September 9, 2010 issue

Page 1

The Chronicle T h e i n d e p e n d e n t d a i ly at D u k e U n i v e r s i t y

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2010

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 11

www.dukechronicle.com

DSG

University DCR loses annual funds, faces de-chartering consolidates van services by Matthew Chase THE CHRONICLE

by Anna Koelsch THE CHRONICLE

When the buses stop running, students can still get a ride home—but don’t call the service SafeRides. Sam Veraldi, director of Duke Parking and Transportation, said the administration has consolidated two transportation services: SafeRides, typically used by students, and the Duke Hospitals van service. The merged service is now called Duke Vans. “We combined two separate organizations and dispatch functions as a matter of efficiency and from a budget standpoint,” Veraldi said. Duke Vans is a Duke Parking and Transportation service that runs when buses stop for the night. Duke Vans are available to pick up anyone with a valid University ID on campus and drop them off anywhere on campus or at private residences within a defined boundary area off campus. The service operates between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. Students were not informed of the change because the consolidation and new name have not altered the level of services See saferides on page 5

courtney douglas/The Chronicle

Seniors Justin Robinette, former Duke College Republicans chair, and Cliff Satell, former DCR vice chair, testify regarding DCR’s hostile atmosphere at the Duke Student Government meeting Wednesday night.

In a meeting that lasted more than four hours, the Duke Student Government Senate defunded the Duke College Republicans and took the first step toward de-chartering the group on the basis that the club has demonstrated a “culture of discrimination.” Securing exactly the two-thirds vote necessary for the de-chartering, the governing body’s decision will cut the organization off from annual funding for the academic year. The decision to de-charter is not official yet. The Student Organization Finance Committee will have the final say on the group’s charter. De-chartering will only be official if a majority of SOFC members vote for the DCR to lose that designation. SOFC’s decision could also eliminate DCR funding for the next two years. The group will likely meet in the next two or three weeks, said SOFC Chair Max Tabachnik, a senior. Because the decision to de-charter is not final, many senators acknowledged that their actions were largely symbolic. “De-chartering them down to a recognized group would add an element of justice to this, and up until this point there hasn’t been an element of justice to this group,” said senior Will Passo, a student affairs senator. Despite its defunding, the College Republicans will still be able to host events and have access to the programming fund—which tripled in the Spring. See dsg on page 12

Law requires textbook prices to be shown during registration by Ray Koh

THE CHRONICLE

Emily Shiau/The Chronicle

Students can now view textbook prices via ACES prior to selecting courses. The change, beginning with Fall registration adheres to new legislation.

As a result of newly enacted legislation, the cost of expensive books will no longer be a surprise on the first day of classes for future semesters. In accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act, Duke now links to the title, author and retail price of textbook for all classes in ACES and STORM for use of students while selecting courses. The legislation required universities and colleges to list textbook information by July 1, 2010, though Duke began displaying this information earlier and in time for Fall 2010 class registration, said University Registrar Bruce Cunningham. The legislation’s purpose is to ensure that students have access to affordable course materials and is supposed to increase transparency. Cunningham said the University Bookstore received book requests much earlier this year and was therefore able to secure more used copies of textbooks for students. “Compared to last year, I felt like I had a much easier time finding my textbooks at reasonable prices,” said sophomore Kevin Carey, adding that he noticed the additional used copies of books. Used copies are especially important because in certain classes students hardly even use the books, he said.

ONTHERECORD

“The federal government does everyone’s job but their own.”

­—Louisiana State Law School Professor John Baker. See story page 3

Smith Warehouse renovation nears its conclusion, Page 3

Although Carey sometimes uses Amazon to buy used books, he said the bookstore is sometimes more convenient because he can more easily return books if he changes his courses at the beginning of the semester. Buying used books on Amazon also requires trusting the independent sellers that offer the books, he added. For some students, textbooks remain expensive, especially for those that do not compare prices online. Sophomore Sanjay Wunnava bought textbooks for BIO 101L: “Molecular Biology” on campus and said he spent more than $250 between the course’s book and a clicker required for class that allows the lecture’s more than 300 students to participate by answering multiple choice questions. Fortunately, the materials are not this expensive for the majority of his classes, he added. But in addition to the newly enacted legislation, Lee Baker, dean of academic affairs for Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, said there is a movement among professors to use more affordable textbooks, said “For the class I used to teach, we used to use multiple books, but now we only use one,” Baker said. “Professors are also comfortable using BlackBoard and other websites instead of textbooks. You have a lot more flexibility.” See textbooks on page 5

Paul Harraka balances racing and school, Page 7


2 | thursday, september 9, 2010 the chronicle

worldandnation onschedule...

Historic Gardens Color Walk Duke Gardens, 9-11a.m. Take a tour to review wonderful plant combinations and also learn which plants you may like to introduce into your own garden.

on the

Climate Resilent Communities LSRC A158, 3-5p.m. Students and faculty are invited to a presentation on climate change by Christophe Tulou, Dir. of Wash. Dept. of the Environment.

8557

Job Search Workshop Smith Warehouse, 4-5p.m. Curious to know the best search methods for today’s job market? Learn concrete methods and helpful tips for the job search.

web

“‘Interest in Duke Football is as high as it has been in decades, which is a testament to the great work done by David Cutcliffe and his staff,’ said Duke Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White. ‘Coupled with hosting the reigning national champion and No. 1 team in the country, it has created ticket demands that exceed the seating limits of Wallace Wade Stadium for this particular weekend.’” — From The Chronicle’s Sports Blog sports.chronicleblogs.com

Andrew Higgins/The Washington Post

Theives escape with stolen goods from Chinese-owned stores in Bishkek,Kyrgyzstan. Resentment has been escalating in response to China’s growing economic and political power. Kyrgyzstan, despite its poverty, has become China’s main re-export platform in the region.

8956

Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends. — Czech Proverb

TODAY IN HISTORY

1492: Columbus’ fleet sets sail west.

Obama speaks at college, Karzai blocks US efforts opposes tax cuts for wealthy in Afghan investigations CLEVELAND — Calling for a return to “the America I believe in,” President Barack Obama pointed to his own biography as proof of what government policies can do for the middle class, using a fiery speech here Wednesday to oppose extending tax cuts for the wealthy. In a sweeping economic address, Obama accused Republicans of distorting recent history with their claim that Democrats are responsible for faltering employment and the ballooning deficit. But he made the argument about more than just economic policies, saying core American values­­—such as hard work and individual responsibility—are at stake in the upcoming midterm elections. “I had a single mom who put herself through school and would wake before dawn to make sure I got a decent education,” Obama told the crowd of about 800 at Cuyahoga Community College.

off the

wire...

Obama plans stimulus

Afghan President Hamid Karzai intends to impose rules restricting international involvement in anti-corruption investigations, a move that U.S. officials fear will hobble efforts to address the endemic graft that threatens support for his administration in Afghanistan and the United States. Karzai wants to circumscribe the role of American and other foreign law-enforcement specialists in two key anti-corruption organizations that have been set up in the Interior Ministry by preventing them from direct involvement in investigations. “The management will be Afghan, and the decision makers will be Afghan and the investigators will be Afghans,” Mohammed Umer Daudzai, Karzai’s chief of staff, said in a telephone interview Wednesday. Concern about Karzai’s willingness to root out corruption has emerged as a flashpoint in the U.S.-Afghan relationship.

BP assigns blame to Halliburton, Transocean

WE WANT Join us and add your voice to Durham’s new locally-owned community grocery.

Libraries Undergraduate Advisory Board. For more info and to apply, go to http://library.duke.edu/undergrad-board

WHERE? International House, 2022 Campus Dr WHEN? 9-10am Fridays

the

to oo

Durham Farmers’ Market

BROADWAY

ST

HUNT ST

ST

com

M

v e g rocer y s t or e

GU

e ra t i

AN

Global Café is a weekly informal gathering that brings together members of the Duke community - students, international scholars, exchange students

o op

s i ng

M

Come to the International House to join old friends or make new ones over FREE coffee, tea, and pastries!

Ac

N

HOW? By serving on the new Duke University

Are you interested in learning about a new CULTURE? Meeting people from around the world – France, China, India, and Brazil?

n

YOU can improve the learning and research environment for Duke undergraduates and gain experience on a selective board for a nationally recognized non-profit organization.

hea

for the Libraries' Undergraduate Advisory Board

Join Today! r t of D u rham

YOU

GLOBAL CAFÉ

www.durhamcentralmarket.org


the chronicle thursday, september 9, 2010 | 3

Law school hosts debate focusing on federalism by Chinmayi Sharma THE CHRONICLE

A discussion Wednesday addressed the question of the federal government’s role in criminal law and matters of constitutionality. The School of Law hosted a debate yesterday titled “Criminal Law and the Limits of Federal Authority,” in front of approximately 100 students. The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, a national law organization of conservatives and libertarians, hosted the event. Professor John Baker of Louisiana State Law School and Samuel Buell, a professor in the law school, discussed the “honest services” law against fraud—a statute in the Constitution that makes it illegal “to deprive another of the intangible right to honest services.” The discussion followed a June U.S. Supreme Court decision that the statute is unconstitutionally vague. Among the students attending was Sean Lobar, a second year law student who has had Buell as a professor for a criminal law class. “I can’t help but think this is an interesting topic— public corruption cases,” he said. “[Federal jurisdiction] is an interesting question because everyone opposes corruption, but now how should the government address it?” Buell said questions of federalism require careful interpretation of the Constitution but that some types of offenses, such as organized crime, are most effectively handled by the federal government. See law on page 6

Lawson kurtz/The Chronicle

Smith Warehouse, which has been under construction for three years, will be complete after some interior work is finished. The building houses several University offices that have relocated to Smith, including the Career Center and the Office of Global Education for Undergraduates.

With exterior work complete, Smith renovation nears end by Holly Hilliard THE CHRONICLE

After three years of caution tape, traffic cones and obstructed sidewalks, the construction work on Smith Warehouse is finally drawing to a close. Smith Warehouse, a 200,000 sq.-ft tobacco warehouse located off East Campus, has undergone three different phases of renovations, said Floyd Williams, one of two project managers from the Facilities Management Department responsible for Smith. Recently, the third and final phase of construction has involved the renovation of Bays 4 through 11, located in the middle of the warehouse. Williams and his team have now

completed the exterior construction of the building, and all that remains is interior work such as fulfilling the different space needs of the offices housed in Smith. Although the construction is winding down, Williams could not give an exact date of when the renovations will be complete. The physical structure itself is not the only part of Smith that has undergone recent change; many Duke offices have been relocated to Smith in the past year. The Career Center was relocated from Page Auditorium to See smith on page 6

TRANSITIONS • • • •

Is your first year at Duke, so far, not what you expected? Having a harder time adjusting than you thought? More homesick than you realized? Does it seem so much easier for everyone else?

