Sept. 17, 2012 issue of The Chronicle

Page 1

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

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTH YEAR, ISSUE 18

WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM

New tailgate Gamer’s paradise: Expo LGBT group has elements draws geeks to Durham demands old and new more space by Georgia Parke

by Patton Callaway

THE CHRONICLE

THE CHRONICLE

Old Tailgate was known for garish costumes and beer showers, but New Tailgating’s debut Saturday took a more traditional southern route. Ten student groups set up tents on the Main Quadrangle Saturday afternoon before Duke Football’s 54-17 victory against North Carolina Central University. Students barbecued, threw frisbees, played corn hole and drank beer together while a student DJ provided music. Perhaps out of nostalgia for Tailgate, which was canceled in November 2010, several people continued the tradition of dressing in costumes. Outfits included purple footie pajamas with ducks, stretchy gold pants, caution tape clothing, a cow suit and multiple dinosaurs getups. But the majority of tailgaters showed up in Duke gear and other athletic wear for a mellow Saturday afternoon under blue skies and barbecue smoke. Kevin Nguyen, Trinity ’12, a recent graduate who returned to campus for tailgating, said he found “the best of both worlds” in this mix of new and old Tailgate. “There’s people just hanging out, people socializing, reconnecting with old

Student group Blue Devils United is fighting for more space for the Center for LGBT Life’s new location, claiming that current plans do not meet the expanded needs of the LGBT community. When it was first announced in April that the LGBT Center would move permanently to the Bryan Center, representatives of the LGBT community believed that they would get at least half of the current University Center Activities and Events space. But the latest blueprints—dated August 16—show that more than half of the space is allocated for the Office of Student Affairs, and the space for the LGBT Center does not reflect the desires outlined by an LGBT Study Group, which was involved in the original planning. According to the blueprints, the new LGBT space is expected to be 3,275 sq.-ft.—about 500 sq.-ft. larger than the current center— and Student Affairs will be 5,038 sq.-ft. Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta said in an interview that plans are still flexible. Both the center and the Student Affairs office are moving summer 2013 due to the upcoming West Union Building renovations. “We’re still reviewing all the space options

SEE TAILGATE ON PAGE 2

SEE LGBT ON PAGE 3

Activist fights against dam in Ethiopia by Kelly Carroll THE CHRONICLE

Internationally recognized grassroots organizer Ikal Angelei warned against the consequences of a new hydroelectric plant in Ethiopia in a talk Friday. Angelei, winner of the 2012 Goldman Environmental Prize, spoke at Duke Sept. 14, reaffirming her fight to protect marginalized tribes living near Kenya’s Lake Turkana whose livelihoods could be greatly affected by the construction of the Gibe III Dam in Ethiopia. If completed, the dam would be the largest hydroelectric plant in Africa. “It isn’t easy, but the people need to SEE ANGELEI ON PAGE 2

JULIAN SPECTOR/THE CHRONICLE

David O’Brien (top), a massage therapist from Greenville, attended the Escapist Expo in his handmade 37-lb. chainmail costume. Maggie Bennett (r), an artist from Durham, built an Iron Man suit in more than a month of full-time work. Some participants competed in laser tag (l). by Linda Yu THE CHRONICLE

Nerds, geeks and gamers descended on the Durham Convention Center this weekend for the inaugural Escapist Expo, hosted by Durham-based online magazine The Escapist. The three-day Expo featured videogame tournaments, role-playing games, board game libraries, a cosplay contest and panels led by Escapist contributors on topics like “Fanboyism” and “Best. Magic Players. Ever.” Participants played rounds of Chest High Walls laser tag on the lawn of Durham Performing Arts Center while zombies roamed the streets in search of gamer flesh. Alexander Macris, co-founder and publisher of the Durham-based Escapist described the website as covering types of media that are

“an escape from the everyday.” The Expo brought those media to downtown Durham. Booths sold geek gear including Pokémon badges, posters and cat ears that moved depending on the wearer’s mood. One vendor played the Legend of Zelda theme on an accordion. A battle of Humans vs. Zombies raged in the streets surrounding the Convention Center throughout the weekend. Participants wearing “human” bandanas on their arms fought off those sporting “zombie” bandanas, using modified Nerf blasters and socks to temporarily freeze the assailants. Jason Sweitzer of Raleigh, a records manager for the state government, was sticking to side exits and covering the open

BULLED OVER

CHRIS DEICKHAUS/THE CHRONICLE

Duke beat N.C. Central 54-17 at Wallace Wade Saturday. See story in Sportswrap Page 6.

SEE EXPO ON PAGE 12

ONLINE @ dukechronicle.com Track takes NC Central at Wallace Wade, Sportswrap 7

Escapist publisher Alexander Macris talks with The Chronicle’s Linda Yu about ditching a law career to start a gaming magazine.

Women’s soccer wins overtime thriller at Miami, Sportswrap 5


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