February 22, 2021 by Duke Chronicle

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ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 22

FRATS BREAK WITH DUKE Why they disaffiliated, what it means for Duke By Maria Morrison, Jake Sheridan and Mona Tong Nine fraternities have broken away from Duke’s Interfraternity Council after the University announced changes to the rush process and selective housing, forming a group called the Durham Interfraternity Council that has begun recruiting new members. Here’s what we know so far about the disaffiliations and their significance for the Duke community.

Which fraternities have disaffiliated?

By Feb. 16, seven fraternities had disaffiliated from the Duke IFC: Alpha Delta Phi, Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Alpha Order, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Chi and Sigma Nu. Alpha Epsilon Pi and Pi Kappa Alpha disaffiliated later last week. All nine fraternities have joined the newly-formed Durham Interfraternity Council.

Why did fraternities decide to disaffiliate?

In November, Duke announced that recruitment for first-years would be delayed to sophomore year and that only juniors and seniors would live in selective See FRATERNITIES on Page 3

Evelyn Shi | Staff Graphic Designer

New Durham IFC starts rush By Mona Tong News Editor

The newly formed governing body for fraternities that have disaffiliated from the Duke Interfraternity Council began its spring rush process on Sunday. As of Sunday, nine fraternities have disaffiliated from Duke to form the Durham Interfraternity Council. This new organization expects to hold a completely virtual recruitment process. President of Durham IFC Will Santee, a junior member of Kappa Alpha Order, said that no organizations should have plans for inperson events. The rush schedule was designed to be completely virtual, with “no need for events occurring outside of that,” Santee said. “All the chapter presidents are filled in on that.” Santee added that after recruitment, chapters are also expected to keep everything virtual “or within Duke guidelines.” Since the Durham IFC is not a Duke group, Santee said that they have had “little coordination” with Duke in planning the recruitment process. However, he emphasized that they are “very much committed” to following state, local and University rules.

Emilie Dye, director of student engagement and leadership, told The Chronicle last week that students who are members of disaffiliating groups will still be held accountable for offcampus actions, including violations of Duke’s COVID-19 guidelines. The Durham IFC has not yet finalized enforcement measures to hold chapters accountable for virtual recruitment and COVID-19 safety. Santee wrote in an email to The Chronicle that “the details are still being worked out” on such protocols, “which will include a judicial process to hold chapters accountable.” Following an organization-wide Zoom information session on Sunday, Santee said that the rush process will involve oneon-one virtual conversations and final presentations hosted by individual chapters over Zoom. Bids will be given out virtually on March 2 and returned March 3. Dean of Students John Blackshear wrote in an email to The Chronicle that to his knowledge, the Friday night social event that involved an off-campus gathering of more than 50 maskless students was not affiliated with rush activities. See DURHAM IFC on Page 12

Advocates for Greek abolition denounce fraternities’ move By Rebecca Torrence Staff Reporter

When seven fraternities cut ties with Duke in the wake of recent reforms to rush and selective living—to be later joined by two others—senior Shreyas Gupta wasn’t surprised. But he says there’s “nothing redeemable” about the announcement. As a founding member of Abolish Duke IFC & Panhel, a group that’s been working to get rid of 24 Duke fraternities and sororities since last July, Gupta met with Duke administrators throughout the fall semester to advocate for changes to selective social life on campus. The resulting reforms, which include pushing rush from freshman spring to sophomore fall and moving selective living groups to Edens quad for the 2021-22 academic year, were “very modest” compared to the changes discussed in those meetings, said senior Christine Bergamini, another founding member. “In our talks with Duke administrators, we had said that we highly doubt fraternities would ever comply with the reforms in any way that

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would lead to meaningful change,” Bergamini said. “And I think this just confirms that, because they wouldn’t even comply with the modest reforms that have been instituted.” Junior Will Santee, president of the newly formed Durham Interfraternity Council, See ABOLITION on Page 3

INSIDE Remote students return Students who came back to Duke this spring adapt to a changed campus. PAGE 2

A seven-film selection Screen/Society has curated seven films, which are free to stream until Feb. 28. PAGE 6

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2 | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Joy, relief, ambivalence, adjustment Students who were remote last fall return to a strange new Duke By Katie Tan Staff Reporter

When senior Susana Gutierrez and her roommate finally got back to a changed Durham after abruptly leaving in March 2020, their first order of business was to make their Campus Walk apartment feel like home. They thrifted glassware, a dresser and a TV stand, and when the furnishing was complete they burned incense and drank tea, feeling like two accomplished “grownups.” After a negative entry test, senior Andrew Raines went straight to the East Campus lawn, where he sat and chatted with his acapella group Something Borrowed, Something Blue for the first time in almost a year. They celebrated their reunion under a clear sky by listening to their new album, which had been released last month. Gutierez and Raines had spent the last 10 months living a pseudo-college life at home. These small joys mark the beginning of their last few months as Duke students. Amidst the fun, though, they find themselves at a university hard to recognize as the one they left. For students coming back to Duke this spring after spending the fall away from campus, the return has been a moment of joyous relief, but also of ambivalence and adjustment. Their favorite Au Bon Pain orders taste just like they remembered—now they can even order them immediately with a mobile app. Their friends’ laughs are just as bright, even though they’re wearing masks and sitting six feet apart. But many integral aspects of the Duke experience have been lost to the pandemic. A senior graduating in three years, Gutierrez had only been on campus for a year and a half before all students were sent

Rebecca Schneid | Sports Photography Editor Students have to socialize outside and socially distanced.

FRATERNITIES FROM PAGE 1 living sections next year. These changes are part of the guidelines for Duke’s Next Generation Living Learning 2.0 Committee. According to President of Durham IFC Will Santee, a junior member of Kappa Alpha Order, these changes posed a number of challenges to fraternities. Primarily, delaying rush to sophomore fall would be difficult “especially since so many juniors go abroad” and limiting selective living sections to juniors and seniors “wasn’t exactly conducive to the best living situation for sophomores,” Santee said. Former Duke IFC President Rohan Singh, a senior, claimed that the IFC was not consulted by Duke when the University temporarily suspended spring recruitment in October and decided to move rush to sophomore year in November. Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president of student affairs, said that IFC was the first student group she met with to seek input on changes to rush. She added that she consulted national Greek organizations, Duke Student Government and dozens of other student groups in more than 100 preview meetings before the November policy announcement.

home. The appeal of seeing her friends again was enough for her to return to Durham. Gutierrez also did not have a desk at home and had to do her work on the edge of her bed. “Having the space a young person requires to effectively do college has been really helpful,” she said, patting her huge apartment desk. For other returning students, the decision to come back was more challenging. Sophomore James Leong spent his fall 2020 semester in Singapore, where coronavirus deaths and transmission rates pale in comparison with the United States. However, being 13 hours ahead made group work and attending synchronous classes very difficult. The convenience of learning in the same time zone as his peers and professors compelled him to fly halfway across the world for the oncampus experience. “I also didn’t want to miss out on the campus experience, or whatever is left of it,” Leong said. Junior Stephanie Green vividly remembers last year’s away basketball game against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She attended a huge watch party at the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture and was swept along in the frenzy of an unsuccessful bench-burning to celebrate Duke’s victory. Now she’s back, and the watch parties and bench burnings have disappeared. “The most I’ll do is watch with someone that I blocked with,” Green said on the day of the game. Sophomore Hana Hendi wistfully recalled the rush of constantly seeing new faces at Muslim Students Association barbecues and game nights. “I would always meet people I would have never crossed paths with,” she said. Hendi appreciates how she’s able to become closer with the MSA members she’s known through this year’s Zoom events. But after returning to campus, she yearns to continue meeting new people. “Last spring, I was introducing myself so often, I had a whole shebang! Now, I’m more limited seeing the people I met in my first year. It’s difficult to branch out except for club meetings and professional settings,” she said. There are some experiences that Zoom meetings can’t reproduce. Among them is the harmonic voices of a choir soaring through the Duke Chapel’s high arches, swelling between stained glass. Raines is a member of the Chapel Choir. This semester, instead of performing together, each member is filming individual videos that will be edited together. “We’re able to do more difficult music that we couldn’t do live, but it’s still not the same as standing next to a person and feeling vibrations coming from them. There’s magic to that,” Raines said. Still, this new and unusual Duke experience has its benefits. Online interactions have largely replaced the constant dash to classes, events and club meetings, leaving much more time for students to be in their dorms.

Santee said that the former Duke IFC brought their grievances to meetings with Duke administrators, but “got the impression that those rules were not going to be changed just because we said we don’t like them.” He said that it seemed as though the University “has a very set plan of where they see social life going at Duke” and the disaffiliated fraternities didn’t feel like that plan included them.

How will fraternities be held accountable for off-campus actions?

