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, OCTOBER 14, 2010
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 34
www.dukechronicle.com
DUPD looks Alcohol policy changes at ‘Duke’s pace’ into possible homicide drinking at duke: part 2
by Sanette Tanaka THE CHRONICLE
University leaders dream of a day when Duke and drinking are not mentioned in the same breath. But shifting the alcohol-centered social culture is no easy task. “There is an [abundant] presence of alcohol [at Duke],” said Tom Szigethy, associate dean and director of the Duke Student Wellness Center. “The amount of alcohol that flows through this campus would not be tolerated at other schools.” Colleges all strive to reduce student alcohol abuse—though how to address the issue differs among universities. Duke currently operates under a “zerotolerance” approach on East Campus and a “harm-reduction” model on West Campus, which emphasizes safety and personal health over strict underage enforcement. Szigethy noted that Duke is unlikely to change its approach, though some metrics suggest that alcohol-related incidents have increased in recent years. According to the University’s annual Clery Campus Security Reports, liquor law violations and arrests at Duke have grown incrementally from 2007 to 2009. But Chief John Dailey of the Duke University Police Department said student alcohol violations—when taken proportionally—are comparable to neighboring institutions.
See alcohol on page 6
from Staff Reports THE CHRONICLE
michael naclerio/The Chronicle
Although Duke’s social scene places more emphasis on drinking than other schools, University officials do not expect to move drastically away from a “harm-reduction” model on West Campus.
The Duke University Police Department is investigating a recent death at Duke Hospital that might have been a homicide. Cheryl Suber, 30, was found unconscious in her hospital bed Oct. 5 and died of cardiac arrest despite attempts made by medical staff to resuscitate her. Suber was frequently hospitalized because she had sickle-cell anemia, but the probable cause affidavit filed by DUPD investigators noted that on the day of her death Suber was thought to be in nonlife-threatening condition. Suber was observed walking about the hospital unit in good health earlier in the day according to the affidavit, which was filed as part of a search warrant requesting access to hospital video footage. A police investigation was prompted by the concerns of Dr. Daniel Kaplan, an attending physician who was suspicious of the circumstances surrounding her death, according to the affidavit. “At the current time, we do not know the cause of death or whether a crime has occurred,” Duke Police Chief John Dailey See hospital on page 5
Female student robbed on LaSalle Street Senate debate heats up over economic issues by Matthew Chase THE CHRONICLE
courtney douglas/The Chronicle
A female student was robbed of her belongings on LaSalle Street Wednesday morning. DUPD is assisting Durham Police with the investigation.
A female student was robbed on LaSalle Street around 9:25 a.m. Wednesday. The incident was the second robbery of a student on or near campus in the past five days. The student was approached by a woman who asked to use her cell phone. After the student gave the woman her phone, the woman pushed the student to the ground and stole her backpack, confirmed Chief John Dailey of the Duke University Police Department. He said the attacker, who he described as a black female wearing a grey hoodie with a pink vertical stripe, then got into a nearby car and fled the scene with the driver. The driver of the car was a heavy-set black female wearing a white shirt, Dailey said. The vehicle was described as a gray, four-door car. Dailey said the incident occurred near the LaSalle Street entrance to Erwin Terrace. No weapons were involved, but the student’s credit cards, bag and computer were stolen. Dailey said that as of about 5 p.m. Wednesday, the suspects had not been identified, but a stolen credit card was used at a Durham gas station. Because the incident was off campus, the Durham Police Department is handling the case. DUPD is assisting
Incumbent Republican Sen. Richard Burr faced off against Democratic challenger Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Libertarian candidate Michael Beitler in the second of three televised debates last night in Raleigh. In the exchange, which was hosted by NBC-17 and sponsored by the North Carolina League of Women Voters, the three candidates explained their positions and traded barbs on a variety of issues that ranged from health care to the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which was recently discontinued by a federal judge’s injunction. The debate, spurred by questions sent in by North Carolina residents, was most heated when the subject turned to the economy.
See robbery on page 4
See debate on page 5
ONTHERECORD
“It’s meant to fill the need for students needing to be picked up off campus or generally get from point A to point B.”
—VP for Athletics and Campus Services Chris Brown. See story page 4
Energy drink mixers popular on campus despite risks, Page 3
by Ciaran O’Connor THE CHRONICLE
Duke researchers use tags to track whales, Page 4
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worldandnation onschedule...
Reels of Justice: “Inglourious Basterds,” “The Sorrow and the Pity” Nasher, 11:40-12:55p.m. Both films explore the Nazi occupation of France in WWII.
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““It’s the challenge that you hear around campus, ‘Oh, you’re not going to win, you’re not going to beat them,’” redshirt freshman Sydney Sarmiento, a starting defensive end, said Tuesday when asked why Duke has traditionally played Miami tough at home. “You just want to try to prove people wrong. It’s a personal challenge for me.’“You do get a lot of people saying, ‘Oh, this will be an easy win.’” — From The Chronicle Sports Blog sports.chronicleblogs.com
Andrea Bruce/The Washington POst
Mattei Puika brings water to the illegal camp she calls home on the outskirts of Rome. Wandering Roma are the targets of severe anti illegal immigration restrictions in Italy. Many Italians associate the insular Roma with crime. Illegal immigrants can face fees that reach 13,600 dollars. The French have also undertaken several strict measures aimed at curbing illegal immigration.
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FRIDAY:
Business in Africa Club: Inaugural Dinner & Info Session Fuqua School, 7-10:00p.m. If you are interested in Africa come for a free Kenyan dinner and info on getting involved.
Well done is better than well said. — Ben Franklin
”
TODAY IN HISTORY
1964: Martin Luther King Jr wins Nobel Peace Prize.
Michelle Obama speaks NATO works towards in support of Democrats Taliban peace deal MILWAUKEE — In her first campaign swing for the November elections, first lady Michelle Obama made the political personal, harkening back to her days growing up in Chicago, recalling the electricity of the 2008 presidential campaign and telling an audience of Democratic donors that her understanding of the issues of the day comes down to her role as a mother. “You see, more than anything else, I come at this stuff, more, as a mom,” she said Wednesday in Wisconsin. “When I think about the issues facing our nation, I think about what it means. And I think about what it means for the world we’re leaving for them and for all our children. As I travel around this country, and look into the eyes of every single child I meet, I see clearly what’s at stake.”
off the
wire...
Drilling ban lifted
Study Abroad for Engineers Monday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m. 203 Teer Engineering Hosted by the Pratt School of Engineering & the Global Education Office for Undergraduates
Questions? Call 660-5386
on the
Reading Music 101 Keohane Quad 4B, 6-7:30p.m. Join the brothers of Psi Upsilon for a workshop on how to read musical notation! This class is designed for beginners.
TODAY:
Momentum toward peace negotiations in Afghanistan appeared to grow Wednesday as a senior NATO official said the military alliance had “facilitated” contacts between senior Taliban members and the “highest levels of the Afghan government.” The official said NATO forces in Afghanistan were granting safe passage to Taliban leaders traveling to Kabul to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government. “It would be extremely difficult for a senior Taliban member to get to Kabul without being killed or captured if ISAF were not witting, and ISAF is witting,” the official told reporters. ISAF is an acronym for the International Security Assistance Force, a coalition of troops from NATO members and other allies in Afghanistan.
Dutch court releases Iraqi insurgent
STRESS FOR SUCCESS Mondays: October 18 and 25, 2010 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Room 217 Page Building How does it impact you? How do your thinking tendencies influence how much stress you face? How does your approach to your emotions relate to stress?
This CAPS Workshop offers helpful information to help you understand stress and learn to manage it to your advantage. For more information or to register, visit the CAPS website at http://studentaffairs.duke.edu/caps CAPS – Division of Student Affairs – Duke University
the chronicle thursday, october 14, 2010 | 3
Despite dangers, students mix caffeine and alcohol by Matt Barnett THE CHRONICLE
Duke students continue to experiment with alcoholic beverages containing caffeine despite the lack of consensus regarding the safety of their consumption. In addition to mixed-drinks such as Red Bull and vodka, some students consume pre-made alcoholic beverages containing caffeine, which are readily accessible at local gas stations. Four Loko is especially popular on campus, a beverage that combines 12 percent alcohol by volume with caffeine, guarana and taurine—three substances that provide an energy boost. The Food and Drug Administration is conducting an ongoing investigation of drinks similar to Four Loko. At Duke, some experts note that the combination of an energy drink and alcohol is unhealthy. “You know what you get when you give a drunk a dose of coffee? A wide awake drunk,” said Scott Swartzwelder, a professor of psychology who studies substance abuse. Consumption of beverages containing both caffeine and alcohol are especially dangerous to the health and academic performance of college students, he added. “Part of why alcohol is so bad for learning and memory is that it disrupts sleep,” Swartzwelder said. “If you add to that caffeine, not only will you be woken up earlier but you’ll be kept up later.” A 2007 study by researchers at Wake Forest University found 24 percent of college students who had consumed alcohol in the previous 30 days had mixed alcohol and energy drinks. The study, titled “Caffeinated Cocktails: Get Wired, Get Drunk,
Get Injured,” found that students who consumed such drinks were significantly more likely to face negative consequences, such as being taken advantage of sexually or being injured. Some Duke students speculate that the drinks may have become even more popular since the study.
faith robertson/The Chronicle
Although likely unhealthy, Duke students continue to mix vodka with Red Bull and drink pre-made alcoholic beverages containing caffeine to stay awake and alert while partying.
