February 15, 2010 issue

Page 1

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

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2010

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 95

www.dukechronicle.com

Senate likely 77 DUKE UMD 56 to confirm Terps learn to fear the Zoubek Schroeder Krzyzewski coaches Law prof will head Office of Legal Policy

1,000th game in rout by Sabreena Merchant THE CHRONICLE

The stars were out at Cameron Indoor Stadium Saturday. As head coach Mike Krzyzewski celebrated his 1,000th game on the sidelines at Duke, a number of former members of the program—from Art Heyman to J.J. Redick— came out to honor the man who has become synonymous with Duke Basketball. But on a day that marked a momentous occasion for the Blue Devils’ biggest star, it was an under-the-radar senior who led No. 8 Duke to a 77-56 victory over the Terrapins (16-7, 6-3 in the ACC) in a game that gave the Blue Devils sole possession of first place in the conference. Brian Zoubek had the signature performance of his career, notching a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds in his first start of the season. “Brian was spectacular,” Krzyzewski said. “He played a great game, and he was kind of the difference there because we weren’t hitting as well in other areas.” With Lance Thomas still slowed by the right knee injury he sustained Wednesday against North Carolina, Krzyzewski See zoubek on page 11

by ethan marks THE CHRONICLE

margie truwit/The Chronicle

Duke guard Jon Scheyer and center Brian Zoubek set the tone for Duke Saturday against Maryland: Scheyer with his toughness and late-game scoring, and Zoubek with his emotion and rebounding prowess around the rim.

Almost a year after his original nomination to the Office of Legal Policy at the Department of Justice, Christopher Schroeder’s confirmation is finally in sight. Schroeder, Charles S. Murphy professor of law and public policy studies at Duke School of Law, was first nominated May 21, 2009 by President Barack Obama to head the Office of Legal Policy at the Department of Justice. After the U.S. Senate adjourned in December without acting on Christopher Schroeder’s nomination, Schroeder Obama resubmitted his nomination in January. The nomination was passed on to the Senate floor by a 16-3 vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee Feb. 4. Last week, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., lifted his “blanket hold” on about 70 nominations, paving the way for a confirmation vote by See schroeder on page 6

Chronicle elects Rupp as next editor New judge hears from Staff Reports THE CHRONICLE

ian soileau/The Chronicle

Sophomore Lindsey Rupp was elected to serve as The Chronicle’s volume 106 editor Friday night. Rupp will succeed junior Will Robinson beginning in May.

Giuliani’s suit against Duke

The staff of The Chronicle has elected sophomore Lindsey Rupp to serve as editor of the newspaper’s 106th volume. At a meeting Friday, Rupp—currently University department editor—was appointed editor of The Chronicle and president of the Duke Student Publishing Company, Inc., which publishes the independent student-run daily newspaper. Rupp will succeed junior Will Robinson for a oneyear term beginning in May. As editor, Rupp will determine the newspaper’s content and lead a staff of approximately 150 student reporters, editors, photographers, layout designers and other contributors. “I’m elated that The Chronicle is willing to give me this opportunity,” Rupp said. “It has already done so much for me and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to give back to it... I think I’m in a unique position to help it get better than it already is for next year.” In a speech to the staff Friday, Rupp said one of her biggest focuses for next year will be improving the quality of The Chronicle’s online content

Former Duke golfer Andrew Giuliani is continuing his breach of contract lawsuit against the University, The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported Friday. In the suit, originally filed July 2008, lawyers for Giuliani, Trinity ’09, contend his indefinite suspension from the men’s golf team in Spring 2008 was without cause and thus, the University violated a contract with him as a student-athlete. U.S. District Judge William Osteen listened to oral arguments from lawyers representing Giuliani and the University for more than an hour Thursday. Osteen was assigned the case in June after the original judge, Wallace Dixon, recommended that the suit be dismissed. In his decision, Dixon said neither non-binding student policy manuals nor an offer to play varsity sports at a university constitutes a binding contract, because the

See rupp on page 14

See giuliani on page 16

ONTHERECORD

“I mean, what are they going to do? Come and attack our cows and maple trees?”

­—Dennis Steele on Vermont’s secession attempt. See story page 5

from Staff Reports THE CHRONICLE

Green buses Durham’s new hybrid buses will save the city in fuel money—in 10 years, PAGE 4

Zipcar users left with only one car after Toyota recall, Page 3


2 | monDAY, February 15, 2010 the chronicle

worldandnation

TODAY:

4331

TUESDAY:

4222

Biden, Cheney square off India, Pakistan maintain on Obama’s terror policies summit plans despite attack WASHINGTON, D.C. — Vice President Joe Biden and his predecessor, former Vice President Dick Cheney, squared off on the Sunday television talk shows over whether President Barack Obama’s administration is keeping the nation safe from another terrorist attack. Biden sought to rebut criticisms from Cheney and Republican lawmakers that the Democratic administration is not doing enough to combat terrorists, speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Obama is fighting al-Qaida “with a vigor like it’s never been seen before,” Biden said on NBC. “We’ve eliminated 12 of their top 20 people,” Biden said.“We’ve taken out 100 of their associates.”

JODHPUR, India — India is investigating whether Pakistan was behind an attack that killed nine people in the western city of Pune ahead of peace talks scheduled for next week, officials said Sunday. The U.S.-backed talks are set to be the first high-level dialogue between the nuclear-armed rivals since 10 men from Pakistan carried out a three-day rampage in Mumbai that left 165 people dead in 2008. The attack on Saturday was “a desperate move by terror-driven organizations to prevent amity and cordiality between nations,” India’s External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told reporters in response to a question about whether the talks would be delayed. “We will have to look into probe reports and then evaluate them.”

Courtesy of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation

Chinese sculptor Lei Yixin carefully sculpts the eyelid of a granite head that will be part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial to be erected on the National Mall. The sculpture will be one of the biggest in Washington, D.C. and will finally be completed after 14 years of challenges and controversy.

EDITOR’S NOTE Due to technical problems resulting from a power outage, an unedited version of the story “Jensen labels pornography ‘degradation’” was published in Friday’s newspaper. The correct version of the story has been published online at www.dukechronicle. com. Please contact Will Robinson (wrr3@duke.edu) if you have further questions.

Th i s we e k a t D u ke . . . . MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Creative Cover Letter Writing McClendon 2nd floor Media Room, 7 - 8 p.m. Members of the Career Center and the Career Ambassadors Team (CATs) will be on-hand. Registration required.

”Death and the Maiden” with Ariel Dorfman in person Griffith Theater, 7 - 9 p.m. Part of a film series celebrating the 25 years of playwright/author/activist Ariel Dorfman’s relationship with Duke.

New York Times Journalist Andrea Elliott Speaks Sanford 102, 1 - 2:30 p.m. Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Andrea Elliott is among the most distinguished chroniclers of Muslim life in America.

“So my genome costs less than my bike: what’s the big deal?” The Future of the Human Body Westbrook 12, 6 p.m. Bob Cook-Deegan speaks on genomics, technology, and cracking the code.

Duke Jazz Ensemble with Kevin Mahogany, vocalist Baldwin Auditorium, 8 - 10 p.m. Mahogany has made eleven CDs as a leader, and quite a few as a sideman. $10 general, $5 students/senior citizens.

The Sanford School of Public Policy and the Center for Documentary Studies present

Something More Out of Life A photography exhibit by Gretchen Ferber Artist’s talk and reception Thursday, February 18, 5:30 p.m. Rubenstein Hall, Room 200 Photographer Gretchen Ferber created portraits of students in the Adult Literacy Program in Boston during her Lewis Hine Fellowship. Introduction by Alex Harris, director of the Lewis Hine Fellows program. Remarks by Rebecca Shaffer of the Durham Literacy Center.

“What does this picture represent? Change. Maturity. I’ve come a long way. Even from this picture.” —Angela

The exhibit is on display at the Sanford School of Public Policy on the first floor of Rubenstein Hall during working hours. Free and open to the public. Parking in the Science Drive Visitors’ Lot or in the Bryan Center. For details, please contact Jackie Ogburn (919) 613-7315 or jko@duke.edu


the chronicle

monDAY, February 15, 2010 | 3

Zipsters bear brunt of Toyota recall Blown fuse in Page caused power outage by Caitlin Johnson THE CHRONICLE

Members of the Duke community affected by the Toyota recall have been forced to choose between altering their daily routines or just hoping their vehicles continue to function normally. A large portion of those whose day-to-day activities have been disrupted are Zipcar users at Duke. Zipsters, as members of the carsharing service are called, rely on the availability of Zipcar’s fleet, which includes three Toyota Prius cars and three Toyota Matrix cars, according to the University’s Zipcar Web site. All of these vehicles are subject to recalls. On Feb. 8, Toyota recalled thousands of its latest-model Camrys and almost half a million 2010 Priuses and other hybrid cars to fix steering and braking problems. This decision came in the wake of the more than eight million vehicles that Toyota has recalled in the past months worldwide for gas pedals sticking to or becoming entrapped in floor mats and related glitches. “We remain in close contact with Toyota on all safety-related recalls, and will pull any impacted cars from our fleet immediately,” Zipcar wrote in an e-mail sent out to Zipsters. “We are making sure that there are Zipcars available on your campus.” Nonetheless, the vehicle removal has impacted Zipsters ability to make reservations. “It’s pretty inconvenient be-

A blown fuse in Page Auditorium caused a power outage that affected several campus locations Thursday night. Power was lost around 10:05 p.m. in the Bryan Center, West Union building, Flowers building, Hanes House, School of Nursing, Parking Garage IV and parts of the Medical Center and Perkins Library, according to a University news release Friday. Most locations regained Chronicle file photo

