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, JANUARY 19, 2012
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 79
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
Chairs of debt commission outline plan by Margot Tuchler THE CHRONICLE
of family history and finding out your own history, of your family and community,” Norris said in an interview. “There’s a story that’s in the history books, with a capital H, and then there’s a personal history.” Norris said she dived into her own family history after her uncle accidentally referred to a family secret, which revealed that her grandmother used to dress as Aunt Jemima and travel across America performing marketing demonstrations for Quaker Oats. Norris
The United States’ debt will have drastic consequences unless policymakers take major steps to alter the current fiscal path, said the co-chairs of President Barack Obama’s bipartisan budget commission. Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, cochairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, discussed efforts to address the federal budget crisis Wednesday in a presentation titled “Decision Time: Bowles, Simpson and the Federal Budget.” Moderated by Phil Bennett, Eugene C. Patterson professor of the practice of journalism and public policy, the discussion outlined Bowles and Simpson’s plan to balance the budget by 2015. “I believe if Congress and the administration don’t wake up, we face the most predictable—and the most avoidable—economic crisis in history,” Bowles said. “The fiscal path we are on is not sustainable.” Obama appointed Bowles, former White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton, and Simpson, former senator from Wyoming, as co-chairs of the 2010 commission, which was charged with generating policies that would balance the nation’s budget. Bennett, former managing editor of The Washington Post and current managing editor of Frontline, said that Bowles and Simpson have
SEE NORRIS ON PAGE 4
SEE DEBT ON PAGE 4
ELYSIA SU/THE CHRONICLE
Michele Norris, co-host of National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” speaks Wednesday evening in Reynolds Theater.
Norris uncovers hidden racial histories by Charlie Haley THE CHRONICLE
A National Public Radio host is pulling the race card—and she is doing it to illuminate the nature of race relations past and present. Michele Norris, co-host of NPR’s longest-running news program “All Things Considered,” spoke at Reynolds Theater Wednesday as part of the Race Card Project—a nationwide initiative accompanying her current book tour that asks fans and audiences alike to submit their thoughts on race in six words or less.
“‘Underneath, we all taste like chickens,’” Norris read, noting that of out of thousands of submissions, this one-liner stands out as one of her favorites to date. In her remarks, Norris also discussed her recent book, “The Grace of Silence: A Memoir.” Norris’ lecture, sponsored by the Baldwin Scholars Program, focused on stories of Norris’ family members before the civil rights movement and what the radio host terms as the “hidden conversations on race.” “[I want to convey] the importance
Scientists prove Caffeine intake may boost ability to split intelligence, study shows charge of electron by Ashley Mooney THE CHRONICLE
by Yueran Zhang THE CHRONICLE
A recent simulation by a group of physicists has proved that it is possible to split the charge of an electron in half. The researchers, including Matthew Hastings, associate professor of physics, used supercomputers to show that under certain conditions, a collection of particles could take on one half of the fundamental charge of an electron. This marks the first time that a collection of particles has been identified with partial properties of the fundamental particles, suggesting new lines of inquiry for condensed matter physics. The results were published by Hastings and his colleagues, Sergei Isakov of the University of Zurich and Roger Melko of the University of Waterloo in Canada, who are working the Large
Dispelling any negative connotations of the phrase “coffee addict,” a recent local study shows that the substance might increase intelligence. Scientists have found that caffeine enhances nerve cell connections in the brain—synapses— which are scientifically considered to be the cellular basis for learning. Serena Dudek, a senior investigator in the Neurobiology Laboratory at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the Research Triangle Park, said that although the findings are notable, the degree to which the study applies to humans is still unclear, given the biological differences between humans and the study’s test subjects: rats. “Effects of caffeine on memory in humans are
SEE ELECTRON ON PAGE 10
Williams leads Blue Devils on the road, Page 5
SEE COFFEE ON PAGE 10
MELISSA YEO/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO
A recent local study shows that the consumption of caffeine can enhance the activity of synapses in the brain.
ONTHERECORD
“I wish I could talk to her, chew her out, ask her why. But I don’t even know if it’s illegal, what she did.” —Mia Lehrer in “A bad case of the willies.” See column page 8
DSG approves discount program, Page 3
2 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012
THE CHRONICLE
worldandnation
5127
Electorate sharply divided over reelecting Obama
As President Barack Obama prepares to give his third State of the Union address next week, he faces a dispirited and polarized electorate that is sharply divided over his record, worried about the pace of the economic recovery and deeply pessimistic about the country’s trajectory. In a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, 9 percent of Americans see a strong economic recovery, a number that has hardly budged in more than two years. Twice as many say they are worse off financially since Obama became president than say their situations have improved. Slightly more than half the respondents, 52 percent, say Obama has accomplished “not much” or “little or nothing” as president, while 47 percent offer a positive assessment of his record. The president’s ratings on a series of domestic and economic issues paint a portrait of an incumbent facing a difficult reelection.
“
FRIDAY:
TODAY:
5836
schedule
at Duke...
Social Movements Exhibit Bryan Center Louise Jones Brown Gallery, 12a.m.-all day The exhibit will focus on social activism on campus. This will happen concurrently with the “Act to Honor” observation.
Cover Letter Writing Workshop Flowers 201, 12-1p.m. This workshop will cover the basics for writing an effective cover letter that will appeal to employers.
Women often screened for Filming costs in Greece osteoporosis unnecessarily cut due to debt crisis Many women who get screened for osteoporosis may not need it, according to a study that suggests current guidelines result in unnecessary tests, costs and sometimes treatment. Osteoporosis develops in fewer than 10 percent of women who reach age 80 if they had normal density at 65.
Duke in Oxford Summer Information Meeting French Family Science Center 2237, 5:30-6:30p.m. This information session will cover the basics of studying at Oxford this summer.
ATHENS, Greece — The Acropolis, Greece’s star attraction for 2,500 years, may be preparing for a bigger role. The Greek government lowered the permit costs this month for using archaeological sites and museums for film crews and for professional photographers.
Countdown to Calder Nasher Museum of Art, 7-8p.m. This free documentary film series highlights 20th century artists who share Calder’s vision of sculpture as a unique and dynamic art form.
Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.
TODAY IN HISTORY 1809: Edgar Allan Poe is born.
— Henry Ward Beecher
on the
web
”
“The chill of winter is in the air, even in beautiful-weather-all-year-round North Carolina. This, however, does not stop Dukies from tenting out for the basketball games this season. Black Tenting—an option for the roughest and toughest Cameron Crazies only—officially starts Jan. 15.” — From The Chroncle’s New s Blog bigblog.dukechronicle.com
on the
calendar Epiphany Georgia
Timket Ethiopia
National Popcorn Day KOSTAS TSIRONIS/BLOOMBERG NEWS
Columns from the temple of Olympian Zeus and the Parthenon sit at the top of Acropolis hill in Athens. The cash-strapped Greek government is lowering the costs of film and professional photography permits at the Acropolis and other hisotrical sites in an attempt to raise more money.
DELIVERY on campus 11 am - Midnight We accept
duke points
Pizza, Salads, Subs, Wraps, Wings & Cinna-Zo’s order online: enzopizzaco.com
309.3696 s 2608 erwin rd. We would love to cater your NEXT business or festive occASION
United States
Archery Day United States
Student Group Advertising Fallial Special
Spec
$
100 full color quarter page ads Let Campus know what’s going on! 94% of undergrads read The Chronicle
Chronicle Adver tising ~ 684.3811 adver tising@chronicle .duke .edu
THE CHRONICLE
THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 | 3
DUKE STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Duke-Durham Discount Program to be revived by Patton Callaway THE CHRONICLE
The Duke Student Government Senate approved funding for a revamped discount program in an effort to foster a closer relationship between students and Durham. Established in 2005, the Duke-Durham Discount Program originally included more than 20 vendors offering a 5 to 20 percent discount for customers with their DukeCard. The program lost vendors and momentum since its
LAUREN CARROLL/THE CHRONICLE
Durham Regional Affairs Senator Derek Rhodes speaks Wednesday.
establishment, but freshman Derek Rhodes, senator for Durham and regional affairs, worked to revive the program after learning about it in Duke’s archives. “[The program] is important because it gives students incentive to go straight into the heart of Durham and to places that make Durham unique,” said Rhodes, a Durham native. “[DDDP] provid[es] students with the chance to eat at the places I love—places that I have seen from another perspective.” Rhodes recruited venues that were close to campus and popular with students—some were involved with DDDP in 2005, and others are new to the program, such as Tyler’s Restaurant and Taproom. Students can now receive a 5 to 20 percent discount at participating venues including Cuban Revolution, Cosmic Cantina, Chopped Greens, Local Yogurt and Blue Corn Café. Rhodes said he hopes that success at these restaurants will encourage other places to participate. “I considered a variety of restaurants and places that would fit all types of interest,” Rhodes said. “Part of being a resident of Durham is exploring all that Durham has to offer and that means going to places that you may not be comfortable with. It’s part of the college experience.” DSG has yet to allocate funding for the project, but estimated that costs would exceed $1,000. The funds would go toward bus advertisements, flyers, Chronicle advertisements, business cards and table tents in order to increase student awareness about the opportunity to explore Durham at a discounted price. In other business: Sophomore Patrick Oathout, senator for athletics, services and the environment, proposed changes about the structure of the Senate and the executive board’s relationship. “We as the Senate are supposed to be the decisionmaking body,” Oathout said. “Executives are the first to speak up…. It’s odd having people who sit on the executive board to sit on the Senate as senators.” He proposed a completely separate Senate meeting,
just as executive board meets independently each week. Oathout noted that vice presidents should not be allowed to speak on legislation unless they receive permission to talk. The Senate decided to table the issue for further discussion. DSG also proposed changes to the text of the DSG Constitution in order to allow for more flexible bylaws. The Senate voted to table these changes as well. Junior Alexandra Swain, vice president for Durham and regional affairs, presented a resolution to add an on-campus poll location that would allow students to vote in the North Carolina primaries in May and in the general elections in November. The resolution also called for an early voting site on campus. For the Durham Board of Elections to place a polling site on campus, DSG must demonstrate that students would utilize the location through a petition signed by students. “We want an easy, accessible voting site,” Swain said. “I think it will make a strong statement.” Senior Monique Barrios, senator for Durham and regional affairs, introduced legislation that would extend the deadline for applying to the Young Trustee position. Barrios said that students were given a limited amount of time to submit their applications. She added that seven students entered the race for the 2012 election cycle—a smaller number than last year—which would result in all of the applicants automatically becoming semi-finalists. She proposed extending the application deadline to Monday, Jan. 23, but the proposal failed nine to 20.
