Mar. 29, 2012 issue

T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y

The Chronicle

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 124

WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM

IOM promotes ‘roadmap’ for genomics research Comprehensive plan developed to ‘do things right’ in wake of scandal

by Julian Spector THE CHRONICLE

for clinical trials at a lecture Wednesday. The lack of subjects’ understanding translates to complications in the volunteering process, especially when giving informed consent—a patient’s commitment to participation in a medical trial with an understanding of what it entails.

“Informed consent is not as good as we would like it to be anywhere,” Grady said. “[It] can be improved everywhere, but there is no logical reason to insist that informed consent be identical in all places.”

More rigorous safeguards can protect against errors similar to the ones caused by disgraced former Duke oncologist Dr. Anil Potti, according to recommendations by a nonprofit health advisory group.

A committee of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies released a report Friday to establish standards for genomics research and other developing medical sciences based on large quantities of data. The report was partly a result of the Potti scandal, and it suggests a framework for monitoring and ensuring research integrity in translational medicine.

“We’re talking about research on the frontier…. If we’d had this document in place and the Duke institution had followed these procedures, we probably wouldn’t have had the problems that happened,” said David DeMets, a member of the IOM committee that released the report and professor of biostatistics and medical informatics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “But of course [the procedures] weren’t in place, and people were learning as they were going.”

Because the field of genomics has only developed in the last decade—since the mapping of the human genome— there was no field-wide set of research guidelines in genomics when Potti’s work began, DeMets said.

It is at the discretion of investigators and research institutions to adopt the IOM framework to reduce the risk of clinical treatments based on flawed genomic science.

SEE ETHICS ON PAGE 4

SEE IOM ON PAGE 4

TYLER SEUC/THE CHRONICLE

Julia Welch, Ross McKinney and Christine Grady, the chief of the department of bioethics at the National Institutes of Health clinical center, speak following the Nancy Weaver Emerson lectureship Wednesday.

Grady urges reform in human research

by Danielle Muoio THE CHRONICLE

The way clinical studies inform patients about what they are getting involved with works no better in the U.S. than elsewhere in the world, one expert said.

Patients from both developed and third world countries exhibited a similar lack of understanding of the medical research process, which limits their discernible rights, said Christine Grady, the chief of the department of bioethics at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. She discussed her work on subject recruitment

Two students Malaria project wins ChangeWorks comp. win Goldwater scholarships

by Madeleine Clark THE CHRONICLE

From Staff Reports THE CHRONICLE

Two Duke juniors have been named Barry M. Goldwater Scholars in science, mathematics and engineering, the University announced Tuesday.

Kenneth Hoehn, an Angier B. Duke scholar from Canton, Ga. and Clara Starkweather, an Angier B. Duke scholar from Athens, Ga., won the award in recognition of their undergraduate research in the sciences, according to a Duke news release Tuesday. Through the national award, Hoehn and Starkweather are eligible for up to $7,500 toward annual tuition and expenses.

Hoehn and Starkweather were selected based on their academic merit and were chosen from a pool of about SEE GOLDWATER ON PAGE 10

Ward content with international career over, Page 5

ANH PHAM/THE CHRONICLE

Undergraduate entrepreneurs competed Wednesday for seed money to launch socially-conscious ventures.

Four finalist teams presented at Duke Venture Forward’s second annual ChangeWorks social entrepreneurship pitch competition in Sheafer Theater Wednesday night. Following a presentation from keynote speaker Greg van Kirk, Ashoka Foundation Lemelson Fellow and the co-founder of the New Development Solutions Group, judges and voters awarded $5,000 in seed money to sophomore Katie Guidera and her venture, the Malaria Awareness Program in HaMakuya, South Africa.

“I don’t think the key to solving so many problems in our world is about creating a million social entrepreneurs,” van Kirk said. “It’s about learning about how to engage with others and understand what their problems are and come up with solutions together.”

Undergraduates were invited to post ideas for socially conscious start-ups on the program’s website, beginning Feb. 7. Visitors to the website voted for their favorite ideas,

Sophomore Katie Guidera presents the Malaria Awareness Program in HaMakuya, South Africa.

SEE CHANGEWORKS ON PAGE 10

ONTHERECORD

“Then everybody jumps all over everybody and the comment section looks like a meerkat enclosure in the zoo on the Fourth of July.”

—Mia Lehrer in “The requisite Duke culture lament.” See column page 8

Scheyer holds on to NBA dream, Page 5

2 | THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

THE CHRONICLE

worldandnation

“Hoodies Don’t Kill” protests against Martin shooting

NEW YORK — Nationwide protests calling for further investigation into the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin a month ago have used a familiar garment as their rallying point: the hoodie.

National Basketball Association star LeBron James and rap artist Sean Combs are among celebrities who’ve joined a social media campaign rallying “A Million Hoodies for Trayvon Martin.” More than 300,000 people have posted pictures of themselves in hooded sweatshirts to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Slogans on the photos include“We are all Trayvon” and“Hoodies Don’t Kill, People with Guns Do.” Martin, unarmed, black and wearing a hooded sweatshirt, was shot Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla., by George Zimmerman, 28, a Neighborhood Watch member who claimed self-defense and hasn’t been arrested. Protesters have seized on Zimmerman’s call with a 911 operator, in which he describes Martin’s hoodie and dubs him “real suspicious,” as racial profiling.

schedule

Smith Warehouse Bay 5, 12-1 p.m.

Emily Butera advocates for the rights of parents and children detained in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities.

Women and Money Erwin Square Building, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Men and women face different financial situations and challenges. This sesson presents “Why Women and Money?”

Staff Sgt. Robert Bales Pope Benedict XVI calls showed PTSD sympotoms for more freedom in Cuba The soldier accused of killing 17 Afghan villagers this month has reported suffering from severe nightmares, flashbacks of war scenes and persistent headaches after his multiple combat tours. Bales, 38, is now being held at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., pending a full military investigation.

HAVANA — Standing at an altar in the Plaza of the Revolution, Pope Benedict XVI appealed to Cuban authorities for greater freedom for the Catholic church here, and asked specifically that the government allow religion to be taught in schools and universities.

Preparing to be a Post-Grad Professional Hudson Hall 207, 6-8 p.m.

Presenters offer tips on finishing school and entering the professional work force.

Art for All Nasher Museum, 7-10 p.m.

Duke students and the community celebrates Calder in the Nasher Museum of Art. —from calendar.duke.edu

TODAY IN HISTORY 1973: U.S. withdraws from Vietnam.

”

“On Monday, Duke officials announced freshman combo guard Austin Rivers will enter the NBA and hire an agent forgoing his final three years of collegiate eligibility. Rivers possesses the necessary confidence, quick first step, ability to create and work ethic to be a successful professional.”

— From The Blue Zone bluezone.dukechronicle.com

7449

Families on the U.S.-Mexico Border

“

web

8058

at Duke...

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.

— Socrates

on the

FRIDAY:

TODAY:

CORRECTION

ELYSIA SU/THE CHRONICLE

Judge Patrick Robinson of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia leads a discussion titled “The Tribunal” Wednesday.

USED BOOK SALE

100% donated and in excellent condition Cash Only Durham Academy Middle School Gym 3116 Academy Road (at University Drive) Sat: March 31, 8am-2pm Sun: April 1, 12-2pm Over 10,000 quality books for all ages. $10 bag sale on Sunday. www.da.org/usedbooksale

The print edition of “Duke increases bandwith, students see slower connection” implied that the increase in bandwidth was related to some students experiencing a slower Internet connection speed. The slower Internet connection speed was related to difficulties in routing Internet traffic congestion in early March. The Chronicle regrets the error.

THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 | 3

Senate resolution Researchers create method formally denounces to alter polymers in plastics Amendment One DUKE STUDENT GOVERNMENT

by Ben Rakestraw THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012 12–1:30pm—Rare Book Room, Perkins Library LEC TURE BY HOWARD GARDNER

THE MINDS THAT WE SHOULD CULTIVATE IN THE 21ST CENTURY FREE, with lunch provided No registration required Open to the campus 5–6:30pm—Washington Duke Inn CONVERSATION AND RECEP TION WITH HOWARD GARDNER, UNDERGR ADUATE S TUDENTS AND FACULT Y

ARE OUR EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES MISSING OUT ON TRUTH AND GOODNESS? FREE Pre-registration required Email colloquium@duke.edu to register FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2012 12–1:30pm—103A Allen Building CONVERSATION WITH HOWARD GARDNER, UNDERGR ADUATE S TUDENTS, AND FACULT Y

HOW MUCH SERVICE IS REQUIRED? …THE ETHICAL ROLE OF THE COLLEGE STUDENT FREE, with lunch provided Pre-registration required Email colloquium@duke.edu to register 4:30–6pm—Rare Book Room, Perkins Library S TUDENT PANEL DISCUSSION WITH HOWARD GARDNER ON TRUTH, BE AUT Y, AND GOODNESS

REINTERPRETING CLASSICAL VIRTUES FOR GOOD WORK FREE No registration required Open to the campus For more information, visit colloquium.duke.edu

HOWARD GARDNER A P RI L 1 2 – 1 3 , 2 0 1 2

MELISSA YEO/THE CHRONICLE

Sophomore Jacob Tobia, director of LGBTQ policy and affairs, speaks at the Duke Student Government meeting Wednesday evening.

INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY AND THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE

SEE DSG ON PAGE 4

COLLOQUIUM

THE CHRONICLE

Duke Student Government unanimously approved a resolution against Amendment One at its meeting Wednesday.

The resolution—submitted by senior Daren Miller, a senator for student life; sophomore Jacob Tobia, director of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer policy and affairs, and President Pete Schork, a senior who was absent at the meeting— affirmed DSG’s support for the LGBT community and served to represent the student body’s opposition to the amendment. The North Carolina primary election and referendum is May 8, and

THE DUKE

by Margot Tuchler

Duke researchers have developed a method to manipulate the surfaces of plastics on demand.

