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, FEBRUARY 11, 2010
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 93
www.dukechronicle.com
Brodhead: Duke grinds it out in Chapel Hill Sustainable budget in sight
DUKE 64
President addresses faculty in Nasher
UNC 54
by Zachary Tracer THE CHRONICLE
President Richard Brodhead offered Duke’s professors a lesson in the history and finances of universities in his annual address to the faculty Wednesday. Universities, he said, are among the most durable institutions of modern times. But the modern university was created, in part, by the post-World War II boom. Richard Brodhead “If modern universities are in part products of a historicallycontingent prosperity, what will it mean if that growth proves unsustainable or, at best, uncertain?” Brodhead asked during his speech Wednesday in the Nasher Museum of Art auditorium. Typically the president addresses the faculty in a Fall Academic Council meeting, but this year the format was changed to underscore the independence of the meeting from Academic Council and to encourage See BRODHEAD on page 4
ian soileau/The Chronicle
Duke’s Brian Zoubek and North Carolina’s Ed Davis, among many other players, battle for a loose ball during the Blue Devils’ 10-point win in Chapel Hill Wednesday. by Joe Drews THE CHRONICLE
CHAPEL HILL — It wasn’t pretty, but Duke will take it. Despite shooting 31.9 percent from the field, including 22.5 percent in the first half, the Blue Devils gutted out a 64-54 win over rival North Carolina Wednesday night in the
Dean E. Smith Center, Duke’s second win in Chapel Hill in the last three years. “I don’t care at all [that it was ugly],” junior guard Nolan Smith said. “It was a game we had to grind out, and we did.” The No. 8 Blue Devils (20-4, 8-2 in the ACC) did it behind another Herculean effort by their top trio of Smith, Jon Scheyer
and Kyle Singler. They played a combined 119 minutes and were the only Duke players to score double-digit points. Scheyer led the way with 24 on 7-of-20 shooting, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Singler added 19, and Smith chipped in 10 See carolina on page 16
Kilgo, Keohane First YT campaign ends with controversy Goldstein filed complaints against Harpham’s campaign tactics temporarily lose heat, hot water by Joanna Lichter THE CHRONICLE
by Lindsey Rupp THE CHRONICLE
Wednesday morning dawned bright and frigid for residents of Keohane and Kilgo Quadrangles. Early yesterday morning, students in Keohane discovered they had no hot water, and Kilgo residents said they did not have heat. Associate Dean for Residential Life Joe Gonzalez said multiple e-mails and phone calls to the Residence Life and Housing Services office alerted maintenance to the problems. “I got up around 9 [a.m.], I had a [biochemistry] exam an hour later, and I shower every morning,” said Bo Sun, a Joe Gonzalez sophomore who lives in Keohane 4A. “I turned on the water and it was freezing cold—icier than it See utilities on page 5
Duke hosts ACC rival Wolfpack, Page 15
The first-ever undergraduate Young Trustee election has ended, but debate surrounding the process is far from over. Senior John Harpham was confirmed the new undergraduate Young Trustee at about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, more than six hours after polls officially closed Tuesday night. Harpham had won by three votes in an news instant runoff, but complaints filed analysis by Young Trustee finalist Chelsea Goldstein, a senior, and junior Gregory Morrison, Duke Student Government executive vice president, led to an impromptu DSG judiciary meeting late Tuesday to discuss campaign procedures. Although Goldstein, former DSG vice president for academic affairs, had 908 first-preference votes—90 more votes than Harpham’s 818—the instant runoff brought the final count to 1,054 to 1,051 in favor of Harpham, former chair of The Chronicle’s independent editorial board. Young Trustee Nominating Committee Chair Lauren
Moxley, a sophomore, said although she was pleased with the campaign, there will definitely be reforms in the future. “This year was a learning process and we’ll take what we learned to make the process better next year,” she said. DSG President Awa Nur, a senior, said the YTNC is working on compiling a memo to evaluate the campaign structure, and will suggest improvements for future elections—these reforms may include restructuring the election and evaluating the instant runoff. “We’re still in the process of gathering data and gathering opinion,” Nur said. “A few senators expressed their grievances with the process, but I don’t know what actions the YTNC will take.” She added that it is still too early to pinpoint specific areas that may need modification. Even before the election took place, grievances had been voiced regarding the campaigning process. Goldstein said she filed her two-part complaint to the YTNC Feb. 3. She disputed Harpham’s campaigning methods, which included obtaining personal letters of support that were published in The Chronicle—and later, on his campaign Web site—and a video he posted
ONTHERECORD
“They don’t want kids here during Beach Week.” —DSG President Awa Nur on RLHS’ decision to move up this Spring’s move-out date. See story page 3
See yt campaign on page 6
Three jazz giants WAIL! over three nights, RECESS
2 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 the chronicle
worldandnation
TODAY:
4324
FRIDAY:
4529
On protests’ eve, opposition in Iran divided on goals
Obama, civil rights leaders College student sues TSA discuss plans for economy WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Pomona College student filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday alleging that he was abusively interrogated, handcuffed and detained for five hours at Philadelphia International Airport in August because he carried a set of English-Arabic flashcards as part of his college language studies. Nicholas George, 22, charged that three Transportation Security Administration officers, two Philadelphia police officers and two FBI agents violated his constitutional rights to free speech and freedom from unreasonable seizure. Representatives of the TSA, FBI and Justice Department in Washington, where most of the federal government was closed because of a severe winter storm, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.
“
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes. — Voltaire
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Barack Obama hosted a rare Oval Office meeting with civil rights leaders Wednesday to discuss his plans for improving the dire economic conditions gripping much of black America. Obama had not met exclusively with civil rights leaders since he took office, and he used the occasion to signal his concern about mounting black joblessness while enlisting his guests’ support for his proposals. Obama brought together Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network; NAACP President Benjamin Jealous; and Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, for a conversation that lasted nearly an hour. The participants emerged from the meeting convinced that Obama is worried about the desperation felt in many communities across the country about the economy.
TODAY IN HISTORY
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1942: “Archie” comic book debuts.
TEHRAN — As Iran’s opposition movement takes to the streets Thursday, it does so having made little concrete progress despite eight months of protests, and must now make a choice between the relatively cautious path set by its leaders and the radical course advocated by some members. Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who lost to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the disputed election last June, say the demonstrations are about staying true to the ideals of the Islamic republic and fully implementing the nation’s constitution. But many protesters, frustrated by the government’s uncompromising stance and continuing crackdown, are calling for the complete downfall of the 31-year-old system of clerical rule. This growing fracture within the movement will be put to the test Thursday. The anti-government demonstration, which
will be held alongside pro-government rallies as millions of Iranians mark the anniversary of the Islamic revolution, could be the last opportunity for the opposition to stage a large protest for at least several months. Some within the movement say the chance to change Iran is slipping away. “There could be 2 million people demonstrating against the government. What difference does it really make? The government has marginalized such events in the past. They ignore all demands,” said one political analyst, who declined to be named for fear of being arrested. “After Thursday’s protest, many people will draw the conclusion: What is the use of risking lives?” On the eve of the demonstration, the Iranian government said it would permanently suspend Google’s e-mail service in the country, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Carol guzy/the washington post
Almost one month after the earthquake in Haiti, a child looks out at one of the many tent cities in Port-au-Prince. Thousands of Haitians have lost their homes, and space to line up for food and shelter is running out. Some relief workers say current relief efforts are falling short, and they predict that the next few weeks will test the resourcefulness of the Haitian government and foreign contributors.
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the chronicle
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 | 3
Local political groups adapt DSG motions to block to changing voter tendencies RLHS early move-out policy Duke student government
said. “But Durham has changed over the years and I don’t think they’re as imporIn Durham politics, community orga- tant as they used to be. We have a lot of innizations have always played a significant dependent voters… and because people role in rallying support for candidates are more independently minded, those that share their organization’s principles that go [to the polls] already know about and views. the candidates.” Community organizations and politiFrank Hyman, a former member of cal action committees like the Durham the City Council, has turned the endorsePeople’s Alliance, Friends of Durham and ment process into a type of science. the Committee on Hyman and Counthe Affairs of Black cil member Diane Ca“You can’t just say People all issue contotti stressed the imsequential endorseportance of receiving you’re for apple pie. ments during local, at least two endorseYou have to say how state and national ments from different elections. types of groups. you would propose The DPA, a grass“My rule of thumb, apple pie reform.” roots organization fobeing conservative, cusing on economic that 80 percent of — Milo Payne, isvoters and social justice, has are using the a thorough endorseDurham People’s Alliance endorsements for ment process. Candi80 percent of their member choices,” Hyman dates are interviewed by the DPA’s political said. “Candidates action committee and who preach to their then voted on by the entire organization. choirs—they get one or no endorsements “We develop questions in a way that and loose. Endorsements play a positive distinguishes among candidates,” said role in screening out the most narrow Milo Payne, a member of the DPA Coor- minded candidates.” dinating Committee, which is responsible In the past year, turnout in city elecfor managing the entire organization. tions has been minimal. Last October, “You can’t just say you’re for apple pie. only 4.36 percent of citizens voted in the You have to say how you would propose Durham elections primary and only 8.1 apple pie reform.” percent voted in the general election in DPA releases its endorsements to November, according to data posted on the press, in addition to a mass mailing the Durham County Board of Elections and advertising campaign. Despite a Web site. history of group endorsements having Receiving endorsements is important power, officials are split on how much for politicians seeking office, because they still matter. members of community groups are often Durham City Council member Eugene the main voters driving the elections, said Brown said with the growing number of City Council member Mike Woodard, people moving into Durham and the Trinity ’81. “Obama phenomenon”—in which peo“When it’s a smaller turnout the politiple who usually do not vote came to the cal groups have more influence because polls in record numbers during the 2008 their membership and the people they election—the electoral system is now less reach are more engaged in the process,” endorsement driven. he said. “They are going to turn out to “Durham has been called an endorse- vote and that’s why their influence is still ment town and they’re important,” Brown very important.” by Cate Harding THE CHRONICLE
everybody loves a sale!
maddie lieberberg/The Chronicle
At Duke Student Government’s meeting Wednesday night, President Awa Nur, a senior, condemned Residence Life and Housing Services for pushing the move-out date to May 10 from May 17. by Matthew Chase THE CHRONICLE
Duke Student Government senators passed a resolution Wednesday night condemning Residence Life and Housing Services for changing the move-out date for West Campus residents to May 10 from May 17. Joe Gonzalez, associate dean for residential life, sent West Campus residents three e-mails Aug. 18, Sept. 2 and Jan.