1/30/2012 It’s coming.
Trinity College is pleased to recognize our
ACLS New Faculty Fellows teaching new courses for spring 2012! Alexander Bonus (Music) MUSIC 55A—Music Theory
Cavan Concannon (Religion & Classics) REL 108—Life and Letters of Paul REL 20S—The Bible and Human Sexuality
Tomas Matza (Cultural Anthropology & Slavics) RUSS 155—Special Topics in Russian and American Culture CULANTH 180S—Social Life of Climate Change
Michael P. Ryan (German & Literature) LIT 297— Weimar Cinema
Alex Schulman (Political Science) POLSCI 104—Politics and Literature
Shannon Withycombe (History & Women Studies) HIST 105S—Sciences of the Western Body HIST 195S—Women & Health in American History For more information about the 2011-2012 ACLS Fellows at Duke, please visit https://today.duke.edu/2011/05/aclsfellows
4 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012
DEBT from page 1 been instrumental in drawing the public’s attention to the issue of the national debt. Bennett noted that the country’s current fiscal situation is dire, and people must be open to unorthodox solutions. “If nothing is done this year, an automatic system of cuts to the budget will take place a year from now in January, and those are sort of arbitrary, across the board cuts,” Bennett said. “There is an overall sense that we’re running out of time to... figure out how to make these cuts in an equitable and sensible way.” Bowles attributed the crippling national debt to four main factors: health care, defense spending, the current tax code and interest on the national debt. He described major problems related to these four areas, noting, for example, that the United States spends more on defense than the following 14 countries combined, including China and Russia. The current taxation system is outdated and in need of reform, Bowles said.
NORRIS from page 1 learned that her grandmother took the job otherwise considered humiliating but used it to influence American opinions on black women, one small community at a time, she said. Her grandmother held herself with dignity and poise to leave positive impressions in the communities she passed through. “She used her income to lift her family up, but she used her job to lift her people up,” Norris said. Another chance remark revealed an even more shocking revelation. Norris’ father was shot by a police officer Feb. 27, 1947, in Birmingham, Ala. Her father—a World War II veteran—was attempting to register to vote, which by law required an encyclopedic knowledge of the Constitution. The shot only grazed his leg, but her father kept it secret from Norris and her family all his life. This revelation explained several quirks Norris said she
THE CHRONICLE
The United States also needs to curb borrowing money from other countries, Bowles added, noting that if the U.S. does not change its practices, more than $1 trillion will be spent on interest on national debt alone by 2020. “If you spend a buck a second from today onward, you wouldn’t reach $1 trillion for 32,000 years,” he said. Bowles also discussed the plan’s impact on health care, noting that taxpayers should not be responsible for providing a “Cadillac plan”—a term meaning unusually expensive health insurance plan—for individuals who do not fund their own medical care. In general, the speakers emphasized that all Americans need to make sacrifices in order to find a solution for the larger problem, which cannot be solved quickly. “Nothing big or important ever happens in Washington all at once,” Bowles said before the event. “This is hard work. It’s tough.” Although the Simpson-Bowles plan has received the support of four Democrats, four Republicans and one Independent on the commission, it still awaits approv-
al in Congress and has not been adopted by the Obama administration. The final version is set to be finished by February. The plan is gradual without major cuts planned in 2012. Certain contentious issues—such as workers’ compensation and food stamps—will not be affected substantially. When asked by a member of the audience if they were optimistic or pessimistic about the country’s potential to solve the problem, Erskine and Bowles both said they were hopeful that a solution would be reached. “I’m no Pollyanna by any stretch of the imagination, but I think the future of our country is very, very bright if we face our problems,” Bowles said. Jeff Pavlak, a master’s student in the Sanford School for Public Policy, said he was critical of the plan and its proposed tax cuts. “It doesn’t make sense in a time... when the wealthy are at a higher income than they’ve ever been,” Pavlak said. “I don’t think [Bennett] asked any difficult questions of [Bowles and Erskine’s] proposals or of their ideologies.”
had noticed in her father while growing up—he had always seemed to walk with a slight limp, and carried a pocket Constitution on his person throughout his entire life. Although Norris said she experienced strong opposition from her family in researching these stories, persistence was well worth it. “If you don’t claim those stories, you lose them,” she said. This research inspired the Race Card Project, which works to add to the global conversation on race and has seen a large response, she said. Many audience members said they left the event inspired and invigorated. “It is important for the current generation, who is forgetting what people have gone through, to rehear these stories and almost re-experience the atrocities that happened in terms of race and start caring again,” said sophomore Rebekah Johnston, a Baldwin Scholar. “It seems to me like there’s a pause in racial progress, and highlighting these struggles will hopefully push
things forward.” Durham resident Erin Swanson said she was fascinated by the Norris family’s experiences shielding her from their history in order to promote her upward mobility. Norris added that she is hopeful that her stories will spur others to start conversations of their own and emphasized the importance of the college environment in these discussions. “Sometimes activism doesn’t have a fist in the air, doesn’t occupy a building or parking lot—sometimes activism is quiet, but just as effective,” Norris said.
@dukechronicle
Recess
volume 13 issue 15 january 19, 2012
LIVELOVERECE$$
Poetr y
Out Loud Poetry series gives life to the written word
CENTER
LARSA AL-OMAISHI/THE CHRONICLE
tinker tailor soldier spy
Gary Oldman shines in the classic spy thriller
PAGE 3
the iron lady
Meryl Streep’s stellar turn redeems a lackluster script
PAGE 3
the big pink
British rockers take a step backwards on second LP
PAGE 6
theSANDBOX. An LMFAO song called “Party Rock Anthem” is currently number nine on the Billboard Top 100. It’s the 42nd consecutive week that “Party Rock Anthem” has appeared on that chart. I’ve dispensed with a snappy, sardonic lead this week, partially because I’m phoning this column in, and partially because my mind is so irreversibly blown by that statistic that I can’t express my thoughts on the subject with anything other than mouth-agape bewilderment. But before I try to move on to coherent outrage, let me f**k you up with a little more truth on LMFAO. In the history of the Top 100 chart, only two songs have remained in the top ten longer than “Party Rock Anthem.” In a related story, “Sexy and I Know It” has been number one or two on that chart for the last eight weeks. Both, for the record, are off an album called Sorry for Party Rocking. We’ve derisively discussed the recent evolution of bro-step in this space before. Turns out, Skrillex’ machine-death-porn an-
thems are in fact only the tip of an iceberg of s****y electro: America seems to have fallen deeply in love with the same band producing Paris Hilton’s comeback single. I couldn’t make this up. The tragedy that is LMFAO’s overwhelming success is all the more devastating in light of the immense quantity of actually, you know, good electronic music. So now I’ll speak to you, passive consumer of music/regular pop radio listener: What is the matter with you? You spent the last year fist-pumping to Avicii or David Guetta or some other soulless piece of industrial-cleaner-synth trash, but I don’t remember hearing any Clams Casino, or Araabmuzik, or even M83, at Shooters recently. You really don’t have the patience to dance to a song that isn’t assaulting you with flatulent bass drops every eight bars? I’ll give you some of my focus medication. Would that help? Because your taste in music—it’s killing me. —Ross Green
[recesseditors] talking heads Ross Green.............................................................................................Rob Corddry Matt Barnett.......................................................................................Lewis Prothero Michaela Dwyer.................................................................................Click and Clack Brian Contratto.............................................................................Anderson Cooper Chris Bassil.............................................................................................Alan Colmes Josh Stillman.............................................................................................Bob Boilen Phoebe Long..............................................................................Greta Van Susteren Chelsea Pieroni................................................................................Rachel Maddow
DUKE PERFORMANCES SPRING 2012 SEASON SIMONE DINNERSTEIN, PIANO
BACH, CHOPIN, SCHUBERT BRAHMS, FELSENFELD FRIDAY, JANUARY 20 8 PM REYNOLDS THEATER
SOLD
OU T
CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF, VIOLIN
BACH PARTITAS & SONATAS FOR SOLO VIOLIN MONDAY, JANUARY 23 7 PM REYNOLDS THEATER
ED L IM I T
FIASCO THEATER
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S CYMBELINE THU, FEB. 2 THRU SAT, FEB. 4 8 PM REYNOLDS THEATER INDIE ROCK GUITAR ICON
THURSTON MOORE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 8 PM REYNOLDS THEATER DIRECT FROM SPAIN
FLAMENCO VIVO CARLOTA SANTANA SATURDAY, FEBUARY 11 8 PM PAGE AUDITORIUM
TICKETS $5 TICKETS
DUKE STUDENT STUDENT DUKE
EVERY DUKE PERFORMANCES SHOW, ALL SEASON. TAKE ADVANTAGE.
