March 16, 2010

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

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010

Duke, SBI to investigate shooting

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 111

www.dukechronicle.com

Undergrad on leave dies at age 21

The journey begins...

Few details available from ongoing inquiry

Jeffrey remembered as witty, selfless

by Lindsey Rupp

by Zachary Tracer

THE CHRONICLE

Officials have released few details concerning the Saturday shooting of an unidentified man by Duke University Police Department officers outside the Duke Hospital entrance.

Noelle Talley, public information officer for the North Carolina Department of Justice, wrote in an e-mail that the State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the incident at DUPD’s request. Talley did not respond to questions regarding when information about the case would be released.

“SBI agents will conduct a thorough investigation and then share their findings with the Durham District Attorney,” she wrote.

The victim’s body was taken to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill for an autopsy and identification after the 1 a.m. shooting. A Duke statement Sunday at 5 p.m. said the victim had not been positively identified.

THE CHRONICLE

Jonathan Jeffrey, a 21-year-old Duke student, passed away Sunday in Chapel Hill.

Investigators have not determined a cause or manner of death for Jeffrey, who was known by his friends as Jay. Chapel Hill Jonathan Jeffrey Police Department officers discovered Jeffrey’s body in his bedroom Sunday afternoon and a CHPD spokesman said there were no signs of foul play. Jeffrey was on a leave of absence from the University when he died.

Jeffrey’s roommate, Shanaye Barber, said Jeffrey was a selfless friend with a witty personality. Jeffrey loved to cook, she said, and would always share whatever he had prepared with his two roommates.

“He was special. I guess you don’t realize, you know, how special and important people around you are until they’re gone,”

libby busdicker/The Chronicle

The Duke women’s basketball team watched as its path to the Final Four was revealed Monday night on ESPN. The Blue Devils received a No. 2 seed and will face Hampton Saturday, SEE STORY PAGE 9

See shooting on page 11

See jeffrey on page 8

I’ll do it next month: Studies see March productivity drop

by Jeremy Ruch THE CHRONICLE

photo illustration by michael naclerio/creative commons

A recent Duke study links the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament to a sharp decline in research activity on college campuses.

ONTHERECORD

“The biggest thing is there’s no ePrint anymore.” ­—Librarian Teddy Gray on the closing of the Biological and Environmental Science Library. See story page 3

Don’t feel badly about slacking off on work during March Madness—you’re expected to.

A survey conducted by Charles Clotfelter, professor of economics and law and Z. Smith Reynolds professor of public policy, indicates that research activity on college campuses drops significantly immediately before the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Clotfelter’s survey used data from more than 78 research libraries across the country over three years, beginning in 2006.

Results showed that the number of articles viewed on JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, fell an average of 6 percent in the week after Selection Sunday, the day when seeds for the tournament are announced.

“You could look at it as a reduc-

Delayed again The opening of the new eatery on Central Campus was pushed back to April 2, PAGE 4

tion of productivity,” Clotfelter said. “But I think of it as a rearrangement of work.”

Clotfelter said he thinks the conversation generated by the competition is healthy, adding that the “bracket effect” is alleviated by the fact that those participating in it are able to anticipate the time they will spend on the tournament and can therefore plan ahead by rescheduling workrelated tasks.

“Even though I’m an economist, I’m not against people being happy,” he said.

Still, similar studies have predicted a drastic loss of productivity for American companies in the weeks during which the tournament is held.

Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement consulting organization, estimated last week that See madness on page 6

Senior Plotkin back in top form after injuries, Page 9

2 | TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 the chronicle

worldandnation

TODAY:

5540

WEDNESDAY:

6037

European officials hold off on bailing Greece out of debt

Pelosi pushes health care bill White House renews veto WASHINGTON, D.C. — After laying the threat for intelligence bill

groundwork for a decisive vote this week on the Senate’s health care bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Monday that she might instead attempt to pass the measure without having members vote on it.

Instead, Pelosi, D-Calif., would rely on a procedural sleight of hand:The House would vote on a more popular package of fixes to the Senate bill; under the House rule for that vote, passage would signify that lawmakers “deem” the health-care bill to be passed.

The tactic—known as a “self-executing rule” or a “deem and pass”—has been commonly used, although never to pass legislation as momentous as the $875 billion health-care bill. It is one of three options that Pelosi said she is considering for a late-week House vote, adding that she prefers it because it would politically protect lawmakers who are reluctant to support the bill.

“

Never regret something that once made you smile.

— Amber Deckers

”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House has renewed its threat to veto the fiscal 2010 intelligence authorization bill over a provision that would force the administration to widen the circle of lawmakers who are informed about covert operations and other sensitive activities.

When the bill passed the House on Feb. 25, the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, hailed it for improving “congressional oversight by strengthening certain disclosure requirements of intelligence activities to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.” Lawmakers had spent the previous six months working out provisions that the White House still opposes.

TODAY IN HISTORY 1850: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Scarlet Letter” published.

LONDON, England — European finance chiefs failed to produce a detailed bailout plan for Greece Monday but laid the groundwork for a potential rescue if the financial situation in the troubled Mediterranean nation deteriorates sharply.

Analysts had hoped that a meeting in Brussels of finance ministers from the 16 nations that use the euro would yield a long-awaited plan to aid Greece, which is struggling to calm investors. Greece needs to borrow $74 billion this year to plug its budget deficit and avoid a default that could send bond and currency markets reeling in Europe and beyond.

But some European governments blame Greece for driving itself into a financial hole and remain deeply reluctant to let it off too lightly.

In a sign of that reluctance, the fi-

nance ministers who met Monday said merely that they had reached agreement on possible ways to aid Greece that did not violate European Union laws. The E.U. is prohibited from lending money to member nations to plug budget shortfalls, meaning that any rescue package for Greece would have to be tailored in a careful manner.

While declining to outline how a rescue could work, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the eurozone economy group, said a more detailed proposal would be worked out before a meeting next week of E.U. leaders, with the size and shape of any aid package contingent on their agreement.

Officials in Brussels told Bloomberg News that any rescue would probably involve E.U. nations pooling resources into a fund that could be used to make loans to Greece.

nikki kahn/The Washington post

The earthquake in Haiti caused over 600,000 people to flee Port-au-Prince and go to the provinces, where locals are overwhelmed trying to feed and shelter the newcomers. Haitian and international aid officials describe the migration as comparable to civilians fleeing past war zones such as Rwanda.

Officials say they are waiting for international aid to arrive to help the displaced citizens.

Korean Diner 5-7pm Show in Page Auditorium 7:30pm Panel Discussion on Korean Education System Monday, March 22nd Events on the Plaza: Dance Team • Free Giveaways • More!

