over there. [We’re] excited to go out there and establish Duke as an up and coming program.” Considered by many to be one of the meccas of the sport, California represents a familiar destination for many of the Blue Devils, despite the fact the team has not visited in several years. Senior Sophia Dunworth and freshman Kelsey Williams both hail from Pleasanton, Calif., less than an hour away from Palo Alto. After a great start to the season, the trip will also serve as a measuring stick for the team. Playing their first matches away from the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium, these early road games will test their mettle before heading into ACC play. “We’ve got to go out there and play some people to see where we are,” head coach Jolene Nagel said. The trip will also help Duke in its search to replace key leadership lost after the graduation of seniors Claire Smalzer and Becci Burling. Both had been crucial starters and integral members of the Blue Devil block. Fortunately for Duke, the team has early season experience that has not been seen in years past. Unlike previous squads, all of the Blue Devils attended the second session of summer school to gain some early practice time. The payoff has shown in the early results, opening with three consecutive wins— against Furman, Charleston Southern and Wisconsin— for the first time since 2007. “They’ve been playing together and training together,” Nagel said. “[And it’s] put us ahead as we start off the season.” Duke will be favored against both the Tigers and the Gaels behind veterans like Catanach, Dunworth, and senior middle-blocker Amanda Robertson. Stanford, a young team that lost three of their All-Americans from a season ago, is still a tough matchup—especially at home. While only two seniors remain on the Cardinal roster, the team makes up for a lack of experience with sheer talent. Freshman Kyle Gilbert has already shown her potential to be an impact player, recording eight digs and two assists in their season opening win over Delaware. “Everywhere we go we have a huge target on our back,” junior defensive specialist Nailah Waterfield said. “We’re expected to win and it’s a lot of pressure [so] we’re going to thrive on the opportunity to go out there and…play without any huge expectations of us.” Duke, a squad with a lot of upperclassmen, will surely relish the prospect of playing the underdog role for once. Yet while the prospect of a top-10 opponent looms, Pacific and St. Mary’s are still solid teams that the Blue Devils cannot afford to look past. “We’re ready to go out there and compete” Nagal said. “But it’s not all about our third day of competition. I think our team’s pretty mature and I expect them to…think about it one opponent at a time.”
THE CHRONICLE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | 9
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10 |THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011
Administration must set the tone President Brodhead de- head has courageously let livered a clear message to students know that he has freshmen at the Convocation expectations of them. The ceremony last Wednesday. His dismantling of Tailgate and words, encouraging students the introduction of “Footto “build a life that you will ball Gameday” indicate an be proud of,” administrative editorial were directly policy shift aimed at the —trying to sexual and alcoholic excesses change Duke through a topthat charged the campus last down approach. year. He reiterated the mesDespite this progress, Brodsage in an email Sunday to the head’s words stop short of undergraduate student body, drawing blood. Last semester’s emphasizing the freedom that chain of emails and the Presistudents have to guide their dent’s Forum on Campus Life experiences at Duke. did not do much more than That Brodhead decided gently scold the offenders. to start the school year with Duke stands in stark conthese messages indicates a trast with some peer institusignificant shift in the ad- tions who have taken firm ministration’s stance on action and concrete steps tothe social culture at Duke. ward changing their campus By addressing these issues cultures in the last month. in the public sphere, Brod- Cornell University’s president,
“
CHOMP CHOMP. Oh there will still be costumes at tailgate. New name, same party. —“Duke.Swamp.Gator” commenting on the column “The illusion of safety.” See more at www.dukechronicle.com.