11 notifying them of the early move-out date. But Vice President for Student Affairs Spencer Eldred, a senior, presented a resolution to prevent RLHS from changing the dates without the consent of Campus Council and DSG, if school is in session. “There are legitimate reasons to change [student housing] contracts,” See DSG on page 5
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4 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 the chronicle
BRODHEAD from page 1
eugene wang/The Chronicle
President Richard Brodhead addresses the faculty in the Nasher Museum of Art auditorium Wednesday afternoon. In the past, the president spoke to the Academic Council, but administrators chose an independent venue this year.
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more faculty to attend. Approximately 75 professors attended the 4 p.m. address. Brodhead told faculty that Duke has seen its share of prosperity and uncertainty over the last 80 years. He noted that the endowment and donations to the University have both grown rapidly during the past 30 years, enabling Duke’s expansion and rise in prestige. Although donations dropped 22 percent and the endowment fell 27.5 percent from an all-time high between 2008 to 2009, Brodhead said Duke remains ambitious. “The school that fares best in hard times will be the one that strikes the best balance between supporting established fields and retaining the means for innovation,” he said. As the University works to cut a $125 million budget shortfall, Brodhead said students, faculty and academic programs remain Duke’s highest priorities. He emphasized Duke’s commitment to undergraduate financial aid and said the University will continue to hire professors despite the downturn. Duke will also continue to introduce new academic programs, particularly those that correspond to the strategic plan’s goals of interdisciplinarity, internationalization and engagement with contemporary challenges. Brodhead cited the Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke’s Kunshan campus in China and DukeEngage as examples of new initiatives. Some of the programs, particularly the three new masters programs Duke has created in the past 10 months, have another benefit, said Academic Council Chair Craig Henriquez. They generate extra money for Project1:Layout 1 2/8/10 12:21 PM Page 1
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the University. “There appears to be a growing demand for such masters degree programs... to prepare students for a competitive job market,” said Henriquez, professor of computer science and co-director of the Center for Neuroengineering. But these new programs also have costs. He noted that having additional masters students on campus increases the burden on professors and student services. Henriquez said Academic Council will soon create a masters degree advisory council, to assess the impact of the new programs on Duke. The masters programs constitute just one of the steps Duke has taken to balance its budget. “Through a careful university-wide exercise, we are walking our way back to a sustainable budget, and we are well along with this task,” Brodhead said. To cut spending, the University has already given employees incentives to retire, left vacant positions unfilled and offered workers fewer opportunities to work overtime. Additionally, faculty and staff making more than $50,000 did not receive raises last year, which kept an additional $18 million in the University’s coffers, Brodhead said. Brodhead noted that the cuts made to date “if luck holds and prudence continues, [have] averted the need for sizeable system-wide layoffs.” But he acknowledged that it is impossible to know how University investments will perform going forward, and more broadly, whether private individuals and the government will continue supporting universities in the future. “In truth, we do not yet know what this time will prove to mean for the history of knowledge and of opportunity-creation,” Brodhead said.
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CONGRATULATIONS 2010 SAMMIE AWARD WINNERS Ann Atwater, Distinguished Service Award Legendary Durham human rights activist Bradley Collins Associate Professor of Surgery Alethea Duncan Doctoral student in the Chemistry Department Keith Lawrence Director of Media Relations
Any September ’09, December ’09, or May ’10 Graduate is eligible. Speeches must be submitted to SpecialEvents@duke.edu by 5:00 p.m., Thursday, March 4.
The Girls’ Club: Naomi Johnson, Shari Baker, Loren Krueger, Kelsey Porter Student volunteer mentors Gary Ybarra Professor of the Practice, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering “THE DIVINE SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE, TRUTH, AND WISDOM IS BY NO MEANS ALIEN
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TO THE EQUALLY DIVINE QUEST FOR HUMAN DECENCY, JUSTICE, COMPASSION, LOVE, PEACE, AND THE BELOVED COMMUNITY OF WHOLE AND CREATIVE PERSONS.”
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the chronicle
DSG from page 3 Eldred said. “But things like this have become a trend and it’s very detrimental to student needs.” The bylaw also states that RLHS took advantage of its “lucrative housing monopoly” in making this change. “It is unjust to obligate students to agree to a housing contract without specifying for how long that housing contract will grant residence,” the bylaw states. “Students deserve both sufficient notice and a voice in deciding what merits such changes.” The e-mails note that the date change cuts costs and allows for more extensive summer renovations, but DSG President Awa Nur said the administrators have other reasons in mind. “They don’t want kids here during Beach Week, so they don’t want kids to be able to store their items,” said Nur, a senior. “And if that’s a decision that they are going to make, they need to make that decision public.” Senators also discussed the results of Tuesday night’s undergraduate Young Trustee election. Senior John Harpham, former chair of The Chronicle’s independent editorial board, won the election by a margin of three votes against finalist Chelsea Goldstein, a senior, in the runoff. Initially, none of the candidates received a majority of the votes. When the election went to instant runoff, the second choices of voters who selected finalist Zach Perret, a senior, were added to Harpham and Goldstein’s totals. Fortyfour people, however, ranked Perret first, second and third, and their votes were discarded. Goldstein is current senior policy ad-
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 | 5
viser and former vice president for academic affairs. She was also a member of The Chronicle’s editorial board. Athletics and Campus Services senator Ben Bergmann, a junior, proposed that DSG further debate instant runoff voting. “Forty-four people yesterday didn’t know how to use [the voting system],” Bergmann said. “Usually, it doesn’t matter but in an election so close it does.... I think we should think about revisiting a system, about actually having a runoff.” Academic Affairs senator Danny Lewin, a senior, also brought up the conflicts of interest on the Young Trustee Nominating Committee. He added that the YTNC should have stipulated stricter requirements for determining campaign tactics. “It’s ludicrous that we were so ill-prepared for this election,” said Lewin, who was involved in Goldstein’s campaign and is a former Chronicle columnist. In other business: Senators also approved a resolution supporting the creation of the Group of Duke Independents, which would serve to represent unaffiliated students. Lewin, who presented the resolution, said such an organization would strengthen independents’ voices on campus. “Due to the disjointed nature of independents on campus, we are functionally left without a voice basically anywhere,” Lewin said. “Most of the tables where housing decisions and those sort of things are involved there is a major disproportion of representation of selectives on campus.” Although senators passed the resolution overwhelmingly, some expressed concerns about the lack of details in the resolution.
UTILITIES from page 1 usually is when you turn it on.” John Noonan, associate vice president for facilities management, said a broken valve on a steam pilot caused the Keohane problem. In Kilgo, the steam converter pumps failed, Noonan said, adding that the converter was a backup unit that had been in use since the original was found leaking last Friday. When RLHS crews could not fix the problems, the plumbing and steam shops came to replace the faulty parts, Noonan said. The problems were resolved Wednesday afternoon. “I think if we can fix it the same day, we’re doing good—especially if we’re fixing hot water and heat,” Noonan said. “With these kinds of calls, our practice is to jump on them as quickly as we can... those things are prioritized over maintenance issues.” Gonzalez said he did not know how much these problems will cost the University. Officials did not know whether the problems were the result of natural wear or of the recent cold weather. Building 2A in Edens Quadrangle lost heat last Saturday as well, Gonzalez said. “We’re going through a period when it’s been cooler than usual, and maybe that’s putting stress on the system, but we were using the system all last year,” Gonzalez said. “Perhaps it’s connected to weather or
margie truwit/Chronicle file photo
Residents in Keohane suffered from a hot water outage Wednesday. Kilgo Quadrangle residents also complained that their heat was not working. perhaps we’ve been a little less fortunate in our equipment. It’s hard to say what the cause is.” Keohane Residence Coordinator Matthew Meyer and Craven Quadrangle Residence Coordinator Justin Clapp sent emails to the affected residents at about 9:50 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., respectively. Their emails informed residents of the problems, asked for their patience and said technicians were working on the problems. Although these problems were short term, Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta said many of the West Campus dorms have old infrastructure that will soon need repairs. Gonzalez said RLHS is preparing to assess areas that need the most immediate attention—a process that should begin in a few months.