McMahon told The Chronicle last week that disaffiliated groups will not have access to “trainings and group accountability structures set in place for recognized groups.” Such training and accountability structures have affected the way IFC fraternities interact with issues like sexual assault, hazing and racism in the past. In 2015, for example, the IFC created a task force to investigate sexual assault in Greek life and in 2019, the University disciplined four fraternities for hazing allegations. Dye added that disaffiliated fraternities “will no longer have access to University funding, facilities, communications, housing and direct advisement.” She noted, however, that students who are members of disaffiliated groups will still be

Simran Prakash | Photography Editor Many campus activities now take place online due to the pandemic.

Green has made her room into her sanctuary and has become much more content with enjoying herself alone. She’s got a new hobby: completing 500-piece puzzles. She just finished one with a bridge and lots of flowers, with water flowing underneath. “It’s a super low-cost hobby,” she said. “You get one for five dollars and spend the next three weeks doing it!” Although many of her friends are living off campus, Hendi is grateful that she’s still able to bond more with people at Duke than if she were at home. She also enjoys the independence that comes with the college experience. “Being mindful of my own wellbeing was something that really built my character in freshman year, and I became less sensitive to this in quarantine,” she said. She’s regained this mindfulness since returning to campus. As these students look to the spring and summer, it’s hard for them to see what lies ahead. The uncertainty about Dukesponsored activities and graduation lingers. Before DukeEngage announced that all summer 2021 projects were virtual, Hendi was looking forward to participating in an independent project, where she would have created a blood donation drive. She is more than prepared for a summer alternative—she will serve as an emergency medical technician in Dallas. “During my time at home I had taken EMT online classes. I’m not really bummed out about DukeEngage anymore because any opportunity to be able to help people is really important to me,” she said. For students who still have more than a year left at Duke,

held accountable for their off-campus actions, including violations of Duke’s COVID-19 guidelines. “Duke students are still Duke students, which means that the members of these organizations are still expected to follow all Duke policies [and] procedures,” Dye wrote in an email. Although the disaffiliated fraternities will not longer have access to Duke trainings and accountability structures, the groups will “continue to receive training and educational resources, be insured and held accountable to policies of their inter/national organizations,” according to Todd Shelton, chief communication officer of the North American Interfraternity Conference. The NIC represents several of the national organizations that encompass the disaffiliating groups. McMahon added that she is confident that new efforts by the University to train and educate student leaders can help address the gap. Santee told The Chronicle that all rush participants will attend a required virtual sexual assault prevention training. He wrote in an email that the training will share content from the Women’s Center Training given to all affiliated Duke selective living groups “as well as material specifically created for future fraternity members.”

See RETURN on Page 3

What long-term changes will we see to Duke residential life, campus culture?

With the fraternities leaving, Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president of student affairs, sees an opportunity to construct a new social culture at Duke. “There is an opportunity for a reset that builds on our best values and traditions, and sort of gives us a chance to examine some of the structures that we’ve had, and how equitable they’ve been and what kind of community we’ve created,” McMahon said. “I see a place for selective living at Duke, but I see it as part of the junior and senior year experience, not as part of the first structure around which the rest of upperclassmen housing works.” Santee said that although the Durham IFC hopes to rebuild a partnership and communication with Duke in the future, it isn’t their primary objective right now. Instead, the organization is currently focused on “becoming independent and functional on [their] own” and running recruitment this semester “without Duke’s help,” Santee said. Singh said that all the chapters hope to maintain an amicable relationship with Duke. The online version of this FAQ includes additonal information about the Durham IFC and its rush plans. Read more at chron.it/disaffiliation or in the story ‘New Durham IFC starts rush’ on Page 1.

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there is a mix of optimism and acceptance. Leong believes that this distorted Duke experience will be the new normal for a while. “We should best get used to this and adjust accordingly,” he said. Green hopes for a semi-normal spring semester for her senior year. For her, Duke springs are unparalleled. “You can tell people are happier because it’s warm out, and there’s a lot to look forward to, like LDOC and beach week. There’s all the invitationals for the incoming students. Everyone wants to put their best foot forward for Duke,” Green said. Returning seniors feel, like the Class of 2020 did, the loss of a normal graduation season. Though it comes as no surprise, they still mourn the once-imagined lasts they’ll never share: the last basketball game, last LDOC, last showcase. Raines will be graduating in fall 2021. He lamented that he won’t be able to celebrate graduation with his friends that are still studying remotely at home, and that he wasn’t on campus last semester to celebrate with his friends who graduated early. Hugging was also a daily part of Raines’ life. “That fact that I won’t get to hug these people goodbye is really sad,” he said. Gutierrez, with her accelerated Duke experience, regrets that she won’t be able to have a normal beach week celebration, and that she won’t be able to make one last trip to Shooters II Saloon. “I didn’t even like Shooters. I was going to go just so I could say I did it for the last time,” she said. She will be graduating and turning 21 within the same week. “I’m hoping if we are at a safer point, I can have one big last hurrah with some friends in my apartment, celebrating my graduation and being a real adult,” Gutierrez said.

defended the decision to disaffiliate in an email, writing that administration’s reforms would be “detrimental to our ability to function as oncampus fraternities.” He wrote that delaying recruitment and limiting section to juniors and seniors were decisions “strongly opposed” by fraternities and made it difficult for chapter leaders to “envision their fraternity continuing their operation as an on-campus organization.” “Each individual chapter made a decision that they would be able to foster a better fraternal community by not being affiliated with Duke,” he wrote. Nine fraternities have now disaffiliated from Duke’s Interfraternity Council: Alpha Epsilon Pi, Alpha Delta Phi, Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Alpha Order, Pi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Chi and Sigma Nu. The disaffiliated fraternities have since formed the Durham IFC, which began a recruitment process on Sunday. According to the Durham IFC Facebook page, the new council plans to “address issues within Greek life, focusing on diversity and inclusion, hazing prevention, and ensuring the safety of guests at fraternity events.” Gupta called this statement “a slap in the face.” “It’s one thing to say you’re doing this to protect fraternities, but it’s another to say you’re doing this to be better and more inclusive,” he said. “It’s like, no, you’re not. Don’t now co-opt what our movement stands for.” Bergamini added that it is possible that the disaffiliations will discourage students who are on the fence about joining Greek organizations from rushing “ambiguous, underground groups.” However, the members of Abolish Duke IFC & Panhel worry that the move off campus will decrease opportunities for diversity within Greek life. “The few things that Duke did when [the fraternities] were affiliated, such as sending out

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ON DUKECHRONICLE.COM More than 50 maskless students went to Friday night gathering, administrators say BY MATTHEW GRIFFIN | 02/20/2021 At least 50 unmasked students were present at a Friday night gathering that violated Duke’s COVID-19 rules, as well as local and state coronavirus policies.

Not business as usual: Durham restaurants face setbacks, find new opportunities as pandemic continues BY DAMLA OZDEMIR | 02/19/2021 Food establishments in downtown Durham have had a variety of experiences navigating the pandemic and restrictions on their operations. rush scheduling, information about open houses and fraternities in general, those were on official Duke sites,” said Gupta. “Every student at least got access to them.” Without Duke to facilitate this access, “now, the process has become even more exclusive, and it’ll just continue down this road of white, wealthy students attracting more white, wealthy students,” he said. The disaffiliated fraternities will no longer have access to resources like funding or trainings provided by the University, but will still operate under the guidance of their national organizations. Santee wrote that the decision for chapters to disaffiliate was done to“increase their independence and autonomy of their chapter rather than protect them” and that they will still follow the same rules as all other Duke students. “We did not feel welcome by Duke administration as on-campus organizations, so we formed the Durham IFC and plan to use it as an opportunity for reform. We are excited to examine the ways in which we can improve fraternities for the betterment of members and their guests,” he wrote. Santee wrote that the Durham IFC attempted to combat exclusivity during this year’s recruitment by eliminating the $75 fee to participate in rush “to ensure low-income students could participate” and advertising the

information session through multiple platforms. He added that they recognize there is more to be done to increase diversity and inclusion, which they are “excited to act upon.” Bergamini said she thinks recent changes to campus residential life were “still a step in the right direction to decrease Greek life’s hold over the social scene.” But now, the path forward for Abolish Duke IFC & Panhel looks even rockier than before. In the coming weeks, the group hopes to push the University to make an official statement condemning systemic problems they see with Greek life, including racism, sexism and gender violence, homophobia, and classism. “We’ve made multiple requests to administrators to make a public statement to acknowledge these issues, because the issues, regardless of their stance on Greek life, do exist,” Gupta said. He also suggested placing restrictions on members of off-campus groups similar to the regulations created by Harvard University in 2017, which barred members of single-gender organizations unrecognized by the university from holding student leadership positions. Bergamini said that the recent disaffiliations have not changed Abolish Duke IFC & Panhel’s goal of encouraging students to “take individual responsibility” by boycotting recruitment or by dropping their Greek organization.

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february 22, 2021

recess

to the (virtual) cinema Screen/Society releases spring slate of online cinema programming, page 6

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#apologizetoBritney Times documentary sheds light on Britney Spears’s conservatorship, page 6

Recess grammys prediction

Recess social media editor predicts winners in 13 categories, page 5

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recess Who should retroactively get a Grammy?