With its entire Duke fleet subject to the Toyota recalls, including the Prius model (above), Zipcar left only one car—a Toyota Matrix—available to its Duke users. cause West Campus Zipcar selection has gone from four cars to one car,” sophomore Will Beckman, a Zipcar member, said. “Toyota Matrixes are not for rent—it’s hard to get a car when I want it.” Despite the difficulty of renting a car, Beckman is glad that Zipcar is complying with the recall. While driving one of Zipcars’ 2010 Priuses, he said he experienced some problems. While riding in the car with another Zipcar member, Beckman noticed that when the break was activated, the traction control light and the corresponding beep went off, leaving him unsure if the

brakes would malfunction. “I have a Prius at home, so I was confused because it is an electricity-based car,” he said. “Is it just a light going on, or are the brakes going to disengage on their own? It happened more than once... we weren’t moving both times.” Beckman did not report this instance to Zipcar and it is impossible to know how many similar experiences have gone unreported. Zipcar spokesperson John Williams said he had not heard of any complaints from Zipcar users at Duke, adding that student safety See zipcar on page 15

power within an hour and all locations regained electricity by about 3 a.m. Friday morning. The Chronicle’s office in Flowers was without power for approximately 5 hours. The news release states that no evacuations were needed in the affected medical buildings. Aurel Selezeanu, assistant director for electrical utilities, declined to comment early Friday morning. —from staff reports

ACW to open $4.9M facility in Durham by Kevin Woodcock THE CHRONICLE

U.K.-based contract manufacturing company ACW Technologies Ltd. will open a new $4.9 million manufacturing facility in Durham. The new Durham facility will employ anywhere from 150 to 200 employees. ACW specializes in assembling electromechanical products such as computers, digital video recorders and printed circuit boards. “Durham was in competition with several other sites in the

Triangle and the eastern seaboard,” said Casey Steinbacher, president and chief executive officer of Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce. “They chose Durham because they could fill their positions with the talent pool here. And honestly, that’s the biggest reason we get companies to come here.” The agreement included a $120,000 incentive package from the city of Durham and the One North Carolina Fund, See acw on page 15


4 | monDAY, February 15, 2010 the chronicle

After earthquake, Haiti course DATA hybrid explores local culture, language buses expected by Will Hyung THE CHRONICLE

A devastating earthquake has pushed Haiti into national focus, but many students are unfamiliar with the island’s people and culture. Deborah Jenson, a French studies professor, hopes to change this with a new Creole linguistics and culture course titled “Haitian Creole for the Haitian Recovery.” The new course is listed in the French department. It was organized after the earthquake by several students and faculty who were part of a Creole studies class. Jenson said the class is geared specifically toward cultural sensitization and linguistic preparation for relief efforts.

“I think a lot of people really have no conception of what Haitian culture is like,” Jenson said. “When one simply has background media-based knowledge of Haiti, one tends to only be familiar with labels like ‘the poorest country in the western hemisphere’… but being familiar with the basic history and cultural infrastructure is very important for any relief work.” Although the course was created late in the registration period and stayed open for only five days, it gathered significant interest not just from undergraduates, but from graduate students and various professionals in See haiti course on page 16

to cut cost, fuel by Jeremy Ruch THE CHRONICLE

They’re mean, green, more fuel-efficient machines. The Durham Area Transit Authority debuted 20 diesel-electric hybrid buses last December. The buses— which feature advanced wheelchair accessibility, audio instructions for the visually impaired and a funky color scheme voted on by city residents—have been deployed on various DATA routes, and are estimated to be 20 to 45 percent more fuel-efficient than regular diesel buses, according to a December 2009 City of Durham news release. “All of the feedback that we’ve received from passengers as well as our operators has been positive,” said DATA Public Affairs Specialist Ieshia Robertson. “The city has made a decision that any buses we order in the future will be hybrid buses.” Initial projections indicate that the buses—which cost $10.7 million—are expected to return the investment through savings on fuel and maintenance costs within eight to 10 years, Robertson added. The savings figures, however, depend on how the buses are utilized. For example, the buses are more efficient in stop-and-go traffic since the hybrid technology recaptures heat released by the brakes. Federal funding provided $8.5 million of the buses’ costs. The North Carolina Department of Transportation and the city of Durham contributed $1.1 million each. “These buses are kept for 12 to 14 years, so the payback for the cost premium is certainly effective,” said Brian Macleod, senior vice president of the Gillig corporation, which produces the hybrid buses. Not every implementation of hybrid buses has gone smoothly. In October 2008, the Toronto Transit Commission reevaluated its hybrid program partly because new hybrid bus models did not follow through on projected savings. Toronto city officials attributed the problem to malfunction of the buses’ lead-acid batteries but, according to a news story in the Toronto Star, there has been speculation that the city’s suburban bus routes weren’t suitable for hybrids. “We did have problems with the issue of the batteries dying much sooner than we expected,” said Danny Nicholson, a spokesperson for the TTC. “The batteries were supposed to last about 5 years and a lot of them were breaking down after about 18 months.” After the Toronto city buses were retrofitted with new lithium-ion batteries, they have performed up to expectations, Nicholson added. North Carolina state officials said they are optimistic about the new Gillig buses, which use nickel-metal hydride batteries. “We are definitely seeing a trend in moving toward these types of buses in North Carolina,” Jennifer Garifo, communications officer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, wrote in an e-mail. “We’ve received positive feedback from the systems that have incorporated these buses into their fleets. They’re showing reduced fuel costs and longer life.”

caroline rodriguez/The Chronicle

Durham Area Transit Authority’s new hybrid buses are expected to return the initial investment of $10.7 million within 10 years.


the chronicle

monDAY, February 15, 2010 | 5

Ex-prof leads Vermont Durham startup aims for secession movement originality in networking site by Sony Rao

THE CHRONICLE

Secessionists have lain virtually dormant since the Civil War era, but a group of Vermonters, led by a former Duke professor, have decided to revive the rebel yell once again. In 2003, Thomas Naylor, a former Duke economics professor, founded a group of secessionists with the goal of creating an independent country—Second Vermont Republic. The movement gained new momentum Jan. 15 when nine candidates running for state posiThomas Naylor tions met and declared that they officially wanted to secede from the United States. The secessionists’ grievances are rooted in U.S. involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in its support for Israel, Naylor said. The group also believes that the United States—or what they call the “empire”—is owned and operated by Wall Street. “In our view, the empire has lost moral authority,” Naylor said. “So the question is, ‘Do you go down with the Titanic or seek other options on the table?’” Naylor, whose book, “The Vermont Manifesto,” outlines the foundations of the secessionist movement, also said that Vermont would be able to sustain itself economically if it became an independent nation.

Duke

“We are not advocating economic isolationism,” Naylor said. “We might actually thrive as an independent nation because it would free up entrepreneurial forces, and free us from the yoke of the federal government.” Naylor cited Japan as an example of a nation that depends on imports for both food and oil supply, yet is still one of the richest countries in the world. Dennis Steele, who runs Free Vermont Radio and is Second Vermont’s candidate for the state’s gubernatorial election this November, also believes that Vermont has a strong economic base. He said the current economic downturn is the result of imprudent practices on Wall Street. “Our government is owned and operated by corporate America and doesn’t answer [to] the people any more,” Steele said. “The population is too big and ungovernable—secession is the only alternative.” An independent Vermont could sustain itself on its local agriculture, a sector in which the state is ahead of the United States by about 20 years technologically, Steele said. In terms of defense, the secessionist leaders do not foresee a need for an army to protect an independent Vermont, noting that Vermont is currently the only state in the nation with no permanent military base. “I don’t think we would have any threats to our borders because we have no strategic See secession on page 14

Duke University Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award

Nomination letters are due by March 8, 2010 In 2003, Duke University re-joined approximately 50 other Southern universities in presenting the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. This award program, sponsored by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, recognizes one graduating senior and one member of the faculty, staff, or graduate student body of Duke University and Health System for their outstanding commitment to service. The New York Southern Society established the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards in 1925 in memory of Mr. Sullivan, a southerner who became a prominent lawyer, businessman and philanthropist in New York in the late nineteenth century. The award seeks to perpetuate the excellence of character and humanitarian service of Algernon Sydney Sullivan by recognizing and honoring such qualities in others. • Recognition of Selflessness • Generosity of Service • Nobility of Character • Person of Integrity • Depth of Spirituality Mr. Sullivan was a man who “reached out both hands in constant helpfulness to others.” The guidelines to the Award describe him as an accomplished lawyer, a mediator, a powerful orator, a noted philanthropist, a courageous citizen during perilous times, as well as a deeply spiritual and devoted family man. Duke University is giving this award to a graduating senior and a member of the faculty, staff, or graduate student body who exhibit the qualities of Mr. Sullivan. These qualities of service, character and spirituality are recognized in their practical application to daily living. Nobility of character is a criterion that is defined by the foundation as “when one goes outside the narrow circle of self-interest and begins to spend himself for the interests of mankind.” The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award committee desires that this prestigious opportunity for recognition be available to student and employee alike regardless of their role at the University. This ensures that all who make significant contributions to the community and who lead lives of integrity, will be considered as candidates for this unique award. For more information or to nominate a candidate, contact Sam Miglarese (for faculty/ staff/graduate student nominations) at sam.miglarese@duke.edu or Domonique Redmond (for Duke senior nominations) at dredmond@duke.edu. The nomination form is available at www.provost.duke.edu/sullivan.htm For other ways to recognize student leadership and service, visit http://osaf.studentaffairs.duke.edu/leadership/awards.html

by Aziza Sullivan THE CHRONICLE

This year, Nathan Wieler hopes to join the ranks of founders of popular social networking sites Facebook and LinkedIn with his own startup, Original Projects. The Durham-based company has released the beta version of its Web site, which operates as a network for people hoping to begin, develop and share their own interests, hobbies and ideas. Wieler said his main reason for starting the Web site was to bridge the gap he saw in social networking between businesses—with

Web sites such as LinkedIn—and pleasure—with Web sites like Facebook. “I was really seeing a void in the market when it comes to popular social networks. There’s this whole other part of our lives, the things that we’re passionate about. If you come up with this great idea, there’s no great site where you think, ‘I have to put that there.’ I think that’s the next step in social networking.... That doesn’t exist and that’s what we’re directing our company to be.” See startup on page 15