T I CK
ETS
[STAFFER’S NOT]
recess
PAGE 2
January 19, 2012
J
udging by yesterday’s overwhelming anti-SOPA/PIPA sentiment, it doesn’t appear as though many consumers m much care about preserving the record r label or big-budget stud which is reason enough in itdio, s to let them go the way of the self dodo. d But what’s more important t than the “what” is the “why” and t “how.” It’s no revelation that the the t average music-listening moviegoer i has little invested in media industry status quo, of course, i but b it’s a long leap from there to t understanding why we seem s comfortable and justified in so engaging e in “theft” and “piracy.” I use scare quotes here because we all know that it’s exceptionally difficult to think of downloading music and movies as theft. If anything, the terms instead conjures images of, well, thieves and pirates. Part of the reason downloading content doesn’t feel like theft is because it doesn’t really resemble it, either. When we steal money, cars or a collection of knick-knacks, we know that it’s wrong, and we remedy the situation by returning the property to its rightful owner. We apply this same idea to the media that we download off the internet, and with all other forms of ostensible property that don’t have a physical (or “rival,” in economist-speak) component to them. We call this process the “protection of intellectual property,” hence PIPA. This implies that the ideas that we create, like sounds and images we record, are the same as the money or cars or knick-knacks we own. Others don’t have a right to take them and claim them as their own, do they? Some part of most
of us would probably agree with that statement; in truth, though, it doesn’t make illegal downloading feel any more like theft than it did before. Consider this, though: a thief grows richer with each dollar, car and knick-knack that he steals. But the same isn’t true for online media pirates. Really, stealing media is like stealing air out of the sky or dirt from the ground: all of them are abundant. Air is plentiful, as is dirt, as are media files, which can be copied ad infinitum. Like the two former, the latter is not scarce, and thus has no measure of marginal utility. This explains why many of us do not feel inclined to pay for them. When we paid for music in the past, we did so because the content we wanted was created in forms that were not abundant. Because cassette tapes and VHS, CDs and DVDs were characterized by an element of scarcity, we would have felt wrong slipping one in our pocket and walking out of the store. But now those inefficient methods of packaging have been done away with, and adhering to a nowirrelevant business model will only prolong the pain. If this seems short-sighted or crazy, consider that it’s really no different from the public domain laws that allow you to download Moby Dick right now, for free, if you like, and that Hulu and Netflix have already taken steps in the right direction. I don’t have the space here to refute the obvious counter-arguments to my attack on intellectual property rights, but believe me, they exist. I wish merely to suggest that perhaps it’s not the downloading masses doing the plundering in this case, and that legislation in favor of outdated industries might be a slightly more serious (and imminently less helpful) form of theft. —Chris Bassil
recess
January 19, 2012
PAGE 3
The Iron Lady THE WEINSTEIN CO. DIR. PHYLLIDA LLOYD
The Iron Lady has two monumental shining qualities: the director’s layout and Meryl Streep. Director Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!) essentially assigns Streep two roles: the strong-willed yet flawed leader Margaret Thatcher of the past, and the decrepit and seemingly feeble Margaret Thatcher of the present day. In doing so, he focuses on the isolating and emotionally destructive effects of leadership, and wonders whether damage can be reversed and guilt reconciled. Lloyd ingeniously parallels Thatcher’s past battles with gender roles, class stereotypes, political opposition, and betrayal with her present-day internal struggle with family guilt and dementia, artistically illustrated both by the amusing yet haunting hallucination of her late husband (Broadbent) and by the chronological yet fragmented flashbacks of Thatcher’s rise to and reign as Prime Minister. Streep is phenomenal in both of her roles, but the emotionally distraught 86-year-old ex-Prime Minister holds more weight. Streep depicts the young Thatcher as poised, intelligent, and ambitious while still underscoring her obstinacy, her brittleness, and her torment at the breaking of her family and the waning of her influence. As for the Thatcher of the present day, however, Streep flawlessly portrays the near-tragic old woman trapped in the past. The youthful and vibrant qualities that made Thatcher who she was conflict with the ailments of age
that make her who she’s become, and Streep’s performance of it is, frankly, Oscar-worthy. Despite these strengths, the film fails on one note: it frequently supposes that the audience is familiar with Thatcher’s political legacy and late 20th century British history, which can cause frequent disconnects and thus weaken the film’s efficacy. And, perhaps because Streep seems stronger when playing the older Thatcher, Lloyd throws off the pacing of the film by spending too much time in the present day. Furthermore, when the film does jump to the past, some of Thatcher’s memories appear as montages of news reports haphazardly placed in the movie; the lack of Streep in these sequences reduces them to little more than quick factual ways to move forward instead of effective emotive sequences. Additionally, large time differences between some of the memories cause an implicit dismissal of half of Thatcher’s rise to power and time as Prime Minister. Overall, Lloyd’s choice to juxtapose the present and past is a decent one, and this decision, coupled with Streep’s outstanding performance, admittedly adds strength to the film. But when the credits roll, Streep’s performance is ultimately more interesting than the story she’s supposed to be a part of, and as a whole it doesn’t seem as poignant as it should. —Duncan Dodson
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy FOCUS FEATURES DIR. TOMAS ALFREDSON
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, a film based off the John le Carré novel of the same title, takes its audience back to time and form of the classic spy tale. A Russian mole infiltrates the highest level of British Intelligence in the Cold War era, and Mr. Smiley (Gary Oldman) must uncover and remove the deeply entrenched agent from its ranks. It’s a well-done and welcome return to the classic espionage genre. The narrative is fresh despite the conventional genre tropes, and the screenplay is equally snappy throughout. Carré’s dark and subtle literary approach transfers well to the film, in a directorial tone that reflects a more calculated and cold atmosphere. Moreover, the program music is done wonderfully, complimenting the action perfectly. Special mention should be made of director Tomas Alfredson, who preserves a subtlety in Tinker Tailor without letting the film drift into incomprehensibility. The result is a work that’s accessible to most audiences, but especially rewarding to engaged moviegoers: the subtle hints and messages sprinkled throughout merge to thicken the excitement and anxiety. The greatest strength of Tinker Tailor, though, is Oldman’s career-defining performance as Smiley. In a year where so many actors—Ryan Gosling, Leonard DiCaprio, etc.—have flexed their thespian muscles, Oldman brings to bear an equally impressive execution. Smiley is not a simple character to play. He has dealt with spouse drama at home, while serving at the head of British Intelligence for years. This results in a character with emotional turbulence, yet years of training and experience that condition an inability to reveal his feelings to others. Personally, seeing Oldman without his trademark moustache is enough motivation for me to go see the film, but his understated, brilliant performance re-convinced me of his ability to swing with Hollywood’s big boys. Oldman’s challenge in Tinker Tailor is imbuing the role with a visceral sensibility while maintaining the restraint befitting a high officer in the British Intelligence. He succeeds on both counts, stealing every scene in which he appears, even among scenery-chewing performances by Colin Firth and Tom Hardy. The nuance and careful pacing of the film may wear on some attention spans, but for those looking to engage and interact with a classical espionage film, Tinker Tailor doesn’t disappoint. If the twists and turns of its screenplay aren’t enough to satisfy you, Oldman will. —Aymeric Vincenti
ALEX BAILEY/SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
recess
PAGE 4
T
January 19, 2012
his week in Arts: Poet “[Poetry] is something that can never be commo
MJ SHARP/SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Craven Allen exhibit blends fantasy into the everyday by Holly Hillard THE CHRONICLE
Have you ever had the urge to sit outside in the rain at night and take pictures of your mother’s patio furniture? Photographer MJ Sharp has, and the result is nothing short of breathtaking. In her exhibit Light Cache, now featured at the Craven Allen Gallery near East Campus, Sharp experiments with long-exposure photography, an art that utilizes the interplay of light and dark. The exhibit, co-curated by Sharp and Frank Konhaus, is a unique collection of images that use nighttime light—a car’s headlights, a refrigerator light, the light of the moon—to create scenes that could not otherwise be seen with the naked eye. Her photograph of patio furniture, for example, is no ordinary composition. The sky is an eerie green, the trees around the patio are shrouded in an ethereal mist and the furniture
itself hunches, human-like, at the center of the scene. In the caption for “Sailing Patio,” Sharp describes the atmosphere as “gossamer” and “glistening,” an effect created by taking long exposures in rain with a mid-century bellows camera. The scene, despite originating in her own backyard, is one ripped straight from a fairytale. Take “Purple Coneflowers.” Shot in Sharp’s neighbor’s garden, the piece at first seems ordinary: a group of flowers, a house, sunshine. But if you look closer, something is off. This is because the picture was actually captured in the dead of night; the only visible light in the photo comes from a motion light on the neighbor’s porch. Using this artificial gleam, Sharp creates a scene with a vulnerable quality that makes the petals of each flower look as though they’re made of glass. This unusual approach skillfully depicts the dichotomy of light and dark, and the beauty of life as well as its fragility.
Sharp’s photography resonates not only for its beauty, but also because many of her photos were taken in Durham. Sharp, who attended Duke as an undergraduate and worked as a staff photographer for the Independent Weekly, photographs the parts of Durham that others may overlook: a white storage pod in an open field, overgrown weeds by a section of wire fence, a stretch of woods on Highway 70. Each photo is striking, giving life to a scene that would otherwise be left in shadow. Sharp’s collection illuminates the mundane, transforming ordinary settings into scenes that haunt and inspire. If nothing else, Light Cache will make you look at rainy nights with a little more appreciation. Light Cache will be shown at the Craven Allen Gallery, at 1106 Broad Street, until Jan. 28.