By subjecting polymers—the molecular chains that form plastics—to a specific electric voltage, it is possible to create a variety of textures and patterns—such as lines, dimples and circles—that can be easily reversed in the material. This is a notable finding given that previous research found polymers with permanent changes or damage to their structure.

“Applying patterns and deformations can induce failure of the polymer,” said researcher Xuanhe Zhao, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science. “But by inventing this technology, we avoid the failure and produce dynamic patterns.”

The completely reversible changes in the surfaces occur in a fraction of a second, Zhao noted. Dynamic electrostatic lithography—the process of changing the surfaces to various patterns—is relatively simple.

“There are two control parameters,” he said. “One is applying the voltage. The other is physical deformation, such as stretching or bending the material beforehand.”

Zhao worked with Qiming Wang, a second-year doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering and first author of the paper. The pair has worked together for the past two years, and they initially began their research into polymers by investigating why the materials fail. Their technique is derived from the process of static electrostatic lithography, which is used to permanently alter plastic surfaces.

Zhao and Wang have demonstrated that their technique can be applied to polymers of many shapes and sizes. The patterns themselves can also take a wide range of sizes. The ability to use the lithography for such large surfaces sets their research apart from previous experiments, Zhao added.

“We can pattern surfaces from micron scales to nano

scales, as well as over large and curved surfaces, such as covering the human body,” Wang said.

The versatility of the invention may lead to many practical applications in consumer materials and research, Zhao said. Material that can change texture on demand may be useful for products such as gloves, shoes or carpet and help create new technologies in self-cleaning surfaces or camouflage.

The real-world manifestations of the technology could replicate biological systems that could be useful to humans, said David Needham, professor of mechanical engineering who specializes in bio-inspired materials.

“If you have creased surfaces, like on a gecko’s foot, then you are getting into something interesting and useful,” Needham said.

Geckos, whose feet have millions of hairs nanometers wide, have the ability to scale smooth surfaces. The tiny hairs adhere to surfaces through van der Waals molecular attraction, Needham noted. If Zhao and Wang can create patterns small enough and intricate enough to produce the same effect, they may be able to invent a glove that can stick to materials such as glass.

“The closer they can approach nanoscale, the more they can approach adhesion,” Needham said. “Being able to turn adhesion on and off with an electric current would be very cool.”

The researchers may have been the first humans to make their discovery, but they lag behind many creatures in the natural world that are able to change the texture of their skin on demand, Zhao noted.

“Cephalopods such as squids can change their surface texture to hide into the environment,” he said. “We were inspired by that.”

Zhao and Wang’s future research will involve searching for a way to make ever finer patterns in polymers, on the nanometer scale. They also plan to begin applying the technique in practical ways, such as in the biomedical and energy fields.

4 | THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

IOM from page 1 “The IOM report is the first comprehensive roadmap, reframed for the genomics era,” DeMets said. “All these steps are individually not new steps, but putting them together in a comprehensive way is the fundamental contribution of this report.”

The report, titled “Evolution of Translational Omics: Lessons Learned and the Path Forward,” suggests changes to the review process for genomics research and the computational processes necessary to make sense of massive genomics datasets. Computational procedures should be locked down—recorded and not changed—and confirmed with new set of samples different from the initial discovery set, according to the report.

Potti’s research passed through peer review and internal review before going to clinical trial. When an investigation into Potti’s credentials revealed issues of concern for the University Fall 2010, new scrutiny of his published work revealed central problems.

Duke Medicine enacted changes similar to the IOM suggestions in its Translational Medicine Quality Framework, which was finalized last May and is being implemented.

The framework suggests a digital lockbox to track changes to genomics data sets, an integrity hotline for reporting suspicious research activity and clearer methods for managing conflicts of interest, among other measures.

Dr. Robert Califf, vice chancellor for clinical research and director of the Duke Translational Medicine Institute, said Duke has taken efforts to correct problems that the Potti case demonstrated in the genomics review process. He hopes leaders of other genomics research institutions examine the IOM report and apply the findings.

The IOM findings acknowledge, in detail, mistakes made at Duke, but the emphasis now is on prevention, Califf noted.

THE CHRONICLE

“We have residual mop-up issues, but I think we’re about done [with Potti retractions],” he said. “It’s about how to do things right going forward.”

The IOM report’s call for publication of full data and the code used to guide patient therapy appealed to Keith Baggerly, a biostatistician at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Baggerly and his colleague Kevin Coombes noticed inconsistencies in Potti’s paper—including mixedup labels and discussion of genes that were not reproducible with Potti’s software and data. Their critique prompted the National Cancer Institute to investigate Potti’s clinical trials in 2009.

At the request of the National Cancer Institute, the IOM decided in October 2010 to investigate translational research procedures and specific clinical trials based on Potti’s work.

“Had such data and code been available earlier, this would have greatly reduced the amount of effort required for others— including us—to check and potentially extend on the underlying results,” Baggerly wrote in an email Wednesday.

Additionally, the IOM test will require approval by the Food and Drug Administration for any omics-based tests that will lead to clinical applications. FDA review may have caught several of the problems at Duke, Baggerly noted, particularly if the agency had been alerted of analytical problems with the research.

The increased scrutiny after the Potti revelations should not lead to overly cautious research, Califf added.

“Hopefully it will trigger an intense desire to do things right. No one can assure that your theory is going to work. You have to do studies to find out,” he said. “I wouldn’t want people to refrain from moving forward if that was the right thing to do—we just need a procedure so that right answers can be obtained without bias.”

ETHICS from page 1 Drawing data from 49 quantitative studies that measured participants’ understanding of the research process, Grady said that the socioeconomic background of participants, literacy and familiarity with research did not make a difference in their overall comprehension of their participation.

“Voluntary participation depends on the person’s ability to understand not just the meaning of the research, but the impact that it may have on their life,” Grady said.

“We need more clarity about the purposes of informed consent in research.”

Grady’s research demonstrated the need for a more patient-centric approach to consent, said Michael Merson, director of the Duke Global Health Institute.

“It’s not necessarily the perception of the researcher but the perception of the patient—what does the patient think when the patient signs a form of consent?” he noted.

“Our procedures we thought have been the best for years clearly [have] issues.”

In studies that assessed whether patients understood the aspects of what a clinical trial entailed—risks, side effects, study design and purpose of the study—patients from developed and developing countries exhibited similar ranges of overall knowledge. In the U.S. and in Mali, for instance, there was a similar percentage of patients in clinical trials who understood what their trials entailed.

These data show that there are issues in

DSG from page 3 early voting is from April 19 to May 5.

“I am immensely proud of Duke Student Government for taking a stand for families of countless North Carolinians and for the rights of LGBT people across the state,” Tobia said in an interview. “It speaks volumes about our institution and our student body... but this is just the beginning of a long campaign to mobilize voters against the amendment.”

Tobia said that he and Miller have been working with Duke Together Against Constitutional Discrimination over the past three months, and they identified the need for a DSG resolution, believing that it would kick off a campus-wide campaign to raise support for voting against the amendment.

“This is our way of expressing our sentiments about the resolution,” Miller said. “This is something extremely pertinent to the state. We are citizens while we’re here, and it’s important for us to engage in the political process.... We hope students will feel engaged and fired up to go out and express their opposition to Amendment One.” Tobia noted that nine other colleges have already officially denounced the amendment, including North Carolina State University, North

relaying information to volunteers, Grady added. Many participants lacked knowledge on the treatment they were receiving—only 44 to 50 percent knew that they were free to withdraw from the voluntary trial before its completion.

Participants struggled in understanding the study design and randomization in particular, Grady said. Despite being told they might receive a placebo, more than 50 percent of patients believed they were receiving medicine and were not part of a control group.

Grady noted a need for greater discussion on the ethics of research and the information made available to patients.

“We should be cognizant in the difference between assessing control and assessing options,” she said. “Instead of asking of people, ‘do you know you have the right to refuse,’ we might want to ask, ‘are you free to refuse or withdraw and if not, why not?’”

Susan Baker, a lab director for Social and Scientific Systems, Inc., noted the importance of questioning the manner of communicating informed consent.

“We’ve exported our model to the developing world and that may not be so appropriate,” Baker said. “There are other ways to impart the information other than to fill out a form and sign at the bottom— that is a very Western concept.”

The lecture Wednesday was sponsored by the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities and History of Medicine at the Nasher Museum of Art. Carolina Central University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Many politicians have also expressed their disapproval of the amendment, including President Barack Obama, all Democratic gubernatorial candidates in North Carolina, leaders of the John Locke Foundation—an independent think-tank based in Raleigh—as well as some conservatives.

In other business: DSG voted to approve seven new members for a judiciary selection committee, charged with the task of selecting the members of the DSG Judiciary.

The Senate also approved a proposal to create a Fix My Campus committee, which would evaluate suggestions received through the program and delegate them to pertinent organizations on campus or offer advice to those who submit suggestions.

Additionally, the Senate approved a charter for Neurogenesis, an undergraduate neuroscience journal, and for Dance Council.

Duke Co-Sign, a neurology group, was denied their charter request but received approval to be renamed Synapse. The Senate also voted to recognize Antic Shakespeare Company as an official student group—the only Shakespeare centered group on campus.

