Dec. 8, 2012 issue

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, DECEMBER 8, 2011

ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 71

WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM

Students gather to discuss ‘culture clash’ Bovender pledges $25M to Duke

by Lauren Carroll THE CHRONICLE

make it seem like this is okay—like you can take our culture and make it into a party theme,” Richardson said. “All of this attention that we’re getting is giving us the opportunity to say that this is really offensive, and you’re taking a central part of our identity and making into a joke without knowing the cultural significance behind it.”

Daniels’ column raised a strong response from the Duke community: 398 comments were posted on her column online at The Chronicle’s website as of Wednesday.

Jack Bovender, vice chair of the Board of Trustees, and his wife Barbara Bovender have pledged $25 million to Duke, the University announced Wednesday.

The funds will be released to Duke from the Bovenders’ estate and will be distributed among the Fuqua School of Business, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Nursing. The School of Nursing will receive $5 million, and Fuqua’s Health Sector Management program and Trinity College will each receive $10 million.

“I’ll be gone when the money is used for things, but I am confident that the University will use it in the right ways,” said Bovender, former chairman and CEO of Hospital Corporation of America and Trinity ’67 and Graduate School ’69. “I note with great admiration the way the programs are run.”

Bovender noted his admiration for the University and how he and his wife want ensure that their legacy reflects gratitude and a commitment to Duke.

Gifts like this one help Duke to enhance academic departments and support the faculty in ways the University would not otherwise be able to, Dean of Arts and Sciences Laurie Patton said.

“I am thrilled that the Bovenders had the vision and the foresight to understand the ways in which liberal arts remains at the center of a 21st century education and why Duke continues to provide the best liberal arts education possible,” Patton wrote in an email Wednesday.

Bovender said he chose to give back to Trinity College because an undergraduate liberal arts education is the core of any university. Bovender came to Duke on a W. N. Reynolds Memorial

SEE CLASH ON PAGE 6

SEE BOVENDER ON PAGE 5

MELISSA YEO/THE CHRONICLE

Students discuss relevant campus issues at “Culture Clash,” an event at the Center for Multicultural Affairs.

by Jack Mercola THE CHRONICLE

A Pi Kappa Phi party has sparked controversy after a contentious theme and language in an email invitation raised questions about the culture climate at Duke.

Pi Kappa Phi fraternity hosted a “Pilgrims and Indians” themed party Nov. 19, that played off stereotypes of Native Americans. In the email, partygoers were encouraged to “wear a few feathers” and “tap into your inner pocahotness” in the name of Thanksgiving. Sophomore Nicole Daniels wrote a guest column in The Chronicle Dec. 5 expressing her distaste

with the party, calling it bigoted and disrespectful. Reaction to the party and the column has caused student and other campus leaders to discuss how to curb cultural ignorance in all settings.

This portrayal of Natives is likely due to the misrepresentation of Native Americans in popular culture, noted senior Amber Richardson, president of the Native American Student Alliance and lifelong member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe.

Because of the small number of Native Americans at Duke and in America, she added that it is difficult to raise a united response to racist media portrayals.

“Misrepresentations in pop culture

Duke professor wins Study shows $5B in financial aid achievement award goes to higher income families

by Kelly Scurry

by Andrew Karim

THE CHRONICLE

THE CHRONICLE

Duke professor Fredric Jameson has been named as the recipient of the sixth annual Award for Literary Lifetime Scholarly Achievement from the Modern Language Association.

Fredric Jameson, the William A. Lane, Jr. professor of comparative literature and professor of romance studies, is a well-known cultural theorist, literary critic and Marxist scholar.

He will receive the award at the Modern Language Association’s annual convention in Seattle, Wash. Jan. 7.

Fredric Jameson “It’s very gratifying, but the idea of a lifetime achievement is a little depressing,” Jameson said, adding that he is happy to be joining the ranks of other scholars that he admires who have previously

Expanding financial aid beyond lower income thresholds is drawing criticism from education experts.

Recent data from the College Board indicates that $5.3 billion in aid during the 2011-2012 academic year was given to students who do not qualify for financial assistance according to federal government standards. This is leading some to believe that universities are using limited financial aid to lure families who can potentially pay the balance of tuition in full. Others, however, note that this grant aid acknowledges that even families who make upwards of $180,000 can find it difficult to pay a $40,000 or $50,000 chunk of tuition, which strict adherence to federal qualifications for aid would otherwise yield.

Duke is one of the institutions, however, that is still grappling with how to address the needs of families who have significant incomes but still might have trouble paying a large amount of tuition.

“Other schools, like Harvard and Princeton, realize that

SEE AWARD ON PAGE 5

Blue Devils take on Kentucky, Page 7

even families earning $180,000 can have difficulty paying $57,000 each year and these schools are fortunate enough to have the funds available to provide grant aid to these families” said Alison Rabil, assistant vice provost and director of financial aid.

Rabil noted that the vast majority of Duke’s aid is awarded based on financial need and a financial evaluation of families on a case-by-case basis. Duke also does not have a minimum standard for allocating aid, as each financial situations vary by family.

The College Board also reported that $4 billion in federal tuition tax credits went to families between $100,000 and $180,000, which is double the median income for U.S. households. Universities such as Harvard, Yale and Stanford have been known to grant financial aid to families who earn up to $200,000, according to the College Board. Some education experts note that such grants translate to less help for students who need more aid,

ONTHERECORD

“Cheap, impure, and most prevalent in areas riddled with cocaine kitchens, paco is the drug of the poor.”

—Maggie LaFalce in “City of the living dead.” See column page 11

SEE AID ON PAGE 5

Duke dominates Colorado State, Page 7

2 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

THE CHRONICLE

worldandnation

Dozens of arrests made in Occupy DC protest

WASHINGTON,D.C.— Dozens of people were arrested Wednesday during a chaotic and often tense day of protests as the Occupy movement blockaded intersections and snarled traffic downtown for hours.

Hundreds of protesters from Occupy D.C. and around the country joined in the “Day of Action: Occupiers Unite,” targeting K Street NW, long a symbol of the nation’s lobbying industry because of the numerous lobbying firms based there.

A District of Columbia police commander estimated that 50 to 70 people had been arrested,many of them charged with obstruction of a public highway, but he cautioned that the figure was preliminary.

Protesters filled K Street as a cold rain fell, chanting slogans while slogging through puddles and blocking intersections along K Street between 14th and 16th streets. They blocked intersections with newspaper boxes, wooden pallets, office furniture and tents.

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schedule

Vespers Service of Advent Lessons and Carols Duke Chapel, 5:30-6:30p.m.

This special service of Advent Lessons and Carols by the Duke Chapel Vespers Ensemble will be directed by Allan Friedman.

Latkapalooza at the Dillo

Natural disasters cost US Kabila set to extend 10record amount in damages year rule after election BOSTON — Hurricane Irene, tornadoes as well as flooding on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers contributed to a record of U.S. weather-related disasters costing at least $1 billion this year. A total of 12 natural calamities killed 646 people and caused about $52 billion in damages.

KINSHASA, Congo — Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila looked set Wednesday to extend his 10-year rule.

Kabila leads his main rival,Etienne Tshisekedi, 49 percent to 33 percent with 89 percent of polling stations reporting. The outcome had been scheduled to be released Tuesday.

Bryan Center, 6-8p.m.

Free latkes and drinks will be available. Free T-shirts will be given to the first 100 people who come.

Screen/Society: Student Film Showcase Griffith Film Theater, 6-10:30p.m.

This two-day event screens final projects in Duke film classes this semester.

Panhellenic Potential New Members Meeting Page Auditorium, 8-9p.m.

This is a mandatory meeting for any women participating in Panhellenic Recruitment.

TODAY IN HISTORY 1863: Lincoln issues Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.

”

“Just one week ago, Duke was No. 3 in the AP Poll and received multiple first-place votes, but after being dominated by Ohio State on the road, the Blue Devils fell to No. 7 this week.

The Blue Devils remain the highest ranked one-loss team in the nation.”

— From The Blue Zone bluezone.dukechronicle.com

5135

at Duke...

Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

— Lao Tzu

on the

FRIDAY:

TODAY:

on the

calendar

Battle of the Falklands Day Falkland Islands

Blessing of the Waters (Beach Day) Uruguay EVELIO CONTRETRAS/THE WASHINGTON POST

The sugar cookie tree is designed by Gail Dosik, one of the most innovative cookie designers. The dough in the cookies is tasty yet sturdy enough for stacking. For years, Gosik has been coming up with creative designs, which make cookies more appealing and attract people to make cookies themselves.

Constitution Day Uzbekistan

Saint Clement of Ohrid Macedonia

THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011 | 3

DUKE STUDENT GOVERNMENT

DSG debates democracy for religious groups

by Patton Callaway THE CHRONICLE

Two issues of prejudice dominated Duke Student Government’s meeting Wednesday.

The Senate discussed an amendment to the Student Organization Finance Committee bylaw that proposed exempting religious organizations from holding democratic elections to decide their executive leadership. The amendment would allow these groups to determine leadership and structure at their discretion as, according to the amendment, not all represented religions are rooted in democracy.

In response to controversy around the recent Pi Kappa Phi fraternity “Pilgrims and Indians” party, the Senate passed a resolution that stated the Senate will commit to seeking policy to inspire positive social interactions. The resolution, which was written by senior Ebonie Simpson, vice president of student life, marks DSG’s effort to create a more accepting campus environment.

Sophomore Shane Hunt, student director of the Duke Catholic Center, represented religious organizations at the meeting. The current bylaw requires all student organizations to hold democratic elections and, at minimum, elect a president and treasurer who act as liaisons between the group and the Office of Student Activities and Facilities.

