September 16, 2009 issue by Duke Chronicle

The Chronicle 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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

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ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 19

UnitedHealth Justice Alito to lead law seminar chosen after 2-yr. review by Julius Jones The chronicle

University solicits offers approx. every 3 years by Jinny Cho The chronicle

Last September, Duke replaced BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina with UnitedHealthcare StudentResources. BCBS of N.C. had provided health insurance to students for 30 years. The change has led to complaints— mainly from graduate students—about coverage, access to innetwork doctors and other issues with the new insurance provider. Patients had been overcharged, misunderstood and limited to options, as investigated in Part one of this series. But the selection of UHCSR to be the Student Medical Insurance Plan administrator was the result of a rigorous two-year evaluation involving students, administrators and an independent consultant—a process from which UHCSR came out on top. Dr. Bill Purdy, executive director of Student Health, said the University frequently re-evaluates its insurance policy by sending out a request for proposals about every three years. The search narrows In March 2008, the Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee, an organization of administrators, graduate and undergraduate students chaired by Purdy, met with the top three insurance providers— BCBS of N.C., Aetna Student Health and UHCSR—bidding to be Duke’s health plan administrator. Stephen Beckley, who was hired as an independent broker for the University, worked with SHIAC to devise a scoring system, which looked at 23 criteria, including the cost to students, the quality of customer service and the availability of in-network providers both in Durham and across the country. Susan Barry, marketing director at UHCSR, said the company sought to address the University’s requests. “When presented with a requested plan design in the context of a Request for Proposals, we make every effort to duplicate the plan design,” she said. And based on the that design, UHCSR See unitedhealth on page 6

Samuel Alito, associate justice on the United States Supreme Court, will be teaching a week-long seminar at the School of Law, officials announced Friday. Alito, who was nominated by former President George W. Bush in 2005, has served on the Supreme Court since 2006, and has ties to Duke. He and Samuel Alito David Levi, dean of the

School of Law, worked together when they both served as chairs of federal rules committees. Alito’s son, Philip, is currently a first-year law student. “The School of Law extended the invitation to teach a short seminar for our students and he was gracious enough to accept,” said Tia Barnes, assistant dean for academic affairs. “We often have justices come and give short lectures and presentations, but it is truly an honor for one to make himself available to teach the course.” The course, entitled “Current Issues in Constitutional Interpretation,” will last the week of Sept. 20, with daily one-hour

sessions Sunday through Friday and two one-hour sessions on Saturday. Students in the class will discuss issues raised by recent Supreme Court cases, as well as the various constitutional amendments, according to the course description. Twenty-five students applied for the seminar, which only had 15 spots available, Barnes said. She added that despite the low numbers, the application process was difficult, requiring students to submit a resume, transcript and a personal statement on why they were interSee alito on page 5

Duke triathletes gear in on campus

Dianna liu/The Chronicle

Accomplished triathletes Robert Ferris (left) and Brian Duffy (right) were two of the founding members of the Duke Triathlon Club, the first of its kind at the University. Ferris, a graduate student in materials science engineering, and Duffy, a senior, saw approximately 70 interested students at the club’s first meeting. by Joanna Lichter The chronicle

As an incoming freshman, Suzanne Bay was anxious that Duke would not be able to accommodate her athletic ambitions. A world-class triathlete, Bay, now a junior, participated in her first competition at 17 and grabbed the gold for her age group. With plans to compete in the Hamburg BG World Triathlon Championships in the Fall of her first semester at Duke, Bay attempted to forge her own training program. She joined Duke’s Road Runners, Club Swimming and Club Cycling, but in conjunction with classes, this intensive routine proved unworkable, and Bay resorted to training by herself.

ONTHERECORD

“People can figure it out. Voters can figure out the problem of clutter, there won’t be any dead bodies in the voting booth.”

—Professor Mike Munger on voters’ choices. See story page 3.

Upon arriving in Hamburg, Germany for the World Championships, Bay spotted fellow Duke student Brian Duffy, then a sophomore. Duffy placed first overall in the men’s competition and Bay finished in the top 50 percent in the women’s division. After the event, the two met to discuss possibilities for starting a Triathlon Club at Duke. “Its a great sport and a lot of fun,” said Duffy, who is now a senior. “The reason we wanted to start the club was to introduce people to the sport. We knew that once people starting running [triathlons], they’d be hooked.” By September last year, the Triathlon Club was officially chartered by the Student Organization Finance Committee

Men’s Tennis: Brazilian Import Find out more about Henrique Cunha, Duke’s best recruit in history, PAGE 7

and Duke Student Government. Within a few months, Duffy and Bay located a volunteer to coach the team—accomplished triathlete Robert Ferris, a graduate student in materials science engineering . “I’ve been racing triathlons for seven years now, and I was introduced by a number of people to Bryan,” Ferris said. “After we met a couple of times, he told me he was interested in starting something a little more formal and organized for Duke. We wanted to congeal something to serve as a support system.” Prior to his involvement in the Triathlon Club, Ferris coached numerous triathletes and cyclists in preparation for variSee triathlon on page 4

DUU looks to revamp LDOC planning process, Page 3

2 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 the chronicle

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United Nations inquiry reveals war crimes in Gaza

Yale student murdered NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Yale graduate student Annie Le was asphyxiated and her body was stuffed into a two-foot-long crawl space inside the research laboratory where she had gone to work on the day she disappeared, sources told The Hartford Courant. As authorities continued to investigate whether an animal research lab technician had a role in Le’s death—including staking out the technician’s apartment more than 20 miles away in Middletown—details started to emerge Tuesday on where her body was found and how she was killed. Chief State Medical Examiner Wayne Carver held off Tuesday on releasing the cause of death in Le’s case, saying that he didn’t want to affect the investigation. But a source told The Courant that Le was asphyxiated. No arrests were made as of late Tuesday in the case, and police would not publicly say if there are suspects.