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David Skorton, banned fraternity pledging at the beginning of this academic year. Princeton University prohibited freshmen from participating in rush for fraternities and sororities. These policies take firm aim at a specific target. Brodhead’s leadership style and approach to this issue are too subtle in contrast. The administration must set the tone for what is appropriate and acceptable behavior on our campus. It should start by gathering data on students’ social interactions. Princeton based their new policy on the recently issued report of working group on campus, social and residential life, which was completed in one year. In contrast, Duke’s Socioeconomic Diversity Initiative has languished for more than
two years without publishing a report. The administration needs information to know which areas it can impact and create actionable policies for. Our policies do not need to mirror those at other schools, but there needs to be some concrete action taken and that can only start with the proper data and knowledge about the social interactions that students have at Duke. Most importantly, once the administration collects this data, it must bring the relevant groups on board to discuss potential policies. The group of students consulted for the transformation of Tailgate into Football Gameday was too small and homogeneous. Duke students and student centers—like the Women’s Center—deserve to be heard
when the Duke social experience is at stake. Moreover, by not conferring with a representative pool of students, the administration would marginalize the groups on campus who have worked for years to remedy our social scene and who know the ills of our campus best. The administration’s recent efforts to acknowledge the problems that plague social interaction here bode well. However, the administration needs to take a firm stance and do more than pay lip service. Words and subtle policies alone cannot change the status quo. This campus needs a transformation. Our leadership must set the tone for what is acceptable at Duke and what speaks to our values.
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I
t is still surreal to try and remember the on a map. While I felt lost, everyone around me events of Sept. 11, 2001, even 10 years later. was mourning by taking pride in their national I remember myself as an awkward and nerdy identity. 11-year-old boy with extra thickHow was I supposed to mourn? lensed glasses and unmanageably How was I supposed to show solicurly hair. I remember having just darity? What did it mean that peomoved to a town in rural South ple were blaming my religion or Carolina and beginning middle my culture for the attacks? Was I school. I remember being aware allowed to be angry at American that being an immigrant from foreign policy? Was I allowed to an Arab, Muslim family made me understand the discontent that different, but not realizing just so many around the world had ahmad jitan how significant those differences for the United States while simulwould come to be. indecent family man taneously abhorring the actions I remember urgent and confusthat had been perpetrated against ing announcements over the inAmericans? tercom. The principal announced a school-wide The whole experience was more alienating assembly, and we all crowded around a small than I realized for a long time. I didn’t recognize tube television to watch the news. I remember a the subtle and not-so-subtle effects the events of mix of emotions beginning to settle in. Confu- that day had on my ability to successfully socialsion. Fear. Pain. Distress. More confusion. And ize with others, to feel like I belonged. Suddenly slowly... alienation. Before anyone was sure of world events began to contribute very directly to what was going on, news anchors, students and my everyday struggles. teachers were already speculating that those I eventually learned that the best way to make responsible were people who looked like me, sense of the world and my place in it was to share whose names sounded like mine, who professed with others. the same religion that I professed, who spoke I heard similar stories of alienation and marthe same language that I spoke at home. And ginalization; these only got worse as the politithen those speculations turned out to be true. cal climate of fear developed afterwards. I heard I remember my mother picking me up that stories of constant bullying, physical violence afternoon without her hijab, the first time I had and unwarranted government surveillance. ever seen her leave home without it. In the folI met individuals whose pain and grief I lowing weeks at school, some of my peers ap- couldn’t even imagine. People whose parents proached me, asking if I knew Osama bin Laden. worked in downtown Manhattan and who were I answered yes, confused and wondering who in left in doubt and fear regarding their safety. the world hadn’t heard of his name in the news People who risked their lives trying to save the by that point. They looked at me in shock, their lives of others. People who lost loved ones on line of questioning continuing to “When’s the that day. As dramatic an effect that day had on last time you saw him?” my life, I am reminded that so many others were It wasn’t the last time that I was asked ques- also affected. I am reminded of just how trautions regarding personal ties to terrorism be- matic 9/11 was for all of us, collectively. cause of my appearance, my religion, my ethnicSo I use this day to always remember. To reity or my political views: directly, indirectly, in member that we are not alone. We are not alone jest and as “just a part of standard procedure.” in our suffering, in our pain, in our loss and in Being dealt with as an outsider and with suspi- our moving on. I am reminded that our fears cion became an ordinary part of my life. and vulnerabilities don’t have to paralyze us. We Soon after 9/11, I remember the United can learn from them by sharing with others. The States flag cropping up everywhere. I was con- effects of that day are larger than any person fused why taking pride in a flag would be the could ever handle alone. It requires us to rely natural reaction to such a tragedy. I wasn’t a on each other and be willing to listen and to citizen yet. I didn’t even have the privilege of learn from experiences different from our own. being called a resident alien until I received my We have others to help us heal. We have others green card five years later. The country that I to love and make us feel loved and feel that we had moved to as a toddler, the only country that belong. And we should never forget that. I had ever known, seemed not to want me. Palestine, the other country that I called home, was Ahmad Jitan is a Trinity junior. His column runs impossible to return to. I couldn’t even find it every other Thursday.