recess
January 19, 2012
PAGE 5
try and Photography dified. That’s what’s so great about it” -Maggie Zurawski
TRANE DEVORE/SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Reading series upholds intrinsic value of poetry by Jamie Moon THE CHRONICLE
Academia can often treat poetry like an obligatory scavenger hunt. Allegory, check. Motif, check. Metaphor, juxtaposition, imagery? But the value and art of poetry comes from more than a checklist of literary devices. This Saturday, the Minor American Poetry Series will host a reading, featuring poets Ana Bozicevic and Joe Fletcher, to combat this perception. “Most people when they read poetry don’t read it aloud to themselves,” said series founder Maggie Zurawski, a graduate student in English. “When you read it out loud, you become more sensitive to the formal aspects of poets’ work, like its musicality, and not just the aesthetics.” The series, now in its fifth year, began as a small get-together with friends in Zurawski’s home with an occasional spaghetti-dinner preface. When Zurawski was encouraged to establish a formal reading group, the series began to take place on campus. This also allowed the group to invite poets from outside the Raleigh-Durham area. “We invite people whose work we like, from journals or recently published books,” Zurawski said. “It’s almost like an indie rock scene. We know who’s good in our small world of writers.” Attendees of the series’ readings range from
non-Duke affiliated poets and writers from the Triangle area to Duke students and professors. Before a reading, Zurawski and fellow Ph.D student Pete Moore work together to generate a wish list of poets people want to hear read. Usually, the series aims to feature one poet from within the area and another from outside. Bozicevic, one of the readers this Saturday, spends most of her time writing and teaching and is currently a graduate student of English at the City University of New York. Originally from Croatia, Bozicevic moved to the United States at age 19. Poetry became one of her primary means of learning both the technicalities and nuances of the English language. “Poetry was a way into English for me because it’s not enough just to know how to communicate,” Bozicevic said. “You have to know the language at a more intuitive level, not to just think in English but to dream and imagine in English.” The second reader, Fletcher, a Ph.D. student in Literature at UNC, also both studies and teaches poetry. Fletcher began his undergraduate career as a pre-med student—a path not all that unfamiliar at Duke—but was transformed by his experience in translated poetry. “I was just like, ‘Wow, you can do this?’” Fletcher said. “I seek those transformative experiences with any kind of reading.” Curiosity and anticipation often color the at-
mosphere at poetry readings for both the reader and the audience: Will the poet’s live interpretation change a reader’s personal experience with the literature at hand? “The overall connection is the goal,” Fletcher said. “For me, when you have the sense of the venue and the room’s attention, you know it’s like this charged space. People are into what is going on.” In a world overflowing with media—flashy images, instant streaming videos, snarky updates in 140 characters or less—poetry may appear a bit outdated. It often requires a greater depth of attention that people think they’ve outgrown. Yet, the subtlety of poetry still remains powerful for many. “Poetry is this thing that can be easily forgotten because it doesn’t fit very easily in this world,” Zurawski said. “But it also is something that can never be commodified. That’s what’s so great about it.” Ana Bozicevic and Joe Fletcher will read as part of the Minor American Poetry Series at the East Duke Parlors on Saturday from 8 to 9 p.m.
recess
PAGE 6
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Matthew Dear HEADCAGE GHOSTLY
Matthew Dear is often too versatile for his own good. First and foremost a DJ—the man behind the break-beat techno of monikers False and Jabberjaw—Dear also dabbles in ambient music and likes to sing duets with indie rockers. His last and most successful LP, Black City, plays more like a heady concept album than a toe-tapping mixtape. The album conjures a seedy metropolis, and he employs his music in service of this fictional space, intentionally straying from his strengths. It is not uncommon for his fans to attend concerts dressed in rave attire, holding glow sticks, only to hear severely ambient 150 bpm music. Dear talks about following in the footsteps of David Bowie and David Byrne, but the connections between Dear’s work and that pair are hard to make. His electronica does bear a close resemblance to legendary producer Brian Eno, who’s collaborated with Byrne and Bowie—but Dear’s often monotonous vocals pale in comparison to those of his idols. Listening to Headcage, his second EP in as many years, there is no question where Dear’s strengths lie. He is a mas-
January 19, 2012
terful beat maker suited to satisfy unconscious headspace for patrons at a hopping bar. He consistently manages to create tempos that find the sweet spot between exuberance and chill. Eponymous single “Headcage” is less saccharine than European rave music, but still propulsive. “Around the Fountain” wisely lets his lyrics take the backseat—“I don’t need to tell you much,” he sings. Instead Dear capitalizes on the potency of his mellow techno rhythms. Best of all, “In the Middle (I Met You There)” gives away the vocals to a superior voice, Drums’ frontman Jonathan Pierce. Pierce’s excellent performance reinforces the sentiment that Dear’s work can be enlivened by fluid voice less reliant on distortion. With its drawn-out, lackluster vocals and its indecipherable lyrics, “Street Song” becomes a four-minute lull in an album that lasts only 15 minutes. Yet Dear’s techno chops remain extraordinary, and he has picked up an instinct for electronic translucence that often recalls the best of Atlas Sound. If he leases out a few more guest vocal spots and lets the drum lines take center stage, his upcoming full-length Beams could be something special. —Dan Fishman
catchiest song on the album, with instantly memorable chorus “I don’t want to hit the ground/ I’m Superman” well-paired to high-flown guitar bravado and intermittent vocal droning. “Jump Music,” as its name suggests, is the most danceable number on Future This with undertones of House adorning its usual anthemic break-beat core. The album achieves its most poignant point at its conclusion, “77,” a rumination on drug addiction whose crescendos and violin sample end the album on a heaving, post-coital note. Compared to their debut, Future This is a disappointing entry; though it’s an enjoyable dose of electro-rock, it fails to legitimize itself relative to its predecessor or achieve the same euphoric rush of “Dominos.” The Big Pink have severely undercut hopes for a continued relevance in the new decade. —Derek Saffe
The Big Pink FUTURE THIS 4AD
Best known for their triumphant 2009 single “Dominos,” the Big Pink return with their second LP, Future This. On their sophomore effort, the British duo takes their sound and subject matter to a new level of positivity. Even so, Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell never stray far from their poppy electro-rock and create a marginally more varied album that struggles to revitalize the band, an imperative for a British rock band that wants to stand out among its numerous peers. The Big Pink take obvious cues from ’80s post-punk giants the Cure and the Jesus and Mary Chain, but modernizes their sound with break-beats and sweeping synth flourishes to create a lavish experience well-suited for hi-fi headphone playback. The album exhausts it most conventional pop songs within the first few tracks. In “Stay Gold,” they reiterate the structure of “Dominos,” resulting in diminishing returns. “Hit the Ground (Superman)” is the SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Daily Specials: Tuesday - 10 cent Draft Night Thursday - 1/2 Price Liquor (unless special event) Mid-Week Beer Pong House DJ every Friday and Saturday
Jan. 26 - Dub Step Show w/DJ Rob Sekay and DJ Psylo Home of the Famous Holy Grail Available for Private Parties Check us out on Facebook at Players Chapel Hill Follow us on Twitter @HOLYGRAIL_PDC 159 1/2 E. Franklin St, Chapel Hill
(919) 929-0101
Sports The Chronicle
>> BLUE ZONE
THURSDAY January 19, 2012
Check out the Chronicle Sports blog before the men’s basketball game tonight for your pocket guide to the matchup with forward Travis McKie and Wake Forest.
www.dukechroniclesports.com
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Ol’ Roy is Devils shoot past Yellow Jackets back at it by Hunter Nisonoff THE CHRONICLE
DULUTH, Ga. — In their sixth straight conference victory, the Blue Devils shot their best field goal percentage during head coach Joanne P. McCallie’s tenure, hitting 62.3 percent of their shots against Georgia Tech. No. 5 Duke (15-2, 6-0 in the ACC) captured its ninth Duke 79 win in a row last 62 night, beating GT the Yellow Jackets (13-6, 3-3) 79-62 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. The victory marks the end of a tough week for the Blue Devils that involved three games in just six days. Freshman Elizabeth Williams was put to the test in a matchup with Georgia Tech senior center Sasha Goodlett. Despite the fact that Goodlett was arguably Williams’s toughest opponent of the season, Williams had a key double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Additionally, she had a gamehigh five blocks. “She really doesn’t play like a freshman,” Goodlett said. “She really stepped
Moore
JISOO YOON/THE CHRONICLE
SEE W. BASKETBALL ON PAGE 6
Elizabeth Williams had a double-double against her toughest post competition of the ACC season.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Rebuilding Wake looks for upset DUKE vs. WAKE FOREST Thursday, January 19 • Cameron Indoor Stadium 7:00 p.m. No. 4 Blue Devils (15-2)
BENCH
BACKCOURT
FRONTCOURT
F F G G G
RYAN KELLY 12.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.1 bpg MASON PLUMLEE 11.7 ppg, 9.5 rpg SETH CURRY 12.6 ppg, 1.6 spg, 40.5 3FG% AUSTIN RIVERS 13.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.9 apg QUINN COOK 5.5 ppg, 2.2 apg, 82.8 FT%
Demon Deacons (10-7) F F C G G
NIKITA MESCHERIAKOV 6.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg TRAVIS McKIE 17.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 50.0 FG% TY WALKER 5.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.4 bpg C.J. HARRIS 17.3 ppg, 1.1 spg, 48.2 3FG% TONY CHENNAULT 10.6 ppg, 2.8 apg
(Projected lineups, statistics from 2011-12 season) Travis McKie has been a breakDUKE WF out star for Wake Forest, and Ty 80.2 85.2 PPG: Walker has been a shot-block54.7 PPG DEF: 67.4 FG%: ing machine since his return 49.6 51.5 3PT%: from suspension. But the Blue 40.2 31.0 FT%: Devil forwards are much more 68.5 66.3 RPG: 39.7 35.5 skilled and well-rounded. 20.3 APG: 13.2 C.J. Harris has been one of 2.3 BPG: 4.8 the ACC’s top players this 6.8 10.7 SPG: season, but Demon Deacons 13.5 11.5 TO/G: possess little talent behind The breakdown him. The Blue Devils’ talent Wake Forest finally earned a quality win last and depth at guard should week over Virginia Tech, but the Demon Deaoverwhelm Wake Forest. cons are still firmly in rebuilding mode. Duke 7-foot center Carson Desrosihas a decided edge on both the offensive and er and freshman guard Chase defensive ends on the floor, and should domFischer are the only notable inate on the perimeter against a thin Wake contributors off the bench Forest guard corps. for Wake Forest. Duke, on the other hand, can legitimately run a ten-man rotation.
