October 6, 2010 issue

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

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010

Scientists call for experiment reproducibility

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 30

www.dukechronicle.com

Bonuses lead to studentled protests

Gettin’Dirty

by Zachary Tracer

by Taylor Doherty

Scientists are using a Duke research misconduct case to draw attention to what they say is an increasing problem in some fields of scientific research—experiments that are not easily reproducible.

The researchers, largely biostatisticians, say that data in fields such as genomics have become so complex and unwieldy that they are difficult to interpret without sophisticated computer programs. But when scientists do not provide the data or programs they use to draw the conclusions they publish in scientific journals, it can be difficult or impossible for other researchers to verify their work.

“There has been a growing chorus for making data and software available widely because of the complexity of the data we are relying upon,” said Scott Zeger, Anil Potti vice provost for research at Johns Hopkins University and a professor of biostatistics.

Zeger is also a member of Scientists for Reproducible Research, a new group that advocates for stronger standards of reproducibility. The group, which formed this summer in the wake of research misconduct allegations against Duke cancer researcher Dr. Anil Potti, recently submitted a letter to the journal Nature, calling for scholarly journals to help ensure that the research they publish is reproducible.

“Journals should demand that authors submit sufficient detail for the independent assessment of their paper’s conclusions,” the authors wrote in the letter, which was published in the Sept. 23 issue of Nature.

The letter, signed by 47 members of Scientists for Reproducible Research, recommends that journals require scientists to provide their data, software and codes used to analyze the data and descriptions of other methods of analysis used in the research. The letter says that following these principles will help ensure that published research is reproducible and therefore valid.

Zeger said providing more information in journals will allow other scientists to more easily verify published research and help prevent errors.

“You can do some kicking of the

About 30 students delivered a giant check and flowers to Dr. Victor Dzau’s office yesterday to protest executive compensation at Duke.

Administrators, however, said a recent op-ed article that appeared in The HeraldSun—which protesters said triggered the demonstration—misrepresents Duke’s salary structure.

The article, written by Ed Rickards, Trinity ’63, Law ‘66 and former editor of The Chronicle, lists compensation bonuses for several Duke executives, ranging from professionals in the Duke University Health System to those in Duke Management Company—which handles Duke’s investments and endowment.

Beyond a base compensation of almost $1 million, Dzau, chancellor for health affairs and president and chief executive officer of DUHS, received additional payment of $983,654 in 2008— at a time when the University initially experienced budgetary constraints. But Doug Stokke, assistant vice president of communications for DUHS, said Dzau’s compensation needs to be viewed in its

Fuqua School of Business students stepped into virtual reality yesterday when Craig Mundie, Microsoft’s chief research and strategy officer, took the stage at Geneen Auditorium and invited them to explore the company’s newest inventions.

Duke was the first stop on Mundie’s tour of universities across the country. He delivered a presentation titled “More Like Us: Human-Centric Computing” that premiered some of Microsoft’s most state-of-the-art technology and gave the audience a glimpse into the future of humancomputer interaction.

Microsoft has a goal to develop products that can address the needs of those without access to standard technologies, Mundie said. These devices could include low-cost robotic triage doctors, capable of accessing medical data and providing diagnoses, that could be placed in third-world countries where healthcare is unavailable, he added.

The focal point of Mundie’s presentation was his demonstration of the Kinect Sensor and a real-time 3-D projector, the first of its kind.

Mundie stood in front of the sensor, gesturing and making vocal commands to open a menu, shop for birthday gifts and interact with others in the virtual world as the audience watched behind 3-D glasses. This kind of 3-D technology is different than that used in movies, Mundie explained, because in movies the 3-D imagery is created beforehand

See biostatisticians on page 6

See mundie on page 12

THE CHRONICLE

Event discusses sexual violence on campus, Page 3

THE CHRONICLE

nate glencer/The Chronicle

‘Dirty Projectors’ performed in Page Auditorium Tuesday. Sponsored by Duke Performances and DUU Major Attractions, the Brooklyn Group brought a hybrid of old and new pop to Duke.

See bonuses on page 4

Q&A with Craig Mundie

by Lauren Carroll THE CHRONICLE

Faculty Commons will host Flunch again, Page 3

ted knudsen/The Chronicle

Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie spoke at the Fuqua School of Business and showcased the latest technologies Tuesday.

ONTHERECORD

“Everybody has times of stress and difficulty... it needn’t be a terrible or bad thing.”

­—CAPS psychologist and assistant director. See story page 4

2 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010 the chronicle

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Harvard Law Info Session Social Psychology 329, 2-3p.m.

Ada Sheng, Assistant Director of Admissions, will be fielding questions on all things related to Harvard Law School.

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Bruce Jentleson book signing Regulator Bookshop, 7-8p.m.

Sanford Professor Bruce Jentleson will be discussing and answering questions on the topic of his new book.

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Duke Orchestra Concert Baldwin Auditorium, 8-10p.m.

Henry Davidson will be directing the Duke Symphony Orchestra tonight with pianist Cicilia Yudha.

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“This afternoon members of Maureen Quilligan’s Medieval and Renaissance Literature class (English 173) were outdoors sword fighting. Yes, you read that correctly—sword fighting. Quilligan, R. Florence Brinkley Professor of English, gave her students an option of dressing in medieval and renaissance attire, sword fighting and reading Chaucer aloud in the Great Hall at 4:30 p.m. in order cut their final twenty page paper in half.”

— From The Chronicle News Blog

bigblog.chronicleblogs.com

David Wainer/Bloomberg News

A worker at Oktoberfest in the Middle East pours Taybeh beer, made according to a German purity law. Although the Palestinian people may not have a nation-state to call their own in the Middle East, they attempt to inject some normality into their lives with Oktoberfest. Taybeh, a Christian enclave located in the predominantly Muslim West Bank, held the festivities last weekend.

“

TODAY:

Men of few words are the best men.

— William Shakespeare

”

TODAY IN HISTORY

1861: Russian student revolt shuts down university of Petersburg.

Correction

Judge sentences would- US airstrike in Pakistan be bomber to life in jail severely strains relations NEW YORK­ — The man who tried to bomb Times Square in May was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday, bringing a quiet end to a case that dramatized what authorities say is a growing threat from domestic and global terrorists.

Faisal Shahzad sparred with the judge and smirked as the sentence was imposed for his failed attempt to detonate an explosives-packed Nissan Pathfinder May 1 in one of the busiest intersections in New York. “We are only Muslims . . . but if you call us terrorists, we are proud terrorists, and we will keep on terrorizing you,” he said, adding that “the defeat of the U.S. is imminent.”

U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum said the mandatory life term was important “to protect the public from further crimes of this defendant and others who would seek to follow him.”

off the

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Financial reform falters

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — U.S. officials in Pakistan have spent much of the past year toiling to bolster the country’s elected government and perhaps improve the United States’ image along the way. But much of the progress made toward those goals may have been swept away with the firing of two NATO missiles last week.

The helicopter strike, which Pakistan says killed three of its soldiers, is widely seen as proof that the U.S. alliance with Pakistan is based solely on self-serving security interests. And it may have put the United States in the position of destabilizing the weak government it wants to fortify, by giving President Asif Ali Zardari’s many critics another reason to say he is allowing Pakistan to be an American pawn.