6 | monDAY, February 15, 2010 the chronicle

schroeder from page 1 the full Senate in the next few weeks. “[The nomination] was a surprise in that I hadn’t anticipated doing anything in the administration,” Schroeder said, “But I am delighted to be thought of as someone to take over the Office of Legal Policy.” Schroeder said he could be confirmed in as little as two weeks, but he left open the possibility that the process could take much longer or that he could not be confirmed at all, depending on what happens in the Senate. “It’s largely a matter of what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid [D-Nev.] is thinking, and I don’t know what he’s thinking,” Schroeder said. “I’m ready to go whenever the Senate confirms me.” As assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Policy, Schroeder would serve as the primary policy advisor to the attorney general and the deputy attorney general. He would also be responsible for advising and assisting the president and the attorney general in the selection and confirmation of federal judges. Schroeder has previously served as acting assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice in former president Bill Clinton’s administration. He was also general counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee when it was chaired by then-senator Joe Biden. Sen. Ted Kaufman [D-Del.] was Biden’s chief of staff when he first met Schroeder in 1985. Schroeder and Kaufman are currently co-teaching a class for the Federal Policy Process program in the Duke School

of Law’s Duke in D.C. program. “His experience is perfect for the kind of position he’ll be taking,” Kaufman said. “He is very smart, has great integrity and principles and is a great manager. He personifies what the country is looking for in its top officials at the Justice Department.” Paul Haagen, professor of law and senior associate dean for academic affairs at the law school, has been Schroeder’s colleague for 25 years. “When a faculty member returns to Duke after having served in the government, it brings a richness of understanding of Washington back to Duke, and provides valuable insights into our work here at the law school,” he said. Frances Presma, assistant director of communications at Duke Law, wrote in an e-mail that Duke currently has two professors on leave to serve in the government. Arti Rai, the Elvin R. Latty professor of law, is presently serving as administrator for external affairs at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Stuart Benjamin, the Douglas B. Maggs chair in law, is currently the inaugural distinguished visiting scholar in residence at the Federal Communications Commission. Schroeder said he does not have any idea how long he will be in the post if he is confirmed, but he anticipates coming back to teach at Duke after he steps down. “What I most enjoy about my career is being mainly based in the University but being able to take time off to do government work,” he said. “It is really the combination of government and academic work which has made me so far very satisfied.”

www.dukechronicle.com Coming g up p at tthe Franklin Humanities Institute Wednesday, February 17

Notes on Citizenship and Belonging: Afro-Cubans in the U.S. Discuss Race in Las Americas

Monika Gosin, Duke Unive rsity

Presented with the Program in Latino/a Studies in the Global South

ruary 24 Wednesday, Feb Colonial

ies and Migration Stor e 16th-century án Disputes in th ión de Michoac cript the Relac us an M an ic ta so Mex ersity of Minne iv ador Pujol, Un Angélica Afan llow Fe LS AC n/ ello 2009-10 FHI M

12:00pm, 240 Franklin Ce nter

Franklin Center 12:00pm, 240

Thursday, February 18

A Measure of Remorse: Panel Discussion

Hong-An Truong; Nayong Aimee Kwon, Asian & Middle Eastern Studie s; Fred Moten, English; Dwayne Dixon, Cultural Anthropology (Moderato r) Co-sponsored by Asian & Mid

dle Eastern Studies, Asian/Pa cific Studies Institute, Center for Documentary Studies, Cultural Anthropology, FHI Interdiscipli nary Working Group on Tran s-Asian Screen Cultures and the Pro gram in Women’s Studies

ry 25 Thursday, Februa roundtable

ure and After Eve: a lect ick Kosofsky Sedgw an in honor of Eve the Good Life,

After on the Impasse: Notes carity Cinema of Pre

6:00pm, Center for Docum entary Studies

, Lauren Berlant icago Ch of ty Universi U

d White 5 00pm, Richar 5: Auditorium A

Friday - Saturday, February 19 - 20

Forum on European Expa nsion and Global Interaction (FEEGI) 8th Bie nnial Conference European Empire, Expansi on, and CrossCultural Exchange, c. 145 0-1850

Presented with support from the FHI and other organization s

240 Franklin Center, visit feegi.org for program

www.fhi.duke.edu

fhi@duke.edu

919-668-2401

Roundtable

ce, Maurice Walla Tyler Curtain, , nt rla Be en Laur an Robyn Wiegm

uke Parlors m in 7:00pm, East D xualities, Progra in the study of se ram in Literature th the program Presented wi English and Prog , Department of ies ud St ’s en om W


sportswrap the chronicle

february 15, 2010

OUT OF HIS WAY

Zoubek’s career day cements Duke’s ACC lead maya robinson/THE CHRONICLE

MEN’S LACROSSE: SEASON OPENS WITH A BANG • ONLINE: PHOTO SLIDESHOWS FROM THE WEEKEND


8 | Monday, February 15, 2010

the chronicle

MEN’S LACROSSE

Bison push Duke to the brink in OT opener by Danny Vinik THE CHRONICLE

Two weeks ago, it was senior Max Quinzani saving Duke from defeat. On Saturday, it was junior Zach Howell. On Jan. 31, Quinzani scored the game winner with just 5.8 seconds remaining to cap off the Blue Devils’ comefrom-behind victory against the U.S.National Team. In the Blue Devils’ first game since then, Howell scored 15 seconds into overtime to lift Duke BUCK 11 to a 12-11 win over Bucknell. Tied at 11 at the end of regulation, DUKE 12 the game entered overtime, and just a few seconds in, Howell sprinted ahead on a fast break and scored to give the Blue Devils the win. Senior Ned Crotty led the Blue Devils with a goal and five assists, while Howell and Quinzani both scored four goals apiece. No. 2 Duke (1-0) begins the season looking to improve upon last year’s trip to the Final Four, which ended with a semifinal loss to Syracuse. Saturday’s victory marks the Blue Devils’ first of the season, but it did not come easy. The Blue Devils failed to score in the first quarter while No. 19 Bucknell (0-1) netted three goals. Each team scored five in the second period as Duke entered the locker room down 8-5. Head coach John Danowski knew that the Blue Devils had played better in the first half than the scoreline read, and if they continued playing their game, things would turn around. “In the box defense, we were playing well,” Danowski said. “It was only 8-5 and [we] just [had to] keep working at it. We just needed to make one play at a time…That’s what the guys did.” In the third quarter, the Blue Devils outscored the Bison 3-1 to enter the fourth down just a goal. Duke struck first in the final period, tying the game at nine, but Bucknell refused to back down and scored the next two to give the Bison an 11-9 advantage with five minutes remaining. “Bucknell was terrific,” Danowski said, “They were really talented. They had a great plan and their good players really stepped up. They played hard for 60 minutes.” samantha sheft/The Chronicle

Junior Zach Howell’s overtime goal gave the Blue Devils a tougher-than-expected win over Bucknell Saturday afternoon in Powder Springs, Ga.

See m. lax on page 14

green in 3

Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment presents

green in 3

1

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.


the chronicle

Monday, February 15, 2010 | 9

Women’s basketball

65 53 Duke sneaks by persistent Hokies on road by Rachel Apostoles THE CHRONICLE

BLACKSBURG, Va. — The No. 8 Blue Devils delivered a heartbreaking Valentine’s Day loss to Virginia Tech Sunday, defeating the Hokies 65-53 at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg. Despite an inconsistent offensive performance, Duke, led by junior Jasmine Thomas, maintained its composure in the final minutes of the game to come away with its third win of the week. After posting less-than-stellar offensive performances against North Carolina and N.C. State earlier this week, Thomas showed her resiliency, registering a game-high 22 points. The All-America candidate was a pillar of offensive consistency for the Blue Devils in what was otherwise a spotty showing. Thomas was an efficient 8-of-15 from the field against the Hokies. But Thomas, always the team player, said that scoring was not her focus coming into the game. “It always feels good to hit your shots, but it wasn’t something that was on my mind,” Thomas said. Duke (21-4, 9-1 in the ACC) found an offensive rhythm early, sparked by treys on consecutive possessions from Thomas. Joy Cheek and Karima Christmas balanced out the Blue Devil offense to build up a 13-point lead with 11:37 remaining in the first half. The Hokies, however, driven by 3-point field goals from Lindsay Biggs and Shanel Harrison, responded with seven unanswered points. Virginia Tech (1312, 2-8) whittled Duke’s lead to four to close of the first half. The second half featured more of the same offensively for the Blue Devils. Brief periods of hot shooting were followed by intermittent lags that kept the Hokies in the game, and with 7:50 remaining, Virginia Tech took the lead for the first time since tipoff. After trading the lead four

Women’s tennis

Tar Heels send Blue Devils crashing out of Team Indoors For the first time this young season, No. 1 Duke was legitimately challenged by several rivals, and surprisingly, that challenge resulted in the Blue Devils’ first loss of the season—and to North Carolina, to boot. After reaching the semifinals of the ITA National Team Indoors, Duke (7-1) lost the doubles point and eventually the match to the No. 11 Tar Heels, 4-3. North Carolina advanced to Monday’s championship, where it will take on No. 2 Northwestern. The Blue Devils fell behind early after losing two of three doubles matches, and were down 2-0 before they knew it when No. 1 Reka Zsilinszka was beaten in

straight sets. But Duke battled back to tie the score at 3-3, leaving only second seed Ellah Nze on the court locked in a third set with Tar Heel Sanaz Marand. Marand led a close match late and managed to close it out to send her team to the championship round. “One of the reasons we always play this tournament is to play in matches like this,” head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “And I think we showed we can compete with anyone in the country this weekend. It’s similar to the situation we were in last year losing to a top team and then coming See w. tennis on page 13

®

AT&T and the Duke University Computer Store

...a winning combination.

See hokies on page 13

Your on-campus source offering a full-range of AT&T wireless products and services. Visit our store and ask about discounts for faculty, staff, and students. Valid at this location only.

