April 21, 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

wednesday, april 21, 2010

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 137

www.dukechronicle.com

McLendon to take provost post at Rice

Back for more

by Taylor Doherty THE CHRONICLE

for athletics and campus services and sophomore Ubong Akpaninyie will serve as vice president for Durham and regional affairs. Akpaninyie’s and Brown’s races were the only contested vice presidential races.

Attorney General Var Shankar, a senior, said voter turnout was 26 percent, which he said was “expected.”

George McLendon, dean of the faculty of Arts and Sciences and dean of Trinity College, will leave Duke at the end of the academic year to become provost of Rice University.

McLendon will effectively step down May 24 to assume his new responsibilities at Rice, Provost Peter Lange said. McLendon’s dedication to the sciences, research and interdisciplinary studies—especially given Rice’s emphasis on engineering—will make him an effective leader there, Lange said.

“He’s been a superb dean for us. He’s really raised our sights in terms of the type of faculty that we can hire,” Lange said. “He’s very interested in undergradGeorge uate education, as shown by some of the McLendon things that he’s done as dean.”

Lange said McLendon told him a number of weeks ago that Rice was considering him for the job. Lange said he was aware that if offered the job, McLendon would seriously consider leaving Duke.

McLendon could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.

He sent an e-mail to the Trinity College Board of Visitors around 6 p.m. Tuesday notifying its members of his departure.

“I also have personal news, which, for me, is bittersweet,”

See Elections on page 5

See mclendon on page 4

courtney douglas/The Chronicle

Coach Mike Krzyzewski (left) joins Kyle Singler as the junior standout announces his intent to return for a fourth season. SEE STORY PAGE 7

Students elect DSG representatives Akpaninyie, Bhutani, Brown, Danesh voted vice presidents

by Matthew Chase THE CHRONICLE

The student body elected Duke Student Government representatives for the upcoming year Tuesday.

Among the winners, sophomore Kaveh Danesh will serve as vice president for academic affairs, freshman Gurdane Bhutani will serve as vice president for student affairs, freshman Chris Brown will serve as vice president

Summer classes to include Judiciary rules Robinette’s Duke’s first online offerings discrimination claim invalid

by Sanette Tanaka THE CHRONICLE

This summer, students can pursue a Duke education without being on campus.

Two courses will be offered online for the first time by Duke’s Program in Education and the English department during the summer session, allowing undergraduate students to earn credit while located around the world.

“You can be anywhere,” said Kristen Stephens, assistant professor of the practice in the Program in Education. “You don’t have to be on campus to take this class. You could be going home or you could be abroad.”

Stephens will teach EDUC 168: “Reform in American Classrooms” and Cathy Shuman, visiting assistant professor of English, will teach ENGLISH 109S: “Writing the Experience: Civic Engagement and Creative Nonfiction.”

The two classes were developed by their respective departments and approved by the Committee on Courses, a standing committee on the Arts and Sciences Council, according to an e-mail from Paula Gilbert, associate dean and director of Duke continuing studies and summer session.

Gilbert added that the courses count as Duke academic credit and will cost the same tuition as other summer courses.

Although tuition costs are the same, distance learning can provide some monetary benefits.

“In addition to the flexibility of these courses, they can also mean financial savings to students who will not have to budget for on-campus housing and dining,” Gilbert said.

Compared with nearby institutions

Pfisterer leads Duke to win at Liberty, Page 7

See online courses on page 6

by Joanna Lichter THE CHRONICLE

The Duke Student Government Judiciary ruled Tuesday morning there was no substantial evidence to convict the Duke College Republicans of discriminating against junior Justin Robinette on the basis of his sexual orientation.

In a 3-to-1 decision, the Judiciary said College Republicans removed Robinette as club chair for valid reasons related to unprofessional Justin Robinette conduct, as stated in the articles of impeachment. This ruling most likely means that College Republicans is no longer at risk of losing its charter for constitutional violations.

Robinette filed a complaint with the Judiciary April 15, shortly after resigning

from his position. He declined to comment on the hearing.

“The actions of the DCR Executive Board stemmed from a growing dissatisfaction with the leadership of the plaintiff, and this Court believes that the ensuing results, however drastic, reflect that dissatisfaction, and do not contain any discriminatory agenda or intent,” the Judiciary’s majority opinion reads. “There is no strong evidence showing that this dissatisfaction is due to the discrimination of the plaintiff’s sexual orientation, but rather purely on the quality of the plaintiff’s leadership.”

As a result, it is unlikely that DSG will consider revoking College Republicans’ charter, which was in question when the Judiciary met for Robinette’s hearing Monday night. The DSG Senate holds the rights to the charter and could revoke it for unconstitutional behavior, but as of 2 See robinette on page 5

ONTHERECORD

“When the opportunity made itself available we acted on it and we got it.” ­—Director of the DECC James Soukup on Pictometry technology. See story page 4

DUU looks to increase homecoming attendance, Page 3

2 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010 the chronicle

worldandnation

TODAY:

6654

THURSDAY:

7645

Terrorists seek new recruits through English websites

D.C. council gives initial Partisanship poses danger approval to marijuana WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Washington braces for the first serious conversation in more than a decade about deficit reduction, some economists and independent budget experts fear that the hyperpartisan political atmosphere is rapidly narrowing the options for dealing with the chronic budget shortfall.

The latest troublesome sign: Both parties’ emphatic rejection in recent days of a value-added tax, a sales tax imposed by nearly every other developed nation. After a White House economic adviser was caught speaking semi-favorably about a VAT, the White House this week vigorously denied that President Barack Obama is looking to include the tax in his deficit-cutting arsenal.

“The president has not proposed this idea, nor is it under consideration,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.

“

Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana.

— Bill Gates

”

WASHINGTON, D.C — Hundreds of chronically ill Washington residents will be able to buy government-sanctioned marijuana by the end of the year under a measure that was unanimously approved by the D.C. Council Tuesday.

Without debate, the council authorized five medical marijuana distribution centers throughout the city, a number that could grow to eight in coming years. A patient who has HIV, glaucoma, cancer or a “chronic and lasting disease” will be able to receive a doctor’s recommendation to possess up to 2 ounces of marijuana in a 30-day period.