“Democracy is a Western tradition being imposed on certain Eastern religions,” said sophomore Patrick Oathout, senator for athletics, services and the environment.

About 50 percent of religious organiza-

tions on campus support exemption from democratic processes, Hunt said. In some of these religious orders, democracy is not recognized as legitimate. Some religious groups choose a different leadership style than an executive power, choosing instead to act as a collaboration of many undergraduates, said President Pete Schork, a senior.

“Many individuals in religious groups do not have any interest in political processes,” Hunt said. “I’m concerned about democracy being forced on religious life groups. To be honest, I don’t know how many people will show up.... The question is if a democratic election will even be democratic.”

Executive Vice President Gurdane Bhutani, a junior, provided information about current election practices within religious groups, which was collected last year after DSG review. The majority of groups without clear election policies were religious groups, which were mainly run by advisers, Bhutani said.

“We need to make sure that all students are treated fairly,” he said. “Elections allow fairness in the expression of all viewpoints.”

The Senate tabled the amendment.

DSG also addressed the campus reaction following a “Pilgrim and Indian” themed fraternity party that stereotyped Native Americans and Native American culture. Senior Amber Richardson, president of Native American Student Alliance, asked Senate members to address Duke’s social culture and consider the organization’s concerns.

TYLER SEUC/THE CHRONICLE

SEE DSG ON PAGE 6

Senate members Fedja Pavlovic and Patrick Oathout speak at the weekly DSG meeting Wednesday.

4 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

THE CHRONICLE

Merry Kwanzaa

TRACY HUANG/THE CHRONICLE

The Duke community celebrates Kwanzaa at the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture Wednesday evening.

Gingrich, Romney prepare for collision

by Dan Balz, Amy Gardner and Philip Rucker THE WASHINGTON POST

Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, who have spent much of this year ignoring one another, are now on a collision course in the contest for the Republican presidential nomination, facing a series of state-by-state battles in January that will possibly decide the race by testing which one can best surmount his own weaknesses.

Whatever assumptions may have prevailed a month or two ago have been significantly altered by the surge in support for Gingrich. “There is no longer a scenario where the nomination will default to Romney,” said Steve Schmidt, a Republican strategist who was a top adviser to the campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in 2008.

Gingrich’s dramatic rise—he now leads national and some state polls, including a new Washington Post-ABC News poll in Iowa—has put serious and unexpected pressure on Romney to adapt and intensify his campaign, which to this point has been both disciplined and unexciting. Steady-as-you-go remains the operative phrase from his Boston headquarters, but other Republican strategists say tactical changes are afoot to deal with the Gingrich threat.

Those changes include a sharper economic message, implicit and explicit contrasts with Gingrich and greater openness with the media. Romney, who has struggled to rally rank-and-file Republicans, is also likely to play on establishment GOP fears about Gingrich as the party's nominee against President Barack Obama.

Gingrich, in turn, is scrambling to build, almost from scratch, a campaign operation that can match the good fortune of his newfound support. Lacking the funds or the infrastructure of the Romney campaign, Gingrich is looking for a quick infusion of money while urgently adding staff to handle the demands of building organizations in many states at once.

One example of the challenges he faces could be seen early Tuesday evening at his Iowa campaign headquarters in suburban Des Moines. Dozens of cellphones, newly arrived, were being charged in the mostly empty space. Just two volunteers—a mother and grandmother, both from out of state—were making calls. A campaign official said more help is on the way.

Gingrich is trying to hire some former staff members from Herman Cain’s suspended campaign to shore up his organizational efforts in key states. A GOP strategist, who declined to be identified in order to talk openly about the campaign, said Gingrich hopes to roll out endorsements from members of Congress, in part to counter the assertion that he alienated many of his colleagues as House speaker in the 1990s.

The Republican nomination contest could last for months, and some senior Republican leaders say it is still too early to call the competition a two-person race.

The answers to both questions will come in January and early February, when five states are scheduled to hold contests—Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Nevada. Romney is favored in New Hampshire and Nevada; Gingrich is now the favorite in Iowa and SEE GOP ON PAGE 5

THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011 | 5

AWARD from page 1

GOP from page 4

BOVENDER from page 1

won this award.

Jameson served as the first director of the Program in Literature upon its founding in the mid 1980s. Although his research summary is in 19th and 20th century French literature, Jameson frequently teaches courses on Jean-Paul Sartre, Third World novels and cinema, modernism, Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud. He also believes that Marxist theory can still be used to understand the world, whether in interpreting modernism and postmodernism or in explaining the financial crisis of 2007—despite others believing the collapse of the Soviet Union disproved the ideology.

Other professors in the literature program believe that the honor is more than warranted.

Ariel Dorfman, Walter Hines Page professor of literature and Latin American studies, said he is delighted, though not surprised, about Jameson’s achievement.

“He’s certainly one of the preeminent scholars of our time and also one of the most widespread [in terms of] interest,” Dorfman said, describing Jameson’s writing as both rootless and restless. “He makes all these works on what seem to be unrelated issues and then shows the connections. That’s a sign of deep knowledge and genius.”

Rey Chow, interim chair of the literature program and Anne Firor Scott professor of literature, said that Jameson has been an influence on her.

“Every book of his is an intellectual event, and he has influenced whole generations of scholars working in the humanities, on topics ranging from literature, French and German philosophy, Marxism, postmodernism, to geopolitical aesthetics, global cinema and more,” Chow wrote in an email Tuesday.

The MLA has honored Jameson before, awarding him the William Riley Parker Prize in 1971 and the James Russell Lodge Prize in 1990. In addition, he has also received the Holberg International Memorial Prize for studying the relationship between social formations and cultural norms, presented to him by the University of Bergen in Norway.

Wahneema Lubiano, associate professor of African and African American studies, has known Jameson for about 25 years through their mutual interest in Marxist theory.

She was first referred to Jameson’s works on political consciousness by two of her advisers in graduate school.

“He has an immense reputation,” Lubiano said. “His writing has changed the way we think about numerous subjects from architecture and film to design.”

South Carolina.

Of the two campaigns, Romney’s has been preparing far longer for a potentially lengthy nomination battle. But that means Romney cannot allow Gingrich to embarrass him in January. As one strategist put it, “Romney cannot afford to lose two in a row. Thus, Florida is key.”

Romney’s campaign has been building a deep political organization in Florida, particularly in the Miami area, where three Cuban American members of Congress endorsed Romney last week and are mobilizing their networks on his behalf.

But Justin Sayfie, a Florida Republican strategist backing Romney, said the race in Florida will not take shape until the earlier states begin to vote. He said the campaign “needs to make sure the grassroots organization is in place so we're ready to chase every vote.”

The same is likely to be the case in South Carolina, where the terrain could easily shift depending on the results in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Gingrich has momentum in Iowa but little organization. Romney has the remnants of his 2008 organization and has been working to mobilize them. But in Iowa, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is also a force, and three other candidates—Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.,—are working the state hard.

New Hampshire is Romney’s firewall, but the former Massachusetts governor’s lead there appears to be shrinking. On Wednesday, Romney’s campaign mailed fliers to Republican voters designed to show the broad support he has from the state’s Republican officials. He will return there Sunday for another event.

What gives Romney’s team pause is that New Hampshire voters historically don’t pick a candidate until a few days before the primary. “There's a high percentage that will wait and think about what Iowa did, and then it's like, okay, now I have to pay the bill and decide,” Romney adviser Tom Rath said.

Romney advisers see Gingrich as a flawed candidate because of his long record. But with the voting in Iowa less than a month away, some GOP strategists say Romney and his team cannot take count on Gingrich to bring about his own demise, as others in the race have done.

“I don't think Boston will make any assumption that a candidate will self-destruct,” said Alex Gage, a Republican strategist who was part of the Romney campaign four years ago. “They are smarter than that. They will challenge him.”

Scholarship, an academic and need-based gift, and said he is now paying that scholarship forward.

“You can’t directly pay the people who provided that experience to you back,” Bovender said. “The way you say ‘thank you’ is [by doing] that for people in the future.”

After graduating from Trinity College with a degree in psychology, Bovender received a master’s in hospital administration. That degree has since morphed into the Health Sector Management program, which offers a certificate to MBA students. Bovender’s career has centered around hospital administration, and he said this gift reflects the impact of his

Visit www.duke chronicle.com AID from page 1 though others believe that with the rising costs of already incredibly expensive educations, it is reasonable that such families get some aid.

“If you came to Duke in 1980, your tuition bill would have been $11,045—in 2010 dollars, fully adjusted for inflation,” said Jacob Vigdor, professor of public policy and economics. “Today, the bill is $40,665, almost four times higher. Should we think we are giving people some great deal because we knock a couple thousand off that price?

Would you rather pay 100 percent of $11,045 or 50 percent of $40,665?”

Such drastic increases in tuition overtime raise the question of whether it is even fair to charge families more than $40,000 for one year of university, Vigdor said.

Financial aid for low-income students has experienced a decline for the past 10 years, according to the College Board study reports, and two-thirds of students take out loans to pay for college. These findings present a greater predicament for students who are currently entering college, tuition rates continue to spike.

Sophomore Pavlo Chubinskiy believes, however, that private universities likely do use grant aid to incentivize wealthier students to attend.

“The aid is definitely influenced by class and the economic disparities in America, so it’s a bit predictable even though it’s egregious upon first read to anyone with class-consciousness,” Chubinskiy said. “The implication here is that the students who would be getting this aid can easily get a quality and cheaper education at other domestic universities or somewhere like McGill for about $15,000 a year.”

“I’ll be gone when the money is used for things, but I am confident that the University will use it in the right ways.”