Sarah Derris .................... bjork

Stephen Atkinson ..........queen

Sydny Long ........... beach boys

Skyler Graham ... blake shelton

Kerry Rork .............. diana ross

Jonathan Pertile ..... katy perry

Tessa Delgo ............ nicki minaj

Eva Hong ...................... not sia

on the cover:

Still from “Film About a Father Who” dir. by Lynne Sachs. Courtesy of Screen/Society

staff note Why do we watch movies? It is an impossibly broad question and one I have no intention of answering here. However, in what is likely the most stressful and challenging year that many of us have faced, I have discovered a new reason to find great movies to watch, other than having a little more down time.

playground

The best films have an ethereal, hypnotic quality to them; they transfix and transport viewers to another world. It is an exceedingly rare quality in film, the ability to capture the viewer’s truly undivided attention and create an almost out-of-body experience. With creaky walls, loud friends and the constant gnawing of

recess

Recess’s 13 Grammys predictions By Jonathan Pertile Social Media Editor

After being pushed back two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Grammy Ceremony date is set for March 14. Recess’s social media editor breaks down his predictions for Grammys winners in 13 categories. To read the full article, visit https://www.dukechronicle.com/ section/recess. Album Of The Year Taylor Swift has won album of the year twice before – in 2010 for “Fearless” and 2016 for “1989” – and “Folklore” is all but certain to make her the first woman to win the Grammy’s biggest award for the third time. Her combination of critical and commercial success makes her likely to join the likes of other three-time winners Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon. It would be a deserving win, too – “Folklore” beautifully captured the spirit of 2020 with its hushed tone and narrative songwriting. If an upset is going to happen, look to the radio queen Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” or the well-connected Jacob Collier’s “Djesse Vol. 3.” Who should win “Folklore” by Taylor Swift Who will win: “Folklore” by Taylor Swift Record Of The Year This award goes to the song with the best production and vocal performance of the year, and with past winners like “Uptown Funk,” “This Is America” and “Hello,” it is a very hit-driven category. Grammy-darling Billie Eilish, fresh off her sweep at the 2020 ceremony, is nominated again with “Everything I Wanted” and has the potential to repeat her success this year. Beyoncé is nominated not once but twice for “Black Parade” and “Savage,” the latter as a feature on Megan Thee Stallion song. However, Dua Lipa is likely the favorite here with her retro-smash “Don’t Start Now.” Who should win: “Savage” by Megan Thee

Stallion ft. Beyoncé Who will win: “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa Song Of The Year Songwriting, namely lyrics and melodies, is the focus of this award. Unfortunately, Grammy voters are rather lazy, so it almost always goes to the same song as Record Of The Year, regardless of how deserving the actual songwriting is (see: “Bad Guy, “Stay With Me,” “Hello”). As a result, it would make a lot of sense for the the Grammy to go to likely-Record-Of-The-Year winner “Don’t Start Now,” but this year, a split between the two categories may actually be more likely, as a result of “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift being nominated in this category. The song could ride the “Folklore” wave to a victory here, especially considering how high-quality its songwriting is and how “Folklore” has a songwriting-first narrative behind it. It helps that many see Swift as long overdue for a Song Of The Year victory. Potential spoilers include “I Can’t Breathe” by H.E.R. or “Everything I Wanted” by Billie Eilish. Who should win: “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift Who will win: “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift Best New Artist While 2019 was largely dominated by new artists, in 2020 veterans tightened their grip on the music industry. As a result, it’s somewhat a down year for the Best New Artist category. Nevertheless, there are inspiring faces here: Megan Thee Stallion, the rising star of female rap, and Phoebe Bridgers, the rising star of indie, are the most noteworthy. Either would be just as deserving, but Megan has the support of the bigger genre, so expect her to walk away with the award. Doja Cat has potential to steal because of her support from the pop genre, but she probably doesn’t have the name power to win the award. Who should win: Megan Thee Stallion or Phoebe Bridgers Who will win: Megan Thee Stallion

popcorn, it is so easy to tune out of the viewing experience both at home and in the theater — worrying about an upcoming meeting or assignment instead of what is happening on the screen. A transcendent “out-of-body” experience, even with a great and deserving movie, may be impossible to achieve with too many distractions, both ambiently or mentally. It is why I miss theaters so much; the best theater going experiences are perfect for locking in on the movie and the movie only. You cannot look at your phone, the room is pitch black and there (should) be no distracting noises. While watching “Minari” this week instead of doing my schoolwork, it would have been easy for my mind to wander. But the film commanded my attention, and it refused to let up until the first credit rolled. I was fully invested in the Yi family’s struggle to make it in 1980s rural Arkansas. Only a handful of other films I have watched this year, including “It’s Such a Beautiful Day,” “Y Tu Mamá También” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” had this same unrelenting energy. Nothing else mattered in these moments; it all just melted away. Minari proves that a good film does not require a 300 million dollar budget or elaborate fantasy story to “transport someone to another world.” Vibrant, textured cinematography, sharp direction, powerful performances, welldeveloped themes, worldbuilding and a deeply human story are enough to force careful viewing and maybe even induce this coveted out-of-body experience. In fact, these stories, the quiet dramas or dazzling comedies, likely require less to elicit this reaction, as it is more satisfying to become enchanted by a reasonably well-told story grounded in realism than a fantasy epic that can easily lose its humanity.

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This is not to say these types of films cannot do both (fans of “Max Max: Fury Road” would rightly complain here as it is the perfect example of cinematic escapism). These stories also do not necessarily have to be joyful or calming. Many highlight stresses or societal problems different than the ones the viewer may be facing at this moment. But nonetheless, they remain relatable and essential to presentday conversations. Other mediums are capable of this sort of escapism but not to the same extent. Vivid visuals are essential for a film in this category: shots the best author cannot possibly capture in words and the best reader cannot possibly imagine. TV shows can achieve the same effect, but it is harder to come by and often requires sifting through hours of even great TV that just does not quite draw you in all the way. Magic, while generally juvenile, is built entirely around bewilderment and enchantment, seeking to briefly entrance the viewer. Even for the best magicians, they can only achieve this for a fleeting moment. The best movies can do this for hours. There is no exact formula for an “out-ofbody” experience. Limited distractions and a film firing on all cylinders are a start. It is not going to happen every time, and there is nothing wrong with a good movie that keeps the viewer squarely situated in their own reality. But I plan to keep seeking out these films because the experience is special, hard to describe and a perfect reminder of why I watch movies. Two-hours away from the Duke pressure cooker and this pandemic-ridden, climate change ravaged world might be what we all need for a change. —Jack Rubenstein, staff writer

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#ApologizetoBritney: Britney Spears and rampant media misogyny makeup; a senior celebrity reporter asked Scarlett Johansson if she wore underwear beneath her Black Widow costume; a MTV reporter asked “LEAVE HER ALONE,” cries Chris Rihanna what she was looking for in a man Crocker. “LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!!!” — to which she succinctly responded, “I’m not Lost in the annals of the Charlie-bit-my- looking for a man. Let’s start there.” finger-meme-era, the “Leave Britney Alone” video When “journalists” are perfectly comfortable was an instant hit when it came out in 2007. When with interrogating a teenage girl about her Crocker first posted it on Youtube, audiences virginity, it signifies a larger truth about how indulged in the aggressively crazed hysterics of we routinely commodify and profit off of a Britney Spears superfan. Thirteen years later, womens’ bodies and sexualities as a cheap form “Leave Britney Alone” is still relevant; but now, of entertainment. Glaringly sexist journalistic people are taking Crocker seriously. behaviors teach consumers to feed into these With the release of the New York Times’ societal expectations too: to reduce women to “Framing Britney Spears,” “Leave Britney who they have sex with, what they look like, or Alone” accompanies a growing movement to how they raise children. hold media outlets accountable for the media Another particularly striking moment in the frenzy surrounding Spears. The investigative documentary revolves around Britney’s public documentary traces her rise — and precipitous head-shaving meltdown in 2007. At the peak of her fall — as a teenage girl navigating a misogynistic tabloid popularity, the paparazzi were unafraid to music industry. Interspersed with testimonies invade the most private aspects of her life. “I don’t from paparazzi and her personal assistant, want anyone touching me,” she said when shaving “Framing Britney Spears” chronicles how an her head. “I’m tired of everybody touching me.” And idealistic tabloid industry and the consequent yet, the paparazzi continued to probe into her life: conservatorship battle suffocated the star. “That night was not a good night for her… But it In archival footage from her 1992 “Star Search” was a good night for us, because it was a money appearance, host Ed McMahon asks a blunt shot,” the photographer of the Britney umbrella question to a ten-year old Britney: “Do you have shot says in the documentary. a boyfriend?” From there, the documentary strings In dissecting Spears’s mainstream press together an extensive history of increasingly probing coverage, we can find larger universal trends questions posed by media figures. “Everyone’s of misogyny and insensitivity towards mental talking about it,” interviewer Ivo Niehe tells health in the media: more often than not, we treat a teenage Britney. “Your breasts.” In several womens’ bodies and their sexualities as public other clips, interviewers ask Britney the age-old domain to be consumed for entertainment. In question: “Are you a virgin?” this process, we trade off a woman’s privacy, sense In that regard, “Framing Britney Spears” of sanity, and mental health in exchange for our functions as an alarmingly accurate time capsule personal consumption. of the media’s — and our own — expectations At the peak of Clinton’s impeachment scandal, for women, both in the early 2000’s and years we were fed inaccurate, sensationalized media later. A radio host asked Ariana Grande if she narratives of Monica Lewinsky. In a Jay Leno would rather go without her phone or her monologue, the host ridiculed her weight and By Derek Deng