Recess

volume 13 issue 23 march 29, 2012

it’s spring; we’re outside

S E M A G E H T LET

BEGIN

Ross’ adaptation of the mega-bestselling Hunger Games series a smash hit

PAGE 3

SOPHIA DURAND AND CHELSEA PIERONI/THE CHRONICLE

miike snow

dar he

Swedish pop trio’s second album doesn’t disappoint

Locally produced film revives the story of Emmitt Till

PAGE 3

CENTER

technicolor muslimah Perspectives on American Islam at the Carrack

PAGE 6

recess

PAGE 2

I

[EDITOR’S NOTE]

enjoy thinking about music critically, which is one of the reasons I regularly write music criticism (the others are the lu lucrative compensation and the opportunity to appear objective when trolling on LMFAO o or whomever). Part of the appeal of criticism, I think, is the ability to divide myself into two sseparate entities, an evaluator of music and a cconsumer of it, and to let the former guide the la latter through the tangled jungle of torrents aand taste-making blogs. It’s a mutually beneficcial relationship, because it allows me to justify b both my taste in music (as a consumer) and my ccapacity to think about it (as an evaluator).

Insofar as I’m really only one person, it’s eeasy to see how this process could be a mirage, a sort of masturbatory, cognitive dissonancerreduction cycle. To simultaneously claim, “I li like Band X, so they’re good,” (the evaluato tor) and “Band X is good, so I like them” (the consumer), is question-begging on a logical level and arrogant douchery on an interpersonal level.

So I try to build partitions between the evaluator and the consumer; I reserve some listening contexts (the library, with headphones in) for criticism and others (my car, or a house party) for enjoyment.

Music can play a formative role for people, in the sense

March 29, 2012

that they adapt their tastes upon hearing it. Many of my contemporaries could say this about Talib Kweli or Pavement, or whoever, because these artists were their gateway into underground hip-hop or indie-rock, or whatever. Music can also play a reflective role for people, in the sense that it characterizes some part of their lives and as a result has some potent, idiosyncratic associational appeal. I wore out the Dirty Projectors’ Bitte Orca over the summer of 2009, and if I ever want or need to evoke or remember that time period, I can just throw on “No Intention.”

When people refer to some piece of music as their “favorite,” I like to imagine that they say it because this piece of music plays, for them, both a formative and a reflective role. The “evaluator” in them has a cognitive appreciation for the artist that makes the music formative—“Phoenix is really great, I should make a ‘Phoenix’ station on Pandora.” The “consumer” in them has a pre-cognitive appreciation for the artist that itself becomes an aspect of memory.

A favorite song puts all of these dualities to rest. You enjoy it and you want to enjoy it; you appreciate listening to it and you appreciate the song itself.

When I sat down to write this, my premise was something like this: What happens when the music you grew up on grows up with you? And this is where the Shins come in.

Because—and here’s the reveal I’ve put off for 600 words—the Shins are my “favorite,” as I’ve defined the

[recesseditors] what we would do for free healthcare Ross Green..................................................................................................................................................write a thesis Matt Barnett..........................................................................................................................................move to Canada Michaela Dwyer......................................................................................................................................................sports Chris Bassil....................................................................................................................................................med school Brian Contratto......................................................................................................................................Rick Santorum Josh Stillman.....................................................................................................................................no more anabolics Phoebe Long.................................................................................................................................................sober sister Chelsea Pieroni.............................................................................................................. “what does that even mean?”

Work on your MMS Certificate!

TERM 1: May 16-June 28 CULANTH 110 Advertising & Society CULANTH 117 Global Culture ECON 182 Financial Accounting MMS 120 Managerial Effectiveness MMS 161 Marketing Management PHIL 170 Business Ethics SOCIOL 159 Sociology of Entrepreneurship

TERM 2: July 2-August 12 CULANTH 110 Advertising & Society MMS 161 Marketing Management MMS 195 Creative Work: Economic Renewal PSY 115 Psychology of Consumers

Registration now underway!

Check out the course offerings on ACES or at

summersession.duke.edu

word. If all the music I’ve consciously sought out in the last six years—and that includes a whole bunch of totally unrelated genres—were arrayed in a sort of hierarchical family tree, the Shins would be the original, the ancestor, the one artist from which all the others sprout. In the sense that the Shins have been formative for me, I’m not at all alone. Hell, Zach Braff, who still had an influential career when I first listened to the Shins, once wrote a movie in which a character actually says that the Shins “will change your life.” Which, after all, is almost exactly what I’m trying to get at with the whole “formative music” idea.

But the Shins’ first three albums also carry, for me, that potent associational appeal. I was introduced to the band by a sassy brunette who wore ripped jeans and sat next to me in junior-year English class, a girl I later dated on and off for a really long time and remember fondly and still keep in close touch with. And so the Shins, aside from being my entry point into an enormously rewarding interest in contemporary music, are also emblematic of a similarly rewarding relationship, and of the part of my life over which that relationship unfolded.

The Shins—or James Mercer, anyway—recently released their fourth album, Port of Morrow. The review that ran in these pages just last week gave it four stars, but I didn’t write it.

I didn’t write it because, in a weird way, I couldn’t. I don’t mean that I wouldn’t have been objective about it—I wouldn’t have, but I’ve written plenty of reviews of acts I’m partial to and not thought twice about it. But what their music can do for me is fixed, what it means to me is frozen. It is already both formative and reflective. And it turns out that nothing happens when the music you grow up with grows up with you—there are no more undiscovered ways to interact with it, no frontiers it can lead you to.

“Legacy” is an important notion in an era in which everything is recorded and remembered, and we often look at an artist’s whole body of work when deciding their legacy.

Port of Morrow is a great album, and I’m glad that it is. But it won’t figure in my estimation of Mercer and the Shins’ legacy—whatever it is, it’s all it ever will or could be.

—Ross Green

Come Enjoy our patio and THe warm Weather When Cosmic Cantina started, there were keg parties on East Campus every friday.

This spring, we’re bringing back the old school with a keg at Cosmic

2

Keg Party

EAST CAMPUS EVERY FRIDAY

BLOCKS FROM

50¢ Drafts $1 Domestic Beers $2 Import Beers

March 29, 2012

the hunger games DIR. GARY ROSS LIONSGATE

The name of “Panem,” the nation in which Suzanne Collins’ dystopian Hunger Games trilogy is set, comes from the Latin phrase for bread and circuses, so the hype around this film initially struck me as ironic. After seeing the movie though, it’s clear to see what the spectacle is about.

It’s always a challenge to evaluate book-based films independently of their ink-and-paper originals, but Gary Ross’ stellar adaptation makes it easy—The Hunger Games is simply a very good movie. Set in a post-apocalyptic future where a lavishly wealthy Capitol rules over impoverished outlying regions, the film’s portrayal of rural poverty is hauntingly familiar, while the depiction of the flamboyant Capitol society is tangible enough to fascinate without distracting.

The story follows protagonist Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) as she is plucked from her small coal mining community and thrust onto the national stage in the titular Hunger Games, in which two randomly selected teenagers from each of the twelve outlying districts are pitted against each other in a televised fight to the death. The purpose of the games is to remind the districts of their subservience to the Capitol, and defiance of unjust authority is, sure enough, one of the film’s main themes.

Though centered on some weighty themes, the film is remarkably approachable: strong acting and well-developed characters make for significant emotional engagement. I heard more than a few sniffles from fellow viewers over the course of the film. A few of the relationships, however, could have used a bit more development: nothing is left unexplained, but a little more depth might have been nice.

The movie is long—two hours and 22 minutes—but it flies by, a testament to skillful editing and pacing. Shot entirely in North Carolina, the film also boasts immersive and gorgeously imagined scenery. While the jerky, on-thego cinematography was well-suited to the story, the effect was a little much at times. The special effects were not what I’ve come to expect from big blockbusters, and the score wasn’t what it could have been, but I’ll chalk these up to the film’s (relatively) shoestring budget.

recess

PAGE 3

(It’s worth noting that the movie was co-produced by Bryan Unkeless, Trinity ’04, who won the Reynolds Price Award for Scriptwriting as a student at Duke. I guess Theater Studies courses aren’t a waste of time after all.)

I was initially concerned that the book’s first-person narrative style might not translate well to the silver screen, but through skillful use of flashbacks and newscast/commentator vignettes, the filmmakers were able to fill in gaps in the story. The wider, omniscient scope also gave viewers insight into conversations and events that were only alluded to in the book, or were absent altogether. This outside perspective does a fantastic job of reminding viewers of the real-world repercussions of the occurrences in the game’s synthetic environs—probably even a better job than the book. For transcending the

thematic power of its action-driven and somewhat pulpy original, the film is praiseworthy, and for combining powerful themes with a moving story, The Hunger Games deserves four stars.

And finally, a review of The Hunger Games review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the importance of this film as a well-executed, high-profile blockbuster with a female protagonist. Sure, there have been woman-driven action hits before, but this feels different—for once, we’re allowed to focus on a strong female lead whose success depends less on her prowess with men and more on her selfreliance and skill with a bow. Eat your heart out, Twilight, there’s a new paradigm in town.

—Matt Barnett

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

miike snow

DUKE PERFORMANCES

HAPPY TO YOU DOWNTOWN RECORDS/COLUMBIA RECORDS

SPRING 2012 SEASON

Britney Spears has said that “Toxic,” her infectious, Grammy-winning hit from her 2003 album In the Zone, is her favorite song she’s done in her entire career.

Even if you don’t care much for Britney herself, you have to acknowledge good taste. The song’s success and subsequent permanence in our music memory can be attributed in large part to its Swedish co-writers and producers, Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, who are now two-thirds of the electronic pop band Miike Snow.

Together with American vocalist Andrew Wyatt, the band has released their sophomore album Happy to You, once again blending classic pop elements with an electronic overlay, but this time eschewing dance-centric territory of their self-titled 2009 debut and focusing more on melody than groove.

Not to say this constitutes a huge departure from Miike Snow: “The Wave” is a pianodriven ballad reinforced with techno beats, much like the first’s album “Silvia,” and “Archipelago” mirrors “Sans Soleil” in its quiet, celestial composition. But Happy to You features more songs with elegant rather than funky explosions of sound. “Black Tin Box,” which includes fellow Swede Lykke Li, is a haunting, outer spacey track that benefits from the sparse musical backdrop, shifting the attention to the lyrical interplay between Wyatt and Li. “Bavarian #1 (Say You Will)” uses synth and steady percussion, but both fade to the background during Wyatt’s echoing titular refrain, a beautiful chorus saturated with Bon Iver-esque yearning. For the closer, the band returns to its energetic orchestra-infused sound with “Paddling Out,” a spirited rally cry that mobilizes the listener for repeat plays.