— Jack Bovender, vice chairman, Board of Trustees education on his life.

“I’m grateful for Bovender and his family for their affirmation of the program and Duke’s programs around the world,” said Dr. Kevin Schulman, director of Health Sector Management and the Center for the Study of Health Management and professor medicine and business administration.

Bovender’s son, Richard, completed the Health Sector Management program in 2008.

Everything Bovender has learned about hospitals, he said, he has learned from listening to nurses. When Bovender married his wife Barbara, she was working as head nurse at Duke Hospital. Additionally, Bovender’s mother, brother and daughter-inlaw are registered nurses. The $5 million gift to the School of Nursing will be made in honor Bovender’s wife, Barbara.

“Nurses are an increasingly important role in the provision of health services, so it’s important that the school be supported,” he said.

Dean of the School of Nursing Catherine Gilliss said she has enjoyed working with Bovender and his wife during his time as a Trustee.

“Although I am not yet sure exactly how the generous gift will be used, the gift adds to our visibility and sets an example to other donors,” Gilliss wrote in an email Wednesday.

In addition to contributing to the Duke Annual Fund each year, Bovender noted the importance of his family’s decision to make a significant financial commitment to the University. “[Duke] made all the difference in my life professionally and shaped the way I think about life,” Bovender said. “It’s important for me to recognize that.”

6 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

CLASH from page 1 Many responses to Daniels’ column opposed her views, claiming that no offense should be taken due to the party, noting that the brothers of Pi Kappa Phi had no malicious intent in throwing the party. The fraternity submitted a letter to The Chronicle Dec. 6 that apologized for offending the Native American community.

Pi Kappa Phi President Tyler Donahue, a senior, said this incident reflects a larger issue facing the University in terms of social ignorance. He added that it would be irresponsible to restrict dialogue to the Pi Kappa Phi party and ignore the greater issue of insensitivity.

“Yes, this was offensive—we screwed up here” Pi Kappa Phi President Tyler Donahue, a senior, said in an interview Wednesday. “However, currently, I think that focusing on this one party really does an injustice to this issue. The issue that we are talking about now is not what we told our guests in an email or what our guests dressed as. It’s why what we did in this email and why what we did at this part was considered

THE CHRONICLE

‘OK’ before this. ” Richardson agreed, adding that other minorities have been subject to becoming party themes.

“When I started doing research, and I found that other cultures have been commercialized and trivialized, I realized it’s not just about [this party],” Richardson said. “I am very disappointed that Pi Kapp is being demonized.”

Donahue noted that he sat down with a Housing, Dining and Residence Life representative to discuss the party beforehand, including the theme. “[HDRL] didn’t pick up on this, and [the party] got approved,” he said. “There is a general disconnect here.”

Joe Gonzalez, associate dean of residence life, said he did not take part in the decision to approve the party. Vice President of Student Affairs Larry Moneta said he did not know anything about the approval process.

“I can sympathize with the idea that this was not created with ill intent,” Richardson noted. “I have had to acknowledge my own bias and admit that Pi Kapp was not being ignorant in doing this but were being naive. I’m sure it wasn’t meant to cause harm, but it did. And now that Pi Kapp acknowledges

that it did, we can move forward together to educate people on why actions like this are not okay.”

In response to the controversy, the Center for Multicultural Affairs, Pi Kappa Phi and NASA hosted an event Wednesday titled, “Culture Clash: Marginalization of Native America.”

The panel featured three Pi Kappa Phi brothers and three members of NASA. The forum fostered a dialogue between the two parties but was also open to community discussion.

Donahue opened the forum with an apology to NASA and all members of the Native American community that the fraternity offended with their party.

“We are sorry for the offense we caused to Amber and her group,” Donahue said. “We really hope to help make this situation right by opening up an honest dialogue today to discuss why we did what we did and, hopefully, shed light on the larger issue of why these types of events continue to happen.”

Donahue added that more care will be taken in the planning of future parties to ensure that such offenses are not repeated.

“We’ve learned that everyone has ignorance to some group in one way or another,” he noted. “We’re really going to take it upon ourselves, when we write these emails, to critically analyze them and take ourselves out of our personal situation.”

The sophomore also faced online attacks as a result. An imposter Facebook profile called “Pocahotness,” referencing the Pi Kappa Phi email, featured a Native caricature FaceinHole.com creation with Daniels’ face. Daniels has also received personal backlash through websites such as Barstool Sports, which called Daniels a slew of derogatory terms.

“People have had a lot of negative things to say about me—it’s really disheartening to see that people are so outraged and misinformed,” Daniels said. “But I’ve also gotten really positive feedback from a lot of strangers, professors and administrators.... I was definitely excited to see attention from [Jezebel and The Huffington Post].”

The issue has also, however, motivated campus discussion about race and cultural relations.

Moneta said Student Affairs has reached out to Native American student leaders and will continue in every way to encourage appreciation of difference in identities. He added that this incident is not collectively representative of Duke social discourse but of human fallibility, noting that not all students come to Duke with the same understanding of diversity issues.

Moving forward, the University will need to improve the way it educates its students on diversity, said Zoila Airall, assistant vice president of student affairs for campus life. She noted that, although the brothers of Pi Kappa Phi were sincerely apologetic, they may not all fully understand the root of their wrongdoing.

“We need to be more intentional about the diversity education that we’re giving,” Airall said. “This is going to require students of all backgrounds coming together and talking together. We need cultural humility.”

DSG from page 3 In response, Simpson’s resolution urged responsibility and accountability in future residential social events.

“This is not just something that’s happened this year,” Simpson said. “It’s frustrating to see students marginalized and have DSG not doing anything about it.”

The resolution passed by a vote of 40-2. It is meant to encourage DSG to take action by proposing a partnership with Housing, Dining, and Residence Life to implement such policies and potentially a body representing the students to hold groups’ events to higher standards.

In other business: Sophomore Class President Andrew Hanna requested $6,630 in order to make Midnight Breakfast on West Campus free to all students. The Senate approved his request.

“There’s true value in having different types of people together in this tradition,” Hanna said.

DSG also allocated funds to next semester’s budget for a “Break the Silence” event hosted by To Write Love on Her Arms and the Sigma Nu fraternity. A benefit concert will raise awareness about depression and suicide.

@dukechronicle

Recess

volume 13 issue 14 december 8, 2011

AU REVOIR, MAGGIE

BEST OF 2011 Bon Iver tops list of Recess favorite albums of the year

CENTER

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHELSEA PIERONI/ THE CHRONICLE

durham storefront downtown businesses get a boost from local artists

PAGE 3

black keys

garage rock vets keep getting better with age

PAGE 6

virginia woolf

Albee’s wit shines through in Playmakers production

PAGE 7

recess

theSANDBOX. Here’s a hypothetical: the student union at a major university sponsors an on-campus party with a theme that inherently marginalizes and objectifies women.

Students who attend the party are encouraged to wear costumes that reflect this theme, and the venue where the party is held is adorned with themed décor.

Is this party offensive?

So here’s what I’m trying to do, in case my intentionally and transparently vague language in the first paragraph didn’t give it away: I’m drawing a parallel between Pi Kappa Phi’s “Pilgrims and Indians” party and the “Mad Men, Mad Women” party hosted by DUU in Perkins Library last year.

An intentionally obtuse comparison, but still, I think similarities here are worth noting. If I’m a Native American (one who is inclined to take offense to, y’know, party themes), then I’m not too thrilled about the idea of a party that celebrates a period of history in which

individuals of my ethnicity were systematically subjugated. If I’m a woman, I’m not too thrilled about the idea of a party that celebrates the same.

The first response I got when, recently, I walked into a room of people and asked for their reactions to the backlash over “Pilgrims and Indians” was: “Valid point, overreaction.” That sounds like equivocating, and a lot of the anti-P&I contingent has said this is exactly the problem: people accept that there’s something offensive here but don’t think it warrants so much controversy.

I disagree. Offensiveness is not a binary notion; the P&I party and the “Mad Men” party might both be offensive, but I think the anti-P&I contingent would accept that one was worse than another. I’m going to purposely beg off of a decisive take-away message here, but I’ll venture this much: there are grounds for offense to be taken almost everywhere we look.

—Ross Green

[recesseditors] what we want for Hanukkah Ross Green....................................................................................a managing editor Maggie Love...................................................................................to get out of here Brian Contratto..........................................................................winter suit? wetsuit?

Michaela Dwyer.......................................................................edgy feminist buttons Chris Bassil.........................................a religiously and ethnically neutral sandbox Josh Stillman.................................................................streams and streams of dub Phoebe Long...........................................................................................a better title Chelsea Pieroni................................................................................Cash (R.E.A.M.) Sanette Tanaka........................................................................campus controversies

If you know me, then you know th I fancy myself an intellectual. I that find fi myself a well-made man, one who w reads works of high literature well w and writes them better, who has g great taste in the arts and is just at h home with an aria by Handel as he is with the choreography of Merce Cunningham.

C And if you know all of o that, then surely you can assume that th I am also a fan of dubstep.

It’s hard to sum up exactly why I fe the way I do about dubstep—or, feel as a I prefer to call it, “dubstream”— b I think that the ineffable within but it is somehow rooted in its entirely d democratic nature. I always prefer th those forms of art that can be accessed c by the layman, and dubstream is the epitome of such a form, as I fo found out when the sound system of my car took a turn for the worst last week. I was still able to acquire my daily dubstream fix in a pinch, by pouring a hundred screws into my car’s engine and jamming a wrench into its radiator. And as I drove around, listening to the new dubstream song I had created , I realized that the broken car radio could be put to use as an instrument for further dubstream production in the future.