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6 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 the chronicle
YT CAMPAIGN from page 1
GTHC, GTHC
melissa yeo/The Chronicle
Cameron Crazies cheer for the men’s basketball team during the watch party in Cameron Indoor Stadium Wednesday night. Duke defeated the Tar Heels 64-54 in the contest.
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on his Facebook page Monday challenging basketball player Nolan Smith, a junior, to a one-on-one game. Goldstein also obtained endorsement letters from student organizations, which were published in The Chronicle as “Young Trustee Endorsements.” Harpham’s letters of support, however, were published as letters to the editor. Goldstein said she felt the letters were inappropriate and gave Harpham an unfair advantage. “John just had two of his friends to write in for him, when in fact I got two real endorsements,” Goldstein said. “The writers of those letters didn’t interview all three of us –they were presented as equivalent visually in the newspaper... if The Chronicle does want to start accepting letters like this, they should have informed all the candidates.” The letters published in The Chronicle endorsing Harpham were written by Malik Burnett, Trinity ’07 and currently pursuing graduate degrees at the Fuqua School of Business and the Medical School, and Christine Westfall, president of the Trinity Heights Neighborhood Association. Harpham said although he was close friends with Burnett, he only had a professional working relationship with Westfall. “I know that to some extent, campaigns are games of maximum mobilization and I wanted to introduce people with a few more informed and thoughtful and detached voices,” Harpham said. Junior Will Robinson, editor of The Chronicle and president of Duke Student Publishing Company, said that to his knowledge, The Chronicle had not published personal letters in recent campuswide campaigns.
After Goldstein’s complaint, Moxley modified the campaign policy so that individual endorsers would need to interview all three candidates for an equal amount of time before writing an endorsement letter. Moxley also contacted Robinson concerning the letters after Goldstein’s complaint, and the following day, The Chronicle published an editor’s note clarifying the difference between the official endorsements and personal letters of support to the editor. “We consider letters to the editor under our own letters policy,” Robinson said. “The YTNC has no standing to regulate The Chronicle in any way—we are an independent publication that is not governed by the rules... of any campaign.” Furthermore, Goldstein said she felt Harpham received special treatment from The Chronicle because of his affiliation with the organization, although both Goldstein and Harpham have served as members of The Chronicle’s independent editorial board. “John has been associated with The Chronicle for the past four years and for him to have this is unfair to the two of us,” Goldstein said, referring to herself and Perret. “If we contacted people to write letters Wednesday... they would only be published Monday or Tuesday and that would not give us enough time to catch up.” Although The Chronicle did not publish any other personal letters supporting a candidate during this Young Trustee campaign, Robinson said in forthcoming elections, the decision will be in the hands of future editors of The Chronicle, and not the YTNC. “The campaign policy only regulates individuals who are campaigning,” Robinson said. “[Goldstein] should have directed criticism at Lauren Moxley which ultimately, she did.”
Recess
volume 12 issue 19 february 11, 2010
and we’d only argue about what movie to rent
JUST
WAIL!
MADNESS Hoof ‘n’ Horn delves into the wild world of drug-related musical vice
PAGE 3
Duke Performances brings three jazz greats to Duke. PAGES 10 & 11
photo illustration by maddie lieberberg/The chronicle
YEAsayer
Ross Green says “Yea!” to the new Yeasayer LP
page 12
V-DAY
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the best rom-com ever
page 8
Escobar
It’s not Entourage. It’s a senior thesis project
page 9
recess
Page 8
theSANDBOX. Come Friday, Warner Brothers’ Valentine’s Day will be subjected to intense vitriol as only the best rom-coms are. But even the snowmageddon-bound victims of D.C. will want to make it out to this one. A synopsis. Let’s begin with Taylor Swift and onscreen lover/off-screen ex Taylor Lautner. Cast as the cheer capitain (not the girl in the bleachers), Swift falls madly in love with #13 jock Lautner who she later discovers to be moonlighting as Strech Armstrong/a Native American werewolf diametrically opposed to Swift’s next-door neighbor/supervillain Topher Grace. Still ticked off about not winning a date with Tad Hamilton, we find Grace in love Meryl Streep’s chain-smoking assistant who complains about Rachel getting married. He is two-timing Scarlett Johannson, who is in turn cheating on Bradley Cooper, who’s just not that into her because he’s into American Spirits (sorry, Jennifer Connelly)and dudes. That’s right, McSteamy and Renee Zellweger’s main man get dirty like Sodom. And to clear up any confusion, the Julia
Roberts things in the trailer is just a coverup to draw in homophobic Middle America. Roberts? She’s getting busy with who else but Richard Gere—but she won’t kiss on the first “date.” She wants to set a good example for her niece Emma (how did she get in here?), whose on-screen mom is the dirty-with-Schmidt Kathy Bates. Hector Elizondo is just glad he still has feet. Meanwhile, Queen Latifah and her raging band of inmates (another Zellweger joke!) are all watching Elektra on repeat (it’s so meta! two parentheticals in one sentence!). Jessica Alba—or was that Biel?—is busy moping around Los Angeles while her blind boss Jamie Foxx keeps serenading her with a soulful version of “I Got a Woman.” Somewhere, Laverne’s better half shows up unexplainably alongside McDreamy. And everyone’s favorite punk’d prankster turned master cougar hunter? He’s pining for that sleepless Baltimore native who has got mail and is BFFs with a pre-lesbian Rosie who has got mail. —Andrew Hibbard & Charlie McSpadden
[recesseditors] Valentine’s Day: Starring... Andrew Hibbard....................................................................Uncle Karl & Aunt Judy Eugene Wang................................................................................Heart of Blackstone Charlie McSpadden............................................................................Mo’Nique’s legs Kevin Lincoln......................................................................................STL’s crime rate Claire Finch........................................................................a shallow and vapid whore Jonathan Wall........................................................my girlfriend...and Arthur Russell Maddie Lieberberg.............................................................................Buttons the Dog Will Robinson...................................................Linda Lovelace & Georgina Spelvins
excessive compulsive
Last week I learned my grandma was reading my column. She didn’t know who the author was until the horrifying conclusion upon which she said to my mom, “Susie, I thought Jackie wanted to work for NBC. Sounds like he wants to burn that mother down!” Hey, just cause I’ve dreamt of something my whole life doesn’t mean I can’t defecate all over it. Take love. I’ve spent most of my life searching every nook and cranny for love. I’ve searched high and drunk, from top to bottom and sometimes even from powerbottom, doing the dirty work in my quest for love. But still, no afro pick. What am I even searching for? What is love? How long does it last? If it’s longer than four hours, should I call a doctor or more ladies? Robert Mitchum said, “Maybe love is like luck. You have to go all the way to find it.” I’m sure Duke, Horizontal would agree, but she’d probably say it involves lollipops and nip-clips too. But I undress. I mean, call me? If you don’t mind, I’d like to get deep for a second. Was that as good for you as it was for me? Let’s have a cig and talk about love. Sometimes, you think you’re in love, and then you wake up naked, sheets soaked with urine, and wonder—wait, where the hell am I? Other times, you think you’re in love and, to show it, you take her on an expensive date only to find her in the bathroom for a postdinner purge. That’s the last time I take you to Chubby’s Tacos. If only we could have gone to a movie instead. Something along the lines of Love Actually, star-studded but with American actors and actresses instead of those from Jolly Old England. Something so obnoxiously starpacked it makes Jamie Foxx’s namedropping appearance on The Today Show look like an episode of Hollywood Squares. That sounds
February 11, 2010
like a good idea for a Valentine’s Day movie. I wish someone would make it. What I love about love is how transcends all boundaries like age. Take Madonna and her boyfriend Jesus Luz. People keep saying it’s weird that he’s daggering someone older than his mother, but I think it’s weird Jesus is stuffing Madonna. Isn’t that blasphemous? I bet Joseph is calling in his three wise guys to rough up Jesus in the wood shop. It has been said that love has no price tag, yet Valentine’s Day is the opposite of cost effective. Men always complain about having to spend money on women for the holiday, but I don’t mind it. What upsets me is the incongruity between the gifts I give and the gifts I receive. Received: Sum 41 CD, a giant poster of us and finally nothing at all. Sum 41? Talk about babymaking music. The poster? Do you expect me to hang this up, Sarah? I got both of you earrings! And you, girl who gives nothing on Valentines Day, I’m glad I Indiangifted that lube. Someone once told me, “How can you love me if you only love yourself?” I responded by taking the lube back. One day I’ll find it, but as Jack told Rose in Titanic, “Step up on the railing. Hold on, hold on. Keep your eyes closed. Do you trust me?” Then he took her from behind. Wait, no that was T—tanic. Regardless, as Nietzsche said, “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.” I’m sure the right, short, skinny, large-breasted, home-cooking, carpet-cleaning, child-rearing, sexual freak is out there somewhere just waiting for me. Jack Wilkinson is a single Trinity senior. His column runs every other Thursday.