While you probably can’t gyrate in your glittery flesh-colored bodysuit to any of the songs on Happy to You, Miike Snow knows how to produce music for 2012: tracks that touches on the most accessible of pop tropes while giving enough nod to the avantgarde to please a hyper-stimulated, discriminating audience.

—Katie Zaborsky

JAZZ / R&B / HIP-HOP

ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT BLACK RADIO

FRIDAY, MARCH 30 SATURDAY, MARCH 31 8 PM CASBAH DURHAM

Y RIDA F S I TH

RENAISSANCE CHORAL SPECIALISTS

TALLIS SCHOLARS

FIELD OF CLOTH OF GOLD: MUSIC OF CORNYSH & MOUTON

SUNDAY, APRIL 1 5 PM DUKE CHAPEL

T AY A SUND

HEIR TO AFROBEAT

SEUN KUTI & EGYPT 80 THURSDAY, APRIL 5 8 PM PAGE AUDITORIUM

Y RSDA U H T NEXT

INDIAN MUSIC ROYALTY

ANOUSHKA SHANKAR & THE TRAVELLER ENSEMBLE

TRAVELLER: A RAGA-FLAMENCO JOURNEY

SATURDAY, APRIL 14 8 PM PAGE AUDITORIUM

AVERY FISHER PRIZE WINNER

RICHARD GOODE, PIANO CHOPIN & SCHUMANN

THURSDAY, APRIL 19 8 PM PAGE AUDITORIUM

TICKETS $5 TICKETS

DUKE STUDENT STUDENT DUKE

EVERY DUKE PERFORMANCES SHOW, ALL SEASON. TAKE ADVANTAGE.

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

5 PM

PAGE 4

recess

March 29, 2012

One man, One p

Dar

Recess In Mike Wi Rob Un

by Ted P THE CHR

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Recess: IMDB describes you as a 6’2” Pisces from Lansing, Michigan. Tell us a little more about yourself.

Rob Underhill: When I was just old enough to write, my first claim to fame was a choose-your-own-adventure book. I did my first play over at Wake Tech some years back; the last theater show I did was in 2004. Since then I’ve been focusing on filmmaking.

R: Tell us a bit about Dar He. RU: I think foremost we’ve always intended it to be an engaging film. It’s got 36 characters entirely played by one person. At first it might seem gimmicky, but it has a lot of substance. Emmett Till’s death was unavenged in the Mississippi courtroom where 12 white jurors declared not guilty after maybe an hour of deliberation. When you’re in the courtroom and you have the 12 Mikes rising in the jury box, he’s one person and one color and that reminds us that all those men had one mindset. It’s a true story, of course, created from the public record. There are times when we needed to have some creative license, but we tried to stay true to the characters as far as we knew them. Mike spent a lot of time researching them for his one-man show before we did the movie. Mike is the storyteller in the film; he becomes the captivating face by the campfire who weaves stories and enraptures the audience. In directing Dar He, that was my strategy, to leverage Mike’s ability to connect with people.

R: How did you first get connected with Mike?

RU: The first thing we did was a short film called Empty Space. It’s just a barren room with a mattress on a floor, and Mike wakes up there wearing basically rags.

We get to wonder, “Is this guy homeless? Is he crazy?” He starts talking to himself, but by the end, you realize you are learning about Emmett Till and this guy was actually a one-man actor who’s rehearsing his production. When that got really well received in the festivals, we filmed Wolf Call, another short film, that focused

In 2006, Mike Wiley prem duction Dar He: the Story Hill. After first producing work, Wiley, along with dire ematographer Aravind Ragu a feature film of the same nam with Underhill and Wiley, w Brady Joint Chair Professorsh department, about the makin shown at numerous film fest and aroun

on the William Bradford Huie interviews with Emmett Till’s killers, J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, Jr. When that was successful, we thought we could pull off the feature film.

R: What are the major differences between the film and stage versions of Dar He? RU: A lot of the difference is that we have total control over what the viewer will ultimately see in the end, but there’s the loss that I’m very familiar with in the theater setting with the chemistry with the audience. It’s interesting when audiences respond to different parts of the film that other audiences didn’t. If you are doing a live performance you can really find a way to snare them and get them into it; in the film you don’t have those advantages, you have to anticipate how they’re going to react.

R: Some of the scenes show as many as 12 versions of Mike in one frame. What technical difficulties arose shooting multi-character scenes with one actor?

RU: We have to be careful that it’s as accurately done as possible at the time we’re filming. It’s very difficult for us to do re-shoots, and we never had to, thankfully. We didn’t use much green screen, so the editor is literally cutting the frame up and inserting these Mikes in the environment.

R: What was your reaction when the film starting getting selected for festivals and winning awards?

RU: It’s definitely been really gratifying. It always is when work is well received, especially considering how much we’ve put into this. We even got a cool congratulatory letter from Governor Bev Purdue. But the main reason we are excited is that the story is getting out. It validates the artistry that we put into it, the time spent crafting elements with care so folks can watch it and get lost in the story and be deeply affected by it.

March 29, 2012

recess

PAGE 5

play, One movie

He

nterviews: iley and nderhill Phillips RONICLE

miered his one-man stage proy of Emmett Till, in Chapel two short films based on the rector Rob Underhill and cinupathi, converted the play into me. Recess’ Ted Phillips talked who in 2010 held the Lehman hip at the documentary studies ng of Dar He, currently being tivals both in North Carolina d the world.

Recess: Where are you?

Mike Wiley: I’m in Lenoir, N.C. My production The Parchman Hour is now part of the NC Arts Councils cARTwheel program, which gives undeserved counties professional theater productions presented to the youth in their communities.

R: Tell us more about The Parchman Hour.

MW: As part of my teaching classes between Duke and UNC in documentary theater, I developed a documentary theater piece called The Parchman Hour, which is about the Freedom Riders of 1961. As you know, we’ve also just made Dar He, my play, into a full-length feature film. We just found out today that we won Best Feature at the North Carolina Black Film Festival.

R: Congratulations! I saw that you also won the festival’s Best Actor award for your work in Dar He, congratulations.

MW: Thank you very much.

R: How did Dar He come to be?

MW: Dar He started, for me, as just an idea. A wish, really, that I could teach as many young people, particularly teenagers, about Emmett Till. I felt that the memory of Emmett Till was being lost; his name was being used in rap lyrics without true context and understanding, and that angered me. So I decided to write a piece for the stage, a piece that had cinematic qualities to it, like flashbacks and a non-linear narrative. I play multiple characters in the piece, but I wrote it and perform it in a way that all audiences can understand and relate to and enjoy.

R: How did you decide to convert it to a feature film?

MW: I met Rob and Aravind through a mutual friend, and they were looking to develop some sort of solo piece. I already had a number of solo pieces under my belt as well as memorized so it seemed like a pretty good fit. Our relationship started with two short films [Empty Space and Wolf Call] before the full-length feature. The play is so very cinematic that converting it was a no brainer for me. What wasn’t a no brainer was when Rob and Aravind approached me to film Dar He, with me playing all 36 roles. I always envisioned it being a film, but I never envisioned me playing all the roles. I play a number of women in the play and I never change

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

costumes. The audience uses their imagination to envision what the women are wearing. We couldn’t quite do that for the film because we didn’t want to go drag show, we didn’t want to go kitsch or just plain silly. We wanted people to take the female characters as seriously as they take any other character. The onus is on me with my acting skills to convince the audience that I am indeed playing a woman, or a 14 year-old boy, or a white man.

R: What technical difficulties arose when you were acting in a scene with multiple versions of yourself?

MW: It’s not as weird as you would think it would be, only because I had been doing the play for so long. With the film, I speak to an off-stage entity, so what it takes for me is literally good timing. Because I play the scene in my head, I can remember my rhythm and the timing and speak in the right place. It takes a great deal of concentration, but it works.

R: As a stage actor, what was it like acting for the camera?

MW: With stage acting the gratification is immediate; the energy I receive from the audience fills me and propels me. When it comes to film acting, that energy is not there so I have to gin that energy up within myself.

R: Many of your plays focus on major African-American historical events. What led you to to this concentration?

MW: Having gone through the public education system, I knew that students aren’t getting a great deal of in-depth African-American history. I have a great deal of respect for teachers, and my hope is that what I do is a supplement to what they are already teaching in class.

R: How did you react when the film started winning awards and getting selected for festivals?

MW: It’s extremely exciting! My wife would say, “Take a moment to enjoy it.” I do have a little trouble taking a break under the shady tree and enjoying the breeze of the moment.

I feel like there’s so much work to be done. Through the work that I do, either in my plays or with Rob and Aravind, there are countless other stories to be shared.

recess

PAGE 6

March 29, 2012

Carrack exhibit redefines Muslim womanhood

by Andrew Karim THE CHRONICLE

Saba Baranard’s Technicolor Muslimah is a series of twelve portraits portraying Muslim women as she sees them. A response to contemporary representations of Muslim women as “exotic,” “oppressed” or “other,” Barnard’s collection sheds light on her own perception of what it means to be a Muslim woman in America.

The acrylic paintings feature covered models—many of whom Barnard knows personally—alongside pop-culture pieces we wouldn’t normally associate with Muslim women. Be it a can of Diet Coke, heart-shaped sunglasses, or oversized headphones, each object speaks for itself in the painting, and maintains a presence as simultaneously one with and separate from the model.