Patients would not be allowed to grow marijuana but could buy it from dispensaries that are licensed and regulated by the Department of Health. Underprivileged residents who qualify will be eligible to purchase their drugs free or at reduced cost.

TODAY IN HISTORY 1828: Noah Webster publishes 1st American dictionary

CAIRO, Egypt — Al-Qaeda and its ideological allies are using English-language websites and forums to encourage nonArabic speakers to make war on the West as terrorists seek the next Fort Hood shooters and “Jihad Janes.”

Their goal to widen the pool of prospective terrorists beyond traditional Middle East and Asia sources is part of a search for “white al-Qaeda” activists who could foil racial profiling and initiate attacks, according to Evan Kohlmann, a consultant with FlashPoint Partners, a New York-based security research company.

The effort is consistent with the gradual decentralization of Islamic-inspired holy war, he said.

“It’s a way al-Qaeda can say, `You don’t have to speak Arabic or Pashtun or come to Pakistan for training; you just have to be committed, and go out and kill peo-

ple,”’ Kohlmann said.

Appeals for nonmembers to carry out small-scale attacks are a departure for al-Qaeda, the global terrorist network headed by Osama bin Laden. It maintained centralized command and training for many years, masterminding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. After Sept. 11, it pledged to trump the mass killing with even more spectacular assaults.

As the United States kept up pressure on al-Qaida hideouts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, its leaders exercised less control over related organizations and have begun to encourage attacks by unaffiliated individuals, Kohlmann said. Al-Qaeda released a video message in English last month by Adam Gadahn, an Americanborn spokesman, appealing for hits on targets big and small.

Suzanne Plunkett/The Bloomberg news

Walter Muscat, of Attard, Malta, inspects a specimen 500-euro note in 2007. A report by the bank of Italy says the high-value bill “simplifies the logistical management of large sums of money” and makes it a favorite of criminals, terrorist groups, and all money launderers in general. Italy, with one of the largest underground economies in Europe, may need to quell the widespread distribution of the note.

REDuCE • REusE • RECyClE

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Earth Day April 22, 2010 11 am - 3 pm in front of Duke Chapel Look for the Discovery Mobile!

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the chronicle

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010 | 3

Duke University Union

Group looks to increase visibility during orientation

by Alejandro Bolívar THE CHRONICLE

At its meeting Tuesday night, Duke University Union focused on the upcoming semester, discussing ways to improve both freshman orientation week and attendance at the Homecoming football game.

DUU plans to coordinate efforts with Campus Council to attract more students to the Homecoming game against Army, which will take place Sept. 25. The efforts are targeted at having students attend the game after Tailgate instead of returning to their dorms.

Additionally, DUU is trying to market itself more during orientation week. The organization traditionally distributes calendars during orientation week to freshmen.

“Since we are a programming body I don’t just want to give stuff [away], I want to link it to a DUU event,” said President Yi Zhang, a junior.

Executive Marketing Director Michelle Zhang, a sophomore, said DUU purchased 1,200 calendars for $2,500, about 50 percent less than the anticipated cost. She asked members of every committee to send her pictures to be included in the calendar.

In addition to handing out calendars to freshmen, members discussed what else to give out during orientation week. They considered ideas such as sunglasses, water bottles, bandanas and T-shirts.

Vice President of Internal Affairs Elliot Johnson, a junior, said distributing shirts could involve long lines because each student would have to be asked his or her size.

A “grab-and-go” option would be more convenient, he said.

emily shiau/The Chronicle

Members of DUU brainstormed the best ways to market itself to freshmen during orientation week next Fall at its meeting Tuesday. DUU traditionally gives away calendars, which were ordered this year for about half of the anticipated cost.

4 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010 the chronicle

New technology pinpoints Durham 911 call locations

by Caroline Fairchild THE CHRONICLE

Now when you call 911 in Durham, communication officers will still ask “What is your emergency?” but they will already know the best way to track you down.

The Durham Emergency Communication Center has installed Pictometry technology, which allows officers to inspect an inbound caller’s location through 3D-like aerial images. Pictometry shows dispatchers up to 12 different angled views of a property, building, highway or other feature within Durham County.

The program works with both cellular phones and landlines.

Director of the Durham Emergency Communication Center James Soukup said the new technology provides accurate information to emergency responders to deal with situations when they arrive on the scene. Soukup said the software allows dispatchers to provide firefighters with remote guidance of obstacles that might impair access to a building and give police officers information about entry and escape.

“The technology truly takes us to the next level in our ability to locate callers reporting emergencies and also to aid the emergency responders with valuable information access to the incident scene,” Soukup said.

Durham Fire Chief Bruce Pagan said he has seen many emergencies in the past in which the technology would have benefited his department. Although the software does not provide real-time imagery, Pagan said the digital information of the location of buildings and streets will increase the efficiency of responders when they arrive on the scene.

Pagan noted that the software’s full potential came to use a few days ago.

“There was a structure fire call that came in over the past week,” he said. “It was a work shed that was on fire.

Normally work sheds are detached from primary residences but this one wasn’t. That’s information that the firefighter could use to see that the whole structure was vulnerable.”

According to a statement released Monday, Durham used $214,605 from the North Carolina Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association to pay for the software. The city covered the remaining $66,550 using 911 surcharge funds.

“The center is always looking at technological ways to improve and this was an opportunity with us with the federal funding to get this in here as part of an improvement,” Soukup said. “When the opportunity made itself available we acted on it and we got it.”

Pictometry is not unique to Durham. Major metropolitan areas using Pictometry include Atlanta, Boston and San Francisco.

George Fosque, director of the Emergency Communication Center in Cambridge, Mass., said Pictometry can be very useful to dispatchers because it offers features like access to oblique angles and frequent updates, even though he does not use the program in his department.

“One could use Google Maps,” he said. “But one would not have the 911 [computer-aided design] integration.”

The new technology can also help those who are unfamiliar with the county get out of a bad situation, allowing Soukup’s department to locate and aid them easily, he said.

Pagan said he is still figuring out all the features the software has to offer, but added that he is pleased with Pictometry’s potential.