A joint investigation into the airstrike continued Tuesday, and U.S. and Pakistani officials said the incident had strained but not fractured the nations’ relationship.

Oktoberfest receives Palestinian influence

Correction

Yesterday’s story “Gawker founder to teach MMS class” incorrectly reported that Elizabeth Spiers’ summer class was at the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University. It was led independently. The Chronicle regrets the error.

LATE NIGHT

The caption of yesterday’s featured photo “Shake me Up” incorrectly stated that the event was a pre-registration drive and that free milkshakes were given to those who registered to vote. The event was actually a voter registration drive, and milkshakes were offered to all who attended. The Chronicle regrets the error.

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the chronicle

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010 | 3

Flunch returns to Faculty Commons Event pushes

by Ray Koh

THE CHRONICLE

Students and their professors can enjoy a meal together at the Faculty Commons once again.

The “Faculty lunch” program, which was limited to the Great Hall and Marketplace last year, once again allows meals at the Faculty Commons, Duke Dining Director Jim Wulforst said.

“We made the decision based on student feedback,” Wulforst said. “[The] Office of Student Activities and Facilities and Duke Student Government thought the Faculty Commons was an important part of the program.”

Wulforst noted, however, that Flunch will no longer be available for dinner for financial reasons, adding that offering free dinner put too much of a budget strain on OSAF, which runs the program.

When OSAF funding could not support Flunch dinners anymore, both lunch and dinner were discontinued at the Faculty Commons, Wulforst said. The group decided to bring the lunch back this year at an affordable cost.

Sophomore Chris Brown, DSG Vice President of Athletics and Campus Services, said faculty and students alike felt the Great Hall and Marketplace did not provide the intimate setting they believe a Flunch merits.

The Faculty Commons provides a calm environment that allows for meaningful conversations without noise or distractions, said sophomore Danya Liu, who recently participated in the Flunch program.

“Offering lunches for Flunch at the Faculty Commons is a pretty cost-effective

method,” Brown said. “It was more of [DSG and OSAF] finding an outcome that satisfied everyone.”

Brown said Flunch will still be available at the Great Hall, Marketplace and Devil’s Bistro, in addition to the Faculty Commons.

OSAF spent about $30,000 last year on approximately 350 total Flunches, said OSAF Director Chris Roby. The initial budget was only $25,000, but Steve Nowicki, dean and vice provost for undergraduate education, helped meet the extra need through funding,

he added. “[Nowicki] is a huge advocate for creating out-of-classroom opportunities that create faculty-student interaction,” Roby said.

He noted that the average cost per person for dinner at the Faculty Commons last year was about $35, as compared with this year’s cost of $7 for lunch.

There have been 29 Flunches so far this year, but Roby expects the number to increase toward the end of the semester as students become more familiar with their professors.

eliza bray/The Chronicle

The Faculty Commons will once again host the Faculty Lunch program after budget strains closed its service last year. The eatery provides a calm environment free of excessive noise, students say.

awareness of sexual violence

by Tong Xiang THE CHRONICLE

Participants in a discussion about dating violence co-sponsored by the Women’s Center and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life emphasized the need for awareness of sexual violence on campus.

Amy Cleckler, coordinator for the Women’s Center’s gender violence prevention program, led the event, which sought to define and suggest methods to prevent sexual violence—especially dating and intimate partner violence.

“I’m very interested in this topic as a woman who works very closely with... victims and perpetrators of dating violence,” said Zoila Airall, assistant vice president for student affairs for campus life.

Cleckler defined sexual violence as “a pattern of abusive and controlling behavior that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over a current or former intimate partner.”

Because it encompasses a range of behaviors—from verbal harassment to stalking and physical assault—sexual violence needs to be combated with a program that is flexible in response and scope, Cleckler said.

Currently, Duke has four resources for students wishing to talk about sexual See violence on page 6

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graduate and professional student council

Seven voted to Young Trustee Screening Committee

by Carmen Augustine THE CHRONICLE

At its meeting Tuesday night, the Graduate and Professional Student Council representatives elected members to serve on two committees.

Seven GPSC representatives—Kenneth Alexander, Walter Cantwell, Mili Doshi, Brad Hover, Bill Hunt, Sumesh Nair and Viresh Thusu—were nominated to be on

the Young Trustee Screening Committee, which will choose three Young Trustee finalists to be presented to the general assembly in February. All nominees were selected unanimously.

The assembly selected Hunt to serve as the chair of the YTSC. Alexander and Nair were also nominated for the position, but Hunt won the election in a runoff against Nair.

courtney douglas/The Chronicle

Members of the Graduate and Professional Student Council voted in members to serve on the Young Trustee Screening Committee at their meeting Tuesday. The new members were elected unanimously.

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GPSC President Daniel Griffin, a fourth year Ph.D. candidate in classical studies, said it was a very close race.

Hunt, a third year English graduate student, said he is excited to have been elected chair.

“I hope we’re able to get some really qualified, good, motivated candidates,” Hunt said of the Young Trustee process.

“I’ll make sure to... give [GPSC] a body of candidates that represent all the schools here at Duke and will really leave the decision up to [the assembly].”

Gerry Canavan, Jason Evans and Ryan O’Rourke were nominated to be members of the Judicial Committee, which investigates charges of misconduct and interprets GPSC bylaws. All three were voted in unanimously.

GPSC executives said they were pleased with the electees.

In other business: Joe Talley, a psychologist and assistant director for Counseling and Psychological Services, told the GPSC assembly that CAPS services are covered by graduate student health insurance. Talley urged GPSC to “promote a mindset that values wellness, consultation seeking and peer support,” adding that issues such as death, sexual orientation, stress, academic performance, sexual assault, cultural concerns and relationships are topics CAPS addresses.

“Everybody has times of stress and difficulty... it needn’t be a terrible or bad

bonuses from page 1 proper context.

“I think the question is the use of the word ‘bonus’—Dr. Dzau’s salary is comprised of a portion that is guaranteed as well as a portion that is at risk, based on meeting performance expectations that are set and evaluated annually by the DUHS Board [of Directors],” he said. “He can receive his ‘at-risk’ compensation if he meets those expectations.”

Dzau said his compensation is based on a number of factors intended to measure the progress of DUHS. He added that he is “hurt that people accuse [him] of things they don’t understand,” and that he feels he is a man of integrity who receives money as stipulated by prior contractual agreements.

“I don’t think I want to escalate this,” Dzau said. “I have a job to do—why escalate this?”

During the protest, students gathered at 12:30 p.m. in formal, “black tie” wear on the Chapel’s steps. The group, comprised of mostly Divinity School students, demonstrated against excessive compensation for top officials in DUHS and DUMAC as well as a Fuqua School of Business professor’s compensation from Duke Corporate Education, a nonprofit provider of custom executive education.

“It’s not an indictment or critique of necessarily any [one] person. We made the checks to acknowledge that some of these higher execs in institutions connected to Duke have gotten lots of money while others have [lost their jobs],” said Brandy Daniels, an organizer for the event and a graduate student in the humanities.

Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, said he was unaware of the protest yesterday. He added, however, that the

thing,” he said.

He added that about 12 percent of the student body comes to CAPS each year.

GPSC Community Affairs Coordinator Ali Saaem, a biomedical engineering Ph.D. candidate, clarified the difference between the Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee and the Student Health Advisory Committee. SHIAC works to change what is covered by student insurance, whereas SHAC connects students to campus providers and organizes a health fair focused on wellness and prevention, Saaem said.

“I beseech people who feel very strongly about their health [to] step forward to work with the providers,” Saaem said. “I would hate to see that committee wither away because of lack of activities.”

Assembly member Sarah Denes, a musicology graduate student, presented her goal to increase interest in improving the maternity leave policy for graduate students. Currently, students are given seven weeks total for maternity leave unless otherwise specified by their department. Saaem proposed the creation of an action committee to investigate the project.

GPSC Communications Coordinator Yang Yang, a physics Ph.D candidate, announced a new forum section on the GPSC website that will allow students to discuss important topics. He also videotaped the meeting to make an introduction video to GPSC to publicize the organization.

op-ed and the protesters’ subsequent press release contained several “misstatements.” For one, the compensation detailed in the op-ed was actually based on performance prior to 2008 and was dependent on incentives that had been agreed to well before the peak of the financial crisis.

Schoenfeld also said the named executives receive their salaries from different subsidiaries of Duke—Duke Corporate Education, DUHS and DUMAC. The three organizations operate as separate legal entities, each with its own budget, executive board and compensation policy.

“Some people at DUHS and DUMAC have employment contracts that include incentive and performance pay, so that a significant percentage of their compensation is determined each year based on their performance and is thus at risk,” Schoenfeld said. “Those employment agreements are reviewed by the boards of those organizations and outside compensation advisers on an annual basis.”

For example, Dan Laughhunn, a professor at Fuqua, receives compensation from Duke Corporate Education that should not be characterized as a bonus, Schoenfeld said. Laughhunn was presumably paid for services he provided to Duke Corporate Education and its clients.

But Rickards said it was Duke that chose to create the three entities in the first place, adding that the Board of Trustees perpetuates their existences.

“That’s like saying... ‘I’m not responsible for my left arm, please just watch my right arm,” he said.

Rickards added the he has not been in contact with the students who organized the protest. In addition to submitting op-eds to newspapers, Rickards is one of five contributors to Duke.Fact.

Checker blog.

the chronicle

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010 | 5

Americans scale Campaign watchdogs claim back children’s right-wing group broke tax laws college funding

by Dan Eggen

THE Washington Post

by Yian Mui

THE Washington Post

WASHINGTON—American families are scaling back plans to pay for their children’s college educations as the stunted economic recovery continues to weigh on household budgets, according to a survey commissioned by college lender Sallie Mae. The study, which was conducted by Gallup, found that the percentage of families who planned to make little or no contribution to tuition increased, while the percentage who expected to cover more than half of their children’s college expenses decreased. The trends were particularly pronounced in Hispanic families, where the number who thought they could only pay a little jumped from 12 percent to 35 percent.

In addition, the percentage of families who said the reason they are not socking away money for college is that they cannot afford it rose from 62 percent last year to 68 percent this year.

“They’re adjusting their expectations to the economic conditions, both generally and what they may be experiencing on the individual level,” said Bill Diggins, Gallup’s lead researcher on the survey.

Still, the study found that even though families are financially stressed, saving for college remained a priority. About one-fifth of families reported it as a top financial goal - up from 14 percent last year and on par with those who rank saving for retirement as the priority.

The rising cost of college education has become a flash point in Washington as the recession hampered families’ ability to foot the bill. According to a survey by the nonprofit College Board, which administers standardized tests, the cost of attending a private university has risen 2.6 percent a year over the past decade, while public college jumped nearly 5 percent annually.

See college funding on page 12

WASHINGTON—Two campaign-finance watchdogs asked the Internal Revenue Service Tuesday to investigate Crossroads GPS, the big-spending conservative group supported by Republican guru Karl Rove, for allegedly violating U.S. tax laws limiting the political activities of nonprofit groups. In a complaint filed with the IRS, Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center say the group—an arm of the American Crossroads political committee—is using its nonprofit status to shield the identities of its wealthy donors.

The complaint says “the group was organized to participate and intervene in the 2010 congressional races while

“We’re living in a new world now, and the IRS can’t just stand on the sidelines anymore. You have groups basically using their nonprofit status to keep their donors secret.”

— Fred Wertheimer, member of Democracy 21 providing donors to the organization with a safe haven for hiding their role.” Jonathan Collegio, spokesman for American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, said the GPS group “carefully follows all laws” governing nonprofit organizations. “This is a baseless complaint, filed by a partisan group that files baseless complaints for its living,” Collegio said.

The dispute signals an early volley in the looming legal battle over election and campaign-finance rules for 2012, even as independent interest groups set new records for spending on the November midterms. Critics say a shifting legal landscape has made it even more attractive for politically minded interest groups to cloak their spending in the shelter of nonprofit organizations.

The allegations also underscore the increasing pressure on the IRS to broker such disputes amid gridlock at the Federal Election Commission, which has seen its powers eroded by the courts and is hobbled by partisan differences. A labor coalition filed a separate IRS complaint last month alleging tax violations by the nonprofit Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re living in a new world now, and the IRS can’t just stand on the sidelines anymore,” said Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21, who co-wrote the IRS complaint with Campaign Legal Center executive director J. Gerald Hebert.

“You have groups basically using their nonprofit status to keep their donors secret.” The IRS, which in general does not publicly discuss such complaints, had no immediate comment on the letter. Crossroads GPS—short for Grassroots Policy Strategies—is organized as a nonprofit “social welfare” organization under section 501(c)(4) of the federal tax code, which effectively means the group can raise and spend as much as it wants with minimal public disclosure.

But U.S. tax laws also say the primary purpose of such nonprofit groups cannot be political, including the “participation or intervention in political campaigns.” Hebert and Wertheimer argue that Crossroads GPS has made a mockery of that requirement, bragging about its plans to target Democrats and extolling the virtues of anonymity to donors. Collegio accused Wertheimer and other campaign-finance activists of looking the other way when liberal groups, including nonprofits, spend big on elections. “Liberal groups spent more than $400 million in undisclosed campaign money in 2008 alone, with nary a peep from liberal lobbyist Fred Wertheimer or any of his groups,” Collegio said. FEC records show the two Crossroads groups together have spent nearly $10 million so far in support of Republican candidates, part of a stated goal of more than $50 million by the midterm elections.

The groups reported raising a total of $32 million as of late last month. The money was about evenly divided between the two.

Unlike Crossroads GPS, American Crossroads is organized as a so-called “super PAC,” which can raise and spend as much as it wants on direct advocacy but must reveal donors.

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BIOSTATistICIANS from page 1 scientific tires to see if the findings are robust,” he said.

“At a minimum, you need to be able to reproduce the findings.”

Two biostatisticians who have identified errors in some of Potti’s research said that their efforts to verify his results were hindered by the absence of data or software scripts from some of his published research.

