January 28, 2010 issue

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

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 83

www.dukechronicle.com

Obama focuses on economy to Divinity dean reassure public in Union address to take post as

DUHS adviser

by Tullia Rushton The chronicle

On March 1, Divinity School Dean Gregory Jones will take his new post as Duke University Health System’s senior adviser for international strategy.

President Richard Brodhead and Provost Peter Lange made the announcement Wednesday that Jones will succeed Dr. Sanders Williams, who is leaving Duke to become president of the J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco. Richard Hays, who is the George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament at the DiGregory Jones vinity School, will assume the position of dean for the next two years.

“The president and I selected Dean Jones because he’s ideal for the job,” Lange said, adding that he believes Jones has the best experience, energy, vision and commitment to Duke’s international initiatives.

Jones said his new role is multi-faceted, adding that he will work with the president, the provost, the Board of Trustees and other deans to ensure that all international projects on campus are followed through.

Tim Sloan/The Associated Press

President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night. His speech touched on a number of issues, including job creation, energy policy and health care reform.“Let’s try common sense,” Obama said of reducing the budget deficit and fulfilling obligations to Americans.

by Anne Kornblut and Michael Shear The Washington Post

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Obama delivered an urgent plea for unity on Wednesday night during his first State of the Union address, seeking to recapture the energy that propelled him into office—and reverse his party’s trajectory on the heels of recent setbacks.

Obama refocused his agenda on the economy and jobs, casting himself as the advocate of average citizens. He quoted a letter sent to him by a woman who described herself as “strained but hopeful, struggling but encouraged,” saying her spirit embodies that of the nation and gives him reason for optimism.

See state of the union on page 8

studentsreact Students watched the president’s first State of the Union address in McClendon Tower Wednesday night.

Read their responses to the speech, SEE SOUNDOFF PAGE 3.

Garnet and gold pummeled black and blue

See adviser on page 6

Admins look to revamp QS code in curriculum

by Maggie Love The chronicle

caroline rodriguez/The Chronicle

Jon Scheyer’s chances of beating Florida State center Solomon Alabi to the basket were slim on this drive, but the senior guard poured in 22 points—most of them from the perimeter—to lead Duke to another ACC win. SEE STORIES PAGE 7

ONTHERECORD

“We’ve got fresh fruit on Mondays, M&Ms on Wednesdays and breakfast pastries on Fridays.”

­—SAS employee Lee Anne Ryan on her company’s culture. See story page 3

Although Curriculum 2000 has been simplified since its debut a decade ago, faculty and administrators still see room for improvement.

A Trinity College committee, for example, is reviewing the Quantitative Studies requirement and trying to refine its meaning. QS is a course coding that marks one of the five Areas of Knowledge students Lee Baker

Creative Writing in Berlin A novelist in the English department brings creative writing to Germany, RECESS 3

must satisfy.

“We actually don’t have a definition of what quantitative literacy means here at Duke,” said Lee Baker, dean of academic affairs of Trinity College.

The committee will submit a preliminary report to Baker by the end of this semester, and a final report by the end of the Fall 2010 semester.

No committee is currently evaluating Curriculum 2000 as a whole, but several administrators said they would support re-evaluations of various aspects of the curriculum.

See Curriculum on page 5

Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet comes to Duke, RECESS 5

2 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 the chronicle

worldandnation

TODAY:

6033

FRIDAY:

4125

Pakistan to mediate possible Taliban-Afghan peace talks

Obama to give 13 areas GOP considers resolution funds for high-speed rail HONOLULU — As the Republican National Committee opened its four-day winter meeting Wednesday, party leaders were divided over whether to adhere strictly to conservative principles or open the GOP tent to include more moderate voices.

The GOP seized momentum following Republican Scott Brown’s upset victory in Massachusetts last week, with party leaders saying they are confident their candidates could regain Democrat-held seats in Congress in November’s midterms and perhaps reclaim congressional majorities. But undermining that confidence is an internal split that will come into focus this week when the RNC considers a controversial “purity” resolution.

The resolution would require that Republican candidates agree on at least eight of 10 listed conservative positions or lose party money and support.

“

Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong.

— Winston Churchill

”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Barack Obama will give $8 billion in economic stimulus money to 13 rail corridors Thursday, mostly for high-speed passenger service, an administration official said.

Obama will announce the funds, the biggest single U.S. investment in highspeed rail, in Tampa, Fla., said the official, who declined to be identified in advance of the announcement.

The money will benefit 31 states, including a small portion of the $8 billion that will go to improvements of existing rail lines, the official said. Florida, California and New York are among states that applied for money. Vice President Joe Biden, who commuted by Amtrak between Delaware and Washington when he was a senator, will travel with Obama for the announcement at a town hallstyle meeting, the official said.

TODAY IN HISTORY 1961: Republic of Rwanda proclaimed

LAHORE, Pakistan — Pakistan, which once sponsored Taliban forces but turned against them under American pressure in 2001, now hopes to play a role as a broker in proposed negotiations among Taliban leaders and the Afghan government, with support from the United States.

As leaders of 60 countries meet in London Thursday to discuss how to help Afghanistan stop its downward spiral into instability, the possibilities for reconciliation and talks with both Taliban leaders and foot soldiers will top the agenda.

Until recently, Pakistan had been on hostile terms with the neighboring government in Kabul and had sought to distance itself from the problems of insurgency across the border, while struggling to curb a homegrown Taliban movement that has carried out dozens of bombings

and suicide attacks in Pakistan in the past several years.

Now, however, Pakistani officials have taken a sudden interest in promoting peace in Afghanistan, a change analysts attribute to a combination of self-interest and fear. Pakistan, they say, hopes a power-sharing arrangement in Kabul that includes the Taliban would be friendlier to its interests; and it worries that if the Afghan conflict drags on, its domestic extremist problem will spin out of control.

But analysts said any overt mediation role by the Pakistani government could backfire for several reasons, including deep mistrust among Afghan leaders, unpredictable reactions by Pakistani militants, Taliban resentment of pressure from its former backers and unrealistic Pakistani expectations of Western gratitude.

Naoko fujimura/bloomberg news

Mitsuru Yonekawa, a Nissan spokesperson, is one of an increasing number of Japanese men who are buying cosmetics made especially for men. Although salaries are decreasing and unemployment is rising in Asia’s beauty product market, sales of men’s skincare products have increased by 17 percent. Skincare companies are targeting middle-aged males, because unlike women, men tend not to switch between brands.

the chronicle

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 | 3

soundoff:stateoftheunion President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union address Wednesday night, touching on issues ranging from job creation to energy policy to health care reform. Several students and employees bore witness to the event at a watch party, hosted by Duke Democrats, in the McClendon Tower media room. The Chronicle asked party attendees and members of Duke College Republicans for their opinions on the speech.

—compiled by Shaoli Chaudhuri “I just wanted to watch with people who have an interest in watching it... there are people in my room watching the [Duke vs. Florida State basketball] game.”

—Jerry Zhang, sophomore

“I got an e-mail from ‘Organizing in America’... and decided it’d be more fun to watch it here than alone at home.”

—Matt Cain, postdoctoral associate of Cognitive Neuroscience

Cary’s SAS named ‘best company to work for’

“I mean, largely, he laid out campaign policies that he’s said time and time again. I’m a little upset with the energy policies because I don’t think they’re necessarily a large step forward... I think spending money on them is a step back. Other than that, it was what I expected... particularly the stuff he said about student loans.

Largely, the loan policy needed to be See soundoff on page 6

special to The Chronicle

The Cary-based SAS was ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.” As a part of its culture, the company provides food for its employees on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

by Sanette Tanaka The chronicle

dianna liu/The Chronicle

Students watch President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union Wednesday night in a watch party hosted by Duke Democrats in the McClendon Tower media room on West Campus.

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Traditions matter at SAS. Each week, employees like software engineer Lee Anne Ryan look forward to complimentary bowls of goodies in the break rooms located on every floor of the company.

The Cary-based company, now the world’s largest privately-owned software seller, recently scored the No. 1 ranking on Fortune magazine’s annual list of “100 Best Companies to Work

For,” beating out longtime powerhouses like Google, Edward Jones and DreamWorks Animation. Although SAS has been included on the list for more than a decade, it significantly improved from its No. 20 slot last year.

“We’ve got fresh fruit on Mondays, M&Ms on Wednesdays and breakfast pastries on Fridays,” Ryan said. “It’s a cornerstone of culture.”

In addition to morning treats, perks See SAS on page 4

4 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 the chronicle

Law school launches entrepreneur masters program

by Christopher Ross The chronicle

Next year, the School of Law will help students navigate the world of entrepreneurship with a new masters program.

Duke’s law school will introduce the Law and Entrepreneurship LLM Program in the 2010-2011 year. “[The program] will examine, teach and research the various forces social, economic, political and legal that impact entrepreneurial activity in the United States,” said James Cox, Brainerd Currie Professor of Law. Jon Fjeld, executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Fuqua School of Business, said the new graduate program James Cox will offer opportunities for collaboration at Duke and will offer law students more career options.

“You probably heard more about entrepreneurship now than you did 10 years ago, you hear the president of the United States talking about entrepreneurship,” Fjeld said.

“Obviously something is going on, or at least people think something is going on, and I think it has to do with this

SAS from page 3 for SAS employees include on-site child care, unlimited sick days, 90-percent coverage of health insurance premiums, a health clinic, fitness center, swimming pool, reasonably-priced massages and a library, according to Fortune.

“SAS provides the kinds of convenience that enable people to do their best work,” Ryan said. “The support is phenomenal.”

Despite offering a warm work environment and extensive employee benefits, SAS still manages to remain profitable. Last year, revenue topped $2.31 billion in sales, up 2.2 percent from the previous year, according to the company’s Web site.

SAS sells software to businesses and agencies, allowing them to analyze data to determine patterns and trends. Customers range from universities to banks to baseball teams, and 79 percent of the companies in the Fortune 500 utilize the system, according to SAS’s Web site.

CEO Jim Goodnight co-founded the

recognition that new solutions and innovation are often best achieved in an entrepreneurial spirit. So people are trying to line up behind it, and I think the legal profession is part of that puzzle.”

The law school does not currently have a concentration of classes that deals with the legal side of entrepreneurship, Cox said. This program will familiarize students with the field and instill skills and knowledge that will be useful in start-up business environments.

Andrew Foster, director of the Community Enterprise Clinic, said the entrepreneurial environment is not far from campus—proximity to Research Triangle Park offers students a chance to hone their skills, he said.