“ - ” To believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men--that is genius. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Obama’s illegal immigrant healthcarestancedrawscritics

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama in recent days has staked out a conservative position on the treatment of illegal immigrants in his health care overhaul, a new stance that has surprised some of his fellow Democrats and provoked outrage among advocates for immigrants. Congress is working on plans to give lowand moderate-income people subsidies to buy health insurance, but would bar illegal immigrants from receiving those subsidies. But Obama would go farther, barring undocumented immigrants from buying insurance even with their own money through a new, government-arranged insurance marketplace that is designed to make it easier for consumers to find a health policy. That position, say critics, is counterproductive, as it would force more illegal immigrants to abandon private insurance and rely instead on taxpayer-supported hospital emergency rooms for care.

TODAY IN HISTORY 1920: Bomb explosion on Wall Street kills 30.

JERUSALEM — A United Nations inquiry unveiled Tuesday concluded that Israel and Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes during their conflict in the Gaza Strip, and it called on both sides to prosecute wrongdoers or face possible intervention by an international court. The probe led by former South African judge Richard Goldstone detailed what investigators called Israeli actions “amounting to war crimes, possibly crimes against humanity” during a 22day winter offensive against Hamasled rocket squads in which nearly 1,400 Palestinians, many of them civilians, were killed. The 575-page report by Goldstone and three other investigators also asserted that Palestinian militants “committed war crimes, as well as possibly

crimes against humanity” by firing rockets and mortar indiscriminately into southern Israel. International human rights groups previously had spelled out such allegations against both sides in Gaza. But the U.N. report was significant because it could, in theory, trigger cases against Israelis and Palestinians in the International Criminal Court based in The Hague, Netherlands. Neither side has filed charges against any of its combatants, and Israel does not accept the court’s jurisdiction. But Goldstone called for steps to hold both parties accountable. “There should be no impunity for international crimes that are committed,” he said at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York. “It’s very important that justice should be done.”

CAROLYN COLE/LOS ANGELES TIMES

Animal rights activists Paul Kercheval and Kelly Respess (left) ride an antique Ford through Central Park after their wedding. The newlyweds are protesting the plight of the horses in the park and campaigning for the replacement of the carriages with vintage automobiles. Supporters of the carriages, however, say the horses represent an iconic part of New York, and a ban would put drivers out of work.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 | 3

Munger makes Union plans LDOC reforms case for ballot access in N.C. Duke University Union

by Ann Kang The chronicle

The last day of classes will see a reformed planning process this year. At their meeting Tuesday night, Duke University Union members addressed problems regarding LDOC and the relationship between the LDOC committee and DUU. “Last year, the LDOC committee went over budget, so DUU had to give a $12,000 loan,” said President Zach Perret, a junior. “We don’t want that to happen again.” LDOC 2009 cost the committee approximately $17,000 more than budgeted, $12,000 of which was directly withdrawn from this year’s LDOC budget, The Chronicle reported in April. The amount was initially funded by DUU’s reserve fund. As an independent organization, the LDOC committee receives its funding from various sources, including DUU, Campus Council and independent donors. But it currently lacks direct and clear oversight from DUU and Campus Council, Perret said. “The system is there, but it’s not effective,” he said. The current system for LDOC is managed by the members of the committee selected by the president, who is chosen through an election process by the DUU and Campus Council presidents. As of now, it is not required to have any official documentation regarding plans or budgets for LDOC. In order to create a better system, DUU plans to run the election for LDOC president earlier this year to get the committee started on projects sooner. DUU is also considering creating by-laws or constitutions for the LDOC committee as well as introducing a chief financial official that has the task of overseeing the budget. “We don’t want our influence to dictate LDOC, but we want there to be financial and social oversight,” Perret said. Other members also agreed to implement more direct methods of communication with the LDOC committee. “It’s a matter of trying to create accountability for the

by Nicole Kyle The chronicle

james lee/The Chronicle

Members of the Duke University Union discuss plans to move up the election for LDOC committee president in their meeting Tuesday. LDOC committee,” said Vice-President of Communications Karen Chen, a junior. Although all ideas were not confirmed, DUU announced there will be changes to the LDOC committee. “Next year, I want to see LDOC more socially conscious,” Perret said. “Now we’re trying to set a system so those problems will be emphasized.” In other business: DUU has confirmed four of five prizes for the Homecoming Scavenger hunt event, including a $1,000 gift certificate to Best Buy, a gift certificate package for local restaurants, a $200 Visa Card, and autographed footballs, jerseys and T-shirts from the football team.

The Duke Political Union hosted Michael Munger, chair of the political science department and professor of political science and economics, at its third Super Tuesday Meeting Tuesday night. Munger, the 2008 Libertarian candidate for governor of North Carolina and keynote speaker at the 2008 Libertarian National Convention, discussed the Libertarian platform and the challenges facing third-party politics. North Carolina has the third most restrictive ballot access law in the country, which Munger said presents several challenges for third parties trying to enter elections. The law requires third parties to raise a minimum of a $250,000 dollars and to acquire upwards of 70,000 petition signatures from registered voters—a number equal to 2 percent of the previous gubernatorial election’s voter turnout. A third party candidate must also receive at least 2 percent of votes during the election for their party to qualify to take part in the next election cycle. “The difficulty we have in North Carolina is the state has set boundaries to protect the voters from clutter,” Munger said. He described the state government’s fear that too many choices could overwhelm the voter, comparing the situation to a choosing a cereal. “One thing you won’t find in a cereal aisle is dead bodies,” he said. “People can figure it out. Voters can figure out the problem of clutter, there won’t be any dead bodies in the voting booth.” Munger opened the floor to a lengthy question-and-answer session during which he addressed his feelings on the future of the Libertarian Party and his views on American politics. He expressed his distaste for the Democratic and Republican See munger on page 5

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Graduate and Professional Student Council

triathlon from page 1 ous races. With his expertise in the field, Ferris devised training schedules for new triathlon recruits, offering programs at least three different times a day. This year’s goal for the program, Ferris added, is to prepare the club for the Collegiate National Championship race in April. Initially, the founders were concerned over the minimal feedback they received from the Duke community. Few new recruits came to the meetings, and triathletes continued to train independently. After sending out various flyers and e-mails, however, club membership significantly increased, Bay said. Last week, about 70 prospective triathletes attended the first meeting of the season, Bay added. “We’re taking this very seriously,” Ferris said. “Each triathlete has their own questions and concerns based on their strengths and weaknesses, and we want them to know they can come talk to us.” Both Ferris and Duffy competed this past weekend in two different triathlons. At the Ironman Wisconsin 2009 Sunday, Ferris placed 30th, qualifying for 2009 Ford Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. Meanwhile, Duffy finished first in the fourth annual Nation’s Triathlon in Washington, D.C. out of about 4,000 competitors. Although the Triathlon Club is the first formalized campus organization of its kind, several Duke alumni are accomplished triathletes, having participated in numerous Olympic competitions and Ironman World Championships. Andy Baldwin, Trinity ’99, for example, is best known for his starring role on ABC’s Hit Television Show, “The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman.” An eight-time Ironman competitor and five-time member of the AllNavy Triathlon Team, Baldwin began running triathlons in 2001 with Team-In-Training. The organization’s members raise funds to help support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in exchange for training and endurance programs. “The biggest thing is to enjoy the friends you make in the process and knowing that you’re doing it for a good cause,” Baldwin said.