Don’t worry. This is not uncommon. We’d Like to Hear From You and We’d Like You to Hear From Each Other!

{

}

CAPS is offering a free workshop to introduce some common reactions to adjusting to campus and some approaches you can take to transition to a place of restored confidence and new connections. Wednesdays: September 22, and September 29, 2010 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Location: East Campus Wellness Center

Welcome Back Students Distinctive. Classic. Lasting. Jostens Ring Days September 8 & 9: 10am - 4pm The University Store, Bryan Center, West Campus

For more Information and to register, visit our website: http://studentaffairs.duke.edu/caps (and click on WORKSHOPS AND DISCUSSIONS) CAPS – Division of Student Affairs – Duke University

Sponsored by Duke University Stores®

OPERATION: University Store PUBLICATION: Chronicle


4 | thursday, september 9, 2010 the chronicle

GRE exam changes to go into effect next Fall

Backyard BBQ

by Jenny Hu

THE CHRONICLE

Dukies planning to take the GRE next Fall will be among the first wave of students to test out the exam’s new format—in the most comprehensive reform of the GRE in its 59-year history. The test is changing across all three sections—Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing. The test will also feature an on-screen calculator and new scoring scale. The Education Testing Service, creator of the GRE, originally announced plans to modify the exam in December 2009. Changes to the test will significantly improve the flexibility of the exam and will more accurately reflect the skills required by young professionals, according to ETS’s website. “The GRE revised General Test has been redesigned to be more aligned with the skills that students need to be successful in today’s graduate and business schools,” Dawn Piacentino, director of communications and services for the GRE program, wrote in an e-mail Tuesday. In the new test, the Verbal Reasoning section will require more “complex reasoning” skills, according to the Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions website. The new test will not have any antonym and analogy

questions, but will have more reading comprehension and reasoning questions. And although the same mathematical material will be tested in the Quantitative Reasoning section, students will be challenged with more real-life scenarios and data interpretation problems. Director of Graduate School Admissions Tom Steffen is optimistic about the changes to the exam, noting it will only “better prepare” students for their post-graduate experiences. “As the tests will offer better assessments of the test-taker, I believe that the changes of the test will allow for a more complete evaluation of the applicants for admission,” he said. Among the most evident changes to the test is a new scoring scale, said Lee Weiss, assistant director of the GRE at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. Instead of the current 200- to 800-point scale system in 10-point increments, the new scale will run from 130 to 170 in one-point increments. “[The new GRE] will highlight the difference between high and low scores,” Weiss said. Weiss said the essay section is also undergoing minor revisions. See gre on page 12

Rahiel Alemu/The Chronicle

National Pan-Hellenic Council held a barbecue on East Campus Wednesday evening. Members represented their fraternities and sororities while having the chance to meet freshmen at the event.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL

SPECIAL ROCSTOR ROCPORT 5CX POCKET DRIVE PLUS 4 GIGABYTE USB FLASH DRIVE FEATURES: 320 gigabyte portable SATA Hard Drive USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 Aluminum Enclosure Free Carrying Case Cross-Platform Compatibility 3 Year Warranty

Price good while supplies last. Limited quantities available. No rainchecks.

99

$

Department of Duke University Stores®

OPERATION: Computer Store PUBLICATION: Chronicle

rahiel alemu/The Chronicle

Next Fall, the GRE will undergothe largest change in the exam’s history. The new version is expected to measure students’ skills more accurately and be more representative of the candidate’s abilities.


the chronicle thursday, september 9, 2010 | 5

Saferides from page 1 offered to the University, Veraldi said. “We’re operating the same number of vans with the same service hours. From the Duke student perspective, nothing changed,” Veraldi said. The Duke Vans consolidation was driven partly by financial considerations. Veraldi said that although the change was not an attempt to save the University “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” it is the first step in what will be a series of changes to Duke Parking and Transportation. An exact savings estimate is unavailable, he added. “What we essentially did was cut our dispatch staff by half and bring the physical locations and phone systems down to one,” Veraldi said. Sophomore Chris Brown, Duke Student Government vice president for athletics and campus services, also said the name change has no effect upon the service for stu-

dents. Brown said changing the name from SafeRides to Duke Vans was an attempt to convey the fact that the van service is not just a last resort for a ride when students feel in danger. “It’s pretty understandable that any ride, any Duke form of transportation, is going to be safe,” Brown said. “It’s not a change at all for the students. It’s addressing a concern that if students actually feel unsafe, they should be calling other resources. We’re trying to meet all the student transit needs instead of taking students to Cosmic [Cantina] late at night.” Brown said that when students call for a ride, they will hear a voice recording first and then be transferred to an operator. Phoebe Noe, a sophomore, wrote in an e-mail that the name change is logical to convey to students that Duke Vans “are a general service, not just some emergency only service.” “I think people will feel less alarmist taking it,” Noe said.

textbooks from page 1 Though some students prefer the textbook store, many also turn to the internet to find cheaper textbooks, Baker said. Administrators do want students to be able to get their textbooks for the cheapest possible price, he added. Taylor Doherty contributed reporting.

Visit dukechronicle.com

to view and comment on your favorite stories, anytime, anywhere.

melissa yeo/The Chronicle

SafeRides has been consolidated with a Duke Hospital van service under the Duke Vans umbrella, partly due to financial reasons.

Take your taste buds where no man has ever gone before. 10% off

with Duke ID

MENU SAMPLING Old School Veggie Burrito Regular Chicken Burrito Cheese Quesadilla Chicken Quesadilla Veggie Nachos Chips & Salsa *Price valid in-restaurant only.

$2.86 $5.65 $1.41 $3.59 $4.12 $2.06

Great food. Low price. Open late. 1920 1⁄2 Perry St. at Ninth St. 1 block from E. Campus


6 | thursday, september 9, 2010 the chronicle

law from page 3 Baker—who has presented a number of cases in federal court himself—began his remarks by asking the audience why jurisdiction is such an important issue. He explained that jurisdiction is the basis of the country’s law, and said the line between federal and state government has become too blurred. Federal jurisdiction now includes more cases not originally within its realm. “The federal government does everyone’s job but their own,” Baker said. It

smith from page 3 the warehouse in December, joining offices like DukeEngage, the Office of Global Education for Undergraduates, Robertson Scholars, Duke Performances, the Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows and the Franklin Humanities Institute, among others. Also in Smith is the Visual Studies Department, which now features a program in Information Science and Information Studies as well as the Program in the Arts of the Moving Image. Despite the many offices and resources located in Smith, the number of students who visit the warehouse seems relatively low to some tenants. This small turnout may be attributed not to the construction going on in and around the building, but rather to an inconvenient location. “My sense is that the number of students coming to the warehouse was affected more by transportation accessibility than the construction taking place in Smith or around Smith,” Margaret Riley, director and associ-

used to have jurisdiction over approximately 4,000 different crimes but has since continued to add more, he added. In some cases, the federal government oversteps boundaries by involving itself in state issues. The forum ended with a question and answer period for the aspiring law students. The formerly quiet crowd became animated and asked the professors a number of legal questions. Serena Rwejuna, a first year law student, said she was drawn to the forum because it discussed “a current issue displaying the constitution in action.”

ate dean of the Global Education Office, wrote in an e-mail. Students on campus seem to agree that the building is less than accessible. Sophomore Zahava Alston, a Visual Studies major, has to visit Smith nearly every day to attend art classes. “If I didn’t have class in Smith, I probably wouldn’t go there. It’s just inconvenient,” she said. Efforts have been made to improve transportation to and from Smith Warehouse. Since Aug. 24, the C-1 bus route includes a stop at Bay 6 of Smith on the way from East to West campuses. Still, students feel that getting to Smith is too much of a hassle. “For upperclassmen it’s kind of difficult to get to because you have to go all the way to East,” said sophomore Emily Kintz. And while the new construction has made Smith Warehouse more aesthetically pleasing, students don’t seem to appreciate the allure. “The inside of Smith is a really cool place. But if students don’t need to go there, they won’t go there,” Alston said. “We’re all Duke students. We all have other things to do.”

Fountain of love

Paeng Sithikong/The Chronicle

The LGBT Center held a chocolate social in Trinity Cafe on East Campus Wednesday. The event attracted students and faculty from across campus, providing freshmen a chance to mingle with current members.


Recess

volume 13 issue 3 september 9, 2010

THE SHEEP.

m

a

h c

e t e

Over-the-top pulp thriller bares all.

PAGE 7

nate glencer/The chronicle

rosecrans

Triangle transplant joins tightknit literary community

page 3

full frame-cds

doc film festival returns to Duke fold

page 4

dixie land

new exhibit at LabourLove confronts the South

page 7


theSANDBOX. New York City’s Electric Zoo music festival is more aptly-titled than the creators might have intended. What started as a two-day, multi-venue Mecca for techno music fans quickly devolved into a maelstrom of poor organization. For one, even getting into the concert venue on Randall’s Island was nearly impossible because there were about 40,000 people attempting to funnel through what looked like ten feet of open space. By about 2 p.m. Saturday, the overwhelmed gate workers acknowledged their irrelevance and were conducting security checks with such little interest that someone could easily have passed off a loaded semi-automatic as a CamelBak and strolled through the entrance unhindered. It was a bottleneck that made tollbooths on the New Jersey Turnpike feel like the Autobahn. After over an hour spent squirming in a sea of thousands of other hopeful fans, we made it inside only to find

that they had set up an appallingly inadequate number of port-o-johns— say, enough for a typical Duke tailgate. Which would have been fine if we were actually at a Duke tailgate and not one of the largest electronic music festivals in the world. We knew that our bladders wouldn’t survive the half-hour wait for the bathroom, especially while shouldering a dozen eight-dollar beers, so we did what had to be done. We went elsewhere. And we certainly were not the only ones with the idea. By the end of the night there were people using almost every surface in the place as a urinal. Girls—well, they were out of luck. So to call it a “Zoo” was accurate to a tee: a bunch of sweaty, colorful animals stuffed into an unnaturally small cage that spent most of their time drinking and going to the bathroom in public. Oh, and there was some music, too. —Josh Stillman

[recesseditors] nacho-______ Kevin Lincoln................................................................................MISTER calendar Lisa Du.....................................................................................hammock threesome Jessie Tang.................................................................................senior tailgate virgin Andrew O’Rourke...............................................................night to get ABliterated Sanette Tanaka.........................................................................................‘konichiwa’ Nate Glencer.................................................................................rosecrans baldwin Christina Pena..........................................................................................hearing aid Lindsey Rupp.....................................................................................average animal