THE CHRONICLE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | 11
commentaries
To vote or (not) to vote
Chasing bunnies
s every student on campus is no doubt aware, hear it often, but in this case Diddy is the lesser of two it’s primary season in the United States. Duke evils. students may be less aware that Argentina just Of course, compulsory voting did not come to be held its first national primary elections accepted by so many democratic nations last month. Talking to people in Buenos without reason. In fact, the arguments Aires—albeit in somewhat broken Spanbehind compulsory vote legislation are ish—I found that much like in the States, rational and well-argued. Most tend to citizens here view Election Day with anyfocus on which style of voting is better thing from anticipation to dread, but for the democratic process. Proponents the great majority with some degree of of compulsory voting argue that when apathy. But unlike in the United States, higher proportions of the population voting in Argentina is compulsory. in elections, decisions made maggie lafalce participate When my host mother told me about by those democratically elected govArgentina’s compulsory vote, my initial southern highlander ernments are more legitimate. An adreaction of shock quickly transitioned to ditional argument—this one especially that they-would-never-do-this-in-the-U.S. feeling. And it relevant to modern America—is that mandatory voting seems I’m not alone—a 2004 poll by ABC News found would reduce the extremist discourse that results when that 72 percent of respondents would oppose a com- two parties compete to energize a greater percentage pulsory voting law. In reality, though, the compulsory of the electorate. In other words, parties wouldn’t waste vote is by no means a radical concept—more than 25 as much time on radical, divisive and often superfluous countries currently have compulsory voting laws. Nor is issues like the legality of flag burning. it a new one—Belgium was one of the first to introduce However, the question of whether compulsory or it in 1892, followed soon after by Argentina in 1914. voluntary voting is better for democracy is irrelevant. The primary purpose of a compulsory vote is to inIn every argument in favor of compulsory voting, a crease voter turnout. With a history of unimpressive compromise is struck between an individual’s freedom national voter turnout, America would seem a likely and a move toward the ideal electoral process. The candidate for compulsory voting. In the U.S., national voter loses a degree of freedom that only seems modest voter turnout hovers at 50 to 60 percent for presiden- in the context of the laws’ penalties, which oftentimes tial elections, around 40 percent for midterm elections are no more than a small fine or a bureaucratic slap and a paltry 10 percent for many primary elections. In on the wrist. But the reality is that whether a person is Argentina, however, voter turnout for parliamentary thrown in prison or fined five dollars, the vote has lost and presidential elections is usually around 80 percent. its legitimacy as a tool of democracy. Democracy is not In the nation’s recent primary elections, an impressive implied by the mere presence of any form of voting, 77.8 percent of the population voted. but of an autonomous vote that is the embodiment of Since the United States government cannot force choice, not coercion. If an eligible voter does not have people to vote, the task of increasing voter participation the autonomy to decide not to vote, then the choice has fallen to voter mobilization groups, which work un- and the free speech that the vote represents are underder a range of political and social agendas. In many of mined. A choice that is forced lacks autonomy in the these groups we can see the cultural ricochet of Amer- same way as a choice that is prohibited. In this way, a ica’s non-compulsory vote, imbedded in the landscape democratic election that is based on non-autonomous of our entertainment industry. In the 2004 elections, we choice is never more legitimate than the alternative. were lectured on the unimpeachable virtue of voting by That being said, the fundamental goal of compulcampaigns like World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Smack- sory voting—to improve overall voter participation—is down Your Vote!” campaign and Russell Simmons’ “Hip- not one we should abandon. The easiest way to ensure Hop Summit Action Network.” And who could forget P. compulsory voting will not be introduced in the U.S. Diddy and his “Citizen Change” campaign? His slogan is to vote yourselves. As American voters this election was simple, unexpectedly violent and plastered on mil- season, be appreciative that your ability to cast a vote is lions of T-shirts: “Vote or Die!” When I see one of these a right, and not an obligation. Come Nov. 6, 2012, you shirts, I’m almost convinced that compulsory voting alone are charged with the choice of whether or not to would be preferable to a hip-hop mogul who can threat- exercise that right. en the electorate and call it a nonprofit. Almost. Diddy and his menacing ultimatum may be annoyMaggie LaFalce is a Trinity junior and is currently studying and unnecessarily hyperbolic, but compulsory vot- ing abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her column runs eving is a clear violation of individual freedom. You don’t ery other Thursday.