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Sophomore Abby Mathieson attributes the rise in the drinks’ popularity to the heavy academic burden of students at the University. “I think one of the reasons energy drinks are so popular at Duke is because people are overworked,” Mathieson said. “People need that energy drink with their alcohol
Great food. Low price. Open late. 1920 1⁄2 Perry St. at Ninth St. 1 block from E. Campus
because otherwise they’ll fall asleep.” Swartzwelder said that although students drink the beverages for increased energy, the caffeine only partially counteracts the depressant nature of alcohol. This can create a false sense of security leading students to believe that they can do things they actually cannot, he added. “It doesn’t reverse the lack of control, the poor judgment—you just don’t feel as sleepy,” he said. Phusion Projects, LLC, the company that sells Four Loko, encourages safe and responsible drinking on its website. When contacted about the safety of its products, co-founder Chris Hunter, said the company hired an independent panel of food safety experts to examine its beverages. “The panel unanimously concluded that combining caffeine and alcohol is safe,” Hunter wrote in an e-mail Thursday. “We recently submitted the report to the FDA for its review.” Agnes Stevens, spokeswoman for the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, said that although the drinks are currently considered safe, the state will continue to monitor the issue. “The Commission is certainly aware of the national debate and the questions being raised by the FDA,” Stevens wrote in an email Oct. 4. Swartzwelder, who acknowledged that there have been no authoritative studies on the subject of alcohol-containing energy drinks, said he strongly discourages its consumption based on his knowledge of pharmacological science. “It’s a losing cycle no matter how you cut it,” he said.
4 | thursday, october 14, 2010 the chronicle
duke student government
Senate endorses Taxi on Demand by Alex Zempolich THE CHRONICLE
special to The Chronicle
Duke Marine Lab researchers Doug Nowacek and Ari Friedlaender led an expedition to Antarctica to study humpback whale behavior this past summer.
Researchers study whales in Antarctica by Julian Spector THE CHRONICLE
Antarctica’s rough seas and high-speed winds did not stop a recent Duke Marine Lab expedition from studying humpback whales and other wildlife in the region. Amid freezing temperatures and even a snowstorm with winds up to 95 knots, the scientists sought to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Antarctic aquatic ecosystem. Duke scientists Doug Nowacek and Ari Friedlaender led a team of researchers to the Antarctic Peninsula this summer to investigate humpback whale behavior, generating new knowledge about both the species and krill, the whales’ shrimp-like prey. The expedition, which ran from May 4 to June 13, was funded by the National Science Foundation. The NSF oversaw the trip as part of a three-year research proposal. “We’re the first people to look at [this ecosystem] and understand how whales in the Antarctic feed,” Frindlaender said. The team included scientists from the Duke Marine Lab, the University of Hawaii, National Geographic and several other institutions across the country. With the combined expertise of a diverse research team, the scientists were able to conduct many different experiments related to whale-tagging, visual observation, krill biology, physical oceanography and more aboard the research vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer. Researchers used Digital Acoustic Recording Tags, or noninvasive suction-powered recording devices to monitor variables such as temperature, sounds and the whale’s pitch and depth. “The tag is the size of a candy bar and uses flash memory,” Friedlaender said, adding that the tags adhere to the whales for approximately 24 hours. The data are then used to virtually animate the track of the whale, providing a comprehensive See whales on page 5
Working with a brief agenda Wednesday night, Duke Student Government senators unanimously passed several minor budgetary measures and endorsed the Taxi on Demand service. The Senate formally supported the taxi service to give it “higher standing and recognition in the Duke community,” the resolution reads. Sophomore Chris Brown, vice president for athletics and campus services, spoke in detail regarding the prepaid taxi cards. “It’s meant to fill the need for students needing to be picked up off campus or generally get from point A to point B,” Brown said. The cards will be accepted by taxis accepting Discover cards nationwide and will function similar to regular debit cards. Taxi on Demand cards, however, must be replaced once the credit is depleted. Durham’s Best was identified as the best service to use with the cards during the summer when all local taxi companies were tested, Brown said. The service will not cost the University anything, and Duke Parking and Transportation Services supports the initiative, according to the resolution. Kesemania, a fund-raising event that also recruits counselors for Camp Kesem, was allocated about $3,700. The money for the Oct. 29 event will go toward inflatables, food and advertising, among other expenses. This year’s activities include a dunk tank, a pumpkin carving event and a raffle. Money raised at Kesemania will help fund Camp Kesem, a student-run camp for children with parents who have battled cancer.
robbery from page 1 Durham Police in gathering information, Dailey added. Another student was robbed on East Campus near Jarvis Dormitory after 2 a.m. Saturday, but Dailey said the incidents are likely not related. An individual described as a stocky Hispanic man in his 20s approached a female student, said he had a gun and demanded her purse. The student fled the scene unharmed, and her property was not stolen. A DukeAlert was issued for Saturday’s incident but not for the LaSalle Street robbery because the incident did not occur on campus, Dailey said. The recent crimes have brought up questions of safety on and near campus. Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta sent an e-mail to the student body Wednes-
Senators also voted to reallocate the DSG presidential stipend—the last budget allocation of the meeting. The $2,000 stipend is given to DSG presidents on financial aid. The stipend was absent in this year’s budget because of a miscommunication between last year’s DSG executive board and the Student Organization Finance Committee, according to the resolution. Last December, senators debated eliminating the presidential stipend entirely because the money could be used to fund other programs. The movement failed in the Senate, however.
tracy huang/The Chronicle
Chris Brown, vice president for athletics and campus services, spoke about the presence Taxi on Demand will have on campus. day afternoon advising students to pay attention to their surroundings and be safe. The message directed students to DUPD’s website for safety tips. In light of the incidents, Dailey said DUPD is concentrating its patrols in more areas. Senior Nina Rodriguez said the recent robberies are an indication that Duke needs to increase its security measures on and near campus. Rodriguez said she walks to campus every day from her apartment in the Lofts at Lakeview, which is located on Erwin Road near LaSalle Street. “I know that Durham in general can have some unsafe parts... but I never thought LaSalle could be dangerous,” Rodriguez said. “Now, I feel like I might have to think twice about getting to class. I feel like now I might have to be more vigilant about who is around me.”
GLOBAL CAFÉ Are you interested in learning about a new CULTURE? Meeting people from around the world – France, China, India, and Brazil? Come to the International House to join old friends or make new ones over FREE coffee, tea, and pastries! Global Café is a weekly informal gathering that brings together members of the Duke community - students, international scholars, exchange students WHERE? International House, 2022 Campus Dr WHEN? 9-10am Fridays
the chronicle thursday, october 14, 2010 | 5
hospital from page 1
debate from page 1
said in a statement. Suber’s boyfriend, identified as David Bass, had visited her earlier in the day. In an interview with police described in the affidavit, Bass said he realized something was wrong and immediately notified Kimberly Turnage, a nurse who was working in the hallway. Turnage found Suber unconscious and without a pulse, the affidavit states. Turnage activated a Code Blue alert and began performing chest compressions on Suber. It was at this time that Turnage came across an unusual syringe on the bed. Turnage said although the syringe was labeled as normal saline, it was colored and opaque, which raised concerns among the medical staff. No one on the Code Blue team recognized the contents of the syringe, but all of the medical professionals agreed that it was not a medication used in the unit. A staff member said Bass entered Suber’s room 10 to 20 minutes before the Code Blue alarms went off, according to the affidavit. A Duke news release noted that the incident appears to be an “isolated case” and that “no medical personnel were involved except in responding appropriately to the situation.” David Jarmul, associate vice president for Duke News and Communications, and Keith Lawrence, director of media relations, declined to comment beyond the news release. “Because this is an ongoing investigation and confidential patient information is involved, we are not at liberty to release other details,” the news release noted.
Whereas Beitler sought to cast himself as a sensible third-party alternative to his opponents, Burr and Marshall repeatedly attacked each other’s visions for economic recovery. Marshall confronted Burr about his vote against Wall Street reform and suggested that it was influenced by Michael Beitler special interest groups. “He receives millions of dollars in contributions from Wall Street—the people who got the bonuses,” she said. “The lobbyists go around and talk to the senators and get their little loopholes.” Burr countered by criticizing Marshall for supporting increased government spending, which he claimed Richard Burr would swell the deficit and endanger long-term fiscal health. “We’re broke,” he said. “It’s time we say enough is enough. We’ve got to stop spending.” Burr also harshly criticized Marshall’s support of the recent health care overhaul, arguing that its costs are unsustainable. “[It is] a start,” Elaine Marshall Marshall responded. “We now have the opportunity for more people to have health care. I’m willing to work out the kinks on this.” Although Beitler and Marshall both
said they supported repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” Burr cautioned against a major policy change during wartime. Standing between the two mainstream candidates, Beitler decried the two-party system and repeatedly accused Congress of “cronyism.” He also attempted to distinguish himself from his opponents by calling himself the only “true fiscal conservative” and the only “true anti-war candidate” in the race. To voters who might have dismissed him as a viable candidate and plan on choosing only between Burr and Marshall, Beitler said, “If you want more of the same, you can flip a coin and get more of the same.” Both the Duke Democrats and the Duke College Republicans are gearing up to garner support for their candidates this election season. DCR Chief of Staff Rachel Provost said the organization was holding a meeting tonight to discuss its plans to get students to the polls. In the meantime, she said, “We’re having a phone banking session for Senator Burr [this] evening from 5 to 8 [p.m.] on West Campus.” Although polls predict that Burr will safely win re-election, Duke Democrats President Ben Bergmann, a senior, said North Carolina’s early voting laws—which allow residents to register and vote on the same day, effective today until Oct. 30—give the race an element of unpredictability. “That said,” Bergmann noted, “things don’t look terribly great for Elaine or Democrats across the country.” Still, Bergmann stressed that Duke Democrats would continue to canvass around campus and register students for early voting. He added that the club plans on providing students with transportation to the polls throughout early voting and on Election Day, Nov. 2.
whales from page 4 picture of its movement over the course of a day. Friedlaender noted that during the tagging process, the taggers had to “blend in” with the whales in order to get close enough to put on the tag. Following a whale sighting, the taggers would go out in small inflatable boats called Zodiacs to apply a tag to the back of a humpback whale using a flexible, 18-foot carbon fiber pole—resembling a wind-surfing mast—with the tag on the end. “It’s definitely a rush to actually put the tag on the whale,” said Alison Stimpert, a tagger and researcher from the University of Hawaii. “The driver has to put you in the right spot. The whales are bigger than the boat, so at the instant you tag them you feel very small.” While the taggers traveled in search of whales, teams of visual observers scanned the seas from the Nathaniel B. Palmer’s 80-foot observation tower. The visual observers sought to record the overall density of aquatic predators in the region, including whales, seals and seabirds. In addition, several scientists worked on mapping the krill density, or location and amount of prey in the water. Friedlaender said that in Antarctic winter, starting around May, krill tend to retreat from their widespread summer distribution, gathering in inland bays and fjords. Using an underwater sound-wave detection method, researchers discovered a previously unknown abundance of krill in the Antarctic bays. In one instance, scientists identified a swarm of approximately 2 million tons of krill that covered 8 by 12 kilometers, 200 to 300 meters deep, Friedlaender added. Nowacek said the team’s findings may change the way scientists understand whale migration, noting that the abundance of prey even in winter months may indicate that some humpback whales do not migrate on a yearly basis. “Everyone assumes these whales migrate every year. But there’s lots of food down there, and if they don’t have to give birth [near the equator], then why make the journey?”