GPSC votes on Wallace Wade section name by Sonia Havele The chronicle

The new graduate and professional student section of Wallace Wade Stadium will soon be named. Of the many updates and concerns addressed at the Graduate and Professional Student Council meeting Tuesday night, the new stadium section given to Duke graduate and professional students was first on the agenda. GPSC members voted on a section name, which will soon be disclosed to the public. “Graduate and professional students are excited about naming our section and will also be giving out T-shirts with our section name probably at the homecoming game,” said GPSC president Yvonne Ford, a fourth-year nursing Ph.D. student. The meeting lasted slightly more than an hour, and primarily dealt with the introduction and explanation of the role of GPSC and its major committees. During his presentation, GPSC vice president Adam Pechtel, a third-year law student, noted that GPSC includes all graduate and professional students at Duke, and is composed of legislative, executive and administrative boards. Several members voiced their frustration with the difficulty in navigating the GPSC Web site. GPSC members voted to have the Web site committee submit a report containing suggestions for possible improvements by Dec. 1. The meeting concluded with Ford’s final remarks on a few topics. Ford proposed that GPSC members send their condolences to the graduate and professional student body at Yale University in response to the recent murder of Yale pharmacology student Annie Le. Ford said she feels this is an appropriate gesture especially after Yale graduate and professional students showed their

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support following the murder of Duke graduate student Abhijit Mahato in 2008. GPSC members supported the measure unanimously. Ford also asked GPSC members for monetary donations to three female Duke graduate students who fell victim to a house fire Monday morning in Woodcroft neighborhood in southern Durham. “We’re trying to organize an effort to get them funds as well as household utensils because it’s devastating to lose everything you have,” Ford said.

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Members of the Graduate and Professional Student Council vote to name their section of Wallace Wade Stadium at its meeting Tuesday night.

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Munger from page 3 parties, calling them “checkbooks of big corporations” and out of touch with their voter bases, and he described the contradictory nature of the Libertarian Party.

“I really, really like the American Constitution. In fact, I wish our government did.” — Michael Munger, chair of political science department “It’s difficult to organize on the principle that you want to be left the hell alone,” Munger said. “For now, we’re a blackmail party, keeping the two state-sponsored parties in check.” But when asked about the notion of shifting America to a parliamentary system like those in Europe, Munger was adamant about maintaining the traditional system. “I really, really like the American Constitution,” he said. “In fact, I wish our government did.” Although Munger said he may again seek the Libertarian gubernatorial nomination in

alito from page 1 ested in taking the class. “With it being such a discrete topic, it was really going to apply to students who were interested in constitutional law and wanted to pursue a career in academia or the judicial system,” Barnes said. Law School officials decided not to allow first-year law students to enroll in the class,

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 | 5

2012 and sees the Libertarian Party remaining as the blackmail party, he wishes see it shift into one of the mainstream party slots. Munger also emphasized the importance of getting the Libertarian message out to students. When students are exposed to different political messages, they can make better decisions about their own politics, Munger said. “I hope I raise questions,” he said in an interview. “If someone comes up to me after a discussion and says, ‘I have no idea why you’re wrong,’ then I know I’ve done my job.” Students’ response at the event was also positive. Freshman DPU member Alexandra Swain, who regularly attends the Super Tuesday events, said she appreciated learning about a different political view. “I thought he had a really interesting perspective on third-party politics,” Swain said. “It’s something I didn’t know too much about, so I thought this was really informative.” DPU Co-president, Vikram Srinivasan, a senior, also expressed his appreciation for Munger’s insights. “We have a pretty broad group at DPU and I think Professor Munger represents a unique voice,” he said. “Among college students, there are a number of Libertarians that are well represented, which I think was evidence of attendance tonight.” leaving many of them disappointed. “I wish we weren’t excluded,” said firstyear student Loni Schutte, noting that there are a lot of classes at the Law School first-year students are not allowed to take. “[Alito] has a wealth of knowledge.” Barnes said she understands how some of the younger students feel and that the Law School hopes to foster future opportunities for them when they are upperclassmen.

Join the Board of Directors of a million-dollar-a-year organization. The Chronicle’s publisher, Duke Student Publishing Company Inc. (DSPC), is looking for an undergraduate student to join its Board of Directors. Candidates should be available for a two-year term starting this fall. Members gain real-world business experience as they help guide the campus news media into the future. DSPC, a North Carolina nonprofit corporation, is neither governed nor funded by Duke University. Please send a resume and a cover letter to Rich Rubin, chair of the nominating committee, at rrubin2@gmail.com

Application Deadline: October 2, 2009

rob stewart/The Chronicle

Michael Munger, chair of the political science department, speaks about his vision for the Libertarian Party during an event hosted by the Duke Political Union. Munger, the 2008 N.C. Libertarian gubernatorial candidate, also proposed loosening third-party ballot access laws for the 2012 governor’s race.

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Representatives from prospective employers give job-search advice to students during TechConnect in the Fitzpatrick Center Tuesday night. After the panel, students were given informal networking time to meet with representatives from 36 employers.