[DUKE HORIZONTAL]

recess

Page 2

All freshmen make regrettable sexual errors. At a rate far higher than their upperclassmen counterparts, freshmen have sex in East Campus common rooms, wake up too many mornings in section and bribe their RAs with sexual favors. Then, with the same suddenness and severity as the transition between Aristocrat shots number three and four, things change. Although maturity and age don’t always provide immunity from poor decisionmaking, our sex lives evolve dramatically from freshman to sophomore year, frequently resulting in an epidemic of commitment. I only became aware of this impending trend after spending my post-freshman-year summer in a foreign (well, Canadian) city, entertaining new older and wiser friends with tales of my freshman-year promiscuity. One evening, my friend Shawn reacted to one of my stories in a tone that was simultaneously bemused and serious, “You know you won’t be able to continue with this stuff, right?” In response to my perplexed glance, he elaborated: “You’re going into your sophomore year. The BOYFRIEND year. If you don’t settle down, it looks kind of pathetic.” I shrugged off his comments, but they stuck. He was right. Sophomore year was the Age of the Relationship, and those who hadn’t retained their high school partners or freshman dorm marriages quickly descended into coupledom. From a logical standpoint, no one can deny that you get laid more often attached than single. Plus, sex no longer has to be a special late-night weekend treat, enjoyed as the dessert to a polished-off box of cheesy bread. Instead, it’s scheduled in

Join the Board of Directors of a million-dollar-a-year organization. The Chronicle’s publisher, Duke Student Publishing Company Inc. (DSPC), is looking for a graduate student to join its Board of Directors. Candidates should be available for a two-year term starting this fall. Members gain real-world business experience as they help guide the campus news media into the future. DSPC, a North Carolina nonprofit corporation, is neither governed nor funded by Duke University. Please send a resume and a cover letter to Richard Rubin, chair of the nominating committee, at rrubin2@gmail.com

Application Deadline: Sept. 15, 2010

September 9, 2010

during study breaks and coupled with midafternoon naps. Ten points to relationships! But now it’s senior year. Awkwardly serious questions begin to dominate these more casual benefits. For many, the question comes down to two polarized paths that separate a life with weddings and shared bank accounts from nothing at all. And if nothing, what’s next? For seniors in the post-boyfriend world, is it possible to reclaim the glory of one’s early exploits? If you spent most or all of your college life in a relationship, what do you do with your eleventh hour of singledom? According to my friends, sometimes the second time around can be better than the first. Benefit number one of senior sex to freshmen sex? Off-campus apartments with private bedrooms. One newly single senior used the advantages of four walls and a locked door to avoid sleeping alone from Durham arrival to FDOC. This is definitely not your freshman-year orientation week. Another senior advantage? Booty call mastery and a habit of demanding sex from significant others without a hint of subtlety. This talent has its drawbacks when the second love interest you texted unwittingly hitches a ride to your West Village apartment from the man you tried to lure in first, but it still beats the awkwardness of dormcest. In the light of a new year with no rules, is it possible that everyone has just regressed back to the clueless hormone-directed freshmen year? Or is the post-boyfriend world a new chapter in the collegiate experience, both liberated and dependent on previous eras of commitment? If freshmen regret their decisions, maybe upperclassmen learn to relish them. For those of you who were wondering, I’m still committed. Dream on. Brooke Hartley is a Trinity senior. Her column runs every other week.

CAT’S CRADLE 300 E. Main St. Carrboro (919) 967 9053 www.catscradle.com

SEPTEMBER 2010: 10 FR: MATT HIRES w/ Wakey!Wakey!**($10) 11 SA: WHO’S BAD? (Michael Jackson Tribute)**$15 15 WE: JAY CLIFFORD**($10/$13) 16 TH: SHOOTER JENNINGS & HIEROPHANT**($15/$18) 17 FR: THE OLD CEREMONY Record Release show w/ Lifted Praise Gospel Singers**($10/$12) 18 SA: BILLY BRAGG w/ Darren Hanlon**($25) 19 SU: JP, Chrissie & the Fairground Boys feat. CHRISSIE HYNDE and JP Jones**($24) 20 MO: COCOROSIE**($18/$20) 22 WE: SIGNAL 2010: PAC DIV, KOOLEY HIGH, Actual Proof, King Mez**($12/$14) 23 TH: JENNY & JOHNNY featuring Jenny Lewis & Johnathan Rice**($16) 24 FR: Reggae Legends THE WAILERS**($24/$27) 25 SA: SIGNAL 2010: LE CASTLE VANIA, TITTSWORTH, NICK CATCHDUBS**($14/$16) 26 SU: CARRBORO MUSIC FESTIVAL (Free show, 3 PM-Midnight) 27 MO: DAVID BAZAN w/ Mynabirds**($12/$14) 28 TU: PHANTOGRAM w/ Josiah Wolf**($10/$12) 29 WE: ELECTRIC SIX w/ Constellations and Alcazar Hotel** ($12/$14) 30 TH: DEAD CONFEDERATE, AMINAL **($10/$12) OCTOBER 2010: 1 FR: STARS**($18/$20) 2 SA: Rogue Wave / Midlake**($16/$18) 3 SU: MAE/ Terrible Things 4 MO: BLITZEN TRAPPER w/ Fruit Bats 7 TH: MENOMENA w/ Suckers 8 FR: ANOOP DESAI, Clef Hangers, More**($10/$12) 9 SA: DEERHUNTER**($15/$17) 10 SU: BUILT TO SPILL**($20/$23) OCT. 4 @ MEMORIAL AUD., Raleigh: THE NATIONAL w/ Owen Pallett

Cat’s Cradle

is at: 300 E. Main St Carrboro 27510 919 967 9053 NOW SERVING CAROLINA BREWERY BEERS ON TAP!

**BUY TICKETS ONLINE! at WWW.ETIX.COM For phone orders call 919 967 9053 Visit www.catscradle.com for more listings!


recess

September 9, 2010

Page 3

Baldwin one of Triangle’s new literary lights by Kevin Lincoln THE CHRONICLE

Get Rosecrans Baldwin some Duke basketball tickets. Even though he’s a Carolina fan, the Chapel Hill-based writer—whose first novel, You Lost Me There, was released about a month ago—is determined to see a game in Cameron Indoor Stadium. “I did not, despite promises, get to sit behind Coach K’s wife last year,” Baldwin said. A best friend from high school and now-Duke alumnus had promised Baldwin plum tickets and never delivered—so there’s that. But why this matters: Basketball is just one facet of Connecticut-native Baldwin’s full immersion into the Triangle, where he’s been living since early 2009. Prior to a house on the southern edge of Chapel Hill, he and his wife lived in New York for seven years and most recently Paris—where Baldwin worked at a graphic design agency for 18 months. He did not know French, and after burning out on big

cities, the two decided to return to his wife’s childhood hometown. “We’ve got this little house we bought in the woods, but we’re ten minutes from Franklin Street,” Baldwin said. “So it has all the cultural stuff that we would miss had we moved more rurally or somewhere else, but allows us to have the sort of isolation and return to nature that we’d been craving.” Since their arrival, Baldwin’s book has been released, and he’s become a willing member of the Triangle’s thriving, dynamic literary scene. His path, and that of many Durham-Raleigh-Chapel Hill writers, mirrors the one taken by all those students from north of the Mason-Dixon who end up enrolling at Duke. You Lost Me There is a number of things at once. It’s a love story, with one lover dead before the book’s even begun; a portrait of the brutal grind many modern scientific researchers confront daily in their work; and a tale of

Mount Desert Island located off the Maine coast—a place where Baldwin spent much of his youth. Beyond the funny and colorful prose, narrated by neuroscientist Victor Aaron—an Alzheimer’s researcher obsessed with the brain and memory, he’s fittingly haunted and confused by remembrances of his deceased wife—You Lost Me There affects an impressively knowing air that never turns pedantic. Without ever feeling lectured at or kneedeep in a textbook, the reader learns considerably about both the brain and scientific life. To nail the factual aspects, Baldwin worked with researchers at Stanford University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke, but in a literary age characterized by Marco Roth’s “rise of the neuronovel,” Baldwin stays focused on the characters rather than trading in any sort of heady discourse. The book was Baldwin’s third attempt at a novel—the first he wrote for practice, and the See rosecrans on page 8

duke performances

IN DURHAM, AT DUKE, A NATION MADE NEW. 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1

S E A S O N

BROOKLYN RIDER SAT., SEPT. 11, 8PM REYNOLDS THEATER

SOUNDS OF THE SOUTH

MEGAFAUN

& FIGHT THE BIG BULL

FEAt. ShAroN VAN EttEN & JUStiN VErNoN oF BoN iVEr

FRI. & SAT., SEPT. 17 & 18, 8PM SUN., SEPT 19, 5PM HAYTI HERITAGE CENTER

HIGH WIDE & HANDSOME TRIBUTE TO NC’S CHARLIE POOLE

LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III & FRIENDS FRI., SEPT. 24, 8PM REYNOLDS THEATER

special to The Chronicle

Originally from Connecticut, writer Rosecrans Baldwin moved to Chapel Hill in early 2009. Since then, he’s become ingrained in the Triangle’s close community of writers and editors and released his debut novel. Ella Moss and Splendid Trunk Show September 10th. Chapel Hill store. One day only! Hundreds of styles. Student discount available.

CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS + JOE HENRY SAT., SEPT. 25, 8PM REYNOLDS THEATER

$5 five dollars 10% ten percent duke student tickets

uniquities.com Downtown Durham • 1000 W. Main Street, #1A • 919.428.4965 Downtown Chapel Hill • 452 W. Franklin St. • 919.933.4007

get tickets 919-684-4444

dukeperformances.org

duke employee discount

every show, all season. take advantage.

WWW.DUKEPERFORMANCES.ORG


recess

Page 4

Full Frame once again part of Duke, CDS by Tong Xiang THE CHRONICLE

The prodigal son returns. The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival—often lauded as one of the premier documentary festivals—has joined with Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies. The merger is a welcome-home for Full Frame, which was originally created by CDS as the DoubleTake Film Festival in 1998. The festival started operating independently of CDS in 2003. Although the CDS will become Full Frame’s institutional home, the offices, staff and budget of the festival will remain unchanged, said Full Frame Executive Director Deirdre Haj. “Duke and Full Frame’s Board of Directors have made a very conscious effort to maintain the artistic integrity of the festival,” she said. Full Frame—held every April in downtown Durham—screens about 100 jury-selected documentaries, accompanied by discussion panels with filmmakers. The festival will run from April 14 to 17 next year, and organizers expect to select from over 1,200 documentary submissions. Unlike the University’s academic departments, CDS has a unique position as an independent non-profit that employs Duke professors, CDS Director Tom Rankin said. Its funding comes from both Duke and outside sources, allowing for greater freedom in programming decisions, he added. Full Frame will retain its non-profit status as it rejoins CDS. “[The merger] doesn’t diminish [CDS’] need to be

special to The Chronicle

September 9, 2010

Duke in

very entrepreneurial in terms of funding and partnership for it to grow,” Rankin said. Duke will continue to contribute $150,000 per year to Full Frame for the next two years— a pledge the University made in 2007 before the merger. Haj emphasized that this association with Duke lends long-term stability to Full Frame, which depends heavily on sponsorship. The rest of the festival’s $900,000 budget is expected to be covered by private donors, Rankin said. Seen as a crossroads of documentary expression, Durham’s profile in the film world will increase as Full Frame merges with CDS—the largest center of its kind in the nation, Rankin said. The merger will help create a “documentary community” at Duke and in Durham, which Rankin hopes will attract more talented students and faculty in the arts. Haj said the merger illustrates the increasing relevance of the documentary form. “In a world where the media is created by five corporations, film festivals are one of the last bastions of free speech,” she said. “Documentaries take us to a place where CNN cannot.”