Kevin Coombes said he and fellow University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center biostatistician Keith Baggerly spent more than 1,500 hours trying to reconstruct portions of Potti’s research. They ultimately published work pointing out errors in Potti’s research on the use of genomics to target cancer treatments.

Coombes said that as the findings of complex research in fields such as genomics are used more frequently to inform the ways in which doctors treat patients, it becomes even more important to ensure that they are accurate.

He pointed out that delays in verifying Potti’s research meant that some cancer patients in clinical trials were assigned to cancer treatments based on genomic information that may not have predictive value.

Enrollment in clinical trials based on Potti’s research was suspended this summer. Huntington Willard, director of Duke’s Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, noted that all patients in clinical trials based on Potti’s research received “standard of care” cancer treatment.

In an interview before the letter’s publication, Willard said he thought that discussions about the need for a better set of standards in genomic research would have occurred even without the allegations against Potti.

“It’s the normal development of clinically relevant research as it moves toward clinical practice,” he said.

Several biostatisticians who are members of Scientists for Reproducible Research said members of their field have been trying to draw attention for some time to the issue of research that is difficult to replicate. The allega-

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tions against Potti have helped highlight their cause and galvanized biostatisticians, they said.

“People came together because they felt a mistake was being made,” Zeger said. “All were of a mind that reproducibility was essential.”

He said he is optimistic that more stringent standards of reproducibility will be adopted in the future. Scientists will become more suspicious of journal articles that do not include the information necessary to reproduce the findings, he predicted.

“What will happen over time is people whose research is not reproducible will be less influential,” Zeger said. “If I can’t reproduce your findings, then I’ll discount them.”

violence from page 3 violence confidentially: the Women’s Center, Student Health, Counseling and Psychological Services and religious chaplains. Other agents of the University, such as resident advisors, graduate residents, faculty and staff are all obligated to report incidents to the Office of Student Conduct.

In addition to defining sexual violence and identifying resources that can be used to seek help, Cleckler also offered intervention strategies. In the Spring, the Women’s Center will lead a new initiative to encourage students to take action. Through peer education programs, students will be trained to intervene in cases of sexual violence, Cleckler said.

“The inaction of bystanders contributes to a culture of violence,” she said. “If the story of the victim isn’t told, the wider community is hurt.”

To minimize sexual violence, Cleckler aims to build a community that respects personal boundaries, secures sexual consent and communicates honestly in relationships.

Cleckler said the current state of sexual violence prevention programs is somewhat misdirected.

“Traditional programs have put everyone on the defensive, calling women potential victims and men potential perpetrators,” she said. “We need to change this culture of fear.... You have a responsibility to protect your peers just out of virtue of being a member of the Duke community.”

Greek chapter advisors were invited because of a national study which found that while intoxicated, sorority members were three times more likely to be sexually assaulted than non-greek women, Cleckler said. The problem of sexual violence, however, is not limited to greek life.

“Working with women of [Kappa Alpha Theta] for the last seven years, I know that dating violence happens,” said Amy Lingenfelser, advisory board chairman for Kappa Alpha Theta. “I’d like to have the tools to know what to do when that happens. I’d like to offer those women some solace.”

October 6 11 am – 5:30 pm Bryan Center Free to all Duke students with current DukeCard Take steps to avoid the flu. Get your flu shot. Wash your hands. Avoid close contact with those who appear to be ill. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, as germs are spread this way. Cover your mouth with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze.

For more flu-related tips and information, visit www.duke.edu/flu

chelsea pieroni/The Chronicle

Amy Cleckler, coordinator for the Women’s Center’s gender violence prevention program, speaks to a crowd to increase awareness about dating violence.

Sports

>> INSIDE

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WEDNESDAY

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October 6, 2010

Find out how head coach David Cutcliffe took time away from football after last Saturday’s game We analyze the games of Duke’s Class of 2011

www.dukechroniclesports.com

Men’s soccer

Blue Devils settle score with Wildcats

by Andrew Beaton THE CHRONICLE

Last year, Davidson mauled Duke in a resounding 4-1 victory. Last night, the Blue Devils reciprocated, exacting revenge for last year’s loss.

“We came out and put them in their place,” sophomore forward Ryan Finley said.

After a disap1 DAV pointing loss to DUKE 4 Maryland last Friday, No. 19 Duke (5-2-3) responded strongly, handily beating the Wildcats 4-1 at Koskinen Stadium.

“They embarrassed us last year, and we had that mentality to go bury them,” sophomore goalie James Belshaw said.

Finley ended a three-game goalless streak with two first half scores, giving the Blue Devils a lead they would never relinquish. His first goal, in the 23rd minute, was a volley off a blocked shot. The second came in the 41st minute after a perfectly executed through-ball from senior Cole Grossman gave him a one-on-one opportunity against Davidson goalie Chip Sanders.

“We had been creating chances [in the previous games], we’ve just been a little unlucky and haven’t been able to finish,” Finley said. “You just got to keep plugging

away and sooner or later, the chips are going to fall into place like they did tonight.”

Finley, with his two goals last night, now has an ACC-best ten goals on the season.

The Duke offense held possession for much of the first half, limiting the Wildcats’ opportunities. And when Davidson (4-4-3) had chances, the defense shut the Wildcats down, only allowing three first-half shots.

“We needed to get a good start to the game,” head coach John Kerr said. “Our guys didn’t let them have a moment of peace.”

Duke wasted no time adding to its lead in the second half. In the 51st minute, Finley curved a corner kick that grazed off the head of Grossman, giving the senior his second goal of the season. Grossman followed that up by putting away a deflection in the 76th minute, assisted by junior midfielder Chris Tweed-Kent, who also assisted Finley’s first goal.

“We definitely created a ton of chances with good offensive movement,” Grossman said. “But when our pressure defensively is really sharp and julia may/The Chronicle

See m. soccer on page 8

After failing to score in Duke’s last three games, sophomore Ryan Finley notched two goals against Davidson.

Men’s golf

women’s basketball

Thomas garners major Duke comes up short preseason accolade after holding early lead

By Staff Reports

by Jesse Forman

THE CHRONICLE

After a stellar junior season during which Jasmine Thomas posted team-best averages in points, assists and steals, the point guard was named Tuesday to the preseason top-30 list for the 2011 John R. Wooden Award—given annually to the nation’s most outstanding student-athlete.

Thomas was one of 22 candidates on the final ballot for last year’s award, which Connecticut center Tina Charles won.

The team’s primary distributor will be without veteran teammates Joy Cheek, Bridgette Mitchell and Keturah Jackson this season, but head coach Joanne P. McCallie’s No. 1 recruiting class should replenish some of the lost production and give Thomas plenty of options in the offensive halfcourt.

Along with fellow seniors Krystal Thomas and Karima Christmas, Jasmine Thomas should be expected to increase her own point production as well, something she’s done each year in Durham. As a junior, Thomas increased her scoring average by 5.8 points up to 16 per game­—the largest spike in school history. Thomas has also developed into a strong defensive guard, See wooden on page 8

THE CHRONICLE

larsa al-omaishi/Chronicle file photo

Junior guard Jasmine Thomas averaged a teamhigh 16 points, 4.1 assists and 2.8 steals last season.