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won “hands down,” said David Kahler, Duke’s Graduate and Professional Student Council treasurer and a member of SHIAC. UHCSR was also chosen with the understanding that their coverage would mirror services previously provided by BCBS of N.C., known as the ‘no gain no loss provision,’” said Jean Hanson, administrative director of Duke Student Health. In addition, UHCSR set copayments for medications and for specialist appointment expenses, instead of charging 20 percent of the cost, as BCBS of N.C. did. “Under the previous plan, if you get a prescription medicine, you pay your part and the insurance pays their part—the amount of coinsurance depends on the medicine,” Hanson said. “With UHCSR, we’ve instituted co-pays, so if you get a new, generic drug, you pay $10.” Unlike BCBS of N.C., UHCSR also provided their own customer service—an improvement on the “nightmare” of managing a separate customer service company with BCBS of N.C., Hanson said. Furthermore, she said UHCSR offers extension of eligibility, a benefit that allows students who have graduated to keep coverage for up to six months after their plan expires. The majority of SHIAC favored UHCSR, Purdy said. But the decision, he recalled, was not unanimous. “The committee had differing views—some favored [UHCSR], some didn’t. It was never 30 people standing up saying, ‘I don’t want [BCBS of N.C.],’” he said. Kahler said SHIAC sought to inform and receive input on the health plan options it was considering from the entire student community, particularly graduate students. But he noted that at an institution the size of Duke, reaching everyone within the University’s confines was difficult. Guiding the review The review was guided by a different consultant than in years past. Kahler said that for many members of SHIAC, the use of the independent consultant Beckley gave the process more weight. Beckley replaced the Chapel Hill-based firm Hill, Chesson & Woody, Duke’s broker of 25 years, in May 2007. HCW had also provided customer service for University students under BCBS of N.C. until that May, when Massachusetts-based Gallagher Koster assumed the role. HCW said the termination left the company “very distraught.” “I don’t know what predicated that decision—we weren’t privy to that,” said Todd Hill, an insurance broker for HCW. “We received a letter in the mail terminating our brokerage services for Duke, and that was the last response.” Hill said the termination letter, which was sent in May 2007, was especially unexpected, given what he said was the Duke administration’s strong praise for the company just months before. “Hill, Chesson and Woody is the benchmark, as far as I’m concerned, and any change would have to rise to a dramatically high threshold of service and support,” Hill read to a reporter from an e-mail he said he received in December 2006 from Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta. Moneta, who is on sabbatical in Croatia for the Fall, could not be reached for comment. Purdy said HCW was given the opportunity—just as others were—to present a proposal to SHIAC. “It was just business,” Purdy said of the termination. “There were other proposals on the table, and we found that the best proposal was one not given by Hill, Chesson and Woody.” For now, Hill said HCW—which provides brokerage services for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and Appalachian State University—has been “observing from afar.” Those universities all offer health plans underwritten by BCBS of N.C. “We kind of feel disappointed,” Hill said, adding that the University plan has “clearly” gone in a different direction. “We feel bad that students seem to have poor service, when they didn’t have that in the past.” Although Purdy said he does not know when the University will send out another Request for Proposals for student health insurance providers, he said “every company will have the same chance to get our business.” “It’s not like we’re going to have UHCSR for ‘x’ number of years,” he added.

Sports

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Duke’s matchup nightmare? If there’s ever been a time for Duke to play like David Cutcliffe says it practices, it’s got to be this weekend against No. 22 Kansas. Because it’s not just that the Blue Devils have struggled to form any semblance of a running game or successfully kick a field goal this season. It’s not just that Duke hasn’t won a game against a ranked opponent since 1994 and, even more mindblowing, hasn’t defeated a ranked opponent on the road in nearly 40 years. It’s that everything Kansas does well, Duke Stephen will have a hard time countering. Consider first the Jayhawks’ offense. Led by senior dual-threat quarterback Todd Reesing, the Kansas attack has averaged nearly six touchdowns a game and is well-balanced, having scored six times on the ground and three through the air. Perhaps the scariest thing is Kansas head coach Mark Mangino said his team left points on the scoreboard in its 34-7 win over UTEP Saturday. Duke has yet to face a legitimate passing threat, and while Leon Wright’s two pick-sixes were definitely Sportscenter-worthy (Cutcliffe himself said he has never seen a player at any level have back-to-back interceptions for touchdowns), it came against a team that would never throw the ball if it didn’t have to. Cutcliffe said at his weekly press conference Tuesday Kansas will serve as a litmus test for his young, thin secondary to see how good it will be this season. Really, Duke’s defensive backfield could consist entirely of All-ACC performers and I’m not sure it could stop Kansas. Reesing and the rest of the offensive corps are simply that good. On the other side of the ball, Cutcliffe listed a couple of key points his offense needs to address to have a chance against Kansas. “How do you beat one of the top 15 teams in the country?” Cutcliffe said. “Take care of the ball, do well in the kicking game and make big plays as the game progresses.... You’ve got

Allan

See Allan on page 8

Ian Soileau/Chronicle File Photo

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September 16, 2009

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Men’s Tennis

“He’s going to be nasty”

Brazilian freshman Henrique Cunha could have gone pro this year. Instead, his coaches think he’ll turn Duke into an elite program by Gabe Starosta The chronicle

Duke Basketball is used to picking up the best recruits in the country. Duke Tennis, especially on the men’s side, can’t say the same. That’s why it was such a surprise when a young Brazilian named Henrique Cunha, a 19-year-old from a small city near São Paulo, announced his committment to the Blue Devils in June. Cunha was ranked as highly as No. 6 in the world among juniors by the International Tennis Federation last year, and played in the U.S. Open Junior Championships in 2008. Incoming freshmen aren’t eligible for NCAA rankings before they’ve played a match, but if they were, Cunha probably would have been ranked at least as highly as Duke’s top returning player, No. 29 Reid Carleton. Cunha’s natural talent attracted all the top programs in the country, including UCLA, Virginia and Georgia. He also considered going pro right away. But assistant coach Josh Goffi, who played Davis Cup tennis for Brazil and whose father is from the South American country, said Duke’s less pressure-packed recruiting style brought Cunha into the fold. “A lot of schools burned their bridges with him because they were all over him, and we recruited him very softly,” Goffi said. “We basically said, ‘This is who we are and this is what we’re about.... If you’re interested, let us know.’ It’s the way we recruit anyway, but he really kind of took to it.” Still, the Duke coaching staff got a scare late in the recruiting process. “He was actually on Wikipedia saying he was going to UCLA, saying he was the No. 1 Brazilian player and he was going to UCLA [last spring],” Goffi said. “We were just fired up the guy had a Wikipedia.”