Food catered by local restaurant Booth to purchase tickets [Also join us for a Korean Movie on Sunday, March 21, 8pm, White Lecture Hall]

Tickets on sale March 15th - 19th

the chronicle

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 | 3

Library merger bears few complaints Fmr. defense secretary will speak at Duke

by Shaoli Chaudhuri THE CHRONICLE

The walls of the Biological and Environmental Science Library are being knocked down and turned into lab and office space.

Since the BES library’s closing in August 2009, the majority of its books have been relocated from the Biological Sciences building to Perkins and Bostock Libraries. The move was the most recent of its kind, following the transfer of the Chemistry Library and the Vesic Library for Engineering, Mathematics and Physics to Perkins in 2006 and 2008 respectively­—partly the result of an effort to transfer departmental libraries’ resources to one location to facilitate cross-departmental research.

BES Librarian Teddy Gray, who worked in the BES library before it closed and is now a member of the Perkins-Bostock staff, said he has not heard any complaints about study space accessibility since the closing.

“The biggest thing is there’s no ePrint anymore,” Gray said, but added that students can meet their printing needs with the ePrint in the neighboring French Family Science Center.

Most undergraduate students said they were not affected by the BES library’s closing, with some adding they had not known where the library was located. But there were students, both graduate and undergraduate, who regularly used the BES library to study, he added.

Gray said prior to its closing, the BES library was in “poor shape.”

“We were faced with the decision of continuing to provide inferior space, comparing that with encouraging people to use Perkins-Bostock, which was so much better in terms of variety, reading rooms, study

ian soileau/The Chronicle

The stacks of the Biological and Environmental Science Library stand empty after the library’s relocation to Perkins and Bostock. Librarians noted they have heard few complaints from students since the shutdown. rooms and open spaces that students could use,” he said. “We weren’t going to get the money to upgrade [the science libraries].”

Cost reduction was not a driving force behind the move, Ann Elsner, director of administrative services for Duke University Libraries, wrote in an e-mail. She added, however, that some financial benefits resulted from the closures.

“Staff were reassigned to positions elsewhere in the libraries and their former positions were eliminated,” she said. “We

also cut our direct expenses for computers, printers, paper, toner, copy machines and phones in the science libraries.”

Elsner said she believes students previously employed in the science libraries were typically able to find new positions in Perkins-Bostock.

The availability of digital texts and journal articles also factored into the move, said Robert Byrd, associate university See lIBRARIES on page 5

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Nye will speak at the Sanford School of Public Policy Tuesday, March 23.

Nye, currently a professor at Harvard University, will speak about using cooperation and persuasion to influence international relations. His talk, titled “Soft Power and Obama’s Grand Strategy,” is part of the Karl von der Heyden Distinguised Lecture Series.

Nye coined the term “soft power” and is a pioneer of the concept. He published the book “Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics” in Joseph Nye 2004 and is a former chair of the National Intelligence Council.

“Professor Nye is a one-of-a-kind master of multiple trades. His scholarly work has profoundly shaped the study of international relations,” Peter Feaver, Alexander F. Hehmeyer professor of political science, said in a statement Monday.

Feaver is also director of the Triangle Institute for Security Studies, a co-sponsor of the event.

Feaver, who is co-director of the American Grand Strategy program, another co-sponsor of the event, added that Nye’s work in leading policy roles has strongly influenced the conduct of international relations as well.

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4 | TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 the chronicle

N.C. to implement unified student records database

by Courtney Lang THE CHRONICLE

Although a previous administration tried and failed to implement a nationwide student-record database, President Barack Obama is trying again, albeit in a different manner.

The Obama administration is encouraging states to implement their own systems, providing $250 million in stimulus funds. This is a compromise Congress came to after deciding states must implement the data tracking policies themselves and report the data to the federal government. The database would compile student records of individual performance from preschool through adult employment.

“Longitudinal data systems in general play an important role in education,” said Justin Hamilton, deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Education, discussing the importance of the database. “[The databases] tell us what’s working in the classroom, what techniques are effective and which colleges of education are turning out great teachers.”

Multiple states including North Carolina, Wyoming and Florida have been actively implementing these data tracking systems. But the Tar Heel state has been ahead of other states for a while, said Karl Pond, enterprise data manager for the N.C. Department of Instruction.

“We’ve always collected student-level data,” he said. “What we didn’t have was a [unique ID], which we do now. Now it’s a lot easier.”

Prior to having a UID, the state had to use different algorithms to collect and integrate statistics from the 20 to 30 different data collection systems in North Carolina, Pond said.

Data collected are similar among states because they are required to submit the information to the federal government or receive a reduction in federal education funding.

The Wyoming Department of Education provides student-level data for the departments, aggregate reports for the public and disaggregate data for districts, said Meredith Bickell, technical services supervisor for the department.

All schools in North Carolina are required to submit data on student performance. The information collected ranges from student and staff demographics to data pertaining to teacher education, certification, programs and whether a student is delinquent, homeless or an immigrant.

This information is collected within separate systems and an algorithm is used to compile a complete student record, Pond said.

Data can be particularly useful to legislators, state policy makers and researchers within a state, said Jeff Sellers, deputy commissioner for accountability, research and measurement of the Florida Department of Education.

“As [state legislators] are developing and defining policy, [the data system] is able to be a tool for them to run models See database on page 5

Full-time Research Assistant Position The IGSP Center for Genome Ethics, Law & Policy is seeking a Research Assistant to provide administrative and research support for a grant-funded project studying the intersection of genetic research and intellectual property. Tasks include compiling references for publications, following current events related to grant project, and organizing research files. There may be opportunities for collaborating with faculty on research projects and submitting articles for publication. Great job for recent college graduate looking for 1 to 2 years of work experience. Includes employee benefits and health insurance. Start date flexible: April-June.

Description of work • Assist in the collection, verification, compilation, and organization of data and information from a variety of resources, including journals, newspapers, web sites, legal documents, recorded interviews.

• Prepare written reports for project supervisors and other audiences.

• Maintain system of correspondence with project participants, including researchers and other project personnel, to ensure efficient coordination of the project.

• Perform a variety of routine clerical and research duties, including drafting written material, compiling references, and tracking research activities, to assist investigators in the gathering of research data and the writing of scholarly articles • Conduct interviews following an outline and record answers.

• Assist in the writing and distribution of reports related to research findings for scholars and policymakers.

• Assist with posting of research materials on project website.

• Update biographies, publication lists, and curriculum vitas for grant and other funding applications.

• Pursue independent research with faculty members and graduate students as time allows.

Minimum education: BA or BS. Successful applicant will be energetic, reliable, and self-motivated, with excellent organizational and writing skills. Familiarity with online literature databases and word processing software strongly desirable. Interest in biological sciences, science policy, bioethics, and legal issues helpful.