Durham>>

locally and


September 9, 2010

n the Arts

recess

Page 5

d abroad

special to The Chronicle

<<Zhuhai, China

DukeEngage utilizes arts in China by Yeshwanth Kandimalla THE CHRONICLE

This past summer, a group of 11 DukeEngage students, along with their leader Hsiao-Mei Ku, professor of the practice of music, started a creative revolution in No. 9 Middle School in Zhuhai, China. Ku, originally from China and a member of the renowned Ciompi Quartet, was uniquely positioned to direct the program given both her grasp of the country’s educational system and her deep involvement in Duke’s vibrant arts community. “I’ve been a visiting professor at the Guangzhou Conservatory for 10 years, and I really developed a sense of what they lack in education [in China],” Ku said. She added that the Chinese students lacked neither talent nor determination, but rather “imagination, a sense of speaking their own voice.” Ku saw a major disconnect in the country’s economic development and the changes in how Chinese students are taught. “You walk down the street in Shanghai, and there are many tall buildings—it feels like New York. When you look at the education system though, people are so behind,” Ku said, adding how “many Chinese students can recite material in unison yet can’t answer a question by themselves.” No. 9 Middle School in Zhuhai exemplified this gap between China’s economic and social development, Ku said. “Zhuhai used to be a one-street fishing village,” Ku said. “Under Deng Xiaoping’s new policy, it became a Special Economic Zone, and many industries came there.” As a result of the economic

growth, Zhuhai’s population swelled with rural migrants ready to work in the new factories and led to huge schools like No. 9 Middle School, home to nearly 2,500 students. “Many classes have around 60 students, so it is not a good environment for encouraging individual talent,” Ku said. She also criticized the system’s tendency to let grades dictate a student’s abilities. “They are so constrained by the box of grades, but grades are not your destiny,” Ku said. In this environment, Ku saw an opportunity to bring the vitality of Duke’s creative community to the Chinese students. Her proposal drew attention from many Duke undergraduates, including senior Will Passo and junior Lisa Zhang. Passo, an art history major, decided to apply based on an earlier internship with the Nasher Museum of Art involving arts education in local schools. “I didn’t really know what to expect,” Passo said. “I had never been to China, but I knew it was going to be an adventure no matter what.” Zhang, a music minor and member of the Duke Chamber Players, was born in China and moved to the United States at the age of six. In spite of these origins and two subsequent trips to China, Zhang found herself in uncharted waters. “My family is from much further north than [Zhuhai], so a major difference was the language barrier,” Zhang said. “Many people there spoke Cantonese and no Mandarin, including my host parents.” The family that accomodated her was one of many that opened their homes to Duke students. Ku designed the homestay as an additional op-

portunity to foster cultural knowledge and connections. “It provided a tremendous angle to look into Chinese people’s lives,” she said. For a previous outsider to China like Passo, the homestay definitely added a new dimension to his visit to the country. “I was with a family that spoke pretty good English. I was able to have high-level discussions with the father,” Passo said. “I formed a close bond with them, and I did have a lot of trouble coming home.” During the days at No. 9 Middle School, the Duke students taught classes in English, break dancing, photography, public speaking and Japanese, among many others. The class was met with an enthusiastic response from the Chinese students. “The whole campus became lively, but we unfortunately had to turn many students away [due to demand],” Ku said. As a conclusion to their program, the Duke students helped put on a show for the entire school, incorporating many of the pursuits that they spent the program teaching. “They had living role models in the Duke students,” Ku said. “We still wanted to encourage them to pursue their talents after we left.” As part of the cultural exchange, the Duke students also saw themselves re-evaluating their relationship with China. “I previously used to see China as a place to visit family or maybe vacation,” Zhang said. “I never seriously considered living and working in China. This experience really changed that for me.”


recess

Page 6

the american dir. anton corbijn focus features

eeeeE

At first glance, a film set in the Italian countryside starring George Clooney would seem to have all the makings of a light and clever romance. This is not the case with The American. The movie, although it does have a hint of love story, keeps the tension of a gripping spy flick firmly in its crosshairs. Jack, Edward or Mr. Butterfly (George Clooney)— we never learn his true name—spends his time dispatching one nameless bad guy after another, while still finding time to indulge in his unexplained obsession with butterflies. Contrary to its portrayal in trailers, the film seemed more like a character study than a traditional spy movie. Through his fledging romance with a prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido), the audience learns more about the life of the otherwise

September 9, 2010

reclusive subject than anywhere else in the film. The American is without a doubt a movie more concerned with style than substance; long stretches of silence, beautiful shots of the Italian countryside and clever juxtaposition of scenes take precedence over dialogue. Clooney is terrific as a focused, methodical but conflicted killer. Paolo Bonacelli plays an Italian priest, Father Benedetto, who serves as an appropriate foil to Clooney’s character and his sinful ways. Top it all off with a strong and chilling performance by Johan Leysen as Pavel, Jack/Edward’s cryptic handler, and The American boasts a gripping and well-suited cast. Don’t go into this movie expecting a typical spy thriller with a nice, tidy ending. After it’s all said and done, we leave Mr. Butterfly’s life just as we found it: a vague, peculiar riddle. As a fascinating glimpse into the world of a secretive protagonist, The American shakes up the spy thriller genre in a very refreshing way. —Ben Shantz

robyn

body talk, pt. konichiwa

eeeeE

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS CAMPUS-WIDE STUDENT ARTS SHOWCASE

October 22 – November 6, 2010

2009 Festival entries: Dandelion, (Anjie Yu); Andy Warhol, (Stanislas Colodiet); Underwater (David Henry)

Bringing the Duke Arts, Media and Entertainment Community Together electronic submission begins: September 10

Showcase your artistic talents for the Duke community! Student artists are invited to submit work in all media forms including painting, photography, poetry, sculpture, mixed media, digital art, animation, film, video, music, dance and poetry.

Submission Guidelines

• Limit of 3 submissions per student

• Submit digital images at arts.duke.edu • Visual artwork should be prepared/ framed for display.* 2-D pieces should be capable of being hung. • Submit video entries via YouTube or a publicly accessible video-sharing site.

• Other dynamic media should be formatted as mp4 or mp3 files. • Visual artwork must be must be dropped off at the Bryn Center on Oct. 13th or 14th.

• The deadline for electronic submissions is September 30, 2010.

*Free framing workshops will be offered on Sep. 17 from 3-6PM and Sep. 24 from 1-4PM on a first come first serve bases in the Bryan Center. Prepare your work for display with techniques learned in this hands-on clinic. Topics covered include mat selection and cutting, proper materials and finishing techniques, and overall design. Free frames (up to 30”x24”) and materials will be available for works selected for the Festival exhibit.

Registration for the workshop is required: 919.684.0540 or danette.clark@duke.edu.

MORE INFO @ ARTS.DUKE.EDU VISUAL

o

MUSIC

o

DANCE

o

THEATER

o

FILM

o

CREATIVE WRITING

Sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts, Duke Alumni Association, Duke Career Center, Duke University Union Visual Arts Committee.

2

Swedish songstress Robyn mostly lives up to her reputation as a diva of electropop with her newest album, Body Talk, Pt. II. The second of a trilogy of records Robyn is releasing this year exudes audacity, which is her loveliest virtue and most bitter vice. The standout song of the album, “Hang With Me,” which was also covered on Body Talk, Pt. I, illustrates what treasures can come from taking risks. The coalescence of the electronic beat and Robyn’s soothing voice form a compelling and catchy pair. Preserving the melancholy of Paola Bruna’s original rendition, Robyn injects the lyrics with a new, optimistic undertone. The dichotomy of the words and their portrayal gives “Hang With Me” depth and captures a compelling aspect of the irony of love, all in a little over four minutes. Robyn’s “Love Kills” and “Criminal Intent” also showcase her willingness to dabble in different beats without apprehension. Robyn’s versatility is not without its bounds, though. The jaded sound of “We Dance To The Beat” would better serve as background music for a high school dance on Zenon the Zequel, and the whiny acoustic number “Indestructible” might as well be a generic remix from Jessica Simpson’s gallery of rejected sappy love songs. Although Body Talk, Pt. II is a far cry from indestructible, the standout singles make hanging with Robyn worth your while. —Gracie Willert


recess

September 9, 2010

Page 7

LabourLove’s “Dixie” considers racial South

FEATURE REVIEW

by Kyle Karnuta THE CHRONICLE

machete

dir. robert rodriguez maniquis 20th century fox

eeeeE

& ethan

What do you get when you put Jessica Alba and Lindsey Lohan in a Robert Rodriguez film? A lot of skin and everything underneath. Machete tells the story of its eponymous hero, a role mastered by Danny Trejo, after the former Mexican federal agent loses everything and moves across the border to Texas, where he works as a day laborer. While in America, Machete gets tangled in the questionable campaign tactics of the hard-line anti-immigration Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro) and his campaign manager Booth (Jeff Fahey), exposing the protagonist to friends and enemies new and old. He later hooks up with, in more ways than one, Customs Official Sartana (Jessica Alba) and underground network leader Luz (Michelle Rodriguez) to take on McLaughlin and his ideals. Machete revels in its B-movie status, enticing audiences to join in the fun. It seems that the creative team exploited every opportunity for humor, sex and gore, down to a little sign that reads, “Violators will be shot—Survivors will be shot again.” The violence in the film has Rodriguez’s name written all over it,

on par with that of Grindhouse and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. The blood and guts generally fly in a flippant way, like when Machete rapels down the side of a building using intestines as a rope, but at times, the slaughter is genuinely disturbing. Walking caricature Lieutenant Stillman (Don Johnson), a vigilante Mexican hunter, appears early in the film as McLaughlin’s “hunting” partner. All the elements of humor are there: the requisite aviators, cigar and ex-military swagger. But when Stillman pulls the trigger on a pregnant Mexican woman, there is no laughter. It’s revolting. Then the next scene brings the laughs right back. The shocking, unsettling contrast brings out the subtle political message in the film. As nuanced as this message may be, it doesn’t prevent the filmmakers from including the irreverence of shooting and crucifying a priest to the tune of “Ave Maria.” This film has it all. This over-the-top pulp thriller presents a finely crafted chaos that will offend, disturb and entertain audiences who pay it due attention. The conscience of the film is subtle and refreshing, yet it never takes itself too seriously. The directors struck a delicate balance between the amusing amounts of gore and dirty politics that isn’t just mindless fun. —Andrew O’Rourke

