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
XXXDAY, MONTH MONDAY, FEBRUARY XX, 4, 2013 2013
ONE ONEHUNDRED HUNDREDAND ANDEIGHTH EIGHTHYEAR, YEAR,ISSUE ISSUE91 X
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FS WHO? Duke routs the Seminoles 79-60
Nearby counties inch closer to fracking by Tony Shan THE CHRONICLE
FAITH ROBERTSON/THE CHRONICLE
Seth Curry paced the Blue Devils with a game-high 21 points as they shot 11-for-18 from 3-point range. See story on Sportswrap page 4.
Since the North Carolina legislature approved hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, in July 2012, state representatives have debated how to move the process forward. Despite the bill’s approval, drilling in the state will not occur for several years until safety regulations are put in place. The conversation regarding fracking occurred after the discovery of a large shale gas basin in North Carolina. The shale basin, which spans across Moore, Lee, Chatham, Wake, Granville and Durham Counties, has been targeted by companies who hope to drill and harvest the energy stored within the rock. Experts believe that lessdeveloped counties will be targeted first, because the financial benefits of fracking will be higher there. “It’s less likely in Durham,” said Brian Miles, chair of the Durham Environmental Advisory Board. “They’re going to go where the costs are lowest, and there is a chance of
negative public perception, so they’ll probably go to the rural counties. They’re more used to working in those environments.” The bill’s approval means that fracking will be ready to go as early as 2014, but it will be up to each county to determine whether it will participate. Fracking, which involves drilling both vertically and horizontally to access deep rock layers, uses explosive charges and high pressure fluid to induce fractures in the rock in order to release the natural gas and oil stored inside. This fuel can then be brought back to the surface, at which point it is harnessed and sold. Although fracking may lead to a substantial revenue boost in drilling neighborhoods, the techniques used to access this fuel introduce possible environmental dangers that could threaten the health of North Carolina residents, causing state representatives to consider safety regulations. Duke researchers SEE FRACKING ON PAGE 4
UNDERGRADUATE YOUNG TRUSTEE
Schools adopt tests for Alman touts a broad range character in admissions of campus involvement by Ryan Zhang THE CHRONICLE
Quantitative evaluations, which once reigned supreme in college admissions, are now making room for “noncognitive” measures for evaluating prospective students. Noncognitive measurements have risen in popularity in recent years as a way to evaluate applicants. These measurements provide an alternative way to assess students, eschewing traditional “cognitive” factors, such as high school GPA and SAT scores, in favor of intangibles such as integrity and communication skills. Currently, schools including Oregon State University, DePaul University and Eastern Washington University have begun complementing traditional admissions measures with some form of noncognitive assessment. Despite the increasing prevalence of noncognitive measures, Duke has no
plans to adopt any of them in the admissions process in the near future, said Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag. The dearth of understanding regarding the usefulness of such measures makes it difficult to predict whether they would be useful for Duke, he added. Either way, the current admissions process already takes into account many of the characteristics evaluated by noncognitive measures. “On one level, we’ve always used noncognitive measures,” Guttentag said. “The decision to admit someone to Duke has never been made simply on the basis of academic or strictly quantifiable characteristics or attributes.” One noncognitive measure already in use is the Personal Potential Index, developed by the Educational Testing Service.
ELYSIA SU/THE CHRONICLE
In her campaign for Young Trustee, senior Ashley Alman says she has amassed a variety of perspectives that help her to understand and convey the Duke undergraduate experience to the Board of Trustees. A native of Boca Raton, Fla., Alman’s involvement on campus encompasses a large swath of activities. Alman, who is a political science major with a certificate in policy journalism and media studies, serves as an executive board member for both the First-Year Advisory Council and the Duke University Union. She also is employed as the chief blogger for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and as a marketing intern for the Office of Undergraduate Education. In the past, she
SEE ADMIS. ON PAGE 2
Senior Ashley Alman is running for Young Trustee on a platform highlighting her extensive extracurriculars.
SEE ALMAN ON PAGE 2
by Emma Baccellieri THE CHRONICLE
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