To apply, send resume and cover letter to Susan Brooks <susan.brooks@duke.edu>, or fax to 919668-0799. No phone calls please.

michael naclerio/The Chronicle

Junior Andrew Schreiber (left) was elected as DUSDAC co-chair for the 2010-2011 academic year at the group’s meeting Monday night. Junior Alex Klein, current DUSDAC co-chair, was re-elected to serve a second term.

DUSDAC

Group elects Schreiber and Klein as co-chairs

Central eatery opening pushed back to April 2

by Sanette Tanaka THE CHRONICLE

The Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee elected junior Andrew Schreiber and re-elected junior Alex Klein as co-chairs for the 2010-2011 academic year at its meeting Monday night.

“Right now, DUSDAC is a great mix of work and play, and I want to preserve that balance,” Schreiber said. “After being on the committee for the past two years, it’s

my turn to give back.”

Klein, current co-chair and The Chronicle’s online editor, said he decided to run for a second term to ensure that both students and administrators are satisfied with the dining program.

As Duke Student Government academic affairs senator, Schreiber said he is particularly interested in the policy aspect of dining.

See DUSDAC on page 7

the chronicle

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 | 5

A field of blue and red

maddie lieberberg/The Chronicle

A field of 400 flags was set up by Duke Students for Life on Main West Quadrangle Monday afternoon. Named “The Cemetery of Innocents,” the flags represent the 4,000 abortions daily in the United States.

Database from page 4

libraries from page 3

of the impact of these policies, but we are also able to evaluate the policies over time,” he said.

For many states, these data collection systems are not new.

Florida has had a university data collection system since the late 1970s, and the K-12, career and technical education and community college systems have been used since the 1980s, Sellers said. Bickell noted that the Wyoming Department of Education has had its data system in place since 1989.

Although student privacy issues have derailed attempts to collect student data on a national scale, Pond said individual level data is very secure.

“There is a lot of concern about our data getting out, but it is not big brother watching,” he said. “No data is sent to the government on the individual level—everything posted is aggregated. Every precaution is taken to protect the individual.”

Pond added that when North Carolina gets its new system feeders up and running, the same rules and regulations will apply to it also.

“Everyone is held to the same guidelines that we have,” he said.

The Department of Education is also very strict with privacy laws, since states are expected to follow the privacy laws outlined in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 data requirements, Hamilton said.

But students are still concerned with the privacy aspect of the database system.

“As long as the name isn’t included in the data, I think the [system] could be helpful in terms of seeing which areas the United States can improve in,” sophomore Jonathan Lee said.

All three states are also looking to expand their databases in the future and possibly make the collected information available to a wider audience while maintaining appropriate security levels.

“Our intent is to open up our data to the world, make it secure, aggregated and non-identified,” Pond said. She added that if a school is performing poorly in one area while another institution is doing well, the open data system should help to foster conversation between them.

The Department of Education is also looking to change in the future, Hamilton said.

“We want to improve the way we protect student privacy while meeting the public’s demands for transparency and accountability,” he said.

librarian for collections and user services.

“The University made available a significant amount of funding to purchase electronic backfiles of journals,” he said.

This made it unnecessary to have so many physical texts available because faculty and students could easily read the files on their computers, Byrd added.

Biology Department Chair Dan Kiehart corroborated Byrd’s assertion.

“An awful lot of material is now online and I think if that were not the case it would be harder to swallow

moving a major source away from physical proximity,” Kiehart said.

Faculty in departments on Science Drive can also request books from Perkins-Bostock, which are delivered within the day.

Byrd noted that the advantages that specialist librarians—such as Gray and Linda Martinez—offer their respective departments has not been lost because they continue to hold office hours. “[They] need to maintain relationships with the departments and communicate frequently with faculty and students and provide specialized instruction with faculty and students,” Byrd said. “This is not dependent on the physical existence of the libraries.”

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Tuesdays March 23, March 30, and April 6, 2010 6:00pm - 7:20pm (Please plan to attend all three sessions.)

For additional information or to register, visit the CAPS website at http://studentaffairs.duke.edu/caps

6 | TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 the chronicle

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ment to productivity. Of more than 1,000 managers interviewed for the survey, 56 percent said the tournament had no negAmerican firms will suffer up to $1.8 bil- ative impact on productivity and 32 perlion in lost productivity as a result of this cent said it had a somewhat positive effect year’s tournament. on company morale.

“If people spent just 20 minutes a day Kati Gustafson, OfficeTeam’s Raleigh watching their pool, filling it out, do- division director, noted these results were ing research on it, watching the game, largely the result of increased employee streaming video on their computers, go- interaction during March Madness. ing to sports bars, talking around the wa“Whether they’re in a different deter cooler, it would cost employers over partment or their job description doesn’t $363 million per day,” said John Chal- really [usually] allow for interaction belenger, chief executive officer of Chal- tween one employee and another, there’s lenger, Gray & Christmas. a lot of opportunity for employees to have As a way discussions,” of combatshe said.

“If people spent just 20 minutes a ing these But Vancosts, some derbilt quesday watching their pool, filling it tioned some firms have i n s t i t u t e d out... it would cost employers over of these measures to conclusions, $363 million per day.” prevent their noting that employees — John Challenger, the basketfrom parball pheChallenger, Gray & Christmas CEO n o m e n o n ticipating in tournamenthas had the related activdetrimenity in the office. tal effect of creating “factions,” dividing T. Vanderbilt, an integrated marketing employees from different colleges, as well agency, uses Spector Pro, a monitoring as basketball fans from their less sportstechnology, to observe its employees’ ac- oriented colleagues. tivity online and block streaming video.

He suggested that in lieu of sports-ori“When you’re sitting at your desk ented activities, companies could create working, we really need you to be work- charity events to rally employees around ing,” said President and Chief Creative a common cause.

Officer Thomas Vanderbilt.

“That boosts morale and productivity The company has allowed its employ- versus something that’s sports-driven, reees to take “mental breaks” to watch a ligious-driven or very one-sided,” he said. plasma display installed in its office, he For sports-centric universities like added.

Duke, Challenger has given up on the A survey released last week by staffing possibility of any productivity at all in agency OfficeTeam indicated that the March. tournament has the effect of boosting “You might as well just shut down the company morale without much detri- school for a couple of weeks,” he said.

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the chronicle

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 | 7

michael naclerio/Chronicle file photo

Although the interior of the Central Campus eatery (above) is complete, Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst announced Monday that the eatery’s opening has been delayed until April 2.

DUSDAC from page 4 “This year, DUSDAC has not played a huge role regarding the budget cuts, fee increase and board plan changes discussions,” he said. “I would definitely like to get DUSDAC more involved and continue to work with the administrative side.”

Current co-Chair Jason Taylor, a senior, said policy changes were not a focal point for the committee this year.

“Policy has always turned me off, and I don’t find it too interesting,” Taylor said.

“Since I wanted to steer the committee in new ways, it simply wasn’t a focus of mine.”

