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
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 37
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
Facebook activity may indicate users’ risk for alcohol dependence by Tiffany Lieu
Fraternity recruitment to see reform by Arden Kreeger
THE CHRONICLE
References to dangerous alcohol use on college students’ Facebook pages could indicate a higher risk for drinking problems. A recent study conducted by Dr. Megan Moreno, a pediatric and adolescent medicine doctor with the University of Wisconsin at Madison, found that college students who had photos or posts on their Facebook pages about getting drunk or blacking out were more likely to be at risk for drinking problems than their classmates. Tom Szigethy, associate dean and director of the Duke Student Wellness Center, said he is not surprised by these findings. The results align themselves with the traditional concept of comparison drinking. “If you isolate high-risk drinkers into one location,” Szigethy said. “It will increase the amount of drinking. College students think that high-risk behavior is the norm and therefore try to outdo those norms.” Moreno and a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the University of Washington surveyed the Facebook pages of 244 random undergraduate students with publicly available profiles, paying close attention to their photos and wall posts. One-third of the students had references to alcohol ranging from non-problematic social drinking to more risky behavior, including riding in a car while drunk or getting in trouble for alcohol-related reasons. The rest of the students had no mention of alcohol on their pages. These 244 undergraduates were then administered a 10-question screening test that determined whether students were at risk for problem drinking. The test assessed the frequency of drinking, binge drinking and negative consequences stemming from alcohol use.
THE CHRONICLE
New fraternity recruitment rules will go into effect this Spring. This year’s Interfraternity Council recruitment process will be one week shorter than last year’s, running for two weeks from Jan. 9 to Jan. 22, said senior Matthew Forester, IFC vice president of recruitment and new member education. Those interested must register for recruitment by Dec. 7, whereas in previous years, registration remained open until the first day of recruitment. “We still want chapters to be able to meet all the guys and have a good time during recruitment, but we basically want it to be more safe, more responsible and more professional,” Forester said. Forester added that the changes to the recruitment process will reduce financial competition between chapters and also address the liability faced by both students and the University during IFC recruitment, such as increased section damages and the number of calls to emergency medical services in recent years. “We needed to have a process that was much more professional and safe and also fun,” said Zoila Airall, assistant vice president of student affairs for campus life. “[IFC] decided to... be much more clear with when [recruitment] begins and when it ends, so it’s fair for all freshmen going through it and for all chapters participating.” Airall added that IFC is planning two parties,
SEE FACEBOOK ON PAGE 7 ELIZA BRAY AND MELISSA YEO/THE CHRONICLE
SEE IFC ON PAGE 8
Panel criticizes Occupy Durham protestors DOM amendment disallowed to tent downtown by Shucao Mo THE CHRONICLE
by Chinmayi Sharma
If passed in the upcoming May referendum, the North Carolina Defense of Marriage amendment may have far-reaching effects on all couples. Duke OUTLaw, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender affinity group at the Duke School of Law, hosted a panel discussion Monday about the influence of the proposed amendment on gay and straight couples. The event, titled “Not Just About Gay Marriage: Why You Should Care About the N.C. ‘Marriage’ Amendment,” featured three speakers who criticized the bill on legal grounds. Domestic partnerships, which are recognized in some parts of North Carolina, do not provide the same social perks as legal marriage does, but do give gay couples the opportunity to gain benefits from their employers. Passing the Defense of Marriage
THE CHRONICLE
Protestors with Occupy Durham were told to cease camping out at the CCB Plaza in downtown Durham Monday. City officials informed approximately 75 participants with Occupy Durham—the Bull City branch of Occupy Wall Street—that they were not allowed to set up tents without first obtaining a permit. Individuals who failed to remove their tents by 5 p.m. would be considered trespassers, according to an Oct. 17 notice by Durham City Manager Thomas Bonfield. The protestors readily complied and removed approximately six tents by 5 p.m. from the premises but continued to inhabit the CCB Plaza. “The original plan was to stage an encampment indefinitely, but at about 4 p.m. [Monday], we were told we had to remove our tents or the city would forcefully remove them for us by 5 p.m.,” said Jillian Johnson, Occupy Durham
JAMES LEE/THE CHRONICLE
SEE OCCUPY ON PAGE 7
A group of approximately 75 protestors gathered in downtown Durham with the intention to camp out, but city officials disallowed it.
SEE AMENDMENT ON PAGE 6
Capra picks Duke over going pro, Page 9
ONTHERECORD
“You read newspapers, but paper was introduced to Europeans by Arabians.” —Historian Richard Bulliet on Islamic contributions. See story page 3
Archivist discusses S. African history, Page 4