“One of the reasons it makes sense to do a degree like this here is that we are so close to RTP and there is a real innovative, entrepreneurial economy in the local area,” said Foster, one of the members of the faculty committee charged with developing the program and its curriculum.

“We want to both support and serve that community but also benefit from it in the sense that it provides a lot of great opportunities for our students.”

He added that the idea for the program came from the law school wanting to take a leadership role in the University-wide engagement in entrepreneurship.

Bill Brown, visiting professor of the practice of law, will

company in 1976 and has quickly established his reputation as an innovator in business and work practices, including allowing employees to set their own hours and pursue independent projects outside of their regular tasks.

“We know we have the trust of the executives here at SAS,” Corporate Press Manager Desiree Adkins said. “It’s easy to be innovative when you have a company that gives you the tools and resources needed to do your job, the brainpower to talk with colleagues and the trust to know that what you do will be worthwhile.”

The traditional hierarchy and secrecy of executives is absent at SAS, where transparency and open communication is valued.

Still, the flexibility hardly fosters idleness, Ryan said.

“We are in an environment that encourages doing something right instead of simply getting it out the door,” she said. “It’s empowering.”

Fay Cobb Payton, associate professor of information systems at North Caro-

teach a core class in the program. Brown said the degree will appeal to several types of interests, including students or lawyers who want the flexibility to become entrepreneurs, those who want to specialize their legal knowledge in entrepreneurship and those who want to be better business lawyers.

The new program will require 23 credits over two semesters and require students to complete an externship in RTP, said Cox, who will serve as the program’s faculty director. Fuqua, the Sanford School of Public Policy and the Pratt School of Engineering will work with the law school on this program.

“I think there is a great opportunity for integration between the programs across Duke—the law school, the engineering school, Trinity and Fuqua. That’s really the goal we’re working toward,” Fjeld said.

Applications for the program are not yet available, but Cox said enrollment will be capped between 20 and 30 students for the inaugural year.

But Duke is not the only university with plans to establish such a program. The University of Colorado is also hoping to debut a similar program for the next school year and is currently awaiting its approval.

“We would welcome the trend,” Cox said. “I think we are a leader in [the field by] being there first.”

lina State University, utilizes the SAS software in her classes. She said former students who are now employed at SAS find the environment stimulating and holistic.

“We’ve got fresh fruit on Mondays, M&Ms on Wednesdays and breakfast pastries on Fridays.”

— Lee Anne Ryan, SAS employee Although the laid-back, employeefriendly culture may be prevalent in Silicon Valley, SAS is unique in the South.

Tony O’Driscoll, professor of the practice of business administration at the Fuqua School of Business, said that although the existence of top universities and

Ph.D. scholars in the Triangle created a fitting locale for SAS, the company is remarkably homegrown.

“SAS has become a household name, but it’s not monstrously huge,” O’Driscoll said. “It is a beacon of a local company that managed to emerge on the national scene.”

With an annual turnover of 2 percent—versus the national average of 22 percent in the software industry—and approximately 100 applicants per open position, SAS is already a competitive arena for employment. For at least the next several months, SAS will probably experience a massive influx of applicants as people migrate toward the Triangle area, O’Driscoll said.

Even with the company’s growth, loyal workers like Ryan have no intent to leave anytime soon—the company is like family, she said.

“Not only have I worked here for 13 years, but I have had the same manager for the last 10,” Ryan said. “How many people can say that these days?”

New arrivals by:

A ROUNDTABLE ON THE WORK OF ARIEL DORFMAN FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2010 4.00-6.00 P.M.

Ricardo Gutiérrez-Mouat - Emory University Barbara Harlow - University of Texas at Austin

PERKINS LIBRARY ROOM 217 DUKE UNIVERSITY

John Riofrio - The College of William and Mary

reception & book signing to follow free and open to the public

Sophia A. McClennen - Penn State University

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mes Jeans a J in ly e iv L Blake y Scarf and Burberr

John Dillon - Sarah Lawrence College with response by Ariel Dorfman

Sponsored by the Duke University Center for International Studies and the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs.

Chapel Hill 452 W. Franklin St. 933.4007 | uniquities.com

the chronicle

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 | 5

Duke student government

Groups may share SOFC funds in trial run next year

christina pena/The Chronicle

DSG Treasurer Sam Halls presents the SOFC Reform Commission’s findings at the DSG meeting Wednesday night.

Halls proposed the creation of “bucket funds” to cover on-campus performance groups’ spending next year.

by Matthew Chase The chronicle

Duke Student Government Treasurer Sam Halls presented senators with the results of the Student Organization Finance Committee Reform Commission at the DSG meeting Wednesday night.

The Senate decided to table approving the committee’s recommendations until next week. If approved, SOFC would run a trial granting the eight performance groups on campus access to “bucket funds”

to cover all capital expenditures next academic year. SOFC will also give the coalition of groups a discretionary budget to fund collaborative efforts among groups.

“This is going to give these groups the ability to really work together to collaborate on many issues... and have the freedom to use the money when they need it and when they deem it appropriate,” said Halls, a senior.

SOFC could potentially extend this See DSG on page 6

Curriculum from page 1 Provost Peter Lange said the curriculum may benefit from a review of some course designations over a period of several years. He noted, in particular, that the Cross Cultural Inquiry course designation is among the most vague.

“It’s the area with the most courses under it and it’s my sense that it may be the one that could best benefit from a review,” he said.

Professor of psychology Robert Thompson helped draft Curriculum 2000 during his tenure as the dean of Trinity College. He said it would be worthwhile to incorporate innovation and interdisciplinarity into the curriculum, noting that these two skills would suit societal developments that have occurred since the curriculum was created.

“Many students see the curriculum as more of a system of hoops to jump through rather than a systematic development of skills....”

— Ingeborg Walther, associate dean of Trinity College Ingeborg Walther, associate dean of Trinity College and director of the Office of Curriculum and Course Development, thinks that the attitudes of students toward the curriculum are as important as the individual course requirements.

“Many students see the curriculum as more of a system of hoops to jump through rather than a systematic development of skills and abilities they will need

for their future,” she wrote in an e-mail.

“This should also be addressed in any rethinkings of the curriculum.”

Since its introduction, Curriculum 2000 has undergone formal review once, in 2004, after the first class to fulfill the requirements graduated.

With these revisions, Quantitative Studies was added to the Areas of Knowledge, joining Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Civilization and Arts, Literature and Performance. Correspondingly, the number of courses students were required to take in each area decreased from three to two, so that these contributed 10, rather than 12, classes to a student’s course load. The number of required Modes of Inquiry courses also dropped, to 12 from 16.

When the curriculum was introduced in 2000, changes included the replacement of the University Writing Course with Writing 20 and the establishment of a foreign language requirement.

“We wanted to assure that the curriculum would push students outside of their intellectual comfort zone,” said Lange, who chaired the committee that created Curriculum 2000.

Administrators may have ideas about changes to the curriculum, but Steve Nowicki, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, said those decisions are ultimately made by the faculty.

He added that this does not rule out student input. In fact, the committee that created Curriculum 2000 held two student forums prior to introducing the curriculum.

Several administrators said the curriculum will not undergo big changes any time soon, regardless of the suggestions made by members of the Duke community, “[Curriculum 2000] enables evolution rather than transformation,” Thompson said.

STRANGE, WONDERFUL,… and HERE How Families of Abraham Worship at Duke Over two weekends believers from Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, and Protestant traditions are inviting visitors to observe and/or participate in their respective acts of worship and have opportunities to ask questions and join in discussions afterwards.

These are moments not for proselytism but for deepening understanding and discovering the meaning of others' strange and wonderful practices and convictions.

Schedule of Services 1/29—Jewish Life at Duke Shabbat service Where: Freeman Center for Jewish Life When: 6:15 p.m.

1/31—Duke Catholic Center service Where: Duke Chapel When: 9 p.m.

2/5—Muslim Life at Duke Jummah Prayer Where: York Room, Religion Dept.

When: 12:45 p.m.

2/5—’One Roof’ Christian worship service Where: Goodson Chapel, Div. School When: 7 p.m.

Sponsored by the Duke Faith Council to coincide with the Families of Abraham exhibit currently in Duke Chapel For more information email emw17@duke.edu.

6 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 the chronicle

DSG from page 5 model to many of its chartered organizations in the future.

Organizations with similar interests would receive both the bucket funds and discretionary budgets.

Halls added that the groups’ decisions must fall under University guidelines—groups cannot use funds to purchase alcohol, for example. Discretionary funds, however, will allow the groups to spend money on some things SOFC normally does not allow, such as T-shirts.

The committees to determine how discretionary funds would be

used will consist of a representative from each group and one SOFC member.

The Senate tabled the issue after some senators tried to amend the bill. Academic Affairs Senator Danny Lewin, a senior and former Chronicle columnist, proposed that an Office of Student Activities and Facilities member also sit on the committee. Athletics and Campus Services Senator Ben Bergmann, a junior, suggested that other clusters of groups be allowed to petition to be included in the trial.

Executive Vice President Gregory Morrison, a junior, proposed that senators revisit the reform commission’s proposal next week.

adviser from page 1 “A number of the schools [at Duke] and organizations, such as the Global Health Institute, are already developing relationships and initiatives internationally,” Jones said.

“For example, in China, we need to develop the relationship there and develop the campus [in Kunshan]. We have to be sure we deliver on the agreement made with China.”

Concerning future international relationships, Jones said he hopes to develop new partners and more opportunities on Duke’s campus for students to become more globally aware.

“Environmental, cultural and economic studies aren’t confined to geographic boundaries,” he said. “We don’t want to be tourists of the world, we want to develop deeper relationships that will give us an opportunity to learn and make deep connections with others internationally.”

Jones added that his plans for the posi-

“I think right now what we are doing is writing legislation on the fly, and I have never been a fan of that,” Morrison said.

Morrison also spoke to the Senate about possibly changing the voting procedures for DSG elections, especially the presidential election.

Elections are currently an instant run-off system, meaning that students rank the candidates in order of preference, and a computer program automatically regenerates votes based on those preferences until one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote. The proposed bylaw stipulates that students instead vote for one candidate, except in

tion are still in early stages, but he is working with Williams over the next month to learn and develop the work Williams has done as senior adviser for international strategy.

Hays, who will assume deanship July 1, said he has no plans to make any drastic changes to the school.

“The Divinity School is in a very strong position, part of what I need to do is to keep things on course,” Hays said. “Jones has done a splendid job as dean and we have a strong faculty and excellent student body.”

Hays added that he wants to continue strategic planning for installing several new degree programs within the Divinity School, which would include overseeing some faculty appointments, and wants to continue strengthening both the Th.D. program and expanding the new field of theology and art.