Just when you thought it was going to be difficult to muster the appropriate level of disdain for North Carolina this year—when we’re treated to the hilarious Tweets of Kendall Marshall, when center Tyler Zeller is making the case as the nicest player in the ACC, when you look at the roster and see an aggravating lack of Tyler Hansbrough or Rasheed Wallace or Rashad McCants or any of the other players of yore that you loved to hate—you remember why it’s okay to hate Carolina like the Duke fan you are. The program still has Roy Williams, and you know that at least once a year, he’s going to do something kind of dumb. In past years, we’ve seen moments like the memorable quote, “I could give Andy a s--t about North Carolina,” which was said after his Kansas Jayhawks lost in the 2003 NCAA national title game. Williams would take the Carolina job one week later. Then there was the Presbyterian fan he had ejected from the Dean Dome, all for the crime of cheering for the wrong shade of blue. And, of course, who can forget his comment comparing the disappointing 2010 season to, um, the earthquake in Haiti. Yes, there is always seems to be that triumphant moment once a year that only Roy Williams can pull off. That moment came Saturday. Down 33 points to a team that counts two Ivy League schools among its six losses, Williams said on his radio show that he walked over to Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton and asked if he would be okay ending the game with 14.2 seconds left on the clock. Now, typically the only people with the power to end games at will are officials and presumably
by Matt Pun THE CHRONICLE
Nearly one year ago, Duke had no trouble putting away a Wake Forest squad that won just eight games all season as it finished in the basement of the ACC. The Blue Devils dismantled the Demon Deacons 83-59 on the road, but Duke expects more of a challenge this year. “They’re more cohesive as a unit,” Blue Devil associate head coach Chris Collins said. “Those guys have been able to get experience and are playing better basketball, and that’s why their confidence level is higher.” Second-year head coach Jeff Bzdelik’s squad has already surpassed its win total from last season, and after three conference games this year the Demon Deacons have accumulated as many ACC wins as they did in all of 2011. No. 4 Duke (15-2, 3-0 in the ACC) takes its first shot at newlook Wake Forest (10-7, 1-2) tonight at 7 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Although Wake Forest is coming off a lopsided 76-40 loss against N.C. State, it still has the potential to play spoiler to any of the top teams in the ACC, as Virginia Tech found out Jan. 7 when it was upended in Winston-Salem 58-55. Key to the Demon Deacons’ better performance this season has been the reliability of two of the conference’s top scorers. Guard C.J. Harris’ 17.3 points per game rank second in the ACC, just one spot ahead of teammate Travis McKie and his
OUR CALL: Duke wins, 85-60. SEE M. BASKETBALL ON PAGE 6
SEE MOORE ON PAGE 6
MELISSA YEO/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO
Trying to end a game early against Florida State was just the latest Roy Williams gaffe, Moore writes.
6 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012
THE CHRONICLE
W. BASKETBALL from page 5 up for the team.” Nonetheless, it was much more than Williams’ play that led Duke to victory, as Goodlett outscored the freshman by five. Instead, the Blue Devils looked to other contributors, namely guard Chelsea Gray and forward Richa Jackson. “I thought the guards played great and I think [Richa] Jackson and [Chelsea] Gray were the difference in the game,” Yellow Jackets head coach MaChelle Joseph said. Duke dominated the start of the game, running out to a 16-point lead within the first eight minutes of play. After a few timeouts and some reshuffling, though, Georgia Tech reduced the differential to just six points. “It was great having a great start, but I
MOORE from page 5 whoever is pulling the strings at Buffalo Wild Wings, but this didn’t matter to Ol’ Roy. He was ready to get out. Williams would claim later that he did this in order to protect his players during the inevitable court-storming. He said that after the Tar Heels’ loss to UNLV Nov. 26, a female manager was hurt by a fan. Okay, that makes his decision seem somewhat reasonable. Court stormings can be scary. I covered the one after Maryland’s upset of Duke in 2010, and the mass of people rushing the court at one time creates a mob mentality where seemingly anything can happen. For Williams, who may have had in mind the incident involving the female manager in Las Vegas, the idea of leaving his players out to the teeming masses may have been too much to bear. The gentleman’s agreement or whatever he negotiated with Hamilton may have seemed like a sensible option at the time. Okay, with that out of the way, let’s now look at what really occurred. When Williams left the court with his starters and other role players, five of their teammates, three of whom are walk-ons, were
liked the wholeness of it,” McCallie said. “We had to play for 40 minutes and really be sharp up there.” Sophomore Tyaunna Marshall, as well as Goodlett, led the comeback for the Yellow Jackets. The pair ended up with 38 of the team’s 62 points. Georgia Tech also put up a very strong defense that changed Duke’s attack. “Ball movement was huge,” sophomore Richa Jackson said. “Going against the press you don’t want to dribble too much. You want to pass the ball. We did that tonight and got many fast breakaways.” The Blue Devils remained on their heels for most of the second half as the Yellow Jackets were able to force a number of turnovers, but Duke never once let go of its lead. “You don’t just throw one punch and it’s all over,” McCallie said. “You have to keep
fighting.... This is conference play and these teams are good. You have to keep playing and I thought this was one of the first games that we really did that.” Despite being regarded as one of the youngest teams near the top of the national rankings, the Blue Devils were given plenty of support from upperclassmen Kathleen Scheer, Allison Vernerey and Shay Selby. “Everyone did something for us,” McCallie said. “Our senior class really took it upon themselves to do well. Allison Vernerey gave us a lot of good play and Chelsea Grey was a pure point guard.” Ultimately it was the size and toughness of the Blue Devils that gave them the edge. “At every position they were bigger than us,” Joseph said. “That really affected some of our jump shots and took away some of the things that we liked to do.”
left on the court by themselves. Williams claimed that he didn’t know they were still there, but he walked off the court with his head down and went straight to the visiting team locker room. He wasn’t exactly being vigilant about making sure all his players were with him. He was mad about the outcome of the game. And let’s also not forget that Williams has been involved in coaching for 38 years. He was a player before that career started. He’s been around basketball his entire life. Don’t you think he would know coaches are not allowed to end games early? It’s simply not done. “I’m not aware of any precedent where officials ended a game early because both coaches wanted to,” NCAA national officiating coordinator John Adams told the (Raleigh) News & Observer. “Not to say it’s never been done, I’m just not aware of it.... From the 30-minute mark in warmups, until the time the officials designate the final score as correct, the jurisdiction, the management of the game falls within the hands of officials.” This means only one thing: Williams was displeased that the team was down 33, and he did not want to linger in the Donald L. Tucker Center. Don’t lie about it, dadgummit.
M. BASKETBALL from page 5 17.1 points per game. Both are among the conference’s more aggressive players, as Harris makes the second-most free throws per game, while McKie drains the sixth-most. “They both do a great job of getting to the free throw line. They initiate contact,” Collins said. “So you really have to make them take tough shots… and keep them away from getting layups and free throws which would enable them to have big games.” For Duke, an emphasis on forcing Wake Forest into more difficult shots will be critical to limiting the Demon Deacon offense. Duke enters tonight’s game having allowed opponents to shoot 43.6 percent, the highest opposing field-goal percentage in the ACC. Duke makes up for its defensive shortcomings with high-percentage offense, shooting 49.6 percent from the floor— best in the conference, and the program’s best since 1999. But the Blue Devil scorers will face a tough challenge in the Demon Deacons’ two 7-foot centers, Carson Desrosiers and Ty Walker. Each averages
JISOO YOON/THE CHRONICLE
Chelsea Gray ran the point effectively, racking up 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. over 2.4 blocks per game and could limit Duke in the paint. Nevertheless, with both Miles and Mason Plumlee shooting over 60 percent, the Blue Devils will not back down from attacking the rim. “You have to be aggressive,” Collins said. “You can’t let great shot blockers affect your ability to attack around the basket…. We have to be physical. We have to get the ball inside, use our strength, which is Mason and Miles.” The offensive efficiency of both Plumlees in the paint in turn opens up Duke’s perimeter attack. “We want to have great spacing in what we do—that puts a lot of pressure on the defense when you can have an attack that can be inside and out,” Collins said. Coming off three consecutive single-digit victories to open conference play, however, the Blue Devils will have to be ready for another challenging ACC opponent from the start as they return to Durham. “In the [last] game, we got off to a slow start and had to play catch-up,” Collins said. “[Changing] that is going to be an emphasis in this game—getting out of the gate well and starting strong and hopefully setting the tone for the rest of the game.”
CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS A LOT OF CARS INC. Most vehicles $595-$795 down $250$280/month.
250+ Vehicles. Layaway option w/$500. Financing Guaranteed! Duke ID $150 discount. 20+ cars between $999-$2995 cash. www.alotofcarsnc.com. Owned by Duke Alumni 919-220-7155
BARTENDERS ARE IN DEMAND!
DUKE IN MONTREAL INFO SESSION
Earn $20-$35/hr. in a recessionproof job. 1 or 2 week classes & weekend classes. 100% job placement assistance. Raleigh’s Bartending School. HAVE FUN! MAKE MONEY! MEET PEOPLE! For a limited time, tuition as low as $299. CALL NOW!!! 919-6760774, www.cocktailmixer.com
Students of all majors are invited to an information meeting for the summer Duke in Montreal program on Monday, January 23 at 4 pm, in Social Sciences 311. This exciting new program offers credit in French, MMS, and Canadian Studies, and allows students to gain exposure to Canadian business practices.
DUKE IN OXFORD INFO SESSION TEACHING LICENSURE ATTENTION UNDERGRADUATES!
Make a teaching license part of your undergraduate studies and earn a Minor in Education at the same time! The Program in Education at Duke offers students the opportunity to earn a teaching license at the elementary level (grades K-6) or at the high school level (grades 9-12 in English, Math, Social Studies, or Science). Applications for admission are now being accepted. For elementary licensure, contact Dr. Jan Riggsbee at 6603075 or jrigg@duke.edu. For high school licensure, contact Dr. Susan Wynn at 660-2403 or swynn@duke.edu.