This ties readily into my next point regarding dubstream, which has to do with the ways its artists push the envelop in terms of the instruments and they incorporate into their work. It’s been argued—and convincingly so—that the pioneers of dubstream have picked up where Leon Theremin left off, only with a greater level of success. In fact, some of my favorite ‘stream songs have included instruments such as broken microwaves, broken refrigerators, broken trash compactors, broken garage doors, broken printers, broken scanners, broken fax machines, broken answering machines, broken

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December 8, 2011

tape players, broken tape recorders, broken alarm clocks, broken computers, broken smart phones, broken hard drives, broken televisions, broken wireless internet routers, unreliable fan belts, spastic rotors, faulty central heating, malfunctioning children’s toys and an iPad dropped in a bathtub. All of these photoelectrical elements come together to fashion a distinct sonic landscape, like the grim battlefield of recent war between your household appliances.

And the DJ—that bold mastermind behind the dubstream—captures the death rattles of those machines, commiting their malfunctionings to a form of aural history not to be forgotten.

Past the immediate innovations of ‘stream music, however, there is also the intellectual movement to which it has given rise. My favorite critical responses are those that investigate dubstream as an interdisciplinary phenomenon, such as “The Art of the Drop: A Newtonian Investigation into the Classical Behavior of Falling Objects in Dubstream Music” by Dr. Schryll Ecks, Ph.D. of the Harvard University Department of Physics and “Surviving the Drop: Multiple Recovery Pathways in the Wake of Dubstream-Induced Cardiac Arrest” by Dr. A. Veechi, MD, of the Italian Federation of Cardiology. And, Duke University’s very own film and lit aficionado T. Esto has published extensively on what he refers to as “‘stream punk,” a new cinematic and literary genre emerging in simultaneity with its musical counterpart.

The dubstream revolution has been total: the brightest amongst us have redefined not only what it is to listen to music, but also what it means to recycle a defunct cell phone. This radical restructuring of the once attenuated link between Hot Topic and Office Max can’t pass unnoticed. I have faith it won’t, and that others, in finding it as abrasive to their sense of artistry as I do, will take notice next time one of their electronic devices malfunctions.

—Chris Bassil

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Storefront project spices up downtown

by Caitlin Moyles THE CHRONICLE

Outside of Loaf, a bakery in downtown Durham, passersby stop to observe a brass and steel sculptural rendition of the business’s wheat stalk logo surrounded by metal silhouettes of people in its storefront window.

Farther along West Parrish Street, cutouts and frames layered over the plywood covering a former NC Mutual Life insurance building evoke the evolution of Durham’s buildings.

These are two of 14 installations that the Durham Storefront Project has put on display in empty buildings and storefront windows throughout downtown Durham. The project is a collaborative effort between Durham Arts Council, downtown businesses and building owners and over 20 local artists.

“Although many businesses downtown are doing very well, their storefronts do not reflect that energy because their focus is internalized,” said event organizer Chris Chinchar. “We decided to take a creative intervention.”

Modeled after popup storefronts happening across the U.S., the project is based on the premise that revitalizing under-utilized buildings with temporary installations can fuel economic growth by increasing foot traffic to those businesses. Everyone benefits—the artists get free exhibition space, businesses get more pedestrian traffic passing by their storefronts, and the public gets free art.

In Durham, Chinchar and fellow organizer Jessica Moore also envisioned the project, which was unveiled as a feature of the Durham Arts Council’s Art Walk on Nov. 19, as a way to facilitate interaction between diverse groups of people.

“The project was an attempt to get businesses and artists to…find common ground to create a richer visual environment,” Chinchar said.

At Loaf, where the completion of Renee Leverty and Jackie MacLeod’s sculptural installation coincided with the bakery’s grand opening, the process of agreeing on a final plan was one of mutual respect and cooperation, Leverty said.

“Ron Graff, the owner, gave us a lot of freedom and wanted to honor the artistic process, but we also wanted to respect that his business was opening and got his sign-off on the drawings,” she said.

Although the artists were asked that their work reflect something about the building or business, the final installations range from Catherine J. Howard’s delicate snowflakes at Scratch bakery to a live discussion about race that took place at The Make Tank on North Gregson St. on Nov. 19, where Dave Alsobrooks’ and Luis Franco’s ethnographic artwork served as a stimulus for people to come in and participate.

Unlike artists in larger cities like New York where exhibition space is more expensive and difficult to find, some of the artists expressed that they participated to be a part of a community project. When asked why she decided to participate in the Durham Storefront Project when she could have devoted the time to the artwork she sells in a gallery, Leverty said that even though the installation was “an extra thing to do with a potential for no reward,” her desire to support the Durham community made it worthwhile for her to participate in the project.

“I’m proud to live in Durham,” she said. “I like to support the arts and support Durham and saw this as an opportunity to be a part of something bigger.”

Although popup storefronts are a positive externality brought on by tough economic times and may only be a temporary phenomenon in downtown Durham, Chinchar hopes that the collaborative energy generated by the project will be sustained through future projects.

“I think that right now it’s a quieter, slower time, so people may have more time and willingness to explore ideas,” Chinchar said. “The best thing you can hope for is that if it really brings people together to have a shared experience, the energy from that experience will go forward to create a more inclusive, collective community.”

GRACELEE LAWRENCE/ SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Local artists and businesses in the downtown Durham area have collaborated on 14 installations as part of the Durham Storefront Project to mutual benefit: the installations increase foot traffic near participating businesses and give visibility to their creators’ work.

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M ( n i r a e Y As much of a drag as 2011 turned out to be, it will at least have the courtesy of leaving us with some good records.

It’s tough, in an era in which so much of it is released, to succinctly recap a year’s worth of music. It’s even tougher to do so in a year when noteworthy releases come in so many different stripes. 2011 could be remembered as the year of Odd Future or Lil B, each of whom dominated the Twittersphere, or of Adele, a mortal lock to clean up at the Grammys, or of any of the precociously talented newcomers who introduced themselves in the past 11 months—from A$AP Rocky to Youth Lagoon, and everyone in between. To make the task of characterizing the year in music a little easier—for us and for you—we’ve compiled our writers’ and editors’ favorite albums of the year to bring you Recess’ Best Albums of 2011. It’s a list that testifies to the diversity and quality of the year’s music releases.

1.

Bon Iver—Bon Iver, Bon Iver I cannot be certain that Justin Vernon was reading Whitman out in those proverbial woods, but listening to Bon Iver, Bon Iver, I hear America singing. Vernon’s is the woodcutter’s song—“from forests, for the soft”—and with his axe and plaid-cloth shirts, falsetto cannot wound his manliness. From “Hinnom, TX” to “Minnesota, WI”—all the imaginary, literary-sounding towns of this nation— his lyrics burn like frankincense through these good winters. While Vernon may accept in his solitude that “joy is unfounded,” joy there is yet found within these tracks. A calm joy, a quiet joy, a joy to be tended as the firewood crackles in moonlit Wisconsin, and Vernon whittles a tune from the woods and the knife breaks hearts with its loneliness.

—Dan Fishman

PHOTOS SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

James Blake—James Blake The thing that strikes me most about James Blake’s self-titled debut, nearly a year after its release, is the silence.

There’s something uncomfortably empty about the album: Blake’s voice rings and trails into nothingness, his synthesized bass echoes oddly. He uses pauses and simple instrumentals and vocals to, counterintuitively, amplify his sound and layer it with complexity. Despite the album’s stripped-away nature, it’s somehow exponentially better with headphones. I recall listening to the album for the first time on my MacBook’s weak speakers, then plugging in my headphones to listen to “Limit To Your Love” again and being shocked when I could better hear the imperceptible bass flutter in the background. It’s an undoubtedly beautiful album, a characteristic strengthened by Blake’s restraint in his production. More than anything, though, the record is bold: mixing dubstep and pop ballads is not a task for the faint of heart. If James Blake inspires a legion of copycats, I can only hope they inherit his panache for originality as well.

—Andrew Lokker

2.

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The Weeknd—House of Balloons/Thursday When Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a The Weeknd, sings, “I just want to take you there, he don’t gotta know where/Does he touch you here like this, let me take the friction from your lips,” he sounds like a seasoned R&B crooner, one equipped with the wisdom and maturity to lament about lost loves and detail the art of seduction. So at just 21 years young, his two mixtapes, House of Balloons and Thursday, are even more impressive in their ability to create a mature, seductive atmosphere. Between tales of drug-fueled debauchery and wanting-what-you-can’t-have regret, both compositions fuse elements of R&B, neo-soul and hip-hop for a sensual, trance-like backdrop to The Weeknd’s explicit saga. If Echoes of Silence, The Weeknd’s next and final release in his trilogy of mixtapes, showcases the same talent, he is likely to follow the trajectory of his mentor and collaborator Drake, capitalizing on underground buzz to become a household name.

—Katie Zaborsky

3.

3.

St. Vincent—Strange Mercy St. Vincent’s gone to great lengths to play up her dollish appearance and petite frame, and even tends to introduce her songs with demure vocals and swells of chamber pop—all to greater effect when she drops the guillotine of her electric guitar and uses language like a scythe. The first music video for Strange Mercy positions St. Vincent as a modern Simone de Beauvoir, as she endures any number of domestic tortures before being buried alive by her husband and kids. But if the feminist reading goes over heads, her impact is hardly diminished—Strange Mercy is the best integration yet of her abstruse lyrics and angular art-rock. In the past, the impressionistic songwriting was a bit too clever to let you in on the real stories, but Strange Mercy sheds St. Vincent’s characteristic ambiguity at all the right moments. On the title track, she packs a gender-neutral gut punch of vulnerability into the repeated line, “If I ever meet the dirty police man who roughed you up/ No—No, I don’t know what.” The best rock album of the year links its content with its cover art: the shiny white packaging barely masks the razor-sharp wail lurking beneath.