“It’s able to measure distance and height and things that we can’t actually do with our eyes,” Pagan said. “That is just some really good variable information to have at your fingertips.”

mclendon from page 1 McLendon wrote. “After considerable deliberation, I have decided to return to my home state to accept the position of Provost at Rice University. I will take with me many lessons learned and friendships nurtured at Duke.

High among those will be our many accomplishments together.”

Rice is located in Houston, and McLendon, a native of Fort Worth, Tex., noted that the opportunity to take a position there would allow him to return to his home state. He wrote that the board’s meeting over the weekend would provide an opportunity to more completely discuss his departure.

John Burness, former senior vice president for public affairs and government relations, said McLendon has been a strategic leader for the University since his arrival.

“He was someone that people went to for advice for a wide range of issues,” Burness said. “He bridged gaps—he was not just interested in the sciences.... He was interested in a very broad range of intellectual areas.... I think most of us expected that George would be a provost someday. He’s going to a very good place.”

McLendon was serving as the chair of Princeton University’s chemistry department when he accepted the dean of the faculty position in January 2004. His arrival at Duke closely coincided with the arrival of President Richard Brodhead, who was named the successor to Nan Keohane Dec. 12, 2003 by the Board of Trustees.

Dean of the Natural Sciences Alvin Crumbliss, also a chemist by training, will serve as interim dean of the faculty of arts and sciences. Lange said his term will begin May 24 and run through the 2010-2011 academic year. Crumbliss will provide Duke with steady leadership, he added.

Crumbliss could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday evening.

A national search, which will consider candidates from both inside and outside the Duke community, is set to begin in approximately a month but will likely not end until Spring 2011, Lange said.

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the chronicle

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010 | 5

robinette from page 1

Change the world, change yourself

kat shirrell/The Chronicle

Nadinne Cruz, former director of the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University, spoke at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life Tuesday about the transformative power of civic engagement. Her talk was a part of the Program in Education Speaker Series in Applied Educational Research.

Elections from page 1 Still, the elections did not come without problems. Shankar said the Office of Student Activities and Facilities made a coding error, which caused ballots to cease function for about three hours Tuesday morning.

After submitting their ballots, many students received a message that the submission failed and that the “choice selected is no longer available.” Because of this error, the deadline to cast ballots was extended to 11 p.m.

“Obviously, many people did not vote again, but I think the vast majority of people who didn’t vote in the morning were able to vote again later in the day,” Shankar said. “I don’t think it affected [voter turnout] significantly.”

Shankar sent an e-mail to undergraduates around 10:43 a.m. Tuesday notifying them that the original ballots were never collected and that students who received the notification had to vote again.

Senior Meg Foran, former attorney general and a current member of the election commission, said voter turnout was slightly higher than the approximately 22 percent turnout last year, adding that the election mishap did not affect the results.

But voter participation was still lower than the 41.5 percent turnout for the March 30 presidential and executive vice presidential races.

“Part of that was the increase in the number of competitive races this year,” Foran said. “The second round of elections is just less exciting than the first round.”

In past years, vice presidents were elected at the same time as the president and executive vice president.

DSG President Awa Nur, a senior, issued an August executive order to combine the vice president and Senate elections. Nur said the change would allow students who run unsuccessful presidential or executive vice presidential campaigns to run for another office.

Only junior Will Passo, an unsuccessful presidential candidate, took advantage of the opportunity, successfully

dsgelectionresults VP of Academic Affairs Kaveh Danesh ran unopposed

VP of Student Affairs Gurdane Bhutani ran unopposed

Class Officers

2011: President Julia Duzon Vice President Ajai Atal Secretary Craig Miller 2012: President Monique Barrios Treasurer Daniel Frank Benzecry 2013: President Sabrina Rubakovic Vice President Alikiah Barclay

running for a Class of 2011 student affairs Senate seat.

Nur mentioned in her executive order that the election calendar reshuffling might increase voter turnout.

Shankar said increasing voter turnout was just meant to be a “side effect.”

Akpaninyie, who received 50.2 percent of the vote in comparison to the 40.9 percent freshman Gordon Wilson received, said he was happy about his win, but noted that he was concerned about the election mishaps.

“A lot of people who have early morning classes probably voted early in the morning and they were probably irritated and some of them didn’t vote,”

VP of Athletics and Campus Services Chris Brown (52%) defeated: Metty Fisseha (29%) Yingyi Shen (12%)

VP of Durham and Regional Affairs Ubong Akpaninyie (50%) defeated: Gordon Wilson (41%)

Elected Senators

Academic Affairs Joseph Catapano, Gregory Halperin, Ashley Baker, Louis Ortiz, Kenny Gould, Jordan Rodriguez Student Affairs Will Passo, Justin Robinette, Gunduz Shirin, Ebonie Simpson, Cary Politzer, Michael Habashi Athletics and Campus Services Ben Bergmann, Brendan Saslow, Christopher D’Angelo, Christina Lieu, Dillon Buckner, Cameron Oswalt Durham and Regional Affairs Dustin Gamza, Paul Henson, Yue Jiang, Oliver Wilson, Ari Ruffer, Alexandra Swain Akpaninyie said.

He added that many students may have forgotten to vote because of the five-day election delay. The election of senators and vice presidents was delayed after 13 candidates were first disqualified but later allowed to run.

Brown, who received 52 percent of the vote, said it was frustrating that many of the ballots were not counted. He added that the entire campaign has been frustrating, especially the disqualification of some candidates.

“It’s been a roller coaster the last 18 days,” Brown said. “It seems like the things that should have been prevented kept piling up.”

a.m today, the governing body does not have a discussion of the sanction on its agenda for tonight’s Senate meeting, DSG Executive Vice President Gregory Morrison confirmed.

“Given the judiciary ruling, there’s no grounds to [revoke or question the charter], but something could be done in the theoretical sense,” said Morrison, a junior.

Associate Justice Carissa Mueller, a junior, dissented from the majority ruling because she thought the College Republicans did create a hostile environment toward members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community. She added that she believes Robinette’s sexual orientation played a “necessary role” in the impeachment.