“During the two-year appointment, the plan is to put in place a search process for a dean to take over the office in 2012,” Hays said, but noted that the process has not yet started.

Senate races, when students select two. Morrison said many people have questioned the instant runoff process.

“The idea is to have a debate on which voting system is better,” Morrison said. “And that may be this [new method] or that may be remaining with the current system.”

The proposed bylaw also states that there will be a run-off election if the presidential candidate wins by fewer than 150 votes.

But because Wednesday night was the senators’ first reading of the bylaw, the Senate will consider the piece of legislation—and other proposals regarding election procedures—next week.

soundoff from page 3 reformed... a lot of people have filled out the FAFSA form and seen how cumbersome it has become, how expensive college is becoming.”

—Joe Catapano, junior “I mean, I have to say he’s an amazing speaker even if you don’t agree with him necessarily... but I tend to think that a lot of it’s rhetoric and nothing’s going to change from what he’s doing now. I think the fact that the State of the Union came right after the Financial Regulations Bill he wants to push through... [was] a desperate attempt on his part. I certainly don’t want things to go bad in creating new jobs.... I have an open mind but I’m skeptical.”

—Joanna Bromley, junior “As someone who doesn’t dislike Barack

In other business: Senators established the DSG Commission on Campus Accessibility, which will increase accessibility for disabled students. The commission will consist of an at-large Duke Transportation Advisory Committee, DSG members and potentially members of other campus bodies, such as Campus Council.

DSG praised Duke Dining Services and OSAF for their support of Haiti relief efforts on campus.

Senators also granted DSG recognition to the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children, the Duke Bowling Club, Duke Quidditch and Christians on Campus.

Obama in any way, I think he’s doing a good job.... Unfortunately with [R-Mass.

Senator-elect] Scott Brown’s election, the tables have turned on the Democrats, but I think Obama’s trying to hold the country together.... Focus on jobs is always a good thing for the Democrats.”

—Justin Robinette, Duke College Republicans president, senior “I think [the speech] was good. I think [Obama] said what he needed to say.

One of the things that’s difficult for people like me and other sort of hard-core supporters is we wanted him to call out the Republicans on a lot their garbage.

But he’s bigger than that, and that’s the reason he’s president and we’re not. The jobs bill I think... its going to make for an exciting thing. I would have liked to see a ‘you lie’ come out of his mouth toward the Republicans.” ­—Ben Bergmann, Duke Democrats president, junior

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Recess

volume 12 issue 17 january 28, 2010

THE “ALT� CROWD

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK Local musicians show their music, tell about the value of arts education

PAGE 4

photo illustration by maddie lieberberg/The chronicle

spirit of berlin

duke brings undergrads to berlin for creative writing

page 3

jason moran

the jazz pianist continues his work with duke performances

page 5

alonzo king

the LINES ballet comes to duke with jason moran

page 5

recess

Page 2

theSANDBOX. The iPad is here, and recess hasn’t been this underwhelmed since Scarlett Johansson tried to sing.

As far as I can tell, the iPad is like a laptop that does less. You can read newspapers, magazines and books on it, but Apple still hasn’t proven why this is any better than reading these things in print. And yes, five of the major book publishers are on board and have agreed to start distributing their e-books through a new iTuneslike store, called iMazon (just kidding— it’s called iBooks. Shocking). But there’s still a reason you don’t know anyone who owns a Kindle, and Apple’s actually going to charge more for their e-books.

So, what’s changed in the media world with this earth-shattering announcement?

Seriously, this isn’t a rhetorical question.

If you figure it out, let me know. Because all I see is an iPod with words and pictures instead of music, and this time, the iPod’s already been invented.

It seems as though the electronics industry has been the shark circling print for

[recesseditors]

years now, and they still can’t figure out how to pull the publishers under. Maybe this is because print is actually a boat, or even the shore: it’s unsinkable. The public remains unconvinced that there’s any reason to carry around a book/magazinesized device to read books and magazines on when you could just get a book or magazine. There’s still no library equivalent for the e-book industry. And, most importantly, these things are expensive as hell.

Considering Apple’s track record, I don’t see the iPad bucking that trend.

Or maybe this is just the bitter complaint from a newspaper. That’s what the technocrats keep saying, and I don’t buy it. Writers will always be necessary, whether they’re being read on a little digital screen, printed in ink on the remains of a tree or transmitted straight into your brain, bypassing your eyes altogether (eyes are so last decade). That is, until Apple makes the iPerson and we’re replaced by an app.

Then I’d be impressed.

—Kevin Lincoln

things fall apart Andrew Hibbard.......................................................still searching for deep throat Eugene Wang.................................................................girl pop can’t save me now Charlie McSpadden....................................................concussed on Shutter Island Kevin Lincoln.............................................................................iPad, therefore iAm Claire Finch........................................................................................alt like Achebe Jonathan Wall................................................................................................it’s Yeats Maddie—or Madeline?—Lieberberg....................................blame it on the ’dillo Will Robinson..........................................................................................semi-absent

Duke Performances

in durham, at duke, the modern comes home.

January 28, 2010

excessive com uls p ive

This just in: Jay Leno was struck by a train when his Model T Ford stalled on the tracks.

Witnesses say the conductor had plenty of room to stop but instead chose to speed up and could be heard yelling some obscenity, though it was drowned out by the laughter of the onlookers. He will be survived only by his barren wife and a soulless mechanical litter of offspring—an extensive car collection. Cold and subhuman, they take after their father.

If you haven’t heard the news about the Tonight Show situation then you must be living under rubble, which wouldn’t be a surprise, considering that the controversy has caused such seismic activity. It’s too bad Leno hadn’t been on an Hispanolian vacation, but I die-Leno—I mean, digress.

Luckily, one man has always stood as a pillar for all that is good and right in show biz. And that man is Charlie Sheen—wait a second, that’s not show biz, that’s hoe biz.

No. The man who inspires “the business of show” is Conan O’Brien. This guy started out as just some writer excited to have fun and entertain people. I want to be a writer, but Conan’s talent far outweighs my own. He wrote amazing sketches for SNL and even whole episodes of The Simpsons back in their prime. The only show I’ve been successful in writing a full episode of is Wheel of Fortune.

Conan has been a true inspiration for me, but it’s tough to tell my parents that I want to be a page for NBC. “I didn’t send you to Duke so you could be Kenneth from 30 Rock.” “But Dad, Kenneth is only a stepping stone. I want to be the bearded dude with the witty trucker hats.” “What the hell happened to pre-med?” “Asia happened, Dad. Asia. I saw General Chemistry coming, but I wasn’t prepared, and I’ll never forget.

Just like Pearl Harbor.”

But my dad has come to respect my NBC

dreams and their moral values and good business sense. It has been reported that NBC is estimated to lose $200 million on the Winter Olympics. To put that in perspective, that would be like if your parents spent $200,000 on college only for you to go work at a company about to lose $200 million.

That said, I have nothing but respect for the executives of NBC. I would never say they are more two-faced than Heidi Montag.

Or that job security at NBC is the second worst in the country, just behind Homeland Security. I won’t even say, “National Broadcast Company? More like No Binding Contract! Oh burn!” (Jay Leno wrote that last one for me.)

As my salute to Conan, I want to encourage a boycott of Leno, which will be made easy with some great new programming.

Next week, the Golf Channel will be premiering a new dating show with Tiger Woods where 18 models compete to be his next mistress. It will be called 18 Holes with Tiger Woods.

I can’t wait for him to hit the back nine.

Unfortunately, at some point Leno is going back on the air. If you are in the audience of Leno’s show, I want to encourage you to heckle. If you need any guns, I know a guy. For you celebrity guests, I think the best move here is the silent treatment. Also, don’t drink the coffee, it’s poisoned. For the bands, take a hint from Conan’s last days and do expensive cover songs. The speakers will all be playing a high-pitched whistle to attract packs of rabid stray dogs. It might be better if you just don’t play at all.

If you think this is harsh, then take this as a lesson. Don’t screw with Team Coco.

Jack Wilkinson is a Trinity senior. His column runs every other Thursday.

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January 28, 2010

Page 3

Novelist fosters creative writing in millennium city

by Kevin Lincoln The chronicle

Even though German is its tongue of choice, the history-rich splendor of a city like Berlin can fuel creativity in any language.

And Maggie Zurawski, a graduate student in English, is Duke’s point person on helping students channel this inspiration into words.

Zurawski is a part of the German Department’s Summer in Berlin program, run in conjunction with Rutgers University. Last year, the English faculty also became involved, providing two Englishlanguage creative writing classes as a part of the Berlin curriculum.

The same two courses—a workshop in fiction led by Zurawski and a workshop in poetry led by Rutgers English professor Susan Miller—will be held again this summer, offering a rare opportunity for foreign language-challenged Duke undergrads to study in a non-English speaking country.

“You can go and do art history and creative writing,” Zurawski said of students with no German background. “And it’s good too because... almost half of the class

[of five students] took German 1.

They came for the creative writing, that was what brought them to Berlin, but then they decided to take German 1. So it did turn people onto this other culture.”

The decision to add fiction and poetry also served to transform the Berlin program from a language-focused experience into one more concerned with arts and culture. Zurawski was chosen as Duke’s representative due to a firm creative writing background, including a novel, The Bruise, published in 2008. There’s also her familiarity with German, a result of studying comparative literature as an undergraduate and living in Berlin from 1995 to 1997, during which she studied as a Fulbright scholar and taught English.

“I just really loved the city,” Zurawski said. “There’s a ton of art. It’s a really livable city and at the same time it’s extremely cosmopolitan. There’s just tons of art exhibits and all kinds of musicians. I saw some of the best American indie bands in Berlin— I saw a great Yo La Tengo show.”

Zurawski’s class feeds heavily

on the metropolis itself. Her goal was to push students out of their comfort zone and make them explore the city, she said. By doing so, it forced her writers to use their surroundings as the raw material with which they could shape their fiction—something that Duke’s campus cannot provide. “[Berlin] filtered into their creative process very quickly. I didn’t think it would in such a short period of time, but it did,” Zurawski said. “Which is actually really great, because when I taught creative writing on campus, I found that people write what they know, or what they see, so I would get a lot of frat boy stories, frat party stories.”

Both Duke students who participated in the fiction workshop—junior Alyssa Fung and senior Victoria Bright—spoke of similar experiences in which the city seeped into their writing.

Fung came out of the summer with a story about an American girl who travels to Germany to investigate family history, drawing on both her established identity and the culture she became immersed in.

maya robinson/The Chronicle

Maggie Zurawski, a graduate student in English and author of The Bruise, published in 2008, works with undergrads in creative writing in the summer in Berlin.