Staff Columnist

campus arts

Photo By Derek Chen | The Chronicle The New York Times released the investigative documentary on Britney Spears’s conservatorship Feb. 5

speculated about her sex life: “Monica Lewinsky has gained back all the weight she lost last year… She told reporters she was even considering having her jaw wired shut, but then, nah — she didn’t want to give up her sex life.” Through media characterizations of Lewinsky as a “young tramp looking for thrills,” a “ditsy, predatory white house intern,” we were taught implicitly to view Monica as the semen-smeared perpetrator. Prominent media outlets prioritized profit and virality over Lewinsky’s mental state. In the age of social media, things have somewhat changed: Britney Spears infamously posts close-up dancing videos and closet tours on her Instagram feed, granting her some agency to

recess

control her own digital narrative, and many social media outlets like Glamour have apologized for their past wrongdoings after tremendous social media pressure. But perhaps media outlets are not the only ones to blame. Why were these media outlets willing to shell out thousands for photos of Spears’ meltdown? There was demand. As consumers, we more often than not support these problematic pop cultural narratives, mindlessly clicking through clickbait-y articles from the DailyMail about Ariel Winter’s boob job. We too are complicit. As Chris Crocker belligerently warned us in 2007, it’s time we leave Britney — and thousands of other women who have been mistreated and disparaged by the media — alone.

New Releases/New Restorations series brings the cinema online By Megan Liu Staff Writer

Although the Rubenstein Arts Center’s film theater is quiet this semester, Screen/Society is finding ways to keep bringing the cinematic arts to Duke and Durham. This semester’s lineup is called “New Releases/New Restorations,” a timely selection of films to acquaint cinephiles with the current film landscape. The seven-film slate features a curated selection of six newly released films and the 35th anniversary restoration of “Smooth Talk” (1985), which stars Laura Dern in her breakout role. The other films are diverse in their genres and countries of origin, with the series ranging from a dark comedy about the Israel-Palestine conflict (“Mayor”) to a Hungarian psychodrama about female obsession (“Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time”). “It’s always part of our mission at Screen/ Society to bring in films from all over the world, films with an international focus, that are not otherwise available to the local Triangle viewing public, and the Duke student and faculty community. We try to fill in the gap and bring in interesting films that have flown under the radar,” said Jason Sudak, an instructor in the Cinematic Arts program and part of the programming team for Screen/Society. For Sudak, the genrehopping films have a particularly relevant unifying core: just how cinematic the mundane can feel. “What struck me, during these pandemic times, is how small moments feel so big,” he said. “As I’m watching these smaller films, I’m finding myself completely engrossed in these everyday exchanges between people, especially in public spaces, that are just so far

away from us now.” Screen/Society tends to intersperse their two main seasons (fall and spring semester) with screening events as films are released, but with the upending of the film industry, the program decided to group their releases into one block. “Generally, we approach every semester’s programming by trying to find a mixture of new releases that we’re excited about and new restorations … it’s always a kind of centerpiece, often in the early part of the semester because they’re things real film lovers will have heard about. But this was an unusual time period in a difficult year,” said Hank Okazaki, program coordinator for Screen/Society. This shift to block programming has been Screen/Society’s main innovation since the pandemic happened. Normally, Screen/ Society holds live theatrical screenings in the Rubenstein’s theater. But now, letting people schedule their own viewings helps people adjust to their own schedule. Now, say you want to schedule your own virtual screening of New Releases/ New Restorations. What films might be of particular note? “Mayor” has the special distinction of screening at the Durham-area Full Frame Film Festival last spring. The jurors praised the film for its “virtue of being funny, gripping, and sobering all at once” and awarded the film the Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award. Another noteworthy film is “The Inheritance,” director Ephraim Asili’s feature-length debut, which chronicles the personal and political stories of Asili’s time in a Black socialist collective while threading in the history of the MOVE Organization and the Black Arts Movement. The film debuted at the Toronto International

Film Festival in 2020 and develops upon Asili’s resistance and justice-charged body of work. As a special bonus, Screen/Society’s screening features a discussion about “The Inheritance” between Asili and Duke Art, Art History & Visual Studies

assistant professor Franklin Cason. “New Releases/New Restorations” runs until Feb. 28 and is available free of charge via virtual streaming. For more information, visit https:// cinematicarts.duke.edu/screensociety.

Courtesy of Screen/Society

Screen/Scociety will present the 35th anniversary restoration of “Smooth Talk,” which stars Laura Dern.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 | 7

february 22, 2021

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ALL GAS, ALL BRAKE

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The Chronicle

sportswrap MEN’S BASKETBALL: UPSETS NO. 7 VIRGINIA • MEN’S LACROSSE: CONTINUES TORRID START

8 | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

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DEJA-HOOS

Five years after Grayson Allen’s buzzer-beater, an unranked Duke shocks No. 7 Virginia again By Evan Kolin Sports Editor

The stage was set for a Blue Devil upset win. The last time an unranked Duke faced Virginia, just over five years ago, the Blue Devils shocked the seventh-ranked Cavaliers in Cameron Indoor Stadium, with Grayson Allen hitting an acrobatic, 65 one-handed bank shot UVA DUKE 66 to win it at the buzzer. And Saturday night in the same home venue, Duke did it again, taking down No. 7 Virginia 66-65 for its third consecutive conference win, but first ranked victory of the season. With the Blue Devils holding that one-point edge and less than one minute remaining in the contest, the Cavaliers walked up the floor and looked for Sam Hauser to try and give them the lead. The star forward missed a leaning catch-and-shoot three with 37 seconds left, but redshirt senior Jay Huff got the offensive rebound to grant Virginia a second chance. The Cavaliers then reset their offense, with Kihei Clark taking the ball, driving baseline and tossing up a floater, which bounced off back iron with 14 seconds left. After a skirmish for the ball resulted in Blue Devil possession, the Cavaliers fouled Duke guard DJ Steward with just under 10 seconds remaining. Virginia had one more opportunity when Steward missed his first free throw on a one-and-one, but the Blue Devils defended Clark perfectly, forcing the junior guard into a contested three at the buzzer that was tipped by

Courtesy of Nat LeDonne/Duke Athletics

Duke’s sideline celebrates after Virginia’s last-second shot attempt falls short at the buzzer. Duke forward Matthew Hurt and fell short of the basket. “It’s sad that fans were not at this game. This was an epic game,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “This [was] a great basketball game, tonight. Every possession was fought— seemed like every dribble, at times. [Virginia is] an outstanding team and program. They’re veterans and they played like it. They’re so poised, and they play great defense. And our kids played great defense tonight, too, and came

up with some really big plays.” Virginia looked like it was taking control with eight minutes left in the contest, with Hauser coming off a screen and draining a deep two to break a 51-51 tie. Just over a minute later, Clark drove down the lane and hit a lay-in while absorbing the foul, sinking the free throw to put the Cavaliers ahead 56-51, the largest second-half lead for either squad. But the Blue Devils wouldn’t let Virginia break away, with a Wendell Moore Jr. jumper and Steward

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three tying the game once again. From there, the score went back-and-forth, with both teams continuing to trade buckets in a classic Duke-Virginia matchup. Two Huff free throws put the Cavaliers ahead 65-62 with three minutes remaining, but Steward answered right back with a jumper to pull Duke within one. Then, as Clark received the ensuing inbound pass, the Blue Devils slapped the floor in unison, a program trademark. Virginia would not score the rest of the game. On that possession, Jaemyn Brakefield swatted away a Clark layup attempt, following the block up with a reverse layup on the other end to give the Blue Devils a 66-65 edge in what ended up being the final score. “We just knew once they went up, we had to remain calm and just stay in the game,” Brakefield said. “We knew we were always in the game. Just making those plays—that’s why you come to Duke, man, just to make plays like that. And that’s Duke basketball.” Duke (10-8, 8-6 in the ACC) led 39-36 coming out of halftime, but Virginia (15-5, 113) opened the second half with a vengeance. Well, more specifically, Huff opened the second half with a vengeance. The 7-foot-1 forward slammed home three straight dunks to open the period, quickly regaining the lead for the Cavaliers. But Hurt continued to showcase his “Larry Bird-esque” shooting stroke, as ESPN studio See DEJA-HOOS on Page 9

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Blue Devils finally deliver in Duke presents recipe of crunch time for huge win dominance against Towson By Shane Smith