Students of all majors are invited to an information meeting for the summer Duke in Oxford program on Thursday, January 19, at 4 pm, in French Science 2237. Financial aid and scholarships are available. The application deadline is February 1. See the Global Education Office for Undergraduates website at studybroad.duke.edu for more details.
dukechronicle.com classifieds
Financial aid and scholarships are available. The application deadline is February 1. See the Global Education Office for Undergraduates website at studybroad.duke.edu for more details.
DUKE IN PARIS INFO MEETING
Students of all majors are invited to an information meeting for the summer Duke in Paris program on Monday, January 23 at 6 pm, in Old Chem 119. Financial aid and scholarships are available. Application deadline: February 1. See the Global Education Office for Undergraduates website at studybroad. duke.edu for more details.
RESEARCH STUDIES
HELP WANTED
FOR SALE
PARTICIPANTS ARE NEEDED for studies of visual and hearing function using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These studies are conducted at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center (BIAC) at Duke University Medical Center. Participants should be 18 years or older and should have no history of brain injury or disease. Most studies last between 1-2 hours, and participants are paid approximately $20/hr. Please contact the BIAC volunteer coordinator at 6819344 or volunteer@biac.duke. edu for additional information. You can also visit our website at www.biac.duke.edu.
LOOKING FOR THAT
BILL COSBY TICKETS
SPECIAL PERSON?
Certified and Licensed Care Giver. Excellent references, Exp. with hospice, Alzheimers, mental and cancer care,etc.Willing to work days/nights. 919.536.8225. lgf0121@gmail.com
2 Bill Cosby Tickets $59.00 each Sat Jan 21st 8pm at DPAC. 12th row left orchestra. Great seats. Email brian.duscha@duke.edu
SERVICES OFFERED THROWS COACH
FRENCH AND GERMAN TUTOR
Wanted: Someone with experience in shot put and discus to coach local high school team. Afternoons, 3:45 to 5:30. $12 per hour. Email dennis.cullen@ da.org
Private French and German tutoring by native speaker. Reasonable rates, flexible schedule: 919-240-4539.
HOMES FOR RENT
TRAVEL/VACATION
LOOKING TO RENT
BAHAMAS SPRING BREAK
Duke ‘92 alumni looking to rent house for weekend of April 2022. 3br or larger, close to East Campus. 307-690-0626
$189 for 5-Days. All prices include: Round-trip luxury party cruise. Accommodations on the island at your choice of 13 resorts. Appalachia Travel. www. BahamaSun.com 800-867-5018
PARTICIPANTS NEEDED!
Duke Psychology Lab needs research participants. Studies pay $12/hour and typically last 30 minutes-2 hours. Tasks may include studying words, sentences, or pictures, and taking tests. For information about specific studies, contact marshlab@duke.edu. Must be at least 18, a Duke Undergraduate, and a US citizen.
THE CHRONICLE
THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 | 7
Diversions Shoe Chris Cassatt and Gary Brookins
Dilbert Scott Adams
Doonesbury Garry Trudeau
The Chronicle our debt crisis solutions: THIS SPACE 4 RENT: .................................................................... nick chronicles on flex: ................................................... nickyle, sanette raise coffeehouse prices:............................................................ jack buying in bulk:.......................................................................... drew not sending laptops to games: ........................................... ctcusack selling lenses: ...............................................yy, chelsea, dbb, elysia borrowing from the motherland: ............................. jaems, melissa renting out dean dean: ......................................................... megan Barb Starbuck invests in herself: .............................................. Barb
Ink Pen Phil Dunlap
Student Advertising Manager: .........................................Amber Su Student Account Executive: ...................................Michael Sullivan Account Representatives: ............................Cort Ahl, Jen Bahadur, Courtney Clower, Peter Chapin, James Sinclair, Daniel Perlin, Emily Shiau, Andy Moore, Allison Rhyne Creative Services Student Manager: .......................... Megan Meza Creative Services: ................Lauren Bledsoe, Danjie Fang, Mao Hu Caitlin Johnson, Erica Kim, Brianna Nofil Business Assistant: ........................................................Joslyn Dunn
Sudoku
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. (No number is repeated in any column, row or box.)
Daily
MT. FUJI ASIAN BISTRO SUSHI & BAR
DRINK SPECIALS SUSHI SPECIAL
Buy 1, Get 1 FREE EVERYDAY
* Items of lesser value taken off first per ticket
3ϵϬϱ3t͘3DĂŝŶ3^ƚ3ͻ3 ƌŝŐŚƚůĞĂĨ3^ƋƵĂƌĞ3ͻ3ϲϴϬͲϰϵϲϴ3ͻ3ǁǁǁ͘ŵƚĨƵũŝŶĐ͘ĐŽŵ
Answer to puzzle www.sudoku.com
The Independent Daily at Duke University
The Chronicle
8 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012
Beggars should be choosers When digging in against School of Engineering. cuts to the National InstiDuke has put a couple of tute of Health budget, Duke solutions on the table. The should be careful where it School of Medicine has adoptturns for support. ed an internal bridge funding The University has done plan that uses indirect dollars well to prepare researchers refor the inevitaceive in grants editorial ble. Right now, to fund projthe NIH faces a potential 5 ects that have been unsuccesspercent reduction in its bud- ful in receiving NIH funding. get in the coming year. More So far, this scheme has been than 80 percent of the NIH’s able to support 50 percent of $30 billion budget is invested applications. through research grants, and Bridge funding is neither Duke gets a big slice of that pie: a new solution—it has been Almost 25 percent of external around for years—nor is it a funding at Duke’s schools sustainable one. The amount comes straight from the NIH. of money available for bridge A reduction in the NIH bud- funding depends on the get will impact all institutions amount of money brought receiving funding, including in by external grants. This is Duke’s School of Medicine, fine when the total amount the Nicholas School of the of grant money brought in Environment and the Pratt stays level from year to year.
“
Seems like noise would be the primary variable changing between home and away. It ain’t like the line’s distance from the rim is changing. —“lenhawk” commenting on the story “Free throw shooting may cost Blue Devils.” See more at www.dukechronicle.com.
LETTERS POLICY The Chronicle welcomes submissions in the form of letters to the editor or guest columns. Submissions must include the author’s name, signature, department or class, and for purposes of identification, phone number and local address. Letters should not exceed 325 words; contact the editorial department for information regarding guest columns. The Chronicle will not publish anonymous or form letters or letters that are promotional in nature. The Chronicle reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length, clarity and style and the right to withhold letters based on the discretion of the editorial page editor.
But when the overall amount of grant money drops overall, as it would following the NIH cuts, the bridge fund behaves like a Ponzi scheme trying to pay off its investors: A drop in total grants received will result in more demands on the bridge fund at the same time its source of income falls off. This will not work forever, especially if annual cuts to the NIH budget become the new normal. This leaves us with one other option proposed by Duke in the face of cuts: to increase the amount of partnerships between researchers and nonfederal corporations. This also is not new. Many Duke officials already receive payments from corporate sources. For example, Victor Dzau, chancellor for health affairs and president
and CEO of the Duke University Health System, receives more than $600,000 from his membership on the boards of PepsiCo, Medtronic Inc. and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. Corporate partnerships might be a necessity—both for the funds and services they provide—but they are a dangerous one. Obviously, partnerships in medicine generate conflicts of interests. A 2012 article by The New York Times reported that doctors receiving funding from drug companies were often more likely to prescribe drugs differently and in a more risky manner—most notably through the prescription of strong antipsychotics to young children. But corporate partnerships also undermine the perceived legitimacy of a re-
search institution; lay people may not be able to evaluate research on its scientific merits, but they can tell whose hands are in whose pockets. There are hard but possible alternatives. In January, the NIH decreased the salary cap on NIH grant funds by $20,000, which means that salary expenses previously billed to the NIH now must be picked up by the University. Some researchers do not make much, but top researchers can pull in salaries of more than $300,000 a year. Researchers themselves should be willing to eat an ultimately inconsequential salary decreases in the name of science. Continuing our scientific research in down times is crucial. But when we do so at the cost of our credibility, we only undermine ourselves.
A bad case of the willies
onlinecomment
Est. 1905
THE CHRONICLE
commentaries
”
Direct submissions to:
E-mail: chronicleletters@duke.edu Editorial Page Department The Chronicle Box 90858, Durham, NC 27708 Phone: (919) 684-2663 Fax: (919) 684-4696
The Chronicle
Inc. 1993
SANETTE TANAKA, Editor NICHOLAS SCHWARTZ, Managing Editor NICOLE KYLE, News Editor CHRIS CUSACK, Sports Editor MELISSA YEO, Photography Editor MEREDITH JEWITT, Editorial Page Editor CORY ADKINS, Editorial Board Chair MELISSA DALIS, Co-Managing Editor for Online JAMES LEE, Co-Managing Editor for Online DEAN CHEN, Director of Online Operations JONATHAN ANGIER, General Manager TOM GIERYN, Sports Managing Editor KATIE NI, Design Editor LAUREN CARROLL, University Editor ANNA KOELSCH, University Editor CAROLINE FAIRCHILD, Local & National Editor YESHWANTH KANDIMALLA, Local & National Editor ASHLEY MOONEY, Health & Science Editor JULIAN SPECTOR, Health & Science Editor TYLER SEUC, News Photography Editor CHRIS DALL, Sports Photography Editor ROSS GREEN, Recess Editor MATT BARNETT, Recess Managing Editor CHELSEA PIERONI, Recess Photography Editor SOPHIA PALENBERG, Online Photo Editor DREW STERNESKY, Editorial Page Managing Editor CHRISTINE CHEN, Wire Editor SAMANTHA BROOKS, Multimedia Editor MOLLY HIMMELSTEIN, Special Projects Editor for Video CHRISTINA PEÑA, Towerview Editor RACHNA REDDY, Towerview Editor NATHAN GLENCER, Towerview Photography Editor MADDIE LIEBERBERG, Towerview Creative Director TAYLOR DOHERTY, Special Projects Editor CHRISTINA PEÑA, Special Projects Editor for Online LINDSEY RUPP, Senior Editor TONI WEI, Senior Editor COURTNEY DOUGLAS, Recruitment Chair CHINMAYI SHARMA, Blog Editor MARY WEAVER, Operations Manager CHRISSY BECK, Advertising/Marketing Director BARBARA STARBUCK, Creative Director REBECCA DICKENSON, Chapel Hill Ad Sales Manager The Chronicle is published by the Duke Student Publishing Company, Inc., a non-profit corporation independent of Duke University. The opinions expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of Duke University, its students, faculty, staff, administration or trustees. Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board. Columns, letters and cartoons represent the views of the authors. To reach the Editorial Office at 301 Flowers Building, call 684-2663 or fax 684-4696. To reach the Business Office at 103 West Union Building, call 684-3811. To reach the Advertising Office at 101 West Union Building call 684-3811 or fax 684-8295. Visit The Chronicle Online at http://www.dukechronicle.com. © 2010 The Chronicle, Box 90858, Durham, N.C. 27708. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior, written permission of the Business Office. Each individual is entitled to one free copy.