Senior linebacker Vincent Rey will have his hands full with Todd Reesing and the Kansas offense Saturday.

WEDNESDAY

Duke moved up to No. 11 nationally with its 1-0 win over Virginia Friday night Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing once thought about becoming a Blue Devil

n the end, though, the Blue Devils’ connections to Cunha and to the metropolis of São Paulo helped steer the player to Durham. Goffi’s father is a well-known tennis coach in Brazil and knows most of the city’s tennis community; those people mentioned Cunha to the Duke coaching staff as an excellent player they had a real shot of getting, and that link “got us in the door,” head coach Ramsey Smith said. The more personal tie Cunha had with the Blue Devil program was in the form of junior Alain Michel, another São Paulo native who left Brazil to play tennis at Duke. Cunha said he and Michel were friends

who had played in many of the same tournaments back home, and Smith and Goffi both acknowledged that Michel’s personal touch was crucial in getting Cunha to commit to the program. Now that Cunha’s here, Smith and Goffi have nothing but good things to say about their best-ever recruit. Smith described Cunha’s game as very mature for a 19-year-old, and particularly praised his ball control, return game and position on the court. Cunha’s serve has some room for improvement, especially in his service velocity, Smith said. Once it does, the head coach stated simply, “He’s going to be nasty.” Asked about his own game, Cunha said he plays very aggressively, and laughed as he said in his native Portuguese, “I’m not Nadal or Federer.” Cunha is lefthanded, and the coaches expect him to be Duke’s No. 1 or No. 2 player as soon as the season begins. Cunha added that he has developed a very good relationship with Smith, even though the head coach has never been to Brazil, speaks no Portuguese and was not involved in the recruiting process until late on. “He’s a really good guy, and a very good coach, too,” Cunha said. “It’s different because he’s the coach of the team, [not my personal coach], but I’ve only known him for like three weeks.” See M. Tennis on page 8

Lauren Dietrich/The Chronicle

Freshman Henrique Cunha (top) and junior Alain Michel (bottom) are both from São Paulo, Brazil.

8 | wednesday, september 16, 2009 the chronicle

M. Tennis from page 7 In addition to his obvious talents on the court, Cunha’s dedication to the sport has made his teammates better, Goffi said. Brazilians have a reputation for taking it easy and Cunha embodies that in his off-court demeanor, but on the court is a different story. “He was always on the pro track, and he has that mentality of, ‘It’s business once I step out in these lines,’” Goffi said. “He takes care of his work, and then he walks really slow, very Carioca [like natives of Rio de Janeiro]. “It takes him an hour to walk from the gym to the courts every day, but once he gets in here, he gets going. I think the guys have a lot of respect for him, and I think it’s gotten the guys tighter and more in shape.” Off the court, Cunha says he has taken to the Duke lifestyle, although the amount of reading he’s been assigned surprised him—as it does most first-year students. Cunha understands English well and is improving rapidly at speaking the language, but Goffi, who speaks Por-

Lauren Dietrich/The Chronicle

Freshman Henrique Cunha is Duke’s highest-ranked recruit in history.

tuguese, said his newest player and he often revert to their native tongues on the court. “We have a deal: He’s supposed to speak in English and I’m supposed to speak in Portuguese,” Goffi said. “That doesn’t really happen, though. He speaks a lot of Portuguese and I speak a lot of English. It works backwards.” Smith has a similar arrangement with Cunha. “We have a deal too, where I speak in English and he speaks in English,” Smith said with a laugh.

uke’s team season doesn’t begin until January, but the Blue Devils are already looking forward to having Cunha in the rotation. The squad struggled in doubles play last year with a 1517 record in ACC matches, and Cunha should help remedy that immediately. Smith said the freshman is likely to be partnered with Carleton, the Blue Devils’ top player last season, and together, that tandem could be one of the best doubles teams in the country. Cunha and Carleton played together in an open tournament involving most of the Triangle’s best college players at UNC several weeks ago. The pair won the tournament easily. Cunha could shine brightest in singles play, where he figures to be among Duke’s top players. Carleton played No. 1 for the Blue Devils last year but went only 4-6 in conference play against the ACC’s best players. Cunha’s presence could allow Carleton to move down to the second slot, giving Duke a better chance at winning both matches. If all goes according to plan, Duke’s newest import will settle in immediately and blow away the competition—much like women’s tennis player Mallory Cecil did last year. Cecil helped the Blue Devils to the NCAA team title, won the individual crown as well and went pro just a few months later. Goffi said Cunha has that same potential, and that if the freshman plays as well as he is capable of, “He might not be in school [for long].” Of course, an easy transition to a new country, a new language, new academic responsibilities and a different style of tennis is no guarantee. Nonetheless, Cunha seems to have enjoyed his time in Durham thus far. “I don’t miss Brazil yet,” Cunha said. “I’m good here.” Duke just hopes he’ll stick around for a while.

Allan from page 7 to possess the ball and keep your defense off the field.” As soon as I heard him say that, I immediately felt Kansas would have the contest wrapped up before Duke’s plane even landed in Lawrence—at least on paper. For Duke to take care of the ball and keep its defense off the field, a running game has to exist. If it doesn’t, the Blue Devils’ downfield passing options will disappear, and the chance of a turnover will drastically increase. But has anything in the first two games suggested that the running game is going to suddenly break out against a nationally-ranked team? The answer is no. Duke’s net rushing average thus far is 1.9 yards per carry. Kansas is allowing a mere 39 yards per game. Those statistics simply suggest that Duke has no shot of winning Saturday because nothing will open up. Having said that, though, give credit to Cutcliffe for not getting too caught up in the numbers. As a former coach at Ole Miss and in the SEC, he said he knows how meaningless numbers are early in the season. “We’ve had a couple of games in years past where we were averaging 580 yards a game and then we go to Gainesville [to play Florida] and it abruptly changed,” Cutcliffe said. “You have to get the reality of what you see.” The reality for Duke is, the Blue Devils can’t get caught up in scoreboard watching—Kansas is going to score touchdowns. Instead, linebacker Vincent Rey said, the team needs to just focus on making the right play at the right time. “We’re not worried about the scoreboard—the coaches always say it’s [the booth’s] job to take care of that,” Rey said. “Our main thing is to play good Duke football.” The rest of the team would be wise to listen to Rey’s words. About the only edge Duke can gain is on the mental side, by taking each play as an individual moment and not the lump sum of the previous three or four touchdowns or defensive stops. If it can do that, then Duke will play like the bowlworthy team Cutcliffe insists it is. But otherwise, what’s on paper will translate to results on the field—and that’s a nightmare Duke certainly shouldn’t want to experience.