—Brian Contratto

Jay-Z and Kanye West—Watch the Throne Another year, another stellar installment in the Kanye West catalogue. Watch the Throne was always going to be hard-pressed to match the towering ambition of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (which, if we’d made this list last year, would have run away with the top spot). But between West’s “luxury rap” executive production and Jay’s best form since his post-Black Album retirement, Watch the Throne made for the most sumptuous major-label rap release of 2011. Amid the Maybach bumpersticker sloganeering and declarations of black opulence, there were moments of remarkable candor: Kanye turning his welldocumented public foibles into life lessons for a future son on “New Day,” or Jay’s sense of betrayal and ambivalence on a dis track (“Why I Love You”) directed at former Rocafella associates Beanie Sigel and Damon Dash. But Watch the Throne will be remembered as a monument to Jay and Ye’s inimitably cultured swag: Basquiats and diplomatic immunity, Lanvin tees and “N****s in Paris.”

—Ross Green

5.

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the roots UNDUN DEF JAM

At this point, it’s tempting to thank the Roots for even trying.

After all, Undun marks their eleventh trip to the studio. Their canonical breakout, Things Fall Apart, is now 12 years old. They’ve made a play for the mainstream (2004’s The Tipping Point) and a satisfying return to their lane (2006’s Game Theory). They’ve got the steadiest job in hip-hop as the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, plus the respect of just about everyone in the game. Frontman ?uestlove has seen and heard everything, possessed of an encyclopedic memory and a knack for storytelling—traits that will one day cement the band’s legacy in the minds of critics.

And yet: here they are with the story of the fictional Redford Stephens, played back-to-front like an Eternal Sunshine of the Repentant Hustler, replete with a Sufjan Stevens-assisted, four-movement closing piano suite.

Next to nearly anything in their catalog, and especially its most recent predecessor How I Got Over, Undun is relentlessly fatalistic. And, as concept albums go, impressively concise.

“Sleep” opens the narrative of Undun, with Stephens (voiced, first and foremost, by Black Thought) concerned about his legacy from beyond the grave: “There I go, from a man to a memory/Damn, I wonder if my fam will remember me.” The novelty is striking, and the cautionary gangster parable-in-reverse is most affecting on the album’s first half, when Stephens’ high life is tainted by self-awareness of his impending demise. On “Make

My,” guest Big K.R.I.T. looks at the writing on the wall with more than a hint of regret: “Addicted to the green, if I don’t ball I’ll get the shakes/I’d give it all for peace of mind, for heaven’s sake.” The lyrical focus on Stephens’ resignation to his fate matches the mournfulness and restraint of ?uest’s backing tracks; the Roots loosen up only for the airy “Kool On,” the height of Stephens’ ‘hood-dreams indulgence, and for the militant stomp of “Stomp.”

Undun’s creativity and cohesion unravel toward the end of the album, and the chronological beginning of Stephens’ story. Dice-Raw, a valuable contributor elsewhere, doesn’t do himself any favors with his cornball hook on “Lighthouse,” but the problem here isn’t just cosmetic. For all Black Thought’s precision, the themes of inner-city hardship feel rote and obligatory. What makes Redford so compelling isn’t his dime-a-dozen come-up, its his perspective toward his decline and fall. ?uest and Black Thought seem to recognize the limits of their concept. Leaving out ambient opener “Dun” and the wordless closing suite, Undun comes in at just over half an hour, by far the shortest studio album the Roots have ever released. Appropriately so—the ingenuity lies not in fully fleshing out their character, but in the Roots’ dynamic approach toward his undoing.

It’s the diminutive, sobering flip side to hip-hop’s oftrehearsed, archetypal gangster epic—a triumph of novelty, not of scope.

—Ross Green

MICK ROCK/ SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

the black keys EL CAMINO NONESUCH

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

The Black Keys have always been something of an oddity. They practice a very specific brand of blues-rock that feels more spiritually rooted in the original genre than contemporary music. They’re two white boys from Akron who have recorded album after album of thematically and sonically consistent material, but went so far as to collaborate with Mos Def and Raekwon.

2010’s Brothers was rightfully lauded for polishing some of the group’s rough edges and adding some flourishes of style to go along with its soul. As such, it’s no wonder the record was such a breakthrough—it debuted at number three on Billboard charts and was nominated for five Grammys. Now we have El Camino, the band’s best album and tightest set of songs to date. If Brothers was stylish, El Camino is downright sexy.

Dan Auerbach’s lyrics are as depressive as ever, but the interesting shift on El Camino comes with the pacing.

Where previous Black Keys albums alternated between harder hitting rock anthems and slower ballads, El Camino mostly eschews the down-tempo numbers. The result is a record that never loses steam, and reflects its namesake in its unmodern forcefulness and muscle. “Little Black Submarines” is really the only song to deviate from this formula, consisting of Auerbach’s vocals set over an acoustic guitar and Patrick Carney’s light percussion— that is, until halfway through the song, when it slows to a halt. An electric guitar sounds out, the bass drum kicks and just like that, the energy is dialed back up to 11.

The rest of the album is equally well conceived. “Gold on the Ceiling” is guttural and funky, its organ ringing out over a garage rock din beneath. The twinkling piano and stomping drums of “Dead And Gone” are just as fun and catchy as the epic chorus and fast-paced chug of lead single “Lonely Boy.” El Camino is not revolutionary or the highest achieving album of the year, but it doesn’t aspire to be. Each song is a variation on the same recipe, but the Keys have had a decade to perfect the ingredients.

—Andrew Lokker

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robin thicke LOVE AFTER WAR STAR TRAK

Robin Thicke attempts to reinvent his signature soulful sound in Love After War with a number of tries at nuanced theatricality, but with the exception of a few tracks, the album doesn’t depart much from 2009’s Sex Therapy.

The album begins with the Motown-esque “An Angel on Each Arm,” a track reminiscent, in its instrumental range, of an Earth, Wind and Fire set. Thicke employs melodies from piano and keyboards in a buildup that introduces a more upbeat mix of drums and saxophone.

This cuts the song’s initial jazzy feel, moving it toward a choppier territory that is more ’60s funk than slow jam.

“Never Give Up” best demonstrates Thicke’s newest addition to his otherwise monotonous style. The cut resembles a Broadway showtune, incorporating orchestral woodwinds, xylophones and fast-paced cello that culminate in a climactic, hackneyed chorus, “It’s never too much!/ Never give up.” Thicke briefly departs from his seductive falsetto and opts for a full-bodied voice a la Elvis that mixes well with the track’s uptempo sound.

Lil Wayne makes a short appearance in the beginning of the single “Pretty Lil’ Heart,”, one of the album’s more lazily-paced songs and most reminiscent of Sex Therapy.

Thicke uses his soulful ensemble of guitar, piano and saxophone to evoke the setting of a smoky jazz club. The track sets the scene for his return to the familiar on the second half of the album, exhibiting a step back from the retro, dancey playfulness of “An Angel on Each Arm” and, more notably, “Never Give Up.” Considering that the majority of his fan base consists of middle-aged housewives, Thicke’s stagnation might be a good thing. The album manages to include some musical elements absent from his previous records, but never threatens to alienate his target following. Thicke fleetingly proves his intention to produce something new, but Love After War never strays far from his roots.

—Andrew Karim

JON GARDINER/ SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Cast members (from left) Ray Dooley, Katie Paxton, Julie Fishell and Brett Bolton chew up scenery with far-ranging banter and plenty of drinks in Playmakers’ production of Edward Albee’s 1962 comedy Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Playmakers’ Virginia Woolf rendition is equal to its task

by Michaela Dwyer THE CHRONICLE

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

The first time I heard of Edward Albee’s 1962 play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was in my 11th grade American Literature class. I recall thumbing through an enormous packet of contemporary American plays our teacher had compiled for us to choose and act out, breezing by lighthearted, accessible farces (i.e., Clare Boothe Luce’s The Women, a Mean Girls of the 1930s—the drama I ultimately chose) to puzzle over the absurd plotlines and characters of writers like Edward Albee. I flipped between descriptions of three of his plays—The Zoo Story, The American Dream and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?—longing to see their weirdness and dysfunction come to fruition within my classroom’s 10 by 10-foot performance space.

After attending Playmakers Repertory Company’s production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? last weekend, I’m glad, even as a self-serious, Holden Caulfield-esque high school junior, I didn’t attempt the three-part drama, which raises issues that can only be tackled by those with a bit of experience under their belt. Playmakers’ adaptation utilizes Albee’s humor and critical eye to highlight the play’s fundamental tension: while transpiring over the course of a single evening with just four characters and one set, the drama—which clocks in at just under three hours—feels more like a physical and emotional marathon than an evening of, as the title of Act One suggests, “Fun and Games.”

It becomes clear immediately that George and Martha, masterfully acted by Playmakers veterans Ray Dooley and Julie Fishell, are gamesters at heart, using verbal exercises to unveil a shared perceptiveness that is equally damaging and illuminating. A middle-aged couple, they live at an unnamed New England college where George is a history professor and Martha’s father is the president.

Leaving one of the college’s swinging “Saturday night orgies,” the two decamp to their sprawling old house to further entertain Nick (Brett Bolton), a biology professor, and Honey (Katie Paxton), a younger Midwestern couple who are newbies at the college. The evening unfolds in two further acts, “Walpurgisnacht” and “The Exorcism,” as George and Martha man the household until dawn breaks, boozing their guests and alternately mining and exposing information that both they and Nick and Honey have kept hidden.