S
o hey. There’s this study I’m pretty sure ev- FACE. How dare she? eryone learned about in whatever beginning B) Holy creeping slime mold, Batman! My picpsych class they took, in which they gave rats tures were set to “friends of friends”! Surely, this food in exchange for pushing a butwas someone I knew. Or was it? I ton. If the rats got food every time thought about this. I have slightly they pushed the button, they figured fewer than 1,000 friends. Let’s out what was up, and were less likely say that, on average, each one of to push it spontaneously. But if they those friends has slightly fewer only got food some of the times they than 1,000 friends. All of a sudden pushed the button, they would keep my tiny circle ballooned to, well, pushing that [expletive redacted by slightly fewer than a million peoauthor] over and over again. ple. I felt like one of those stick figmia lehrer This has little to do with my colures on the STD chart they kept in umn today, but more to do with my high school nurse’s office that but actually my column over the semester. Burshowed you how many people you dened as I might be by readers— could have “slept with” if you were something no rookie columnist should have to with one. VD of the soul. deal with—I’ll probably only be writing my opinYou remember “take this lollipop,” the terrifyion some of the time. Like my next column. The ing little prank that used your Facebook connect rest of the columns will be stories, because I like to make a movie about some creeper staring at those more. Draw your own conclusions about your Facebook pictures, stroking himself and rats, food and irregular reward schedules. chuckling? It felt like that, but real. I kept trying to At any rate, I was going to write something convince myself that it was just a prank; I opened about sorority rushcruitment, but my musings on it in a different browser. I asked some people on sorostiboots and the extended metaphors therein G-Chat to open it. I called that Nebraska guy, panwill have to wait. You see, I woke up this morn- icked and begged him to tell me it was some kind ing to the most chilling email I’ve received since of frat prank, like the time they called me with that one time I found out Tailgate was canceled that Phone Calls for the Deaf service. But every forever. time, the same thing; just my face, staring back at The email was from the Hotmail address of a me, smiling like I was still blonde. “John Doe”—literally, that was the name given, There is no such thing as privacy on the Interand the subject was a link. The body read “Mia, net. “Friends of friends” isn’t much better than Sorry for creeping you out, but is this you?? If not, “public,” and taking your profile off the web search thought you should know.” option just makes it harder to prove to OkCupid That was all. that some [second expletive redacted by author] I thought it was spam, but Gmail is usually pret- is stealing your face. Rounds of reports later, and ty good at knowing penis enlargement from peo- she’s still up there, smirking to herself about her ple emailing, so I opened an incognito window roller blades, her cat and her inanities. I wish I (just in case) and pasted the link... and stopped could talk to her, chew her out, ask her why. But I breathing. don’t even know if it’s illegal, what she did. I think That was my Facebook profile picture from a it is. But didn’t I put those pictures up there for couple months back. My picture. On someone people to see? else’s life. In this world, my name was Audreytron. So I guess if this is a column and it’s supposed I was 20 years old, single, from Houston, Texas. I to have some kind of moral/opinion/metaphor/ had 12 more photos in the “photos” section, from message, the best I can give you is to think before several of my (Malia/Mia if you’re keeping track) you post. It’s easy to ignore until something like personal Facebook albums. I described myself as this happens, but if you truly value your privacy, “clutzy [sic], creative and inquisitive.” I was con- start keeping yourself on lockdown. We’ve learned sidering majoring in “linguistics, communication, by now that when it’s up, it’s up forever (thanks, journalism, fine arts and political science.” Ac- Boy George) and if the wrong person sees it, well, cording to quiz results, I was “more political, more you could end up repping some chick in Houston, kind, more organized” and “less sex-driven, less who used to work as a prep cook and is really into independent.” late-’80s alt rock. Not that there’s anything wrong OK, so A) Gag me with a spoon. I would not with that. It’s just not me. be friends with this chick if you paid me, much less would I willingly let someone that boring (and Mia Lehrer is a Trinity senior. Her column runs evgiven to direct characterization) appropriate MY ery other Thursday.
THE CHRONICLE
So, how about that weather?
I
t’s been a mild winter. For me, that means a bit more than barely seeing an inch of snow. Past winters have been colored with an absurd amount of sleep, sometimes reaching 14 hours a day. Even when I managed to get out of bed, I would barely have the motivation to leave my room. I couldn’t imagine a life where I didn’t feel lonely or hopeless. Through my eyes, the entire world was bleak, lifeless and covered with a dull shade ahmad jitan of gray. The medical term for indecent family man this is depression. Last winter, my depression reached a point where I could no longer succeed as a student, much less properly function as a human being. It was the second time I took a leave of absence for my depression. I returned to school this past Fall, but the ghosts of harsher winters past still hung around. Maybe I wasn’t feeling as worthless, but I still struggled to turn assignments in on time. I set goals but still failed to follow through on a number of commitments. I set out to establish new friendships and build on already existing relationships, but still struggled to find a sense of true belonging. Often the hardest part of transitioning back into Duke was trying not to feel ashamed, alone or weak simply because I was struggling. It turns out that I’m far from alone. According to the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment, over 30 percent of students at two and four-year institutions reported that they have “felt so depressed that it was difficult to function” any time within the past year. More than half of students responded that they “felt overwhelming anxiety” in the same time frame. In all likelihood, that means that you or someone you know has also felt this way, but how many of us actually share these feelings with the people in our lives? How many of the people that we see on a daily basis are hiding their personal struggles, whether they arise from conflicts at home, feelings of inadequacy, the memory of a traumatic event or any other source? It’s not easy to share something so personal or to admit a perceived weakness. Sometimes it’s easier to keep a journal or to post to an anonymous forum. This very column is a testament to the fact that I am more comfortable sharing certain things in writing. I don’t expect everyone to be as comfortable sharing their personal struggles with complete strangers. I can appreciate the value of keeping some things in life private, but I can confidently say that I wouldn’t be where I am today—excited for another semester at Duke with all of its challenges and opportunities—if it weren’t for the loving people in my life with whom I was willing to share what I was truly thinking and feeling. A part of being able to share is being able to listen. This means much more than keeping your mouth shut when someone else is talking. It includes creating environments where everyone would feel safe to speak what’s on their mind. This responsibility applies to any environment you find yourself in, from one-on-one conversations to large group meetings. This means more than simply making sure that nothing harmful is said or done, but also going out of your way to validate that everyone’s voice is precious, valuable and able to be heard. Some may protest that such a concern is self-absorbed. How much does it matter that I’m feeling crummy when Bashar al-Assad’s police forces are shooting protesters in Syria, the Israeli army is bulldozing homes in Palestine and U.S. drones are killing innocent children in Pakistan? The truth of the matter, however, is that it’s more arrogant to think that I can somehow save the world without taking care of myself first. Along with being informed of and engaged with current events, part of being a good citizen is looking after the health —which includes the spiritual, emotional and psychological health—of your fellow citizens, starting with yourself. So if there’s something you’ve been meaning to tell someone, what are you waiting for? Tell them today. If there’s something you wish you didn’t have to struggle with alone, you don’t have to. Believe it or not, there are people out there who are willing to listen and willing to help. By now, you should’ve heard about most people’s winter breaks and talked all you can about the weather. Try changing the conversation to something a little more interesting, something closer to your heart. Ahmad Jitan is a Trinity junior. His column runs every other Thursday.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 | 9
commentaries
Why Adam Sandler is smarter than America
I
promised myself I wouldn’t write an article about ribbean and Dunkin’ Donuts. This cost cutting may a movie I hadn’t seen, so I had to hold out after seem odd considering the budget is reported to be my “friends” quickly left and finish the last hour around 79 million dollars. Where did this money go if of Adam Sandler’s “Jack and Jill” alone. not toward making the movie? It went to I felt uncomfortable the whole time, Adam Sandler and his cast. with one hand poised over the spacebar Good for Adam Sandler. If the road in case any of my neighbors stopped to financial success is a marathon, Sanby. They’d ask why I was watching my dler sprinted the first few miles and is laptop with my back to a wall in the now coasting—and making millions— far corner of the room and I’d mumwhile he waits for everyone to catch ble something about “personal time.” up. He made a product as cheaply as When I was eventually caught I felt rehe could, with low production value travis smith ally embarrassed—but not for me, I was being further subsidized by blatant adit’s all in the game just doing research. I felt really embarvertisements. He then paid a few of his rassed for those who had part of their friends to be in the movie, as well as big paychecks swindled out of their pockets for barely 90 names like Al Pacino, who has also clearly subscribed minutes of fart jokes and commercials. to coasting on his previous successes. He then filled a I’ll start off small. For those who don’t know, bathtub with over 20 million dollars and took a bath Adam Sandler got famous in the late 1990s by writ- you couldn’t afford. ing and starring in the relative masterpieces of “Billy I’m sure many people would look down on Adam Madison,” “Happy Gilmore” and various “Saturday Sandler for degrading a serious art form. They may Night Live” sketches. He has now taken to produc- even look down on David Letterman for enthusiastiing high budget, low production value “movies” such cally urging his viewers to see the film, a statement no as “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” and, of course, doubt influenced by CBS (the company that signs his “Jack and Jill.” You can form your own opinions, but checks) having a stake in the success of the film. I’d my 9-year-old self was rolling on the floor during only look down on them if they didn’t know exactly “Billy Madison.” what they were doing. Adam Sandler wasn’t trying to “Jack and Jill” is both shameless and genius. The make a good movie, he was trying to make money. scenes get tired of themselves after a few seconds, America allows for such freedoms, and what’s more ending in a fart joke or someone getting injured American than making money? and then dissolving to reform as another medium The film opens and closes with clips of sets of shot of Adam Sandler scraping the bottom of a bar- twins talking touchingly about being twins in a rel. The movie is rated PG, so I just wrote the diar- world accustomed to singular birth normalcy. The rhea off as something “kids these days” are into, but scenes are strange given the rest of the movie, but that doesn’t explain an extremely racist Hispanic then I remembered something I learned from my gardener. It all makes much more sense after you two-class stint as a psych minor my freshman year. realize Adam wasn’t trying to make a good movie— People, for the most part, remember the beginning even a little bit. and end of a sequence but forget the middle. The He was trying to make a cheap movie, and wher- movie greets you and sees you go with an indicaever the film wasn’t artful, it sure was cheap. If Jack tion of deep messages about sibling love, something and Jill are speaking face to face, which happens less amiss in the rest of the movie. Just as we buy jewelry than you may think, there will be a shot of just the one to show love, and Dos Equis to be interesting, Amerwho is speaking, keeping the other off screen. Appar- ica loves the obvious message. Someone once said ently, the costs of the special effects necessary to pull “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” The obvious off Adam Sandler talking to Adam Sandler in lipstick message here is that Adam Sandler plays this game and a wig weren’t in the budget, except for a handful particularly well. of shots. Interspersed among the most product placement I have ever seen were two actual guy-lookingTravis Smith is a Trinity junior. His column runs every straight-into-the-camera commercials for Royal Ca- other Thursday.
