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
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 39
www.dukechronicle.com
Envoy shares tales of Chile’s oppression
Professor assesses fear of ‘Eurabia’
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by Shaoli Chaudhuri
by Toni Wei
The chronicle
The Biddle Rare Book Room was filled with scenes of resistance, escape and political turmoil Thursday evening as Chilean Ambassador to the United Nations Heraldo Muñoz described his part in the fight against Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s regime. Muñoz accepted the Washington Office on Latin America-Duke Book Award for Human Rights in Latin America for his political and personal memoir, “The Dictator’s Shadow: Life Under Augusto Pinochet.” He said one of the messages he hopes his readers take from his book is the idea of humanity and values, which he tried to emulate by refusing to take the “easy road.” “I could have done something very different with my life,” Muñoz said. “[Instead,] I tried to do what I could to remove the dictatorship.” After accepting the award, Muñoz spoke about life under Pinochet, a dictator who ruled Chile with an iron fist for 17 years, during which thousands disappeared, were killed or were taken prisoner. Muñoz also discussed his writing process and read selected passages from his book.
The chronicle
chase oliveiri/Chronicle file photo
Cameron Crazies will be joining head coach Mike Krzyzewski Friday evening in Cameron Indoor Stadium for Countdown to Craziness, which kicks off the 70th season of basketball. The event will begin at 5:30 pm.
See Muñoz on page 6
Road repairs delayed by weak economy by Ben Rakestraw The chronicle
zachary tracer/Chronicle file photo
Deteroirating roads on Campus Drive have led to complaints from bus drivers and students, but administrators said the roads will not be repaired until major construction projects, such as the delayed Central renovations, are completed.
Students and staff may see some major improvements to Duke’s roads, but not anytime soon. Several roads across campus, most notably Campus Drive, are in poor condition and are deteriorating, students and bus drivers said. The faltering economy, however, has delayed plans to repair most campus roads, Vice President for Campus Services Kemel Dawkins said. He added that Duke does not want to overhaul roads in advance of major construction projects such as Central Campus renovations, because construction equipment could damage the roads. “We don’t do major work in advance of capital projects,” Dawkins said. Until the roads are repaired, drivers and bikers will continue to face the challenges of rough roads. Bus driver Jose Valencia said he drives slowly and in the middle of the road to help ensure a smooth ride for his passengers. Valencia, who has been driving Duke buses for three years, said the part of Campus Drive near the Chapel Drive traffic circle is in particularly poor shape. “The roads have always been in the same bad condition,” he said, adding that many bus drivers change how they drive in re-
ONTHERECORD
“To me it was just amazing that non-primates could have such complex cooperative social behavior.”
—UC Berkeley Researcher Allisa Carter on hyenas. See story page 5
See roads on page 7
Women’s Soccer: Perfect storm Blue Devils rout Miami 4-0 to capture their first ACC victory, PAGE 11
In the years since 9/11, Muslim immigration to Europe has drawn great attention, much of it negative. Ian Buruma, Henry R. Luce professor of democracy, human rights and journalism at Bard College, spoke Thursday about the perception that Europe is being taken over by Muslims. In a lecture titled “Eurabia: Truth or Paranoia,” he said the commonly held fear of a Muslim-dominated Europe involves worries about a demographic change, a clash of moral values and crime. “One common thread is to conflate all these different threats and say that these are all threats that make up Islamic fascism,” he told a small crowd in the Sanford School of Public Policy’s Fleishman Commons. Buruma said that although the threat of a significant rise in the Muslim population of Europe is not a valid concern, the clash between orthodox Islam and the values of a “modern European liberal democracy” may be a real issue. Violence, ranging from street crime to terrorism, could pose a big problem, Buruma added, particularly if young people become involved in sometimes misguided religious quests. “The reason I think young people everywhere are vulnerable to these violent ideologies is they don’t feel they belong in the only society they know well,” he said. “Jihad gives them a sense of power, of belonging, of identity.” Buruma said the lack of separation between Muslims in general and a small subgroup of extremists is the biggest obSee buruma on page 8
Melissa Yao/The Chronicle
Ian Buruma, a professor at Bard College, evaluates perceptions of the rising Muslim population in Europe at the Sanford School of Public Policy Thursday night.
Campus Council approves pilot program to allow pets on Central, Page 3