Coming Out Day @ Duke
TOMORROW - 11am-2pm - The Bryan Center Plaza Show your support for the Duke lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community and learn about resources for “coming out” as LGBT or as an ally.
Featuring the return of the Love = Love T-Shirts!!!! (Limited Supply)
Sponsors Black Student Alliance Blue Devils United CAPS Center for LGBT Life Defining Movement DukeOUT Freeman Center for Jewish Life Fuqua Pride International House Medical School Gay-Straight Alliance Mi Gente Pan-Hellenic Council Office of Institutional Equity OSAF OUTLaw Romance Studies Dept. Sacred Worth Sexuality Studies Dept. Student Wellness Center Theater Studies Dept. Women’s Center
http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/lgbt
6 | thursday, october 14, 2010 the chronicle
alcohol from page 1 The Clery Report for 2010-2011 cited 13 liquor law arrests and 363 liquor law violations referred to DUPD in 2009, the last year for which data is available. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reported 120 arrests and 467 referrals, though its undergraduate population is about three times larger than Duke’s student body of 6,244. Wake Forest University, with a student population of 4,569, reported more arrests than Duke did: 70 arrests and 297 referrals. The numbers include violations on campus, universityowned property and public property within the school. Although Duke students are expected to abide by North Carolina state laws regarding underage drinking, the University tends to intervene only when students exhibit disorderly behavior, Stephen Bryan, associate dean of students and director of the Office of Student Conduct, wrote in an e-mail. Szigethy said a double standard exists for students inside and outside of Duke—both in terms of policy and enforcement. Duke students can drink publicly and carry open containers of alcohol on campus, which differs from rules in Durham and neighboring institutions such as UNC and Wake Forest. “There is a different set of rules [on and off campus],” Szigethy said. “Duke as an institution sees that as long as students maintain their behavior, it is OK. On campus, if you are drinking underage and behaving, no one is going to say anything.” At Duke, Bryan said excessive alcohol consumption remains a problem. “We still see too many students being transported to the emergency department for alcohol-related incidents; still see very negative behaviors occurring at tailgate; and see too many cases of disorderly conduct as a result of alcohol consumption,” Bryan wrote. The issue with policy To curb dangerous drinking, some U.S. universities have found that tough enforcement of alcohol policies and state laws has proven effective. A recently released study by the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research at Children’s Hospital Boston shows that colleges with strictly enforced alcohol policies have fewer cases of underage and binge drinking. Of the 11 surveyed Massachusetts public colleges and universities, the greatest declines in alcohol cases occurred in schools with the strictest enforcement, which may include checking bags and identification at parties and searching rooms for liquor. “If there is a unified stance by the school around the alcohol policy, from the administrators to the resident assistants, that sets a tone on campus about the acceptability of this kind of behavior,” said Sion Kim Harris, associate investigator in the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research and lead author of the study. The question of which comes first, the policy change or the culture shift, is much debated in institutions—including Duke. “Eventually... [tough policies] can actually change the cul-
ture and reduce drinking,” Harris said. “It takes time to learn what needs to be put into place.... This isn’t a quick fix.” After reading the study by Harris, Emily Fenn, a junior at the University of Delaware, met with university faculty, deans and the student body president to advocate stricter enforcement of Delaware’s policies. “It is just clear that the strict policy works, and I think all universities should take that into consideration,” Fenn said. “It is really disappointing to hear that the administration isn’t willing to take a stricter stance on drinking.” Nevertheless, strict policies do not necessarily capture the full array of consequences that can come with drinking. Harris’s study also shows a slight increase in drinking and driving incidents among undergraduate students. Other unintended consequences of such regulation may include a migration of drinking out of the college’s jurisdiction. Szigethy, who previously served as the director of the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention at the University of Connecticut, said much of the University of Connecticut’s social life moved off campus as a result of harsher policies on campus. Junior Ben Berman agreed that increased alcohol regulation by university officials could foster a more dangerous off-campus scene. “The more you enforce it, the more it will be underground,” Berman said. “People will find a way to blow off stress whether it is behind closed doors or out in the open.” Furthermore, tightening policies may be futile at Duke as students have already come to expect that rules will be loosely enforced, said junior Ronnie Booth. “College kids are going to do what they want to do no matter what the policy is—there are ways to get around it,” Booth said. “[Duke] is definitely lax on enforcing [the rules], but that doesn’t mean I think it should be increased.” Harris noted that strict enforcement policies are more characteristic of public rather than private schools. Still, she added that both types of institutions should experience similar success from such regulation—especially when layered with educational programs and non-alcoholic social events. “Public [schools] are tied more to this higher administrative structure, but private schools would have more agility to try things, sometimes unorthodox, to see what works,” Harris said. “Really, I don’t think it should be different. Everyone is governed by the same state and federal laws around alcohol use.” The Duke brand Part of Duke’s allure for prospective students hinges on its school spirit, passionate students—and its lively social scene. The problem occurs when that scene because synonymous with hard drinking, Szigethy said. “There are statements coming to me all the time that say you must have alcohol if you want to hold an event at Duke,” Szigethy said. “We make this assumption that everyone just wants to drink.” Often cited as the epitome of “work hard, play hard,” Duke has attracted a number of high school seniors who are
drawn to the combination of scholarship and recreation. But using the motto to describe Duke sells the undergraduate experience short, said Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag. He added that students are attracted to the balanced environment—whether or not that scene involves drinking. The University has seen a shift in recent years, attracting students who are more focused on academics than partying, Szigethy said. Though Sam Carpenter, an assistant director for Undergraduate Admissions, acknowledged the shift, he said prospective students may simply be omitting references to partying or alcohol in their applications. “There is a social scene here that doesn’t involve alcohol and is very vibrant,” Carpenter said. “But the other end of that social scene is Tailgate.” The dichotomy may set Duke apart from other institutions. “Duke bills itself as the school where you can get an Ivy League education but still have a social life,” Szigethy said. Indeed, Berman said he transferred to Duke from Washington University in St. Louis partially because of Duke’s campus scene. “Duke would lose many of its brighter stars if it was known as being less of a fun school,” he said. “Brilliant kids avoid other schools of Duke’s stature because their social scenes don’t measure up.” But pinpointing the reasons students choose Duke is difficult to gauge from their applications alone, Guttentag said. “Sometimes students are a little hesitant [to talk] about... what factors affected their decision,” he said. “It is one of the things we are looking into.” ‘...always up to the students” Szigethy said campus culture is shifting, albeit gradually, but changes in policies or enforcement strategies are unlikely in the near future. “Duke just does it at Duke’s pace,” he said. “A lot of institutions did an overnight change, and Duke’s is more gradual, trying to get students on board with the issues as they go.” Imminent reforms will most likely be student-driven, though administrators will step in if student safety or health is compromised, Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek said. “The reality is the policy allows for a lot of discretion and choice on the part of students,” Wasiolek said. “When those choices become unhealthy and result in behaviors that bring attention to them, that’s when administration intervenes.” Incremental policy changes are made on a case-by-case basis. Duke prides itself on collaboration and administrators still work with students in reforms. Wasiolek said she predicts that the greatest change will result from students who seek to change the culture on campus, not from a shift in policy or rules. “The ultimate decision was always up to the students,” Szigethy said. “And that’s just a philosophy of Duke in general—right, wrong or indifferent.”
Duke Chapel Dean’s Dialogue Series
Need a little SOL in your life? –ATTEND THE FINAL INFO SESSION–
LISTENING
Wednesday, October 20 5:30 PM, Sanford Rm. 05
Service Opportunities in Leadership Community-based research. Mentorship. Critical Reflection. Personal Growth.
Get involved with SOL–a unique, exciting and nationally recognized program for Duke undergraduates! APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 5 PM
FOR MORE INFORMATION: fernande.legros@duke.edu
Offered by the Hart Leadership Program: http://hart.sanford.duke.edu
to the
HEARTof
DURHAM Durham Public Schools Superintendent Eric Becoats & Duke Chapel Dean Sam Wells
Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 12:15 pm Duke University Chapel Admission is free and all are invited
DeansDialogues_Becoats_1010.indd 1
10/12/2010 8:39:59 AM
Recess
volume 13 issue 8 october 14, 2010
MAKING A HIT.