After a solid first day saw Duke atop the leaderboard in Raleigh, just 18 holes separated the Blue Devils from their first tournament victory of the season Tuesday.

During a windy third round, however, N.C. State blew the field away, shooting the only under-par round of the day, and Duke settled for second at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate for the second consecutive year.

Duke felt the pressure as the team entered the final day of the tournament­—and the Blue Devils’ performance on the golf course reflected their tension. Shooting six-over for the day, Duke finished the third round with a score of 290. The team’s total score for the tournament was 848, good for four-under-par, but four strokes shy of winner N.C. State.

“My hat goes off to the guys at N.C. State and [head coach Richard] Sykes. Those guys played a really good round of golf today,” head coach Jamie Green said.

The Blue Devils sat in a comfortable position at the top of the leaderboard after the first two rounds of play on the par-71 Lonnie Poole Golf Course—the Wolfpack’s home track.

Ranked No. 20 in the nation, Duke led a competitive field including No. 18 N.C.

State and No. 23 Wake Forest as well as ACC rival Maryland.

But after the final putts were holed Tuesday, the Blue Devils were unhappy as they walked off the course, and understandably so.

“Any time you get a lead in the final round and don’t walk away with the victory, it’s a disappointing thing,” Green said. “But at the same time, I don’t feel that our guys played that poorly. N.C. State just played better. When three guys finish in the top five and one of them is the leader, those points will add up pretty quickly in your favor.”

Scores from the third round of play were markedly higher due to tougher conditions on the course. As the temperature dropped and winds picked up over the second day, scoring on the typically attackable course slowed considerably.

“The wind picked up at the end of [the third round] and hole locations were much tougher today than they had been the previous two rounds,” Green said. “The stat sheets do not tell the whole story for today.”

Individually, Duke had two players finish in the top ten. Sophmore Brinson Paolini, See m. golf on page 8

8 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010 the chronicle

M. Soccer from page 7

Football midweek notebook

Blue Devils regroup during bye

by Andy Moore THE CHRONICLE

Head coach David Cutcliffe was late to his teleconference Sunday for an unexpected reason: He had lost track of time while washing his wife’s car.

Cutcliffe called the washing “therapy,” and after four straight losses, taking time for non-football related pursuits may be just what this Duke team needs.

The Blue Devils will use their bye week to heal, rest and figure out how to improve after they came a drive away from beating Maryland Saturday.

“Midseason breaks are always the best. It’s opportune for us; it’s a chance to take a breath and think about how we can improve in all areas,” Cutcliffe said. “We have seven big ballgames left, and that’s exciting for us.”

In order to compete in those games, Duke will try to fix what has become one of its major issues—turnovers.

Two weeks ago, turnovers were responsible for Army taking a lightning-fast 14-0 lead on the Blue Devils. Last week, a pick by Sean Renfree in the second quarter resulted in an 80-yard touchdown drive that put Maryland back in the game.

“After looking at the tape, [the loss] was frustrating to watch,” Cutcliffe said about the 21-16 defeat to the Terrapins.

“We’re doing so many things better.... It was a breakdown of a couple of turnovers, a couple of plays defensively.”

m. golf from page 7 who finished in a tie for third, and sophomore Adam Sumrall, who came in 10th place, kept the Blue Devils in victory contention throughout the three rounds of play.

“Paolini had his eyes on winning the event and sometimes when you’re right there with the leaders, you get [an all-too-close sense] of where you stand,” Green said.

“There’s no doubt about it that he played well, but in the end he had a lot of opportunities... and just simply wasn’t able to convert.”

Up and coming freshman Yaroslav Merkulov started the tournament strong but fell off on the final day. After concluding the first and second rounds of play at threeunder-par and in the top ten, Merkulov struggled over the

The Blue Devils are now minus-six for the year in turnover margin, good for last place in the ACC. Cutcliffe minced no words when discussing that fact.

“We’re rock-bottom there,” he said.

In its three practices this off-week, Duke will also work on its defense, which Cutcliffe identified as the “biggest thing” still plaguing the Blue Devils.

While Duke’s defense has improved in the last two weeks—giving up only 21 points to Maryland and holding its own for an astounding 40 minutes against Army’s option offense—it still is not at the level that Duke’s coaching staff would like it to be.

However, the loss to the Terrapins does not necessarily mean the focus in practice this week is different. Cutcliffe said his team will stick to the script it has followed so far this season, and will, as always, not look past its most immediate opponent: Miami on Oct. 16.

“Whether we’re on a four-game winning streak or losing streak, this particular team has to take it one game at a time,” he said. “We’re going to go back to the same work we did last week.”

IN OTHER NEWS: Redshirt-sophomore running back Patrick Kurunwune hurt his ankle during the game against Maryland, Cutcliffe said. The extent of the injury is currently unclear.

final 18 holes, shooting a four-over. He ended the tournament tied for 13th, though an overnight illness may have played a role in the final result.

“He won’t make this excuse, but I’ll say he wasn’t feeling well today,” Green said. “He’s coming down with a cold and he seemed very fatigued by the end of the tournament.”

Duke’s players should be encouraged by a high finish at a competitive tournament, and they will look to carry momentum into the upcoming Rod Myers Invitational, held at the Duke University Golf Club October 10-11.

“None of our guys quit. They played hard till the very end and ultimately they came up short,” Green said. “We just need to keep getting better and play up to the level which I know we can play at.”

intense all over the field, we’re more athletic than most other teams, so we can overpower.”

The game was physical, but there were many no-calls by the officials, which fueled tension between the teams.

This climaxed in the second half as players from each team received a yellow card within minutes of each other.

Grossman received one in the 68th minute while junior defender Hunter Hayes picked one up in the 70th minute for the Wildcats.

Davidson’s lone goal was in the final minute of play, against a lineup comprised of Duke’s substitutes. Senior Alex MORE Caskey received a lead pass upONLINE field and placed the ball over backup Blue Devil goalie Nick Check out a photo Tsipis.

Davidson’s goal was not slideshow from last night’s game against enough to take the sweet taste of revenge away from the Blue DevDavidson: dukechroniclesports.com ils, who had marked this game as an opportunity for redemption after last year’s loss.

“I’ve been thinking about it a long time. It was pretty embarrassing, pretty disappointing,” Grossman said. “We just overlooked them.”

Duke understands, however, that it will need to keep playing well with more ACC competition approaching and that the Wildcats may not measure up to that level of play.

“With all due respect to Davidson, we’re playing against a different [level of] team,” Belshaw said.

Bearing that in mind, the Blue Devils head to N.C. State Friday, beginning a key stretch of four conference matchups within their next seven games. But Duke learned a lot about its character last night, which should help moving forward.

“We wanted to make a statement tonight,” Grossman said. “We’re a lot more mature than last year and also a lot better team than last year.”

wooden from page 7 averaging 2.8 steals per game last season.

Thomas faces stiff competition for the Wooden award, and she is the only Blue Devil among the 30 players named on the watchlist. Other candidates include 200809 winner Maya Moore of Connecticut, now a senior, and Baylor sophomore Brittney Griner, who helped usher Duke out of the NCAA Tournament last season.