“I came out with my final Bright talked about the exerpiece—the main piece that I had cises Zurawski developed for the been working on for the last cou- group, including a trip to Berlin’s ple of weeks of class—and Maggie famous zoo and one of her favorhelped me with that, polishing ites: a piece about a 30-second it and everything,” Fung said. “It experience, which allowed her to ended up being about 25 pages, a little short story.”

See Zurawski on page 8

Haj named director of Full Frame Festival

special to The Chronicle

Deirdre Haj was recently tapped to head Full Frame. She produced the documentary Brushes With Life (above) in 2008.

The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival announced Deidre Haj as its new executive director.

A documentary producer, Haj fills the role previously held by Peg Palmer.

Palmer stepped down as executive director following the 2009 festival.

“I am thrilled to join the Full Frame team,” Haj said in a pres release. “I’m eager to continue the tradition set forth by the Festival since its inception, protecting and honoring the history of the documentary form while nurturing future growth and evolution.”

Haj produced the 2008 documentary Brushes With Life, directed by Philip Brubaker, about artists living with mental illness. She also worked on the 2001 doc Scene Smoking: Cigarettes, Cinema & the Myth of Cool.

Haj also has ties to the another stalwart of the Triangle arts culture, the Playmakers Repertory Company, in the form of her husband, Producing Artistic Director Joseph Haj. The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will be held April 8 to 11 in downtown Durham.

—from staff reports

M eg

Page 4

n u fa a

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January 28, 2010

“We are so grateful that there are folks in our community who are committed to integrating these absolutely essential foundations into everyday elementary school life.”

— Catherine Edgerton, Midtown Dickens

er m am H

No M or e

T h

e

Fi er s ng

the kids stay in the T picture

by Andrew Hibbard The chronicle

out to some of my favorite bands and all of them accepted,” she said. “I got really lucky.”

Cook roped in some of Durham’s biggest players for Friday’s concert.

In addition to getting her husband Phil Cook’s nationally regarded band Megafaun on the lineup, she added Girls Rock NC product Tea and Tempest.

The bands, in spite of their different sounds, come together as friends and supporters of the Durham scene. Midtown Dickens’ Catherine Edgerton said the cause is especially resonant with the way the band approaches music.

“This project is so important to us because our whole journey as a band has been a learn-as-you-go fiasco of exploration and risk-taking through music, and the things (way beyond banjo chords) we’ve learned as a result are mind-blowing,” Edgerton wrote in an e-mail.

And although the bands are only donating their time, Edgerton said arts education is something everyone should care about.

“Basically, who could argue that arts and music education don’t make for a more critically thinking, confident, daring individual who is equipped to resist homogeneity and work towards a more vibrant and passionate community?” Edgerton said. “I can’t think of one single person, no matter what their path, who regrets taking piano lessons or painting classes as a kid. We are so grateful that there

Di

ck s

ed mostly by those affiliated with the school.

Cook raised enough money so that each teacher could have $100 in additional funding, earmarked for arts-related education.

CPS was also able to shift funds around and find enough money to hire an art teacher.

“For a classroom teacher, your budget is really this careful, cautious thing, and you never want to do anything too extravagant,” she said. “You want to make sure your kids have notebooks and pencils and some of the core things, so it gets scary when you want to spend it on instruments or CDs to listen to in the classroom.... It was nice to give those teachers the liberty to spend some extra money.”

Cook said teachers shone in their creativity with the funds, bringing in technology like GarageBand to the classroom as well as instruments like Native American flutes. If the second outing is a big enough success, she said some of the projects the school may consider include purchasing filmmaking equipment, building a stage or installing a dark room.

Regardless, the success of the first benefit, what she called her “prove-myself” year, helped highlight the importance of art and arts-related education to the administration.

“I think it also put an emphasis on how important it was because of all the teacher support that was given to the process of creating the benefit,” Cook said. “I think the admin team saw how vital [teachers] felt it would be.”

In the year since, Cook has worked as a one-person team in the foundation to put Save our Arts, striving to make year two more successful.

This year’s iteration is bigger and broader in scale and scope, from the bands to the presence of the Triangle Brewing Company to the press and target audience.

“Honestly, I kind of shot for the moon from the beginning of planning this and put it

Midtown

en

hink about an elementary school class without an arts program.

It’s something Heather Cook doesn’t even want to fathom.

A fifth grade teacher at Durham’s Central Park School for Children, Cook has organized the second benefit for arts education at the public charter school.

The event is called Save Our Arts.

After a successful first outing in 2009, Cook is looking to make this year’s event even bigger than the last, drawing on a righteous group of Durham musicians.

Megafaun, Midtown Dickens, Hammer No More The Fingers, the Beast and Tea and Tempest will all take the stage to support CPS and raise funds for arts education.

Cook, in her second year at the school, hatched the idea after arriving and finding that the part-time visual arts teachers’ funding had been cut.

“We are such a heavy arts-focused school—we honor all types of learning and all types of students—so it was surprising to me that we couldn’t come up with money for an art teacher,” Cook said.

After asking around, she was able to organize a small benefit, attend-

are folks in our community who are committed to integrating these absolutely essential foundations into everyday elementary school life.”

The event is especially close to Hammer No More The Fingers, whose band members met and became friends in Durham public schools. HNMTF guitarist Joe Hall and bassist Duncan Webster met in a classical guitar class at the Durham School of the Arts, setting the stage for their future relationship.

“It helped us come together and start making music,” Hall said. “You never know who you’re going to meet and will help you grow as a musician and a person.”

Save Our Arts is Jan. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Trotter Building, 410 West Geer Street. OnlyBurger and the Triangle Brewing Company will be selling food and beverage, respectively, and there is a $10 suggested donation.

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January 28, 2010

Page 5

Pianist Moran returns to Duke for weekend

by Ross Green The chronicle

Jason Moran’s performances this weekend mark the latest collaboration between Duke and one of the most acclaimed pianists and composers in the jazz world.

But it’s hardly the the first.

In 2007, Moran’s interest in North Carolina native Thelonious Monk led him to Duke for a performance as part of Duke Performances’ Following Monk series, dedicated to the jazz legend’s life and art. As part of his visit, Moran also participated in a multimedia arts festival at the Center for Documentary Studies. In their preparation, the CDS discovered tapes from Monk’s 1959 performance at the Town Hall in New York City.

“A critic from The New York Times asked me if I’d heard some of the tapes that were being unearthed by the Center for Documentary Studies,” Moran said.

“After that, I started making trips down to hear them.”

Moran then worked as a visiting artist-in-residence at the university while developing In My Mind, a musical and visual reenactment of Monk’s Town Hall concert. Along with his Big Bandwagon, Moran premiered the work at Duke as part of Following Monk, then took it to the Chicago Symphony Center and the San Francisco Jazz Festival.

“In My Mind really pushes the envelope as far as what jazz can be,” said Director of Duke Performances Aaron Greenwald.

“It’s one of the projects that I am most proud to have been a part of.”

Now, Moran will return to Duke for two different performances.

Thursday, he’ll perform with his wife, vocalist Alicia Moran, and classical guitarist Thomas Flippin as part of Duke Performances’ This House on Fire series. Moran’s concert is the second of six planned for the series; Sun Ra Arkestra and the Mingus Big Band played the first concert Sept. 26.

“This House on Fire is jazz music with the fervor of improvisation behind it,” Greenwald said. “There’s going to be a certain heat and intensity to these performances.”

Next, Moran, along with the Big Bandwagon, will collaborate with Alonzo King’s LINES ballet on their performance, “Refraction.” Moran wrote the score and will accompany the ballet live.

“My wife took me to see LINES five years ago,” Moran said. “This performance is based off some improvisations I sent to Alonzo in May.” Moran, for one, takes pleasure in the immense variety of the work he has done at Duke.

“The older I get, the better the musicians I get to perform with,” he said. “The gigs are getting better, and my palette is becoming wider.”

Jason Moran will perform tonight at 8 p.m. in Nelson Music Room on East Campus. Tickets are $5 for students and $22 for non-students.

special to The Chronicle

Jason Moran (top right) continues the relationship he started in 2007 with Duke Performances this weekend.

Moran will be playing a show with his wife tonight in Nelson Music Room and collaborating with Alonzo King (left) and his LINES ballet Friday and Saturday night. King has been in residence at with the dance program all this week.

King’s LINES ballet bring dance to America for first time

by Sanette Tanaka The chronicle

Choreographer Alonzo King has been described by fellow artists as “absolutely authentic,” a true “composer’s choreographer” and even an “unsung hero” through his modern take on classical ballet. King and featured jazz musician Jason Moran will present two pieces, “Scheherazade” and “Refraction,” for one culturally infused weekend.

A highly acclaimed dancer and choreographer, King is known for establishing the contemporary ballet company Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet in 1982 and for crafting dances for national and international companies such as Ballett Frankfurt, the North Carolina Dance Theatre and the Joffrey Ballet.

“Alonzo has really created his own language of movement that falls in between traditional classifications,” said Assistant Professor of Dance Julie Janus Walters, who worked with King at the Joffrey Ballet. “He dabbles in the exploratory

edges and draws outside the lines.”

Neither King nor Moran are strangers to the University. Duke Performances has worked with both artists in the past, crafting pieces that were met with high success, Director of Duke Performances Aaron Greenwald said. Moran’s latest major commission, In My Mind, premiered at Duke in October 2007.

“We helped make the introduction between [King and Moran],” Greenwald said.

“Jason made the music that Alonzo then choreographed. In many ways, this performance is a continuation of their collaboration with Duke that started five years ago.”

The two pieces are the second installment of a three-part series that focuses on the African roots of dance. King drew on his rich family history of civil rights activists to make colorful renditions of classical ballet.

“His work has a different ethos and impulse than a lot of traditional dance forms,” Greenwald said. “There is a deep intention-

ality in his work. People do not move just to move—they move because they are compelled to move.”

The first piece, “Scheherazade,” is a reimagination of Rimsky-Korsakov’s famous symphonic suite, which was also used in a 1910 ballet by Michel Fokine. Although Fokine’s version is a classic example of exoticizing the Orient, King’s rendition focuses on portraying the character of “Scheherazade” as a sentient being, Greenwald said.

Featuring Moran’s jazz trio, King’s enactment of “Refraction” will be the east coast premiere of the work.

“You can imagine how wonderful it is that two of our most successful presentations are now collaborating,” Vice Provost for the Arts Scott Lindroth said. “We’re proud to be an innovator for that new work.”