Along with determining DUSDAC’s direction, the co-chairs will continue to oversee meetings introducing new vendors, evaluating existing eateries and addressing student concerns regarding dining issues.

In other business: The Central Campus eatery is slated to open April 2, delayed once again because of inclement weather. Although the interior

is finished, Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst called the outside a “mudfield.”

The two managers and the majority of employees have already been hired, but Duke Dining still needs to obtain the state health department certification and the Certification of Occupancy before the eatery’s opening.

Additionally, the next “berry tripping” event will take place March 24, allowing students to sample various foods after eating taste-altering berries.

Over the next few weeks, DUSDAC will select three to five students to serve on next year’s committee to help replace the six graduating seniors. Klein said DUSDAC is expecting a large turnout of 50 to 70 applicants because of DSG’s marketing support.

“Everyone can talk about food, but we’re looking for enthusiastic people with experience in restaurant business, special dietary needs or restrictions on what they can eat,” he said. “I really love our seniors, but it’ll be nice to get some fresh ideas and fresh faces on the committee.”

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8 | TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 the chronicle

jeffrey from page 1 Barber said. “I just hope people can just keep him and his family in their prayers. Whatever memory they have of him, I hope it’s a good one, because he deserved it, because he was a great person.”

Barber met Jeffrey when he moved into a townhouse with her and her roommate in January. Barber said that as soon as she met Jeffrey, she enjoyed his easygoing nature and sense of humor.

“He would just want people to be happy, that’s what he wanted,” she said. “He will truly be missed. I mean, he was a great guy, an awesome person.”

Barber said her roommate called police Sunday afternoon after the two called Jeffrey’s name outside his locked room and did not receive a response. Officers then forced their way into Jeffrey’s room and found him dead, said CHPD Lt. Kevin Gunter.

Jeffrey’s body has been sent to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill to attempt to determine how he died. Gunter said there was nothing suspicious at the scene other than the untimeliness of the death and “no foul play indicated at all.”

Student Affairs staff at Duke informed Jeffrey’s friends of his death Monday, Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek said. She said counseling is available for students coping with the loss.

“We were, in Student Affairs and Trinity College, very saddened by Jay’s death because many of us knew him and got to work with him very closely,” Wasiolek said.

She said she did not know Jeffrey personally, but that Student Affairs staff who worked with him described him as “exceedingly charismatic” and very likeable.

Jeffrey entered the University in Fall 2007 and planned to double major in psychology and philosophy, according to his personal Web site.

He lived in Brown Dormitory in Fall 2008 and then in the Wellness Community on West Campus, Wasiolek said.

“He had a big heart and served as the big brother for many of the Brown residents,” Philip Duhart, the residence coordinator responsible for Brown Dormitory, wrote in an e-mail. “He was a contributing member of the Brown community and he will be missed.”

Jeffrey took two leaves of absence from the University and was on leave at the time of his death, Wasiolek said.

She declined to say why Jeffrey went on leave.

Jeffrey graduated from East Chapel Hill High School in Chapel Hill and previously attended Orono Senior High School in Long Lake, Minn. near Minneapolis. He graduated high school near the top of his class, according to his personal Web site.

Jeffrey’s site served as a homepage for his multimedia production business, Shmee Productions. The business offered graphic design, video editing and other services.

The site also includes photos from Jeffrey’s time at Duke. In the pictures, Jeffrey can be seen with friends riding a Duke bus and attending a home football game with his upper body and face covered in blue paint.

Barber, a 2009 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said that while living in Chapel Hill, Jeffrey became a devout UNC fan.

“Every time we put on a Carolina game, he cheered,” she said. “We lost a lot of games, but he still cheered. I respect him for that.”

Barber said she and Jeffrey often talked late at night, after she returned from work. The night before Jeffrey died, they had a short conversation as they normally did.

“I said good night Jay, and he said good night, and that was it,” she said.

special to the Chronicle

Jonathan Jeffrey, an undergraduate who was on leave this semester, was found dead in his bedroom in Chapel Hill Sunday.

Sports

>> MEN’S GOLF

The Chronicle

TUESDAY March 16, 2010

www.dukechroniclesports.com

women’s basketball

Duke gets No. 2 seed Blue Devils could face ex-coach in Sweet 16

Hey, Dad: See you in Indianapolis?

On Sunday night, no more than 10 minutes after Duke was gifted an NCAA Tournament draw that made even the Blue Devil mascot blush, my dad called me. Like most fathers and sons, I suspect, we have a yearly habit of analyzing the bracket and competing with each other in a twoperson pool that means more than any cash prize. (Well, not any cash prize. But you get the point.) We usually have similar brackets, and in the past three years, we both have rationalized Ben Duke’s runs to the Final Four to ourselves. Our brackets and collective pride are not appreciative.

This year, though, would be different.

“So, have you bought your tickets to Indianapolis?” he said when I picked up.

I wasn’t one to object, not after having watched the CBS crew unveil Duke’s draw before witnessing a dichotomy of vitriol and virtual highfives on Twitter. The analysts peeled off region after region until only 17 slots remained, and by that point, everyone around me had become giddy with optimism while everyone else in the country likely groaned with disgust. For Duke fans, it was like waking up Christmas morning and spotting every present you asked for, plus the one you really wanted— but felt guilty requesting. (Or so I’m

Cohen

libby busdicker/The Chronicle

Sophomore Kathleen Scheer and junior Krystal Thomas await the revealing of Duke’s tournament seeding.

by Jeff Scholl THE CHRONICLE

A No. 1 seed was not enough to get Duke through the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. The Blue Devils hope home-court advantage will propel them to at least the Sweet 16 this time.

Duke received the No. 2 seed in the Memphis region and will play its first two games on a very familiar floor—the hardwood of Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“It’s good to have a home game, have our own fans here, sleep in your own bed,” senior Joy Cheek said.

The team learned of its fate in the Krzyzewski Center for Athletic Excellence Monday night, watching ESPN as the network unveiled the tournament bracket.

Led by senior Adam Long, who finished in a tie for 15th, Duke took eighth place at the three-round General Hackler Championship in Myrtle Beach

Even though Duke could not be sure of the seed it would receive until the selection show, the Blue Devils were aware that Cameron would be one of the host sites for the first and second rounds before the season started.

But the team still did not know if Duke would be picked to play on its own court and had little time to wonder about possible scenarios during a campaign that produced ACC conference and tournament titles.

“I think we’re a team that’s been focused game-by-game, and now it’s exciting that the moment to focus on [the NCAA Tournament] is here,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “I

told.) For pretty much anyone else, it was like spying the Grinch stealing Santa’s toys and keeping them all for himself. (Or so I’m told.)

Duke got the South region, which had been all but ceded to Syracuse.