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10 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 the chronicle commentaries

Cardea program levels the playing field It’s no secret that a cutthroat world of pre-med large portion of incoming courses and admissions. students arrive at Duke as Starting this semester, “pre-med.” And it’s also not the new program will take a surprise that four years 18 freshmen and provide later, the students that are them with mentorship and still considerresources for editorial ing medical the next four school comyears. In adprise a significantly smaller dition to taking Chem 20D, group. Many of the students fellows are enrolled in a who drop the pre-med program-specific seminar, track, however, do so not participate in communitybecause of a lack of interest, building programs and but rather because of a lack events, and are offered adof success in notoriously ditional research opportudifficult pre-med “weeder” nities during their time at courses like Chem 31L. Duke. Fortunately, the UniverIn many ways, the Cardea sity has initiated a new pro- experience resembles the gram, the Cardea Fellows, atmosphere of freshman as a way to help ensure that year FOCUS programs; this students from less than stel- is a good thing, as FOCUS is lar high schools can com- a well established, successful pete and succeed in the initiative.

“

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I am not against discussing the atrocities that happen in any war, but a little balance would be helpful in promoting peace so that both sides take some responsibility.

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—“Grad 1994” commenting on the story “Film keeps Palestine-Israel dialogue ‘alive.’” See more at www.dukechronicle.com.

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Furthermore, providing students with an even academic footing is a welcome approach to leveling out what can be a rather unbalanced academic terrain on campus. The reality of the situation is that some students come to Duke from elite private schools with sophisticated science labs, while others graduate from high schools that can barely afford up-to-date textbooks, let alone scientific lab equipment. To this end, it is encouraging to see that the University is making a proactive effort to ensure the success of all students. This can be seen not only in the creation of the Cardea Fellows program, but also in the creation of Chemistry 20D,

a course designed to ensure students with less developed science backgrounds can get up to speed with the rigors of a collegiate science course. Although the program is perhaps the University’s first true pre-professional program (it focuses only on those who desire a career in the health care industry), the downsides to such an initiative at a liberal arts school like Duke are outweighed by its potential to improve students’ opportunities for success. Plus, it could be used as a recruiting tool for students from disadvantaged environments who are interested in pursuing a health-centered career, thereby helping to bolster the socioeconomic diversity of matriculating students.

Looking forward, we hope that a successful pilot of the Cardea program will lead to an increase in its size, although too dramatic of an enlargement may result in a loss of its community feel. Constant evaluation of the program, as was carried out for the Baldwin Scholars Program in its initial years, would be helpful to ensure success and efficacy. Overall, the program is a move in the right direction. If a student is talented enough to attend Duke, then medical or any health care profession should be within reach. We commend Lee Baker, Trinity dean of academic affairs, for his work in helping to make this a reality.

No more old boy’s club

“M

en in power.” That was the title of a column written by Steve Saltarelli and published in March in the University of Chicago student newspaper, The Chicago Maroon. The column called for the creation of an eponymous student group to advocate for men’s issues on campus, just like the many groups that advocate for women’s issues at U of C. yousef “There to usher abugharbieh the growing massfast forward es through the university system are a myriad of women’s advocacy organizations, evidenced on our campus by 10 such [Recognized Student Organizations], most notably the Feminist Majority, the National Organization for Women and Women in Business,” writes Saltarelli. “There are zero such male-oriented RSOs, as misleading as the name of the female a cappella troupe Men in Drag is.” Saltarelli’s tone becomes increasingly satirical when he writes, “Many don’t realize that men are in power all around us—in fact, the last 44 presidents have been men.” Readers still unsure of the column’s intent should become fully aware of it when Saltarelli begins to list the activities Men in Power plans to organize for its members: barbecue tutorials, action film screenings and a workshop titled “Protecting What’s Yours: Drafting a Prenuptial Agreement.” Yet, even though Saltarelli’s column is clearly satirical, it wasn’t treated as such. Men from both on and off campus sent Saltarelli e-mails asking how they could be involved in the Men in Power movement, saying they felt like their needs had long been neglected. Saltarelli had touched a nerve. Building off the support he received via e-mail, Saltarelli decided to actually incorporate Men in Power as a student group. At this point in time, Men in Power began to receive attention in national press engines like the Chicago Tribune and Huffington Post, inspiring debate in the blogosphere. Saltarelli even appeared on MSNBC in May. In his interview, Saltarelli admitted that men—in general—are the sex with the disproportionate amount of power in government, business, law, academia and nearly every other professional field, but maintained Men in Power and groups like it are necessary because the balance of power between the sexes is likely to shift in the future.

Today’s CEOs were students 30 years ago, a time when women and minorities did not attend college to nearly the same extent that they do now. He argues that the corporate and governmental leaders of tomorrow are more likely to reflect the demographic diversity of today’s top colleges, where the majority of those enrolled in both undergraduate and graduate programs are women. In contrast to Saltarelli, Foreign Policy writer Reihan Salam celebrates the idea that the economic balance of power will shift between the sexes in the future. In his article “The Death of Macho,” which appeared in the July/Aug. issue of the magazine, he argues that the “era of male dominance is coming to an end,” leaving future men with only two choices: either share economic and political power with women equally or resist it through political manipulation and force. Salam predicts that their choice will shape the course of world politics. Although Salam’s claims that the financial and real estate crises were due to the dominance of the values of “penis competition” on Wall Street are dubious, he is undoubtedly correct when he says the recession has disproportionately impacted men. Job losses have been greatest in male-dominated professions like construction and manufacturing. Those sectors of the economy are unlikely to ever recover to pre-recession levels, and the men previously employed in them are unlikely to find jobs that pay as well. That is particularly true in places like Elkhart, Ind., which had the highest unemployment rate in the nation in June at 16.8 percent, according to the Indiana Bureau of Labor Statistics. Elkhart’s economy primarily relies on RV, automotive parts and musical instrument manufacturing, sectors unlikely to recover soon or perhaps ever. Men without college degrees who once earned nearly $60,000 per year will have to content themselves with far less. Salam asserts that employment prospects are unlikely to ever improve for unskilled men around the world, and that many will likely find themselves without enough money to support a family. Unable to marry, they will on average be more violent, embittered toward authority, and likely to become alcoholic. His argument climaxes when he claims that unemployed men could become a politically and economically destabilizing force. Whether Salam’s predictions will pan out is uncertain. What groups like Men in Power show conclusively, though, is that many men do feel vulnerable in today’s world. And sometimes feeling vulnerable is enough to precipitate irrational action. Yousef AbuGharbieh is a Trinity senior. His column runs every other Wednesday.