In addition to the two performances, King will complete a residency at Duke, including class visits, open rehearsals, interviews and

lunches to ensure that people can see and hear the artist in action.

“It is really important to us that artists don’t just hit town and leave town, but instead have a substantial engagement with the Duke community,” Greenwald said. “There is a significant engagement in this instance— not just with dance programs but also with the humanities at Duke.”

Although Alonzo King is following the standard cookie-cutter visiting experience of residency and performance, his pieces transcend the typical expectations of ballet.

“You have the responsibility of offering something of value, something that is true and well done that awakens memory,” King wrote in an email. “And [it] shatters the stultifying mental pandemic that we are weak whining mortals, and reminds us that we are gods.”

The LINES Ballet will perform Jan. 29 and 30 in Reynolds Industries Theater.

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Page 6

romance is boring los campesinos! arts & crafts

eeeEE

On their MySpace, Welsh pop-rockers Los Campesinos! list American stalwarts Wilco, Yo La Tengo and Pavement as primary influences. But rather than troubadors like Jeff Tweedy or Ira Kaplan, their new release Romance Is Boring more evokes their upbeat contemporaries. And it works. Mostly.

Romance cements Los Campesinos! as unabashed acolytes of the modern, upbeat brand of indie rock. They mirror the bouncy synths and ringing glockenspiels of the Shout Out Louds and echo the Arctic Monkeys’ brash energy and super-Britsh accents. Hell, they even have a Sufjan-esque song title: “A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State; Or, Letters from Me to Charlotte.” Who knows—maybe they’ll finish Stevens’ “50 States” project for him.

The Cardiff, Wales group—whose

name translates from Spanish as “The Peasants!”—is comprised of seven members, four male and three female, all of whom adopt Campesinos! as a last name.

Cheeky. The best songs on Romance take advantage of the co-ed nature. The title track, a blistering denunciation of affectionate relationships, is an argument between the two vocalists. The song transitions into an acidic chorus: “You’re pouting in your sleep/I’m waking, still yawning/We’re proving to each other that romance is boring!” So much sexual angst from a band that pretends to be a family!

At times, Romance indulges too much in zaniness: “Plan A” is an incoherent mess, and the two songs running under a minute, “200/102” and “Heart Swells/100-1” are unnecessary and overly punctuated.

Los Campesinos! may never measure up to the bands they mirror, but Romance Is Boring suggests they have mastered the art of imitation. And that’s all right.

—Jake Stanley

January 28, 2010

teen dream beach house sub pop

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Teen Dream, Beach House’s third LP, continues their dreamy, opiate-haze pop sound while expanding their sonic palette and improving in terms of overall quality and consistency.

The Baltimore duo of Victoria Legrand (vocals and organs) and Alex Scally (guitars, drums and keyboards) does not fundamentally change their band’s sound— not on paper, at least. Legrand’s throaty and expressive voice serves as a counterpoint to Scally’s slide guitar and minimalist drumbeats, all overlaid with droning, ambient organs and synthesizers. The best of their earlier songs anticipate and generally put to shame the highlights of

the so-called “chill-wave” sub-genre. Their first two records, 2006 self-titled debut and 2008’s Devotion, were uneven, with the lesser songs blending together.

Teen Dream, however, manages to avoid these pitfalls. They liven up their rhythms, especially on lead single “Norway” and album highlights “10 Mile Stereo” and “Take Care.” Elsewhere, the duo diverges from their previous formula, replacing Scally’s slide work with an old upright piano on “Used to Be.” At the same time, lush vocal harmonies and vintage synthesizers throughout make for a fuller sound without overwhelming the listener.

Teen Dream is the document of a band maturing and experimenting without abandoning the core of their sound. If you like Grizzly Bear, you’ll like Beach House, but I like them more.

—Asher Brown-Pinsky

jason moran

feat. alicia hall moran & thomas flippin

Thursday, January 28 • 8 pm | Nelson Music Room

alonzo king lines ballet

feat. jason moran & the bandwagon

Friday & Saturday, January 29 & 30 • 8 pm | Reynolds

orpheus chamber orchestra

with angela hewitt & christopher taylor, piano

Saturday, January 30 • 8 pm | Page

peter serkin, piano Friday, February 5 • 8 pm | Reynolds orion string quartet with peter serkin, piano

Saturday, February 6 • 8 pm | Reynolds

miguel zenon esta plena septet Thursday, February 11 • 8 pm | Reynolds rudresh mahanthappa’s indo-pak coalition Friday, February 12 • 8 pm | Nelson Music Room ravi coltrane quartet Saturday, February 13 • 8 pm | Reynolds

get tickets

ALONZO KING LINES BALLEt · 1/29 & 1/30

919-684-4444 dukeperformances.org

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January 28, 2010

realism

Page 7

most prolific and accomplished singer-songwriters. He delivers lines as offhandedly brilliant as, “You can’t go ‘round just saying stuff because it’s pretty/And I no longer drink enough to think you’re witty,” and as scathing as, “I want you crawling back to me down on your knees, yeah/Like an appendectomy sans anesthesia”—both within the album’s first two minutes.

Realism is intended as a companion to 2008’s Distortion, offering a classical folk foil to the former’s noise-drenched pop.

Like its predecessor, Realism adds more worthy songs to the canon of Magnetic Fields classics. “Always Already Gone” is Gonson’s gorgeous lament of predictably fleeting love; “The Dada Polka” is a mournful poem about ephemeral life that,

the magnetic fields nonesuch

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Sam Davol, a Harvard graduate, plays the cello that opens Realism, leading into the vocals of fellow alum Claudia Gonson and John Cage acolyte Stephin Merritt. This kind of pedigree doesn’t obstruct the opening track’s immediate pop embrace; by the third, the whimsical and sardonic “We Are Having a Hootenanny Now,” it’s almost hard to believe.

The Magnetic Fields is an enormously talented band blessed with the genius of Merritt, one of the decade’s

fortunately, sounds nothing like its title suggests; “The Dolls’ Tea Party” exploits the Fields’ typical camp tendencies.

Realism is no radical departure—after exhausting all the stylistic tropes and conventions of pop over the course of their 1999 triple-disc magnum opus, 69 Love Songs, that hardly seems possible. That album is still the best entry into the work of one of music’s preeminent songwriters, and that it has inevitably informed every album the band has made since is a testament to its impossible diversity.

But Realism is smart, charming and almost arrogant in its effortless display of musical acumen—which is to say, everything one could desire in a new Magnetic Fields release.

—Brian Contratto

the messenger

dir. o. moverman oscilloscope laboratories

eeeEE

For these two soldiers, “there is no such thing as a happy customer.”

Self-described “angels of death” U.S. Army Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) and Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) inform families of the deaths of relatives who were serving in Iraq. Delivering devastation each day would be bearable if either had a stable home life, but neither boasts such a comfort. Fortysomething Tony is a three-time divorcee and recovering alcoholic; 20-something Will clings with casual desperation to former girlfriend (Jena Malone).

His sexual frustration only deepens when he becomes attached to a widowed mother (Samantha Morton) after breaking the news of her husband’s death.

The contradictory nature of Will and Tony’s existence—soldiers in suburbia—leave the two caught in limbo. Death news ar-

rives via beeper tone, heralding a psychological weight that is expressed (maybe too heavy-handedly) through crescendoing sound effects. Similarly, the camerawork dips into a style one would expect—handheld equals gritty and real—but, especially with the first family the death duo visits, nonetheless remains effective.

Foster, now well-honed from previous roles as a psychopath, does enough with his role to satisfy, but not enthrall. Harrelson shows surprising range, breaking clear from his usual smug shtick to reveal the dangers of unrealized bloodlust. The real star of the film, though, is Samantha Morton, whose eyes can convey limitless emotion. One scene in particular between Morton and Foster is both erotically teasing and heartbreaking, providing the film’s most powerful moment.

Despite these strengths, The Messenger feels stranded and hollow at times. Though narratively on cue, its underdeveloped core leaves further insight to be desired.

—Charlie McSpadden

green in 3

Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment presents

green in 3

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Pick 3 words that best describe how you would make the environment better

find out more at

2

Be creative: Write them in sand, spell them out with cereal .… Film them with your digital camera, cell phone or Webcam

3 Win $500!*

greenin3.org

*There will be 15 first-place winners chosen in 3 contest periods between Jan. 19 and April 9, 2010. Winners receive $500 each.

Page 8

legion

dir. s. stewart sony pictures

eEEEE

Scott Stewart’s Legion can be summed up in one hyphenated word: God-awful.

In the vague near future, God has become angry with his creations (again). Instead of a world-ending flood, though, he decides to unleash his army of angels to destroy mankind. The archangel Michael (Paul Bettany) disagrees with the Almighty, and sets off to save a pregnant waitress (Adrianne Palicki) whose child, for a reason the film never bothers to explain, is mankind’s only hope.

Along for the ride are a ragtag

group of stereotypes. There is the nononsense owner of the diner (Dennis Quaid), the rich couple (Kate Walsh and Jon Tenney) with the rebellious teenage daughter (Willa Holland), the tough black man with the heart of gold (Tyrese Gibson) and the redneck mechanic (Lucas Black). Predictably, they die off one by one as the film builds to the inevitable climactic showdown between Michael and the “evil” archangel Gabriel (Kevin Durand).

The film embarrassingly goes through the motions. Each character is given a token backstory and unexplored motivations, while the plot is nothing more than an excuse to go from one cherubic gunfight to the next. Even though it’s a “worldwide

zurawski from page 3 synthesize some personal observations with stories others had told her.

“It was fiction, but [Maggie] was OK with you bringing parts of your life into the story,” Bright said.

Aside from the city, the chance to study with Rutgers students in such an intimate setting—out of the fiction workshop’s five students, three were from the New Jersey university—had its own novelty.

“It was interesting to be exposed to different ways of thinking,” Bright said. “I think Duke attracts a certain

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apocalypse,” there is no mention of what’s happening elsewhere. For all we know, this wannabe Waffle House in New Mexico is the sole target of Our Heavenly Father’s wrath.

To further damage the film’s credibility, other than Michael and Gabriel, the movie has no angels at all. Instead, it opts for the strange love children of zombies and Exorcist rejects. The writers could have just as easily done away with the entire apocalypse motif and ended up with a decent, if shallow, Dawn of the Dead knockoff.

One can only hope that if the apocalypse does come, any traces of this movie will be the first thing to go.

—Jose Lamazares

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extraordinary measures

dir. t. vaughn cbs films

eeEEE

It’s not often that a made-for-TV movie ascends to the big screen. In light of such a feat, this CBS original seems appropriately titled. In Extraordinary Measures, director Tom Vaughan (What Happens in Vegas) trades in crappy rom-coms to tell the true-life tale of a father who will stop at nothing to find a cure for his chronically ill children.