Lower Level, Bryan Center Phone: 919.684.8956 cpustore@duke.edu www.dukestores.duke.edu/cpustore

VISIT THE AT&T KIOSK at the DUKE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER STORE. Phone: 919.688.4359 Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 6pm

xavier watson/The Chronicle

Junior Jasmine Thomas found her shooting stroke Sunday against Virginia Tech after having struggled in two consecutive ACC contests.

Department of Duke University Stores®


10 | Monday, February 15, 2010

Nolan Smith keeps Vasquez quiet by Ben Cohen THE CHRONICLE

It was last year that Greivis Vasquez, the fiery point guard that makes Maryland go, ensured that he would have the rapt attention of the Cameron Crazies whenever his Terrapins came to Cameron Indoor Stadium. “That’s my house,” Vasquez said of Duke’s home Game floor. “I love goin there.” Analysis ingEven if Maryland isn’t Duke’s rival, those are still fighting words, and ever since, the give-and-take between Vasquez and Duke’s fan base has evolved into something of a mutual respect. Vasquez talks to players, fans and referees—anyone who will listen, really. He holds his follow-through. He shimmy-shakes. He looks tauntingly at the bleachers after daggers. He’s got swagger, and he revels in the attention, and opposing fans are sure to shower him with that attention. But last year, when the Venezuelan exited sullenly near the end of Maryland’s 40-point shellacking in Durham, Vasquez sat down and, again, looked at the Cameron Crazies. This time, he nodded in the recognition that Cameron, clearly, was not his house. It wasn’t a particularly friendly abode Saturday, either. But that

had little to do with the translation of traditional English jeers into Spanish—the fans even chanted “¡Nuestra Casa!” in the last minute of Duke’s 77-56 victory—and more to do with the defensive pressure of Nolan Smith, who limited the ACC’s fourth-leading scorer to just four points in the game’s first 29 minutes. In that time, the Blue Devils built a 20-point lead en route to yet another ACC pounding, increasing their margin of victory in home league games to 18.8 points. “He does like to talk,” Smith said of Vasquez, his counterpart. “But after last year’s game, when he talked before coming in here, he’s been quiet.” Smith was primarily responsible for silencing Vasquez—on the scoreboard, and thus, in decibels—as he drew the toughest assignment in Duke’s man-to-man scheme. It’s no scouting secret that all good teams try to force elite players into doing things they’re not as comfortable doing. Vasquez, a big, powerful point guard who thrives on guile, prefers to slow the game down and use his frame to body up smaller defenders. “I look at myself as a great defender, someone who can lock someone down,” Smith said. “[Vasquez is] not a jet. He’s kind of like Jon [Scheyer]. He’s not like an Ishmael Smith that’s

gonna blow by you. He’s just crafty, and he gets to where needs to get to.” So instead of letting Vasquez go where he needed to go, Smith forced him left. Smith sped him up by playing him low. He contested his floaters. Those little tweaks led to larger frustrations, and nowhere was it more noticeable than in the box score, where Vasquez was held scoreless for the game’s first 16 minutes. His teammates didn’t do much to pick up the burden, as the Terrapins trailed by 16 at halftime, shot 0-for-7 from deep in the first half and only 2-of-13 from 3-point range over 40 minutes. “If you look at our team, I’d assume that they would come into the game to try and stop [Vasquez],” Maryland head coach Gary Williams said. “When you have a good player and the other team is really focused on that player, you must do things in your offense well: screen, passes, spacing. We didn’t do much of that in the first half.” “At times, I felt he was frustrated,” said Smith, who harried Vasquez into four turnovers. “He never got anything going, and that can wear on someone throughout the game.” Naturally, Vasquez’s sparring partners in the wooden bleachers weren’t shy about reminding him of his goose egg, peppering him with bilingual taunts throughout. For most of the contest, it was a lopsided

tête-à-tête. Vasquez isn’t one to talk out of turn, and because Smith had suffocated him, he had also effectively muzzled him. Until, that is, Vasquez went off in the second half. From the 11:01 mark until 9:26 remained in the second half, Vasquez scored on four straight possessions, slicing the Blue Devils’ lead from 19 to 10 and giving the Terrapins the only glimmer of opportunity they saw all afternoon. After his last jumper, which gave Vasquez 13 points when he had four just minutes earlier, he offered a quick glance at the Cameron Crazies to his left. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was cornered into calling a timeout to stem the momentum, and before jogging to his bench, Vasquez snapped his head to glare at the students again. Game on, his stare said. Vasquez, however, seemed to have forgotten that this wasn’t his freshman year, when Maryland left with a win, and the Terrapins still trailed by 10. It was the closest they would get to the lead in the second half, as minutes later, the margin would swell back to 20. By the time Vasquez left the Cameron floor, for the last time, with 1:36 left, he was Maryland’s leading scorer with 17 points. Duke led by 23, and it was almost as if no one had noticed he was gone.

Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez put up dece

bythenumbers 17: Rebounds by center Bri-

an Zoubek Saturday. Eight of those boards came on the offensive glass.

2: Points by Terrapin guard Greivis Vasquez in the first half. Duke led Maryland by 16 at the intermission. 7: Turnovers committed by Duke, a season low. 3: Blocks by Kyle Singler, including a run-halting block on Maryland’s Cliff Tucker.

zoube

looked to i frontcourt— Duke (2 first half on formance f his presenc Devils shot put up 37 portunities “I think tion,” Zoub and make s I’m going night.” Zoubek g riod to help points. Alth per game, smaller Ter above the r

maya robinson/The Chronicle

Freshman Mason Plumlee sliced toward the basket and through the Maryland defense on this play Saturday afternoon. Plumlee finished with seven points.

Kyle Singler scored only 10 points against Maryland, but his two de


the chronicle | 11

margie truwit/The Chronicle

ent numbers, including 17 points, but Nolan Smith’s hounding defense limited him from imposing himself on the game.

bek from page 1

insert another veteran into the starting —and Zoubek did not disappoint. 21-4, 9-2) built up a 16-point lead in the n hot shooting, including a 5-of-10 perfrom beyond the arc. But Zoubek made ce felt in the second half when the Blue t only 37.1 percent, and the team still points off of multiple second-shot ops in the paint. k [starting] added a little extra motivabek said. “I wanted to secure my spot sure they know that when I’m in there, to be helping the team. I did that to-

grabbed seven offensive boards in the pep the Blue Devils score 12 second-chance hough the center only averages 5.3 points he had a number of putbacks over the rrapins, including some surprising plays rim.

maya robinson/The Chronicle

eep 3-pointers helped keep the Terrapins in a hole.

The senior had the highlight of the game early in the second half. Junior Kyle Singler misfired on a 3-pointer from the top of the key, and Zoubek cleaned up the miss with a powerful dunk, earning a raucous ovation from the bench and the entire stadium. “The dunk shocked the world,” junior Nolan Smith said. “ESPN should make that top 10 right now.” Despite the senior’s efforts, the Terrapins made a run to cut the lead to ten with just over nine minutes remaining, yet the Blue Devils continued to make plays on the boards to maintain a comfortable margin. On one possession, freshman Andre Dawkins let it fly from 3-point range early in the shot clock, and Singler kept the possession alive and fed Dawkins again, who missed once more. Zoubek picked up the rebound and tipped the ball in on his second try, giving Duke a 19-point advantage. “We’ve been able to rebound against the Florida States and Wake Forests, which are also big front lines, but we just couldn’t do it today,” Maryland head coach Gary Williams said. “I thought it was just in keeping with the way we moved, trying to run the offense, trying to play good man-toman defense—I thought that we didn’t move very well in any of those areas, and that carried right over to the rebounding.” The Terrapins particularly struggled in the opening period. Leading scorer Greivis Vasquez missed his first four shots, and the team’s only meaningful offensive production came off the bench from forward Cliff Tucker, who chipped in with 12 points. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils got off to a fast start, highlighted by an alley-oop from Smith to Mason Plumlee at the 14-minute mark. Smith continued to move the ball well in the first half and finished with five assists, including three off of wide-open 3-pointers by Scheyer and Singler. Scheyer led the team with 22 points, and Singler and Smith added 10 and 14 points, respectively. But the story of the game was Zoubek and his ability to produce a breakout performance after a series of solid efforts in the ACC. “He should be getting a lot of credit with what he’s done with himself as a basketball player from where he was as a freshman to where he is now,” Williams said. “He is a guy that really found a way to enjoy his college basketball career.” On a day that was full of milestones, Zoubek gave the Blue Devils yet another reason to celebrate.

margie truwit/The Chronicle

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski (top) celebrated his 1,000th game at Duke, and Blue Devil center Brian Zoubek (bottom) played the best game of his career in a crucial contest against Maryland that kept Duke atop the ACC standings.