“Specifically, I believe that the testimonies given and evidence offered indicate a preponderance of communication between members of the DCR that are offensive to members of the LGBT community. I further find that these comments were sometimes general derogatory comments and other times made specifically about Robinette, who was openly homosexual to a number of members of the DCR,” she wrote.

The justices spent more than 15 hours weighing the case, beginning Monday night. The Judiciary received statements from 22 individuals, and both sides testified separately.

Former College Republicans vice chair Cliff Satell, a junior, testified for Robinette.

In an interview with The Chronicle Sunday, Satell said he was approached by current College Republicans Chair Carter Boyle, a junior, prior to Wednesday’s impeachment meeting. Satell revised his statement Tuesday, noting that it was former executive director Sam Tasher, a first-year law student and Trinity ’09, who approached him. Satell said Tasher found out Robinette was gay the weekend before the impeachment and referred to Robinette’s orientation in a negative tone, implying that Tasher told others.

“Look at the facts—they took 12 to 14 hours to deliberate, so obviously they were split for a very long time,” Satell said. “I never had experience with the [DSG Judiciary] before, and they don’t really have standards so they could do whatever they want. They can pick and choose whatever they want, and because of that I knew [the case] was very open ended.”

Although the Judiciary has made its decision in the case, Robinette still faces financial allegations from College Republicans members.

In an interview Sunday, Robinette said he was falsely accused of misusing club funds.

“There was no inappropriate use of funds and I will work with OSAF in clarifying and explaining any of the purchases,” Robinette said in an interview Tuesday.

Boyle said Sunday that Robinette used club funds to purchase clothing for himself, adding that the club was in the process of conducting an audit. The embezzlement charges, however, do not appear in the articles of impeachment.

Robinette independently contacted junior Max Tabachnik, incoming chair of the Student Organization Finance Committee, requesting an audit Monday. Tabachnik informed Robinette an investigation was already underway, following a request that had been made over the weekend.

Tabachnik said SOFC found that College Republicans made no violations of SOFC’s financial protocol, but noted that SOFC could not account for separate violations of University or internal club protocols.

Chris Roby, director of the Office of Student Activities and Facilities, said College Republicans adviser Peter Feaver, Alexander F. Hehmeyer professor of political science, submitted a separate audit request to OSAF to determine if the club violated University financial policy. The results confirmed the group had not violated University protocol.

The audit notes that College Republicans may have other policies restricting OSAF’s access to certain financial transactions.

“Internal guidelines of DCR might add a policy layer to the group’s financial activity, but my staff is unable to speak to or make decisions regarding those policies,” OSAF Business Manager Jessica Brinker wrote in an e-mail to Roby. “Such would be the responsibility of the DCR Treasurer.”

Former College Republicans treasurer Trent Serwetz, a junior, resigned Thursday. The position remains vacant.

6 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010 the chronicle

Online courses from page 1

has always taken pride in the fact that it offers relatively small classes… but technology has advanced to the extent that one can now have similar interactions… online.”

She added that the University already incorporates online components—such as discussion boards and blogs— to existing classes, blurring the distinction between traditional and online courses.

Shuman said ENGLISH 109S can only be offered online because it draws from civic engagement experi-

such as North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, both of which offer more than 300 “distance education” courses, Duke has yet to take part in this online education trend.

“I’m not sure why this has not come up before now,” Ingeborg Walther, director of the Office of Curriculum and Course Development, wrote in an e-mail. “Duke

chronicle file photo illustration

This summer the Duke English and Education departments will allow students to take certain courses online, marking Duke’s first foray into online classes.

ences, including DukeEngage, the Robertson Scholars Program and independent projects. Students will write creative nonfiction works for the class based on their ventures.

“The course is not online for the sake of being online— it is the only way we can write about our experiences,” Shuman said. “The distance component has to be there since people will be all over the world while they are taking the course.”

The approved courses are conducive to an online learning environment, Stephens said. In addition to incorporating daily news issues from online media, EDUC 168 will require students to take part in eight live, virtual meetings using Adobe Connect, a Web conferencing program.

“We will talk to and see one another through webcams,” Stephens said. “It will be like having a class, but instead of sitting in a room, we’ll sit in a virtual room.”

She added that eight additional asynchronous class periods will include reading assignments, blog posts and quizzes.

Conducted through Blackboard, ENGLISH 109S will require weekly posts and peer reviews, Shuman said. After students complete their civic engagement projects, the last two weeks will involve “intensive” revising and editing to produce a finished compilation of the summer’s assignments, she added.

Although the online aspect is convenient for students, Shuman noted that virtual classes may hinder the social benefits of traditional classrooms.

“I’m used to having body language and live interaction with students,” she said. “It’s going to be very different doing that through an online discussion and workshops.”

Stephens said she still wants to create a comfortable atmosphere among students.

“I don’t want to be a talking head on a computer screen,” she said. “I want people to be comfortable engaging and learning.”

The two summer classes will serve as trials for future courses, Walther said. She said there are currently no plans for such courses in the Fall, but that they may be considered in the future.

“Duke does not really have a policy about online courses, but it might be time to develop one,” she said.

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Sports

>> WOMEN’S GOLF

The Chronicle

WEDNESDAY April 21, 2010

Alison Whitaker, an Australian native, will play for her country in the World Amateur Team Championships in Argentina this October, Golf Australia announced today

www.dukechroniclesports.com

8 years later, Singler: Too much left to thanks for the accomplish in Durham memories men’s basketball

So this—finally—is the end.

A mere three years after I graduated, this is almost definitely the last time I’ll write a regularly scheduled sports column in this newspaper. (Yes, that was a carefully crafted statement with a ton of wiggle room. I count no fewer than four modifiers in that sentence. Bill Clinton’s speechwriters would be proud. Hell, Brett Favre would be proud.)

I’ve written at least one story that appeared in the sports section for eight consecutive calendar years. I’ve written at least one sports column for six consecutive calendar years.

I’ve written a column about a utopian future brought about

by Brian Zoubek and a column about 12 students camping out for Alex a women’s basketball game. I’ve written two columns attempting to prove that Duke Basketball declines over the course of the season and a column suggesting that Coach K should resign. I’ve written dozens of columns that generated hate mail, and another column about the hate mail I’ve received.