Based on a nonfiction book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Geeta Anand and boasting an all-star cast, the film has the ingredients of a dynamic drama. But something about this miracle story flatlines.

Once a working-class kid from Jersey, John Crowley (a bland Brendan Fraser) has gone from Harvard to the biopharmaceutical business, winning the heart of a beautiful bride (Keri Russell) along the way. Crowley is living the American dream­—with two exceptions. His children Megan and Patrick both suffer from Pompe disease, a genetic disorder that claims its victims at a young age. After a near-death scare with Megan, Crowley puts work on hold and enlists the aid of Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford, Han Solo in a lab coat), who holds the key to a potential Pompe cure. Swayed by Crowley’s noble quest and several sad faces—me Tarzan, you save my kids—Stonehill agrees to tackle the Goliath of mainstream medicine.

The clashing ideals of passion-driven Crowley and those of FDA-regulated robots make for an interesting plot, and Ford enchants with the ego he established on the Death Star. But beyond these bonuses, Extraordinary Measures remains a meat-and-potatoes Lifetime saga that fails to give so much as a nod to the university where the real cure was first developed (hint: you are here). Twists and turns are dully delivered and altogether the film is nothing extraordinary, especially when you can hear keening Na’vi from the theater next door.

—Emily Ackerman

type of student, and it was nice to be around others who were a little different than myself.”

Zurawski agreed that having the Rutgers students around broadened the class’ horizons, and she cited their previous experience in creative writing workshops as having positively informed the course. All three were interested in pursuing MFA programs in creative writing as postgraduates, providing a very different approach than that of Fung and Bright, who were both taking fiction for the first time.

These disparate elements—a foreign city, two different schools and a liberating academic freedom—led to a glowing evaluation from Zurawski.

“Susan and I shared an apartment in the same apartment complex as the students,” she said. “So there was this way that it almost felt like summer camp, where by the end I felt really close to my students. It was by far the best teaching experience I ever had.”

JANUARY 2010: 29 FR: COSMIC CHARLIE (Grateful Dead covers) **($10/$12) 30 SA: Urban Sophisticates, The Beast, Inflowential, Kaze**($6/$8) FEBRUARY: 2 AND 3 TU/WE: CITIZEN COPE [sold out] 5 FRI: TOUBAB KREWE**($14/$16) 6 SA: BOB MARLEY REGGAE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION! 9 TU: JONATHAN RICHMAN**($10/$12) 12 FRI: JOHN BROWN’S BODY w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad** ($15) 13 SA: NC COMEDY ARTS FEST.: EDDIE BRILL, Mike MacRae 14 SU: THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE 15 MO: TORTOISE w/ Disappears**($15) 20 SA: NC COMEDY ARTS FEST: MC FRONTALOT 23 TU: CAGE THE ELEPHANT w/ As Tall As Lions**($14/$16) 24 WE: THE CLIENTELE and VETIVER** 25 TH: STATE RADIO w/ Big D & Kids Table, Cobalt & the Hired Guns** ($15) 26 FR: SAM BUSH BAND**($20/$23) 27 SA: “Rhythm Heals” concert w/ N.E.D.**($20/$25) 28 SU: North Mississippi All-Stars**($16/18)

January 28, 2010

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Sports

>> WOMEN’S TENNIS

The Chronicle

ONLINE

THURSDAY January 28, 2010

The Blue Devils remained the No. 1 team in the country after two wins last week Check out a photo slideshow from Duke’s win last night against Florida State

www.dukechroniclesports.com

men’s basketball

Seminoles sent packing in Cameron 70 DUKE FSU 56

Emily Eshman/The Chronicle

Kyle Singler and the Duke defense caused 22 turnovers against a sloppy Florida State side Wednesday night.

Scheyer, Singler come through for Duke

by Jeff Scholl The chronicle

As strong as Duke looked in its first true road win of the season against Clemson Saturday, the Blue Devils seemed even more comfortable back on the hardwood of Coach K Court against Florida State, beating back multiple Seminole surges and never allowing them to establish an offensive rhythm.

No. 8 Duke (17-3, 5-2 in the ACC) withstood a 12-0 run by Florida State midway through the second half and eventually pulled away to defeat the Seminoles 70-56 Wednesday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“I thought we showed great resolve tonight,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

“Florida State’s really good.... They’re huge and wide and they can move their feet, so the court is small in the halfcourt.”

The Seminoles (15-5, 3-3) were quick to take advantage of their big bodies in the early stages of the game. Sophomore Solomon Alabi, standing 7-foot-1, opened the scoring with a two-handed slam and posted six of Florida State’s first nine points of the game, with the other two baskets coming on short jumpers in the paint.

But Florida State never led again after notching the first basket of the contest, and even though the Seminoles shot 52 percent from the field in the first half, turnovers prevented them from keeping pace with Duke.

After a layup by Xavier Gibson cut the Blue Devils’ lead to 28-26, Duke responded by outscoring Florida State 11-3

to end the half. Four consecutive Seminole giveaways facilitated the run, and the Blue Devils capitalized on these mistakes as both Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler knocked down 3-pointers during the spurt.

Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton said his team was fortunate to be down by only 10 points at halftime after turning the ball over 14 times in the opening period. He added that impatience on the offensive end derailed the Seminoles’ game plan of using ball reversals to find openings in the lane. “[We were] being extremely anxious.

We had three post-up fouls, two or three walking violations and a moving violation,” Hamilton said. “We dribbled the ball to the baseline and picked our dribble up with nowhere to go. You’re not going to go on the road and beat a wellcoached, well-disciplined team like Duke unless you play the game that gives you the best chance to win.”

Singler came out red-hot at the beginning of the second half and scored nine of Duke’s first 12 points. He knocked down one 3-pointer, two jumpers and 2-of-3 free throws after he drew contact behind the arc and prompted an eye roll from Luke Loucks, the Seminole offender.

The junior’s outburst extended the Blue Devils’ lead to 51-35, but Florida State refused to roll over and let Duke pull away for good with 13:55 still remaining in the game.

Freshman Michael Snaer, a five-star recruit, came off the bench and gave the Seminoles instant offense. The rookie completed a 3-point play the old-fashioned way and then went on to score six more See m. bball on page 8

caroline rodriguez/The Chronicle

Duke’s effective use of both man-to-man and zone defenses limited Florida State’s production in the paint.

FSU big men no match for Blue Devil zone

by Kevin Fishner The chronicle

Confronted by one of the biggest and toughest front lines in the nation, the Blue Devils had to adapt to counter the Seminoles’ aggressive post play.

Game And Wednesday night Analysis in Cameron Indoor Stadium, No. 8 Duke’s defensive prowess led the team to its fifth win in the ACC. The 70-56 Duke win was hardly easy, and the Blue Devils had to grind out the victory by switching between man and zone defenses to halt multiple Florida State rallies.

“This was the type of game where you’re playing at home and there’s almost more pressure on you,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We were a little bit hesitant, but after that our guys played with great character.”

After riding an 11-3 run into halftime, the Blue Devils were confident in both

their offensive firepower and defensive sets. However, six minutes into the second half, Duke found itself struggling to keep a surging Florida State team at bay.

Led by the quick freshman guard Michael Snaer, the Seminoles went on a 12-0 streak to bring the game to within four just nine minutes into the second half.

At that point, Krzyzewski knew he had to make a defensive alteration to change the flow of the game.

“We went orange [a zone defense inspired by Syracuse’s 2-3 zone] for about five exchanges and got four stops in a row,” Krzyzewski said. “When went to it at that moment, it worked—and we closed out the game.”

This move was the turning point in the game, as the Blue Devils transformed a dwindling four-point lead into a comfortable eight-point advantage in only two minutes.

Duke’s success with the zone defense See analysis on page 8

8 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 the chronicle

analysis from page 7 stemmed from the makeup of the Seminole team. With a heavy reliance on post play, Florida State needed big performances from Chris Singleton, Xavier Gibson and Solomon Alabi to have a chance

caroline rodriguez/The Chronicle

Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek fight for a loose ball with Florida State’s Ryan Reid Wednesday night.

at defeating Duke. But by switching to the zone, the Blue Devils were able to cut off entry passes into the paint and effectively silence the Seminole big men in the second half. As evidence of the improved defensive effort, Alabi— Florida State’s leading scorer—totaled nine points in the first half, but only five in the second. “[Florida State] has a lot of big guys and they know how to play,” center Brian Zoubek said. “They’re really aggressive­, especially on the boards. Alabi has a great touch and he played well, but I think we were able to a good job on him and their frontcourt.”

Once the Seminoles adjusted to attacking the zone, Duke switched back to man.

The return to man-to-man defense slowed the Seminoles’ successful transition offense and reduced the number of easy baskets.

“We ran the zone really well tonight,” Zoubek said. “We got some key stops and we were able to switch it up a bit to get them off their game. It’s what we do all the time, and it worked well against Florida State.”

This combination of defensive styles forced numerous Florida State mistakes, which the Blue Devils ultimately capitalized on to the tune of 22 points.

Florida State head coach captured it simply after the game: “Duke’s defense was good, no question,” he said.

The Blue Devils won the turnover battle as they have all season, and it continued to make a distinct difference in the outcome of the game. Florida State managed to shoot 43 percent from the field, matching the Blue Devils, but it was the plus-10 turnover differential that allowed the Blue Devils to cruise to a 14-point victory.

“It wasn’t really a pretty game,” Kyle Singler said. “We had to grind it out and make big plays at the end of the game.”

With the size and depth of the Duke frontcourt, the Blue Devils will look to wear down opponents and secure wins for the remainder of the season.

state of the union from page 1 But even as he returned to his campaign theme of hope, Obama summoned the frustration with government that drove his candidacy in the first place. Disparaging “the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades” after his first year in office, he demanded new cooperation from Congress—on health-care reform, the budget and deficit reduction.

“Let’s try common sense,” the president said, according to a prepared text. “Let’s invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt. Let’s meet our responsibility to the people who sent us here.”

In the speech, Obama sought to offer a fresh start to a presidency that began with enormous momentum a year ago but has foundered in the face of a difficult economy that has yet to produce jobs. He reached out to both the Congress, which has frustrated his agenda, and the American public, which has grown weary of the partisan battles he has waged in Washington.

Obama continued: “We have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust—deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years.” He called for “action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue,” in the form of curbed lobbyist influence and greater transparency, two hallmarks of his 2008 campaign that aides think have been overshadowed in the year and a half since.