SEE CENTER nate glenceri/The chronicle
american beauty
Duke Performances pays tribute to the Grateful Dead
page 3
amy caron
never let me go
page 6
page 7
artist Caron shows her neuroscience-informed work
the adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel reviewed
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recess
theSANDBOX. I spent my fall break all up and down the East Coast: I went to Comic Con in New York, visited a friend in Providence, said hi to my family in Pennsylvania and had dinner with a friend in Atlanta. My travels exposed me to a vast array of experiences: watching Green Lantern make out with Professor Chaos, listening to nerds who actually have that lisp ask questions at Battlestar Galactica panels, throwing knives and rolling cigarettes at a RISD gathering and enjoying the amenities of the suburban life that I will never again enjoy after this year. However, perhaps my most enjoyable [notable?] experience was a rousing game of Apples to Apples with a bunch of NYU students. I was brought to the party by a high-school friend, but I was otherwise unacquainted with the group. As an introduction, someone thought it pertinent to say, “You might take a while to adjust... I don’t know if you know, but we’re all pretty ironic here.” Meanwhile, card pairs such as “husbands” and “normal” were being played. The obsession with irony in pop culture is both bizarre and contrived. For instance,
October 14, 2010
editor’s note. Gap and American Apparel “hipsters” think they may be ironic by virtue of the clothes they put together but are actually ironic on the level that they’re doling out large quantities of cash to emulate a fashion trend spearheaded by those who couldn’t afford expensive clothes and embraced it. Likewise, my Apples to Apples friend had no conception of just how ironic he was being. You may think that a middle-aged man dressed in a really bad Captain America outfit might be something ironic. Alas, it is quite the contrary: it’s a thing of beauty. Rarely can you see such an open expression of inner identity as a Comic Con. It is a place where Doctor Whos and Monarchs alike are not subject to societal judgment; they are free from a context in which their presence may be ironic. Comic Con is a special place, a haven for nerds to be free. All I wanted to do was talk about Cylon ethics and gawk at Tricia Helfer. Duke is also supposed to be a safe haven for our kind, but I’ve never felt that way here. Isn’t that ironic? —Andrew O’Rourke
[recesseditors] superpowers Kevin Lincoln.............................................................................clear minibar ASAP Lisa Du..................................................................................................lifelike meows Jessie Tang.......................................................................stressing out everyone else Andrew O’Rourke..............................................................................controlling TV Sanette Tanaka.........................................................four-hour copyediting sessions Nate Glencer...........................................................................cover-making prowess Lindsey Rupp.........................................................................nerfgun sharpshooter
We didn’t give Joe College Day much coverage this year. And there’s a reason for that. The Duke University Union has proven itself capable, time and time again, of pulling off impressive, well-funded and well-executed events that students attend and enjoy; but yet, sometimes it seems like the organization is ignoring the lessons that should be most obvious, lessons learned from its own programming. Take the Coffeehouse. So far this year, the Coffeehouse has held easily the best non-Duke Performances concert I’ve seen, September’s Titus Andronicus/Free Energy show. The concert was packed, the bands were tremendous and students got in for free. Neither of those groups are big names, but the Coffeehouse isn’t a big venue, so they don’t need to be; they just have to have a certain draw, and to a particular crop of music listeners the pairing was irresistible. Then compare this with Joe College. Part of the reason we gave it so little press was mystification at the line-up—an emo band like Cute is What We Aim For seemed illsuited to headline an outdoor concert, and openers Theophilus London and Anya Marina didn’t have the pull to get enough students out there that then might stick around for the finale. Not only did the top of the bill lack the sense of being an event, but the average Duke student, from what I’ve heard, couldn’t find excitement in any of the acts. Stopping by toward the second half of Anya Marina’s set, I saw maybe a few dozen students clustered around the stage, and people I’ve talked to said that such emptiness was the day’s norm. Regardless of whether it was cold, and regardless of what time it might’ve been, a concert will always
be judged by how many showgoers attend in relation to the venue. At a Main Quad event like Joe College, this becomes even more obvious and important, and by such a metric the event failed. Identifying the average student points to the first place where Joe College went wrong. The Coffeehouse succeeds by knowing its audience and booking bands with some appeal. For an event like Joe College, which needs to draw in a significant swath of students to fill its space, the priority is getting bodies, and that means either hooking an artist that’s widely known or someone with a particularly passionate core of listeners. Rather than showcasing three performers who are more or less irrelevant to Duke students, DUU could try and get a few artists of impeccable quality but less popular reputation and hope that excited students bring their friends out. Or, they could stock the schedule earlier in the day—when there’s more likely to be a crowd for Joe College’s other attractions—with student performers and cheap local groups and go for broke on one act at night. One can always cite money as an issue, and it is, but with enough research good bands can be found at most prices. And making schedules cohere is another obstacle, but you can do far worse than Duke for a gig. Concerts are a tough thing to plan, and taste brutal to gauge, but based on the success of the Coffehouse on their budget, Joe College—and other DUU events, like LDOC—should be able to succeed as well. It’s the students’ money, to a certain extent; and if they’re not coming by, that’s a problem. —Kevin Lincoln
The Vorticists:
Rebel Artists in London and New York, 1914-1918 On view through January 2, 2011 “Long live the Vortex”
From the Vorticist Manifesto published in Blast, 1914.
Rare works from a short-lived but pivotal modernist art movement during World War I. The Vorticist style combines machine-age forms, vibrant colors and the energetic imagery suggested by a vortex. The Vorticists was co-organized by the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, and Tate Britain. At the Nasher Museum, support for the exhibition is provided by the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, Marilyn M. Arthur, Trent and Susan Carmichael, the Graduate Liberal Studies program at Duke University, James and Laura Ladd, and Olympia Stone and Sims Preston, with assistance from the British Council.
Nasher Museum members get free admission, free audio guides and 10% discounts in the store and café. Wyndham Lewis, Kermesse (detail), 1912. Ink, wash and gouache on paper, 13 3/4 x 13 13/16 inches. Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund and Gift of Neil F. and Ivan E. Phillips in memory of their mother, Mrs. Rosalie Phillips.
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American Beauty revives the Grateful Dead by Kyle Karnuta THE CHRONICLE
If you identify yourself as a “Deadhead,” or even if you have no idea what that term means, you have probably been exposed to music created or influenced by classic rock band the Grateful Dead. The American Beauty Project: Music from the Grateful Dead will pay tribute to this iconic American band tomorrow night in Page Auditorium at 8 p.m. Their music is no stranger to Duke: The band performed in Wallace Wade Stadium in 1971 and multiple times in Cameron Stadium. Leading the project since 2007, country/rock group Ollabelle performs with special guests Jim Lauderdale, Catherine Russell, Aoife O’Donovan and David Mansfield, all of whom work in Americana music. These performers will play songs from the Dead’s albums American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead, which are widely regarded as the two most “concise and [Americana] roots-based records that the Dead made,” Director of Duke Peformances Aaron Greenwald said. Duke Performances is presenting the show as a part of the “Liars, Thieves & Big Shot Ramblers” series. “[The project] seemed very appealing to me and it fit really well into the conversation we’ve been having this entire season,” Greenwald said. “As genres collapse there is an impulse to explore musical foundations.” Aside from intertwining with the musical thematics being explored as a part of Duke Performances’ schedule, The American Beauty Project has its own agenda to achieve. “We hope to keep the music vital... and to connect this era of music with the American roots music that exists now,” Jake Guralnick, the project’s manager, wrote in an e-mail. This concert could be labeled as a “tribute,” but it is in fact something more. To do so, much of the history surrounding the Dead must be dispelled. “It is not a Grateful Dead cover band,” Greenwald said. “This is really an earnest effort to get at the heart of the music that this band was making.... The impetus for these musicians was a desire to present [the Dead] outside of the overwhelming cultural trappings that inevitably came along with the Grateful Dead.” The artists participating in this event have their own musical ties to the styles of the two performed albums: Ollabelle draws heavily from American forms of music like gospel, blues, bluegrass and country. Each of its members hail from different backgrounds and experiences, most notably singer Amy Helm, daughter of The Band singer and drummer Levon Helm. Ollabelle strives to create an intimate atmosphere during their performances as well as to mature constantly as
special to The Chronicle
The American Beauty Project: Music from the Grateful Dead will be performed by country rockers Ollabelle alongside special guests Jim Lauderdale, Catherine Russell, Aoife O’Donovan and David Mansfield, focusing on the Grateful Dead albums American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. a group. In addition, they frequently collaborate with established guest performers, contributing their individual talent toward a unique, collective sound—such is the case with The American Beauty Project. “[Their motivation] is love of the music and also a friendship and musical camaraderie between all of the artists,” Guralnick said. Together, the groups involved will pull their set list from American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead, but not in a way to discourage the less devoted or unacquainted audiences. “There are some incredibly devoted fans, but it’s not
just for the Deadheads,” Greenwald said. “It gets at the quality of Americana musicians of American folk. The purpose of the project is to get at the real core of the quality of the music on the records.” The American Beauty Project will be performed tomorrow at 8 p.m. in Page Auditorium. Tickets are $32, $26 and $18 for the general public, and $5 for Duke students and can be purchased from the Duke Box Office or at tickets.duke.edu. For a link to the stream of a live show by the Grateful Dead at Wallace Wade Stadium in 1971, visit Recess’ Twitter feed at twitter.com/chroniclerecess.