Duke got the weakest No. 2 seed, which should have been reserved for the strongest No. 1. Oh, and Duke also was placed with a No. 4 seed that might just be an underdog in its first-round game.

Full disclosure: I do not know why any of this happened.

I’m not here to ascribe motives for the seedings, nor can I really answer anyone who asks, loudly, why Duke’s region, at least theoretically, is less of a gauntlet than the others. (Just for the record, I didn’t hear many complaints outside of Durham when the Blue Devils, a No. 2 seed last season, were jobbed just as much as they were favored this year.) Unlike certain television networks intent on filling 24 hours of air time, I’m also weary of publicizing my predictions for games that will take place almost a month from now between four teams that have yet to be determined. It’s this type of baseless speculation—I know what will happen before it happens, and I will not be wrong!—that I kind of abhor about March Madness. Filling out a bracket is one thing. Pretending as if your bracket is the Gospel is another.

You have been forewarned.

Unfortunately, one reaction to Duke’s draw has risen to the surface See cohen on page 10

See Tournament on page 10

women’s tennis

Plotkin revels in return from injury

by Nicholas Schwartz THE CHRONICLE

Back in 2007, a surging Elizabeth Plotkin was finally finding her place in head coach Jamie Ashworth’s lineup.

After struggling throughout a freshman year that she described in hindsight as “awful”, Plotkin exploded onto the scene as a sophomore and racked up 15 singles wins for Duke in the fall, losing only twice.

“She made a decision after her freshman year that she was going to be much improved on and off the court,” Ashworth said.

She was improving with every match and practice and was developing a champion’s mindset—no one could touch her.

Plotkin carried the momentum into the spring of her sophomore year and won five straight singles matches leading up to a visit from then-No. 1 Northwestern in February 2008. The marquee contest in Durham was expected to be Duke’s toughest test of the year, and provided an opportunity for Plotkin to splash onto the national scene.

“I was at the top, and felt nothing could be better,” Plotkin said.

Then recognized as the No. 38 player in the country, Plotkin led No. 42 Lauren Lui 5-4 in the first set in a match that Duke needed to win, having already surrendered the doubles point Chronicle File Photo

See Plotkin on page 10

Duke hopes that a favorable bracket will mean a Final Four bid, unlike last year’s Sweet 16 bowout.

10 | TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 the chronicle

cohen from page 9

plotkin from page 9

faster than the others in the last two days.

It’s a specious argument, and some of its subscribers are all-too-adamant about screaming it. Perhaps you know what I’m talking about: Don’t pick Duke, because Duke’s flamed out the last three years!

In case you haven’t heard, Duke hasn’t made the Final Four since 2004. The Blue Devils were muscled out by VCU in the first round in 2007 and West Virginia in the second round in 2008, and last year, they were outclassed by Villanova in the Sweet 16. This is all true. You know what else is true? I watched Duke beat Virginia in the first round of the ACC Tournament on the 15th deck of a cruiseliner, with about 50 other Duke students. Later that night, I joined in a chorus of taunters by chanting “N-I-T” at a bunch of UNC students attempting to sing karaoke. The next day, when my return flight to Durham touched down, the first thing I heard, even before the flight attendant warned against unfastening our seat belts, was that Duke beat Miami and Kyle Singler scored 27 points. That’s all true, too.

It’s all just about as relevant to Duke’s postseason success as Duke’s last three NCAA Tournaments.

Maybe this Duke team won’t make it to the second weekend, and maybe this Duke team will win the national championship.

Both are probably unlikely, but neither has anything to do with the fact that Duke is simply a better team this year than it has been the last three years. These Blue Devils, you might have noticed, have lost one game since January. It was against the ACC co-champion, on the road, on Senior Night, and it even required a miraculous shot from the ACC Player of the Year.

These Blue Devils, you might have noticed, have established some sort of depth in the frontcourt, which will only grow in potency if the Brothers Plumlee overachieve. These Blue Devils, you might have noticed, feature a cold-blooded senior and two juniors playing better than they ever have before.

And just as important, these Blue Devils, you might have noticed, have a shot at making the Final Four that even a North Carolina guard could sink.

So no, pops, I haven’t bought my tickets to Indianapolis yet. I might just prefer to watch Duke in the Final Four on campus.

to the Wildcats.

And all of a sudden, with a tiny pop in her left knee, Plotkin was back at square one.

“I was running out wide for a forehand, and I kind of messed up my footwork a little bit,” Plotkin said. “But I hit the shot, and I could hear this pop, and there was all this terrible pain.”

Plotkin, who was reduced to tears on the court, could not imagine what had gone wrong inside her knee. She attempted to play a few more points after gathering herself but was forced to retire.

Duke’s most reliable player was soon diagnosed with a torn left ACL and was told she faced a lengthy recovery period.

Although a torn ligament is a common

tennis injury, Ashworth had never before seen one of his own suffer a torn ACL, but knew that his star sophomore still was an integral part of his team’s success.

“I told her that I understood she was in a tough situation, but we needed her to keep being a leader on the team, and she was a presence every day on the court, whether it was at practice or matches,” Ashworth said.

Reduced to cheerleading duty on the court, Plotkin began a strenuous recovery process in the hopes of playing in the coming fall season. Following surgery to repair the damaged ligament, Plotkin’s leg was placed in a brace for six weeks, and by the time she was able to begin a weight training regiment, her muscles had severely atrophied.

“There was a huge size difference be-

nate glencer/Chronicle file photo

Senior Elizabeth Plotkin suffered two serious knee injuries within seven months of each other in 2008.

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tween my right and left leg,” Plotkin said. “I basically just had to rebuild all the muscle.”

The injury served as potent motivation for Plotkin, who blamed herself for not being physically prepared to execute the shots she needed to.

“That injury happened for a reason,” Plotkin said. “It happened because something was wrong with my body. I wasn’t taking care of myself like I was supposed to….

I wasn’t strong.”

After a relatively quick recovery of about seven months—elite professional athletes typically need at least six months to rehabilitate from a torn ACL, but many miss entire years with the injury—Plotkin was slated to be a big factor in what would turn out to be Duke’s national championship season.

In a tournament in late September 2008, however, Plotkin heard another pop in her knee—this time from a torn meniscus.

“I didn’t think it was serious at first, but then I found out my meniscus was torn,” Plotkin said. “I just wish I would have given myself more time to recover before coming back.”

The Blue Devils were able to persevere through Plotkin’s injury, which would sideline her for the entirety of the 2008-09 season, and behind the play of Mallory Cecil, captured the 2009 national championship.

Plotkin was still with her team throughout the year, and according to Ashworth, the wounded junior’s game benefitted from the sidelined perspective.

“She was able to see a lot of things off the court that, if you’re playing every day and not watching yourself, you can’t understand,” Ashworth said.