started the day out in Page Auditorium, surrounded by first-years who were eagerly introducing themselves and comparing the size and location of their dorm rooms. Many of them had a green book with white writing splashed across the cover: their summer reading assignment. In an attempt to followup on my column last Spring about the book, “Eating Animals,” by Jonathan Safran liz bloomhardt Foer, I attended both sessions green devil of the author’s speech to the first-year students, then sat with a FAC-led discussion group after each lecture. The unprompted discussions surrounding the book may have reached deeper and more complex places than those I observed. Yet, the gist of this book’s impact was clearly evident and it ran the spectrum. Some members of the Class of 2015 were uncomfortable, bored or otherwise turned off by the book. Some didn’t finish it, or claimed to have been unmoved. On the other hand, approximately 60 to 70 percent of the freshmen I spoke with said they had altered their eating habits significantly, had tried for at least some time to be vegetarians or had become full-fledged vegetarians. It would therefore seem that Foer was extremely successful in his argument. I agree with him from an environmental perspective, Foer has the facts in his corner. Factory farming is bad, and that’s not even getting into the health or animal welfare issues associated with consuming meat. But what bothered me most all day were the things Foer did not talk about. Foer’s seems to assert that the best way to address the problem of factory farming is to become a vegetarian. Though I understand space in the book was limited, this is simplistic. In a sense, it is the opt-out method. The book not only does nothing to address the factory farming issue culturally (a word Foer never uses), it also under informs. One student in each question and answer session asked Foer why he stopped shy of veganism, that is, before fully personally confronting the factory farming of all animal products. Time, and that he’s not perfect, was the general gist of the response. The answer hardly seemed satisfying, although certainly, as he also pointed out, it was more approachable than an academic or logical explanation. He also did not talk about the sourcing of the alternative option he presents, namely vegetables and the attendant issues related to their industrialized production. While arguably less impactful than animal product production, industrialized vegetable agriculture should be no less of a concern to the truly engaged and thoughtful eater. Those who entered Foer’s discussion were presented with a local way to get further involved: a bookmark with the website: http://sites.duke.edu/food/ As the sun was nearing the treetops, I was headed toward one such center for engagement (also described on the website), the Duke Campus Farm, a sustainable, organic, demonstration farm with the motto: farm to fork, student to student. Foer’s choice to remain silent about vegetables wasn’t going to stop me from learning about them. In the space of a three hour “workday,” I learned a lot— like how to prune basil, pick corn and what was making the tomato plants look dead but still productive (blight). I also learned about corn smut, a fungus that attacks the corn kernels making them appear engorged. While I was harvesting your Marketplace meal of last Friday (no smut included), I also bonded with my fellow farm workers, who were a bit more practiced and knowledgeable. I eventually found my cherry tomato picking rhythm, but I would probably not cut it in a competitive work environment. And then there was a rustling under the leaves of the sweet potato patch. A bunny. It was impossible to see unless it moved. The others came with sticks and a strong conviction that the bunny must go, but whether to relocate it or kill it was an open question. For several minutes we puzzled through the ridiculous notions that the bunny would go lightly into the proffered bucket for relocation, or when prompted, opt for a ride in the snare tarp instead of escaping under it. Meanwhile the bunny had other plans entirely, and it elusively outmaneuvered the big sticks, buckets and tarps making a clean getaway back the way it came. So it was that the day’s literal and philosophical puzzle boiled down to that age old question: To kill or not to kill the bunny? And, how?
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Liz Bloomhardt is a fifth-year graduate student in mechanical engineering. Her column runs every other Thursday.
12 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011
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