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The Chronicle What Andy does on his day off: GTL �����������������������������������������������������������������������������Twei, Anthony Business as usual, checks Cohen’s twitter ��������������������������� dorupp Finds the best angle to rock his fitted hat ������������������������������Tullia Actually makes an appearance in section ��������������� Brostoff, Drew Not a real day off, still helping Jeff ��������� Dr. Scholl, P Money, Nick Trip to Banana Republic outlet ������������������������������������������ Frattison Breakfast in bed... ������������������������������������������������������������������Xtina Studies InDesign for Dummies ����������������������������������������������������Ian Barb Starbuck is a reliable employee ��������������������������������������� Barb

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The Independent Daily at Duke University

The Chronicle

10 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010 the chronicle commentaries

“

Show more civility online A tragic incident at Rut- implications of this incident gers University last month should not be overlooked, raises several weighty issues this editorial will focus on Infor campuses nationwide to ternet civility in the college wrestle with, including the campus environment. meaning of civility in the InStudents at Duke and ternet era. other universiTyler Clemties have unreeditorial enti, a Rutgers stricted access freshman, was reportedly to the Internet at nearly all driven to commit suicide times. For incoming freshafter his roommate used a men, the newfound freedoms webcam to watch his sexual and challenges associated encounter with another male with living alone are now on the Web. Two Rutgers accompanied by the technofreshmen are now charged logical responsibilities that with invasion of privacy after come with owning their own they allegedly spied on Cle- laptops and being able to acmenti’s encounter and used cess the Web. Twitter to promote it as an Most college students are online broadcast. aware that the information The tragedy raises serious they share on the Internet concerns about harassment of is virtually ineradicable. We LGBTQ students on college are constantly reminded of campuses. While the LGBTQ how we can harm our career

onlinecomment

”

Brilliant. One can only hope it soon dies a Second Life death.

—“Vandana” commenting on the column “@ JustDontGetIt.” 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.

Est. 1905

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

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S

prospects by sharing inappropriate photographs on Facebook or blogging about topics that could dishearten potential employers. The Clementi case should give us further pause to consider how the information we disseminate on the Web can adversely affect others, even when the consequences are unintended.

The University has not been immune to the trend of “cyberbullying” in the past.

Duke students spawned and perpetuated the popular gossip website JuicyCampus. com, which often attracted offensive and malicious posts from its anonymous commenters. Although that site shut down in February 2009, hurtful dialogue continues to be propagated on other simi-

lar sites and across listservs on campus.

As students, we our responsible for putting a stop to this disturbing trend. The situation at Rutgers should serve as a wake-up call to remind us of the seriousness that this kind of online behavior entails.

In response to the recent tragedy, Rutgers is ramping up publicity for its Project Civility initiative, which will explore topics ranging from “gestures as simple as saying thank you to scholarly debate about the role of new technologies in society,” according to its website. We hope that the conversations fostered by Project Civility will influence Duke and other universities to consider undertaking similar initiatives.

Freshmen should be made to understand the significance that their actions carry on the Internet, including their ability to harm others through the information they publish. Given that the students who allegedly harassed Clementi could face expulsion under Rutgers’ Code of Student Conduct, Duke’s Office of Student Conduct should review its own policy on “Computing and Electronic Communications.” The policy may need to be expanded in light of the proliferation of online outlets for communication.

In the end though, we as students must change our behavior. The Rutgers tragedy should reinforce the urgency we feel to promote maturity and civility online.

The death of a patient

ometimes I think that one of the most im- out. Without that protective barrier between our portant goals of medical school is to gradu- flesh and the outside world, we run the risks of ally inoculate future doctors against death. dehydration and overwhelming infection.

Six weeks into medical school, we Every day, probably an average walked into a room of naked cadavof three times per day, I would visit ers lying on metal tables. The first cut, with Mr. B and ask him how he was conveniently scheduled to be into the doing. “Rough,” he always said, and skin of the back, was difficult. After he looked it. But still, he persisted. that, it was easier. For 10 weeks, we We watched part of a Duke football experienced death less than we expegame together. I held a cup while rienced the body—removing the skin he sipped water from it. to examine the muscles, cutting into One morning I came in to visit alex fanaroff the chest to remove the heart, finally him. He felt warm to the touch, reaching into the abdomen to feel and was breathing rapidly. I asked farewell tour the liver and kidneys. him how he was. “I’m still here,” he Later, we were made to witness said. an autopsy. The body lay on the table, a wife and By lunchtime, he wasn’t. mother who had committed suicide. She had a By chance, this happened during a day I was tattoo on her ankle. This was different than our on call and scheduled to be in the hospital until cadaver. This person had a family, a story. I felt noon the next day. We spoke to the family; they nauseous, and not only because the room was seemed to be taking it better than I was. But then warm and the protective equipment we wore was I grew busy taking care of other patients. Mr. B’s hot. Still, after the first cut and after the face was death was pushed to the back of my mind. covered, it was anatomy again. Muscles, heart, From the time I got home the next day unliver, kidneys. til the time I got back to the hospital, I thought It makes sense that these experiences would about Mr. B. What could I have done differently? exist in medical school. Doctors need to be less What could I have done better? With perfect bothered by death than most people. We treat the hindsight, it was easy to think of changes that the sick, and the sick often die. team could have made. I grew horrified. Could Still, no amount of exposure could have pre- this have been prevented? I thought some more. pared me for the first time I lost a patient.

At every step, we had done our best. I knew we As fourth-year medical students, we are expect- had thought carefully and worked hard to do ed to act as our patients’ primary physicians while what was right. Still, I did not feel better. they are in the hospital. We are supervised by a I next thought of the moments that Mr. B and I resident and by the attending physician, but it is had shared. In the long course of his life, they probour job to check in on the patients, follow up on ably were insignificant to him. In the course of my their lab results and collect the advice of expert life, I doubt many things will mean more. I know I consultants, among other details of patient care. will never forget him. I hope he will always be a reThough the broad decisions are made collectively minder of the tenuousness with which the sick grasp by the team (and realistically, the more experi- hold of life. I hope he will remind me to talk to my enced team members make the decisions), fourth- patients, to learn who they are, to connect with them year medical students are tasked with knowing and as people, because by lunchtime, they could be gone. managing the minute details of patient care.

I knew I had learned something from Mr. B. And so it was that when my first patient died it As a doctor, my patients will die. Mr. B taught really felt like my first patient died. me I could live with that reality, as long as I tried Mr. B was a Vietnam vet with a host of medical my hardest to keep them healthy and treated problems. He came into the hospital with a skin them with humanity while they lived. rash, probably from an antibiotic he had taken, I felt better. that stripped the top layer off of his skin. The skin seems like no more than a covering, but it is Alex Fanaroff is a fourth-year medical student. His a covering that keeps moisture in and infection column runs every Wednesday.

www.chronicleblogs.com

the chronicle

commentaries

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010 | 11

letterstotheeditor Monday, Monday article offensive, sexist excuse for humor As female Greek leaders on campus, we were appalled by The Chronicle’s decision to print the Oct. 4 opinion piece, “Karen Owen shatters the glass ceiling.”

Although we understand that the humorous Monday, Monday column is a Chronicle tradition, we believe that ignoring this offensive editorial would be a disservice to women at Duke.