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October 14, 2010
WHAT DOES A JACKASS JAcKASS Jackass tries new stunts, dimensions in third film
by Kevin Lincoln THE CHRONICLE
Initially, 3D wasn’t part of the plan. A third movie wasn’t part of the plan. Most of the jokes weren’t part of the plan. In fact, there wasn’t ever really a plan. But 10 years after the first episode of the TV show Jackass, which aired on MTV, the guys— mainly co-creators director Jeff Tremaine, executive producer Spike Jonze, actor Johnny Knoxville and cast members Steve “Steve-O” Glover, Jason “Wee Man” Acuna, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Preston Lacy, Dave England and Ehren “Danger” McGhehey—have a third movie coming out, four years after the second. And it is, in fact, in 3D. “I think most of us—we’re ready,” said Tremaine, who’s directed all of the group’s material, including Jackass 3D. “It was Knoxville kind of coming around to doing it again. And I think it takes about four years to recover from a Jackass movie. We’ve sort of proven that.” For those who’ve never experienced Jackass in
any of its forms, the basic concept involves the cast doing stunts of either a daredevil or dirty nature, all for comedy. And frequently, they hurt—production included hospital visits for nearly everyone. Once the filmmakers decided to attempt a third film, Paramount suggested they try to make it in 3D, but it took Tremaine and the cast a while to come around to the idea. “We were resistant at first because—the way we do things, we’re a real run-and-gun crew, and to get these big 3D cameras and the extra people that come with all that just scared us,” Tremaine said. “But once we did the tests, it proved that, ‘Just get these guys in front of whatever camera, they don’t care—it’s going to be good.’” Pontius added that the technology was evolving as they shot the film. Included in their equipment was a Phantom camera—which Tremaine said was the most expensive 3D camera on the market—and that allowed for incredibly detailed slow-motion shots used for a precise instant-replay effect, particularly in the opening and closing sequences. Unlike the rest of the film, which was largely ad-libbed and evolved in the moment, the colossal bookending skits are filmed like a Hollywood movie. Naturally, one of the biggest obstacles in creating an ensemble movie like this is getting everyone on-board. “I wasn’t excited about it,” Dunn said. “I hadn’t been around these guys in a long time, I didn’t know if we’d mix together and I didn’t know if I had anything left in me because I’d been relaxing in Pennsylvania. But as soon as we started filming I was way wrong. I had more fun on this movie than any other one.” This tug-of-war between reluctance and excitement seems to typify for them the filmmaking
experience. Couterbalancing the creativity of the stunts and the fun goofing around on set is a constant sense of dread, tied to the pain that makes for a regular workday obstacle. “I never warmed up to the stunts, never had the yearning to hurt myself,” Dunn said. “Just the yearning to make myself laugh.” The stunts themselves are diverse and gratuitous, scatologically innovative and sometimes cued by the reactions of uninformed bystanders. But all of the punchlines come only at the expense of the the main group and their friends, which is where they draw the line in plotting skits. “We don’t want to make anyone else look like a-holes,” Knoxville said. “We’ll make ourselves look like a--holes.” As for the dread, a number of the guys cited it as an integral part of the process. This also explains why they said Steve-O turned in his top performances to date, because he was feeling that, and everything else, with a heightened level of awareness. Sober now for two and a half years, this is the first Jackass production that Steve-O’s done since swearing off drugs and alcohol. Other than lending itself to jokes—when he drinks a “sweat cocktail” in the film, someone remarks on how it’s the first cocktail Steve-O’s had in years—the sobriety made him far more lucid, aware and subsequently filled with the full effect of the things he was doing. “It was important to me to prove to myself and everyone else that sobriety hasn’t made me a lame, boring wimp, you know?” Steve-O said. “Being present and clear-headed, I was dreading doing this stuff so much more than ever before, but at the same time I was more eager than ever before to do it, so just that dynamic really lent itself to a good contribution on my part.” Tremaine added that this dread is important and that “when there’s no consequence, no fear going into it, there’s no real emotional connection to it.” If the film is any indication, the lack of substances didn’t stop Steve-O from doing anything, because after seeing what he does do there seems little that he wouldn’t. But when asked what he wouldn’t do, he smiled. “Make an honest living,” he said.
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SS LOOK LOOK LIKE—IN LIKE—IN 3D? 3D?
jackass 3d
dir. jeff tremaine paramount pictures
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How funny are dildos? For the moviegoer weighing whether or not to see Jackass 3D, the question is one worth considering. Dildos get fired out of cannons; they hit guys in the face, in slow-motion; and let’s face it, there’s a general aesthetic that dildos suggest, and it applies pretty well to this film. Dildo-absurdism. Moving on: Jackass 3D is the third film in the long-running Jackass franchise, which includes a television series and, by association, the collection of spin-off programs centered on one or another of the maniac cast. It’s also the first in 3D, which, as it happens, is a medium that might as well have been made with this movie in mind. It feels almost wrong to structure this review as a narrative, in the same way that it feels almost wrong to call this film a film, which is more mis-
leading than informative. Jackass 3D is really a collection of skits revolving around physical and bodily stunts, sometimes hinging on human excrement, and just as often as on guys getting hit in the nuts. There are animals involved, mostly as tormentors: an angry ram, swarms of bees, a bull that kicks Johnny Knoxville square in the head. Spike Jonze dresses up as a fat woman. Trying to describe what happens in these skits is like trying to paint your dreams—you constantly disbelieve what you’re remembering. The experience of watching is weirdly postmodern, voyeuristic and anticipatory. Director Jeff Tremaine constantly structures the scenes so that the viewer knows exactly what’s going to happen 15 or 30 seconds in advance of it happening, and this technique draws tension and a strange sense of clairvoyance from the smallest gag. For a substantial portion of the movie, the audience serves the same function as the cast, and the cast the same function as the audience: laughing at their comrades, cringing, yelling in horror.
Other styles Jackass 3D is informed by: skateboard videos; sports-highlight shows; the glorious perversion of instant replay, slowed down and stretched out to a quaaludes’ pace. In case it’s not apparent, the film is inconsistent. It’s literally inconsistent, in that the jokes are quilted together into a kaleidoscopic whole. The payoff is inconsistent as well: some stunts are hysterical, exhilarating and unbelievable all at once, and others fail completely, being either too disgusting and distasteful or stupid to enjoy. But that roguish variety is part of the charm, and with such a strong, charismatic and ecstatic cast, Jackass 3D is undeniably and ineffably charming. —Kevin Lincoln
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October 14, 2010
Artist Caron interprets neuroscience visually
Amy Caron is a mad scientist—at least in her most recent work “Waves of Mu,” a two-room immersive experience exploring the complex and controversial nature of mirror neurons. After a break from presenting the show in 2008 and 2009, Caron has begun her second round of touring at Duke. Recess’ Jessie Tang spoke with Caron recently about her initial interest in mirror neurons, new additions to the show and why she isn’t junk science. How did you go about bringing “Waves of Mu” to Duke? I had been at Duke in 2003 for the American Dance Festival, and I found out that Duke had a really forward-thinking, cross-departmental program that was happening between the art department and history department and colleges. I [also] found out about their Visiting Artists Grant program and just started sending out some e-mails saying, “Hey, I have this project, if you’d be interested…” And it took a while. It’s not like I got an answer right away. It takes a while to develop a relationship, but eventually Michael Platt and the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Duke really jumped at the idea, and Rachel Brady with the Visual Studies Initiative and Com-
puting Science… basically everyone stepped up to make this happen. What were some challenges holding them back from jumping on board immediately? It just takes a while to develop a relationship. My work is really hard to describe, even for people who have seen the show. It’s a difficult-to-categorize work. It’s part installation, part visual art. It’s not just a painting, it’s not just a sculpture, it’s an immersive environment with a performance component that happens in another room. It’s about neuroscience and performance art. It’s very entangled. So I just think it’s a difficult thing for people to wrap their minds around and understand. So I think, naturally, organically, it takes a while to form those relationships. It’s a learning curve. Once they understand it or get excited about it, there’s a certain time frame of getting things into alignment and catching the academic wave, you know? And how did you get interested in mirror neurons? I read an essay that V.S. Ramachandran wrote in 2001. I
DUKE PERFORMANCES
IN DURHAM, AT DUKE, A NATION MADE NEW. 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1
S E A S O N
THE AMERICAN BEAUTY PROJECT A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC FROM THE GRATEFUL DEAD
OLLABELLE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS JIM LAUDERDALE, CATHERINE RUSSELL & AOIFE O’DONOVAN
TH
The Grateful Dead C. 1970
FRI., OCT. 15, 8PM FRIDIS AY PAGE AUDITORIUM
ANDRÁS SCHIFF FRI., OCT. 22, 8PM PAGE AUDITORIUM PROGRAM: MENDELSSOHN: VARIATIONS SÉRIEUSES, OP. 54 SCHUMANN: SONATA IN F-SHARP MINOR, NO. 1, OP. 11 MENDELSSOHN: FANTASIE IN F-SHARP MINOR, OP. 28 SCHUMANN: FANTASIE IN C MAJOR, OP. 17
was looking to do work for a commissioning program where I would team up with a professional in the field of science. He stuck in my mind, and I somehow was just researching online and found this article, which was pretty controversial at the time and still is. And that got me going—a lot about transferring emotions and attuning with other people and emotional exchange, which is a lot of what I am trying to do as an artist in theater, that interaction with people and stimulating emotional response. So it was kind of enlightening to find out that there were possibly some neurobiological explanations for those exchanges to happen between myself and the audience, or just people that you interact with every day. And I don’t have a science background, but I think that informed outside perspective is a real bonus that I really like learning and using my art as a tool for learning. I’m trying to learn as much as I can while retaining my sense of naivete, which I think is really great for creativity and letting myself have my own interpretations of what I learn. Now that you’re in the second wave of this project, can you talk about what you’ve learned from the past and how you’re adapting it? I think what’s nice is that every time you take the work out of the box and put it back on its legs, it’s different. I’ve changed, it’s changed, I get to revisit it and see what it’s like now. The work has some set bones, but it’s always evolving. I’m working with two post-doc students here: Paul Leary is doing an original score and David Paulsen is adding a new component to the neuro-anatomy installation. It’s much like the organ itself—it’s constantly evolving, and constantly developing. I’m working with new actors based here in North Carolina, so they’re going to bring their own flavor to the work. I’m interested in knowing about how the audience reacts to your work. What have been some of the most baffling or interesting reactions? Well, we’ve had people laugh, we’ve had people cry, we’ve had the gamut. This work is for a range of audiences. I think some of the best reactions are the plain “I’ve never seen anything like this before, I don’t know what just happened, but I’m really stimulated.” It’s really nice when people from the neuroscience-medical community have said, “You’ve really got it. I know this field, and you got a lot of things right.” That’s encouraging, because it’s important I’m not concerned about getting everything absolutely correct, but I don’t want it to be junk science. “Waves of Mu” is housed in the Studio and the Schiciano Auditorium of the Fitzpatrick Center. The interdisciplinary artist Caron is in residency at Duke’s Center for Cognitive Neuroscience until Nov. 3, offering eight public performances of her installation. An opening reception for the work also takes place Oct. 18 from 5 to 9 p.m. The performances and opening reception is free and open to the public, but RSVP is required. For more information on how to RSVP, visit dibs.duke.edu.