Finally back to 100 percent health as a senior, Plotkin has been Duke’s most consistent singles and doubles player.

When teamed with fellow senior Reka Zsilinszka, Plotkin has gone 12-3 in doubles matches this year—a big reason why Duke has won the majority of the doubles points in its dual matches.

As an individual playing near the top of Duke’s rotation, she has gone 12-1 in duals and has climbed to No. 64 in the country after beginning the season unranked. For Plotkin, her resurgent return to the court has been a dream come true.

“I’ve learned to take it one match at a time and one shot at a time,” Plotkin said.

“Words can’t describe how amazing it is to play again.”

tournament from page 9 don’t think we thought about [playing in Durham] much during the year. There were too many other things to think about.”

The Blue Devils will take on Hampton—a No. 15 seed—in the first round Saturday. The Pirates received an automatic bid to the Big Dance by winning the MidEastern Athletic Conference tournament.

“I know that they’re athletic,” McCallie said of the Pirates. “They’re just a team that traditionally has dominated their league. They’re a very good team, and they’ve had some consistency with what they do.”

After winning the opening game last year, top-seeded Duke fell to ninth-seeded Michigan State in the second round on the Spartans’ home floor—a bizzare twist of events that came about because of the NCAA’s use of predetermined tournament sites. But now Duke has a chance to erase those bad memories on its very own court.

Also, if the Blue Devils beat Hampton and defeat either LSU or Hartford in the second round, there’s a chance they could play sixth-seeded Texas in the Sweet 16.

And that would mean that Duke would face its former head coach, Gail Goestenkors, for the first time since she left Durham for Austin and the Longhorns.

This would seem to be at the forefront of the minds of the seniors. After all, Goestenkors recruited them and was their coach for a season. Yet the Blue Devils, as a team, are focusing on what they need to do to win Saturday’s game rather than worrying about possible future opponents.

“You create your tomorrow in this kind of tournament,” McCallie said. “Nobody creates it for you, and so you really want to see a very edgy, excited team.”

the chronicle TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 | 11

shooting from page 1 Representatives at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, who declined to give their names, said an autopsy report could take up to 90 days. The office referred calls to the Durham Police Department’s homicide unit.

DPD Public Information Officer Kammie Michael said DPD is not a lead investigating agency in the incident, and said she did not know why the Office of the Medical Examiner referred comment to the homicide unit.

“My understanding is that Duke and the SBI are the two lead investigating agencies,” she said. “We did provide assistance at the time of the shooting. We did have officers come. Our forensics unit helped out and our officers helped out with the scene.”

DUPD has declined to say whether the victim was armed, how many shots were fired and who fired shots due to the pending SBI investigation.

Michael said although she could only speak for DPD policy, it is not unusual for police to withhold details at the start of an active investigation.

Follow this story online at www.dukechronicle.com.

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The Independent Daily at Duke University

The Chronicle

14 | TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 the chronicle commentaries

“

Election shift could be welcome change In an August 2009 ex- highly talented individuals ecutive order, Duke Student lose out on a bid to become Government President Awa president or executive vice Nur, a senior, implemented president and are shut out a change to the organiza- of formal DSG executive tion’s election calendar. leadership positions. As a Under the new system, result, typically the only way next year’s for them to represident and main involved editorial executive vice in the organipresident will be elected zation is to take up a spot in March 30, and the selection the new president’s cabinet. of the future vice presidents Students can be effective will be coupled with regu- working in informal leaderlar Spring Senate elections ship positions, but it would April 15. be better for DSG as an orThe vice presidential rac- ganization and the student es should not be used as a body as a whole if these incarrot to increase the Spring dividuals had the opportuSenate election turnout, but nity to remain involved in any move to increase the elected offices. competency and quality of For precisely this reason, DSG executives is a step in the change to the executhe right direction. tive election calendar makes On a nearly annual basis, sense. For example, instead

onlinecomment

You were doing so well making humor out of non-Duke topics. Don’t resort to talking about Tailgate now!

”

—“column_junkie” commenting on the column “Gal ate it.”

See more at www.dukechronicle.com.

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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.

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E

of working behind the scenes within the cabinet or leaving DSG entirely, a well-respected vice president for student affairs who does not win the presidential election can now run to retain his or her current position.

On the whole, students with more experience are likely to make better elected officials.

The new election plan takes this reality into account and encourages qualified juniors and sophomores to remain highly involved in DSG. Despite all of its strengths, the change is not perfect.

Enabling candidates to “slate down” to a vice presidential race could heighten the electoral advantage for DSG insiders and incumbents if the same handful of candidates are running for

executive offices.

Moreover, individuals who run for vice presidential office after losing on March 30 will benefit from the opportunity to wage two electoral campaigns during a three-week period. As a result, these candidates will enjoy 13 more days of campaigning than the individuals who only run for vice president.

Perhaps the worst part of the electoral calendar switch is that it actually might decrease turnout from the vice presidential elections.

In the past, turnout for the presidential election has been significantly higher than Spring Senate elections. This is not surprising, as the DSG president is an important symbolic position,

and many students want to participate in selecting their new leader.

Vice presidential elections are significant too, but generally carry less weight in the eyes of the student body. Pairing this event with the Senate elections is unlikely to significantly impact Spring Senate election turnout and will only result in fewer students participating in the selection of the vice presidents.

Ultimately, though, time will tell whether the electoral calendar changes improve the quality of DSG leadership and enhance the efficacy of the organization as a whole.

Chelsea Goldstein recused herself from this editorial because of her ties to DSG.

The Odyssey: Duke edition

very time I go home, I feel as though I’ve into the same habits. entered a different world entirely.

I am once again pulled in by a routine and The first signs of this alien existence ap- philosophy that I forget during my time at colpear at the tail end of my eightlege. At home, regularity is not hour drive home, after I’ve exited only expected but essential to the the highway and find myself tracfunctioning of life—nightly family ing the winding roads that snake dinners, weekly soccer games, the their way to the entrance of my pencil markings of a growth chart neighborhood. etched annually on a wall.

On my left, I pass the loomOn the other hand, college ing form of Exhibit A: the Eiffel life demands transitions and conTower—well, Mason, Ohio’s vertinual progress. For the perennial shining li sion of the Eiffel Tower anyway. nomad (which every undergraduall too human As the centerpiece of our local ate student must be), existence theme park, this fraction-sized is a journey—everything fresh, replica of the real thing reminds me of count- transient, never-before-experienced. High less summer afternoons I spent in its shadows, school is over, and college is a brief four years. licking drippings of blue ice cream from a sugar Then what? Then where? As the story goes, we cone and planning my next afternoon of dizzy- will eventually find ourselves, settle down, start ing fun. homes of our own.