We were shocked when the anonymous author posed this question to readers: “Can anybody really argue that gender inequality still exists when a seemingly innocent and fairly generic Duke girl can bring down the reputations of more than a dozen varsity athletes...?” The mere suggestion that this PowerPoint scandal has proved to be the remedy for sexism ultimately demonstrates just how much our community is struggling with gender inequality. Furthermore, the author asserts that Karen Owen is “the most average-looking sororstitute feminist since Lucretia Mott and Suzy B.” Not even delving into the belittling tone taken toward these iconic female rights leaders or the judgment of Karen Owen’s physical appearance, the author’s identification of Owen as a “sororstitute” is offensive and degrading toward the entire female Greek community. Karen Owen was not a member of a Greek organization during her time here, yet regardless of this fact, the use of this terminology in a University publication has dangerous implications for Greek women at Duke.

Finally, we were extremely disappointed that this editorial was the only mention of Karen Owen’s PowerPoint, a subject so prominent that it was even cited

by Forbes, in the entire issue of The Chronicle. Rather than exploring the matter with integrity and possibly using the event as a platform to discuss greater gender issues on campus, The Chronicle left it up to Gossip Bro for analysis. The Chronicle is our student newspaper; editor-in-chief Lindsey Rupp and anonymous authors alike ought to consider their social responsibility before printing incendiary articles like this one. According to the Monday, Monday writer, all Duke women should

emulate Karen Owen: “Gossip Bro admires her for being the best sort of person imaginable: a chill bro who likes to get effed up.” We passionately disagree with this presented ideal. Instead, we believe that our university’s newspaper should be applauding the many women in our community who work hard to fight against the flagrant stereotypes presented in this editorial. These are the women who will shatter that glass ceiling.

Becki Feinglos, President Delta Gamma, Trinity ’11 Mallory Contois, VP At-Large Order of Omega, Member of Delta Delta Delta, Trinity ’12 Bogna Brzezinska, President National Panhellenic Association, Trinity ’11 Dana Oppermann, President Alpha Phi, Trinity ’11 Katie Patellos, President Alpha Delta Pi, Trinity ’11 Nina DeHaas, President Delta Delta Delta, Trinity ’11 Taylor Burke, President Kappa Alpha Theta, Trinity ’11 Hallie Fisher, President Zeta Tau Alpha, Trinity ’11 Gossip Bro compromises contributions of Tubman Duke never ceases to amaze me, both negatively and positively. This time, negatively. Monday, Monday’s Gossip Bro further perpetuates an image of ignorance and narrow-mindedness at Duke. The statement that “Sure, little girls have plenty of historical role models to look up to—Eleanor Roosevelt for her human rights work, Harriet Tubman for her delicious maple syrup” undoubtedly demolishes the boundary between acceptable satire and utter disrespect. To in any way compromise the unquantifiable contributions of a figure like Harriet Tubman, yet keep intact the respectable contributions of a white woman is deplorable. It is all too evident that the Gossip Bro columnist has no regard for tasteless and offensive remarks that only perpetuate deeply rooted stereotypes that we work to dispel everyday. I can thoroughly appreciate humor and a satirical perspective, but what I cannot, and will not tolerate is a culture that shamelessly represents racial and ethical ignorance on so many levels. When will people learn?

Nana Asante Trinity ’12 Gender and racial stereotypes implicit in column The sexist and racist undertones of Gossip Bro’s column Monday, Oct. 4 are as reprehensible as the PowerPoint presentation s/he analyzed. Gossip Bro argues that, because Karen Owen treated men like men frequently treat women, gender inequality does not exist on Duke’s campus. A critical analysis of Owen’s “thesis” and her resulting sense of empowerment reveals the opposite. Gender inequality is not over at Duke. Gossip Bro’s column is a perfect example of this. On one hand, Gossip Bro says that Owen is average, a “6.7” out of 10. Yet, s/he concludes by saying that she is the ideal person because she likes to get wasted and sleep around. This paradox illustrates the fact that women are validated by their willingness to consume alcohol and have sex. Since men do not face the same validation system, gender inequality persists within Duke’s hook-up culture.

Additionally, the school newspaper is not an appropriate forum for racist comments. The columnist used a racial stereotype depicting Asians as library-going bookworms. Furthermore, he or she employed the rhetoric of maple syrup and black women, which originated in the Jim Crow era when female slaves served their white masters breakfast. This setting is also the source of the syrup brand Aunt Jemima—a character Gossip Bro has likely “confused” with Harriet Tubman.

Tubman’s claim to fame was not her love of maple syrup, nor her ability to serve it. She escorted runaway slaves to Northern states where they could find refuge. She was an incredibly brave woman and it is insulting that Gossip Bro would not highlight this, especially since he/she continuously referenced other feminist heroes and their achievements.

Gossip Bro we get your point, you’re trying to be funny and satirical. But you failed. Sexism and racism are not funny or appropriate. So next time you write a column, try to get it right. Write like an intelligent columnist that our diverse student body can relate to.

Laurel Sisler, Trinity ’11 Martin DeWitt, Trinity ’11

Covering up vs. getting under the covers in Italia

I

can see it in her eyes; I know what she’s thinking: “SLUT!” I’m running down the road that connects the villa where I am living this semester in Sesto Fiorentino, Italy, to the surrounding mountains. Dressed relatively modestly by American standards, I am clad in midthigh length running shorts and a Duke T-shirt. At Duke and especially at home in Florida, I don’t even get as much as a second glance lauren moxley when I bust out the spandex la vita e bella running shorts and sports bra, an acceptable running outfit in the sweltering summer heat. But here in Italy, it is quite another story.

As I run by the middle-aged woman who gave me the look of disdain, I find myself thinking about the same thing that has crossed my mind so many times the past month in Italy: How can a culture that is so liberal about sex be so conservative when it comes to fashion?

During our brief orientation, our program director, an Italian woman named Professoressa Buccini, warned us to refrain from wearing shorts or tank tops outside of the villa to avoid unwanted attention. Several of the girls around me rolled their eyes, thinking that Professoressa Buccini must be so old-fashioned. “It’s 90 degrees outside!” we whispered to each other, “Of course we are going to wear shorts.”

Predictably, though, Professoressa Buccini was right.

Wearing shorts around Florence signals one of two things to the Italians: you are foreign, or you are easy.

These stares are hard to get used to even after living in Italy for more than a month now. They inevitably come from women, men, boys and girls whenever one wears an outfit outside of this unspoken dress code.

During our first weekend, for example, two friends and I wore shorts into Florence to go shopping and were

taken aback by the reactions. Young Italian men honked and shouted (despite having gorgeous Italian girls on the back of their motorcycles) and some older women muttered things in Italian that we couldn’t understand but of which we could guess the meaning. My fellow classmates and I have since wised up, opting for pants or a modest dress or skirt when venturing outside our protective villa walls and into Sesto, Florence, or other parts of Italy.