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maya robinson/The Chronicle
This is the second tour of Amy Caron’s “Waves of Mu.” The work, which occupies two rooms, is comprised of an immersive environment as well as elements of performance art.
recess
October 14, 2010
never let me go dir. mark romanek fox searchlight
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With Harry Potter and Co. set to invade the American box office in November, there are sure to be many who miss out on the other superb fall films from our friends across the pond. One of those, Never Let Me Go, superbly cultivates meditations on birth, death and our entire human existence. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s fiction masterpiece of the same name, Never Let Me Go follows Kathy (Carey Mulligan) and her two friends (Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley) through their ill-fated, lambsfor-the-slaughter lives. They grapple with the dawning realization that their lives at boarding school and beyond are simply ploys for them to grow into “donors:” Their organs will be harvested until they “complete.” Told through frighteningly jarring images and situations, the film interweaves their stories of love, betrayal and suffering as they struggle against the inevitability of their short existences. Director Mark Romanek shows his
prowess through suggestive imagery and dialogue, never telling the viewer the whole truth. Replete with subtle reminders of their ultimate destinies, the film forces the viewer into the position of the characters: We know the final outcome, but we can never be completely sure. This only serves to make the film’s dramatic moments all the more potent. One scene towards the end is probably the most disturbing scene since the stabbing at the end of Saving Private Ryan; I can’t tell you the last time I had to look away from the screen because of how an image affronted my own humanity. On top of that, Mulligan’s outstanding lead performance, backed by a gorgeously muted color scheme, drives the film forward to its painful conclusion. Although Knightley’s uncharacteristically average performance—at least in comparison to Mulligan’s—and the depressing content hamper the film, Never Let Me Go succeeds in creating and drawing the viewer into its bitter world, enveloping us completely. This Oscar-worthy film deserves both your viewing and your introspection. —Brendan Szulik
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sufjan stevens the age of adz asthmatic kitty
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Sufjan Stevens’ The Age of Adz recalls the debut of Radiohead’s Kid A exactly a decade ago—it is that much of a dramatic stylistic shift and is equally broad in scope as the seminal 2000 release. It is unclear whether this record foreshadows a permanent change in direction or a brief experiment for Stevens; regardless, it is a towering accomplishment that stands alone in the folk artist’s considerable discography. A brief opening track, “Futile Devices,” is the only foray into old territory, with its delicate acoustic composition. But listeners can say goodbye to the familiar with the very next track, the bombastic “Too Much.” Stevens replaces his staple guitar with glitchy samples, and elegant string orchestration gives way to blaring brass and dissonant woodwinds. In fact, the few guitar-driven sections of the album are electric, another oddity for Stevens. The
transformation is so complete that the fleeting moments of acoustic guitar serve as jarring juxtaposition against the synthesized chaos. In the midst of the complex layers of sound, the singer’s haunting voice remains unchanged—and is the real showcase of the collection. Stevens’ vocals reach dizzying heights, breaking free of the effectsladen music to unify the intricate, multifaceted tracks. The penultimate work, “I Want to be Well,” is perhaps the highlight of the LP, with Stevens attaining an almost operatic quality. And the very final track, the 25-minute long “Impossible Soul,” is equally poignant in lyrics and vocals, tying together myriad, freeform sections of differing styles. The Age of Adz asks a great deal of patience on the part of the listener, especially longtime fans who are expecting another Illinois. But an open mind will reveal a prolific musician’s creative landmark, and consequently one of the finest albums of the year. —Jeff Shi
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October 14, 2010
belle & sebastian write about love rough trade
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If Belle & Sebastian fans are expecting something grittier and edgier in the Scottish band’s eighth studio album, Write About Love, they won’t find it here. What makes this indie band so flawlessly satisfying is their daring consistency over the years, churning out silky smooth sixties pop melodies that are soaked with signature soft vocals. Belle & Sebastian know their niche—and they have fun with it. They seamlessly produce lyric-laced, beautifully arranged acoustic music you can count on. The second album produced by Tony Hoffer (after 2006’s well-received The Life Pursuit), Write About Love requires a few listens before you can really feel it out. “Come on Sister,” “Calculating Bimbo” and the album’s single “I Didn’t See It Coming” stand
out, with the latter showcasing a delicious back-and-forth between Stuart Murdoch and Sarah Martin. Though some songs are more remarkable than others (Norah Jones’s sleepy collaboration in “Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John” unfortunately falters), the album is beautifully arranged: Each song fits into the greater musical composition. As seen in the building groundwork of “Come on Sister,” as well as the wondrously upbeat “I’m Not Living In the Real World,” the appeal of this album comes from its brilliance in details. Twelvestring guitars, synthetic organs and electric keyboards come together piece by piece to build yet another satisfying go-round by Belle & Sebastian. Though listeners shouldn’t expect anything groundbreaking, Write About Love reminds us once again of the subtle genuis of Belle & Sebastian in their tried and true consistency; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. —Gracie Lynne
secretariat
dir. randall wallace walt disney pictures
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October 14 Mariinsky Orchestra
November 5 Omara Portuondo 8 Kremerata Baltica 10–11 Sutra – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui / Sadler’s Wells London 17 Carrie Rodriguez and Ben Sollee
Kremerata Baltica Nov 8 Omara Portuondo Nov 5
December 4–5 Nutcracker – The Carolina Ballet Showing at UNC’s Memorial Hall. Visit website for full season offerings.
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Horse racing isn’t exactly the spectator sport of choice for most Duke students. Many of us prefer thestrals and three-pointers to thoroughbreds, but the recent movie Secretariat is well worth the watch. An uplifting story that you’d expect out of Disney, the movie distances itself from its competition by a few furlongs because of its sheer, earnest and unbridled spirit. Directed by Duke alumnus Randall Wallace, Secretariat follows the intersecting and true tales of the eponymous stallion’s owner, Penny Chenery (Diane Lane), trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich) and handlers as they venture to do the undoable and beat the unbeatable: win the infamous Triple Crown, a feat so difficult that no horse had accomplished it in the 25 years prior to Secretariat and no horse has won it in the past 32. While the horse takes the picture’s reins and propels it toward the finish line, Chenery creates most of the drama as she battles grief and gloom, debt and doubt, sexism and stereotypes. The action sequences brilliantly capture all the dirty danger of horse racing, putting the viewer smack-dab in the perspective of the jockeys and shaking us as thoroughly as the horses shake their mounts. The main actors, especially Malkovich, carry the movie past the wire, but some of the emotional scenes still disappoint; sometimes they feel poorly scripted, unnatural, forced or heavy-handed. Hitting on so many major issues—sexism, racism and the Vietnam War, to name a few—the movie spreads itself too thin, failing to nail them all on the head. That being said, the final race still sent shivers down my spine, and that’s saying something since I knew the story ahead of time. Other moviegoers actually applauded as Secretariat raced down the homestretch; I may have even broken every movie reviewer’s number one rule and clapped along with them. —Brendan Szulik
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The Chronicle
THURSDAY October 14, 2010
With his No. 25 already retired at Duke, Austin Rivers said he wants to wear No. 0—but Coach K said this summer that he wouldn’t let a player wear the number
www.dukechroniclesports.com
Football Scouting the opponent
Sliding Hurricanes still bring top talent by Jason Palmatary THE CHRONICLE
michael naclario/Chronicle file photo
Junior quarterback Jacory Harris possesses a dual-threat game, but he has also thrown nine picks this season.
After getting thrashed 45-17 at home by in-state rival Florida State last Saturday night, Miami saw its No. 13 ranking take a precipitous fall, as it is unranked in the latest edition of the AP poll. But the underachieving bunch still poses a potent threat as it comes to Wallace Wade Stadium this weekend. “Miami is as gifted as any team in the country,” head coach David Cutcliffe said. “They have everything you need from a skill standpoint on both sides of the ball. [Going forward], we don’t have a bigger challenge from a physical standpoint than Miami this season.” For the Hurricanes, it all starts with junior quarterback Jacory Harris, who entered the season in the thick of the Heisman discussion even though he was second in the NCAA in interceptions thrown last year with 17. The talented but inconsistent signal caller is having his fair share of struggles again this year, already having been picked off nine times. Harris, who is barely completing 50 percent of his passes, also battles two separate injuries and even had to miss a series in the loss to the Seminoles. However, his coach asserted that
he will be ready to go despite being plagued by both a sore shoulder and a pulled groin. “Jacory is fine,” head coach Randy Shannon said Wednesday. “You can play with a groin [pull] when it warms up.” Regardless of how he has been performing lately, Duke’s defense has first-hand experience with Harris’s explosiveness after he shredded it for 348 yards and two scores at the Orange Bowl last year. His performance helped the Hurricanes mount a second-half comeback against the Blue Devils. “Miami did a MORE better job of exONLINE ecuting and finishing than we did,” Donovan Varner redshirt-senior talks about Miami’s Chris Rwabukam“swagger” and its ba said. “They have physicality: a lot of athletes, dukechroniclesports.com and we have a lot of athletes, and at the end of the day, their athletes just made plays.” Surrounding Harris on offense is a host of playmakers including running back Damien Berry and wideouts Leonard Hankerson, See scouting on page 8
women’s soccer
Duke must continue winning to make ACC tourney by Stuart Price THE CHRONICLE
After mustering only three goals in its previous four games, Duke’s attack finally exploded against Clemson Sunday. Now, riding their newfound offensive momentum, the Blue Devils (7-4-3, 1-3-1 in the ACC) travel to Charlottesville, Va. tonight to square off against No. 9 Virginia (8-3-1, 2-2-0) at Klöckner Stadium. The showdown with No. 9 Virginia is of particular UVa importance to Duke’s vs. ACC playoff hopes. In order to make the Duke ACC tournament, the Blue Devils must climb THURSDAY, 7 p.m. at least one spot in the Charlottesville, Va. ACC standings. They are currently in 9th. “We put the standings up on the board in our meeting before practice today [and] drew the line [under] the top eight teams,” head coach Robbie Church said. “We’re below the Mendoza line, as we like to say. We’ve simply got to be able to go above that.” To reach that desired mark, Duke will work to convert on what recent history says will be a myriad of scoring opportunities. During their winless four-game stretch prior to Sunday’s 4-1 victory over Clemson, the Blue Devils outshot their opponents 64-46. Against Clemson, Duke sent 30 shots at the Tigers’ net. “The kids have worked hard and the
one element of the game that had not been up to par was finishing,” Church said. “The Clemson game was very important for scoring and psychologically for our players.” The Blue Devils’ need to improve on finishing has been made the focal point for the rest of the season by Church. “One of the things in finishing is we just hit so many balls right at goalkeepers or kind of up in the air where goalkeepers can get their hands and turn them,” Church said. “Somebody’s going to have to find the corners [of the net]. Somebody’s just going to have to step forward and make a play [and] take that responsibility when they get close to goal.” Much of this responsibility will be on the feet of freshmen Laura Weinberg, who has five goals this season, and Mollie Pathman, who has three. The capable freshman duo will battle a Cavalier defense which Church describes as “very, very talented” and is 23rd in the NCAA with a .637 goals-against-average. Beating the challenging Virginia defense will go far toward helping Duke’s less than ideal position in the conference standings. Church, for one, is confident in his team’s ability to make the tournament and do well in the final five games of the conference season. “We are playing good soccer,” Church said. “The kids are doing the right things, they are working hard and they’re excited and enthusiastic about the games ahead. We’ve got a lot to play for in a very short period of time.”
emily shiau/Chronicle file photo
Kim DeCesare, who scored her second goal of the year Sunday, will be challenged by a top Cavalier defense.