Then, as I ease my car up the driveway and cut For the time being, though, our rallying call the engine to the quiet of a Midwestern suburb, echoes behind us as we rush into the future: Exhibit B rushes from the front door, where (if change! change! change! his whines are to be trusted) he’s been standing In truth, during these breaks I feel like Odysguard for almost half an hour waiting for the seus returning at last to Ithaca after the Trojan beam of my headlights to brush past the stop sign War and a decade of treacherous wandering. at the corner of my street. Say hi to my brother: 4 Home is a concept grown hazy with time and ft. 3 inches tall, white belt in karate, likes choco- distance, a goal that offers the reassurances of late ice cream and yelling. A charming creature familiarity. But whereas Odysseus had the luxthat makes appearances only between the hours ury of treating home as his final destination, of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.

I can afford to only see home as yet another My house smells like the meal about which temporary resting point. When my odyssey of I’ve been dreaming for months. My mother re- self-discovery beckons me again, I must depart cites a series of questions she’s asked countless from the cyclical existence of my hometown times before; I dutifully recite my answers. My with the strange knowledge that as I change, father shows me his newest gadget, a steal he no everything back home will invariably stay the doubt found scouring the recesses of the Inter- same. net during another one of his insomnia-ridden Chalk my wistfulness up to nostalgia, then: a nights. Exhibits C, D, E. homesickness that paradoxically presents itself I hold back a smile as I push open the door to only when I’m at home, surrounded by remindmy room to find a jumble of sheets and stuffed ers of a way of life I’ve been forced to leave beanimals on my bed. Voila, Exhibit F. I never quite hind, both figuratively and literally. Chalk it up learned to tidy up in the morning. Some habits to in-between-ness, that muddled and indefinite die hard. Others never do. space of young adulthood that rests—or rather, It’s not just that I know what to expect when I fidgets and worries—between periods defined go home—not just the comfort and layers of deja by stability, comfort, shelter, home. vu I feel as I step through the rooms of my childFor now, my so-called home has become hood. If that were all, I’d be free to relish my trips just another stop in my travels. At the end of back home as a welcome reprieve from my fren- a stay, I’m always left with one last Exhibit: my zied life as a Duke undergraduate. suitcase, packed with the essentials of a life on Instead, an unease taints my perceptions of the go. I haul it into the trunk of my car and home and its gentle constancy. Lulled by the ease think to myself that someday, I’ll come home of each day melting into the next, I drift through for good. my hometown, frittering away the hours at cofJust not today. fee shops, bookstores and late-night movies. I become a copy of who I once was, taking the same Shining Li is a Trinity sophomore. Her column runs shortcuts, having the same conversations, sinking every Tuesday.

the chronicle

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 | 15

commentaries

Frodo’s illegitimate love child

I

t turns out that my girlfriend is Claire Danes. And pizza and my lactose intolerance just made me angry apparently I’m friends with George Clooney, Big with everyone.

Bird and that guy from Slumdog Millionaire. How The situation might have been even worse if I had did I not get invited to the Oscars? seen my own doppelganger, and it I should elaborate. A few weeks ago turned out he was cooler than me (not I was checking Facebook—avoiding my a tall order to fill). Maybe I would feel thesis—when I stumbled upon my girlless worthwhile because this other guy friend’s profile page. But instead of her told better jokes and somehow had a regular profile picture I saw the image nicer smile. If you were on a cruise ship of Claire Danes. I didn’t ask questions. and saw a cooler version of yourself, I’ve always wanted to date a celebrity. the resulting existential turmoil might But before I could start planning kousha navidar cause your head to explode faster than our first date, a friend explained that Avatar in 3D on an acid trip. the bus stops here watching I was mistaken. He told me about the It seems like these self-destructive new fad of posting a celebrity lookfeelings come from those situations in alike as your profile image. Now I’m pretty slow when which we try to define who we are in terms of how we it comes to you kids and the facebooks (actually I’m perceive others to be. slow when it comes to a lot of things), so I was surJudging oneself in terms of others is futile, beprised to hear how popular this trend had become. cause while it may seem that we have exclusive ownMy friend immediately suggested that I put up a ership over a certain visual or personality trait, the picture of Christopher from The Sopranos, since evi- probability of someone else in the world also exhibitdently I look like the illegitimate love child he had ing it is high. But sharing features neither increases with Frodo Baggins. I thought the more appropriate nor decreases an individual’s worth. Fine, the cooler picture would be Shrek. The point is I was suddenly version of me probably exudes style and class. But can obsessed with finding out whom I looked like, and he play any song from The Legend of Zelda video defining my features in terms of other people. game series on the hand flute from memory? Check.

Could this phenomenon be twisted to somehow And. Mate. represent grander social implications? You bet your When we evaluate ourselves in any way, we should celebrity-stalking-butt it could! Maybe it’s a reflection take care to do it in terms of our own judgment, and of our tendency to judge ourselves by comparison. not based on what we perceive from other people.

How would you respond if you knew there was a It may appear that we have exclusive ownership over stranger in the world who looked exactly like you? certain traits—our looks; our humor; our sixth toe— What would you do if you came face to face with the but really, this exclusivity just doesn’t exist. face of your own face?

There will always be someone who is funnier, or I’ll tell you how I felt when I almost met a real- smarter, or who looks just like you. And that’s OK. life doppelganger. Weird. And kind of betrayed. I was Especially if you’re Claire Danes. I need to poke her on a cruise this past week, and in between one of my again on Facebook. For some reason she forgot we’re 12 daily meals I lifted my head to see my best friend dating and won’t respond to any of my messages. from back home, Judd. But then I realized it wasn’t It probably doesn’t help that I changed my profile him; it was a fake Judd. I had such a high emotional picture to Shrek. investment in Judd that I was angry with the imposter. It was almost as if he had stolen something. Then Kousha Navidar is a Trinity senior. His column runs again, maybe the combination of the ship’s cheap every other Tuesday.

lettertotheeditor Remember the ladies I may be biased, but I get it. Women’s collegiate basketball is a non-revenue-generating sport watched by significantly fewer people than men’s.

So even though I’m a Duke women’s basketball manager, I understand why Kyle Singler graced the front page of The Chronicle after spring break and why the Sportswrap featured the men’s ACC Tournament victory.

As per usual, I eagerly turned to the back of the section to read about women’s basketball. They had won their first ACC Tournament since 2004!

And all I found was a picture. And a caption. And a title reading “Don’t forget the ladies.” In the same issue, I read articles on early season (and admit-

tedly less important) games/matches of women’s tennis and women’s lacrosse, which, naturally, ran after baseball and men’s lacrosse.

Although I commend The Chronicle for its attempt to cover all sports, this lack of women’s basketball tournament coverage is unacceptable. I’m not asking for press equal to the men—Title IX mandates enough so-called equality as it is. I’m not asking for undeserved priority placement of women’s sports stories. But I am asking for an article.

Heck, one of our managers would’ve been happy to supply you with one.