the chronicle

The Israeli missile crisis

he Prime Minister sits alone in his office, staring out his window as he subconsciously rocks in his brown leather chair. He envisions streets full of rubble, buildings gutted by the explosion, all against the backdrop of nuclear winter. With a stony resolve and a sinking heart, he officially orders the most complex surgical aerial bombardment in human history. Within hours, hundreds of the most advanced jets are elad gross prepped for the long miskitty babies sion that will see a stream of planes stretching from Israel to Iran. Tunneling bombs rain on the underground nuclear facilities to make sure nothing is left. But the Israeli Air Force faces a worthy opponent in the S-300 missile defense system that Russia has agreed to sell Iran. A number of jets are damaged in the assault, and some pilots are stranded in Iran. Iran responds to the attacks with a missile barrage on Israel, which is relatively ineffective against Israeli surface-to-air defenses. Rockets launched by paramilitary groups supporting Iran cause some significant damage. Iran attempts to isolate Israel in the region economically, and then engages in international denunciations of the Israeli attack to test international support. Western Europe, the United States and the Middle East collectively sigh as the threat of a nuclear Iran has been neutralized, but what will the international community do in the aftermath? Now, imagine a nuclear-energy-seeking Venezuela led by President Hugo Chavez, and a similar U.S. assault strategy.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 | 11

commentaries

Earlier this week, Chavez announced both the purchase of highly advanced anti-aircraft weaponry from Russia and his plans to develop nuclear energy capabilities. A Latin American Missile Crisis may not be far off. But, more likely than not, this missile crisis is actually occurring in the Middle East, under the facade of Venezuelan defiance. Robert Morgenthau, the district attorney of Manhattan, spoke on the Iran-Venezuela relationship at the Brookings Institute earlier this month. Due to his office’s investigations, Morgenthau believes Iran is conducting illicit weapons testing in isolated locations in Venezuela. Morgenthau also spoke of financial schemes that have allowed Iran to bypass economic sanctions and secure funding for their nuclear program. And with Venezuela’s large uranium deposits, the Iran-Venezuela partnership, armed with Russian weapons systems, could very well lead to two new nuclear powers in two of the world’s hotspots. The Obama administration has so far faltered in addressing the Middle East. John Hillen, Trinity ’88 and former assistant secretary of state for political military affairs, spoke about the current U.S. approach to the Middle East in his talk at Duke last week. He pointed out that Obama’s delay in speaking to the American people about Afghanistan does a severe disservice to our efforts in that country. More importantly, Obama’s failure to clearly outline any Middle East policy has seemingly unhinged the region. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is suspected to have met secretly with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin last week, and a Russian vessel that may or may not have been carrying an illegal shipment of anti-aircraft missiles to Iran may or may not have been hijacked by Russian agents after Russia was informed of the illicit material en route to Iran. Without U.S. leadership, Russia has the opportunity to increase its influence. Interestingly, Israel has also improved

Never graduate

ndergraduates definitely earn the title of “Crazie” for the physical commitment made in order to secure a spot in Cameron Indoor Stadium for the annual Tobacco Road match up. To those who can, stick around for graduate school— it gets much, much easier. Far from being the first to experience both sets of bleachers, I humbly offer my observations as a first-time emily leonardy Campout contestant and former Krzyzeduke it out wskiville inhabitant through the lens of one experiencing anew the meaning of community. The differences between undergraduate and graduate tenting for men’s basketball tickets are a matter of great interest, mystery and discussion. Indeed, at my very first Divinity School social event, I was asked the particulars of “blue” and “white” tenting. The Friday morning white tent sign-up ritual garnered particular curiosity; the amount of planning involved on each level of the 20-minute event seemed extravagant, even for the opportunity to witness the Tarheels in Cameron. As an undergraduate, Campout always caught me by surprise and provided another excuse for frustration with the graduate school population. I love Duke basketball, but rarely was I thinking much about it during the first two weeks of school; I surely didn’t relish moving my car from the Blue Zone for yet another weekend—didn’t football games provide enough of an inconvenience? What did graduate students think they were doing, anyway, with their pathetic attempt to mimic the true Cameron Crazies? Both K-ville and Campout foster a sense of community through shared suffering; those who journey together in pursuit of the same goal naturally become involved in and concerned with each other’s welfare— this is community. Undergraduates and graduate students express their community in different ways. In K-ville, blue tenters spend months together in freezing weather for the opportunity to take a firstclass, shoulder-to-shoulder slot near the middle in the first rows along the side of the court one night in spring. Even white tenters, thin-blooded though they may be (this columnist included), feel a camaraderie with all K-ville inhabitants not only for the love of