The prime-time address, before hundreds of lawmakers at the Capitol and millions of television viewers nationwide, came at a pivotal moment. With his health-care proposal stalled, his filibuster-proof majority in the Senate gone, his approval ratings sagging, and 62 percent of Americans saying they think the country is on the wrong track, Obama sought to reshape his presidency around issues, especially job creation, that are of greatest concern to Americans and could yield swift results. A full two-thirds of the speech was devoted to the economy.

But Obama did not back away from the contentious subject of health care, explaining why he embarked on insurance reform and remained committed to enacting it— even as Democrats continued to debate the way forward in Congress, their strategy upended by the loss of a Senate

caroline rodriguez/The Chronicle

Duke guard Jon Scheyer led all scorers with 22 points as the Blue Devils extended their perfect home record.

m. bball from page 7 points over the next four-and-a-half minutes. When the dust cleared, Snaer had accounted for nine points during a 12-0 Florida State run that cut Duke’s advantage to four points with 8:56 left in the game.

Sensing that the Seminoles were preparing to pull away, Krzyzewski got out of his seat and implored the Cameron Crazies to pick up their intensity, yelling, “Let’s go students!” from across the court.

And the fans weren’t the only ones to respond—the Blue Devils outscored Florida State 19-9 the rest of the way.

Singler picked up his fourth foul after Florida State’s run, but with the game in the balance, Krzyzewski took the risk of leaving the preseason All-American in the game.

“I had confidence in him not fouling and I also felt that the game was going to be won from the eight-minute mark to the four-minute mark,” Krzyzewski said.

The decision to keep Singler on the court paid dividends. Scheyer, who scored a game-high 22 points, slashed through the

seat in Massachusetts last week.

“By the time I’m finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance. Millions will lose it this year,” Obama said. “Our deficit will grow. Premiums will go up. Co-pays will go up. Patients will be denied the care they need. Small-business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether. I will not walk away from these Americans.

And neither should the people in this chamber.”

Two options for health-care reform remain: passing the Senate legislation in the House, and with it a companion measure with adjustments; or starting over with a more modest bill that has broader support. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., are still surveying their members about whether either of those options would work. If at least 218 Democrats in the House approve the Senate bill, healthcare legislation could pass quickly. But that would require a special Senate budget reconciliation bill, which could pass with just 51 votes but would be politically perilous if Democrats appeared to be ramming it through.

Obama mapped out specific business initiatives, all linked by their connection to job-creation and the economy overall. Among his proposals: extending bonus depreciation, which allows companies to recover the costs of capital expenditures at an accelerated pace, amounting to what White House aides said was a 10 percent corporate tax reduction over the next two years.

One week after the Supreme Court loosened the restrictions on corporate contributions to political campaigns, Obama challenged Congress to supersede the decision. “I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, and worse, by foreign entities,” he said. “They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.”

Sitting in a box with the first lady were nearly two dozen guests invited to illustrate pieces of the president’s agenda, recent events and examples of inspiration. Missing from the audience were Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, the requisite member of his Cabinet absent in the event of a national emergency, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was attending meetings abroad.

lane from the right corner and found Singler open behind the arc on the left wing.

The forward nailed the clutch 3-pointer, giving Duke an 11-point lead with 5:45 remaining that effectively squashed any hope of a Seminole comeback.

The Blue Devils were able to shut the door for good in part because they shut down Alabi, frustrating him with more physical defensive play under the basket.

The big man was only 2-of-8 from the field in the second half after making all four of his field goal attempts in the first.

With Florida State’s most consistent offensive threat neutralized, the Seminoles were no match for Duke’s experience in the closing stages of the game. Scheyer navigated the last-ditch halfcourt press with poise, and Florida State was reduced to taking desperation 3-pointers with the game already out of hand.

“They’re playing well together with a level of maturity that we have not grown to yet,” Hamilton said of the Blue Devils.

“They deserved to win the game. We got beat by a team that did all the little things a lot better than we did tonight.”

For several days leading up to the speech, senior Obama officials took to the airwaves to express some regrets about the past year and pledge a new course for the year ahead.

They had erred, they said, in keeping the president too far removed from regular people and in letting the messy process of lawmaking—especially regarding health care—dominate.

Republicans went into the State of the Union address—a constitutionally required update to Congress that the president usually delivers each January—saying they planned to be more respectful of Obama than they were last year, when Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouted “you lie” at the president during a speech. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, told his caucus members during a meeting on Wednesday morning that the president “should be treated with respect,” Republican aides said.

Virginia’s newly elected Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, was scheduled to deliver the GOP response immediately after the speech. Republican congressional leaders tapped him for the rebuttal after praising him as the kind of politician who could appeal to Democrats and independents by talking about jobs, the economy and other kitchen-table issues.

Obama, meanwhile, aimed his message at the audience at home rather than the elected officials in the House chamber, White House advisers said. Obama will take his message on the road with trips to Florida and New Hampshire in the week ahead. He will fly to Tampa on Thursday to announce $8 billion in awards for high-speed rail construction in multiple states, described as a “down payment” that will go to local governments for distribution.

Even in emphasizing job creation, which requires new spending, Obama is calling for a three-year freeze in the fraction of the budget that is aimed at non-entitlement domestic programs. The seemingly incongruous initiatives reflect the conflicting pressures he faces: Americans are concerned about long-term debt, even as they want the government to do more to fix the economy.

The proposed spending freeze is aimed at controlling the deficit while protecting key programs, notably education.

Obama is calling for a 6.2 percent increase in education spending over last year, making education one of the few areas to grow in an otherwise modest budget. Administration officials said the proposal amounts to the largest single-year request for federal funding for elementary and secondary schools.

the chronicle

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 | 9

Diversions Shoe Chris Cassatt and Gary Brookins

Dilbert Scott Adams

Doonesbury Garry Trudeau

The Chronicle the state of our union: we’re thinking about seceding: �����������������������������������������hon, clee somehow empty: �������������������������������emme, unnoticeable absence cluttered and a little overworked on all fronts: ����������������christina opinionated and self-important: ��������������������������������������������austin better without so much garnet and gold: ����������gabe, nick, felicia still: ���������������������������������������������������������������������larsa, dianna, maya lacking nuji: ���������������������������������������������klein, christina x2, jchang bitterly divided: ������������������������������������������������������������������������lrupp Barb Starbuck is declaring a state of emergency: ������������������� Barb

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Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. (No number is repeated in any column, row or box.)

Answer to puzzle www.sudoku.com

The Independent Daily at Duke University

The Chronicle

10 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 the chronicle commentaries

Honoring students the right way Harvard, Yale and Princ- with great honor” and “with eton are among the nation’s highest honor.” most selective universities, Duke’s current system but when it comes to doling for granting Latin honors out Latin honors, Duke has to undergraduates has been them all beat. in place since The Univeran overhaul editorial sity’s simple yet in 1996 by the stringent guidelines for Latin Arts & Sciences Council. Previhonors preserve their integ- ously, static GPA requirements rity, adequately award excel- determined a student’s level lence across all disciplines of honors, with a 3.4 GPA as and, importantly, allow for a the cutoff for cum laude. separate emphasis on indeNow, Latin honors are pendent scholarship. only awarded to a percentPrimarily used by colleges age of the class: the top 5 and universities in the Unit- percent receive summa cum ed States to award exemplary laude, the next 10 percent achievement throughout a receive magna cum laude student’s undergraduate ca- and the next 10 percent after reer, the Latin honors system that receive cum laude. The consists of three tiers: cum percentage cutoffs are deterlaude, magna cum laude mined using the GPAs of the and summa cum laude cor- previous year’s graduating responding to “with honor,” class, with separate calcula-

“

—“AnnoyedPhD” commenting on the column “Eruditio et Religio?”

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Latin honors should be awarded to students who excel across disciplines in all of their academic pursuits, while departmental distinction— granted by individual departments to those who complete an independent research project or senior thesis—should be awarded to students who have excelled in a particular field and have engaged in the creation of knowledge. These are complementary achievements, but the inherent difference requires separate consideration.

Unlike other schools such as Harvard and Princeton, the University recognizes these nuances, and it awards departmental recognition—distinction—independently from University-wide recognition— Latin honors. This is a well-

reasoned policy that allows individual departments to set specific standards for distinction while still rewarding allaround academic success.

All this talk of Latin honors, though, underscores a larger point: this topic is not of particular concern for the general undergraduate student body, mostly because the University has instead chosen to place a concerted emphasis on encouraging students to complete independent research, theses and interdisciplinary projects that will allow them to graduate with distinction.

The University should be applauded for this approach.

In the long run, it’s better for students to focus their energy on scholarship and research, rather than a competitive GPA race to the top of their class.

Look me up on Facebook

onlinecomment

The article was not an attack on Christianity, but rather an attack on the taboo on discussing religion.

tions for the Pratt School of Engineering and Trinity College of Arts & Sciences.

Duke is relatively conservative in distributing Latin honors, but this is a good thing.

Approximately 25 percent of Duke students graduate with some level of honors; that number is 30 percent at Yale, 41.5 percent at Princeton and nearly 50 percent at Harvard.

By keeping the number of honors recipients low, the University maintains the exclusivity of this award. And by using a system based on percentages instead of unchanging GPA cutoffs, it prevents grade inflation from diluting the significance of Latin honors.

Not only is the University’s honors system practical, it is also philosophically sound.

I

honestly can’t remember the last time I met someone on campus without having been exposed to his or her existence prior to our introduction.

Either I’ve heard of the name, or seen the face or at the very least associate him or her with a story, group or event. The sad reality is that me and all of my friends and their friends all run in the same circles, so really, anyone that they introduce to me, chances are that I’ve already experienced them in some capacity. And, for everymetty fishea one else, there is i’m just saying Facebook and procrastination that, when combined, give me the power to at the very least associate a name with a face and, at the very most, know that person’s hometown, sexual orientation and where he or she went last weekend.

At first I thought that this was my OCD taking form in my Internet activity. But now I realize that a) either you do it, too, or b) it makes it less weird if I admit it and talk about it. Hence the column.

But really, I do think that this is taking a toll on my livelihood. It’s like I’ve turned into this closet eCreep that has to pretend all the time. What’s wrong with being upfront about how I know someone, before actually knowing them? “Hey, what’s up my name is Metty, nice to meet you…. Oh right, you were the girl who had sex on the pool table in the common room ahahah wait I thought that was HILARIOUS.” Is that awkward?

OK fine, maybe a little awkward, but only because… well, she had sex in the common room.

But this is not the problem. I have an issue with the fact that it’s not socially acceptable to refer to Internet acquaintances, even if the story has nothing to do with someone’s sex life or is actually a good thing (i.e. I found out you got Teach For America by way of my News Feed—congrats!)