Margaret Skoglund Trinity ’10

Everybody poops

D

o you sit or stand?

This was the first question on my classmate Danny Newman’s AP statistics final project during my senior year of high school. The subject was male bathroom wiping habits, and the project’s objective was to establish whether a statistically significant percentage of guys wipe standing or sitting. At first glance, this project appears to be the immature, phoned-in efforts of a high school senior boy who had long since checked out of Evanjordan rice ston Township High School and real talk booked his ticket to Rice University in Houston.

How wrong one would be to cast off Danny’s study as a mere attempt at cheap teenage bathroom humor. To this day, I have learned more from his AP stats project on the subject of buttwiping than any other essay, thesis, presentation or project completed by a peer. And that includes the paper a classmate wrote from my Duke freshman seminar on Tolstoy and Dostoevsky that was so good that the venerable Professor Denis Mickiewicz had her read aloud all 20-plus pages to the class.

Her essay was excellent, but it is but a footnote compared to the butt-wiping study, the results of which were nothing short of revolutionary and evolutionary, groundbreaking and earth-shaking, in the manner in which they shaped my worldview.

Half sat and half stood. Interesting data, and it’s confirmed by an 8,000 person online survey conducted through the reputable Web site www.poopreport.com (tagline: Your No. 1 source, for your No. 2 business). But this alone is not the root of the project’s brilliance. Rather, it is that the sitters and the standers did not know the other existed.

Your roommate, someone who sleeps only a few yards away, could be a sitter and you would be none the wiser. Unbeknownst to you, your best friend could fold toilet paper, your uncle could crumple it and your brother could use baby wipes. And you wouldn’t know about nor would you understand what appears to you to be their deviant behavior.

Whether it is in the bathroom or in the bedroom, in our minds, hearts or souls, all we know in these most private places is our own experience.

I should note that it is not mere matters of opinion to which I refer here. It is not new news to you that someone doesn’t agree with you that an austere 2.5 hour black and white German movie is good (it is), or that Rajon Rondo is a basketball super-villain (he is). You don’t need reminding that others believe the health care reform that you so desire to be socialism, fascism and (not or) communism. No, it is something far more fundamental than preferences and opinions. It’s our most private and deeply ingrained frameworks from which we approach involuntarily the world around us.

This phenomenon extends far beyond bathroom habits and basic daily routines to your sexuality, your prejudices and your moral code, among other things. You may either assume everyone else thinks the same way you do, or that nobody else thinks the same way you do. The former can get you into trouble [“Oh sorry baby, I thought everybody was into (insert weird thing that you just tried to do)”]. The latter can isolate you [“Oh, if only someone else were into (insert weird thing that you want to do)”].

Studies like Danny’s or the slightly better known “Kinsey Reports” do much to teach us that we either are not alone or are not representative of the entire human race. At Duke, a number of valuable and exceedingly popular events seek to do the same thing.

Ruth Westheimer’s recent discussion, “Sexually Speaking,” drew more than 500 people to Reynolds Theater to talk frankly about subjects that only a four-ft.-seven-inch, 81-year-old sex expert can approach.

The Center for Race Relations has done a particularly excellent job in recent years of fostering similar discussions on race, gender and sexuality that nobody wants to have, but, judging by the popularity of the Me Too Monologues and the bi-annual Common Ground retreats, everyone wants to have.

Together, these two events provide dialogues that allow participants and audience members to question their previously unquestioned assumptions. Of course, profound differences persist, but these events bridge the divides between sitters, standers and the 7 percent of the population that crouches. Indeed, we still must be reminded that everybody poops.

Jordan Rice is a Trinity senior. His column runs every other Tuesday.

16 | TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 the chronicle

Arts

Screen Society

March 17 - March 23

DUKE

arts.duke.edu

Così fan Tutte On March 18 and 20, the Duke Symphony Orchestra will present Mozart’s beloved comic opera, Così fan Tutte, which features some of the composer’s most dazzling arias and famous ensemble singing. This semi-staged production will be sung in Italian with English supratitles and will feature professional opera singers, including Duke alumnus Joshua Sekoski.

Così fan Tutte – “All Women do the Same”-- uses disguise and deception to explore the timeless question: How faithful are our lovers when we aren’t watching?

Thursday, March 18 & Saturday, March 20 7:30 pm in Baldwin Auditorium $10 Adults, $5 Students & Seniors, Free for Duke Students tickets.duke.edu

All events are free and open to the general public. Unless otherwise noted, screenings are at 7pm in the Griffith Film Theater, Bryan Center. (“Nasher” = Nasher Museum Auditorium; “White” = Richard White Auditorium.)

3/18 The Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing (Nasher) Lines of Attack series. Documentary follows Dixie Chicks for 3 years, in the aftermath of singer Natalie Maines’s statement that she was ashamed that President George W. Bush was from her home state of Texas.

3/22 All That She Wants (Elle veut le chaos) Quebec Film Festival. Winner of the prize for Best Directing at the 2008 Locarno International Film Festival!

3/23 Dhamma Brothers Control & Resistance series. Documentary about innovative meditation program in an Alabama maximumsecurity prison. Discussion to follow w/ the filmmaker, the prison’s warden, and the treatment director!

fvd.aas.duke.edu/screensociety/schedule.php

Events Wednesday, March 17 TALK. They’re Coming for the Land. Andrew Kahrl will discuss the rise and demise of black beaches and coastal property ownership.

3pm. Perkins Library Rare Book Room. Free.

MUSIC. Jazz @ the Mary Lou with Professor John Brown and his house band. 9:30pm. Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture. Free.

Friday, March 19 MUSIC. Rare Music – Fanny Hensel, the Other Mendelssohn. With Penelope Jensen and R. Larry Todd. 4pm. Perkins Library Rare Book Room. Free.

THEATER. Now You See Me. Reading of a new dark comedy about a reality show that follows cancer patients. By Neal Bell. Directed by Jody McAuliffe. 8pm. Manbites Dog Theater. Free.

Saturday, March 20 MUSIC. The Holy Sonnets of John Donne. By Benjamin Britten with Elizabeth Linnartz, soprano, and Jeremy Begbie, pianist. Reflections by Richard Hays, George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament. 4pm. Nelson Music Room. Free.

Sunday, March 21 MUSIC. Faculty Recital: Robert Parkins, organ. All-Bach program in honor of the composer’s 325th birthday, featuring a recently discovered chorale fantasy. 5pm. Duke Chapel.

Free.

Duke Performances in durham, at duke, the modern comes home.

Farber Foundry TheaTre’s

molora adapTed From The oresteia Trilogy Friday & Saturday March 19 & 20 • 8 pm Reynolds Industries Theater

student $5 duke tickets

10% discount

duke employee

for tickets & info

919-684-4444

dukeperformances.org