Duke Performances in durham, at duke, the modern comes home. WAIL! JAzz SAxophone FeStIvAL miguel zenon esta plena septet feat. hector “tito” matos juan guiterrez & obinlu allende
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 dean & britta
13 most beautiful... songs for andy warhol’s “screen tests”
Thursday, February 18 • 8 pm | Reynolds 13 most beautiful... is presented in association with the nasher museum of art
punch brothers
Dean & Britta · 2/18
feat. chris thile
Friday, February 19 • 8 pm | Reynolds for tickets & info 919-684-4444 dukeperformances.org
student $5 duke tickets
10% discount
duke employee
thomas mapfumo & the blacks unlimited Thursday, February 25 • Two Sets: 8:00 & 10:30 pm | Duke Coffeehouse
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February 11, 2010
Page 9
‘Devil’ haunts with true story
special to The Chronicle
Danya Taymor’s senior thesis project draws on her experiences in Medellin, Colombia. The script is her first ever and is based on a true story. by Lori Vogt THE CHRONICLE
It started out as an assignment. You, Me, and the Devil: Stories from Medellin is based on the true story of Elizabeth Mora, a 20-year-old Colombian journalism student who, having been late for class, got stuck with the last topic available for a school project: narcotics. She became the only person ever granted interviews by drug lord Pablo Escobar. The play, written and directed by Danya Taymor as her senior thesis, opens with romantic Italian music and a single lace-covered table. The audience expects moon-eyed lovers to enter dancing. Instead Escobar, played by sophomore Ted Caywood, throws the first of his victims onto the table and strangles him. Careful observers will recognize that Caywood turns his convincingly Colombian mustachioed face away from the man, as if he cannot stand to fully watch or comprehend the crime he commits. It is the first hint that this is a story riddled with complicated characters and their tangled emotions and motives. It is a story of almosts—how she was almost raped, almost killed; how he was almost merely a newspaper story or a coffee table book filled with criminals; how we almost misunderstood STREBColombia Ad-DukeChronDTH:Layout 1 2/8/10 12:53 PM Page 1 drugs instead as merely a provider of American of a country filled with convoluted stories, complex motivations and essential, human emotions. Taymor uses a palette of various media and materials—from drums to video clips to red ribbons-—keeping the audience wide-eyed at the glorified, theatrical representation of the American vision of the drug trade. These
effects, however, are not the only explanation for the successful captivation of the spectators. Taymor draws the audience in, forcing them to decipher a criminal kingpin’s incentive for allowing an inquisitive student to enter his story. Ultimately, the viewer is convinced that anyone would be seduced by the firm-jawed relentlessness in senior Alex Mistretta’s portrayal of Elizabeth Mora. She probes to understand Escobar’s wicked dedication to the drug trade, until she finds, touches and abandons the lone virtue in his twisted character. Like Elizabeth Mora herself, Danya Taymor reveals a heart that beats audibly from within what began as a project. The intelligent complexity of the play is inspired by Taymor’s own experience in Colombia and her sensitive observation of the people there: a mother who lost her son, a fellow student who escaped an abusive mother through dealing drugs, the mysterious plight of an abandoned salsa dancer in a dimly lit bar. Each is virtuous and striving in his or her own way. These are not the characters from movies fascinated by the machismo of cocaine rings, but the human beings who live under the drug trade’s influence, and who reach helplessly for the loved ones it consumes, kills and disappears. In a foreign place and situtation, the audience will recognize people struggling to provide for those they love best while doing as little harm as they can. The casualities along the way will haunt nightmares and memories.
the last station
dir. m. hoffman sony pictures classics
eeEEE
Sometimes film gives literature a bad name. Michael Hoffman’s overwrought The Last Station, based on a novel by Jay Parini, chronicles the last year of renowned author Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer). Spiritually reborn late in life, Tolstoy is torn between loyalties to his wife, Countess Sofya (a glowing Helen Mirren) and his preeminent disciple, the scheming, mustache-twirling Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti). The latter is bent on convincing the author to leave custody of his life’s work to the public domain. Chertkov hires the naive Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy) as Tolstoy’s personal secretary to report the countess’ every effort to salvage the family inheritance. The volatile countess is meant to be so unbearable that Tolstoy famously leaves her to live halfway across the country. In despair, she flings herself into a pond to drown, but quickly regroups and boards a train to chase after him. The film’s attempted hybrid of camp and sincerity confuses and bores. Viewers never fully relate to the characters, especially Tolstoy. As Sofya, Mirren is so likeable; her operatic histrionics are more entertaining than antagonizing. Similarly soporific are the tribulations of McAvoy’s wide-eyed Valentin, who finds himself in over his head in the household’s Byzantine dynamics. McAvoy, like his character, is caught in a war between two larger-than-life icons, though he holds his own as Mirren and Plummer rage on screen. The general overacting under Hoffman’s direction is that of a theater play shot to film. Alhough this works in isolation, largely due to the experienced thespians, the final product is exhausting, weighed down by its sense of literary self-importance. Hoffman overstates the gravitas of his subject matter to tedious grandiosity, ultimately undermining the film’s emotional impact. Like Sofya, we undergo a great deal of wailing and romantic nonsense, but are ultimately left a little empty inside. —Jenni Wei
You, Me, and the Devil: Stories from Medellin will play tonight through Saturday at 8 p.m. in Brody Theater.
Visit www.dukechronicle.com/recess for reviews of the film Crazy Heart and music by Hot Chip
The Shipment
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WAIL recess
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February 11, 2010
Miguel Zenon Esta Plena Seplet
Thursday 8:00 p.m.
Reyno
‘Genius’ Zenon brings plena t
Saxophonist Miguel Zenon is kicking off Duke Performances’ mini jazz festival WAIL! tonight. The Puerto Rican musician, now living in New York, recently ended a sensational decade that in 2008 alone saw him awarded both a Guggenheim Fellowship and a MacArthur “genius” grant. Zenon will be bringing the result of some of that work to Duke tonight with the Esta Plena Septet. Consisting of his jazz quartet and three purveyors of Puerto Rican plena music, the project is a post-modern fusion of classic jazz with Afro-Caribbean folk music. Andrew Hibbard spoke to Zenon about the project, his influences and more.
What sparked your interest in plena music for the Esta Plena project? I’ve been listening to plena since I was a kid. I grew up around it. It’s a pretty common style of music to hear if you live in Puerto Rico, but I would say within the last few years, I started getting more and more interested in it—specifically the history and development of the style. The times I got to visit Puerto Rico I found the music was omnipresent, and I was really interested in the protagonism the music had in this everyday culture. So that was what drew me to pursue this investigation and the project itself. How did you end up getting into jazz given Puerto Rico’s soundscape? There wasn’t that much jazz in Puerto Rico when I was growing up. There actually isn’t that much jazz now. I went to a music school when I was growing up there, from around age 11 to age 17. It was mainly classical training with a little popular music here and there. I discovered jazz while at school through some friends listening to recordings and all that. What initially drew my attention to the style was the improvisation aspect to the music. Since I was trained in classical music, that aspect wasn’t present. What has sustained this interest over the years? Of course as I got more and more into the music, I found that improvisation is not found only in jazz, it’s found in all kinds of music. But it wasn’t improvisation all by itself. It was a language that was tied to a history and to a development throughout the years. After I discovered that, I put all my focus in studying the history of jazz and the history of my instrument, in order to just fill all the holes I needed to grow as a jazz musician. This is stuff I still do. It’s not just something you do very quickly. How did you approach bridging plena music and jazz? I’ve dealt with the idea, not with plena before, but with trying to fuse some elements of Puerto Rican or Caribbean or Latin American music. But specifically on this recording, it was the first recording I was bringing the traditional instruments of the style to. In this case, the hand percussion that
Indo-Pak Coalition
Friday 8:00 p.m.