I have covered men’s basketball, women’s basketball, football, men’s lacrosse, field hockey, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s golf, women’s golf, track and field, fencing, men’s tennis and women’s tennis. I wrote feature stories about Sean Dockery’s hardknocks childhood, the post-Hoax recovery of men’s lacrosse and Lee Melchionni’s impressions. I wrote the equivalent of a novella about J.J. Redick’s career.

And there’s one thing I can say with utter certainty: I have never enjoyed anything more.

It is beyond trite, in a sports column, for the writer to relay a story about a time that someone told him that he was too talented a writer to be a sportswriter. It is beyond trite, in a sports column, to use that as a jumping-off point to talk about the majesty of sports—the smell of a

Fanaroff

See fanaroff on page 8

courtney douglas/the Chronicle

Kyle Singler cited the desire to achieve everything he can as a Duke senior and the need to refine his leadership skills as reasons for returning.

by Sabreena Merchant THE CHRONICLE

Kyle Singler entered the Bill Brill Media Room Tuesday morning grinning from ear to ear.

The Blue Devils haven’t really stopped smiling since they won the national championship two weeks ago, and the junior forward’s announcement that he will return for his senior season at Duke ensures that the team will have plenty of reasons to keep doing so in the coming year.

Singler had been noncommittal discussing his future in the past few weeks, determined to keep an open mind about entering the NBA Draft a year early or completing his fourth season as a Blue Devil. The forward was projected to be a late first-round pick were he to declare for the draft, but Singler chose to return to a team that he says has

a “reasonable” chance to repeat as NCAA champions.

“I couldn’t have gone wrong with either decision. With that, the pressure was lighter,” Singler said. “Making my decision to come back to school, I feel really good about this.”

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski cited three major reasons for Singler’s decision to continue at Duke, including how much the junior loves the school and wants to experience being a senior. Singler also mentioned wanting to improve before turning professional, especially as a leader.

Krzyzewski noted that Singler will continue to play on the perimeter on offense, a role he moved into this season after playing more in the post his first two years.

Krzyzewski said he envisioned using Singler in a variety See singler on page 8

baseball

Blue Devil arms put out Flames

by Andy Margius THE CHRONICLE

Chronicle file photo

Columnist Alex Fanaroff wrote a 5,000-word profile of J.J. Redick’s rise from immature freshman to absolute star over the course of his career.

Spurred by the performance of sophomore pitcher Eric Pfisterer, Duke kept its nonconference road record unblemished by downing Liberty 4-1 Tuesday night.

For the Blue Devils (22-16), Pfisterer’s play was without question the highlight of the DUKE 4 night. Allowing only five total baserunners in eight innings of 1 work, Pfisterer earned his first LIB road victory of the season.

“Eric was outstanding,” head coach Sean McNally said. “He pitched with his fastball, but commanded it well and attacked the zone. I really liked his aggressiveness, and as the game went on, he just got better and better.”

While Duke’s offense performed only adequately against the talented Flames (25-11), the Blue Devils See liberty on page 8

faith robertson/Chronicle file photo

Starting pitcher Eric Pfisterer went eight innings and gave up a single run in Duke’s 4-1 win over Liberty Tuesday night in Lynchburg, Va.

8 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010 the chronicle

fanaroff from page 7 freshly mowed baseball field, the sound of the crowd in Cameron Indoor, the poetry of the playaction fake.

But sometimes, what is beyond trite is also partly true.

And so it is true that I was told by my high school journalism teacher that I was too talented a writer to write about sports. She told me this quite often. I branched out into other areas, but I steadfastly remained a sportswriter.

In high school, I never had the words to explain why I loved writing about sports, but I think I do now.

I don’t love sports for their majesty and grandeur.

Instead, I love sports because athletic competition is noth-

ian soileau/Chronicle file photo

To Alex Fanaroff, stories like Brian Zoubek’s development into an NBA-caliber big man are what make sportswriting so rewarding.

ing more than life writ infinitesimally small.

Life is complicated and difficult to understand; athletic competition is simple. Life goals are nebulous and the time horizon is long; athletic goals are easily defined over a short time period. Life is so grand as to be immeasurable; athletics are so small that they can be quantified by won-loss records and shooting percentages. Life means everything; sport, ultimately, means nothing.

But that’s not to say that sport lacks value, or that sportswriting lacks value. For me, sports—especially college sports—have always been the perfect prism through which to view life.

Some of life’s best stories are stories of growth and change. As young adults, our collegiate growth and change happened on the inside—most of us got to school, partied too much, acted like idiots and then eventually settled down. Everyone has a fascinating story, but the milestones and turning points are hard to identify, even in retrospect. Growing up is gradual, and you never know how far you’ve gone until you get there. That doesn’t make for much of a story.

Meanwhile, our athletes grow up right in front of our eyes. We watched Redick’s transformation from a head-bobbing, obnoxious freshman to a senior breaking down in tears as he talked about how important his Duke experience was to him. Our athletes’ milestones are wins and losses, minutes per game, shooting percentage. For me, the stories wrote themselves: Search Salinger’s catalog all you want, but you’ll never find a better bildungsroman than Redick’s four years at Duke.

But we don’t only get to watch our athletes come of age. Bite-size dramas play out every season. Our athletes avail us of the opportunity to see them in their greatest triumphs and greatest failures. Sports give us a window into our athletes’ souls that only the best writers can open under any other circumstances. Zoubek’s four years at Duke were worthy of Odysseus, an epic journey from injury to legend. The men’s lacrosse Rape Hoax was Southern Gothic at its finest—Faulkner couldn’t have done better.

For seven years, I wrote these stories, or perhaps more appropriately, I watched these stories happen and I wrote down what I saw.

So at the end, a thank you: To my editors, who allowed me to write; to my readers, who cared enough to read; and finally, to the athletes and coaches, who allowed me to tell their stories.

singler from page 7

liberty from page 7

of lineups, maximizing his versatility like Duke did with Grant Hill, Shane Battier and Mike Dunleavy.