12 | Monday, February 15, 2010

the chronicle

Women’s Lacrosse

Diverse attack keys Blue Devils in 2 big wins by Chris Cusack THE CHRONICLE

Duke dashed out of the gate over the weekend, running circles around Denver and No. 11 Vanderbilt to start the year with two wins. On Sunday, the Blue Devils (2-0) faced a tough test in Nashville against the Commodores 6 (0-1). Even though DEN DUKE 16 Vanderbilt lost in the first round of NCAA tournaDUKE 19 the ment last season, VANDY 10 Duke’s most recent loss to the Commodores came only two years ago in its final regular season game. The Blue Devil offense was led by Virginia Crotty and Kat Thomas, who each netted four

margie truwit/chronicle file photo

Sarah Bullard’s two goals Sunday helped Duke earn an impressive victory against No. 11 Vanderbilt.

goals en route to a 19-10 victory. Duke outshot Vanderbilt 39-24 and never trailed in the contest, holding the Commodores scoreless for the final 13 minutes. Sophomore goalie Mollie Mackler added nine saves on the day to keep what head coach Kerstin Kimel called a “prolific” offense in check. “Overall, I’m really happy,” co-captain Sarah Bullard said. “That was a great way to open the season, set a good tone.” The win over Vanderbilt built on a dominating performance against Denver in the first game of the weekend. On Friday, the No. 5 Blue Devils played staunch defense, forcing 26 Pioneer turnovers to win 16-6. Bullard and fellow co-captain Lindsay Gilbride paced the Blue Devils on offense against the Pioneers (1-2), scoring four and two goals, respectively. Eight more Duke players found the back of the net, including freshman Monica DeMairo, who earned her first career goal. “We know there are a lot of kids on the field who can score for us—I guess I’m just pleased that we had so many people wind up in the scoring column tonight,” Kimel said. “With a younger group, you kind of roll the ball out and see how we do and you’re not always sure what you can expect, but I was really pleased with how they did tonight.” Early in the game, Denver did all it could to keep pace with the hard-charging Blue Devils, cutting short Duke scoring runs to keep the deficit at three after the first 14 minutes. The Pioneers were anchored by several point-blank saves by goalie Ashley Harman that kept the Blue Devils from turning a huge possession advantage into an equally large lead.

margie truwit/Chronicle file photo

Senior Lindsay Gilbride was one of an impressive four Blue Devils to score at least three goals against Vanderbilt. “Our offensive unit is actually a little less experienced than our defensive unit,” Kimel said. “The only thing I would have liked to have seen us be able to do better is capitalize better on those turnovers.” The second half saw extended possessions from the Duke attack as the team practiced different offensive sets. Defensively, the Blue Devils were just as effective at hounding Denver, frustrating the Pioneers into bad passes and poor shots. “Our goal was to keep them to six goals

or under on defense,” Bullard said. “We were all over them defensively and made them cough up the ball a lot.” Although Duke earned success this weekend with relentless abandon in all facets of the game, Gilbride warned against relying on that style of play in the future. “Our team totally has a lot of potential, but we just saw spurts of so much energy and excitement on the field,” Gilbride said. “For me, it’s just about patience, and it’s all going to come together.”

Term 1: May 19 - July 1 Term 2: July 6-August 15

Science in the Summer!

Term 1:

BIOCHEM 227 BIOLOGY 25L CHEM 31L CHEM 151L CHEM 152L EOS 11 EVANTH 93 EVANTH 133L EVANTH 134L EVANTH 234L EVANTH 280S PHYSICS 53L PHYSICS 55

Term 2:

CHEM 151L CHEM 152L EVANTH 93 PHYSICS 54L

Registration begins February 22!

summersession.duke.edu


the chronicle

Monday, February 15, 2010 | 13

w. tennis from page 9 back to beat them later in the season. We will be looking forward to the regular season match with North Carolina.” Earlier in the tournament, Duke struggled only slightly. After defeating host Wisconsin 6-1 in the opening round, the Blue Devils faced a much bigger challenge in the form of No. 8 Southern California in the quarterfinals. Against the Trojans Saturday, Duke’s top two doubles teams recorded victories to earn the Blue Devils the double point. That turned out to be crucial, as Zsilinszka lost her match at the top of the ledger. However, the Blue Devils’ third, fourth and fifth seeds—Elizabeth Plotkin, Amanda Granson and Monica Gorny—all won in straight sets to send Duke to the semifinals against North Carolina. “We have had a lot of wins, but this is the first time we’ve played a team of this caliber,” Ashworth said after defeating the Trojans Saturday. “It was our first tough match and it was good to have a win like this.” Duke returns to the court against No. 16 Michigan Feb. 20. —from staff reports xavier watson/The Chronicle

Duke’s tight perimeter defense in Blacksburg Sunday afternoon held the Hokies to just 34 percent shooting in the Blue Devils’ 12-point win.

Hokies from page 9

Chronicle file photo

Senior Amanda Granson was beaten by North Carolina’s fourth seed, and Duke was unable to overcome the Tar Heels at ITA National Team Indoors.

times, though, the Blue Devils took control at the 4:40 mark with a decisive lay-up from Joy Cheek. From there, the Blue Devils extended their margin to 12 points, scoring predominantly on foul shots. “I think we always have times where we know that we have to pull out a game,” Christmas said. “I think that this game was a perfect example.” Christmas came off the bench to add 15 points and a career-high three blocks for the Blue Devils, while Cheek chipped in 10 points. Virginia Tech’s zone defense, however, effectively stumped the Blue Devils in the paint. Center Allison Vernerey, who accumulated 30 points in the last two con-

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, February 19

tests for the Blue Devils, was held to just two, and Krystal Thomas posted just six points. On the defensive end, Duke was uncharacteristically slow, showing fatigue from its victories earlier in the week. For only the fourth time of the season, the Blue Devils were outrebounded by their opponent. The Hokies posted 37 boards to top Duke’s 34. Fouls were also a persistent problem for the Blue Devils. The team committed 22 fouls, which the Hokies converted into 15 points from the free throw line. However, head coach Joanne P. McCallie said that she was proud of how her team responded to the pressure from the Hokies. “Sometimes you’ve just got to find a way, and I think that was the difference for us today,” McCallie said. “We found a way.”

MENU SAMPLING Old School Veggie Burrito Regular Chicken Burrito Cheese Quesadilla Chicken Quesadilla Veggie Nachos

$2.86 $5.65 $1.41 $3.59 $4.12

10% off with Duke ID

great food. low price. open late.

Full salary and benefits. Relocation funding available. All majors.

www.teachforamerica.org

1920 1⁄2 Perry St. at Ninth St.

just a block from East Campus


14 | monDAY, February 15, 2010

the chronicle

m. lax from page 14

rupp from page 1

Just 27 seconds after the Bison extended their lead to two goals, though, Duke responded with a goal of its own to bring the score back within one. With 2:05 remaining in the game, senior Will McKee scored to tie the game at 11, setting the stage for Howell’s winner. Duke freshman Dan Wigrizer played all 60 minutes in goal and earned his first win as a Blue Devil. “[Wigrizer] made a bunch of saves,” Danowski said, “We thought he handled himself very well. Anytime you can get your first Division I victory, you’ve done a great job.” The game took place at a neutral site at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Ga.in front of a crowd of 7,000 fans. This is the third year in a row that the NCAA has scheduled an opening-weekend game in Powder Springs, and Danowski was impressed with the entire event. “It was awesome. It was like a game late in May,” Danowski said. “The people were really appreciative. They made a lot of noise for both teams.”

and distributing work hours more evenly among staff members. “We’re going to need to bring our product into the future. Part of expanding our paper and rising to the challenge of going toe-to-toe with professional organizations is to embrace the opportunities available to us online, to touch more readers and draw more people into our product,” Rupp said Sunday. “Next year is really going to be a time for us to shift our idea set toward online and reconsider the way we approach journalism. This will also open up a whole new world to us as far as recruitment.” She said she hopes to prepare for next year by appointing a strong masthead. “I think it’s really important to surround myself with really experienced journalists,” Rupp said. “I’m looking forward to putting together a team that will help me move The Chronicle forward. I think we have a lot of talent here. I’ll be looking for people who are driven and see as much potential in this institution as I do.” Rupp began her career at The Chronicle her freshman year. She became an associate editor for the University department in January 2009, where she covered a news beat focused on academics. She was appointed University coeditor in March 2009, managing a group of 12 associate editors and staff writers to cover campus affairs. Robinson said he was pleased with Rupp’s performance as University editor this year. “I’m extremely excited to have Lindsey as the next editor of The Chronicle,” he said. “She has been a fantastic University editor this year and I’m really looking forward to working with her next year as editor.” Robinson said he plans to share some of his own experiences with Rupp to prepare her for the responsibilities of the job. “The editor’s role is [to be] a manager of the staff, the person who is accountable for all public contact, and the external representative to the public,” Robinson said. “I’ll try to provide her with some insight into the challenges I’ve faced, and hopefully between now and when she takes over in May she’ll have learned enough from my experiences to build off of them. I’m confident she’ll be totally prepared once her term starts.” A native of Durham, N.C., Rupp graduated from Charles E. Jordan High School where she was editor of the school’s newspaper, The Falcon’s Cry. Her mother, Erin O’Branski, participated in the Duke University Physician’s Assistant Program from 1992 to 1994. She is currently a senior physician’s assistant in Hematology and Oncology, where she works with liquid tumors. Rupp plans to major in English and earn a certificate in Policy Journalism and Media Studies. She said she hopes to pursue a career in journalism after graduation.

samantha sheft/Chronicle file photo

Max Quinzani opened his senior year with a four-goal performance.

Promotional Items. Screenprinting. Embroidery.

Friendly Experienced Staff. Quality Products. Excellent Prices. We specialize in items for: • Employee Gifts • Party Favors • Departments • Special Occasions D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y S T O R E S®

Quick Turnaround. Deliver Directly to You.

Located in the University Store, Bryan Center Phone: 919.684.8109 919.684.2344 Fax: 919.684.8979

secession from page 5 value,” Steele said. “I mean, what are they going to do? Come and attack our cows and maple trees?” Although the leaders of the group do not believe their secession would violate the U.S. Constitution, other political scholars disagree. Michael Munger, chair of the political science department, said secession has not been constitutional since the Civil War. “No state can secede from the Union because it would be a rebellion and the U.S. would have to invade,” Munger said. “If somebody robs a liquor store, even if it has no value for us, we would arrest them because it’s the law.” Munger added that Vermont’s secession attempt has little hope of success in light of the United States’ superior military standing. Steele and Naylor did not deny that the secession movement would have its obstacles. In a 2007 poll, 13 percent of voters supported the movement, but Vermont’s congressional delegation, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy, continue to support U.S. policy. “The predominant political ideology of Vermont is that we believe only the U.S. government can solve all our problems,” Naylor said. “Our challenge is overcoming this ideology.”