The artist used these props to liken the models to

American pop culture, playing on the notion that our vision of a covered woman changes when she playfully poses in a Mickey Mouse hat, for example. The paintings come to life with Barnard’s use of exaggerated technicolor to underscore shadows and highlights. When coupled with the models’ joyful expressions, the color creates light-hearted portraits of the headscarved women.

“The girls in the paintings are just so expressive,” Barnard said. “The way I saw them in the media was never like this, which was untrue to how I knew them.”

Barnard discussed how society tends to view women who wear headscarves as subjects of patriarchy and oppression, noting our obsession with what the piece of cloth represents. This obsession, she added, prevents us from seeing how dynamic these women truly are. With her art, Barnard

ANDREW KARIM/THE CHRONICLE

21 jump street

DIR. PHIL LORD, CHRIS MILLER COLUMBIA PICTURES

Explaining the key to high school popularity, ex-jock Channing Tatum offers the following advice to his new partner and reformed nerd Jonah Hill: “Don’t try, at anything. And make fun of people who do try.”

21 Jump Street, a remake of the ’80s procedural crime series of the same name, takes this advice to heart. Written by Hill and Michael Bacall, the film is the spiritual antithesis of its moralizing, PSA-laden namesake—an irreverent and self-aware buddy comedy more interested in satirizing the cop movie than actually being one.

That’s by no means a bad thing. Bacall, who struck a similar chord with the superhero send-up Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, deserves credit for the film’s wickedly funny meta-observation gag, one that pops up a few different times: Jeremy Offerman (who appears to be doing the same thing with Ron Swanson, his Parks and Rec character, that Alec Baldwin has with Jack Donaghy), describing the police force’s Jump Street unit to Tatum and Hill by saying, “All they do now is recycle s**t from the past and hope no one notices,” or gym teacher Rob Riggle assessing the 31-year-old, supposedly high school-aged Tatum by telling

him, “When did you hit puberty, age seven? You look like you could be in your mid-20s.”

The film’s arch, wink-wink sensibilities don’t end there.

21 Jump Street gets a lot of mileage out of the role reversals Tatum and Hill experience as undercover cops—Hill, portrayed in a standout scene as a Slim Shady wannabe in high school, falls in with the cool kids, while Tatum is relegated to the science-geek set. But this sort of humor can get tiring (even, Tatum quickly finds, for high schoolers), especially when Bacall and Hill quit bothering to play around with stereotypes and just start stating them explicitly. When Ice Cube, cast as the angry black captain of the Jump Street unit, acknowledges that he is the angry black guy stereotype, it’s nowhere near as funny as its writers thought—nor as funny as Diddy’s over-the-top approach to the same archetype in Get Him to the Greek.

21 Jump Street’s saving grace then, is that Channing Tatum, whose career to this point is a collection of totally rote and forgettable action-hero performances, is possessed of some impressive comic instincts, and his idiot-hunk persona plays well alongside Hill’s meek brainiac. Assigned to infiltrate the supply chain of a new synthetic drug being sold in the local high school, the two end up getting peerpressured by dealer/cool kid Dave Franco (James’ younger brother) into using it themselves. The ensuing scene showing the effects of the drug, which works in stages that

are colorfully animated and named (the cocaine-like Stage 4 is called “F**k Yeah, Motherf****r”), Scott Pilgrim-style, is an absolute riot.

The movie isn’t without its flaws: action sequences, bizarrely, are made way too long and taken way too seriously, and there’s a preponderance of lazy d**k jokes. While Tatum and Hill are a pleasant surprise, they’re not as reliably funny as, recently, Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in The Other Guys—Hill isn’t as deliriously off-kilter as Ferrell, and Tatum has less to self-parody than Wahlberg. But between the knowing satire and a handful of truly hilarious moments, 21 Jump Street still has plenty of good stuff going for it.

—Ross Green

justin townes earle

For the most part, he makes the mistake of using his Apollonian voice to present Dionysian problems. “Baby’s Got a Bad Idea” is the one exception, and it’s hard to praise.

His voice hasn’t matured enough to scrape in the way he wants it to. The piano solo gets played by every two-bit in the tourist traps of Memphis. The guitar part is cheesy.

With Harlem River Blues, Earle’s last release, the band figured out how to shore up Earle’s weaknesses. The guitars were gritty and the background singers were soulful, even when Earle wasn’t. But this album has the band-members quietly strumming from afar, allowing Earle’s voice to shine through. Even iTunes has noticed the genre switch— from “Americana” to the amorphous and historically mediocre domain of “singer/songwriter.”

Earle’s strength is his songwriting. Though the lyrics are rarely provocative—in the one instance of profanity he actually does mean “female dog”—Earle has a knack for quietly expressive storytelling: “Shadows dance across the street, the wind seems to whisper her name.”

But the stories are too often tepid. He confesses rather than grieves. And sometimes we want the whiskey straight.

—Dan Fishman

NOTHING’S GONNA CHANGE THE WAY YOU FEEL ABOUT ME NOW BLOODSHOT

DOUG SEYMOUR/SPECIAL

hopes to widen the Western view of Muslim women and counter the essentializing perceptions she sees in her own life.

“Though this is a fairly small body of work, each piece is so powerful on its own and it demands the space,” said Laura Ritchie, cofounder and director of the Carrack Modern Art Gallery. “With each portrait, the viewer is forced to face the woman, spend time with her, and really get to know her,” she added.

The series’ models were in synch with Barnard’s vision from the very beginning. Amna Baloch, model and undergraduate at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, commented on the political work the series was accomplishing.

“We’ve grown tired of the Orientalist way of looking at Islam and the East,” she said. “We’re trying to take ownership of our brand of American Islam, and it gets tiring to be associated with a different kind of Islam that we ourselves are not familiar with.

The final piece departs from the rest of the series, as the subject lacks the color or props found in the other paintings. Instead, she is portrayed photographically with special attention focused on her firm gaze. Barnard notes that the happy portrayal of Muslim women throughout the series is only one aspect of their personalities. Though this playful portrayal was necessary for Barnard to get her point across, this final painting is stripped of embellishment; she is just a woman, a blank slate set to acquire self-defined meaning. Void of distractions, the painting forces the viewers to question their perceptions of this woman, now that the colors, smiles, and ornaments have left the scene.

“To some extent, I grew up with all of the women featured in this series, and I tried to capture who they really are,” said Barnard.

Technicolor Muslimah will run at the Carrack Modern Art Gallery in Downtown Durham through March 31. Admission is free.

Justin Townes Earle has about as much grit as Michael Buble.

That’s a harsh statement to make about anyone, let alone the son of Americana icon Steve Earle. But with NGCWYFAMN—which must have been named to stop journalists from writing about it—JTE has watered down the whiskey.

The bite is gone. There’s no burn at the back of the throat.

Earle has given us a smooth record. It’s relaxing. He’s nothing but honest. And there’s something very endearing about him. But it’s the “you’re a sweet guy” kind of endearment. Forget about the “amen, that’s what soul is” kind. It’s as if Earle has forgotten why we listen to the blues. We’ve got John Mayer already. Who we’re missing is Johnny Cash.

“When I was young I was dumb and I was free,” Earle croons, in perfect pitch, without the subtlest creak, without a single wrinkle on his body. Well, buddy, you’re 30 years old. Try me again when the colonoscopy results come in.

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Sports

>> BLUE ZONE

The Chronicle

THURSDAY March 29, 2012

FENCING

Elizabeth Williams added to her pile of postseason accolades Wednesday as she was awarded USBWA national freshman of the year honors.

www.dukechroniclesports.com

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Ward picks Duke Aliyah over for Scheyer over the Olympics

by Andrew Beaton THE CHRONICLE

by Vaishnavi Krishnan THE CHRONICLE

When she committed to Duke four years ago, Becca Ward all but retired from international fencing.

She was just a few months removed from winning bronze medals in the team and individual saber events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics when she arrived in Durham as a freshman. But her desire for a normal college experience outweighed her aspirations for a world-class fencing career.

Ward’s prep coach wanted her to attend a university that breeds international fencers. But renowned fencing schools like Notre Dame and Penn State just did not seem to offer exactly what Ward wanted out of a college.

Plus, Duke offered to make her the first fencing scholarship recipient in program history.

“I just wanted both the ability

to fence how I wanted and not be pressured to go into world cups or grand prixes if I didn’t want to, to be able to be that team member, and to have a good education when I came out of it,” Ward said. “All of those factors combined just made my choice for Duke really easy.”

She has taken full advantage of the University’s offerings throughout her four years on campus, as a member of the selective living group Brownstone, a writer for Rival Magazine and a member of the First Year Advisory Council board.

On top of all of this, Ward has changed the face of Duke fencing, becoming the first women’s saber to win three NCAA championships with her title last weekend.

Ward committed herself to transforming a weak program SEE WARD ON PAGE 6

FOOTBALL

Manning’s visit changes recruiting

by Brady Buck THE CHRONICLE

Prior to Duke’s game against Miami last November, it became obvious that the perception of Blue Devil football among its ACC peers had changed dramatically.

“Those days of Duke being a pushover... are long gone,” said Hurricanes linebacker Sean Spence at the time.

Not only have current ACC players seen the Blue Devils’ improvement under head coach David Cutcliffe, but recruits have taken notice of the progress made on the gridiron too. And now many prospects view the Duke program in a new light, allowing it to be on the same playing field as its conference foes in recruiting. “[Growing up,] I always thought Duke was one of the worst teams in the ACC,” said Jake Kite, an uncommitted safety from Virginia in the class of 2013, who is being recruited by the Blue Devils, N.C. State, Virginia Tech and Maryland.

“But now it’s amazing how they are on the upswing.”

Those familiar with Cutcliffe are not surprised by what he has accomplished so far in Durham— least of all Peyton Manning, who spent several months living with

the Cutcliffe family throughout the winter, using the Blue Devils’ facilities to recover from four neck surgeries in the fall. As Manning weighed his free-agent options this spring, Cutcliffe, his former offensive coordinator at Tennessee, and Duke football were at the center of national attention for the first time in recent memory. The only four-time MVP in NFL history decided to work out for the Denver Broncos, who he ended up signing with, at Duke’s Pascal Field House.