By Sasha Richie

Sports Managing Editor

Staff Writer

Time after time in 2021, the Blue Devils have let the game’s closing moments slip through their fingers, always on the wrong side of a chance to flip the season’s momentum. But facing one of the ACC’s best—a team with championship experience—Duke finally put its youth in the rearview mirror to put a dagger in No. 7 Virginia and grab a resume-boosting win Saturday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils took every punch from the visiting team down the stretch and hit back for the first time this season. Facing endless must-score or must-stop situations, an array of Duke’s underclassmen simply made plays en route to a 66-65 victory. “We’ve learned through losing and losing close games,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “But at least we learned from it—not just losing, but why and what we needed to improve on.” Close games have not been kind to the Blue Devils this season, and the team’s current status on the edge of the NCAA tournament bubble might look more optimistic if the scale just tipped the other way on a few of those contests. Duke should be doing anything other than looking in the past right now, but it’s hard not to look at how unkind crunch time has been to this team. The Blue Devils couldn’t find a timely stop against Pittsburgh or Notre Dame. Wendell Moore Jr. produced a costly turnover with a chance to tie against North Carolina. Jalen

Is there an absolute recipe for a perfect lacrosse team? No. But do the Blue Devils have one that makes Martha 7 Stewart look like an TU DUKE 19 amateur? Yes. No. 1 Duke earned its fourth consecutive win to open the season Saturday afternoon in a 19-7 blowout at Towson. It was the Blue Devils’ widest margin of victory of the year as well as their most cohesive effort. So, what are the ingredients to this recipe for success? First, Jake Naso. The freshman won 21-of-25 face-offs Saturday, and could quickly become the secret ingredient to an already incredible Duke team. Over the long offseason, the NCAA made some pretty big changes to the face-off rules.

Courtesy of Nat LeDonne/Duke Athletics

Jaemyn Brakefield hit the game-winning layup with 1:59 remaining. Johnson passed out of a potential game-winning 3-point attempt in a loss to Miami. And who can forget when the rims closed against Louisville with Duke needing a single triple to fall. Krzyzewski mentioned the “basketball gods” after that loss to the Cardinals, but the closing moments of Saturday night’s game didn’t seem like any sort of universal justice. It felt more like a team playing with nothing but heart. “We’ve had eight straight days of prep and games where we’ve gone all out, knowing that the season hasn’t gone how we wanted it,” forward Jaemyn Brakefield said. “But we’re just See CRUNCH TIME on Page 9

Courtesy of Towson Athletics

Mike Adler impressed in goal for Duke.

Previously, players could start kneeling and use a motorcycle grip to gain more leverage over the ball. Now, however, they have to start with both feet on the ground, use a neutral grip and move the ball in a continuous motion. Clearly, Naso’s thriving under these new rules, taking over lead face-off duties for the Blue Devils and winning 68% of his face-offs on the season thus far. “When you win face-offs it makes such a difference…. The face-off thing sometimes, in our sport, is too important,” head coach John Danowski said after the game. What he means is that when a team dominates the face-offs, that team dominates possession. You get a goal and immediately get a chance for another goal. With Naso playing as well as he is, Duke (4-0) has a huge advantage that is only amplified by how lethal the Blue Devils’ offense is. This brings us to the next key piece of Saturday’s win. Duke’s offense has already been fantastic this season, but this time they had an extra boost. “I think the guys just had a lot of fun today,” graduate transfer Michael Sowers said. The Blue Devils are as deep as they are talented, with top recruit Brennan O’Neill stepping seamlessly into leading-scorer Dyson Williams’ position, after the latter was one of two players who missed the game due to “health protocols.” O’Neill led the team with four goals Saturday, including one behind the back snipe that will definitely end up on highlight reels. Owen Caputo, Nakeie Montgomery, and Joe See M. LACROSSE on Page 9

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DEJA-HOOS

CRUNCH TIME

FROM PAGE 8

analyst Jay Bilas so eloquently put it, draining a finishing out, just going all out and trying to quick jumper and three to keep it close. be Duke.” The Minnesota native came into the contest redWith 2:44 remaining and Virginia holding hot, shooting 18-of-21 from the field and 9-of-11 a one-point advantage, senior Jordan Goldwire from deep over his last two games, both Blue Devil set up in a full-court press and slapped the wins. And the sophomore continued that hot streak floor. His four teammates followed with the in the first half Saturday, draining his first three signature Duke move and proceeded to hold shots, all of them from beyond the arc. the Cavaliers scoreless for the rest of the game. Hurt eventually finished with a game-high “The last three games, we’ve really played 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor, well on the defensive end of the court and it’s including 5-of-8 from distance. made a difference in us winning and losing,” “I think my teammates and my coaching Krzyzewski said. staff did a great job of giving me confidence,” Despite gaudy distribution numbers from Hurt said of his recent hot streak. “There was a Moore—seven assists to one turnover— couple-game stretch that I wasn’t playing well, Krzyzewski looked to the rookie backcourt but my coaching staff and my teammates— of Jeremy Roach and DJ Steward alongside they believe in me.... I just try to be aggressive Goldwire for the home stretch. and just try to win, especially. We got the win, Without a real offseason and few and that’s all I care about.” nonconference tune-ups, the maturation process Still, Virginia held a narrow edge throughout for the two young guards has undoubtedly been most of the opening half thanks to some swift difficult in a season filled with inconsistent moves inside from Huff, the craftiness of Clark and play. However, Roach quietly assisted the Duke the sharpshooting of Hauser. The trio combined offense with several huge buckets, the most for 54 of the Cavaliers’ 65 points on the night. important coming on a jumper to tie the game But then, Brakefield decided enough was at 60 with 4:17 left. enough. Steward struggled to shoot the ball all night, The freshman forward scored seven finishing 2-of-7 from the field and 1-of-5 from straight points by himself via a layup, a 3-point range. But the Whitney Young product’s breakaway slam and a three, turning a 25- growth eventually shined, putting the misses 22 Duke deficit into a 29-25 lead with five behind him for two of Duke’s biggest field minutes remaining in the half. goals in the final minutes. Steward knocked Brakefield finished with 11 points, five down a triple to extinguish the remainder of rebounds and four blocks in a career-high Virginia’s largest second-half lead with 5:49 29 minutes. remaining and brought the team to within one “The experience of playing at the collegiate on a contested fall-away jump shot from the level, at this level with the physicality, it’s a baseline with 2:41 to go. learned experience,” Krzyzewski said. “You can “[Roach and Steward] have been really only learn it by playing in these games.... These good freshmen...good players, but for freshmen kids have done what we’ve asked them to do, they’ve been really good,” Krzyzewski said. and Jaemyn is a prime example.” “They are out there and learning from their The Blue Devils were promptly granted a experiences. Jeremy had one of his best games No. 20 ranking following Allen’s buzzer-beater tonight and DJ, he hit a huge shot. They’re good to defeat Virginia in 2016, remaining in the top players and they will keep getting better as they 25 every week for nearly five years up until this mature physically and emotionally.” past January. It remains to be seen if Duke can But the star of the show had to be return to the top 25 at some point this season. Brakefield, who sat in the shadows for much But one thing is certain—the Blue Devils’ NCAA of ACC play but is now finding an increased tournament chances are still alive. role. Whether it was a recovery block on Kihei Duke has a quick turnaround following this ClarkSales or what would prove to be the gameThe New York Times Syndication Corporation 620 Eighth York, N.Y. 10018over Jay Huff, the freshman huge win, taking on Syracuse Monday at 7Avenue, p.m. New winning lay-up

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Crossword ACROSS 1 Saucy ones 6 Brand with Prime Cuts 10 “Deck the Halls” octet 13 Seller of Halloween costumes, perhaps 15 Highland body 16 “Fingers and toes crossed …” 17 Need to play, say 18 Show tiredness 19 Cave ___ (beware the dog) 20 Texas A&M athlete 21 Kind of wave 22 Supersmall, futuristic medical device 24 Series of tweets 27 Series of tweets 28 Humanitarian Wallenberg 29 Skilled at dodging

30 Afflict 31 Like zero 32 Lines on a park map 33 Abbreviated title without the second, third, fourth and sixth letters 34 Conducted 35 Oscar-nominated director of “Network” and “Dog Day Afternoon” 36 Statues of mermaids, typically 37 Didn’t use the can? 39 Great shakes 40 “Grant them ___ rest” (requiem opening) 41 Barely 42 Some R.S.V.P.s 43 Favorite bar, say 45 Big retailer in outdoor gear

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48 Daft 49 Device found between gutters 51 Applies 52 Record kept for travel reimbursement 53 Code for Australia’s busiest airport 54 Call it a day 55 Honkers DOWN 1 Take a turn 2 Home of N.Y.C.’s Colonnade Row 3 Album holder 4 Little pointer 5 Off-menu offering 6 When “S.N.L.” ends on the East Coast 7 Seating request 8 Senior moment? 9 Ref. work in which the verb “set” has a 60,000-word entry 10 Four-wheeled transports that developed out of surf culture 11 One of the top things on a to-do list 12 What a pane! 14 Word after “take a” or “take the” 15 Africa’s largest city that’s not a national capital 20 Guitarist Summers of the Police 21 Alone, to Alain