The play’s success, both in a literary and theatrical sense (and specifically in this production) comes through in each character’s ability to run with Albee’s witty verbal composition. Relying on puns and a bevy of both literary and historical references, George and Martha seem like amped-up, alcoholic, younger versions of your cultured grandparents who read The New Yorker voraciously and fin-

ish the Sunday crossword with comedic anecdotes accompanying each word. The couple’s bond—sickening and disastrous but, above all, mutually reinforcing—works to progressively overpower Nick and Honey’s reliance on politeness and naïvete, and the generational gap between the two pairs further emphasizes their character differences.

As Dooley and Fishell feed off of each other, allowing their peculiar chemistry to reveal itself and in turn mold them into the dynamos that are George and Martha, they bring out the play’s undergirding consideration of physicality and intellect. The couple moves around in relation to their household objects—a multi-floor library, discarded Life magazines, a well-stocked liquor shelf—spouting phrases like “a Dylan Thomas-y quality” and “a quietly noisy relaxed intensity” to describe an Abstract Expressionist painting propped on an easel. While the credit here goes to Alexander Dodge, the scenic designer, Dooley and Fishell do well situating themselves in terms of the physical weight of academia their characters have accrued over the years. They command the space, moving in transfixing floor patterns to and from the alcohol, up the spiral staircase to change clothing and unleash sexual desire, off of Playmakers’ thrust stage only to re-emerge with a rifle that spouts a toy umbrella. As they kid Nick and Honey into submission, speaking of ambition, performance, truth and illusion, they own the stage even as they reveal vulnerability in their physical and intellectual command. Surrounded by an interior design that reflects both their history as a couple and their entrenchment in college politics, George and Martha use their home-court advantage to expand big questions beyond the domestic sphere. Commendable but unremarkable, Bolton and Paxton’s Nick and Honey flitter in and out, lacking some of the moral weight and frightening quirkiness of their counterparts in the Oscar-winning 1966 film adaptation of Albee’s play.

Embodied currently by Dooley and Fishell, George and Martha are a couple that could inhabit Simon and Garfunkel’s 1966 song “The Dangling Conversation,” but they would probably scream rather than meekly ask questions such as “Can analysis be worthwhile?” and throw volumes of Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost at each other rather than read them in separate quarters silently. In Playmakers’ Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Dooley and Fishell demonstrate how Albee’s George and Martha transcend literary form, simultaneously trapped and liberated by their questions regarding how the body and mind can interact to craft a fearless, illusionless, nonfictional way of living.

Playmakers’ production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? will run through December 18 at the Center for Dramatic Art at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Sports

>> BLUE ZONE

The Chronicle

MEN’S BASKETBALL

THURSDAY December 8, 2011

Check out a full photo slideshow of Wednesday night’s game against Colorado State online in the Blue Zone at sports. chronicleblogs.com.

www.dukechroniclesports.com

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Dawkins has 87 DUKE CSU 64 success in first Big men shine in drubbing game off bench

by Ryan Claxton THE CHRONICLE

by Jason Palmatary THE CHRONICLE

During their shellacking at the hands of Ohio State, at times the Blue Devils looked unorganized and unsure of their specific roles within the offense. The confusion and lack of cohesion resulted in frequent one-on-one play from Austin Rivers and an uncharacteristically high number of entry passes into the post to let Mason Plumlee play with his back to the basket. The end result was a blowout loss in Columbus.

Game In its first game since that humbling defeat, Duke got back to the basics ofAnalysis fensively. Although the lineup was a little different than it had been in the eight previous contests—Andre Dawkins came off the bench for the first time this season—the players showed a newfound sense of certainty with their specific roles. Dawkins was replaced in the starting five by Tyler Thornton, giving the Blue Devils a smaller, quicker lineup.

“We keep looking for ways of getting better,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “A 23-point loss to Ohio State leads to a lot of things. It wasn’t Andre’s fault, it was our fault but you look at other [combinations]. We’re still very much a developing team. We’ve had a difficult schedule, it will continue through Washington and that’s how you learn about yourself, you have to keep adjusting.”

After Wednesday’s game, Krzyzewski would not expand on the rationale behind his lineup alteration. Regardless of DAVID CHOU/THE CHRONICLE

SEE ANALYSIS ON PAGE 8

Mason Plumlee recorded his fourth double-double of the season Wednesday night with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Home sweet home.

Duke returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time in 19 days Wednesday night, easily dispatching Colorado State 87-64.

During the time away, the No. 7 Blue Devils (8-1) won three games in three days to take the Maui Invitational, then suffered their first loss of the season eight days ago against Ohio State. That loss stuck with Duke as it spent a full week preparing for its matchup with the Rams (5-4).

“It was eight hard days that we needed,” forward Josh Hairston said of the gap between games. “We needed to get a whole lot tougher, and these eight days really tested us. The coaches really pushed us during practice, but we didn’t break. We made strides as a team, and that’s what we needed.”

Austin Rivers carried the scoring load for the Blue Devils, especially in the second half, leading the team with 17 points while shooting 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from the 3-point line.

“He had a good game tonight,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “I thought in the second half when we weren’t playing well defensively his offense kept that margin of 15 to 17 points—it was all on Austin, I thought, during that time to keep us ahead like that.”

In the first half, Andre Dawkins made waves for Duke after he was replaced by Tyler Thornton in the starting lineup. Dawkins got off to a torrid start, hitting 6-of-8 shots from the field and was also 3-for-5 from beyond the arc for 15 first-half points. Toward the end of the period, SEE M. BASKETBALL ON PAGE 8

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Duke to face ‘Cats at Rupp

by Jackie Klauberg THE CHRONICLE

SHAYAN ASADI/THE CHRONICLE

Andre Dawkins came off the bench for the first time all year, scoring 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting before leaving with back spasms.

The Blue Devils will have their hands full with an undefeated Kentucky team when the two take the hardwood Thursday at 6 p.m. in Lexington, Ky. Although the Wildcats will be playing at home, the game will not be on their usual floor at Memorial Coliseum. This will be Kentucky’s first time this season playing at Rupp Arena, the home court of the men’s basketball program.

No. 6 Head coach Joanne P. McCallie, Duke though, does not believe the lovs. cation of the game will make a difference for Duke.

No. 10 “What we have to do is focus Wildcats on what we do,” McCallie said.

THURSDAY, 6 p.m.

“It’s important that we play at Rupp Arena the same high level against any team anywhere…. We need to be able to execute and attack in any environment and this is a great opportunity to work on that.”

McCallie is also excited about the opportunity to take on tough competition away from Cameron Indoor Stadium, as she believes playing in a hostile environment will help her young team adjust to dealing with adverse playing conditions.

“This is an opportunity to work our team away from Cameron,” McCallie said. “We love Cameron and the SEE W. BASKETBALL ON PAGE 8

CHELSEA PIERONI/THE CHRONICLE

Freshman Elizabeth Williams faces a tough matchup with 6-foot-3 Wildcat Samantha Drake, who averages 7.4 rebounds per game.

8 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

THE CHRONICLE

W. BASKETBALL from page 7

M. BASKETBALL from page 7

Crazies, but we’ve also got to be able to dictate on the road.”

Both teams are coming off important weekend wins, as the No. 10 Wildcats (80) beat in-state rival Louisville last Sunday. and the No. 6 Blue Devils (6-1) dominated Pittsburgh by nearly 50 points.

Kentucky will be led by point guard A’dia Mathies, who averages a team-high 16 points per game. The junior was named to the Naismith Award watch list during the preseason.

Duke sports a talented backcourt as well, featuring Chelsea Gray, the reigning ACC player of the week. Gray recorded a triple-double against the Panthers, breaking the singlegame program record for assists with 13.

Another key matchup will be in the paint, where Blue Devil freshman Elizabeth Williams will likely face Samantha Drake, Kentucky’s rebounding specialist. Williams leads Duke in both points and rebounds per game, with 11.9 and 9.4, respectively.

The 6-foot-3 Drake averages 7.8 boards and 7.4 points for the Wildcats.

Both teams will also look to play a highpressure style on defense. Kentucky ranks atop all Division I programs with a turnover margin of 15.4 per game, nearly four more than its nearest competitor. The Blue Devils forced 25 Pittsburgh turnovers last weekend, and created 33 in a pair of games earlier in the season against top-10 opponents.

Although McCallie is pleased with her team’s balance on both ends of the court, she knows that it must stay focused and perform at a high level in order to perform on the road.

“We have to focus on what we do.” McCallie said, “We get many contributions from everybody, there is a lot of balance, a lot of attack mode on offense. We want to bring that on the road and be able to deal with any adversity that comes our way and be able to execute and play our game regardless of the circumstances.”

however, Dawkins got tangled up with an opposing player and went down to the floor in pain, and would not return. Krzyzewski called the injury a back spasm and said Dawkins’ status would be updated before Saturday’s matchup against Washington.

Meanwhile, Mason and Miles Plumlee took advantage of an undersized Colorado State lineup to dominate on the interior. Each brother missed only one shot from the field, and both finished with 14 points and a smattering of entertaining dunks.

Mason, in particular, shined on the defensive end, pulling down 10 rebounds and registering five blocked

ANALYSIS from page 7 whether it was meant as a wake-up call or just a function of matchups, as the swingman’s size was not needed against a small Colorado State lineup, Dawkins responded in a big way to the benching.

He entered the game before the first media timeout and immediately made his presence felt with two dunks in his first four minutes on the court. Playing more passionate, energized basketball, Dawkins went for 15 points including three made 3-pointers, despite leaving the game for good after suffering from back spasms with over three minutes remaining in the first half.