On the other side of the ball, Krzyzewski anticipates Singler anchoring the team defensively, just as senior Lance Thomas did this season, especially after a stellar defensive effort in the Tournament when he bested the likes of Butler’s Gordon Hayward and West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler.

“I see Kyle as being a captain of our defense,” Krzyzewski said. “I think he has a really great understanding of defense. He was one of the best defensive players in the country last year. We need to take of advantage of that.”

Singler addressed the issue of a potential NBA lockout in 2011-12, which could prevent him from playing for another year, but emphasized that he didn’t want to make his decision based on that possibility, even though his eventual plan is to play professionally.

“It was his dream to come to Duke,” Krzyzewski said.

“I’m not sure he’s postponing a dream—I think he’s continuing one dream before he gets to another one.”

Krzyzewski also reiterated that the program supported whatever choice Singler would make, because he believes Singler will be an “outstanding” professional player.

tried a new strategy to manufacture runs: stealing bases. Outrunning Liberty on the base paths 5-0, Duke moved runners into scoring position that ultimately made a difference on the scoreboard. Two of the four Blue Devil runs came off of stolen bases.

“Kyle [Singler] will be a pro....

But we’re pleased that he’ll be playing next year for Duke University.”

— Head coach Mike Krzyzewski “The obvious thing checking into this is that Kyle is going to be a professional basketball player,” Krzyzewski said.

“He’d be a No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, has great credentials and he’d be an asset to any team in the NBA as he has been to Duke University.

“It’s really not about being a pro—Kyle will be a pro.... But we’re pleased that he’ll be playing next year for Duke University.”

“One through nine, you never know when you are going to be up in a big spot. Tonight was [Brady and O’Grady’s] night.”

— Head coach Sean McNally Despite the lack of production from the bulk of the offense, Duke’s Nos. 8 and 9 hitters came through in the clutch. Freshman Eric Brady and junior Dennis O’Grady each had two hits, two steals and an RBI on the night. Most importantly, however, each of those RBIs came with two outs and a runner in scoring position.

“Those two guys [Brady and O’Grady] gave us a spark,” McNally said. “Those guys were ready to hit, they were aggressive at the plate and they were the key for us.

One through nine, you never know when you are going to be up in a big spot. Tonight was their night and they did a good job getting the guys in.”

Next for the Blue Devils lies another road series, this one against Wake Forest. While the Demon Deacons have struggled on the season, going just 10-29 overall and 2-16 in the ACC, the conference rivalry will likely provide a tougher matchup than numbers would indicate.

When asked about the weekend, McNally stressed the importance of the Liberty matchup in preparing the team. “[Wake Forest is] an important series for us and I think tonight prepared us well.... We know we have to be at our best on the weekends, and I think we feel good about where we are at right now.”

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010 | 9

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The Independent Daily at Duke University

The Chronicle

10 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010

Moving on from Robinette dispute Former Duke College ReThe Robinette case itself publicans chair Justin Robin- offers two lessons. ette, a junior, filed suit with the The first is that student Duke Student Government groups’ internal conflicts Judiciary Monday alleging, can be resolved without reamong other claims, that the sorting to mudslinging and College Repubdrawing unlicans discriminecessary pubeditorial nated against lic attention. him because he is gay. RobinRobinette may indeed ette was forced to resign from have faced discrimination on his position as chair last week an individual level, but the after he allegedly faced intimi- Judiciary correctly ruled that dation based on his sexual ori- the College Republicans did entation. not discriminate against him The DSG Judiciary has on an organizational level. purview over the DSG Con- Robinette offered few specific stitution and bylaws. Because details about how he faced College Republicans are harassment, and the Judiciary chartered under DSG, Robi- found no substantial evidence nette was well within his right that the College Republicans to take the matter to the Judi- fostered a “hostile environciary. But ideally this dispute ment” toward members of the could have been addressed at LGBT community. an earlier stage.

This began as a personal

“

onlinecomment

Obviously, Singler is doing this to improve his draft position next year. But with schools like Kentucky renting students for one year, every student who decides to stay and graduate is welcome news. A Duke degree is worth the work, and wait.

”

—“jcolatch” commenting on the story “Singler to stay for senior year .”

See more at www.dukechronicle.com.

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Est. 1905

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commentaries

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

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dispute within a student group, and it could have been more appropriately addressed as such. The University offers several mechanisms intended to facilitate student dialogue and mediate disputes. These include faculty advisers for student groups and mediation resources offered through the Office of Student Affairs or the Office for Institutional Equity. For example, the Duke Student Ombudsperson is specifically charged with helping to resolve individual or group disputes. Although the DSG Judiciary has handled several prominent suits recently, it does not seem particularly qualified to handle issues like the ones Robinette raised.

The second lesson, which we can still learn from this

W

case, is that feelings of harassment can never be swept under the rug.

If Robinette felt he was the victim of a hostile environment because he is gay, then this situation is gravely troubling.

Creating an environment welcoming to people of all backgrounds and lifestyles should be the hallmark of an institution like Duke. When that feeling of comfort is jeopardized, then there is a serious problem that must be addressed. Issues of this magnitude are more appropriately handled by qualified individuals at the Center for LGBT Life or the Center for Race Relations, rather than student justices on the DSG Judiciary.

Finally, we commend the University’s administrative response, which allowed for this

situation to remain contained and prevented it from being hastily portrayed as a systemic problem. University administrators correctly identified this as a student issue that must be handled by students through whatever mechanism they feel is appropriate.

If similar circumstances arise in the future, we hope that all parties recognize the full range of resources available to them. Student organizations should not hesitate to seek external mediation, and most importantly, no individual ever deserves to feel victimized by discrimination.

Chelsea Goldstein recused herself from this editorial due to past affiliation with College Republicans. Michelle Sohn recused herself due to personal ties to Robinette.

Go forth and summer

hat are you doing this summer?

Many of us will be wearing suits and staring at spreadsheets. Some will be DukeEngaging in exotic Third World locales, wondering just how to apply their thorough knowledge of linear algebra to the problem of savagely antiintellectual mosqui- connor southard toes. For those of dead poet you who will be wilting in the Durham heat, I urge you to hydrate with generous helpings of sweet tea.