Like multimedia? Email mrr3@duke.edu about joining the Chronicle’s MM team.


the chronicle

acw from page 3 which continues a controversial tradition of providing incentives to attract large companies to the region. Steinbacher added that the incentives will be paid out over time according to the actual number of jobs ACW creates. The average salary will be around $30,000 with full benefits and health coverage. Jeff Benes, ACW vice president and general manager, offered several reasons for locating to Durham. “We have lots of customers on the East Coast,” he said. “There are good technology resources in the Raleigh area. Durham is in close proximity to the airport and we have received so much support from the city.” Benes also noted that ACW received an incentive package from the city. “The grants that we received from N.C. are what ultimately drove us to come to N.C.,” he said. “And the grants from Durham are what drove us to come to Durham.” In recent years, North Carolina has had mixed experiences with incentive packages offered to big businesses. Dell Computers was offered a total package of $280 million to provide 905 jobs in the Winston-Salem area, but Dell closed the plant and walked away from the incentive package in order to cut back on their desktop manufacturing division, the (Greensboro and Triad) News & Record reported in October. Although the ACW deal is much smaller than the $280 million offered to Dell, many are still skeptical about the efficacy of this incentive package.

startup from page 5 Wieler, who has lived in Durham since 1999, decided to start the business in the Bull City because of its proximity to Research Triangle Park. Although the site is far-reaching in terms of collaboration, with members in San Francisco and Detroit as well as North Carolina, Wieler hopes to target the younger audiences the Triangle offers. “It’s a great area with Duke, [the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University],” he said. “It’s really applicable to young people and college students with lots of ideas.” Wieler also plans for Original Projects to be a place where hobbies and ideas can gain momentum. Current projects include a push toward direct flights from San Francisco to Raleigh-Durham International Airport and a social approach to quitting smoking.

“OP hosts higher quality ideas, higher quality members, and in turn yields a higher quality experience.” — Aaron Lubeck, Original Project user Durham resident Aaron Lubeck is a satisfied Original Projects user who believes the site’s success stems from the growing popularity of social networking. “I’ve been impressed with how viral it is,” Lubeck wrote in an e-mail. “ I have little interest in following most circles on Facebook or Twitter, but OP hosts higher quality ideas, higher quality members, and in turn yields a higher quality experience.” Chris Cashin, owner of SnapTotes—another Durham startup that has gained success—feels that Wieler’s knowledge of the business model will help him in his endeavor. “I know Nathan from Zoom Culture,” said Cashin, referring to Wieler’s first big project, an online media company. “He’s familiar with the market. He knows what he needs to do, and I think that would be nine-tenths of the deal.” With Wieler’s background in business and the potential young businesses coming from the Raleigh-Durham area, Wieler said he thinks he can build a strong audience of other startup business owners. Original Projects, which has been in invite-only beta testing since mid-January, aims to build a private base of users before going public. OP producers are working first on the functionality of the site, hashing out bugs and gathering feedback before opening it to the larger community. “We want a core group of users so when we do launch it, people can see how other people’s original projects have developed,” Wieler said. “People trust their thoughts and actions to social networking. Now, it’s dreams and ideas.”

monDAY, February 15, 2010 | 15

Robert Orr, former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice and executive director of the North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law, has been a staunch critic of such incentives. “A lot of these incentives are just like putting bait in water. Many big companies—not all, but some—use site consultants who make money off incentives, like a commission,” Orr said, adding that incentives do not actually factor into the business-making process of a large company. “Take ACW, $120,000. That’s coffee and doughnut money. They aren’t making a business decision on that. We are giving money away with no impact.” Orr said a system based on incentives causes unfair competition among municipalities, and that places like Durham can have an unfair advantage against smaller towns. He maintains that what attracts companies is good education, a tax friendly environment and other more long-term attributes. But Kevin Dick, a director in Durham’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, argues that data shows that incentives create jobs and improve the tax base.

zipcar from page 3 is a top priority. As of Sunday, only three of the six Zipcars assigned to Duke were available for use. Another segment of the Duke community affected by the Toyota recall are those students who live off campus. Alli Brandt, a senior who lives off campus, decided not to take any chances on her 2009 Corolla, which is currently under two recalls. “I called the dealer I bought it from and they helped me get in contact with a dealer in Raleigh,” Brandt said, adding that she had to offer to pay for a 5,000-mile service maintenance before the dealership was responsive. “But it wasn’t too inconvenient.... I dropped it off at 1 p.m. and had it back by 5 p.m.” Others have chosen to deal with the problem when it will not be such a disruption to their schedule. “I haven’t done anything about it yet,” said Brett Cook, a junior who drives a 2009 Prius. “I’m planning to take it in around spring break. I’ve been putting it off because I live off campus, and it would be really inconvenient.”

CUSTOM ORDERS SPECIAL White T-shirt 100% cotton 1 color imprint Minimum order of 48 pieces

ONLY $4

25 each

Navy T-shirt 100% cotton 1 color imprint Minimum order of 48 pieces

50 each

ONLY $5

Friendly, Experienced Staff. Quality Products. Excellent Prices.

Quick Turnaround! Deliver directly to you!

Located in the University Store, Bryan Center Phone: 919.684.8109 • 919.6848204 Department of Duke University Stores®


16 | monDAY, February 15, 2010

the chronicle

haiti from page 4 the community. The class of 31 includes many students who chose to audit the course at the professor’s invitation due to the unusual enrollment situation. Laura Wagner, one of the course’s instructors and a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was conducting field work in Haiti at the time of the earthquake. Her house collapsed in the disaster and she was injured. She returned to the United States and received treatment at the University of Miami hospital before returning to Chapel Hill. Although she hopes to return to Haiti, she said she has decided to undertake the instructor role in the meantime to stay involved in relief efforts. “Learning about Haiti’s culture is really important,” Wagner said. “There are a lot of different organizations in Haiti, but very few of these foreigners actually speak the language or know about the history of the place. The fact that I spoke Creole allowed me to gain trust and work better.”

giuliani from page 1

CLASSIFIEDS Paid Research Opportunity

Participants are needed for studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Studies are conducted at the Duke University Brain Imaging and Analysis Center. Must be 18 years of older and no history of neurological injury or disease. Studies last 1-2 hours and participants are paid approximately $20/ hr. For more information call 681-9344 or email volunteer@biac. duke.edu. (10672)

Head Coach Apex neighborhood seeks Head Coach for TSA summer swim team. Coaching and competitive swimming experience required. Submit resume to cmmedins@bellsouth.net

Townhouse for Sale Townhouse for sale by own-

er; 5 min. from Duke law and med schools; 2 bed/2bath; like new, built ’05; appliances, garage. M. Bennett bennett3274@yahoo.com 336-765-8726

Help Wanted

Tickets

BARTENDERS ARE IN DEMAND!!!

Need 2 tix for maryland game Answer my prayers! Fly-

Earn $20 - $35 per hour. 1 or 2 week classes & weekend classes. 100% Job Placement Assistance. RALEIGH’S BARTENDING SCHOOL. Have Fun! Make Money! Meet People! CALL NOW (919)676-0774 www.cocktailmixer.com Earn Extra Money Students needed ASAP. Earn up to $150 per day being a Mystery Shopper. No Experience Required. Call 1-800722-4791

SURVEY TAKERS NEEDED: Make $5-$25 per survey. GetPaidToThink.com.

so many people involved in the Haitian community here.” She added that the course allows students to gain a better understanding of Haiti and its culture, instead of viewing it through the limited information available in the media. “By being in the class it at least begins to introduce the idea that the long standing stereotypes may not fully capture the Haitian culture,” Simpson said. “It is important to develop willingness and awareness that there is much to learn about the Haitian community, that there are some things that we can learn from them and vice versa.” Jenson said she is working to continue offering the course and added that she sees interest every day in undergraduates who want to be involved and foresee relief work in their future. “We do want to continue with a full Creole culture and language class so students can become really precisioned in the remarkable culture and literature of Haiti,” Jenson said. “A lot of people are unaware, but most people who have spent time in Haiti are aware that it is a culture with enormous strength and resilience.”

Duke University Stores®

terms of either one can be changed at any time. Giuliani claims that when he enrolled at Duke, he was promised life-time access to state-of-the-art training facilities, among other benefits he no longer has access to as a result of his dismissal. The University said Giuliani was dismissed from the golf team by former head coach O.D. Vincent because he damaged golf equipment and got into an altercation with a teammate. Duke is asking the judge to dismiss the suit.

Research Studies

Although the course will teach all students medical vocabulary and basic Haitian cultural information, Wagner said because students in class have different goals and varying plans, the course will allow them to create personalized projects suited for individual needs and backgrounds. Senior Christina Booth hopes the class will increase her familiarity with the Creole language. Booth worked in Haiti for a Duke Global Health Institute project last summer and said that through the course, she hopes to get into the practice of speaking the language to be effective in future trips to Haiti. Another student in the course, Kelly Simpson, a public health professional who worked with Haitian immigrants and recently raised money to support a Haitian orphanage, said the class not only provides cultural and linguistic knowledge, but has also given her resources and opportunities she would not have found elsewhere. “Already [the class] has been a great opportunity to link into some of the resources in North Carolina’s Haitian community,” Kelly said. “I did not realize that there were

ing in for first game in Cameron in years. Tommy, 847-899-3585, tsternberg@williamblair.com

Travel/Vacation BAHAMAS SPRING BREAK

$189 for 5-DAYS or $239 for 7-DAYS. All prices include: Roundtrip luxury cruise with food. Accommodations on the island at your choice of thirteen resorts. Appalachia Travel www. BahamaSun. com 800-867-5018.

WEEKLY SPECIALS The Lobby Shop | Uncle Harry’s | East Campus Store

Pancake & Waffle Products

25

% OFF

The University Store | Medical Center Store | East Campus Store

9oz Sweatpants DUKE screen print on front left leg, draw string elastic waistband and elastic ankles. 50% cotton / 50% polyester S - 2X Available in Navy, Royal and Oxford (not shown)

$15 Regularly priced at $2795 Limited quantities available in some sizes. Offer valid while supplies last. Offer cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.