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23 Trojan War participant 24 Transportation option in Philadelphia and Seattle 25 Not experience the same difficulties as others 26 Like cars at Consumer Reports 27 Held in suspense 29 Expensive coat material

Domino’s Pizza:��thepizzaman

Student Advertising Manager: �� Rebecca Ross Account Representatives: �� Juliana Arbelaez, Emma Olivo, Spencer Perkins, Sam Richey, Alex Russell, Paula Sakuma, Jake Schulman, Simon Shore, Maddy Torres, Stef Watchi, Montana Williams Marketing Manager: �� Jared McCloskey Student Business Manager �� Dylan Riley, Alex Rose The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Saturday, May 2, 2020

32 Aqua ___ 33 Befit 35 It helps you focus 36 Little something put away for later 38 Lock 39 Jazz great who took his name from Egyptian mythology

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26 Flavor of some bottle-shaped gummies 28 Section often symbolized by a speech bubble 31 They don’t give you much to stand on 35 1980s disco hit that became a gay anthem

17 Something David Copperfield has that Penn and Teller don’t

Reality: �� themidler

15 Person on horseback?

What we disaffiliated from this week: All my classes: �� mattyg

14 Words said while pointing

41 Cocktail with bourbon and sugar over crushed ice 44 “It was ___ dream” 45 Be awesome 46 Freudian concept 47 Writer nicknamed the “Playwright of the Midwest” 49 “The Ultimate Driving Machine” sloganeer 50 Aid in driving

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you think Duke lacrosse, you probably think of the talent at offense, but the Blue Devils’ defense showed Saturday that they’re also a force to be reckoned with. Over the first three periods, they held Towson (1-2) to just two goals in 45 minutes of play. While the defense is led by fifth-year graduate student and 2019 ACC Defensive Player of the Year JT Giles-Harris, the rest of the group is largely young and learning how to defend at a college level. However, with every game, they learn more about how to adapt to certain situations and get in sync with one another. Danowski said that he’s especially happy with their ability to read when to pressure the ball and when to stay back. Surely, the more they play, the better the defense will get, and we’ll see more strong performances like Saturday’s. The final ingredient, and a bit of a cherry on top, was goaltender Mike Adler. When he’s on, he’s simply phenomenal. With the strength of the rest of the team, Adler won’t always face a lot of shots, but when he does you can be sure he’ll stop the majority of them. Adler played the first three periods and was nothing short of a brick wall, allowing just two goals on 10 shots on goal. While consistency from game to game has been a challenge for the St. Joseph’s transfer this season, when he’s on the opposing offense has virtually no shot. All together, these pieces are adding up to better performances each game for the Blue Devils in what should be a scary sight for the rest of college lacrosse, because every good cook knows that recipes are perfected over time.

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11 Org. overseeing the Epidemic Intelligence Service

Robertson all added hat tricks, while Sowers tallied a game-high six points with two goals and four assists. Sowers and Danowski both credited the chemistry to a good full week of practice and solid possession that allowed them to slow down, take a step back and just have fun with it. “I do agree with Michael’s assessment, Danowski said. “It was a really good week of practice. You know, we had five full days, and I think that was really helpful...going into today.” The defense also stepped up in a major way. When

8 Lead-in to -tainment

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saw the moment and attacked it. “Do I feel like a freshman? I’m 20 years old, and I’ve been playing high-level basketball for a while now,” Brakefield said. “But as the season progressed, my game progressed. Just being out there, I felt more comfortable.” As time expired, the Blue Devils sprinted off of Coach K Court full of raw emotion and smiles. With the season on the line, Duke played fearless, adding another scar for a team in desperate need of hard-fought wins. “It felt so good,” Hurt said. “The season hasn’t gone how we wanted it. There’s been a lot of negativity. But we’re just going to try to take everything not for granted and just try to keep getting better every day.”

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37 Native name for the Iroquois Confederacy 39 Rider on a carousel?

18 Salon, fancily 19 Some choice words

41 Germany, France, the 21 Timeline swath U.K., Italy, Spain 22 With 51-Down, and Poland, part of a golf club collectively 24 Fish that may be served meunière

42 Endnote abbr.

25 Like a lamb

43 Rock formation

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47 Kind of shot that’s the opposite of a 38-Down in a screenplay 48 Actor with the 2007 memoir “Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself” 49 Trial run 52 Number in a pharmacy, informally 54 Opposite of “Yay!” 57 Kind of wind across the Aegean 58 Massachusetts home of Phillips Academy 59 Mystery title: Abbr. 60 Alias 61 Plain lodging DOWN 1 Cleveland ___: Abbr. 2 “Well, looky there!” 3 Vegetables, fruits, nuts, roots and meat, classically 4 “Merci ___ aussi” 5 Chesterfield and others 6 Chili variety 7 Nut variety 8 Unwanted effect on a recording 9 Treasured 10 Sports getup, for short 11 Like email addresses, practically

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36 37

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12 Kevlar developer 13 Parts of many an urban skyline 16 Drink container that doesn’t easily spill 20 Catch up 22 Acer offerings 23 Indian flatbread 25 Rolex competitor 27 People of NE France 29 Lima locale

30 Shoe size specification 32 Burp, more formally 33 “I did it!” 34 Draws 36 Refusal overseas 38 Kind of shot that’s the opposite of a 47-Across in a screenplay 39 Got sudsy 40 Watching TV after midnight, say

44 Capital on the Atlantic 45 Apologize with actions 46 Rock formation 49 Proboscis 50 Poet ___ St. Vincent Millay 51 See 22-Across 53 Unaccounted-for, briefly 55 “Wasn’t I right?” 56 Many promgoers: Abbr.

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10 | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

opinion dukechronicle.com

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Missing Flunch? Professors are too

ane Zebrack, in their Feb 8 Chronicle article, reports the results of a student survey that suggest that many

Rebecca Vidra, Ph.d GUEST LETTER undergraduates are feeling lonely and isolated. This is not at all surprising. It is also deeply concerning to those of us who are used to working closely with students. Faculty members like me feel isolated too, after almost a year of working-from-home, interacting with our students and colleagues only via Zoom and email. We too are disconnected from our Duke community. Personally, I am really missing FLUNCH. As a teacher of a large undergraduate course (ENVIRON 102), I encourage my students to invite me to FLUNCH, either individually or in small groups. FLUNCH is one of my favorite things about Duke, frankly. Free lunch is great, but the opportunity to have an informal conversation with you is invaluable. I like hearing about what brought you to Duke, what activities you like to do when you aren’t in my class, your dreams for your

summer and beyond, etc. And I find myself sharing my own experiences about my own career journey, and what it’s like to try to balance being a professor with being a mom. For me, FLUNCH is probably the most important way to connect with students and to understand what the Duke experience really is like for you. Recently, my students have shared that they often find themselves eating their lunch alone, huddled on a bench or stone wall somewhere on campus. I find myself often eating lunch in front of my laptop, trying to stem the inevitable tide of email, while being interrupted by my daughters. I know this isn’t the traditional FLUNCH model, but I’d be happy to Zoom with you instead. Even just a 15-minute chat might be a nice way for both of us to feel a little more connected to the Duke community. If you are a first-year student or have never FLUNCH’d, this could be a nice way to say hello to a professor outside of class. You don’t need to have an agenda or a long list of questions, just a willingness to engage in conversation. If E-FLUNCH sounds like something you’d like to try, please reach out to me or to or another professor you’d like to connect with. Many of your professors really do want to get to know you and are happy to have a meaningful

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conversation outside of normal class time. It may be awkward, yes, as we balance our laptops/ phones with our lunches. But even just having a few minutes to check-in may be worth it. Faculty members are worried about your isolation and loneliness, and we feel some of that too. This isn’t the most elegant solution, but it

is an invitation to recreate connection at a time when so many of us need it. I look forward to your E-FLUNCH invitation, and to eating (for free!) with you in person soon. Professor Rebecca Vidra, Ph.d, is a senior lecturer on environmental science and policy.