At the very least, we all know that “summer vacation” is a misnomer. With few exceptions, Duke students don’t sit around idly during the warm months of the year. I’m not sure why exactly we don’t, because it sounds like a decent idea to me. I suppose that, as students at a university with Methodist roots, we’ve dutifully absorbed the Protestant work ethic.

The reality is that, at this point, summer still feels a long way off. First, a few straggling classes, then LDOC, then finals. And the sad thing is that too many people I know are anywhere from ambivalent to truly unexcited about their summer plans.

Amazing as it may sound, not every 20-year-old is mad about spreadsheets. To cheer you up, I’m going to describe a few things you might be doing this summer, if you aren’t so lucky. As an English major, I don’t get out much, and when I do it’s to buy books, so I’ll stick with literary examples.

1) Summer Down and Out in Paris and London Funnily enough, a childhood spent being beaten at boarding school failed to instill a love of middle class British life in the young George Orwell.

I suppose that explains how he ended up working as a near-slave laborer in the basement of a Paris hotel at which some of his Eton classmates were surely dining. This is the sort of thing that might give you pause when you tell your friends that, “this summer, I’m thinking I’ll just do something kind of bohemian.” Not if you know it means cleaning up after that douche in Wannamaker 233, you won’t.

2) A Summer Odyssey On the one hand, being the cunning mastermind behind the downfall of big things—ancient imperial cities, the world economy—sounds kind of cool.

Homer wrote before investment banking had made that sort of thing commonplace, you understand.

But if you spent the summer and the next several years running from gods and lying in the laps of beguiling sea witches, there would be some unpleasant spillover effects. For instance, you’d never get to see Kyrie Irving dishing to Kyle Singler, or the Plumlees running the floor behind Seth Curry. You might as well just transfer now, sly Odysseus.

3) The Waste Land: A Summer I’m not sure what happens in this summer or what it’s supposed to be about, but whatever it is, it’s depressing, requires you to know lots of funny languages and can be explained only by fellows in impeccable herringbone suits. And then you have to write an essay on it, except that you haven’t read your Dante, and so you miss something obvious and so—gah!— your summer ends up being no better than a “B-.”

4) The Importance of Being Earnest in Summer Actually, this isn’t half bad. You’re rich, in love and having fun in Victorian England, which is something for which you can pat yourself on the back of your greatcoat. But opening night for this play was the beginning of the end for Oscar Wilde: It was the evening on which his lover’s father, newly apprised of the affair, entered the playhouse intending to throw vegetables at the playwright. So if your summer is too easy, too fun and too witty, that could be an ominous sign. You’ll be graduating soon, and the more you suffer now, the better your tax-paying future will seem.

5) Waiting for Godot all Summer SON: Nothing to be done.

MOTHER: I’m beginning to come round to that opinion.

Actually, most of us will probably have a dandy time this summer. If nothing else, it will look good compared to the end-of-semester panic. To that end, let me give you a Shakespearean send-off and urge you to enjoy yourself and get off-stage with purpose: [Exit. Pursued by a Final.]

Connor Southard is a Trinity sophomore. This is his final column of the semester.

Interested in writing a column next semester?

Think the backpages could use some work?

Contact Ben Brostoff at bmb21@duke.edu

the chronicle

Selective memory

B

efore I leave a place, I try to imagine how I will remember it.

The weekend before last, I had the chance to experience the ocean the way I love it best—when the sky is too black to see much of anything but the sound of the waves against the rocks is vivid enough.

But the wind off the water can chill, and my chattering set of teeth broke the still of the night. The boy sitting next to me rubbed my hands between his palms as if trying to start a fire. He paused when he rediscovjulia love ered the smooth string of the frienda love story ship bracelet our respective circles of friends had exchanged—something to remember our time together by.

“I really hope it doesn’t fall off,” he said.

In that moment, I doubted I would forget either way.

He was a friend of mine, but we had met just the night before, and my flight back to Madrid was the next day. It was not an unusual shelf life for a study abroad friendship. The people are such a central part of any place you visit, yet oftentimes two or three days is all you have.

You can snap a photo of yourself in front of the landmarks that merit glossy printing to assure future generations that you were indeed there. But it’s considerably harder to assure yourself that the ties you forged with the place, however fleeting, have meant something. We live and relive blindly, by memory.

Memory is such a curious thing. I’ve always been told I have a good one. So many of us wish we could to improve our mental capacity to retain. We compose songs, weigh down our desks with flashcards and shrink the space between our noses and the textbooks. But in a neuroscience course I took freshman year, the professor articulated a truth I think I have always understood: that the secret to remembering is to care.

Memories are pathways whose strength is reinforced with repetition. Each time a vintage experience is called to mind, the remembrance of it is further entrenched in our brains. If you have no interest in the words on the pages of your textbook, tough luck: rote memorization is likely your only recourse. But if something is truly important to you, take heart: you probably wouldn’t be able to forget it if you tried.

Yet of course forgetting is integral to the act of remembering, and all memories are vast simplifications. Judging by my memories, Duke is reduced to an enchanted forest of eternal spring, where I spend my days writing to the tune of the Chapel bells, savoring Loco Pops on the plaza and dodging Frisbees on the quad. These are authentic fragments of campus life—but I know they don’t add up to a full portrait of what Duke is to me because if they did, I would have never felt the need to leave.

When I look back on this semester in Spain, there is a danger that my memory will exercise similar creative reign. Yet I hope the version of this experience I carry with me is not overly romanticized, for it would surely be cheapened.

This semester has been a wonderful one. Yet the Spanish way of life is something I have had to learn by means of perseverance and optimism. I do not want my memory to discount the effort that underpins the happiness that I have found because it is for me a point of pride.

It’s hard to be one of just seven Duke undergraduates in the entire country. Walls in Spanish homes are paper-thin, and my wake-up call has been no later than whenever the first member of my host family decides to rise. And, above all, there has been a lot of rain—at least once a week, without fail. That, I know, has been seared into my brain.

When the clouds parted yesterday, I decided to finally see a bullfight, an experience that is universally described as unforgettable.