“Separate but equal” is a theme that drives the newest exhibit at LabourLove Gallery in Golden Belt. “Look Away Dixie Land” digs deep into Southern history and proves that the racial tensions of the past are still present. Artists Titus Brooks Heagins, McArthur Freeman and Dave Alsobrooks display their collections of paintings, photographs and mixed media pieces in the one-room gallery. The works are arranged into three separate but equally powerful sections, individually portraying different aspects of the greater overarching theme. Duke graduate Heagins pays homage to the plight of slaves in his elegant, blackand-white portraits that occupy one-third of the space. Instead of overpowering the subjects, the chaos of the figures’ surroundings accentuates them. Raw images, such as bare torsos and backs, as well as the stark contrasts of light and dark, chaos and simplicity, are common in Heagins’ displayed works. Through this juxtaposition, the vulnerability and isolation imposed on the victims of slavery become clear. Even so, the simple titles of the pieces leave the concrete meanings ambiguous enough for viewers to create their own judgments and observations. Moving past the clean lines of Heagins’ pieces, one is struck by a dazzling array of color and motion. Freeman’s paintings play host to a series of characters, ranging from Disney’s Pinocchio to Aunt Jemima, against

a palette of candy-colored pinks, blues and yellows. This Seussical style unexpectedly furthers the disturbing and grotesque nature of the attitude toward blacks in the past. Each piece comprises layers upon layers of detail, encouraging viewers to delve deeper into the works as a whole. Alsobrooks’ collection strives to expose the different faces of the Confederate flag—one centered on family life and Southern pride and the other on the division of a country and the treatment of African Americans in the South. From afar, the four “Southern Crosses” situated at the end of the room seem to be nothing more than a simple pattern arranged on different backgrounds. At second glance, however, one can see the montage of images that compose each flag. The various photos, simultaneously contradicting and supporting one another, convey an immense depth and complexity in all four of the designs. To aid the viewer, explanations of the individual scenes in each collage appear to the sides of the canvases. These descriptions offer further analysis of the irony in the works, as well as refreshing anecdotes of Alsobrooks’ life in the South. This same irony is evident in all three collections and calls the viewer to challenge misconceptions of the present by reflecting upon African Americans’ mistreatment in the past. “Look Away Dixie Land” will be on display at LabourLove Gallery in Golden Belt until Oct. 10. Admission is free.

nate glencer/the Chronicle

“Look Away Dixie Land” contains work by Titus Brooks Heagins, McArthur Freeman and Dave Alsobrooks, all of which confront in some way racial tension still present in the contemporary South.

www.thebicyclechain.com Sales, Service, Rentals Lifetime Free Service Trade In Program Price Match Guarantee

DURHAM : 639 Broad St.

919-286-2453 Open 7 days a week


Page 8

going the distance

dir. nanette burstein warner bros. pictures

eeEEE

It’s Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. It’s a romantic comedy. It’s about longdistance relationships. Unsurprisingly, Going the Distance is just as predictable as these three facts and loses little from the simplifications. Coming in, the audience likely knows that this movie will be formulaic. It’s a tale of unexpected, strained love that borrows visual elements from 500 Days of Summer and the plane motif of Up in the Air, this time situating the story within the tumultuous contemporary environments of the newspaper and record industries. Although the story is predictable in the extreme, the writing does add some funny and interesting moments. For instance, while discussing Top Gun, Garrett (Justin

recess Long) confesses a passion for homoerotic fighter-pilot movies to his love interest, Erin (Drew Barrymore). Later, Garrett’s pal Box (Jason Sudeikis) explains that he’s growing a mustache to seduce older women. “This isn’t a mustache,” he says, “it’s a time machine.” In this played-out form, such quirky dialogue is a welcome diversion. What makes this film less-than-nauseating is its cast. Barrymore and Long perform well, but the show-stealers are the supporting actors. Jim Gaffigan and Christina Applegate particularly shine in their depiction of a polarized, frustrated married couple. Ultimately, Going the Distance is enjoyable and will cause chortles and maybe even a few guffaws, but as anything beyond a cheap comedy, it’s lacking. To exploit the title’s travel reference, they have the body of the plane, but they’re missing the wings. —Nathan Nye

interpol interpol matador

eeEEE

Since their 2002 debut Turn on the Bright Lights, Interpol has made their name with prominent bass runs, haunting vocals and jarring guitar lines. Despite the sense of cacophony, they have established a reputation for rocking your moody world with electrifying choruses and dark tones. But after three years of anticipation, Interpol’s self-titled fourth album falls short. The band maintains its signature far-off guitar sound and syncopated drum lines with the new addition of orchestral accompaniment and piano, which is paired elegantly in “Summer Well” with heavy guitar. Although this new twist makes the first track “Success” a success, the latter half of

rosecrans from page 3 second gained him an agent and 15 kind rejection letters before he tried to light it on fire. “It [was] like trying to burn a phone book,” Baldwin said, of his failed attempt to immolate the manuscript; the novel remains, bound and slightly charred, in a Weber grill on Mount Desert Island. “The whole point of that being, when I started on this book, I wanted to write something that would be meaningful to me, no matter

“When I came here, it was a big culture shock for me, but it suddenly started to grow on me and I couldn’t leave.” — Kathy Pories, senior editor at Algonquin Books what happened to it.” So he set You Lost Me There on the island that he loved, and this kept him rising early in the mornings, when he does all of his writing. He wrote the novel over the course of four years. In addition to his fiction, Baldwin is the co-founder, along with Andrew Womack, of the The Morning News, which began as an email newsletter in 1999 and has since grown into a web magazine with 400,000 monthly readers, he said. One of the magazine’s signatures is a March Madness-themed fiction prize, annually pitting the year’s best novels against each other in bracket format, called the “Tournament of Books.”

The tourney demonstrates Baldwin’s involvement in contemporary literature— he cites J.M. Coetzee, Philip Roth, David Mitchell, Chimamanda Adichie, Jennifer Egan and Maile Meloy as some of his favorites—but arriving in Chapel Hill gave him the opportunity to become part of a local scene. In serendipitous coincidences while house-shopping over Craigslist, Baldwin encountered Chapel Hill writer Wells Tower and Duncan Murrell, an instructor at Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies, and Murrell soon set up a drinks-night for Baldwin to meet some of the crowd. Murrell moved to Chapel Hill in 1996 after graduate school to work for the Durham Herald-Sun, and he fondly described experiencing for the first time an intimate community of writers. “For me it was new. There were writers working up the street from where I was, people I would meet in bars and so forth… seeing Max Steel talk, meeting Bill Henderson, they were very welcoming,” Murrell said. “If you were interested in writing, they were very welcoming. If you were interested in anything, they were very welcoming. It’s just a cool place, man.” All of a sudden, Murrell had men and women to look up to, people he admired who were doing what he wanted to do: Larry Brown, Allan Gurganus, Doris Betts, Max Steel. “I had jumped into a place where I was just spoiled with all the people who were just terrific writers, who were very generous to me; that’s important,” Murrell said. “It’s how to live, how to work, how to make a living, how to teach, how to be around other writers, how to be appreciative of the people who read your work—all these people were models for me.” And the writing life itself—one of necessary solitude and considerable discipline— benefits heavily from a supportive framework of peers. It can get lonely, Murrell said, and being able to call and see people

who understand this is indispensable. Both Murrell and Baldwin stressed two other, location-specific advantages to the Triangle over the great Mecca of literary writing, New York City: It’s radically cheaper, and the atmosphere is healthier, less competitive and more encouraging. “What’s cool about [the Triangle], what’s different about it: In New York, it’s like, you go to a party, and it’s envy fever— the hives on everyone’s neck as they think about each other’s advances and reviews,” Baldwin said. “It’s nice here. People are low-key, and frankly, are more concerned about their car payments. It’s a supportive, friendly environment.” And then there’s the charms of the South itself, which Kathy Pories, senior editor at Algonquin Books, emphasized as

September 9, 2010

the album’s pile-up of orchestral chords and forlorn key changes sputters toward an almost comical attempt at climax. The record’s most upbeat songs,�“Barricade” and “Lights,” are fairly catchy and give the album promise, but soon afterwards, Interpol takes a turn for the worst. This happens sometime around when Paul Banks’ sardonic vocals become layered with organs and too many buzzing guitars.�Bassist Carlos D’s decision to leave Interpol shortly after the completion of this LP comes as no shock once you hear the bass lines sucked under by waves of ominous guitar. Interpol is fluid overall and has a beautiful arc from light-hearted beginning to sad end, but this effect leaves the listener with no real memory of any distinct song. By the close, Interpol has one toe over the line between epic and ridiculous. —Riley Glusker a major part of what kept her in the area after coming from Cleveland to study at UNC. Algonquin Books itself is a large reason for the Triangle’s literary community: Founded in 1983 in Chapel Hill, the nownational publishing house just put out the 25th edition of the New Stories from the South series, a collection of the best Southernoriented short stories from each year. But Pories also praised the unique situation of the Triangle, and the fact that if you drive ten minutes you’re out in the country—an area with a cultural sophistication directly formed and shaped by the South. “When I came here, it was a big culture shock for me, but it suddenly started to grow on me and I couldn’t leave,” Pories said. “The culture here, to me, is great.”

special to The Chronicle

Like Baldwin, Duncan Murrell—an instructor with the Center for Documentary Studies—is originally from outside the Triangle. Here since 1996, Murrell speaks warmly of the welcome he received from local writers.


Sports

>> ONLINE

The Chronicle

INSIDE

THURSDAY

September 9, 2010

Check out our exclusive podcast with Bomani Jones, host of Sirius’ The Morning Jones Duke Women’s Basketball released its schedule yesterday

www.dukechroniclesports.com

Harraka balances school, racing by Alexander Stuart THE CHRONICLE

This weekend, junior Paul Harraka, full-time Duke student and NASCAR prospect, will go on nothing less than a journey. He will awake early Saturday morning and fly across the country to Salt Lake City, Utah. There, he’ll conduct a meet-and-greet with his sponsors that night, wake up and practice Sunday morning, go through qualifying in the early afternoon and race a few hours later. Regardless of the result, he will then fly to Los Angeles, transfer planes, and eventually land in Durham around 6:30 a.m. Monday and drive back to campus. After all, he can’t miss class. “That’s usually the way it is,” Harraka said. “I’m not here many weekends.” Harraka, who has raced his whole life, currently competes in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, a tour that competes only in the western part of the United States. Journeys like the one he takes this weekend have become the norm for him, but he insists that despite all the difficulties, the opportunity to pursue a Duke degree and a NASCAR career are both opportunities too good to give up. “When you get an opportunity like I’ve got, to See harraka on page 12

paul harraka/special to The Chronicle

Depleted Wake Forest still packs a punch

Football Scouting the opponent

by Tom Gieryn THE CHRONICLE

courtney douglas/Chronicle file photo

In the matchup between the two teams last year, the Demon Deacons came away with the 45-34 win.