8 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2010 the chronicle
Football notebook
Cutcliffe looks for “backyard” red zone mentality by Andy Moore THE CHRONICLE
Duke’s red zone offense—which has been solid for most of the season—suffered a setback last time out against Maryland. The inefficiency within the 20 was unexpected. And with Miami, an always athletic and physical team, just a couple of days away from visiting Wallace Wade Stadium, the Blue Devils will need to correct the problem. The first step for Duke: taking the red zone offense back to its most basic elements. Head coach David Cutcliffe said Tuesday that he had done just this, likening the offense to playing as a kid in a backyard. “When the field gets smaller in the red zone offense, I tell our kids, it becomes a lot like the backyard,” Cutcliffe said. “Playmakers have to make plays.” Those playmakers have been in short supply so far this season. The coaching staff expected tight end Cooper Helfet to contribute on the playmaking front, but he has been hampered by an injured ankle and has produced little. Duke’s young and quick running backs have shown game-changing abilities, but could not get anything going on the ground against the Terrapins and only ran for 48 yards. “We had the right calls, but we couldn’t finish the runs and the blocks,” Cutcliffe said. Cutcliffe said things have not changed much since the backyard days—back then youngsters could pick out the winning team by looking at the playmakers on each side,
scouting from page 7 Travis Benjamin and LaRon Byrd. Berry is coming off backto-back performances in which he topped the century mark, benefiting from the Hurricanes’ greater emphasis on establishing the running game and controlling the clock. At the wide receiver position, Hankerson is the target that Harris turns to when he needs a big play. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Hankerson is a physical specimen who has used his height to make plays downfield and has 460 receiving yards and six touchdowns to show for it. Byrd, at 6-foot-4, is another deep threat, while Benjamin is a speedster who makes most of his plays from the slot. He doubles as an electric punt returner. On the other side of the football, Miami has a similar level
and the college game is not that different. “You have to be a great finisher down there,” he said. “And we’re not making the plays we have to make down there.” Duke’s final statistic for red zone conversions against
melissa yeo/Chronicle file photo
Juwan Thompson will try to improve Duke’s red zone offense Saturday. of talent, though it has also underperformed. In front of a national TV audience, the Hurricanes were dominant in holding Pittsburgh to just three points Sept. 23. But against Ohio State, Clemson and Florida State, it was a completely different story as they yielded 36, 21 and 45 points respectively. Linebacker Sean Spence is the unquestioned heart of the defensive unit and leads the team with 48 tackles. Although Miami has struggled to consistently put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, recording just 17 sacks to this point, defensive end Olivier Vernon has recorded four sacks. In the secondary, safety RayRay Armstrong is an NFL prospect and is tied for the team lead in interceptions and ranks near the top in tackles. After taking leads into halftime against the Hurricanes in both the last two seasons, only to get blown out in the second half, Duke has seen a perfect picture of how beatable, yet explosive, this Miami squad is.
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Maryland was 4-for-5, a statistic that did not accurately reflect the difficulties it faced when the end zone was easily in sight. After taking the ball on the Blue Devils’ 12-yard line four minutes into the first quarter, Sean Renfree hit Donovan Varner for 28 yards, then found Josh Trezvant with a 25-yard toss a few plays later. The team marched down 86 yards and faced a 2nd and goal at the Maryland two-yard line. But the Blue Devils could not convert. Juwan Thompson rushed for no gain. Sean Renfree couldn’t find Austin Kelly. Three points instead of seven. It was the same story in the second quarter. Buoyed by a 23-yard completion and a 19-yard hookup to Varner and Conner Vernon, respectively, Duke made it to the Terrapin 12-yard line. Then Desmond Scott was stuffed for a loss of a yard, Renfree was sacked for a loss of nine and Snyderwine was forced to kick again. The Blue Devils made it to the red zone one more time in the first half, but Renfree was intercepted by Antwine Perez. “You should finish every play absolutely,” Cutcliffe said. “It very easily could have been a 21-0 Duke lead.” Converting in the red zone could have given Duke an insurmountable lead on the road against a good Maryland team. If the Blue Devils can turn a short field into touchdowns, they will have a fighting chance against the 19-point favorite Saturday.
volleyball
Duke looks to stay undefeated in ACC play After sweeping matches against North Carolina and N.C. State this weekend, Duke will look to continue its success against Virginia Tech tonight. The Blue Devils (15-2, 7-0 in the ACC) have gone unbeaten since getting swept by then-No. 12 Minnesota Sept. 11. Their resurgence has been led by the high-flying front line, which has helped Duke hit over .300 in each of its past three matches. Junior setter Kellie Catanach has the Va. Tech second-most assists in the ACC. Senior middle blocker Becci Burvs. ling is just 23 kills from becoming just the 19th Duke player to reach Duke 1,000. But offense isn’t the only reaTHURSDAY, 7 p.m. son for the team’s recent success. Blacksburg, Va. Duke’s defense, led by standout freshman Ali McCurdy, currently holds the lowest opponent hitting percentage in the conference. The Hokies (11-6, 2-5), on the other hand, have struggled with their conference opponents. Despite running up a 9-1 non-conference record, the Hokies dropped five of their first six ACC matches before bouncing back against last-place Boston College Sunday. The match starts at 7 p.m. in Blacksburg, Va. — from staff reports
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10 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2010 the chronicle commentaries
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Chemistry cuts unacceptable Due to the effects of bud- in half exemplifies inherent get cuts, undergraduate stu- problems with Duke’s decendents currently taking general tralized approach to departand organic chemistry classes mental funding. are spending far less time in Replacing half of the existthe lab this semester than in ing wet labs with dry labs is not previous years. an ideal acaB u d g e t demic situation editorial cuts to Duke’s for a private chemistry department have University that prides itself on resulted in students dividing its world-class status as a leader time spent conducting lab ex- in research. Labs give students periments between “wet” and an unparalleled educational “dry” labs. Wet labs are experi- experience. First, students ments physically performed in must form and rely on parta standard laboratory environ- nerships with their peers in ment. Dry labs refer to read- researching, conducting and ing and writing assignments reporting on the lab work. submitted online through a This provides students an inprogram called Sapling Learn- valuable opportunity to foster ing. While these changes may academic interaction. Second, have been necessary in light of wet labs provide undergraduthe department’s 10 percent ate students with hands-on budget reduction last Fall, cut- experience and exposure to ting the number of wet labs laboratory equipment. It gives
onlinecomment
Very interesting interview. Fun to read. Aaron seems like a regular old guy.
”
—“waali” commenting on the story “The Social Network interview: Aaron Sorkin.” See more at www.dukechronicle.com.
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students a unique opportunity to practice the technical skills necessary in performing a scientific experiment in a real lab environment. In comparison, “dry” labs seem to offer far less intellectual stimulation among students. They are merely graded assignments that students complete outside of class and submit over the Internet. Furthermore, a lack of lab experience may damage qualifications and background knowledge required for future careers that revolve around laboratory experience. Although there is some educational merit to a dry lab—reinforcing concepts in readings as well as honing skills in writing lab reports—these skills are better sharpened in the physical lab environment. We understand that the
chemistry department has had to make difficult decisions in order to comply with a Trinity mandate that all academic departments cut their budgets by 10 percent last Fall, following a 5 percent cut in Spring 2008. While difficult choices are necessary to manage spending in a time of economic distress, we view this instance as an extenuating circumstance. When expecting uniform cuts across all departments has resulted in an unacceptable reduction in core academic quality and experience of a department, the University’s central administration must intervene. In light of obvious discrepancies between the educational merits of wet and dry labs, the University should subsidize the chemistry department
until it can afford to fund its usual lab protocol again. As an academic institution first and foremost, the University should take steps to remedy this and subsidize full student access to labs. We sympathize with the chemistry department for accepting this cut as the least bad outcome. But given the indispensable worth of hands-on, interactive laboratory experience, the University should make an exception to its decentralized approach to managing its budget during an economic crisis. Difficult cuts and decisions have to be made as Duke works to close a $40 million budget deficit. Trinity College and the central administration should actively ensure that these cuts never come at the expense of Duke’s core academic mission.