is symbolic of the style—the bande instruments and I include some lyr The idea was to have two worlds sented by the quartet—saxophone more folkloric plena world, which dero. When I wrote the music, the with each other, moving parallel bu ements of each style. We’re still pla rhythmically we are living within a But I still see it as a jazz record. Given your already global focu 2003 contribute to your musical de A lot of the music we play in Am we brought over from Africa 500 ye I went over there—I kind of knew was how I was able to see all this Congo, Cameroon, a lot of places t sic we play in America. A lot of the immediately. Even some of the Pue they would have the same rhythms w to it like it was their music. It mad necessarily Puerto Rican, Cuban o nected, and it’s all variations on th What are your thoughts on playi I’m really looking forward to it I always say the same thing and it’ the Blue Devils and I’ve been tryin be rooting for them, and I’m looki never played [at Duke] before and
Nelson Music Roo
Mahanthappa merges Indo-Pak by Nathan Nye
T
THE CHRONICLE
he Indo-Pak Coalition, and band leader Rudresh Mahanthappa, will be making their North Carolina debut this Saturday at Duke Performances’s WAIL! jazz saxophone festival. Synthesizing jazz with South-Asian sounds, the Coalition’s music defies the preconceptions many people have concerning Indo-jazz fusion. Director of Duke Performances Aaron Greenwald said he was looking to bring something different to the world of jazz at Duke. “A lot of the innovative work I heard when I was programming the season was coming from saxophonists,” Greenwald said. “It seemed innovative to put those performances consecutively and call it a festival.” Two of the works Greenwald alluded to are Apti, a 2008 release by the Indo-Pak Coalition—comprised of Guggenheim fellow Mahanthappa, guitarist Rez Abbasi and tabla drummer Dan Weiss—and Kinsmen, a collaboration between Mahanthappa and saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath. “What I was impressed by in both records was the sort of clarity and
focus and intensity of Rudresh’s playing,” Greenwald said. “It made the work intense and accessible, which I found exciting.” The Coalition’s current lineup of Mahanthappa, Abbasi and Weiss has been around for a few years now, but it wasn’t the first iteration. “I started this project in Chicago briefly in 1996, and at that time it didn’t really feel right,” Mahanthappa said. “One of the main things to avoid is exoticism—to engage with both [jazz and Indian music] equally.... Ten years later, I was better equipped to give it another go, so I started up the group again in 2005.” Mahanthappa said he feels an obligation to deal with Indian music on a deep level, derived from both his ancestry and the reality of being an artist in a hybrid culture. “I feel like I’m kind of a sponge, I try to absorb as much as what I can from around me,” Mahanthappa said. “Obviously I’m influenced by the great tradition of jazz and, of course, lots of Indian music.” Mahanthappa, however, said he didn’t always have such a deep appreciation for jazz. “I started playing sax in elementary school cause I thought it would be cool. As a saxophonist, you don’t have many options, most of the time you’ll be a jazz player…. I was inspired by artists who were coming out of the soul/R&B background, but instrumental as opposed to vocal,” Mahanthappa said. “It wasn’t really until I got into college that [classical jazz] started to make sense to me.” These days, Rudresh is keeping very busy with his music. He leads or co-leads nine separate projects, working in different areas
like Indian synthesis and electric jazz. He said he is excited for the WAIL! festival, which gives him his first chance to bring his unique form of music to the Southeast. Greenwald is also optimistic about the upcoming festival. “I hope that people are exposed to great
mu thi tha Th say Th It’s
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February 11, 2010
olds Industries Theater
to Durham
ero, it’s at the heart of it. I brought those rics in some of the songs. s. You have the jazz world, which is repree, bass, piano, drums—and you have the is represented by the lyrics and the bane idea was for these two worlds to coexist ut without compromising the essential elaying with a jazz conception in mind, but a corollary that comes from within plena.
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Duke Performances is brings three of modern jazz’s greatest saxophonists to Durham for a three-night festival. The schedule shows the musicians’ global influences from Africa, the Caribbean and beyond.
Ravi Coltrane Quartet
Saturday 8:00 p.m.
Coltrane breaks from parents’ legacy
us, how did your tour of West Africa in evelopment? merica is directly connected to the music ears ago. But the thing that I found when this already—but what hit me in the face stuff from the roots. We visited Nigeria, that have a strong connection to the murhythms we’re playing, people related to erto Rican or Caribbean rhythms we play, with a different name there. They related de me see things in a different way—not or American music. It’s all kind of conhe same root. ing in Durham? t. Whenever I talk to anyone from there, ’s that I happen to be a really big fan of ng to get some tickets for a while. But I’ll ing forward to playing there because I’ve d I’m excited to be close to the team.
Photos special to the chronicle
om
with jazz
usic,” Greenwald said. “I can say all the ings I normally say about exposure to art— at it somehow makes you more human. hat if artists could express what they want to y in words then they would say it in words. his isn’t just a jam, there’s some complexity. s more than just passion, but purpose.”
Reynolds Industries Theater
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by Andrew Walker THE CHRONICLE
o understand who Ravi Coltrane is, you have to start by understanding who he’s not. He’s not his mother Alice, the celebrated pianist, organist and composer who passed away in 2007 after a career exploring the convergences between Eastern spirituality and jazz. Nor is he his father John, the legendary saxophonist from North Carolina who died before Ravi was three years old. For Ravi Coltrane, comparisons to the legacies of his parents are largely irrelevant to his own music. “It’s such a personal thing to be an improviser and a composer,” Coltrane explained. “It’s really about you, about what you want to do with your art, with what suits you as a musician. The opinions of others exist outside of your work. They’re external pressures.” Indeed, the saxophonist has not needed to rely on his surname to make a considerable mark on the contemporary jazz scene. Coltrane recorded Moving Pictures (1998), his first album as a bandleader, after appearing on more than 30 recordings as a guest artist. In 2005, he released In Flux, an album that pushed the boundaries of spontaneous group composition with a number of tunes created on the spot in the studio. Coltrane described this album as an exploration of the unexpected, full of improvisations intended to “stretch your ears.” Last year’s critically acclaimed Blending Times finds the quartet of Coltrane, pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Drew Gress and drummer E.J. Strickland exploring even further possibilities of collective interplay. The music is often free of traditional song structures and clearly defined solo spots. On “First Circuit,” for example, the group emphasizes contrasts in timbre as instruments weave in and out of the dialogue; another tune, “Amalgams,” begins with a soft and expressive conversation between the piano, bass and tenor sax. “There’s just so much you can do with improvisation,” Coltrane said about his musical direction. “Whatever you feel, whatever you hear, what-
ever you’ve learned. When you multiply that by four or five, the directions start to become almost limitless—you might be feeling one thing, the pianist plays another thing. It’s an exponential growth in ideas.” Although he grew up surrounded by music, Coltrane didn’t begin playing jazz until he was a teenager. As a result, he draws inspiration from a wide variety of styles, including the soul music of James Brown and Sly Stone and the work of composers like Stravinsky and Dvorak. Recently, his playlist has grown to include popular artists like OutKast. “There’s always something to listen to and to try to draw from,” he said. “I’ve always gone back to the old favorites, though, like the Beatles and Stevie Wonder.” This unorthodox combination of influences lends him a rich sound on the saxophone and a unique songwriting style. “His playing and composition sort of sneak up on you,” said Aaron Greenwald, director of Duke Performances. “He starts in a more intimate place than most saxophonists. Overall, the work has an accumulative effect: a certain amount of subtlety along with an understanding of dynamics and how that works in music.” The Ravi Coltrane Quartet will play this weekend’s WAIL! festival, a celebration of contemporary innovation on the saxophone. The three-part festival will also feature Miguel Zenon’s Esta Plena Septet and Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition. “Together, these artists bring three key elements,” Greenwald said. “They effectively blend their own cultural perspectives into the jazz tradition. They don’t sacrifice the communication and interplay that marks the best jazz. And they all play with a sense of lyricism that makes them immediately accessible.” In Coltrane’s view, Saturday’s performance will be a unique opportunity for the band to exchange ideas with a receptive audience. “[University concertgoers] are younger, they’re hipper, they’re exposed to a wider palette of things going on,” Coltrane said. Additionally, guitarist David Gilmore, a veteran of Wayne Shorter’s group and longtime friend of Coltrane’s, will fill in for Perdomo. Both Coltrane and Greenwald praised Gilmore’s versatility as a musician and his ability to perform in a wide range of different contexts. Given the quartet’s knack for spontaneity and musical interplay, the concert will be anything but predictable. “I like to keep things open,” Coltrane noted. “We might be in the middle of one song and we might go into another, we might just completely change the whole feel of it, be it rhythmic pulse or whatever. Mostly, it’s about trying to approach things organically, allowing for maximum flexibility.”