Next Gen, or more of the same?

resident Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial symbolized the illusion of change. His acquittal, however, simply represents yet another example

Community Editorial Board

8, 2020, Duke asked fraternities, sororities, and non-Greek selective living groups to indefinitely postpone their recruitment processes. Perhaps, then, these new housing measures are simply an extension of a long-term attempt to weaken the dominance of Greek life in campus culture. That being said, it is worth examining the extent to which, if at all, the power dynamic of these selective organizations have evolved on campus. While Central campus no longer exists, even now, Greek letters printed on the neo-gothic architecture just outside of Abele Quad emphasize the bold presence of these organizations in student life. Furthermore, the recent decision to delay selective housing rush processes has backfired: numerous Greek organizations have decided that they would rather disassociate from Duke and recruit first-years on their own than delay rush. Now, nine fraternities are headquartered off campus, meaning that these fraternities will no longer be held accountable to Duke’s standards and regulations. As such, they now have the ability to hold rush at their own discretion despite the change in Duke’s policies and ignore the changes that Duke students have demanded amidst the Black Lives Matter Protests. As for these new housing changes, the policy specifies that it will not undermine the existence of selective housing; instead, all such sections will be housed in Edens, a dorm on the outskirts of West Campus. The Duke administration seems to be taking the same exact approach as it did in abolishing Central Campus. Instead of taking a hard stance that could give rise to tangible, more inclusive change, Duke is simply relocating these selective organizations. Each group will still recruit an incoming class, albeit a few months later, and the organizations will continue to perpetuate social and class divisions between students. In essence, Duke is changing nothing; under this leadership, Greek life and SLGs will continue to dominate Duke’s social culture for decades to come. In this way, Duke’s superficial housing policy modifications constitute yet another example of the university’s complicit stance in fostering an exclusive environment for its student body. Finally, we must consider what it really means to have an environment that is “distinctly Duke.” For many of us, the ideal Duke residential system should not isolate selective housing organizations by pushing them to the edge of campus and prompting them to disaffiliate from the university. Rather, the university should work to better integrate these organizations into Duke’s social culture by creating a residential system that builds more inclusive, sustainable communities. If the Next Gen 2.0 task force is any indication, though, it seems that the term “distinctly Duke” simply conveys that Duke will find a way to preserve its historically exclusive housing policies under the guise of an inclusive and communal residential experience. Superficial change strikes again.

of superficial progress. Thinking about trivial advancement in a smaller administration, we see these same themes arising in Duke’s new housing policies for the upcoming school year. Although it may seem a bit bold to compare Duke’s Next Gen 2.0 Housing Committee to the inner workings of the United States government, the two are similar in that Duke’s new housing policy is riddled with conflicting interests, vague policies, and an unclear motive to explain why these specific changes are being implemented. In November 2020, the Duke administration released a new residential structure aimed at “deepen[ing] connections across class year, with faculty, and with alumni” and “fostering dynamic opportunities for faculty engagement and cocurricular learning.” Two essential points of this new plan include organizing houses on West Campus into diverse residential communities that link to East Campus residence halls and postponing rush processes until students’ sophomore year. The Next Gen 2.0 website claims that the goal of these housing changes is to “build a joyful and intentional 4-year residential experience that promotes growth, meaningful inclusion, and health that is distinctly Duke.” However, the major flaw in this new structure is one many of us have called out for too long: Duke’s administration lacking transparency in their purpose for these changes. Perhaps selective living is the system that these new changes aim to dismantle. Discussing selective living systems is inevitable in the conversation about housing at Duke. Although the Next Gen 2.0 statement does not explicitly reference Greek and non-Greek selective living groups on Duke’s campus, it does emphasize the concept of inclusion. Historically, Duke’s residential system has consisted of Greek organizations, SLGs, Living Learning communities, and independent housing. Fraternities and sororities have existed on campus since the time of Trinity College, founded in 1859, which was the precursor to the modern Duke University. Despite their historical legacies, these systems might be outdated—the Abolish Greek Life movement has gained traction at universities across the country, including on Duke’s campus. Some of the most pressing complaints related to Greek Life include its role in creating a toxic social hierarchy among student bodies, perpetuating cycles of wealth and class, and discriminating against students of color. In response, Duke has taken certain measures that resultantly have weakened the presence of these organizations such as its abolition of Central The Community Editorial Board is independent Campus, where the majority of sororities and from the editorial staff of the Chronicle. Their fraternities had housing. More recently, on Oct. column runs on alternate Mondays.

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Astrology isn’t a science, and that’s the point

rowing up in Austin, surrounded by people with names like Indigo and River who forecasted the cosmos before saying hello, I had a complicated relationship with astrology.

Miranda Gershoni COLUMN As I got older, my skepticism grew toward what appeared to be the zany dogma of eclectics who would rather live behind a rose-colored delirium than take responsibility for their lives and face the realities of science. So when my mom would tell me to be soft with myself because the energetic shift of Mercury squaring Mars could bring anxiety that day, I nodded as if I knew what squaring meant and how one planet could do it to another. I played along until college when I would once again smile and nod at someone who told me I was probably feeling restless because my moon is in Sagittarius. I assumed talk of the moon’s effect on my psyche was over until YouTube eerily suggested a video about my combination of a Capricorn sun and Sagittarius moon. An astrologer explained that while Capricorn is pragmatic and goal-oriented, the spontaneity Sagittarius craves may complicate these goals with an aversion to routine. I always thought astrology was too fatalistic, but as she went on, I realized that it was anything but. The astrologer explained that the traits and tendencies of each sign are possibilities, not predetermined truth. These possibilities can clarify how you learn and express emotion, what you seek in relationships and what drives you. Listening to her name the parts of myself that once felt unnamable, I started to realize that astrology is not meant to classify individuals into stereotypes, but provide a language and structure to get to know oneself on a deeper level. Rather than take a backseat to the planet’s whims, astrology challenges us to accept more responsibility for our lives. This newfound appreciation was met with the cutesy force of pop astrology. While memes and quippy horoscopes have popularized the practice, they also fuel its many misconceptions. “Sun sign astrology” as we know it today was mainstreamed in the 1930s when newspapers started publishing oversimplified horoscopes to save money. Since then, all nuance has been reduced to something of a Buzzfeed quiz result, securing the zodiac’s place in the kitschy, juvenile underbelly of culture. At a time when the wellness industrial complex convinces us our mental health can be bought, astrology can reconnect us with our inner power. While his ties to astrology have been minimized, Plato believed that “the ensouled nature of celestial bodies” directly impacts humans, and that we must be aware of these elements to become fully present and in charge of our lives. Across cultures, people have used astrology to facilitate personal and social empowerment. However, since the earliest Babylonian records in the 2nd millennium BC, those in power have actively worked to shut it down. As Christianity gained prominence, astrology was banished as heresy. Even when it aided in scientific breakthroughs like the discovery of a heliocentric solar system, astronomers like Galileo had to conceal astrology’s influence. The Enlightenment traded God for rationalism, and astrology had no place under the worship of Logic and Reason. Scientists agree that astrology lacks scientific basis, and while few astrologers are still on the defensive, most are unconcerned. Astrology was never intended to be a science, and it doesn’t need to be. In the same way that religion can be used in a healthy, nondogmatic way, astrology can create spiritual meaning of life’s patterns and encourage introspection. Many argue that the characteristics of each sign could apply to anyone. This is true, and it’s actually the whole point.

While astrology reveals what makes us unique, it also illuminates universal patterns. A common astrological mythology that developed throughout time from Greece to China shows that all humans have a fundamental need to find meaning in our material world. What Plato called a “world soul,” ancient Vedic astrologers understood through karma and interconnectedness. As the planets move, they interact with each other, just as humans ebb and flow symbiotically. We’re bound by innate longing for connection and vulnerability, and astrology brings us back to these basic human instincts. Our Western capitalist system naturally pushes astrology to the margins, even as it contains just as much, if not more, mysticism and lack of physical grounding. The stock market is a game of predicting the future, speculating about intangibles. While padded with numbers and justified by degrees, our economic system was deliberately manufactured, and despite its lack of material footing, keeps spinning its wheels. We are taught to believe in the magic of the market and dismiss astrology, which will always be irrational under a system that doesn’t calculate the cost of mental, physical, or spiritual wellbeing. New York-based astrologer Lohla Shannan Jani explained how many white practitioners operate with a “colonial image of astrology as an irrational practice by uncivilized mystics from backwards cultures,” yet build their careers off these very traditions. Westernization incentivizes surface level interactions with astrology. Rather than facing ourselves honestly and learning from people with different experiences, we often seek validation for close mindedness (“My zodiac says I’m stubborn, this is just how I am.”) or a quick-fix character upgrade (“Leo: share the spotlight, watch your life transform!”). When this “astrology” is most of what we see, it makes sense why many people want nothing to do with it. With today’s flood of oversimplified, whitewashed content, it’s necessary to ground our understanding in the zodiac’s dynamic, nonwestern roots. Learning about astrology can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be. You can start by making a free birth chart and looking further into each placement. Reading more about my Aquarius Mars, for example, helped me figure out and work with my specific learning style. Understanding my Libra rising reminds me to check in with myself more instead of catering to others’ expectations. As popular as Co Star is, I’d suggest other free apps like Sanctuary, Astro Future, or Chani, which are less generalized and provide more tools for growth, even if they don’t quite nail the Gen Z-fetishizing design. When I think back to those Austin eclectics, I now realize that I was the one living behind a rose-colored delirium. I let the demands of capitalism and science guide my every move, limiting my existence to what could be defined through rigid frameworks. I now realize that embracing astrology isn’t rejecting science, it’s being open to more expansive ways of being that can’t be neatly measured. It means admitting we don’t have the answers, so we may as well embrace the unexplainable. With the sun in Pisces this month, and after a historic Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in December, the moment is ripe for collective and individual transformation. While the shift from traditional Capricorn energy to innovative Aquarius may provide the foundation for change, it’s up to us to take advantage of these shifting energies. We have an opportunity to reflect on our stakes in these social reckonings, to materially root our actions in sustainable practice. Now is the time to get creative about how we show up for each other and ourselves, and maybe even use astrology to help us along the way. Miranda Gershoni is a Trinity junior. Her column usually runs on alternating Wednesdays.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 | 11

Wungus hosted the superspreader event

t least 50 unmasked students were present at a Friday night gathering that violated Duke’s COVID-19 rules, as well as local and state coronavirus policies. The police suspect Wungus.