basketball, but the common oft-at-odds demands of sleep, school work and tent-checks. When I woke up and ventured out for my first check Saturday morning at about 7:30 a.m. (thank you, Mark and Felicia, for letting us sleep!), I was surprised and impressed to see only a few dozen beer cans and misplaced items of trash between my tent and the main check point. I even commented to my comrade that, unlike most public social events during my undergraduate experience, I was not so ashamed to be a participant in revelry if this was the only visible aftermath. However, it was difficult to ignore the separateness of the graduate student Campout. Our sense of community had little time to develop, true, but even over an intense 36 hours, it was difficult to move outside one’s particular school except in our alphabetical check-in lines. The divisions were at times almost palpable, not only because of the familiarity and close friendship we share with our everyday classmates, but also because of the physical barriers to unity—tents, RVs and U-hauls scattered throughout several lots. There is no space large enough to contain all the eager would-be ticket holders, of course, and some students have more disposable income than others, but one wonders what richness of experience is lost because of the stratification and separation of schools, as opposed to the more homogeneous undergraduate structure. Sunday morning at 5:30 a.m., the final siren went off in the Blue Zone. Running from our beds to sit on the pavement in the almost-light morning, we were instructed to pack up and pick up everything larger than a bottle cap. Before we received the results of the lottery, every single trash can and shovel was located, every recyclable safely sorted and each campsite cleared of all debris. By the time those of us lucky enough to receive the honor of purchasing a season ticket were exchanging our checks for plastic cards, the only clean up left was the hauling away of trash bags and the pick up of port-a-potties. It is hardly necessary for me to recount the condition of the Blue Zone lots after Tailgate or Main West Quad the morning after LDOC. Suffice to say it is not a view that conjures anything except shock and shame. There is no perfect tenting experience, but having been on both sides of the student divide, it is evident we have much to learn from each other, even outside the classroom and laboratory. Emily Leonardy, Trinity ’08, is a first-year Divinity student. Her column runs every other Wednesday.

its relations with nearby countries, including Egypt, mostly through very basic collective security agreements against Iran. Perhaps the absence of the U.S. is leading to increased stability in the region, just out of sheer necessity. But these same regional deals could have been made with proper U.S. involvement. The absence of the U.S. only helps Iran buy time, and time is of the essence for all parties involved. The U.S. needs to reestablish a foreign policy focus. The implications of increasing Iranian power are not limited to the Middle East. Iran is financially active in Latin America, financing players in the Colombian drug trade. And if the relationship between Venezuela and Iran continues to develop, Venezuela may be armed with potent missiles, supplying Iran with multi-faceted support for the Iranian nuclear program and protected by Russian-built surface-to-air missiles that would give even the U.S. Air Force a run for its money. In this increasingly globalized world, every act can have reverberating repercussions. U.S. non-involvement in the Middle East has become a threat to our national security. With its military already stretched in two conflicts, the U.S. must find other means to achieve its policy objectives. Firstly, the Obama administration needs to outline those objectives. Secondly, the U.S. must emphasize diplomatic and economic means to achieve those goals. Finally, the U.S. must cope with the idea that we aren’t the only important players in the world anymore. We haven’t performed well on the world stage lately, and, until we do once again, countries will look for substitutes to U.S. influence. Ships will go missing, Russia will be the new cool kid on the block and the U.S. will watch as its once unparalleled global influence gradually fades away. Elad Gross is a Trinity senior. His column runs every Wednesday.

MLK rolls over in his grave

ichael Stauch’s Sept. 11 column was as shocking for its vulgarity as it was for its inaccuracy. His column, which appeared next to a cartoon of a Klansman shouting “socialist” to a frightened black child, labels those who don’t support President Obama as “racists” and attempts to argue that conservatives are simply scared because “the country isn’t justin robinette run by white folks anymore.” cliff satell That type of juvenile vitriol has no place in today’s political discourse, esguest column pecially at an elite university like Duke. Fortunately, he represents an insignificant minority of Americans who insist on ignoring Obama’s calls for a new era of politics and Martin Luther King’s calls for unity and a colorblind society. Unlike Stauch, we do not hail Obama because he is black. We are indifferent to it. Are there still white racists in this country? Of course, just as there are black racists and Latino racists. Yet when Obama is treated exactly as any other politician would be, when his policies are attacked on merit, and when his political opponents chide not his skin color but his policy proposals, shameful people like Stauch insist on injecting useless, trivial and counterproductive controversy by labeling all who disagree with Obama as obviously “racist.” It is unfortunate that a reputedly independent news source such as The Chronicle, on the eighth anniversary of the devastating attacks of Sept. 11, would allow the publication of such bigotry. If Duke has learned one thing from the fiasco associated with the preemptive and dishonorable Gang of 88, it is that caution should be taken when faculty (and in this case, candidates for the faculty, Duke’s or otherwise) make discreditable claims about race. Perhaps Stauch should spend less time assuming the motives of Obama’s political opponents, because his column was more reminiscent of David Duke or Don Imus than any admirable cause Obama has heralded. This is the true travesty of Obama’s election: That despite the tremendous strides we have made in America regarding race and class relations, there are still those—not many, but a loud few—who will never allow MLK’s dream to be realized. When Stauch claims “red is the new black” and argues that conservative backlash to perceived socialist policies is modern racism in disguise, he not only hurts the liberal causes he so passionately chokes on, but he hurts the black community as well. His words are what right-wing extremists use to justify their own actions, and his flagrant disregard for reality renders those African Americans who are working hard to achieve MLK’s dream of an equal playing field powerless. We call on Stauch to apologize, yet do not expect it. The time for these petty and useless assaults on each other is past. All of us, except perhaps Stauch, can at least agree on that. To reference a dream long past, we have a dream that one day we may be free to judge others based on the content of their character alone, regardless of the color of their skin. Justin Robinette is a Trinity junior and President of the Duke College Republicans. Cliff Satell is a Trinity junior and President of the Duke Conservative Union.

12 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 the chronicle

The Baldwin Scholars Program and WISER present:

f o t s i r K s a l o h c i N

Co-Author Co-Author of of “Half “Half the the Sky: Sky: Turning Turning Oppression Oppression into into Opportunity Opportunity for for Women Women Worldwide” Worldwide” Pulitzer Pulitzer PrizePrizewinning winning journalist journalist New New York York Times Times columnist columnist

Thursday, September 17 Page Auditorium Duke University

7:30p.m.

Admission is free and open to the public e The Fifth Event in th ished Jean Fox O’Barr Distingu Speaker Series en’s Center,

Family Foundation, Wom co-sponsored by the Muglia ial for the Advancement of Soc Women’s Studies, Center ational Studies, ern Int for sity Center ver Uni e Duk p, shi eur ren Entrep Learning Program, ute for Ethics, Service DukeEngage, Kenan Instit Policy Sanford School of Public

For more information on this speaker, please visit www.apbspeakers.com

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8/13/2009 1:14:32 PM