But here’s the interesting part: While Italians are prudes

by American standards when it comes to clothes, they appear to be much looser than Americans when it comes to sex. About two weeks ago, my friend and I were chatting with a barista named Luca at a café down the street from our house. We asked him about Italians’ perspective on American girls. To our astonishment, Luca said that Italians consider American girls relatively difficult to get into bed compared to Italian women, who he said are typically “molto facile” (very easy), a fact he underscored with exaggerated hand gestures. Luca said that although exposing too much skin is a sign of being “facile” it is generally understood that most American women in Florence—who are easily differentiated from locals—don’t know better.

For a great example of the Italians’ liberal attitude on sex, one only needs to look as far as Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi, the 74-year-old second-longest serving prime minister in Italian history, was involved in a sex scandal last summer with 18-yearold Noemi Letizia, an aspiring model, that ended in a divorce with his third wife. Earlier this month, Berlusconi spoke boldly about his single life, claiming, “I’m loaded… and that’s why women love me,” according to both the Huffington Post and the UK’s Independent.

It is beyond my imagination the media uproar that would have ensued if Bill Clinton had handled his sex scandal with such audacity. In fact, the Italians regarded the American reaction to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal as extreme, blaming “hypocritical American Puritanism” for Clinton’s impeachment, according to an MSNBC article of June 3, 2009 comparing the Italian reaction to

Berlusconi’s scandal with the American reaction to Clinton’s.

It is hard to point to one specific factor behind the Italians’ clothing conservatism. It could be remnants of strict Roman Catholicism. Or perhaps years of Italian Casanovas and Romeos taught Italian women to take measures to ward off unwanted attention. It could simply be good style.

Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: Even though the Italians are covering up, they are still getting under the covers.

My last two columns have been about lessons we can learn from the Italians: the reenergizing power of an occasional siesta and the rewards of appreciating history. But this week, I reflect on a cultural practice we take for granted in the U.S.: the freedom for women to wear shorts during the hot days of summer.

Lauren Moxley is a Trinity junior. She is abroad in Italy for the semester. Her column runs every other Wednesday.

12 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010 the chronicle

college funding from page 5 President Obama is slated to hold a summit Tuesday on the state of the nation’s community colleges, which have become an increasingly popular option for students seeking affordable alternatives to four-year institutions.

On average, families have saved about $28,000 to pay for college. About 12 percent of that money is in 529 plans, while 14 percent comes from general savings accounts or certificates of deposit.

Another 21 percent comes from investments, but the largest portion of that money - 23 percent - is in retirement savings.

Sallie Mae Senior Vice President Sarah Ducich said the finding that families are relying heavily on retirement accounts “is a little bit disturbing.”

Financial experts say that raiding retirement accounts to pay for children’s college can be risky. There are tax penalties and other fees if money is withdrawn from the

accounts early, and loans against a retirement plan come with restrictions on how quickly they must be paid off and the amount that can be borrowed.

“The education and the retirement are two different buckets. We would never put them together,” said Marcia Tillotson, senior vice president of investments for Wells Fargo Advisors. “You can borrow for college. You cannot borrow for retirement.”

The study also found that although low-income families saved less money than wealthy households, they still put away an average of $1,788 annually toward college. For families making less than $35,000, that represents about 8 percent of their budget - the largest percentage of any income level. Families making more than $100,000, for example, saved 2.6 percent of their income.

Ducich said the finding underscores the value of college education to poor families, many of whom may not have had similar opportunities.

“For these families, that’s the ticket out,” she said.

Do you still have textbooks to purchase for this semester?

We have to return unsold textbooks by wholesaler and publisher deadlines.

Beginning on Monday, October 11, we will return Fall 2010 textbooks (used and new) to their vendors.

If you still need texts for your courses, now is the time to buy them.

As always, if you need a text that we don’t have in stock, we’ll special order it for you. You prepay for the text and we order it shipped second-day air at our expense. It takes 2-3 business days to get special orders, so plan ahead.

Don’t forget our Used Books Classifieds listing.

The link is available at www.dukestores.duke.edu/textbook.php

Come and see our new art supply section!

We now carry drawing & painting supplies including: pencils, sketch pads and papers, pastels, oils, acrylics, canvas, brushes and more.

Mid-Level, Bryan Center / Phone: 919.684.6793 Monday - Wednesday: 8:30am - 7pm • Thursday & Friday: 8:30am - 8pm • Saturday: 9am - 6pm Department of Duke University Stores

®

mundie from page 1 whereas the new projector creates it instantly. After the presentation, students were invited to test the technology for themselves.

In addition to his executive position at Microsoft, Mundie is a member of President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. The Chronicle’s Lauren Carroll was able to speak with Mundie prior to his presentation.

The Chronicle: As Microsoft’s chief research and strategy officer, what does your typical work day consist of?

Craig Mundie: My job is interesting because it’s a composite of things that range from technology policy to oversight of our research operations; part of it is overall management of the company as well. Then, I have a lot of start-up businesses in health and robotics and other areas... so I don’t have a single thing I focus on every day.

TC: What are the biggest challenges currently facing your department at Microsoft?

CM: Well, I think we always face the challenge of a very rapidly evolving technology landscape. Today we have the largest computer science research operation in the world, and we try to apply [our] people to improve our understanding of how technology is likely to evolve and how we can apply it to our business. It’s a rapidly expanding field where there’s just lots and lots of competition, so our [biggest] challenge is always to ensure we can get the maximum transfer of our research assets to our product groups at the earliest possible time.

TC: It seems as if these technological changes are occurring at an almost exponential rate. Do you see any stagnation or limitations in the future?

CM: No. One of the nice things about software is that in a sense you can think of it as a manifestation of people’s ability to think and to create. It’s one of the really nice parts about being in the software business.

It’s a very malleable technology, and so if you want to apply it to health care or education or other scientific disciplines... you can write some code that would help people do something about it. It’s that malleability that means it doesn’t have a particular end of its useful life.

TC: Is Microsoft developing any technologies or programs specifically for university use?

CM: As far as applications, we don’t do as many that are industry-specific, but many of the partners of Microsoft... do that, and I think there is an increasing focus on products for education both at secondary and university levels. One of the things I think will be more and more important are these distance-learning capabilities... that will allow students globally to have access to some of the world’s best lectures and scientific information.

TC: What advice would you give to current undergraduates pursuing computer science?

CM: It’s important to think about generational changes in the way that computing has evolved in the past... training in multidisciplinary thinking will be important to students, and I would encourage undergraduates to think about that as well.

TC: If you could pursue any other profession, what would it be?

CM: Well, I’ve always been fascinated by computers; I started building them when I was 12.... I would say the other thing I’ve always had a real strong interest in was medicine, and particularly the intersection between medicine and computing.

TC: Last week, the Federal Communications Commission approved the use of white space [empty radio and television channels] for “Super Wi-Fi.” What exactly is “Super Wi-Fi,” and how is it different than what we already use?

CM: This Super Wi-Fi, also called White-Fi, is a way of finding a spectrum that would allow the Wi-Fi kind of networking to happen over a wider area at a low cost....

[It’s] an effort to use some of the same waves that have been used for FM radio and TV... and take the unused channels in a city and use them for this kind of communication.... If you wanted to leave the building and walk out to the shuttle bus and maintain your connectivity, we can do that now.

TC: What kind of computer do you use?

CM: You mean brand? I build all my own, but my work laptop is a Lenovo.

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