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heligoland massive attack virgin
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Twelve years after their last group effort, trip-hop progenitors Massive Attack have returned to the scene with Heligoland. No, I haven’t forgotten 2003’s 100th Window, though I would like to, but that was effectively a solo project from frontman Robert “3D” Del Naja. Although the new album does not stray far from the band’s roots, it is for the best— this is one of the band’s most focused LPs yet. And moody as Heligoland is, this may be as laidback and lighthearted as the genre can be: perfect for trip-hop newcomers. Massive Attack maintains the dark undercurrents of 1998’s critically-acclaimed Mezzanine on Heligoland, but the band also returns to their organic, jazzy roots. The album continues their trend of stellar guest
vocalists, including TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe and Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame. The music swirls and slides easily track to track: from the trance-like crooning of opening dirge “Pray For Rain,” to the dub-influenced lead single “Splitting the Atom,” to the sweeping strings of the ethereal “Paradise Circus.” The psychedelic and freewheeling “Psyche” is a mid-album standout, stylistically reminiscent of friendly trip-hop rival Portishead. The album closes with the brooding, breakbeat-laden “Atlas Air,” one of their best songs yet. Heligoland is not without blemishes, however. The meandering, experimental “Flat of the Blade” falls flat and “Rush Minute,” straight from the forgettable 100th Window era, is distant and minimalist. But though this is no Mezzanine 2.0, it’s also not 101st Window, for which all trip-hop fans are grateful. Yes, Massive Attack is truly back, and with style and flair. —Jeff Shi
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odd blood yeasayer secretly canadian
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Here’s a familiar story: Brooklyn band with experimental tendencies releases one of the first buzzworthy albums of the year to widespread critical acclaim. In the process, their sound becomes more accessible, opening them up to an entirely new audience and increased cultural relevance. In 2009, that band was Animal Collective. This year, it’s Yeasayer. Consequently, the comparisons between the two have been prevalent. But where Merriweather Post Pavilion represented a more refined, less difficult version of AnCo’s prior work, Odd Blood signifies a considerable, but welcome, shift from Yeasayer’s past. Lead single “Ambling Alp,” which was released in November and was a part of Yeasayer’s live show before that, gave a pret-
February 11, 2010
ty good indicator of what to expect out of Odd Blood. The effect-heavy sonic textures, which drove the wandering tribal futurism of debut All Hour Cymbals, are applied here to electro-pop. The pessimistic despair of AHC single “2080,” which found vocalist Chris Keating admonishing his listeners, “Don’t look ahead/Never look ahead,” is exchanged for motivational platitudes (Sample lyric: “Stick up for yourself, son/ Never mind what anybody else done”). Elsewhere, Yeasayer has exchanged their attention to failed relationships, viewed through the lens of self-loathing (“Madder Red”), triumphant closure (“O.N.E.”) and desperate longing (“I Remember”). But the whole thing is wrapped up in synths, funky bass lines and driving percussion; tracks like “Rome” and “Mondegreen” leave no doubt that Yeasayer are trying to make music you can dance to. It’s an aesthetic that clearly diverges from All Hour Cymbals, and it’s one that Yeasayer executes with aplomb. —Ross Green
the chronicle THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 | 13
Big Shots: Andy Warhol Polaroids On view through February 21, 2010 The Polaroid camera allowed Andy Warhol to revel in mass-produced art and the fabulousness of instant celebrity. Rare photographs give insight into his famous large-scale portraits. Supported by Andy Warhol, Grace Jones, 1984. Polacolor ER, 4 ¼ x 3 3/8 inches. Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. Gift of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. © 2009 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Dean & Britta
13 Most Beautiful… Songs for Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests Thursday, February 18, 8pm – Reynolds Theater, Duke University Dean Wareham (formerly of Galaxie 500 and Luna) was commissioned by the Andy Warhol Museum to compose music to accompany 13 of Warhol’s silent-film portraits, which the artist called “Screen Tests.” Presented in association with Duke Performances. Tickets: $28 and $22 ($5 for Duke students). Tickets: Duke University Box Office at 919-684-4444 or visit www.dukeperformances.org. More information: www.dukeperformances.duke.edu or www.nasher.duke.edu
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THURSDAY February 11, 2010
The Duke women’s basketball team returns to the court tonight vs. N.C. State View a photo slideshow from last night’s Duke-UNC game in Chapel Hill
www.dukechroniclesports.com
64 DUKE UNC 54 Younger Plumlee shines on biggest stage by Stephen Allan THE CHRONICLE
CHAPEL HILL — Given North Carolina’s talent and length in the post, there was absolutely no way that Duke could have won Wednesday night’s game playing primarily in the paint. But on an evening when both teams combined to shoot under 40 percent from the field—including an abysmal 22.5 percent in the first half by the Blue Devils—Duke only needed one strong complementary showing down low to complete the offensive performances by Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer. Mason Plumlee filled that role to perfection, as the 6-foot-10 freshman Game grabbed six offensive Analysis rebounds and played a huge role in holding the Tar Heels’ potent frontcourt of Ed Davis and Deon Thompson to just 11 combined field goal attempts. Plumlee’s biggest contributions came after senior Lance Thomas left early in the second half with a right knee injury, highlighting just how much poise and confidence he played with in the biggest game of his short Blue Devil career. “Mason’s performance tonight is how you get better,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We’ll see what happens with Lance, but during February, this will be the kind of team we have.” If the last 15 minutes are any indication, this could be a very solid team. Plumlee
leapt to the same level that his North Carolina counterparts did in going after the ball and keeping possessions alive. Plumlee tied for the team high with nine rebounds, and his six offensive boards easily led all players. “I was really by myself first on the boards, so it was just one-on-one to block out,” Plumlee said. “The ball comes off the right way sometimes and you get it.” In the last eight minutes of the game, he helped shut out Thompson and Davis from the scoreboard. In fact, during that time, the Tar Heels did not manage to score in the paint at all after putting up 26 points down low. Plumlee accomplished all this while riddled with foul trouble, as he picked up his fourth foul with just under four minutes remaining. Plumlee, along with the rest of the Duke defense, held the Tar Heels to just nine points in the final 8:20, including four points after the Blue Devils built a double-digit lead with less than two minutes remaining. “No matter if your shots are falling or not, if you play defense, you can win any road game,” guard Nolan Smith said. On the other side of the ball, it would be shortsighted to dismiss Plumlee as having no offensive contributions in the second half. It was not so much the quantity of his offensive output—after all, he only took two shots in each half—but the quality of his shots. Six of his seven points came around the basket, including a momentum-changing dunk with seven minutes remaining. See ma. plumlee on page 15
“That’s how I imagined this, 100 percent.” — Mason Plumlee
Thomas injury looms large for Duke defense by Stephen Allan THE CHRONICLE
ian soileau/The Chronicle
Freshman Mason Plumlee’s athletic dunk in the second half (top) changed the course of the game, while senior Jon Scheyer (bottom) found just enough space on the perimeter to drain several clutch 3-pointers.
CHAPEL HILL — Duke’s victory Wednesday came from a grinding defense and timely shots by its three offensive leaders. Just minutes into the second half, though, the Blue Devils lost a key cog of the defensive rotation that could have a major impact on their potency at that end of the floor in the coming weeks. Senior Lance Thomas went down with what appeared to be a serious right knee injury with 17:20 left in the second period. The forward laid on the floor for several minutes, and bench players Steve Johnson and Todd Zafirovski had to help him off the floor. Thomas did not put any pressure
on the right knee as he left the floor. Thomas appeared to suffer the injury on a collision with North Carolina guard Larry Drew II, who drove into the lane and then ran into Thomas while trying to dish the ball to a teammate. Thomas crumpled into a heap and the trainers came out almost immediately. Thomas, arguably Duke’s best defender, was not available for comment after the game, but in his postgame press conference, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said the injury was most likely serious. “We’re concerned about Lance,” Krzyzewski said. “I don’t think it’s an ACL See thomas on page 16
the chronicle
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 | 15
women’s basketball
Wolfpack up next for in-form Blue Devils by Jason Palmtary THE CHRONICLE
Although the team will have a little different look as it will be playing in pink uniforms to raise awareness for breast cancer, the Blue Devils hope to continue their strong recent play. Coming off an impressive win over its archrival North Carolina Monday night, No. 8 Duke (19-4, 7-1 in the ACC) has a chance to knock off NCSU another one of its invs. state rivals when N.C. No. 8 State (13-10, 3-5) Duke rolls into Cameron Indoor Stadium toTHURSDAY, 7 p.m. Cameron Indoor Stadium night at 7 p.m. Even though some may look at this game as a bit of a trap game with the potential for Duke to come out flat, that shouldn’t be the case given the heated rivalry with the Wolfpack. Additionally, the Blue Devils have the chance to improve to 12-1 at home this year, with their only loss coming against top-ranked and undefeated Connecticut. The coaching staff is viewing this game as a momentum builder, and is excited to see how its team will follow up the blowout of the Tar Heels. “Our team really needs to think about this game [the win over North Carolina] a
little bit, in terms of what are the possibilities,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said after Monday’s win. As the Blue Devils continue to look to establish consistency as the stretch run of the conference season approaches, their tilt with N.C. State will be a great opportunity to take care of a lesser opponent. Although getting widespread offensive production has been an issue for Duke at times this year, that wasn’t the case Monday night as six players scored in double figures. Yet in their two most recent losses, McCallie’s squad has had just one double-figure scorer. This explains her reasoning for imploring her team not to rely so much on the offense of star guard Jasmine Thomas and senior post performer Joy Cheek. “That’s the power of the team,” McCallie said following the win. “That’s the power of everybody.” It will also be interesting to see if McCallie gives freshman center Allison Vernerey the starting nod down low again. Last time out, Vernerey received her first collegiate start, becoming only the second freshman to do so during McCallie’s Duke tenure. Vernerey rewarded her coach’s confidence with a 10-point, six-rebound, two-block effort. On defense, it will be important for michael naclerio/The Chronicle
See w. bball on page 16
Freshman Allison Vernerey’s first career start, Monday against North Carolina, resulted in one of her best-ever games.
Women’s Golf
Duke takes 6th in Palos Verdes by Andrew Ermogenous THE CHRONICLE
Despite coming off a strong performance at the end of the fall season, Duke came up short this week at the Palos Verdes Golf Club, finishing tied for sixth at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge. Southern California (876) won the title while Pepperdine, which finished three shots back, was its closest challenger. The No. 6 Blue Devils hoped to do much better, but Duke understands it is still very early in the season. “I definitely think we could have done better as a team,” freshman Lindy Duncan said. “We’re a little disappointed and I think we didn’t learn the course as best as we could have—maybe next time our practice rounds will be a little bit better. The course is tough and we did the best that we could, but maybe next time we could learn the greens a little better.” This tournament, like the NCAA Fall Preview, featured a very competitive field. Of the 15 teams participating, 11 were ranked in the top 20 nationally. And because of the cold and snowy weather in Durham in the last few weeks, the Blue Devils’ practice routine was disrupted in the leadup to this high-level event. On the individual side, Duncan finished a career-best fourth, after shooting a 73 for the day and 3-over 216 for the tournament. Considering that she is from Florida and the winter that Durham has had, her performance was “pretty respectable,” according to head coach Dan Brooks. Freshman Courtney Ellenbogen finished tied for 17th, shooting a 76 for the day and a 224 overall. Junior Kim Donovan and seniors Allison Whitaker and Stacey Kim finished in ties for 38th, 54th and 67th, respectively. While that trio played well at times, none of the three could string together enough birdies to make a charge. “Its a very early tournament and a little bit difficult to gauge how we did,” Brooks said. “Obviously the numbers are considerably higher than we’re comfortable with. The golf course was one that we don’t know, we haven’t been here before and it’s a difficult golf course. Small and fast greens, there’s a lot of local knowledge here and it’s a course where you’d like to have three or four practice rounds if you can. There are a lot of factors that I consider when I evaluate this tournament. It was certainly not the kind of performance that we would like, but I take it all with some consideration to various factors.” Duke will next play in the Wildcat Invitational Feb. 22 and 23 in Tucson, Ariz.