Not only did months of throwing to former Blue Devil receivers under the eye of Cutcliffe help the quarterback get back to full strength, but it gave Duke national exposure that could pay dividends on the recruiting trail. “[Cutcliffe’s] history of working with the Mannings is really, really big,” ESPN ACC recruiting analyst Dave Hooker said. “I think [those ties carry] a certain panache with some people that gets you into doors that otherwise might be difficult to get into at Duke.”

Perhaps even more valuable than his ability to mold elite SEE MANNING ON PAGE 6

In September, Jon Scheyer made Aliyah. The Hebrew term means ascent but in context refers to a Jewish person’s immigration to Israel.

Now returning to the United States after his brief stint with Maccabi Tel Aviv, the former Blue Devil is trying to take his game to even higher ground.

“For me I’ve always been planning on playing in the NBA, and I feel like I’m very capable of that,” Scheyer said.

Scheyer was never given the chance to shine with Israel’s top team, averaging just 10.7 minutes and 2.6 points in his 46 games with the club that has won five Euroleague titles.

But his difficulties were not unprecedented—the man with whom he shares a nickname had the same issues when he made Aliyah ten years ago.

Tamir Goodman, dubbed the “Jewish Jordan” before Scheyer received the nickname, began playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2002, just two years after being one of the country’s hottest high school recruits. Goodman became a national sensation when he turned down a scholarship offer from Maryland because it would have forced him to play on Friday and Saturday, the Jewish sabbath.

Scheyer followed in the footsteps of Goodman, and both received Israeli citizenship as Jews—important because the league restricts the number of foreign players. Their arrivals attracted significant fanfare but playing under the same coach, David Blatt, they were unable to crack the rotation and live up to the hype.

Goodman, who said he has observed Scheyer’s career and is “very impressed with what he’s been able to accomplish,” said a potential factor in both of their difficulties abroad might be cultural differences regarding how teams are managed.

“If you prove yourself in practice in America and do all the right things, eventually you’re going to be able to build yourself up,” Goodman said. “But what I’ve seen overseas sometimes is there’s this hierarchy with veteran players… and no matter what you do in practice you’re just not going to get the chance that you want.”

For Scheyer that meant an adjustment from his days

CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Former Duke guard Jon Scheyer left Maccabi Tel Aviv last week to pursue an NBA career. at Duke, where he was the workhorse leading the Blue Devils to the 2010 national championship.

In that season, he set an ACC record for minutes played while leading the team in points, assists and steals.

Despite being disappointed with the role of a part-time player, he had to learn how to play with sparse court time and make the most of it.

“Of course I wanted to play more,” Scheyer said. “I feel like I’ve had some really good experiences coming off the bench… even if you’re just going to play for 10 minutes, you need to be ready to go.”

European basketball is notorious for its physical play, so stylistically it was also a learning experience for the 6-foot-5 guard.

Although the NBA is regarded as the world’s premier basketball league, the high level of play in Israel and Europe continues to gain international recognition, with Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Omri Casspi being selected in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft.

“To a certain extent maybe it’s a lower level than the NBA, but there are so many great players over there,” Scheyer said. “Even on my team, going against those guys in practice was really great in my growth as a basketball player.”

Eventually, though, the limited

playing time was no longer enough for Scheyer. Furthermore, reports surfaced that the Israeli military expected Scheyer to complete his mandatory duty—all citizens are required to serve, and most who naturalize at his age, 24, would be expected to complete six months of service.

Although reluctant to discuss what transpired with the military, Scheyer said it added to his experience of being abroad, showing him all sides of Israeli culture.

“It wasn’t something where I had a personal issue with it. It’s just something you need to do as an Israeli citizen,” Scheyer said.

“It was an eye-opening experience for me.”

Goodman served for a year in the Israeli military in the middle of his Israeli basketball career.

Unlike Scheyer, however, he is an orthodox Jew and has always been a religious activist—explaining his passionate commitment to the defense forces.

Goodman is now a public speaker who addresses religious issues and is the founder of the non-profit Coolanu Israel, which is “dedicated to strengthening Jewish identity.”

“Everyone who makes Aliyah, who becomes an Israeli citizen is supposed to do the army, but SEE SCHEYER ON PAGE 6

6 | THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

THE CHRONICLE

WARD from page 5 into almost an entirely new team. She loves the team camaraderie that exists at Duke even in such an individual sport, and she says when she is happy, she fences better— and clearly she has been fencing very well.

By agreeing to be a part of the Blue Devil squad four years ago, Ward ultimately decided the fate of her fencing career.

She opted to not attempt to compete in the 2012 London Olympics, instead choosing to finish off her last year and a half at Duke—once again, against the wishes of her old coach.

“I have already gone down that path, I have already lived that life,” Ward said. “I’ve been in international competitions since I was thirteen. It was a pretty one-dimensional focus, and when I came to Duke I made a very conscious decision that I wanted to fence NCAAs. I wanted to have that team experience. I wanted to have that college experience, and that combined with a lot of tensions and a lot of dramatics with my coach from back home within the Olympic cycle, that just wasn’t something that seemed appealing to me.”

Academics and the NCAA competition season overlapped with the international events that would have allowed Ward to qualify for the Olympics, forc-

SCHEYER from page 5 it was more of a privilege for me,” Goodman said. “My grandparents were both Holocaust survivors and I know how much it meant for them after being in the concentration camps to come in and rebuild the land of Israel, and I kind of grew up with those values.”

Scheyer, who grew up in Chicago with a much different background as a Reform Jew, is back home and will now have the chance to do something Goodman never did—play in the NBA. Although Scheyer attempted to do so after college, he went undrafted after mononucleosis forced him to miss the pre-draft combine. When he caught on playing with the Miami Heat during summer league competition, he suffered a severe eye injury that required surgery. Scheyer tried

ing her to choose one or the other.

The course to qualifying for the Olympic team is not an easy one—it would have required her to miss her final three semesters.

“I can’t imagine coming back a year and a half later and having all of my friends graduated,” Ward said. “Losing all the memories I’ve made in the last year and a half, and leaving that for a life I’ve already known, it’s crazy to me.”

This year’s Olympic Games do not have a team event for women’s saber competition, and Ward would have had to gain enough points to receive one of two U.S. spots in the individual event, which are highly contested.

To rack up the required number of points, a lot of world travel would have been required—time Ward could not give because of her commitment to Duke.

After winning her third saber national championship as a Blue Devil, Ward does not regret her decision to forego international competition for the Blue Devils’ team schedule.

“I won the last bout,” Ward said.

“I got the last touch, and I turned around and my coach was teary-eyed, and I just started crying, and my team rushed in and it was a very nice final note to end on.” out with the Los Angeles Clippers and later played with the Houston Rockets’ Developmental League team, but never played in an NBA game.

He is now working with his agent to arrange workouts with teams, play in the summer league and hopefully get his chance at the game’s highest level.

Regardless of where Scheyer plays next, whether he makes it in the NBA or returns overseas, his experience in Israel was invaluable. Next time, though, he has to take a breath and fully soak in the land of milk and honey.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see as much of Israel as I would have liked because we were so busy with basketball,” he said. “When I had friends and family come visit me, they got to see more than I did. That’s my one regret—I didn’t get to tour, didn’t get to see the Dead Sea.”

MANNING from page 6 quarterbacks is the close relationship Cutcliffe forms with his players as he develops them. Manning’s decision to work out in Durham under the direction of Cutcliffe speaks volumes about the bond between the two, as well as the level of respect Manning has for the man he told Sports Illustrated is “the best coach of quarterbacks in America right now, college and pro.”

“In terms of a quarterback, I think it’s only a matter of time before [Duke] lands a great one,” said Hooker, who co-hosted a radio show with Cutcliffe while the latter was out of coaching.

Cutcliffe’s close relationship with Manning is an example of the bonds he forges with all his players, a dynamic that has benefitted Duke already in recruiting. The Blue Devils possess three verbal commitments from the class of 2013—Evrett Edwards, Quay Chambers and Austin Davis.

Edwards—a 5-foot-11, lockdown cornerback from Woodbridge, Va.— committed last week. He chose Duke over Wake Forest, Boston College, Illinois and West Vir-

ginia largely because of his close connection with the coaching staff and the unity within the program.

“When I visited [Duke] and spoke with the coaches and players, I could sense they have a very strong sense of family,” Edwards said. “And that’s hard to find.”

Along with Edwards, a handful of highly regarded recruits visited for the Duke-North Carolina basketball game Mar. 3. Notably, Peter Kalambayi—arguably the top outside linebacker in the class of 2013—was on campus.

The Matthews, N.C. native holds offers from several major college football programs, but he is still very much considering Duke. Carrying a 4.3 GPA at Butler High School, Kalambayi strongly values academics.

“If they can land a guy like [Kalambayi] it would really mean a lot for the program,” Hooker said. “But I just don’t know if they’ll pull that quite yet.”

The fact that Duke is even in the mix for players like Kalambayi and competing on and off the field with the best in the ACC is remarkable considering where the program was five years ago. And even though the new height of Duke football looks very promising, its ceiling may be even higher.

TYLER SEUC/THE CHRONICLE

Peyton Manning met with Denver Broncos officials at the Duke football facilities two weeks ago.

CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS A LOT OF CARS INC. Most vehicles $595-$795 down $250$280/month.

ARE YOU PREGNANT? A childless, successful, single woman seeks to adopt. Will be hands-on mom w/flexible work schedule. Financially secure.

Expenses paid. Maria/Adam.

1-800-790-5260.

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

HOLTON PRIZE FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH $500 Cash Awards

Application deadline is April 18.