lettertotheeditor Duke Student Government mid-year update As we embark upon a new semester, we’d like to give you an update on what we’ve been up to. This year has emerged as time of rapid transition for undergraduate life, and DSG has been working hard to protect your interests. With your input this semester, we hope to only expand and improve upon these efforts. In the first weeks of school, DSG restored Merchants on Points hours after they were severely limited, and successfully rewrote a conduct policy holding group presidents unfairly accountable for the actions of their members. With your input, we created a potential redesign to the incoming house model, and will soon be using your survey feedback to evaluate this proposal and improve the model overall. We successfully lobbied for a modest reduction in the student dining fee, and provided rides to the polls for local elections. We continue to work closely with Black Student Alliance and Blue Devils United leadership to protect the future of the Mary Lou Williams Center and the LGBT Center and we will not rest until these centers secure their future homes. This semester, DSG has also expanded the number of services offered on campus. After several years of DSG lobbying, this Spring, Duke will begin implementing bus-tracking technology accessible on computers and smartphones. We’ll also
be implementing the “Duke-Durham Discount Program,” giving you student ID discounts at local eateries and shops. Additionally, DSG continues to offer the FLUNCH and Student Legal Services programs, so please take advantage of both (though we hope you won’t need the latter.) Still, much work remains for the upcoming semester. With the support of your survey feedback, we are strongly advocating for our original goal of hosting tailgating within the athletic complex. To clarify where your fee money is going, we’re putting together reports on the dining budget and student fees. With your support of our upcoming petition, we hope to convince Durham to give us an on-campus voting site for upcoming elections. Lastly, this semester we hope to expand genderneutral housing, secure the future of electronic course evaluations, restore free STI testing and expand financial aid coverage for essential student needs. Thank you for your engagement with our work as we seek to represent you well. Should you have questions, comments or want to be a part of our work, please reach out to me personally at Pete. Schork@duke.edu. Yours, Pete Schork, Trinity ’12 President, Duke Student Government
10 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012
ELECTRON from page 1 Hadron Collider in Switzerland. The results were published in the Jan. 13 issue of Science magazine. “This is a computer simulation, and we do not have real materials,” Hastings said. “But it is a fact that we think could occur in real materials.” The research aimed to study the property of collections of particles instead of the fundamental particles—namely, electrons, neutrons and protons—individually. In most cases, the collections of particles essentially look like the fundamental particles without significant change in property, Hastings said. Under certain excited states, however, the collection of particles would act like a single particle which is no longer similar to any fundamental particle, according to Harold Baranger, professor of physics and a specialist in theoretical condensed matter physics. “Those states are very interesting to physicists as we want to understand how we get excitation that is so different from the fundamental macroscopic model,” Baranger said. It was under one of those states that two new “particles”—actually collections of fundamental particles, which behaved like one particle—came into being, each with a charge equal to half of an electron’s charge. This is the first time such a charge has been recorded in condensed matter physics, Baranger said. Though not actually splitting an electron, the research proves the electron to be destructible by showing that some objects could inherit part of its property. “When we speak about ‘splitting’ it, you should consider it more as a metaphor,” Hastings said. “People like high energy physicists actually split things to see what they are made up of, but we are splitting [the electron] in a different sense.”
THE CHRONICLE
This finding provides the first actual evidence in support of a theoretically predicted phenomenon, Hastings noted. “The idea of ‘splitting’ things has been around for more than twenty years, but some of the particular ways that it could split are purely theoretical,” he said. “We really lack experiments, but the next best thing we could do is to make a simulation to see whether this fact could occur.” Besides proving that the fact does occur, the discovery also generates insight into the dynamics causing the collections of particles to transform between various states. “[Hastings and his colleagues] found a phase transition, which the half-electron charge was connected to, from one type of state to another, as they changed the parameters of the system,” Baranger said. “That is what we are truly excited about.” The computer simulation, however, is never the final goal, Hastings said. Researchers are still looking for ways to make the phenomenon occur in real settings, and this simulation could guide them in that pursuit. Baranger also pointed out that the finding could open up new avenues for a wide range of physics study. “It opens up a whole new possibility of behavior, which remains to be seen in lots of other areas,” Baranger said. “What would happen in experimental materials is not clear yet though—my colleague and his collaborators have a number of good suggestions for where it might happen.” Haiyan Gao, professor and chair of physics, said she hoped the frontier discoveries made by Duke faculty like Hastings would encourage more Duke students to study physics. “Although our department is relatively small, people are doing condensed matter physics broadly and attracting interest and attentions from our peer institutions nationwide,” Gao said.
Students interested in running for Editor of The Chronicle should submit a resumé and a two-page essay on goals for the newspaper to the Board of Directors of the Duke Student Publishing Co., Inc. Applications should be submitted to: sanette.tanaka@duke.edu Attention: Sanette Tanaka Editor, The Chronicle
COFFEE from page 1 obviously subtle,” Dudek said. “If it really made us that much smarter, we’d all be consuming a lot more of it! Although, I joke, there seems to be an awful lot of people who are pretty impaired cognitively and socially before their first cup.” Dudek’s team found that caffeine improves the efficiency of chemical reactions involving neurons in rats. In the trials, caffeine dramatically increased signalling between neurons in the rats’ brains that is rich in adenosine receptors, which cause drowsiness. Essentially, Dudek said, caffeine takes the spot of adenosine—the chemical causing drowsiness—in these ports, preventing fatigue, increasing energy and improving memory. She added that human cells may not have the same distribution of receptors as rats, possibly leading to different effects of similarly proportioned dosages. There are, however, enough strong similarities between humans and rodents—often used as test subjects in designing pharmaceuticals— to make such an extrapolation useful and support the notion of caffeine as a positive substance for humans. “I drink about three cups [of coffee] a day, on average, but don’t consider myself an addict,” Dudek said. “I have no problem giving it up for decaf if I wean myself off, but why [would I]?” Sophomore Inka Johnson said she drinks approximately five cups of coffee per day, occasionally replacing a cup with a caffeine pill or using energy drinks during high-stress periods. “Half a caffeine pill is one cup of
coffee, so I never take more than half of pill at one time,” Johnson said. “If I drink more than a cup, I just get jittery. Monster energy drinks are my go-to if I need to be more alter for a longer period of time, like during exam week. I know they’re not healthy for me, but sometimes I need them.” Although she doesn’t necessarily believe that caffeine directly makes her more intelligent, Johnson noted that coffee helps her stay awake and attentive in class. “If I’m feeling drowsy or easily distracted, I’ll go get a cup of coffee and 15 minutes later I feel more focused,” she said. “Indirectly, it makes you smarter because you can pay attention to what you’re learning in class, but I don’t think it makes me any smarter than I would have been if I had just gotten enough sleep.” Sophomore Lucy Yin said she drinks tea as a last resort if she is trying to stay awake. “I don’t think I learn better with caffeine, and it’s better to just get more sleep,” Yin said. “I don’t like drinking too much caffeine before a test because it makes me jittery, but I think a little bit helps me focus.” Elliot Anderson, a barista at the on-campus Joe Van Gogh, agreed that the most coffee has to offer is the ability to stay awake later or avoid classinduced drowsiness. “I wouldn’t say caffeine itself makes you more intelligent, it conspires with other elements to do so,” said Max Berry, another Joe Van Gogh barista. “I could see it making you smarter socially—[drinking coffee] is a social activity, which gives you something to do and talk about.”
Jostens Ring Days Distinctive. Classic. Lasting.
Tuesday, January 17 - Thursday, January 19 10am - 4pm The University Store, Bryan Center, West Campus
Deadline for application is Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 10 p.m. Sponsored by Duke University Stores®