The mere thought of the event makes me sick. But everyone says you can’t leave Spain without seeing one, and my flight home is discomfortingly near, so I decided to bite the bullet. At the very least, it was something to tell my grandchildren about, I reasoned.

The price was right—just two euros for a seat in the uppermost balcony, as close to the gore as I could stomach.

A man with reptilian skin working a concession stand—as he has every Sunday in bullfighting season for more years than he can remember—assured me that a promising young matador was in town today and it would be a good fight. I buried my fingernails in my palms just the same.

Yet before I could take my seat, I was greeted with unexpected news: the fight had been canceled due to weather concerns. I could have kissed the rain-soaked ground beneath my feet.

I walked away with nothing to show for the experience, save a wallet that was two euros lighter. But I breathed a sigh of relief, calmed by the knowledge that the bulls would live to see another week and even by the time you read this, my last column, I will still have 22 days left in this strangely beautiful place.

Julia Love is a Trinity junior. This is her final column of the semester.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010 | 11

commentaries

Grenades and graduation

O

ver the past few weeks, I’ve talked to that we prepare ourselves for extraordinary chalmany seniors about what they are doing lenges. post-graduation. Most of them have eiIn thinking about this incident, I asked myself ther secured jobs or places in grad school, but what I would give up to guarantee that I would there are a good number who have the bravery to act the same don’t have any concrete plans. way Kok did. I realized I would The latter group seems pretty worconsider myself more successful if ried. “I feel really behind,” “I just I had such courage, than if I was really want a job. Any job will do!” a well-respected millionaire who and “I feel so confused because I did not. Even though I often judge don’t know what I want to do with myself by things I can quantify— my life” are common remarks that grades, titles, performance—on these seniors make. a deeper level it’s intangibles like daniel wong The anxiety they express, I becharacter and morality that matloving life, lieve, is a function of a larger quester much more to me. loving lives tion that all graduating seniors Coming back to graduating sesubconsciously ask themselves: niors’ desire to succeed beyond Am I going to be successful? college, I believe that the world has a very narrow This issue of success brings me back to an in- definition of success. People like Mother Teresa, cident involving a live grenade.

Steve Jobs and LeBron James are considered acA year and a half ago, I read about a young complished in their respective fields. But even if 2nd Lt. Kok Khew Fai who was overseeing the we tried our very best, few—if any—of us could safety of 50 recruits during a live hand grenade ever be as compassionate and loving as Mother throw in Singapore. Kok stood a short distance Teresa, be as visionary and creative as Steve Jobs away from the recruits as, one by one, they took or possess the athletic prowess of LeBron James. turns lobbing a live grenade toward the target. Therefore, if we allow society to define success As one of the recruits attempted to fling the for us, and in so doing seek the applause of the grenade forward, it slipped out of his hand and world, we essentially place our happiness in the landed 10 feet behind him. He stood motionless, hands of others—a majority of whom probably in complete shock that death might literally be don’t care at all about us apart from what we can seconds away. do for them.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Kok jumped We need to spell out exactly what success on the recruit and forced him to lie prone be- means to us, rather than let others dictate it. hind a low wall at the back of the throwing bay. Do you associate success with money, influence, The grenade detonated a few seconds later, and power, relationships, service or knowledge? fortunately both of them escaped unharmed.

Whatever you decide on—and cliché as it may When I read this news report, I imagined sound—I truly believe that success is a journey. what I would do if I was in Kok’s position. Mili- It’s not a destination you reach when you’ve attary service for male citizens is mandatory in tained a critical net worth or even positively inSingapore and I, too, was once a young second fluenced a certain number of lives; it’s a journey lieutenant, so I could have been faced with the of constantly growing and contributing, of comsame situation. The human survivalist instinct ing closer to realizing the vision of who you want would tell you to run—you can cover a lot of to be, not just what you want to do. distance in six seconds if your life depends on In closing, I’ve heard a saying that goes, it—take cover and save yourself, yet as an of- “Many succeed momentarily by what they know; ficer who has a responsibility to your men, you some succeed temporarily by what they do; few know what you ought to do. With so much on succeed permanently by what they are.” the line but with absolutely no time to think, To all the graduating seniors, I wish you the would I have put the safety of my recruit above best in your careers, family life and beyond. that of my own? I wish I could confidently say May you accumulate great knowledge and acyes, but the more truthful answer is that I really complish great things, but above all may you atdon’t know. tain enduring success by becoming a truly great I’m not 100 percent positive that I would be person. ready to handle such exceptional circumstances, even though I try to constantly remind myself Daniel Wong is a Pratt junior. This is his final that it’s in the ordinary tests of day-to-day living column of the semester.

lettertotheeditor Coverage of GPSC elections unfair The Chronicle’s April 14 article, “Election marred by absences,” focused on the absence of nominees to the Board of Trustees standing committees from the elections held for them last week.

The Chronicle reported that the Graduate and Professional Council’s e-mail to graduate and professional students announcing the meeting: “did not note that the general assembly would be voting on representatives or taking nominations for the Board of Trustees standing committee representatives.”

The wording of the article attributes this statement to candidates who were interviewed.

Regardless, a little investigation would have found that the e-mail in question explicitly stated in the meeting announcement, “we will cover the Board of Trustees elections.” For the sake of accuracy, this should have been noted.

But apparently no effort was made to vet the original statement.

The article could also have noted how these absences were addressed at the meeting, in which one representative stated that nominees who failed to do a little investigation into elec-

tion details (or directly inquire to the executive board) would probably not make great representatives anyway. And as a counterpoint to the accusation that GPSC discourages participation by individuals with no prior involvement, the article could have noted that a fair number of such individuals were in fact in attendance at the elections—some as candidates, others as participants in discussion.

Rather than reporting this, however, The Chronicle chose to sensationalize a minor issue (with a provocative front-page headline) at the expense of the election results (which were relegated to page six). Certainly the election could have been better advertised, but in the end, the motivated candidates who exerted a little effort either found their way to the meeting, or submitted a statement to be read in their absence. It’s unfortunate that the article did not have more to say about these candidates. It seems that The Chronicle was more interested in fabricating scandal than in fair reporting.

Andrew Fontanella Graduate student, biomedical engineering

12 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010

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