Chronicle file photo
Senior Alison Whitaker finished in a tie for 54th on the individual table at the Northrop Grummon Regional Challenge this week.
ma. plumlee from page 14 At that point, neither team had jumped out to a lead greater than two points since before the first TV timeout of the second half, and the score was tied at 45. Singler drove from the top of the key and put up a running hook shot that missed badly, but Plumlee was there to clean up and grab the offensive board. Facing away from the basket, however, he would not have had time to turn around and dunk it without facing heavy pressure from a Tar Heel down low. So Plumlee simply reverse jammed it, hyping up the Duke bench and kick-starting a 9-3 run that broke the game open for the Blue Devils. “Mason’s play on that offensive rebound-reverse dunk was huge, not just for the two points, but for his teammates to see the ball go in with such force,” Krzyzewski said. “To give us a three- or four-possession lead going down the stretch in this game was utopia.” Wednesday’s game served as a reminder of why the younger Plumlee was recruited to come play for the Blue Devils. But it could just as easily be seen in the near future as the moment that turned a young player with flashes of potential into a dominant force down low that can counteract lanky and powerful paint-oriented teams. And it couldn’t have come on a bigger stage and at a better time for Duke in its most anticipated game of the year.
ian soileau/The Chronicle
Mason Plumlee was surrounded by four Tar Heel defenders on this play, but the freshman was able to find space in the paint throughout the night.
16 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 the chronicle
carolina from page 1
w. bball from page 15
after an 0-for-7 first half. Mason Plumlee added seven points off the bench, including a reverse dunk that sparked a game-clinching 16-5 run. Until that point, though, it had been a back-andforth affair, with the Blue Devils unable to pull away from the pesky Tar Heels (13-11, 2-7). North Carolina challenged Duke inside all night, registering 12 blocks. The Blue Devils converted just 3-of-28 2-pointers in the first half, compared to a 6-of-12 performance from beyond the arc. “Buckets were tough to come by,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “The ball was not going in, and they blocked a lot of shots. They’re an outstanding defensive team. If they don’t block it, they change how you shoot it.” It was more of the same in the second half, as Duke finished 9-for-18 from beyond the arc but just 22-for69 overall. Yet the Blue Devils started to pull away after Plumlee’s dunk, with Scheyer scoring 11 points in the final six-and-a-half minutes, including a couple of huge 3-pointers in that game-breaking run. With Duke up by six and 2:33 remaining in the contest, Scheyer drilled a long ball from the wing, giving the Blue Devils their largest lead of the night and deflating the Tar Heels. North Carolina’s youth showed after that, with the Tar Heels forcing ill-advised shots as Duke closed out its second rivalry win since 2006. “Our guys at the end of the ball game did good things,” Krzyzewski said. “We never turned it over, and we hit free throws.” As a result, Duke got its second straight road win after starting 1-4 away from Cameron Indoor Stadium this season. The Blue Devils also cleaned up many of their missed shots, corralling 23 offensive rebounds. “It was a big game for us,” Scheyer said. “We needed a win on the road, and we knew these guys were going to give us their best shot. I thought we did a good job handling the runs that they made and really made some tough plays down the stretch.” It wasn’t easy. North Carolina came into the contest needing a marquee victory to improve its weak NCAA Tournament resume. The Tar Heels showed some of the potential that allowed them to beat top15 teams Michigan State and Ohio State, but their inexperience was also evident. John Henson, for example, blocked four shots but had some poor offensive possessions, characterized by multiple airballs. North Carolina, which averaged 89.8 points per game in last year’s championship campaign, mustered just 54 points Wednesday—its fewest point total in the Tobbaco Road rivalry since 2002. The Tar Heels shot just 2-for-10 in the final four minutes, while the Blue Devils didn’t miss a shot and made just enough free throws to maintain a doubledigit lead. Krzyzewski said that was a key in a tightly-contested game that saw the Tar Heels hang with Duke until late in the second half. “Any time you play these guys, it’s going to be a war,” Scheyer said. “We did a good job showing maturity. Nolan and Kyle made some big plays down the stretch. It was a fun game, a good game to win.... It was good to finish up with a win over here.”
the Blue Devils to focus in on a trio of N.C. State players. Guards Nikitta Gartreell and Marissa Kastanek, along with frontcourt force Bonae Holston, all average in double figures with the Wolfpack and are heavily relied upon to keep their ballclub in games. No matter how confident Duke may feel playing against a middle-of-the-road opponent at home after demolishing the highly regarded Tar Heels, last year’s contest with a Wolfpack team, that was winless in the conference at that point, should make it wary. In that game, it took the Blue Devils overtime to fend off N.C. State. Even though Duke will not be in its usual home whites, focusing on offensive balance and getting strong performances out of their post players should still be a recipe for success.
courtney douglas/The Chronicle
Sophomore Chelsea Hopkins and the Blue Devils host another in-state rival, this time N.C. State, Thursday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
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thomas from page 14 [injury] but it is his knee and we’ll know more in the next 24 hours.” Krzyzewski said losing Thomas would mean losing the team’s emotional leader and limit the team’s depth in the post. The loss would also have a major impact on the team’s defense. Thomas has the ability to guard almost anyone on the court when healthy because of his versatility, size and quickness, and the forward plays a key role in disrupting passes and grabbing rebounds. He is often the trapping defender on the team’s fullcourt press, since he has the ability to get back to his man in time to prevent an easy shot. Thomas and the Blue Devils displayed that defensive efficiency Wednesday in Chapel Hill. “We’re definitely starting to figure it out in hostile environments,” guard Nolan Smith said. “It starts with our defense.... We talked about ego, playing with confidence, playing with the swagger and playing like you’re the best player on the court.” But now, someone else will have to be the best defender on the court, possibly for the rest of the season.
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Duke’s Nolan Smith cut under Larry Drew II (top) on a fast break and finished for an easy lay-in Wednesday against North Carolina.
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Diversions Shoe Chris Cassatt and Gary Brookins
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The Chronicle other things we’d like to make Duke blue:
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ol’ roy’s coat: �������������������������������������������������������������� hon, clee, lisa the old well: �������������������������������������������������������������� will, emmeline andrew dunt: ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� rAc our editorial. oh wait...: ����������������������������������������������������������� drew how many wear twins are there again?: �������� gabe, archith, tullia CH jailbars: ����������������������������������maya, naclerio, christina, addison my basketballs: ��������������������������������������������������������������������������klein those five rags hanging at the dean dome: �������������������������� jessica Barb Starbuck thinks this staff box is a “catastrophe”: ���������� Barb Student Advertising Manager:...............................Margaret Potter Account Executives:.................... Chelsea Canepa, Phil DeGrouchy Liza Doran, Lianna Gao, Ben Masselink Amber Su, Mike Sullivan, Jack Taylor Quinn Wang, Cap Young Creative Services Student Manager............................Christine Hall Creative Services:................................Lauren Bledsoe, Danjie Fang Caitlin Johnson, Megan Meza , Hannah Smith Business Assistant:.........................................................Joslyn Dunn
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B
T-Reqs without teeth?