Duke travels to Winston-Salem Saturday to face a talented Demon Deacon squad that, despite being projected as one of the weaker teams in the ACC, still poses a real threat to the Blue Devils’ hopes of starting the season 2-0. The Duke passing attack will look to feast against the Demon Deacons, who surrendered 292 passing yards to a weak Presbyterian offense last week while suffering major issues with defensive alignment. Presbyterian didn’t have the firepower to take advantage of Wake Forest’s mistakes, but the more competent Blue Devils will need to exploit those holes if they hope to return victorious from Groves Stadium. Sean Renfree should have plenty of time in the pocket to pick out his receivers, as defensive end Kyle Wilber was the only Demon Deacon to get consistent pressure in Presbyterian’s backfield last Saturday. Wake Forest will need big games from cornerback Kenny Okoro, who was a second-team Freshman All-American last year, and safety Alex Frye, who has returned interceptions for touchdowns in his last two games, including last year’s season finale against Duke. On defense, the Blue Devils will need to step up against the run. Nearly every player

in Wake Forest’s offense is a threat to run the football, as evidenced by the 415 rushing yards they racked up last week. Only Air Force gained more yards on the ground in college football’s opening weekend Quarterback Ted Stachitas rushed for 76 yards in ten tries against Presbyterian, including a 34-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. Running backs Josh Adams, Brandon Pendergrass and Josh Harris carried the ball just 21 times combined but racked up 155 yards and four touchdowns. The Demon Deacons’ passing offense is less potent. They lost star quarterback Riley Skinner to graduation, and the starting quarterback job is insecure in the hands of sophomore Stachitas. He completed just seven passes for 84 yards against Presbyterian in his first career start, and was consistently off-target with his throws, especially when under pressure. True freshman backup Tanner Price will likely see snaps against Duke as well, but he was even worse in the opener with just one completion in seven attempts. Nonetheless, head coach David Cutcliffe is careful not to underestimate his opposition. “Both quarterbacks can run [the ball], both quarterbacks can run the option, both quarterbacks can throw,” he said. See scouting on page 12


8 | thursday, september 9, 2010 the chronicle

women’s basketball

“Beast of a schedule” awaits Blue Devils by Andy Moore THE CHRONICLE

Duke officially released its schedule yesterday, and it’s among the hardest in school history. The Blue Devils will play 13 games against teams which played in last year’s NCAA Tournament, including the defending national champions, Connecticut. They also face Kentucky, Xavier and Texas A&M—all top-15 teams in last season’s final rankings. “This is a great schedule and it’s a beast of a schedule,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie told The Chronicle. “It’s very challenging with terrific home games and tough road games. I think it’s a great blend, and I think, over my three years here, it’s the most difficult one we’ve faced… particularly with how well the teams have done in the NCAA Tournament in recent years.” Duke’s first game of the year will be at Cameron Indoor Stadium, against BYU, Nov. 13. From there, the team embarks on a bruising non-conference schedule, facing Texas A&M, which blew out the Blue Devils early last year, Dec. 6, Xavier on Dec. 21 and Kentucky Jan. 4. The games against Kentucky, Texas A&M and Xavier will all be played at home. During the ACC season, Duke will play home-and-home series this year against traditional rivals Maryland and North Caro-

lina, as well as Virginia Tech. Home games will be played against Georgia Tech, Clemson, Miami and Boston College—a game in which the Blue Devils will try to avenge their close 61-57 loss last year. Duke will make the trek to Florida State, N.C. State, Wake Forest and Virginia for its road games during conference play. The much-anticipated rematch against the reigning-champion Huskies will be played in Storrs, Connecticut right in the middle of Duke’s slate of conference games—Jan. 31. “To me, playing the games is just an exciting time,” McCallie said. “I think everyone on the team has the opportunity to learn and grow. We’re not trying to set any world records for wins, but we are trying to do well in March.” McCallie minced no words when describing the schedule’s difficulty. “It’s no question one of the toughest in school history,” she said. Perhaps as a testament to its hard schedule, Duke will be shown on national or regional television 11 times, including four times on ESPN. However, that fact, plus the schedule’s numerous intriguing matchups, hasn’t distracted McCallie from staying focused on the present. “The schedule does seem very far away,” McCallie said. “We have a lot of work to do before then.”

christina pena/Chronicle file photo

Sophomore Allison Venerey and the rest of the Blue Devils face a challenging slate of games this season.

DATES TO CIRCLE Dec. 6

Dec. 21

Jan. 4

Jan. 6

Jan. 31

Feb. 7

texas a&m

xavier

kentucky

maryland

connecticut

unc

CLASSIFIEDS

The Chronicle classified advertising

www.dukechronicle.com/classifieds rates All advertising - $6.00 for first 15 words 10¢ (per day) additional per word 3 or 4 consecutive insertions - 10 % off 5 or more consecutive insertions - 20 % off deadline 12:00 noon 1 business day prior to publication payment Prepayment is required Master Card, VISA, Discover, American Express, cash or check ad submission

online: www.dukechronicle.com/classifieds email: advertising@chronicle.duke.edu fax to: 919-684-8295 phone orders: (919)-684-3811 No refunds or cancellations after first insertion deadline ADVERTISERS: Please check your advertisement for errors on the first day of publication. If you find an error, please call 919-684-3811. The Chronicle only accepts responsibility for the first incorrect day for ads entered by our office staff. We cannot offer make-good runs for errors in ads placed online by the customer.

HELP WANTED An exciting part-time opportunity is available for an Administrative Assistant II to join an HHMI laboratory at Duke. This 30-hour a week position with benefits will provide high level administrative support to an HHMI Early Career Scientist and his lab. Preferred Qualifications include Bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of previous office experience, preferably in a medical, scientific, academic or nonprofit environment; budget and grant management experience; excellent organizational and problem solving skills; strong computer skills (MS Office, Outlook, HTML, SAP); and able to work independently. To apply, send cover letter, resume and salary history, including the job title in the subject line to posslab@cellbio.duke.edu. No phone calls, please.

Earn $20-$35/hr. in a recessionproof job. 1 or 2 week classes & weekend classes. 100% job placement assistance. Raleigh’s Bartending School. HAVE FUN! MAKE MONEY! MEET PEOPLE! Ask about our FALL tuition rates and student discounts. CALL NOW!! 919676-0774, www.cocktailmixer. com. Seeking creative person interested in building scavenger hunts, puzzles, crosswords. Up to $100/day. Flexible hours. Interest in startups a plus. Send resume to jobs@ cluekungfu.com.

FOR SALE Conveniently located near Duke. 3 bdr, 2.5 bath home in beautiful community that includes pool, clubhouse, tennis+. First floor master, gas fireplace, hardwoods, beautifully landscaped. For sale by owner. 5 Whitburn Place. By appt. only jiclaytor@nc.rr.com or 489-0887. New Circular SofaSolid Color, King Bed, and Small Upright Freezer. Call for details. 919-225-7687

R U Creative?

HOMES FOR RENT Lower Level of Private Home for rent. 1 mile from UNC. 5 miles from Duke.919-225-7687

Looking for a campus job for 10-12 hours per week working on Apple computers doing prepress jobs for The Chronicle? Freshmen enouraged to apply. email starbuck@duke.edu

got stuff? Sell it, buy it, trade it, or rent it with Classified Advertising in The Chronicle. Place your ad online at www.dukechronicle.com/classifieds or call 919-684-3811. Chronicle Classifieds work for you. And that’s no bull.


the chronicle

thursday, september 9, 2010 | 9

Diversions Shoe Chris Cassatt and Gary Brookins

Dilbert Scott Adams

Doonesbury Garry Trudeau

The Chronicle convicted felons can’t run for sheriff?!: but politicians have as long a rap sheet: ���������������� twei, dr. carter just give it to me, dammit: ���������������������������dough boy fresh, rupp they can’t even carry an ak-47?: �������������������������������������������� tulipia what about mayor?: ����������������������������������������������������������� bro-stuff only good sheriff was andy griffith: ��������������������������������������andyk like we’d feel safe either way: ����������������������������������������������cdiddy just waiting for sheriff machete: ����������������������������������������� pennna why was this ever legal, anyway?: ������������������������������������� sanette Barb Starbuck always packs heat: �������������������������������������������� Barb

Ink Pen Phil Dunlap

Student Advertising Manager:..........................................Amber Su Account Executives:......................... Phil deGrouchy, Claire Gilhuly, Nick Hurst, Gini Li, Ina Li, Spencer Li, Christin Martahus, Ben Masselink, Emily Shiau, Kate Zeligson Creative Services Student Manager............................Christine Hall Creative Services:................................Lauren Bledsoe, Danjie Fang Caitlin Johnson, Megan Meza , Hannah Smith Business Assistant:.........................................................Joslyn Dunn

Sudoku

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

go

small, think

classy.

Answer to puzzle

For

BIG results, place an ad in the Chronicle Classifieds!

w w w.dukechronicle.com /classifieds www.sudoku.com


The Independent Daily at Duke University

The Chronicle

10 | thursday, september 9, 2010

All disasters should be created equal As the University’s web- in Haiti earlier this year insite boasts, Duke is a school cluded a series of e-mails that “engages with soci- endorsing programs of aid, ety’s challenges” not only the creation of a website to in North Carolina but also promote philanthropic doacross the globe. We believe nations and the sending of a the Universimedical team ty’s response to to Haiti to aseditorial the events sursist in the rerounding the recent cata- lief efforts. strophic flooding across These actions expressed much of Pakistan offers a the University’s commitchance for Duke to examine ment to help and sent a mesits commitment to these ad- sage of implicit encouragemirable aims. ment of its students to do There is a stark disparity the same. between the administration’s No similar steps were responses to Pakistan’s plight taken in response to the and its reaction to similar Pakistani crisis until earlier recent humanitarian crises, this week after a coalition of including Hurricane Katrina students from the Pakistani and the 2004 tsunami in the Students Association, the Indian Ocean. For example, Muslim Student Association the administration’s efforts and Duke Diya approached following the earthquake administrators to encour-

No matter what time of the year you do it, the repaving of Anderson is going to cause traffic problems. Deal with it.

—“peperoberto” commenting on the story “City of Durham begins resurfacing Anderson Street.” See more at www.dukechronicle.com.