THIS WEEKLY SPECIAL Answer to puzzle

BEGINS TOMORROW! Departments of Duke University Stores®


the chronicle

Monday, February 15, 2010 | 17

Diversions Shoe Chris Cassatt and Gary Brookins

Dilbert Scott Adams

Doonesbury Garry Trudeau

The Chronicle things we’ve done a thousand times: spoken in public. NOT! we’re not words guys: ����������������hon, clee spent 11 hrs in a room in French, seemingly: ��������� will, emmeline fratted hard: ����������������������������������������������������������������������������cieran bashed a certain former employer: ����������������������������������������austin one-handed windmill dunks, easy: ���������������������������� gabe, will, JP written a drinking joke in this space: ������������ ian, margie, christina CTRL-C, CTRL-V, CTRL-C, CTRL-V: ������������������������������������ klein, doug stared down marlo stanfield: ���������������������������������������������christine Barb Starbuck is tired of the same old, same old: ������������������� Barb

Ink Pen Phil Dunlap

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

Sudoku TO DO: SUDOKU ADUTA

• solve

• nominate

prof

Reward good teaching (by 2/22)

Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award

www.ADUTA.dukealumni.com ww Answer to puzzle

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.) www.sudoku.com


The Independent Daily at Duke University

The Chronicle

18 | monDAY, February 15, 2010

Brodhead’s incomplete address Last Thursday, President ing an affordable education Richard Brodhead used his to qualified students, hiring annual address to the Aca- and retaining the best faculty demic Council to take a “long members and making strateview” of the University’s finan- gic investments in core acacial situation and think about demic programs. the road ahead. Brodhead’s He articulated “long view” of editorial a long-term viDuke’s future sion for the University elo- is philosophically sound and quently and forcefully. consistent with the fundamenBrodhead traced the rise tal educational and research of the modern research uni- mission of the University. It versity and explained how was appropriate for him to its fortunes and growth have assert this perspective to an been inextricably linked to audience of academics. the economic boom and bust But what was missing from of the preceding half century. his speech—and what will inAlthough Duke’s financial evitably be on the minds of the shortfall will undoubtedly Duke employees Brodhead impact its priorities and pos- will address tomorrow—was a sibilities in the near future, straightforward analysis of the he maintained that the Uni- “short view” and a clear preversity will not compromise sentation of the University’s its commitment to provid- strategy to weather its impend-

I still don’t want him to log as many minutes after he recovers as he did before the injury. Playing the Plumlees is the way to go if Duke wants to go far. —“Joshua” commenting on the blog post “Thomas Injury Only a Bone Bruise.” See more at www.dukechronicle.com.

Letters Policy The Chronicle welcomes submissions in the form of letters to the editor or guest columns. Submissions must include the author’s name, signature, department or class, and for purposes of identification, phone number and local address. Letters should not exceed 325 words; contact the editorial department for information regarding guest columns. The Chronicle will not publish anonymous or form letters or letters that are promotional in nature. The Chronicle reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length, clarity and style and the right to withhold letters based on the discretion of the editorial page editor.

Direct submissions to:

E-mail: chronicleletters@duke.edu Editorial Page Department The Chronicle Box 90858, Durham, NC 27708 Phone: (919) 684-2663 Fax: (919) 684-4696

The Chronicle

Inc. 1993

will robinson, Editor Hon Lung Chu, Managing Editor emmeline Zhao, News Editor Gabe Starosta, Sports Editor Michael Naclerio, Photography Editor shuchi Parikh, Editorial Page Editor Michael Blake, Editorial Board Chair alex klein, Online Editor jonathan angier, General Manager Lindsey rupp, University Editor sabreena merchant, Sports Managing Editor julius jones, Local & National Editor jinny cho, Health & Science Editor Courtney Douglas, News Photography Editor andrew hibbard, Recess Editor Austin Boehm, Editorial Page Managing Editor Drew sternesky, Editorial Page Managing Editor ashley holmstrom, Wire Editor chelsea allison, Towerview Editor eugene wang, Recess Managing Editor DEAN CHEN, Lead Developer zachary kazzaz, Recruitment Chair Taylor Doherty, Sports Recruitment Chair Mary weaver, Operations Manager Barbara starbuck, Production Manager

zachary tracer, University Editor naureen khan, Senior Editor toni wei, Local & National Editor rachna reddy, Health & Science Editor Ian soileau, Sports Photography Editor Maya Robinson, Multimedia Editor Emily bray, Editorial Page Managing Editor Rebecca wu, Editorial Page Managing Editor Charlie Lee, Design Editor Ben cohen, Towerview Editor Maddie Lieberberg, Recess Photography Editor Lawson kurtz, Towerview Photography Editor caroline mcgeough, Recruitment Chair Andy Moore, Sports Recruitment Chair CHRISSY BECK, Advertising/Marketing Director REBECCA DICKENSON, Chapel Hill Ad Sales Manager

The Chronicle is published by the Duke Student Publishing Company, Inc., a non-profit corporation independent of Duke University. The opinions expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of Duke University, its students, faculty, staff, administration or trustees. Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board. Columns, letters and cartoons represent the views of the authors. To reach the Editorial Office at 301 Flowers Building, call 684-2663 or fax 684-4696. To reach the Business Office at 103 West Union Building, call 684-3811. To reach the Advertising Office at 101 West Union Building call 684-3811 or fax 684-8295. Visit The Chronicle Online at http://www.dukechronicle.com. © 2010 The Chronicle, Box 90858, Durham, N.C. 27708. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior, written permission of the Business Office. Each individual is entitled to one free copy.

ing budgetary shortfall. In his Academic Council address, Brodhead did touch on the University’s efforts over the previous 12 months to scale back its budget, and he explained that he has avoided abrupt cuts and a “one-size-fits-all,” top-down approach in favor of a gradual, three-year plan that allows individual departments and schools to trim spending organically. Collectively, Brodhead reported, the University has cut more than $50 million from its budget. Reducing the budget by $50 million is no small feat, but this number is a far cry from the projected $125 million deficit Duke faces over three years. When speaking to the Academic Council, Brodhead did not address

how the University will continue to close this looming budgetary gap. At tomorrow afternoon’s “Primetime” forum for Duke employees, however, Brodhead should come prepared with answers. He must explain how administrators will trim the additional $75 million or so from the University’s budget. Up to now, individual academic departments and cost centers have made significant spending reductions, and many are bleeding dry. And although administrators have been quick to avoid mass layoffs, they have repeatedly noted that job cuts are still a possibility. If layoffs will be necessary to balance the budget, Brodhead and Vice President for Human

Resources Kyle Cavanaugh must confront the issue head on. They should be honest with employees and tell them up front, refusing to tiptoe around the subject of job cuts and divert difficult decisions to the months ahead. There is a real need to delicately enact layoffs in such a way that prevents widespread hysteria. But a year into the budget crisis, administrators should be able to offer employees conclusive answers about their job security instead of noncommittal “maybes.” With another $75 million worth of budget cuts on the way, honest and open communication will at least make a difficult and painful process fair and bearable for all those involved.

Unlucky impressionism

onlinecomment

Est. 1905

the chronicle

commentaries

S

ome of you probably got lucky last night. Most of you probably didn’t. A select few of you probably got tragically unlucky and went home with a Monet. You know how it is: From far away they look like a masterpiece, but the closer you get the more they look like an accident. Even if one of you guys came down with a Mo- monday, monday the joker net, look at the bright side: Her father can’t be nearly as intimidating as I am. Imagine the looks I get from my daughter Anabel’s boyfriends when they come to meet her parents. I tell them, “Now, our little family is small, but there’s a lot of potential for aggressive expansion.” Anabel usually gets pretty upset, and the boy is so shell-shocked he won’t look at her above the ankles. Maybe it’s unnecessarily cruel to use my international notoriety to keep a boy’s hands off my daughter, but I’m not gonna let some little boy wonder cuddle up close and try any monkey business with her. Guys and girls are stereotypically different, especially when it comes to relationships. We all know that guys push the sex issue, while girls are normally content with cuddling and latenight chats. Guys think sex is a lot like sandpaper. If it’s not rough, it’s gonna take a whole lot more effort to get the job done, in addition to being generally less pleasurable. Furthermore, you should be able to get it for less than 50 cents if you know where to look. Here’s another analogy: The dorms in Craven and Crowell quads are like a hot girl from UNC. They look beautiful and majestic on the outside, but once you get to know them better, you’re instantly turned off, immediately regret your decision, and venture off to find other, more pleasant acquaintances.

I wanted to discuss a little why there’s such a distinct difference in attitude between the genders toward the most fundamental of our desires. A lot of the difference is in the investment. A man doesn’t lose much when he impregnates a girl, unless Maury proves that he is indeed the father. On the other hand, many families still disown girls who get pregnant out of wedlock. It’s all about winning and losing. When a guy scores, there’s no downside. You see, I only need about 30 minutes and some lotion before I can move on to my next playmate. You ladies risk nine months, possible death and ugly child syndrome. It now seems pretty clear why girls are so clingy. And then, the hormones that men and women release after sex lead to totally different approaches to the post-sex scene. Men release a hormone that instills a desire to fall asleep, while women have a hormone that creates a longing for cuddling and feelings of closeness. Basically, men want to go to sleep, so they can be well rested for their next seed-spreading venture, but women want to form a deep emotional connection through cuddling and pillow talk, ’cause she wants this guy to stay around and help raise the kids. The best way for a dude to spread his genes is by screwing anything that moves. This is also why men are a lot less picky as far as hooking up goes. If it walks and talks, it’s probably good enough. That’s why our closest living relatives, the chimps, often have sex with multiple partners within a few hours of each other. To help fuel this habit, they have outrageously large testicles. If none of this sounds familiar, you’re probably in the minority that don’t abide by social norms. Or maybe you’re a scientist who actually knows something about evolution and isn’t just speaking out of a different anatomical part. All I know is that I didn’t come home with a Monet, and Anabel slept soundly through the night. The joker is heartlessly helping himself to her bad dreams.