When a scandal is not
he problem is not that a Duke alumna us that it’s silly and simple-minded to pretend that published an eye roll-worthy expose on the actions of an individual necessarily say anyher college sex life. The problem is that thing about—or should even concern—an entire the whole thing has been framed as if it were in university and all of the people on its campus. fact Duke’s problem. As you know, no one who Poor taste or justifiable, reckless knows the first thing about or liberated, mean-spirited or all Duke could ever be under the in good fun—who really cares why impression that the slideshow or how the Internet meme of the speaks for all of us—or even for month was created? Forget the mormany of us, if indeed for any of alizing and the empty speculation. us. You’d have to be totally igBoth have already gotten stale. norant of the sprawling human DSG President Mike Lefevre hit diversity of our campus in order the nail right on the head in saying of connor southard to think that. the hubbub, “This is not the kind of The Times’ coverage doesn’t dead poet story that should be getting national go so far as to openly commit a falattention.” lacy that outrageous, but there’s As the anointed low-brow sensation of the nothing smart or even cute about casting Duke moment, our fellow Blue Devil’s slideshow was as “in the middle of another sex-related scandal.” bound to draw plenty of attention. Like it or This University is not “in the middle” of any such not, sites like Jezebel and Deadspin are part of thing. A woman who happened to attend college the new mainstream. If they post something even here created a document that happens to draw on remotely eye-catching, a moderate amount of at- her time at Duke. tention will follow. That’s not a scandal. That’s a coincidence. But The New York Times running an 1,000Whether you hate the slideshow or love it or word news piece on something like this? Not a anything in between, don’t pretend that Duke good call on its part. At least The Washington is responsible for it. Individual students are not Post has left this non-story to its bloggers. And responsible for it. The administration is not reNBC’s “Today Show” isn’t exactly a paragon of sponsible for it. Faculty and staff members are journalistic seriousness, but you can’t get much not responsible for it. It does not reflect anymore numbingly clichéd than the useless cover- thing about any of those groups or their indiage they ran. vidual members. In fairness to the Times, the authors framed The slideshow is not Duke’s problem. their piece—titled “Duke Winces as a Private And it wouldn’t be any other university’s Joke Slips Out of Control”—as a report on the problem, either. But it’s particularly galling to way Duke reacted to the au courant gossip. It’s attend Duke and to have to sit through a retrue that, even a seaboard away from Durham in counting of the events of four years ago every New York, your fellow Blue Devils were talking time your school draws even a hint of national about what I’m going to call the slideshow. media coverage. Duke did notice it. But that doesn’t give the To the Times, and to everyone else: Stop it. It’s Times and other media outlets an excuse for run- stupid and pointless. ning pieces that indulge in a “scandal” fantasy. Media frenzies of all sizes aside, some events From the second paragraph of the Times piece: are important enough that they do necessitate “And students here again found their school in campus-wide debate, introspection and questionthe middle of a sex-related scandal....” ing. But not every sensation is worth the uproar. Uh-oh. Hold on, maybe what you think is com- Not even close, especially in cases in which newsing isn’t coming. papers are shallow enough to put out articles that No such luck. Here it is, just as expected, a few come with paragraphs that seem almost to have more paragraphs into the piece: “Just four years been pre-written for “the next Duke story.” What ago, the Duke men’s lacrosse team was embroiled an easy bluff to call. in scandal.... ” You can fill in the rest yourself—I Call it. Let’s not make Duke into a place where, refuse to re-print any more of it. if a scandal didn’t exist, it would have to be inExaggeration of the present coupled with a vented. sensational flashback? Yellow journalism, how we missed thee. Connor Southard is a Trinity junior. He is studyThe Grey Lady’s article, along with most na- ing in New York for the semester. His column runs every tional media coverage of the slideshow, reminds Thursday.
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2010 | 11
commentaries
To RLHS, size does matter
hree new living groups have recently moved in a situation similar to West, “SLGs on Central to Central Campus: Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, are allowed to register an event in their dedicated Ubuntu and the Panhellenic living section. It commons room.” If hosting in the Devil’s Den is so is heartening to see freshmen busing over to Cen- appealing, then why don’t Ubuntu or Pi Kapp use tral to party, especially considering that their tours those spaces? Section parties are simply easier to only a few months ago conveniently covered that plan, organize and unite around. part of Duke with a giant invisibility cloak. All things being equal, it’s still pretty awkward to I’m not the only one who has noticed show up to an unsanctioned party to the change. Joe Gonzalez, RLHS’s Assofind it being shut down at midnight, ciate Dean of Residential Life, wrote in while another rages on across the an e-mail that these groups have all had street. “positive impacts” on Central culture. Why can NPHC organizations parHowever, changes to the way in ticipate in some activities typically aswhich we conceptualize Central (presociated with greek life, but not all of games in Soviet Russia never seemed so them? NPHC and IGC host social, philfun) tend to gloss over one of the more anthropic and academic events that imsamantha complex problems student groups face pact others both greek and non-greek in lachman at Duke. National Pan-Hellenic Council a positive manner. That visibility is less fraternities and Inter-Greek council so- my favourite things evident with the Duke-by-Day, Duke-byrorities still can’t host parties in their Night paradox. Indeed, Jones contends, individual apartments on Central, and “Although we’re greek affiliated, we this restrictive policy causes us all to lose out. don’t have the same rights as other greek groups.” Brandon Jones, President of NPHC, explains, “To Why does the administration foster diversity if it have a section, you have to have at least 16 mem- prevents different student groups from hanging out bers. For NPHC, that’s not really possible.” Gonza- with one another? We spend money on the Multicullez confirmed that during the 2006-2007 academic tural Center, the Center for Race Relations and Comyear, the Residential Group Assessment “felt that an mon Ground, the Me Too Monologues and many SLG should be larger than the largest block size, other initiatives the University recognizes are valuable which was, and is currently, twelve.” The historical to campus life. clarification was useful, because previously I was goBut allowing NPHC and IGC groups to host parties ing to go on a rant about how numbers are arbitrary in designated sections would be the cheapest initiative. (uh, why not 14?). It’s a virtually free way to have a measurable impact outHowever, it is generally acknowledged that his- side of the classroom. torically black fraternities won’t reach the magic Promisingly enough, conversations about this are number required to have a designated section. occurring. Meanwhile, changes to campus three years afterEskinder Zewdu, vice president of Alpha Phi Althe-fact have upended our conception of West and pha Fraternity’s chapter at Duke, wrote in an e-mail, Central—the latter is no longer simply a bedroom “We’ve started the conversation with Dean Gonzalez community. and look forward to working with him and the newly A modification of the status quo is justifiably in order. formed [Approval Removal Committee] to find a soHere’s the deal: I am pro-party. I think social events lution to this issue, as it is of great importance to the are one way for people to get to know one another National Pan-Hellenic Council.” outside of class. Jones says his organization has to rely The smell of change perfumes the sweet fall air on word-of-mouth to advertise its parties, while groups as the House Model Working Group is forming and with official sections can blast campus with flyers and the administration is considering how to transform other official publicity. It’s easy to tell that something the way we think of living, belonging and returning is wrong here. Entire groups at Duke are not being to groups at Duke. It doesn’t seem insurmountable: exposed to one another because avenues for interac- Gonzalez says “allowing students to host events in tion are more difficult to encourage without the tradi- their apartments would require a change to policy tional apartment-party model. (or exception granted) that RLHS, in conjunction Duke’s common refrain, “It’s the space, stupid,” with other Student Affairs offices, would have to is at the heart of the matter. Gonzalez emphasizes, implement.” “All organizations can currently host events on CenMake it happen! tral in either the Devil’s Den or the Mill Village. In fact, NPHC organizations frequently do this in Samantha Lachman is a Trinity sophomore. Her column the Devil’s Den (around 20 events per year).” But, runs every Thursday.
lettertotheeditor
Owen’s case has historical precedent I have read the articles about Karen Owen and her exploits with some bemusement. As an undergraduate in the late ’60s we had similar exploits, albeit without the PowerPoint and the Internet. We did have the “Order of the Chair” to commemorate such infamy, but it never left campus. I have some sympathy for Karen Owen; she will
carry this the rest of her life and the guys will just disappear. For the record, I was too nerdy to be so “lucky” and have now been happily married for 38 years. Doc Muhlbaier Associate Professor, biostatistics and bioinformatics Trinity ’71
The laws of e-mail, part I
I
hate e-mail. Not for the commonly cited but nevertheless stupid excuse of, “It allows people unlimited quick access to me,” (doesn’t that allow you unlimited access to them?) but rather because of a lack of standards to which people hold themselves. There are different standards for people depending on the situation and the jeremy steinman person. For example, when someone e-mails me asking einsteinman’s theories where my room is, it takes 30 seconds for me to send that e-mail, but a more complex question like asking me the design and layout of my room is a bit longer. I’m not getting anything out of writing it, so how long should I take before I respond to it? Should someone who demands, “Can you please respond within the next 15 hours???” get any precedence over someone who e-mailed me two days earlier, or should I ignore them as a whiney little ninny pants (TM Jeremy Steinman, 2003)? If your e-mail consists of a LOLcat and a serious question in the postscript, how serious can I take you and your poorly grammared feline? The Internet is not a big truck (but rather, a series of tubes), so we should not have the rules of the road, but rules of the tweetosphere. I’d like to set out the first of a 27-part series about e-mailing: Do not send people e-mails on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. People don’t do work on these days or, no pun intended, they mail it in (note: I had 10 puns here before seeing which made the cut, thankfully only one pun in 10 did). Usually people just answer all of these messages on Monday, so yours probably will get lost in the shuffle. Subject line should approximate the e-mail’s body. I’ve had 380 e-mails with “Freewater” in the subject line in the past year; 375 of them have specified what it was in relation to (“freewater- interest in joining,” “freewater- why can’t we bring the talent of ‘Pirates 2’ to Duke?”, “Free water for anyone that is for the greater commitment to real, comfortable jeans”). The other five people were just cast in the final Saw movie for taking advantage of society. Do not send people e-mails on Monday. They will further get lost in the pile of e-mails. Make your point known. I understand if you have long, wordy e-mails that have a lot of information that could potentially be useful, but most times I really don’t care. If you want me to fill out a form, put it at the top or make sure you tell me to. Code your e-mail so if I click on the LOLcat it takes me to your survey, but don’t expect me to do something for you if the first mention is in the P.S. You shouldn’t have to scroll. This is a corollary to the last one. We are horrendously lazy and don’t want to scroll or click more than we have to. If it’s not important enough to be mentioned in the first page, don’t bother. Do not send people e-mails on Tuesday or Thursday. Since I’ve already eliminated Monday and the weekend, everyone will be trying to outsmart each other by sending them at the beginning or end of the “week.” E-mail is not always the best form of communication. We’ve all gotten the e-mail that looks like Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Spect. General rule of thumb—if Aretha Franklin already sang about your subject title, you’re probably part of a conversation that should have occurred over the phone or an Internet meme. But before you dismiss me as a whiney little ninny pants (TM Jeremy Steinman, 2003), just think about how often one or all of these things has annoyed you. If you still think I’m off-base, write me an e-mail. Just know that every time you send me a rule-breaking e-mail, you will get three LOLDOGZ in return. Jeremy Steinman is a Trinity senior. His column runs every other Thursday.
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12 | thursday, october 14, 2010
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