Three cash awards of $500 will be given for outstanding investigative research, curriculum development work, and innovative projects in Education-related fields. For more information: http://educationprogram.duke. edu/undergraduate/awards or email zoila.airall@duke.edu; jrigg@duke.edu; or bcj3@duke. edu.

HELP WANTED EARN $1000-$3200 A MONTH to drive our brand new cars with ads. www.CarDriveAds.com

THE CHRONICLE

RESEARCH STUDIES

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 student to work in our Business Office for the summer and continue through the school year. Reconciling newspaper, Data entering, deposits, customer service, general office work. Please call: Mary Weaver, 684-0384 or email: mweaver@ duke.edu BARTENDERS ARE IN DEMAND!

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/ duke.html

WE’RE CURRENTLY LOOKING for an outgoing leader as a Dell Campus Representative!

In this part-time paid position, you will be required to utilize your networks to create a dialogue with consumers, generate buzz and in turn support the sustainable development of our client(s) brand. You will help promote Dell by attending campus events such as orientations, club events, career fairs, and a variety of social functions.

ROCKIN’ BLUES BAND FEATURING DUKE PROFS

Thursday, March 29, 10pm at the Broad Street Cafe, “Mona Lisa’s Highway Blues” is a rocking blues band with influences from Chicago blues to Dylan to alternative psych rock. The band features barely recognizable Duke professors from Philosophy, Engineering, and Law, along with celebrated local musicians.

Email edu

wayne.norman@duke.

The Chronicle classified advertising www.dukechronicle.com/ classifieds deadline 12:00 noon 1 business day prior to publication

How to apply: please call Rich Johnson at 877-870-4800 ext 4842

ENTERTAINMENT

CORN HOLE TOURNAMENT $300 PAYOUT every Thursday.

Bring your own team or LOD - $5 Entry. 7:00pm RallyPoint on Harrison Ave. www.RallyPointSportGrill.com. Find on FaceBook

find it @ chronic chronicle housin housing. co com

THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 | 7

Diversions Shoe Chris Cassatt and Gary Brookins

Dilbert Scott Adams

Doonesbury Garry Trudeau

The Chronicle why shwanth can’t be a ‘bro’: neon livestrong shoes: ...................................................... nick, loco ‘turn up that adele’: .................................................. nickyle, jewels friend of the house: ............................................................ danielle in a different caste: .................................................................. drew eats loyo: ............................................................................. ctcusack never had natty: ............... yy, c-rod, durand durand has had natty cargo shorts: ........................................................................shwanth no-speak bro-speak: .............................................................. megan Barb Starbuck has a bro pass: ................................................... 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, Claire Gilhuly, Gini Li, Ina Li, Andy Moore, Allison Rhyne, Daniel Perlin, Emily Shiau, James Sinclair 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, MARCH 29, 2012

The community (sub)standard A recent investigation com- pirates rarely get caught and missioned by the Academic In- yet they benefit from their actegrity Council and the Kenan tions significantly. From their Institute for Ethics has fortu- perspectives, their behavior nately found a significant de- constitutes risk-free methods crease in academic dishonesty of gaining some advantage. over the last five But perhaps editorial years. But perwe can find an haps, more inalternative and terestingly, the study notes an more interesting explanation uptick in the frequency of pro- by examining what these two hibited collaboration for class infractions have in common. assignments and online music Both can be traced to a funpiracy. Generally, students dif- damental paradigm shift that ferentiated between victimless students might have about behaviors, like pirating music, the ownership of intellectual and behaviors that hurt oth- property. Indeed, working ers, like romantic cheating. alongside one’s friend on a We note two possible rea- shared problem set solution sons for this behavior. The and downloading an artist’s first is that violations like dis- music illegally both reflect honest collaboration and ille- changing mindsets toward ingal downloading simply yield formation ownership. The Inlarge expected returns. Home- ternet age could likely have an work collaborators and music hand in this change, as greater

“

How is it that we can get Condy to come speak now but have to use Fareed Zakaria for the commencement speaker?

—“Jabberwise” commenting on the story “Rice to deliver speech at Duke.”

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.

use of technology and social networking blurs the boundaries of acceptable behavior.

The ethical standards of students may have shifted in light of this general attitude change.

When individuals act ethically, they tend to choose actions that conform to their personal ethical compasses, not because they are consistent with an externally defined honor code. Rather, the honor code is often constructed so as to reflect socially acceptable standards. An honor code remains legitimate only insofar as students consent to it. Unlike a rule of law, the honor code exists to concretize and uphold a set of shared values, not to impose one particular principle over another. The honor code ceases to be meaningful if students do not buy into it or believe its rules matters.

But as this recent study shows, what students hold to be socially acceptable in terms of exchanging intellectual property no longer aligns well with the honor code. Should the code, therefore, be revised?

We do not think so, at least with respect to the issue of intellectual ownership. First, we have not unequivocally identified the impetus behind the violations in the first place. If unlawful assignment collaboration and music piracy occur simply because they are perceived as easy and victimless behaviors—and not as a result of a deeper ethical shift— there is no reason to trigger an overhaul of the honor code. The code’s ideological underpinnings ought not to be challenged simply because it is easy to breach. Instead,

enforcement should be our priority.

Further, specifically regarding student collaboration, we believe that well-defined intellectual ownership is still deeply relevant and should be defended. If intellectual collaboration is gaining increased support as a serious virtue, professors can increasingly incorporate collaborative assignments into their curricula. But this should not come at the expense of solid, individualized work. Individual assessment must remain an irreplaceable part of academic life, and this is a principle worth codifying.

Admittedly, the results of the Duke study may not actually reflect a change in the ethical sensibilities of students. Nevertheless, the possibility is certainly worth considering.

The requisite Duke culture lament

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.

I

n case you all haven’t noticed, I’ve spent this se- stupid on the C-2. You should take me seriously mester rehashing the columns of the Girl Col- because I am a human being. This shouldn’t even umnists who have gone before me. I’ve done be a discussion. leggings as pants, whined about rush Moving on. You are a boy or a girl and told the world I am a feminist. wearing your omggoing-out clothes, I’ve believed strongly in all of these and you are on the d-floor for one things (OK, except the leggings of two (three) reasons: either you’re one; that was a joke), but there’s looking for a hook-up or you are one column I haven’t touched yet, trying to meet a member of the opand I wasn’t going to touch it, until I posite sex to date (or your friends gave one of my friends a speech and dragged you to Devine’s and you she told me I should just column were drunk enough that it sounded mia lehrer it. This is usually some variation of like a good idea). Someone comes but actually either “Why Can’t I Get a Date?” or up to who is relatively attractive and “Why You Can’t Get a Date,” and a also not a creepy Durhamite. You flamewar will start in the comment section. You’re start dancing. So far, so good. Then it gets tricky. welcome.

The disconnect happens when one party wants That the same comments happen on every col- to hook-up and one party wants to date, and they umn of this type is, to me, more revealing than don’t communicate this to each other before the the fact that this column gets written at least once hook-up happens. And though you usually hear a year, whether on the backpages, in Develle Dish this re: boys wanting the former and girls wantor in a drunken, tear-filled rant in the bathroom ing the latter, it happens both ways. Trust me. If at semi. The feedback progression is always, always we don’t see guys writing this column as often (or as follows: 1) Girl writes about how much hook- ever), it likely has something to do with the social up culture sucks. 2) Guy comments: “Well maybe gender expectation that to Be A Man you must if you didn’t dress like a slut, we’d respect you (be swift as the coursing river) always be up to get more.” 3) Other girl responds: “How she dresses down and not be the one to call the next day. (If should have nothing to do with whether you re- you’re a girl, you’re supposed to at least claim to spect her! Do you really think salmon-colored want to date the guy because otherwise you are a shorts make you look serious?” 4) Other girl adds Slut. Double standards are a two-way street.) that she is allowed to want casual sex, too. 5) “Nice I submit to all of you that the “hook-up culture” guy” pops in to whine about how girls won’t date is not the problem on this campus. About the same him because they “only want douchebags” and are amount of guys and girls report wanting to date “looking in the wrong places.” more (74.6 percent of women and 72.4 percent Then everybody jumps all over everybody and of men). The problem is in the communication. the comment section looks like a meerkat enclosure Two people cannot start a relationship with differin the zoo on the Fourth of July. It’s not pretty. ent expectations and somehow magically expect And yet, knowing the results, we still feel like the other person to know. Why is it socially unacthe same things need to be said. And they prob- ceptable to ask if the other person wants the same ably do. I have a lot of smart, attractive, ambitious thing? Yeah, it might ruin your chances of getting and otherwise capable girl friends who inevitably laid that night, but it could heal a lot of broken get treated very badly by guys they want to date. hearts and prevent a lot of increasingly desperate The guys are usually not terrible people them- text messages. selves. There’s clearly a disconnect here. So what Maybe I’m just naive, but I think if you do want is it that’s wrong? to be a booty call, you should say it (I would tell First of all, guy who wants me to stop dressing you to call me if you’re hot, but I’m off the marlike a slut: you’d whine if I showed up at Shooters ket). But if you don’t, then say that, too. Don’t wearing one of those dresses from “Sister Wives,” settle. Someone out there wants the same thing too. There is a certain way of dressing that says, you do, but you’re not going to find him/her if “Hello, I am going out.” You helped set the para- you’re chasing Mr(/s). 2 a.m. text. digm. You like the paradigm. I am the same person in a sundress or a miniskirt, and a little extra Mia Lehrer is a Trinity senior. Her column runs evcleavage does not mean I won’t make you look ery other Thursday.

www.dukechronicle.com

THE CHRONICLE

commentaries

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 | 9

Ironically a workaholic

MMS: Making Mediocre Standard

he third season of “Workaholics” debuts May 29 on Comedy Central. If you don’t know what “Workaholics” is, I’d call you loose butthole, but you wouldn’t get the reference and then I’d just be talking about butthole in the opening of this article. For the loosest among us, “Workaholics” follows three friends as they try to adjust to the real world after graduating college, living together and finding work travis smith at a telemarketing company. it’s all in the game They abuse drugs, their bodies and those around them while they take each day at a time without worrying about the future. It’s like a more off-putting version of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” because it hits much closer to home.