Monday Monday SATIRE Over the past two years, the ambiguously fictional/satirical social group Wungus has been at the center of a vast web of conspiracies threatening to bring the Duke community to its knees. Consisting primarily of students who either participated in the pre-orientation program Project Arts or were rejected from a Greek or selective living organization, this rogue militia is as ruthless as it is celibate. Wungus has been implicated as a key player in the DukeUNC-App-State drug ring, as well as alt-left anarchist communities in Carrboro and Chapel Hill. This Friday’s superspreader event seems to be their latest publicity stunt. The police reported that students who fled the scene shouted things like, “Rawr XD!” and, “Lmao I’m so random! Squirrel!” This is just one in a string of moves by Wungus that display reckless abandon towards safety amid the pandemic. The group has actively been promoting events with the tagline,“NO MASKS!!!” in all caps with exclamation marks on their rush calendar. And they’re not just unsafe: they’re heartless. Said one anonymous student: “Wungus needs to be canceled. They hazed me so bad. So many creepy and scarring parts of the pledge and rush process.” I have inside sources that have confirmed that Wungus has paid off the Durham police. I guarantee you won’t see anyone else pinning the blame for this superspreader event on Wungus in any other article, from any other news outlet. I doubt the Chronicle will even let me publish this. Wungus probably has people on the inside. I pray to God my anonymity holds – that my editors can ensure my safety. Do you ever wonder why central campus really got demolished? Why Larry Moneta and Tallman Trask really resigned? It’s because they knew too much. It’s because they messed with the wrong cringe-lords. Wungus goes all the way to the top. It isn’t a coincidence that Duke’s newest and fanciest building is the Rubenstein Arts Center. It’s an appeasement. A favor to the theater-kid cretins. To keep whatever dirt they have on the Rubensteins behind closed doors. They’ve got President Price in their pocket too. Just watch. He and the rest of Duke are winding up to pin the superspreader on one of the recently disassociated Frats. It’s simple. It’s in character. It makes sense. It’s not messy. But all the while, no one’s going to ask why all of the Frats disassociated. Why Duke isn’t allowing students to block together next year. Why this course of events is exactly what Wungus wanted to happen all along. Why Duke’s secret societies have become conspicuously quiet just as Wungus has begun to rise. I’ll let you connect the dots. Put simply, Wungus is a menace to society and must be stopped at all costs. It’s completely unfunny and super disrespectful. It undermines the prestige of organizations that are actually putting in an extreme amount of care and thought into who will and won’t get a bid. People in Wungus are the kind of people who would base their entire personalities off of Harry Potter in high school and then not know what to do once they found out JK Rowling was transphobic. It’s an unbearable cringe-fest and it’s not funny or satirical. It just shows that these try-hards feel like they need to pretend to be part of a social group in order to have any self-worth. They’re the most self-righteous losers on this campus. The most terrifying thing about Wungus is that there’s no way to predict what they’re going to do next; whether they’re going to go dormant for months on end or whether they’re going to institute a social media blitzkrieg that clogs everyone’s feeds with terribly designed profile pictures and memes from 2011. Their motives are just as enigmatic as their actions. This writer’s guess? They just want to watch the world burn. Monday Monday may have to exit the country if this winds up getting published.

DURHAM IFC FROM PAGE 1 Santee wrote that the Durham IFC is still looking through the details from Friday’s gathering and awaiting more information from Duke and Durham police, and does not know whether the event was related to any of the Durham IFC chapters or recruitment. He reiterated that the Durham IFC is “actively encouraging chapters to follow COVID-19 guidelines” and “threatening punishment for violations.”

‘Rewrite the rules’

Santee said that the chapters are trying to use the Durham IFC as an opportunity to “rewrite the rules of what Greek life looks like at Duke.” In the statement announcing their formation, the Durham IFC wrote that they plan to use the organization “as an opportunity to emphasize our commitment to positive action, as we will expand upon efforts to vastly improve fraternity culture as it pertains to sexual assault, racism, hazing and more.” “This is an opportunity to start from scratch. There’s a handful of problems with Greek life with regard to sexual assault, diversity, inclusion and racial inequality. We see this as an opportunity to say we recognize those problems… and we’re going to do everything we can to fix those problems to make sure that this new IFC is different from the old IFC,” Santee said. “We don’t want to just be the same exact thing.” Duke fraternities and sororities have faced heavy criticism in recent months, resulting in growing calls for abolition of Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association groups— historically white Greek organizations—on campus. Abolish Duke IFC and Panhel was

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12 | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

formed in July with the goal of abolishing the Duke’s 24 fraternities and sororities. The activists cited systemic inequities in Greek life that they say make the organizations incapable of reform. Santee said that while the Durham IFC doesn’t have more resources than the Duke IFC to make that happen, they also won’t have any fewer resources. As an example, Santee said that all rush participants will attend a required virtual sexual assault prevention training. Santee wrote in an email that the training will share content from the Women’s Center training given to all affiliated Duke selective living groups “as well as material specifically created for future fraternity members.” Mary Pat McMahon, vice president and vice provost for student affairs, told The Chronicle last week that disaffiliated groups will not have access to Duke’s “trainings and group accountability structures.” Dye added that disaffiliated fraternities will lose access to “University funding, facilities, communications, housing and direct advertisement.” Students in the groups are still accountable for off-campus actions, including COVID-19 safety violations, according to Dye. Santee said that the Durham IFC is also working on improving diversity and inclusion through the recruitment process. They waived the $75 rush application fee this year to ensure that “every single first-year and every single sophomore has an equal opportunity to be a part of recruitment.” Santee added in an email that the Durham IFC’s recruitment will be limited to Duke students. Since all chapters in the Durham IFC are private organizations, they have the ability to decide who is invited to their virtual recruitment events, he wrote.

New policies ‘do not include us’

Duke announced in November that spring recruitment for first-years will be delayed to sophomore fall and only juniors and seniors will live in selective living sections in 2021-22. The changes are part of the guidelines for the Next Generation Living and Learning 2.0 Committee, which is reimagining the campus residential experience. The University announced this month that all Greek and non-Greek selective housing sections will be in Edens quad next year. Former IFC president Rohan Singh, a senior, told The Chronicle last week that following the November announcement more than 400 students signed a petition urging the University to reconsider the decision. Santee said that delaying rush to sophomore fall would be difficult “especially since so many juniors go abroad” and limiting selective living sections to juniors and seniors “wasn’t exactly conducive to the best living situation for sophomores.” Santee said that the former Duke IFC brought their grievances to meetings with Duke administrators, but “got the impression that those rules were not going to be changed just because we said we don’t like them.” “It seems as though Duke has a very set plan of where they see social life going at Duke and we just feel like [those plans] do not include us,” Santee said. The Durham IFC “was a collective idea, but an individual decision for each chapter,” Santee said. Each of the now-disaffiliated chapters discussed the idea of disaffiliating among their members and with their respective national organizations before coming to the ultimate decision that joining the Durham IFC would be “most beneficial” to maintain the “integrity and continuation of the chapter,” Santee said.

“We understand that [the administration] has places that they want to see Duke progress, but we just felt that within those rules, there was this underlying idea of edging out Greek life,” Santee said. “We didn’t feel like the environment that was being created by these new rules was conducive to Greek life functioning the way that we wanted to.” McMahon told The Chronicle last week that she sees a place for selective living at Duke, but as part of the junior and senior year experience rather than as the primary structure that upperclassmen housing revolves around. The changes are part of an effort to create a more inclusive, consistent experience for sophomores, she said. As of Sunday, nine fraternities have disaffiliated from Duke’s IFC and joined the Durham IFC. All of these chapters are supported by the national organizations to which they belong, Santee said.

Hopes for a long-term organization

Santee said that while the Durham IFC hopes to rebuild a partnership with Duke in the future, it isn’t currently their primary objective. Instead, the organization is focused on “becoming independent and functional on [their] own” and running recruitment this semester “without Duke’s help,” Santee said. “Once we get our feet off the ground, we’ll definitely consider some sort of communication with Duke and some sort of partnership,” he said. Despite this openness to eventually working with Duke again, Santee says that the organization was created with the intention of continuing to function for the long-term future. He added that while the chapters in the Durham IFC are no longer officially Duke groups, they hope to still stay in touch with the Duke community and other student groups.

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