The insertion of Thornton, who tallied four assists, into the lineup allowed usual starting point guard Seth Curry to spend a bit more time off of the ball.

These minutes are always valuable for the junior co-captain because it gives his slight frame a break from hounding the other team’s primary ballhan-

shots to go along with four steals.

“There wasn’t much interior defense,” Krzyzewski said. “It was more help defense on drives.... We have three guys who are really good shot blockers—Mason, Miles and Ryan [Kelly] can block shots also. Overall we protected the bucket pretty well.”

The Blue Devils’ team defense seemed to overwhelm the undersized Rams for most of the contest. Colorado State came into the game shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 45.6 percent from the 3-point line, good for second-best in the nation from long range. Duke managed to hold the Rams to 40.7 percent from the field, and only 36.4 percent from beyond the arc—including just 1-for-6 from 3-point range in the second half.

In addition to a total of nine blocked shots, the Blue Devils also forced 15 turn-

overs in the game making use of suffocating ball denial. Duke was able to convert those turnovers into 18 points on the offensive end, many coming on electrifying fast break dunks that energized the crowd.

One bright spot for Colorado State was forward Greg Smith. The 6-foot-6 junior came into the game as the team’s third leading scorer, but rose to the occasion with 18 points, making just under half of his shots from the field. Smith also pulled down seven rebounds, but struggled defensively as he often drew the difficult assignment of guarding one of the much larger Plumlee brothers in the paint.

With a home-cooked victory now under their belts, the Blue Devils will be looking to carry the toughness they displayed Wednesday night into New York this weekend against Washington.

dler. These spells also enable him to spot up on the perimeter and make use of his lethal 3-point shot, which he is making at a 46-percent clip this season.

Freshman Quinn Cook also spent some time running the offense. Still, Curry was in charge of initiating the majority of sets in the half-court offense, where despite a tough 2-for-8 shooting night from the floor, he displayed tremendous leadership and a floor general’s mentality on his way to eight assists and just one turnover.

“That was the best passing game that I’ve seen out of him,” Rivers said. “Lots of people will look at it like ‘Seth didn’t score much tonight.’ Seth can do multiple things out there on the court and helped us win the game.”

Another area of the game where Curry excelled was with his on-ball pressure. His intensity set the tone for the Blue Devils early in the game as his consecutive steals set up Dawkins and Mason Plumlee for transition dunks. Applying extended pressure was a point of emphasis to prevent the Rams from getting into deliberate half-court sets.

“We watched a lot of film, and the teams

that have played them in the past have not put enough pressure on them,” Rivers said. “Tonight, our focus was to pressure them to an extent they hadn’t seen before. We got some steals and were able to extend the lead.”

Almost lost in all of this activity was the performance of Rivers, the team’s top scorer on the season, who again led the way last night.

The explosive combo guard scored 17 points on an efficient nine field goals. The freshman hoisted five treys, connecting on three, but still got into the lane and to the free throw line. Furthermore, he turned the ball over just twice and played more under control than he had in some earlier contests. This kind of maturity and balance from Duke’s best playmaker is a positive sign.

Fortunately for Duke fans, the Blue Devils were able to rid themselves of any lingering bad tastes the Buckeyes may have left in their mouths. Re-establishing their continuity on the offensive end, especially in the backcourt, was a crucial confidence builder going into Saturday’s matchup with an athletic Washington team that excels at getting teams out of their comfort zones.

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Kapping the damage Duke almost made it ize and demean Native Amerthrough Fall 2011 without icans, and used stereotypes winding up in an online tab- about Native Americans to loid. But a guest column pro- sexualize and demean Duke testing Pi Kappa Phi’s moron- women. Using one marginalic Pilgrims and Indians party ized group to insult another has reignited a is never a smart perennial dedecision. It’s editorial bate about geneven dumber der, race and the Duke social when it communicates exscene. In what is quickly be- pectations of sex. For all this, coming an annual tradition, the members of Pi Kappa Duke columnists, commenta- Phi have correctly attempted tors and students have drawn to make amends by issuing attention to fraternity social a public apology and by creemails that objectify women, ating a public forum on this invoke racist narratives and subject. typify an influential social This editorial is not about group that hasn’t yet figured demonizing one fraternity— out how to use its power. or any fraternity. Pi Kappa At its most basic level, this Phi’s actions provide a symbol party theme was an unwise of a much larger problem on and offensive choice. It ser- campus, one that can—and endipitously used stereotypes in fact, has—been extant about Duke women to sexual- in countless offensive party

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themes, email invitations and listserv conversations. We shouldn’t direct our anger at people right now. We need to direct it at a situation which manages to repeat itself year after year.

The discourse that has erupted following this party has been a positive step toward generating awareness about racism and sexism on campus. But discourse too often does nothing. Right now, words need to turn into a few very simple actions.

Offensive party themes are an easy problem to solve, precisely because no one benefits from them. We assume that Greek men would prefer not to throw offensive parties, that Duke women would prefer not to be radically sexualized and that neither group

wishes to coerce the other with destructive expectations. But this is exactly what happens now. Greek men craft jocular sexist emails to impress girls, and women go along with it to impress guys.

Neither group gets what it wants because both groups are responding to expectations that may not exist.

To be clear—sexual behavior isn’t the problem here, coercion is. Greek men, who have residential space and can host University-sanctioned parties with alcohol, do the lion’s share of coercion.

Women who want access to a large swath of the social scene have to accept the terms and expectations laid out in social emails, even if they would prefer not to.

But women have a hand to

play here, too. The perceived expectations of Duke females presumably drive much of the behavior of Duke men. Boys will be boys, but mostly only because they think girls will like it. If Duke women don’t want to be sexualized and coerced, they can vote with their Friday evening activity.

What needs to happen is a formal discussion—face to face, in a room, with real people—between Greek men and women about what they honestly expect to get from the social scene. We think their goals may be closer than they think. And, even if they’re not, each group can agree it doesn’t want to be coerced by the other. And each can agree that it doesn’t take racist, sexualizing parties to have fun.

Goofus and Gallant go to a party

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I

can still fondly remember the excitement of own ability to have a good time. A respectful peropening up a brand new Highlights Magazine son can admit their faults and takes the time to as a child, flipping through the pages and final- consider the consequences of the actions they are ly landing upon the comic feature taking. An inconsiderate person “Goofus and Gallant.” In the comic, has trouble imagining the possibilGoofus and Gallant were a pair of ity that their actions or words may boys that showcased proper behavactually be harmful to others. ior for children in certain situations It seems silly to reenact Goofus with a caption explaining each and Gallant on the backpages of boy’s actions. For instance, if the The Chronicle. The only thing silscene was of a classroom cleaning lier is being on a campus where up at the end of the day, we would reiterating these basic values is still ahmad jitan see Goofus walking away from the necessary—if only it weren’t so sad. group with the caption: “They can indecent family man So does that mean I think everyclean up, I’d rather go read.” Next one involved in hosting or attendto him we would see Gallant helping his peers tidy ing this or any other culturally insensitive party is up with the caption: “Gallant pitches in.” If the immature and disrespectful and deserving of the discussion surrounding Pi Kappa Phi’s Thanksgiv- patronizing tone in the first half of my column? ing party has made anything patently obvious, it’s Not at all, actually. I have no interest in painting that Duke students as a whole could use some ba- the members of any fraternity with that broad of sic advice, not so much about bathroom etiquette a brush. One of the things I eventually realized or respecting their teachers, but more along the from that children’s magazine was that none of us lines of how to discuss issues surrounding race, are always Goofus or always Gallant. We all make cultural appropriation and the pernicious effects mistakes and ill-informed decisions that harm othof our “party culture.” ers, but we also hopefully take the opportunity to The brothers of Pi Kappa Phi have shown their recognize our faults, make proper amends and maturity and commitment to bettering our Uni- discontinue the inappropriate behaviors as the versity climate by taking responsibility for their brothers of Pi Kappa Phi have done. actions and issuing a swift apology for the events.

But we’re not just talking about individuals or But for those individuals still out there who view a one particular group here. When things like this conversation on systems of oppression and privi- become a pattern as they have on this campus, we lege as uninteresting or self-righteous, maybe a can no longer treat these as isolated incidents. conversation on basic respect could serve them There’s something institutionally that allows for well. First, let’s take a break from the infantile ar- the creation of so many environments and situaguments. One need not take a course on logic or tions where people can continue to be Goofuses ethics to understand that arguments of the form and not have to answer for it. Generating contro“I didn’t mean to,” “But he did the bad thing first” versy like this is a way to begin to hold people and and, “I was just having fun” aren’t valid. Most of us organizations accountable for what they do by learn that these excuses aren’t very effective some- bringing their actions to the scrutiny of the pubtime between stealing cookies from the cookie jar lic eye. Recognizing that sexist and racist attitudes and playing with pointy sticks during recess. Sec- are rooted in our wider culture can also explain ond, save the pseudo-intellectual justifications for part of what we see on campus, but it by no means later as well. There’s nothing wrong with students excuses it nor does it excuse us from making an engaging in intellectual conversations about the effort to counteract them. complex cultural and societal issues surrounding Antagonism isn’t the way to go; we all have a this topic—in fact I’d highly encourage it—but if duty and responsibility to actively make Duke you’re arguing the case that an email referencing University a place where minorities, women, the “hot natives” and “pocahotness” is unproblematic, LGBTQ community and others feel safe and acthere are probably other, more fundamental con- cepted. Hopefully the lessons learned from this versations you should be having first. incident will be an opportunity to form longBy respect, I mean the ability to value and standing alliances and commitments to improve honor the feelings and rights of another human the social environment on this campus and not being. A respectful person will listen when some- sweep the root causes of our problems under the one expresses how upset a particular event made rug until the next controversy erupts. them feel and why they found that event offensive.