Workaholics is a show my mother would watch one scene of before cringing and interrogating me about my “life plan.” On the surface, she’d be spot on. The three protagonists seem like 20-something “bros” who can’t function in the real world and have no self-awareness. But on a deeper level, the show shakes a fist duct-taped to 40 ounces of malt liquor at the “real world.” The perceived shortcomings of the main characters are highlighted by the stark contrast to the world they occupy. “Workaholics” can be interpreted as a commentary on a society so focused on careers and capitalistic success that imaginative spirit and playful creativity have been sacrificed for streamlined and efficient corporate uniformity. The arrested development of Adam, Blake and Anders brings to light simple truths about the blindly accepted flaws of the world in which we live.

At his own house party last December, Blake Anderson, the show’s creator and actor of the character with the same name, jumped off of a roof onto a beer pong table and fractured his lower spine. He’s fine and walking around now, but the most interesting result of the incident was the comment section beneath the news story. Some viewers changed their opinions of the show, knowing that it wasn’t all just an act. One went so far as to say “considering his career, he really can’t afford to build up a reputation like that, let alone physically put it at risk.” If financial success is any indication, Blake Anderson is more successful than those negative commenters, precisely because of his wild reputation. Acting like a jacka** in real life affords him the opportunity to keep producing material, and the show’s renewal for a third season is evidence of this success. Viewers can’t demand that Blake’s character behave a certain way and then be disappointed when he actually does. Asking him to act any other way would be like asking an NFL star to stop playing ball because he might get injured. Frankly, I don’t care how the stars of “Workaholics” spend their free time. I don’t look up to them, I don’t look down on them, I just watch them.

“Workaholics” represents the yin to the yang of the workobsessed culture at Duke and other top-tier universities.

There is an idea of moderation and middle ground at Duke, a sort of “work hard, play hard” mentality that we think is a sign of doing college right. However, alternating between the stress of class and the stress put on your body by late nights and empty bottles isn’t any type of moderation. It is definitely fun, but the ability to truly chill out and explore other interests is lost when the entire day is divided between Adderall and alcohol. Neither end of the spectrum is sustainable.

At Duke, we are surrounded by so many workaholics we think this is the norm. Denying this only shows how deep into the rabbit hole you’ve fallen. The ironically titled “Workaholics” should be used as a model of the antithesis of Duke. I hope that I never find myself at either extreme, having bought into this dichotomy. Life is too short to throw your hand in so early. Although the ridiculous lifestyle of the characters on the show might not exactly resound through the halls of Duke, the fear of growing up and entering the real world does. To quote Blake’s sock puppet: “Yea, I’m immature. I’m real immature. But I’m immature because I know when I ‘grow up’, it means I’m going to be that much closer to moving away from you guys and marrying girls and stuff.”

f you don’t know what the Fuqua School of Business to ever secure a U.S. position at one of the world’s three Master of Management Studies program is, you’re most prestigious consulting firms—BCG, McKinsey and not alone. Neither do recruiters at America’s top Bain. On the other hand, the Duke Career Center’s “Seconsulting firms, investment banks and nior Exit Survey” reports Goldman Sachs, the whole slew of organizations that devickram patel Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Merill scend on campus every Fall to handpick Lynch, Google, Deutsche Bank, BCG, Miguest column Duke’s annual contribution to the hopecrosoft, ExxonMobil and Barclays Capital ful 1 percent. as top employers over the past few years.

I admit I came to the MMS program for all the MMS doesn’t hold a candle to this. wrong reasons. I wanted a way to not completely waste Why? a year while my girlfriend graduated from that unforThe answer is two-fold. For one, the program aspires tunate school eight miles down the road. I had already to make students more competitive than undergradudecided that I wanted to pursue a consulting career ates, but what undergraduates are we talking about? during my four years at Duke, and I landed my dream Unfortunately, the intellectual and moral caliber of job at the Boston Consulting Group at the beginning some of my MMS peers seriously calls that claim into of the program. But for the norm, the MMS program question. They certainly aren’t among America’s best, promises big things. and the Duke way is about producing the best and The buzz phrases are everywhere. “The program is competing with the best. And the MMS administration a jumpstart into the business world and a leg up on the perpetuates this mediocrity by fostering a milieu where graduating competition,” the MMS website advertises. landing the best possible job for your chosen career And that competitive advantage mantra is piped into isn’t the top priority. every nook and cranny of a prospective student’s brain.

Duke and Fuqua administrators need to open their Simply put, attend the MMS program, and you’ll be eyes. MMS is hurting the Duke brand. better off than you were in undergrad. Fair enough, if Jonathan Swift once had a modest proposal to solve only it were true.

Ireland’s economic problems. In the spirit of Swift, I The mean starting salary of an MMS student over the have a decidedly less satirical, more modest and utterly past two years of employment data is roughly $58,400. simple proposal to fix the MMS program. Make MMS Compare that to an average starting salary of $57,000 admissions more selective, and overhaul the adminisfor America’s top 10 universities according to the 2011- tration to actually focus on what a business education 2012 PayScale College Salary Report. And mind you, should be about—empowering students to actually get the sample size for these schools is about 500 times the the jobs they want. If we don’t, we risk irreparably damsize of the MMS program. What competitive advantage aging the Duke brand and making this mediocre MMS is the MMS program talking about? A little over a thou- culture entrenched. And that’s something no Dukie, sand dollars? Is it right to sell that to a student who’s especially this one, ever wants to see. about to take on thousands of dollars of loans because of some false advertising?

Vickram Patel I was shocked to learn that I was the only MMS student Candidate for MMS, Class of 2012

T

Travis Smith is a Trinity junior. His column runs every other Thursday. Follow Travis on Twitter @jtsmith317

I

Want to connect with the campus community?

The Chronicle is seeking columnists for 2012.

Email mfl5@duke.edu for an application.

10 | THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

CHANGEWORKS from page 1 narrowing the pool to four finalists—including Counseling Orphans Promoting Empowerment, DukeSocial.com, FishCycle and the Malaria Awareness Program. At the competition, each team was given six minutes to present their idea to the panel of judges, with an additional six minutes allocated for a question and answer session.

The MAP proposal involves a peer-education program that conducts community education workshops in each of HaMakuya’s villages as well as a mosquito net production and distribution system to the peer-education program participants, local clinics and corner stores in the area.

“MAP aims to build upon existing resources and interests to sustainably empower the community and promote awareness of malaria,” Guidera said, adding that HaMakuya suffers a substantial lack of resources and limited access to aid and education about the disease.

DukeSocial.com, presented by juniors Ross Tucker and Julia Huang, was awarded the $2,500 second place prize.

THE CHRONICLE

In their presentation, Tucker and Huang said Duke suffers from a fractured sense of community, and it is difficult to connect like-minded students across campus. DukeSocial.com claims to facilitate this problem by acting as the first social media hub designed to enhance Duke student life. Its three main components—discover, share and connect—serve to link students who might not otherwise mingle with one another. DukeSocial.com facilitates collaboration between like-minded students and aggregates resources to raise awareness about campus activity.

Finalist Counseling Orphans Promoting Empowerment, presented by junior Grace Zhou and senior Audrey Hu, strives to improve the health and well-being of orphans and vulnerable children in Naama, Uganda. It uses the Naama Millennium Primary school to identify and refer children for counseling and vocational training.

The other finalist, FishCycle, was presented by sophomores Mike Du, Albert Hu and William Li. FishCycle focuses on utilizing the byproducts of filleting fish—bones, organs, heads and tails. Typically, these bits are dumped into oceans, but this practice leads to significant environ-

mental damage by increasing dissolved oxygen and phosphorous levels as well as choking algae colonies, the group noted. FishCycle’s solution is to ship Alaskan fish byproducts to China, where the demand is higher. The venture would include a processing plant in China with boiling and grinding capabilities, collecting as much as 25 percent of all fish products to distribute as animal feed or nutrient supplements.

Social entrepreneurship identifies a social problem and utilizes business principles in order to find and enact a solution, van Kirk said. It is not solely focused on ideology but rather embodies the social values that underlie each venture.

“If you try to do business... try to do it in the right way,” he said. “Think big picture but work on the little things.”

Van Kirk suggested that both the finalists and the audience “try-storm”— try different ventures repeatedly until one of them works out. The key, he noted, is developing a keen sense of empathy, learning about the field of interest and finding a specific niche in which to cultivate an idea.

“Social entrepreneurship and making a difference is really about believing in people before they even believe in themselves,” he said.

GOLDWATER from page 1 2,000 applicants. Congress founded the scholarship program in 1986 and is meant to support outstanding students in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. A total of 72 Duke students have been named Goldwater Scholars to date.

Hoehn, a chemistry major, has conducted genomics research with Mohamed Noor, Earl D. McLean professor and associate chair of biology, with a focus on the effects of codon mutation in Kenneth Hoehn fruit flies. The junior has also conducted paleobiology research, examining processes of extinction in coral with Louise Roth, associate professor of biology.

Starkwater, a biology major, has worked on neurology research with Richard Mooney, George Barth Geller professor of neurobiology, studying the neurological basis of vocal learning and memory in songbirds.

Clara Starkweather “My research examines the neural basis of vocal learning and memory in the songbird,” Starkweather wrote in an email Tuesday. “Specifically, I am investigating the role of auditory telencephalic regions in the maintenance of learned vocalizations.”

Starkweather is also an accomplished pianist and has performed previously for the Board of Trustees.

www.duke chronicle.com