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

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

The Chronicle

Inc. 1993

Lindsey Rupp, Editor Toni Wei, Managing Editor Taylor Doherty, News Editor Andy Moore, Sports Editor Courtney Douglas, Photography Editor Ben Brostoff, Editorial Page Editor Will Robinson, Editorial Board Chair Christina Peña, Managing Editor for Online jonathan angier, General Manager DEAN CHEN, Director of Online Operations Matthew Chase, University Editor Samantha Brooks, Local & National Editor Sonia Havele, Health & Science Editor Melissa Yeo, News Photography Editor Kevin Lincoln, Recess Editor Lisa du, Recess Managing Editor Charlie Lee, Editorial Page Managing Editor SAnette Tanaka, Wire Editor Andrew Hibbard, Towerview Editor Chase Olivieri, Towerview Photography Editor zachary tracer, Special Projects Editor alex beutel, Director of Online Development Jinny Cho, Senior Editor DAn Ahrens, Recruitment Chair Mary weaver, Operations Manager Barbara starbuck, Production Manager

Jeff Scholl, Sports Managing Editor Joanna Lichter, University Editor Ciaran O’Connor, Local & National Editor Tullia Rushton, Health & Science Editor Margie Truwit, Sports Photography Editor Michael Naclerio, Multimedia Editor Nathan Glencer, Recess Photography Editor Drew sternesky, Editorial Page Managing Editor carter Suryadevara, Design Editor Lawson kurtz, Towerview Editor Maya Robinson, Towerview Creative Director hon lung chu, Special Projects Editor for Online cheney tsai, Director of Online Design Julia Love, Senior Editor Jessica Lichter, Recruitment Chair CHRISSY BECK, Advertising/Marketing Director REBECCA DICKENSON, Chapel Hill Ad Sales Manager

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

age more support for relief efforts. In response, Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta sent an e-mail to students that provided information on how they could donate and learn more about the cause. It appears that the distance of this disaster from campus and the complicated political situation in Pakistan might have inhibited a similar speedy and coordinated response. We believe that although the response to large-scale international disasters such as this catastrophe ought to be organic—driven by students themselves—the administration should also help facilitate student involvement and promote awareness and activism. Duke students possess an

impressive and diverse array of talents coupled with a passion for service on a global scale, which is evident by the success of programs like DukeEngage. Furthermore, the University also possesses a plethora of institutions and programs through which activism can be channeled. Institutions such as the Center for Civic Engagement, the Sanford School of Public Policy, the Global Health Institute and others all offer an array of resources which students can utilize to help assist the victims of such tragedies and to better prepare for similar emergencies in the future. News sources across the country have also been guilty of inadequately covering this

disaster, but we should hold this University, with its heightened sense of global social activism, to a higher standard in recognizing and responding to such tragedies. We commend this diverse coalition of student organizations for their proactive and unified response. We now call on the administration to follow suit. If the University truly means what it pledges about being dedicated to social activism on a global scale, then it needs to ensure that its response to emergencies like the recent events in Pakistan are immediate, effective and independent of geopolitical complications. We must act with knowledge in service to our global society, fulfilling what we proudly proclaim.

Read alone

onlinecomment

Est. 1905

the chronicle

commentaries

D

efending the hard-copy printed word has point. If we are forced to do all of our reading become a little like fawning over Presi- on the screen of a digital device that is forever dent Kennedy. That is, it still happens, pestering us, if reading is just one of the apps we but it’s not something you see being done by can run on yet another, sleeker piece of hardmany in our generation. ware, then reading will no longer An acquaintance of mine—a force us into a temporary hermitserious English major, no less— hood. If reading is supposed to once told me that she is on a transport us, for intellectual or crusade to do as much of her aesthetic purposes, it would be reading as possible “on a screen.” silly to expect inherently cluttered She’s not alone. We students are digital platforms to do anything more and more comfortable dobut bungle the job and make reading our reading on a laptop, a connor southard ing into a casual time killer in the Kindle or an iPad. We’re not sensame vein as Facebook. dead poet timental about the loss of those There’s no doubt that this is a smelly, inky tabloid newspapers. sentimental position to take. I’m Or maybe some of us are, but it seems fair to say affording reading the newspaper or a yellowed that few undergrads are really hoping that the sonnet some special status that is far from bedays of lugging around six thick books at once ing implicit. We might treat pleasure reading will continue forever. Amazon’s announcement like just another form of entertainment and rethis summer that their sales of e-books have sur- quired reading like just another chore, which passed their sales of hardcopy books is unlikely has always been the way it is perceived. And why to unnerve many of us. not just discard real, sustained reading—the Perhaps we should take a closer look. way I’m using the verb “to read” at the moment, For a moment, let’s ignore the economic it excludes scanning Twitter—if there are bettoll that the death of the hard-copy newspaper ter things to do? Maybe Steve Jobs’ famous decand magazine is exacting from journalism. Let’s laration that “people don’t read anymore” can also forget about the ever more dire straits that be as much a prescription as a silly description: publishing houses find themselves in due to the “People, I’ve got iPads! Don’t bother reading printed book’s slow march toward obsolescence. anything longer than 500 words anymore!” That kind of thing is largely just business, and It would be conceited for students to dismiss business is unpleasant. serious reading. Not because we wear some saIt’s not as easy to ignore the intellectual and cred mantle of erudition. I think we’re supposed informational implications of the various trou- to, but that solemn rhetoric about the sanctity bles facing publishers and journalists. When of the liberal arts has always been boring and the Tribune Company—owner of storied news- divorced from reality. papers like The Chicago Tribune and The Los No, for university students to dismiss the Angeles Times—is mired in a bankruptcy case printed word would be unwise because we, of that looks increasingly hopeless, you can bet all people, need separation. We need separathat we’re all missing out on relevant reporting tion from pressure, we need separation from and on everything else that can be printed in expectations and we need separation from one a serious forum. Not that this has ever been a another. The communal interweave of the modstrength of theirs, but why would the big pub- ern campus—from Facebook groups to living lishing houses take a chance on anything— groups to tweeting basketball coaches—creates quirky novel or controversial reportage—when a comprehensive social context that can at times they are assailed on all sides by cheap e-book feel all-enveloping and stifling. We need room prices and shortening attention spans? Far easi- to breathe. er to pump out the vampires. Everyone, young and old, deserves a little solBut then, worrying over the decline and itude. If the printed word fully gives way to the dumbing down of our culture is as old as Ameri- digital word and thus to the cluttered, sociallycan opinion writing itself. That particular kind driven digital world, we will lose the solitude of of bellyaching is best left alone. reading. And then, sadly, we might never get to If we lose the printed—that is, printed on be alone. paper—word, what we’re really losing is separation. That it’s an effort to lug around a book or Connor Southard is a Trinity junior. His column snag a hard-copy of the newspaper is part of the runs every Thursday.


the chronicle

thursday, september 9, 2010 | 11

commentaries

lettertotheeditor ‘Engineering happiness’ misrepresents Pratt students Today I walked into my engineering lab to find the entire room buzzing over The Chronicle. I asked someone to fill me in and was handed Rui Dai’s column “Engineering happiness.” The article, which asserted that Pratt students are happier than Trinity students because of their lack of academic choice was misinformed and offensive in its implications. But, being a happy-go-lucky Prattie, I wrote in to shed some light on the matter. It’s true that Pratt’s curriculum is rigid, but that in no way implies a lack of student autonomy. Indeed, enrolling in Pratt was one of the hardest decisions many of us have ever made. It was not a blind decision­ —we knew we were sacrificing academic flexibilty— but we all saw reason to do it. This summer, one of my Pratt classmates remarked, “The reason people do engineering at Duke

is that they don’t know what they want to do.” While this may seem like poor logic, it speaks to a greater truth: A Pratt education prepares one to do just about anything. Next year, my classmates will head to medical, law, business and engineering schools, fellowship programs and a wide range of jobs. All industries value engineers because they know how to think. Our options are open, and I daresay that Pratt graduates typically have more choices available than the average Trinity grad. Neither I nor my peers settle for “pass[ing] and graduat[ing]”: we are preparing to change the world, not “simply accept the disparities [in it].” Trinity or Pratt, we are Duke students, and unless we seek to understand each other before passing judgment, we’re missing out on knowing an amazingly interesting, talented and diverse group of people. Lauren Kottis, Pratt ’11

Pronounciation (sic) difficulties

I

spent last Fall living in Melbourne, Australia. watch American television and movies, so American During my time there, I had to adjust to a lot of English is the most heard dialect, too. things: driving on the left, paying almost $8 for a English isn’t controlled by the English anymore. Happy Meal and eating Vegemite with Still, Received Pronunciation, the stanmy toast in the morning. dard media accent in England, is often But the biggest adjustments for me considered the most prestigious Engcame in the form of dealing with lanlish accent. The General American acguage, which was surprising since I wasn’t cent, our media standard, is up there, studying abroad in Spain or China. After too. Some varieties, like African-Amerall, Australians supposedly speak Engican Vernacular English (“Ebonics”) lish. It took me long enough to undermight be considered less prestigious, stand the Australian accent. I also had to but are no less dear to their speakers. learn to accept that Australians say “dif- sandeep prasanna How many Englishes do you hear ferent to” instead of “different from” or hooked on phonetics at Duke? Your professor from South “different than,” that they mispronounce Africa, your adviser from Pakistan and “pronunciation” as “pronounciation,” your classmate from Malaysia all grew and that they mysteriously add Rs between words, even up with a very different English from yours. Even when they drop Rs in most other places. Americans from different regions might speak difThat’s all fine, of course. But, dear Australia, I ferent English varieties. And as English-speakers, we could only take so much. don’t belong to just one community. Which English The word is spelled S-C-O-N-E. “Scone”— a rhyme do you speak with your parents and which do you of “tone” and “phone.” And yet you insist on rhym- speak with your friends? Do you ever feign a new acing it with “on.” The word is not “scon.” OK—the cent? Conceal your own? British invented the scone, and your nation inherBecause every English society has a prestige form, ited the Queen’s English, so you have some claim to every English comes packaged with a set of stereothe name. But it’s just so inconceivably inconsistent types about its speakers. Consciously or not, we ofto pronounce it “scon.” ten draw upon these stereotypes when we hear an Because English is, um, so consistent otherwise. English different from our own or when we choose I asked my coworker Olivia, a native English-speak- which English to speak. er from New Zealand, what she considered “stanBut a language is a language if it serves its purdard English.” She responded that she considered pose: to communicate. The strength of English lies New Zealand English standard. Another coworker, in its proven adaptability and utility, wherever it Pam, a native English-speaker from Singapore, said might appear. To evaluate another based on his Engthat British English is considered the standard in lish—instead of the content of his speech—would be her country. She didn’t believe that there was a stan- doing a disservice not only to that person but also dard, though. to the dynamism of English itself. And to criticize Is there? When English became the world’s lingua another variety of English would be denying the crefranca, did it relinquish the ability to be standard- ative power of the world’s only global language. ized? When other people appropriate English—the Maybe it’s just enough to enjoy the small differAmericans, for example—then their own form of the ences, trade some jibes and appreciate the fact that language usually becomes the standard. Geographic, English is never the same wherever you go. ethnic and socioeconomic divisions strengthen disThis, at least, is what my coworkers and I decided. tinctions between varieties. I didn’t end up winning our argument. That’s OK But if we drew on sheer numbers alone, then with me: Sticks and “stons” may break my “bons,” but American English would be the standard. With na- different Englishes can’t hurt me. tive speakers numbering in the hundreds of millions, American English is the most populous form. HunSandeep is a Trinity senior. His column runs every dreds of millions of other people across the world other Thursday.