A rude and selfish person will disregard those feelAhmad Jitan is a Trinity junior. This is his final ings as an overreaction or as an attack on their column of the semester.

THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011 | 11

commentaries

City of the living dead

Stepping off the coal train

D

uke has stepped off the coal train. Nostalgia, door. Not more than two years ago, the uninviting river however, has us hanging on to the memories, of pavement ran by a small patch of woods, then the acbut it’s time to move on. For posterity, let us tual coal pile on its way to the hospital. For visitors, you note the role of coal in the University’s may have hardly noticed the coal pile ithistory with a plaque then move on by reself. Instead you were more likely to be naming Coal Pile Drive. in awe of the tall smoke stacks imposing The time is right for this change to on the skyline with their harsh industrihappen. First, because the University realism. You might also have been caught, cently ended its use of coal after more literally, between the tall concrete wall than 80 years as the primary fuel source. holding back the coal pile and oncomSecond, because the Duke University ing traffic.

Medical Center is currently undergoing there is a guard stationed unliz bloomhardt derNow, a dramatic physical transformation that a collapsible tent, with construction green devil should and will take center stage of the cranes and heavy equipment vigorously roadway. Third, because the University building out what will be a dramatically has more notable people and accomplishments to cel- transformed part of DUMC. New buildings include ebrate than a coal pile. the Duke University Cancer Center, the new Duke To the first point, in the Spring of this year, Duke Medicine Pavilion, a hospital expansion and the new officially ended its more than 80-year reliance on coal School of Medicine Learning Center. In addition as the primary fuel source for on-campus steam pro- to the new buildings, plans are in place to connect duction. Steam is primarily used to heat buildings on DUMC with a spine of greenways and quadrangles campus. Prior to implementation of the Climate Action that provide healing natural environments for paPlan in 2009, coal made up nearly 90 percent of the tients, families and visitors. That spine will run down fuel mix for steam production. At the same time, steam the old Coal Pile Drive and connect DUMC with the production itself contributed 24 percent of the total Engineering Quad and the rest of campus. A screen of emissions of the University. trees will be planted between this pedestrian way and Since the CAP was implemented, a careful juggling the renovated steam plant. act of steam capacity has taken place. The East CamWith Coal Pile Drive’s defining landmark no longer pus Steam Plant, located next to Smith Warehouse, has in place, it seems natural that its name should also be been renovated and restored to run on natural gas. As retired from use. According to retired University Ara result, the CAP calculates a drop in greenhouse gas chitect, John Pearce, he officially bestowed the name emissions of nearly 10 percent compared to baseline es- on the access road in the 1990s when the Durham timates. The full measure of actual reductions from the Fire Marshal required 911 addresses for all on-campus renovations will appear in reporting for 2011, which is buildings. Prior to that time it may have been referred not yet available. Presumably, 2011 should prove to be to as Coal Pile Drive, but the name was apparently not another successful year of reductions in campus GHG official as it was a private road. emissions.

Regardless of the origin, the moniker is no longer It’s now time for the West Campus Steam Plant to needed for orientation. In addition to being a prime receive a facelift. The coal pile is now gone, and so is naming opportunity for a potential donor, the new the equipment required to move and burn coal within greenway should serve as the foundation for the new the facility. In its place, additional natural gas boilers name, demanding in its own right the honor of orientwill be installed with fuel oil back-up. The building will ing the campus. also undergo restoration to reveal the original architecDuke no doubt has reason to celebrate the signifiture, similar to the award-winning facelift of the East cant milestones on the road to its greener future. EndCampus facility. Once in operation, the West Campus ing its use of coal is one of those milestones, and the Steam Plant will resume primary steam production and renovation and renaming of Coal Pile Drive is a true the East Campus Steam Plant will serve to compliment opportunity to paint the campus landscape in our futhat capacity when necessary. ture vision.

Plant modification is not the only activity happening on Coal Pile Drive these days. The drive is also undergoLiz Bloomhardt is a fifth-year graduate student in earth ing a dramatic transformation from back alley to front and ocean sciences. This is her final column of the semester.

lettertotheeditor Dialogue on Palestinian culture needed Pi Kappa Phi, singled out as they were, certainly provoked a lot of outrage on our campus and on our collective Facebook recently. As a member of the Duke community, I am always concerned when a colleague of mine is offended. I sympathize completely with Nicole and Amber in their complaints.

This type of dialogue is important for our development, not only as a community, but also as individuals. This recent uproar, though, has painfully brought to mind a double standard that exists on our campus. While other ethnic groups on campus enjoy the ability to express their identities, cultures, histories and, more importantly, enjoy the ability to point out insensitivities regarding their culture and identity, Arabs, specifically Palestinian Arabs, enjoy no such privilege. For four years, I have been a part of this community, and I have witnessed events happening overseas that, at the very least, should merit some dialogue and discussion, yet very little arises.

While the University has been very protective of free expression and the free exchange of ideas, unfortunately, others are less receptive.

The challenge lies not with this University alone, though, but with a pervasive public mentality that to be “pro-Palestinian” means you are inherently “antiIsraeli” and, implicitly, “anti-peace.” It is impossible for someone to begin a dialogue or correct an error, as other groups have, because our history remains largely denied in this country, and our culture is portrayed as violent, backward and anti-Semitic. I expected this University to be able to rise above such willful ignorance, yet the disrespect and discrediting remarks directed against pro-Palestinian events demonstrate that this position persists. I’ve stood with Duke’s own Students for Justice in Palestine chapter as they held various events, and I’ve seen the smirks that greet their (oft-labeled) “propaganda.” And of course, similar disbelief prevailed even in the days before SJP (founded last year) pushed these issues forward on campus. If Duke is willing to take the claims and complaints of one persecuted people as legitimate, why deny another?

Forever Duke.

Ibrahim Maali, Trinity ‘12

Visit www.chronicleblogs.com for our news, sports, editorial and recess blogs.

I

n Buenos Aires, you often hear people speak of the living dead.

This is not an allusion to the most recent post-apocalyptic zombie film. Nor is it a reference to the famously macabre culture of the Day of the Dead—that’s celebrated in Mexico. The living dead of Argentina are the victims of a malicious, though relatively unknown, drug called paco.

A sickly yellow powder, maggie lafalce paco is the byproduct of southern highlander cocaine manufacturing.

Derived from the impure, chemical residue left over after the production of cocaine, it is often cut with any number of toxins, including sulfuric acid, rat poison, glue and even shards of glass. Since paco is essentially narco-waste, it is sold for very little, as low as one Argentine peso (about 0.23 U.S. dollars) a hit. Hits are cheap and powerful. Each hit lasts only a minute or so, and serious addicts can go through over 100 doses a day.

Paco’s fleeting and intense high is extremely addictive.

Addicts, once hooked, have little hope of rehabilitation, and the lucky few who successfully quit are left to suffer the physical and mental repercussions of a nervous system eroded by paco. But, as I said, these are the lucky ones— from their first hit, most paco addicts will not live more than three or four years.

Cheap, impure, and most prevalent in areas riddled with cocaine kitchens, paco is the drug of the poor. It haunts the streets of Buenos Aires’s “villas miserias,” slums or, literally, “towns of misery,” and the city’s villas are where you can find the vast majority of the estimated 85,000 paco users in the city. According to government reports of one Buenos Aires slum, Villa Itatí, an appalling 50 percent of the slum’s 60,000 residents have used or are currently addicted to paco. It is in many ways Argentina’s meth, a drug that ravages not their rust belt, but their downtrodden slums.

With high levels of crime, low levels of decent employment and insufficient structures for education and public health, it seems that the state has more or less abandoned the villas miserias of Buenos Aires. In terms of both socioeconomic thought and their location on the urban grid, the villas lurk in the periphery. For many in Buenos Aires’s towns of misery, pushed to the margins of urban life and all but deserted by the policymaking process, paco is considered a “drug of extermination.” With addicts as young as eight or nine years old and ever-rising levels of addiction, there is the sense that this drug will inevitably exterminate the poor of Buenos Aires, and that few will notice or care when it does.

Although paco is made from the residue of cocaine production, the two drugs could not be more different.

Paco is really the strange cousin of cocaine, and unlike its more glamorous and expensive cousin, paco’s low cost ensures a potential addict’s first hit is easily attainable. Paco is cheap, a drug of the poor; cocaine is a more costly habit, making it a drug of the wealthy. Compare the bilious yellow hue of paco to the pure, snowy white of cocaine. One is smoked through a twisted, rusty piece of metal and the other is snorted through a rolled dollar bill. Paco is the drug of the villas miserias and of the living dead. Cocaine is the drug of Hollywood, discos and extravagance.

Like many victims of the global cocaine trade, the living dead of Buenos Aires pass by largely unnoticed.

The gaunt faces of paco addicts appear only on the evergrowing list of cocaine’s casualties. There they are, next to the sons of Luis Carlos Galán, the Colombian presidential candidate assassinated by Pablo Escobar in 1989, and joined by the countless, nameless bodies that fill the morgues of Mexico yearly.

Though many in the United States have undoubtedly never heard of paco, its existence is undeniably dependent on the extraordinary demand for cocaine supported by the United States, the world’s largest consumer of the drug.

Paco may be the scourge of Argentina’s slums, thousands of miles away, but unfortunately the U.S. is a major protagonist in the macabre reality of paco’s young victims.

Maggie LaFalce is a Trinity junior and is currently studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is her final column of the semester.

12 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

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