kville.dukechronicle.com The place to go for a 360-degree view of Duke’s favorite tradition


the chronicle

Happy days

W

ill you love what you do? Though it hardly characterizes everyone I’ve met, my experience in graduate school interviews has led me to many a conversation with more-or-less penniless grad students who can’t stop gushing about their love for their work. Is it just a front put on to encourage me to enroll? What about those who don’t love their work? Shouldn’t financial uncertainty worry you at some point? My better judgment gives me pause when presented with the romanticized ideal of loving what you do despite it all. Yet, where do mike meers I turn if I don’t try to do somemike check thing that I enjoy? For those of us actively looking to the world beyond the Gothic walls, graduation is a time of new beginnings, and a crucial chance to define the character of one’s path in the foreseeable future. When considering where our graduating classmates are headed next year and why, a fascinating picture develops. Consider the future investment banker who plans on working tirelessly for years in order to make the money needed to fulfill his true dream—of devoting himself to public service. Or perhaps the prospective graduate student who withdraws her promising resume from consideration by medical schools in order to pursue her passion in niche research, despite a limited career outlook. To each his own idealized path, and embedded within it a theory on how we can most effectively develop fulfilling lives. It seems to me that there are two major routes to which we trust our futures. The first route involves pursuing that which inspires and drives us irrespective of financial or social cost. These are the dreamers, the students of passion and stewards of conviction among us—the graduate students in some cases. The second entails the acquisition of the power needed to personally generate a comfortable, happy environment for oneself. This is the traditional chomp-the-bit Protestant work ethic that promises of an earthly salvation of sorts in return for devotion to less glorious pursuits—perhaps 90 hours a week behind a desk, for instance. In a snide, superficial sense, it is making money right now versus being happy right now. But it is far more complex than that, as anyone currently contemplating the future will tell you. It springs from two timeworn and tested tenets of lifestyle: the faith that hard work will reap eventual rewards against the imperative to live a meaningful life at all times. The greatest generation vs. the baby boomers, the worker vs. the thinker, the dieter vs. the reveler—however it manifests itself, it demands a delicate lifestyle balance that is constantly recalibrated and evaluated over time. Of course, our human tendencies as goal-oriented, sometimes impulsive individuals mean we often strike a trend toward imbalance in one way or another. There can be no waffling or sidestepping involved when committing to the lifestyle of a financial analyst, expected to devote life and liberty to the almighty dollar. Nor can a graduate student’s love for his field wane or take on a more tempered form part way through a tedious rotation three years later. A compromise is difficult to come by in many cases, and the consequences of straying from a middle road can be difficult to rectify. He who devotes himself to his work without any perspective of his own goals in contrast with his work goals gets lost in a separate world of dreams and expectations unfulfilled. He who constantly chases happiness as if it were tangible and finite never lands in a place where he feels he has truly achieved it. So say proverbs, stories and movies that play out these themes that define our lives both on a daily basis and through a much larger time frame. Graduating seniors are presented with a crossroads that is particularly influential in defining this interplay, perhaps more so than at any other time in their lives (barring the more drastically course-correcting mid-life crisis). Others define us by what we do after we graduate, but more importantly we define our promise to ourselves at the same time, often through a significant commitment to one of two diverging paths. So, at the risk of sounding like a preachy commencement speaker (sailed ship no doubt), I implore you all to consider where you stand. Viewing the already-significant decision of postgraduate plans as one of fundamental lifestyle can contribute some understanding, and perhaps even some greater clarity, to a daunting and exciting time in our lives. Mike Meers is a Trinity senior. His column runs every other Monday.

monDAY, February 15, 2010, 2010 | 19

commentaries

Rise of the machines

C

onsidering the positive response to my first column, which elicited such rave reviews as “Carson wrote a… column,” and “I read it,” I thought I’d treat my loyal reader(s…?) to a second prophesy of doom. To do so, I’d like to begin by telling you a story, and then you can judge if we arrive at the same conclusion. My story begins last weekend, during the Super Bowl. carson moore While the Doritos humor me commercials were, to put it mildly, really weird, my real problem was with the broadcast feed. I’m lucky enough to pay for off-campus cable, and so I was expecting to see some quality high-definition Super Bowl action as I stuffed my face full of Taqitos, mozzarella sticks and nachos. There’s just something so wonderfully dichotomous about watching a sport so quintessentially American while eating poor re-creations of other cultures’ food. What I actually found on my screen, however, was a series of lines that cut off Drew Brees’s head periodically throughout the game. It’s the Super Bowl, people! You should not be having technical glitches during the most watched event on television. Dear CBS: try harder. Anyway, I went to sleep, woke up early and went downstairs to find out my toilet had clogged. I’ll save a moral treatise on fecal policy for another column, but needless to say this was not the greatest thing to have to deal with upon waking up, and my week only got worse from there. Later that day, during a job interview, my phone rang. Luckily it was on vibrate, but for a moment I looked a little too excited when the interviewer asked how I would feel about teaching little boys in middle school. After the interview, I checked the voice mail and found out that my senior engineering design project had completely fallen apart. Matters were only made worse when, the next morning, after discovering my cable and Internet had magically ceased to function, I spilled coffee all over my computer before going to class. Because of my unsalvageable computer, on Wednesday I started writing up a lab report in Perkins (due Thursday), then transferred to the engineering quad to finish it. I opened the lab, converted it from read-only because UNIX computers are a pain, then finished and saved it. When I went to print out my lab before class the next morning the lab simply didn’t exist. Apparently clicking

“save” doesn’t do anything, which I can tell you was pretty awesome as I struggled to complete the introduction, principle, results and discussion in the five minutes I had before class. To put it simply, I haven’t had such a bad week since 1997, when the hi-top fade “fell completely out of fashion” (according to Wikipedia). At this juncture, you’ve forgotten I have a point and are probably wondering when I’ll stop whining, but I ask you this: what do all of these seemingly unrelated events have in common? Simple: a failure of technology. As probably the only person who saw “Terminator 3” more than once—including the people who made it, apparently—I am uniquely qualified to recognize the signs of judgment day and say that they are upon us. I’m saying right now that these actions represent a coordinated attack by an intelligent, sentient technological entity, against which man stands no chance. Now, you can argue that some of these events didn’t have anything to do with technology, but I will irrationally stand by my claim, because that’s my rhetorical style. For instance, toilets might count as technology if you live in, say, 1990… BC. But I’d argue that a robot from the future clogged my toilet, and I dare you to prove me wrong. Okay, you say, I spilled coffee on the computer; therefore, it wasn’t the computer’s fault. True, I did. And in so doing I made the computer angry, and if the rest of the week is any indication, my computer feels complex emotions, like revenge. As an engineer, I’m a prime target for a coordinated technological attack. Theoretically, I understand technology better than some people, and as with my design project, I am literally creating technology. I’m one of Technology’s Creators, and as “God creates Man; Man destroys God” (according to Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park), I created technology, and technology will destroy me. Follow my logic, and it’s easy to see why I’m so worried about where these preliminary attacks will lead. If an engineer can’t get the better of these minor technological inconveniences, then what will happen when the machines attack full force? Last week was simply a way of testing our resolve and resourcefulness, and I personally failed that test. The machines will rise against us, and it will be soon. Either that, or Malcolm was right and dinosaurs will eat us all. Either way, the world ends. Carson Moore is a Pratt senior. His column runs every other Monday.

lettertotheeditor Students have right to cars on campus I am writing in response to Mike Lefevre’s Feb. 11 guest column “Don’t be an SOV.” Every student deserves the right to be able to leave campus at his or her discretion. Carbon emissions can be combated without revoking the right of students to have a car. These methods include making the bus system more efficient, making the campus more bike-friendly as well as using Duke’s engineering prowess to prevent Main West from turning into an impossible-to-win game of “Dodge those puddles” every time it rains. My bike is my main form of transportation across campus, but the ride from Central to West is riddled with potholes and asphalt patches that threaten to pop a tire or unseat a rider. The ability to have a car on campus is something that has helped to make my Duke experience more pleasant. Being able to get off campus and away from the city without spending $35 per year and $8 per hour (the Zipcar rate) is invaluable. It has helped me to

keep my sanity when the stress overwhelms, save friends money on taxi rides to the airport, etc. Also, for those of us who live only a few hours away, the car saves money. Driving from one end of campus is not the primary method of transportation for most students, and it only serves that function when SafeRides or buses are much less convenient. For some of us, our lives exist off campus as much as they do on Main Quad. As an avid outdoorsman, fishing and hiking are two things I enjoy, and those opportunities are not afforded to me on campus. By having my car, I can save about $60 per day on these activities. By denying students the right to have their cars on campus, you change the college lifestyle. More than that though, you refuse the right of the student to be able to choose his or her college lifestyle. Grant Meeker Trinity ’11


20 | monDAY, February 15, 2010

the chronicle

SALE LAPTOP SLEEVE

Eclipse Sleeve 1 by Brenthaven

®

Computer Slipsuit by MobileEdge®

50

%

OFF

FEATURES: Custom Fit Protection Sleeve (13” & 15”) Ballistic Nylon Exterior Soft Interior - Plush faux-suede interior lining Back Slip Pocket Ergonomic Retractable Handle Available in steel blue, burnt orange & black

FEATURES: Soft, durable and water-resistant Neoprene sleeve Small enough to fit inside your regular carrying case Heavy-duty nylon strap Full-size external pocket for AC adapter, files, CDs and other accessories. Custom Fit for 13”, 14” & 15” laptops

Offer valid while supplies last. Limited quantities available. No rainchecks. Offer valid on in-stock merchandise only. Regularly priced at $2995

Lower Level, Bryan Center Phone: 919.684.8956 cpustore@duke.edu Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 6pm Saturday: 9am - 6pm www.dukestores.duke.edu/cpustore

Department of Duke University Stores®

OPERATION: Computer Store PUBLICATION: Chronicle HEADLINE: Laptop Sleeve DATES: 2/15, 2/18, 2/22, 2/25; 3/01, 3/04 COLOR: Black

ASK US YOUR QUESTIONS. GIVE US YOUR OPINIONS.

Connect with Duke University Stores! Give us your feedback on any of our operations via our online question/comment page, DevilSpeak. Just visit www.dukestores.duke.edu and click on the DevilSpeak link. Duke University Stores. We are the Stores that Work for You!

OPERATION: Stores Administration PUBLICATION: Chronicle


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.