We want your input! To see your thoughts and concerns in print, send a letter to the editor at chronicleletters@duke.edu.

Uneducation

D

id you know uneducation is not a word? Education is a word. Uneducation is a word defined only in Uncyclopedia. I’m confident that our campus, known for its “educated” students, is hard at work trying to prove that there is, indeed, a definition lurking on the campus. I can see the (urban)dictionary entry now: “Uneducation, n: 1) Australian Rhodes Scholar 2) College Friday Nights.” For many people, Friday night is a good time to change your brain jeremy steinman makeup to allow for idiotic decision making. einsteinman This Friday, I opted to sit in the heart of campus making fun of said decisions. While people-watching has always been known as a high brow form of TV watching, this past Friday was sweeps week. First, at the mouth of the Golden Arches, I saw a fair number of people consuming 50-piece chicken McNuggets (2,300 calories) and shotgunning sweet tea gallons (1,120 calories), but don’t forget the sauce (50 calories a pack, at least). So this mini soiree is around 4,000 calories. Let’s also assume that five people will split this meal, but also have consumed beer (on the conservative side, 450 calories) and the night accounts for over half of a daily intake. If you’re doing this twice a week, that’s a daily caloric intake solely after midnight. You need to do exercise along with your caloric intake. Don’t take the easy road­—sex (300 per hour) is actually less efficient than modern dancing (400 per hour). This explains why everyone goes to Shooters instead of staying in. My next favorite part of Friday was the outfits. I understand there was some 80s-themed event, but are people actually doing research on what they wore in the 80s? I’m not an expert on the subject, but TV shows, Google and my TAs are. Side pony tails, leg warmers and MC Hammer pants would have been good choices. Tie-dye? 70s. Peace sign? Multiple decades covered, but not really 80s. Togas? They were worn in 80 BCE by the Roman Empire, so I’ll give extra points for taking advantage of ambiguity and dressing for multiple events at which you can be uneducated. Uneducation was also running wild on the plaza. This was a fantastic place to sit and watch, but also a good place to kiss and tell (I saw at least two couples kissing within 15 minutes, which is also 300 calories per hour if you were wondering). It is quite uneducational to know that people are completely fine publicizing these acts, but I’d like to know why they get so mad when people are watching them? If you don’t want anyone to look at the man behind the curtain, why don’t you just put up a locked door in front of the curtain (I stole that idea from M. Night Shyamalan’s Wizard of Oz)? Other channels were pretty good as a few people were having a slap fight in Tailgate attire, which resembled a hockey game not because the two combatants were muscular, but because it was marginally entertaining only for the possibility of a fight breaking out. The last channel was perhaps the most interesting, as the series of glowsticks that had been constructed resembled some sort of multiple rainbow. What does this mean? However, I can’t hate on everyone that was at Duke on Friday night. Quite a few people at some of the Iron Man 2 showings were quite cordial; when 5 minutes of the film was skipped, they were thankful the film was able to get back on. The police and EMTs were very quick to respond to an unresponsive patient in need of care. There were a few men that were quick to be unresponsive to a very responsive pipsqueak who needed to be careful. Overall, we are a very sustainable community (a Sustainable Duke, you might say). The only people that I did not see were those who decided doing homework was the best thing they could do on a Friday night. Those are the true uneducated ones as we all know that stress relief is the number one method to surviving Duke. No amount of uneducation can teach you otherwise. Jeremy Steinman is a Trinity senior. His column runs every Thursday.


12 | thursday, september 9, 2010

the chronicle

Row, row, row your boat

gre from page 4 “The essay questions are going to be more tailored and less open-ended which will need more specific answers,” he said. In the current test, students have to complete two essay questions in two separate time intervals. The new test, however, allows students to move from one question to the next within a single time frame. Although seniors will not have the opportunity to take the new GRE, juniors can opt to take the current or the

dsg from page 1

Tracy Huang/The Chronicle

Roz Savage, a well respected British solo ocean rower and environmental campaigner, spoke to students and faculty in a lecture titled “Adventures, Dreams, and Sustainability” in Love Auditorium Tuesday.

harraka from page 7 come to Duke, you can’t pass that up,” Harraka said. “When you’ve got that opportunity like I’ve got to chase my racing career, you can’t pass that up. It’s not so much a matter of picking one or the other, its a matter of how do I make these both work and how can I make them complement each other.” Harraka’s double life has worked out well so far. During the week, he attends all his classes, studies for tests and immerses himself completely in the Duke community. At the racetrack, he is equally impressive and currently sits 3rd in the point standings with one victory through nine races this season. “I still marvel at his ability to keep it all straight,” Harraka’s mother Donna Lozy said. “Nothing gets put on the backburner, nothing gets done with less than his full attention.” His NASCAR performances so far have attracted the attention of some upper echelon NASCAR teams. Earlier this year Harraka raced for veteran driver Joe Nemechek’s NEMCO Motorsports in the Nationwide series, one tier below the elite Sprint Cup series. According to Harraka’s team owner on the Pro Series West, Bill McAnally, there is even more to come from the young driver. “He is a really smart driver,” McAnally said. “He is very marketable, he is very well spoken, he does a great job for the sponsors he is representing. If he gets a break from one of the national touring series, there is

For senior Justin Robinette, a student affairs senator and former DCR chair who was impeached last Spring allegedly because he is gay, the decision is a move in the right direction. Robinette and senior Cliff Satell, former DCR vice chair, spoke out against the club—especially its executive board— throughout the night, even distributing 54-page packets containing evidence of harassment and discrimination. “The people who lead this club have a history of witnessed and documented vandalism,” Satell said in the two-hour-long public forum. “We are not asking you tonight to punish any individual students—that is not within your purview.... In defunding and de-chartering, you would be sending a message to this community, to the UNC community and [to] the state that this behavior is not what Duke represents.” If SOFC moves to de-charter the group, the DCR could re-apply for charter status in Fall 2011, making it ineligible to apply for annual funding until Spring 2012. The resolution included claims that the DCR violated SOFC rules—such as the responsibility to not be selective in membership—and the Duke Community Standard, nondiscrimination and harassment policies and DSG rules. Although the Senate’s actions were against the club as a whole—and not individual members—Robinette and Satell presented the Senate with e-mail evidence sent from DCR Chair Carter Boyle, a senior. The e-mails include a derogatory “homosexual image,” gay remarks and racist and anti-Semitic messages, all allegedly sent by Boyle. The packet also includes e-mail evidence of death threats most-

no doubt in my mind that Paulie Harraka will make it as a great driver in NASCAR’s premier divisions.” Harraka’s success to date has gone a long way to prove that people of nontraditional backgrounds can succeed in the sport. Harraka, who is of Syrian descent, doesn’t fit the mold of the conventional NASCAR driver. He is one of the most successful participants of the sport’s Drive for Diversity program, which was instituted to prepare drivers of diverse backgrounds for competitive racing. Harraka’s career was even highlighted on the BET reality series “Changing Lanes.” “It was interesting, but as a process it was exhausting,” Harraka said. “You can only focus on so many things. I don’t mind being in front of the camera, but my goal is to win.” NASCAR also only boasts a handful of drivers in the Sprint Cup Series with a college degree. Harraka has a chance to be in a select group on the tour if he makes the breakthrough. He hopes that his racing success, coupled with academic achievement, will lead others with racing aspirations to also pursue an education. “I’ve done a lot of speaking at elementary schools about the importance of an education,” Harraka said. “I hope that by completing a degree at Duke while pursuing a racing career and hopefully being successful at both, people will look at it and say, ‘I think my education is important.’ I hope it helps people realize that you don’t have to give up an education to do something.”

Lots more on the blog: dukechroniclesports.com

new test. Weiss recommended that juniors take the current GRE, adding that in previous revision years, students struggled to adjust to test changes. Further, juniors who elect to take the new GRE in August will have to wait until December to receive their scores—which may not be compatible with application deadlines, he added. “I would advise students who will take the test in the future to focus on critical thinking skills,” Steffen said. “Applying these skills to problems will be important measures for graduate programs.” ly directed at Robinette and images of vandalism painted on the East Campus bridge during the summer. Boyle was not present at the Wednesday meeting. DCR Chief of Staff Rachel Provost, a senior, and sophomore William Reach, a DCR executive board member, spoke at the beginning of the meeting, at times speaking against Boyle and other DCR members. “Presuming that the e-mails are true, yes, the e-mails are very offensive,” Reach said. “The University and the College Republicans should take action over this. It is my personal opinion that [Boyle] should be impeached.” Current DCR members denied many of the allegations presented before them, adding that only one DCR executive board member was in North Carolina when the East graffiti appeared. “The reason we did not challenge these accusations is that they have been dealt with at every level of Duke and by the student government,” Reach said. “The e-mails do not pertain to the College Republicans in any capacity. They don’t represent the members of the DCR executive board as it stands now.” Provost declined to comment after the meeting. The Senate’s vote to eliminate DCR funding was close to unanimous, but the decision to support de-chartering the group was more contested. DSG President Mike Lefevre, a senior, even mentioned some of the disadvantages of de-chartering the group. “A chartered group cannot be selective and a recognized group can,” said Lefevre, who cannot vote in the Senate. “By de-chartering them down to a recognized group we are allowing them to do exactly what they did to get here.”

scouting from page 7

larsa AL-OMAISHI/chronicle file photo

Wake Forest had trouble with Presbyterian’s passing game, so Conner Vernon may have a big day Saturday. Wake Forest isn’t without threats in the passing game, and Duke’s secondary looked extremely susceptible to the air attack last week against Elon. Wide receiver Devon Brown, who broke off an 85-yard scoring dash against Presbyterian, is arguably the most explosive playmaker. Last year’s leading receiver Marshall Williams is back, and the Demon Deacon offense will also get a boost from the return of wide receiver Chris Givens, who led the team with eight touchdowns last year. “We’ve got to contain their offense a

little better than we have the last couple years. They’ve come up with big plays time and time again,” Cutcliffe said. Givens and defensive end Kevin Smith had been suspended for the season’s first two games by head coach Jim Grobe for an unspecified violation of team policy in November. On Tuesday, however, Grobe announced the reduction of both players’ suspensions to one game, making them both available to play against the Blue Devils. Saturday, they and their teammates will look to pick up Wake Forest’s 11th straight win over Duke.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

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