Anyway, the point is that my skills have given me great and most times entertaining insight. However, I’ve realized that my resourceful Facebook stalking and word-of-mouth rumor-hearing has failed me in one regard: freshmen.

Pro: Every guy in the Class of 2013 is in theory an undiscovered treasure, which is exciting. Con: Rush.

Sorry I wasn’t buying freshman girls shots at the bar, nor was I pulling late-night power moves on East. But I wasn’t doing this last year either (well, not the first one at least), yet Rush 2k9 was a hell of a lot easier.

Why? JuicyCampus. Again! eCreep Internet stalking—but this time for a highly functional purpose. During the first few rounds, we deemed illegit any references made to the Juice (as it came to be known by a few of my Delta-something friends). But by the end of rush it was way too obvious which stories would be cited as reasons for or against taking a girl into our sorority. For the sake of Panhel’s sanity, I’ll admit that it was neither acceptable nor encouraged to incorporate JuicyCampus in the recruitment process, but the reality is it was a resource. A really helpful resource, which I kind of miss now.

Yeah, I said it: I miss JuicyCampus. But you would too, if you were up until all hours of the night bickering with girls in your sorority because of conflicting opinions toward a freshman girl, who may or may not make the cut because she slept with someone’s boyfriend or could have been on the “TOP 10 HOTTEST GIRLS OF 2013” thread.

On that note, freshman girls: Do me and your social life a favor and put your privacy settings to a minimum. In the event that we need a second opinion you’d probably prefer that we refer to your carefully selected profile pictures of you being SO COLLEGE at Tailgate rather than tapping into the grapevine of rumors (YOU were the Catholic school girl who left her garter at the house?

Plus what Catholic schoolgirls do you know that wear garters?).

Look, all I’m saying is that I appreciate getting the friend request from someone with whom I have zero mutual friends but isn’t the creepy janitor who works in my dorm with the Raleigh/ Durham network. Either that or I’m going to start randomly talking to people on campus.

Or, and this is the one I’m leaning toward because I also love awkward conversations, I’m going to start openly referring to what I know about you and how I know it when we are being introduced to each other. Sorry, but I’m really not sorry; if nothing else I’ll know I was being honest.

Metty Fisseha is a Trinity junior. Her column runs every other Thursday.

www.chronicleblogs.com

the chronicle

commentaries

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 | 11

How not to remember MLK

W

hat do Martin Luther King, Jr. and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez have in common?

I’m not sure either. But enough, apparently, that Dolores Huerta, Duke’s keynote speaker for the Jan. 17 MLK celebrations and an honorary chair in the Democratic Socialists of America, thought it fit to adoringly compare their commitment to economic justice.

The aside, in which Huerta—also cofounder of United Farm Workers and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations and—seemed to question the fact that vikram “some people” consider Chavez a dictasrinivasan tor, was emblematic of what was on the whole a shrill and ideological talk. This uncommon is the same Chavez, mind you, who just conviction this week shut down a cable TV station over its criticism of his presidency. If this if the future of MLK commemorations at Duke, we should be concerned indeed.

Yes, Huerta’s partisan tone was gratuitous and offensive. But it was also a lost opportunity to remind the Duke community of the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the tremendous accomplishments of MLK. Some of Huerta’s remarks seemed to run in the face of MLK’s message of racial unity, of his want to be “the white man’s brother, not his brother-in-law.” That University organizers chose to spotlight Huerta, then, with her belligerent talk, should set off alarms for anyone fearful that a holiday meant to commemorate unity and racial progress is being politicized.

Painfully, Huerta was not being ironic when she lambasted those who “try to divide us.” Even as she preached our common humanity, her own words were too often littered with divisive and sometimes hateful rhetoric. A first principle of any undergraduate education should be to resist the temptation to demonize those we disagree with. Yet segments of Huerta’s talk often sounded like a run-on string of ad hominem attacks.

Among some other gems from her lecture, Huerta resorted to the hyperbolic in describing the enforcement of immigration laws in Arizona as a “campaign of terror against illegal immigrants,” where “anyone who is beige or brown is stopped and asked for documents.” Huerta spoke of the need to aggressively “redistribute the wealth in our country” and the minimum wage, she added, “should be over $30 an hour.” And take note: Conservative talk show hosts, like “Glenn Beck, [Rush] Limbaugh, [Bill] O’Reilly and [Sean] Hannity are evil.”

At least Huerta’s message was clear and simple: Forget what you ever learned about how good people can disagree on matters of substance— if you’re not a socialist who believes in economically reorganizing American society, then there is something downright hateful about you.

The kicker? In calling for a broad alliance of citizens to rise up against economic injustice, Huerta thought it appropriate to direct her appeal to “white men of conscience”—as opposed to white men in general— suggesting, somehow, that white males are uniquely racist and oppressive. These kinds of categorical racial snap judgments are precisely what MLK fought against when he sought to change not only our laws but our culture. Clearly, Huerta did not get the memo.

But perhaps she was not supposed to. It seems that with this year’s keynote talk, the MLK commemoration planners have turned the occasion into an opportunity to vent the political frustrations of the campus’ radical left. Far be it from me to suggest that Duke has no place to hear out someone like Huerta and her views. But there is a time and place for everything. The annual MLK keynote is not it.

MLK’s legacy is neither black nor white, neither liberal nor conservative. It belongs to us—all of us—as Americans. Instead of using the annual MLK keynote talk as an opportunity to unite the Duke community in reflecting on racial progress and civil rights, the University turned this year’s event into a patronizing leftist diatribe. This narrow-minded approach, so willfully and transparently ideological—denigrates the message of inclusion and hope that was at the core of MLK’s beliefs.

Luckily, past MLK speakers have not been so thoughtless—the keynote last year, CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien, for example, was insightful and measured. So perhaps this is an isolated incident and will be looked back on a year from now as a sad chapter in a long string of otherwise positive and unifying MLK keynotes.

This year’s talk, though well attended, visibly lacked a sizeable student contingent. I suspect that this was not a coincidence. MLK day is a valuable occasion to reflect on the fact that the triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement took place barely more than 50 years ago. Organizers should keep in mind that it is this aspect of MLK’s legacy that is most powerful to a student body that has reaped the fruit of the nation’s racial progress. If next year’s keynote speaker can manage to remember that, you can bet Duke students will, too.

Vikram Srinivasan is a Trinity senior. His column runs every other Thursday.

Mariah Hukins special for The Chronicle

Dangerous predictions

T

he glaciers that cloak the proud and mighty Himalayas are melting away. Those snowcapped peaks that rise towards the sky like razor teeth are losing a bit of their grandeur.

Anthropogenic global warming will claim all of the Himalayan glaciers by 2035, wreaking havoc on the water supply of surrounding populations and robbing us of one of nature’s dan flavin wonders.

A statement in real life like that really grabs your attention, doesn’t it? I bet it makes you feel guilty about some of your less environmentally-friendly choices.

The U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change thought it would make you feel guilty, too. That’s why they included it in their 2007 report (you know, the one that won the Nobel Prize). It’s a powerful image, something as huge and remote as a Himalayan glacier succumbing to global warming in so short a time.

Too bad it’s a fairy tale.

Several news outlets reported last week that the IPCC withdrew its assertion that the Himalayan glaciers would likely melt away by 2035. Investigation revealed that the 2035 date originally surfaced in a 1999 magazine interview that was cited again by a World Wildlife Fund report in 2005. In the interview, Indian glaciologist Syed Hasnain was credited with providing the 2035 estimate, a number he admitted was only speculative in nature. In other words, the IPCC knowingly used a non-peer reviewed source in writing its report—a big no-no, according to the U.N.’s own rules.

This is the troubling part of the story. The IPCC knew that the 2035 date was a concoction, but they decided to include it in the report as if it were fact. Murari Lal, the lead author of the section that included the 2035 date, admitted as much. He was quoted last week as saying that he knew the prediction came from an un-reviewed source, but reasoned that “it related to several countries…and their water sources. We thought that if we can highlight it, it will impact policymakers and politicians….”

Never mind the details as long as it scares people into doing what the IPCC thinks is right.

So what, you might be thinking. So a few people misrepresent some information in hopes of spurring a lot of other people to act on an issue they should already be acting on in the first place, if they know what is good for them.

Except they do know what is good for them, at

least in the economic short term. Why else would countries like China and India, which would be greatly impacted if the Himalayan glaciers did melt away, be so adamant in their refusal to agree to any legally binding emissions reductions?

In a sense, the IPCC’s withdrawal of the 2035 date is a reflection of a bigger flaw in the way climate change has been presented to the public, specifically in the form of alarming predictions designed to frighten us into action.

Let’s try a thought experiment. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in New York City, standing on a sidewalk in Times Square. Can you see the bright lights and hear the cars honking? Good.

Now imagine that Marty McFly and Doc Brown roll up in their DeLorean and transport you 100 years into the future, only it’s a future where absolutely nothing has been done to combat global warming.

Picture what Times Square looks like as you step out of the DeLorean’s gull-wing doors in 2110.

You know that scene in Lord of the Rings where Frodo looks into the Mirror of Galadriel and sees what Middle Earth will look like if he doesn’t defeat Sauron? A scorched earth, a black sky and the air filled with screams of pain. Is that what you see?

Or perhaps you are several feet underwater, the deserted ruins of Manhattan surrounding you like some huge elaborate aquarium decoration.

See what I’m getting at?

Disease, drought, floods, famine, tempests, raining fire and brimstone—these are the things we’ve been taught to imagine if global warming proceeds unchecked. It’s disaster on a biblical scale. For all the complaints about people in this country failing to “believe” in global warming, doesn’t anyone recognize that accepting some of the predictions requires a serious leap of faith?

A Pew Research poll released this week showed that only 28 percent of Americans see global warming as a top domestic priority issue. That number is only going to get smaller if climate activists continue to make alarmist predictions.

Instead of asking us to believe in an oversimplified picture of a fallen world of drowned polar bears and bi-weekly Katrinas, climate advocates should quit exaggerating and start believing in our own intelligence. We are not stupid. Just give us the facts. Every withdrawn prediction, every leaked e-mail, every unsubstantiated claim just gives us more reason to question the assertions being made, regardless of their validity.

Any decision made about what to do regarding global warming needs to be made with the realization that it will have real and immediate political, economic and possibly social impacts. It will call for calm, rational discussion. And it will call for global warming alarmists to cool off.

Daniel Flavin is a Trinity senior. His column runs every other Thursday.

12 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 the chronicle