ased on the decision of Trinity College ad- Ingeborg Walther, associate dean of Trinity Colministrators to review the ill-defined Quan- lege and director of the Office of Curriculum and titative Studies requirements, you might Course Development, was spot on in her diagnosis make the inference that our T-Reqs are cavity-free of the situation. save for a few incisors. “Many students see the curricuYou’d be wrong: They’re practilum as more of a system of hoops cally in need of dentures. Though to jump through rather than a systhey are well-intentioned and gentematic development of skills and erally emphasize appropriate acaabilities they will need for their demic goals, the Trinity College future,” she said. Indeed, compleacademic requirements almost tion of T-Reqs is often treated as an systematically lack specificity and unpleasant chore. focus. This in many cases renders vikram srinivasan Still, though with a few excepthem toothless, to the point where tions, students cannot be expected uncommon they may need a comprehensive reto fully appreciate the breadth and conviction view. purpose of these requirements. In fairness, the matter is signifiThat is why they are students. Part cantly more complex than it seems. of the goal of the requirements, inThe question of what students should study is a deed, is that they might come to do so. loaded one. It is laden with value-judgments reIncentives can be changed to encourage stugarding our goals as an institution, what kinds of dents to be bolder in their academic experimenstudents and members of society we wish to cre- tation and immersion into unfamiliar disciplines. ate and what the purpose and end of education For example, the new pass/fail policy is a step in should be. These are all moral questions, and the right direction. Future reforms, such as one given that there are so many of them, it would be which might allow students to take T-Reqs pass/ unreasonable to expect a clean consensus among fail, though likely controversial, could potentially the faculty and administrators who deliberate over incentivize students to take more rigorous courses them. That we have T-Reqs at all is a bit of a feat. to fill science and humanities requirements withStill, T-Reqs as they currently exist seldom en- out the fear of taking a hit to their GPA. sure that students get a rigorous and meaningful To this, many will respond that such a pass/ exposure to the multiple academic disciplines in a fail option could lead students to further shirk the way that contributes to their intellectual matura- purpose of T-Reqs. Perhaps they are correct. But tion as well-rounded college graduates. the University is fully within its authority to be amOne problem is that some coding designa- bitious and experiment as it reconsiders the QS tions—such as the Civilizations, Cross Cultural In- designation and hopefully other ones as well. quiry and even Arts, Literature and Performance Some students who have been able to fill regoals—are handed out like candy. This, of course, quirements with the easiest coursework may at dilutes the effectiveness of those requirements. first recoil at the prospect of increased structure in Meanwhile, as others have noted, there seems the curriculum. I say, let them. Expecting students to be no consistent principle behind how other to know how to make the most of their education codings, most notably the QS, are distributed. Yet from the time they arrive on campus is like asking more students complain of the difficulty in satis- someone to draw their own map to an unknown fying some requirements, such as that for Ethical destination. Inquiry. Of course, the choice is not a simple one beThis last gripe gives me cause for optimism. tween freedom and structure—it is much more of Perhaps I am too idealistic, but I consider wholly a delicate balancing act. But a case can be made appropriate, if not outright necessary, for the Uni- that freedom in curricular choice thrives most versity to be selective in its issuance of the field when it is subordinated within a clear and inteland method of inquiry codings. These specifica- ligibly structured set of requirements. tions, in a very basic way, are the metric by which So, to the Trinity College administrators: Be the University helps define what makes a Duke bold in your goals for defining the QS Area of grad. I, for one, believe the University has the Knowledge. Even if students resent them now, right to maintain some kind of defined vision for we will thank you for them later. After all, T-Reqs what that should be. without teeth might as well be extinct. The problems however, do not occur solely on administrators’ end. In a Jan. 28 Chronicle article, Vikram Srinivasan is a Trinity senior. His column “Admins look to revamp QS code in curriculum,” runs every other Thursday.
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Paying the piper
Online today metty fisseha i’m just saying
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Don’t be an SOV
D
uke received As in nearly every category of the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card. Indeed, the Board of Trustees has invested substantially in cleaner power generation, mike lefevre LEED building certification and guest column environmental education. Looking around, you’d hardly realize one of the greatest contributors of Duke’s carbon emissions has yet to be addressed. The University’s October 2009 Climate Action Plan highlighted Single Occupancy Vehicles, or SOVs, as the single greatest contributor to Duke’s transportation emissions, but months later, the University has failed to truly regulate vehicles on campus. Duke needs to invest in the behavioral shift that will turn our sprawling campus into a walking city. Ironically, this isn’t an investment at all. It’s a matter of policy. Duke is generous in allowing freshmen to have cars on campus. Many area universities, like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University, require that freshmen park in satellite lots, or they don’t issue freshmen parking permits at all. That Duke freshmen not only have relatively cheap on-campus parking, but also have the most convenient parking on campus, fosters a car-dependence that follows students from the moment they drive onto East Campus. Freshmen understand cars to be a part of campus life, and they develop social behavior that centers on their personal vehicles. Addressing SOVs is the biggest environmental challenge any city or campus can face—bigger than power generation or fleet transportation. Why? Because you can’t solve the problem by throwing money at it. In sprawling North Carolina, it’s nearly impossible to expect people to forgo their cars. Durham was designed for drivers, and despite the high density of homes and businesses in the area, there isn’t a single grocery store in realistic walking distance of West Campus. But freshmen live in downtown Durham, with shops and restaurants just a stone’s throw from the East Campus walls. With frequent, free bus service around campus, and SafeRides in operation at all hours of the night, freshmen will find it easy to get to where they need to be. Pair this with free Duke shuttles to RDU for the holidays and a growing ZipCar fleet on East Campus, and it’s hard to justify having a car in the first place. Ending first-year parking is the first step toward breaking Duke’s unsustainable car culture and creating an interconnected walking community. Unaccustomed to having a car on campus, rising sophomores are more likely to remain carless on West. By issuing permits only to students with demonstrated need, Duke can make its campus a more active residential community and still facilitate the needs of students who absolutely must have cars. Will it ever happen? Though the University tends to pussyfoot around serious policy changes, Duke stands to gain a lot from ending freshman parking. From a logistical standpoint, it’s the key to resolving a number of impending problems for Parking and Transportation Services that would ultimately have doomed campus drivers. As the Medical Center grows, the demand for parking has become untenable and debt service on new parking decks is strangling an already cash-strapped campus services department (the Medical Center freed itself of the financial burden of parking by paying a nominal lump sum when the University’s two parking departments merged in 2003). To accommodate commuters, Parking and Transportation Services leases a number of off-campus lots for employee parking, and provides free shuttle service between these lots and campus. Eliminating freshman parking would let the University abandon its leased lots and shuttle service, and provide convenient parking for employees willing to pay a premium to be on campus. At night, when employees drive home, East Campus won’t look like a busy parking lot anymore—it will look like the close residential community it was intended to be. The rare confluence of environmental, cultural, and financial arguments for ending freshman parking seems to make this policy move a lock for the University. If a decision like this is made before the newest class enrolls, it’s doubtful incoming freshmen will even notice the change. Mike Lefevre is a Trinity junior and chief of staff of Duke Student Government.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 | 19
W
ith the announcement this week of another cord companies who, as OK Go points out, need to put LDOC headliner comes the opportunity to re- food on their tables just like everyone else. Neither are flect on some of the past performers that have YouTube or the artists themselves to blame, as both parplayed student concerts at Duke. ties only want their videos to be seen by as many people Ah, the excitement of seeing a faas possible. If music fans want to point mous entertainer right on our very the finger at anyone, they should point own campus. My heart warms when it at themselves. I remember T.I.’s green M&M’s, Girl Since the birth of Napster, illegal muTalk’s toilet paper cannon and the sic sharers have been living in a world peculiar musings of Third Eye Blind’s that is basically consequence free. Sure, lead singer. Who can forget the Roots’ there’s the occasional high-profile case Tuba Gooding Junior, or Travis from or the friend-of-a-friend who received dan flavin Gym Class Heroes rolling around the a letter from the RIAA, but most music quad on his Segway? downloaders have never experienced in real life For me, one of the most memoeither of these. The YouTube prohibirable performances came two years tion on embedding, however, is a conseago when denizens of K-ville were treated to a concert quence of illegal music sharing all fans must deal with. by rock band OK Go. Three memories stick out in my The chain of causation is quite clear. Music fans stop mind from that night. The first is the band’s sweet light- paying for their music and start consuming it for free up leather jackets. The second is the deft sidestep per- using file sharing technology. Record labels feel the formed by the bassist as an incoming can of beer nearly sting of reduced sales and start looking for other sourchit him in the face. The third is the mirthful gleam I es of revenue. Sites like YouTube are then targeted as saw in the eye of the inebriated student who snuck past a way to make up for some of the money lost through security and climbed up a 15-foot tower of speakers to declines in record sales. perform the most inspiring 10-second air-guitar solo So what, many people think. Record companies are I’ve ever witnessed. big, faceless corporations that already have enough Last week, OK Go made its way back into my life money. Music is about the bands and the people, not in an unexpected way (via “Weird” Al Yankovic’s Twit- the guys in the suits. Why don’t bands just pass on conter account). Yankovic tweeted a link to an open letter tracts with big record companies and go it alone? written by the band to their fans, along with the words There are two problems with this line of thinking. “In case you were wondering… ditto for me.” What fol- First, there is no such thing as a faceless entity. Sooner lowed was a surprisingly insightful and well thought-out or later, record companies will have to cut jobs (real reflection on what goes on in that messy area where art people!) if they don’t make enough money. Second, meets business. record companies provide artists with the money they The impetus behind the letter stems from a conflict need to be able to create music. Recording equipment, involving YouTube and record labels. OK Go is famous sound engineers, producers—these are all necessary for its quirky music videos, particularly the one for components of the music making process, and without “Here It Goes Again” (with the treadmills), and gained the backing of record labels many artists just don’t have widespread notoriety when the videos went viral. Not the money to pay for them. surprisingly, OK Go’s record label (and pretty much all People often argue against illegally downloading the other record labels) wanted a piece of the action music by talking about how it hurts the artists themand demanded that YouTube pay them for using their selves who depend on music sales for their livelihood. artist’s work. As a result, YouTube agreed to pay the own- Perhaps it’s time to add another dimension to that arers of the videos a fee every time the video was viewed. gument. As the restriction on embedding music videos Although it seems like a good solution, there are shows, file sharing has already contributed to a decrease some complications that have gotten some people up- in accessibility. Further reductions in the ability artists set. Foremost among these is that fact that the software have to reach fans may impact the potential for them to used by YouTube to count views, thereby determining build followings and make careers, and what’s more, it how much money is owed, does not allow the videos to may limit the resources record labels are able to combe embedded in other websites. This system effectively mit to bands, ultimately limiting consumer choice. limits the audience a video will have and makes sharing Like it or not, it’s time to start paying the piper. He and spreading the video more difficult. won’t keep playing for free. OK Go and other artists see this restriction as putting their fans at a disadvantage, but who is to blame for Daniel Flavin is a Trinity senior. His column runs every limiting the access to the music? It’s certainly not the re- other Thursday.
20 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 the chronicle
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