November 2, 2010 issue by Duke Chronicle

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

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 47

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Spicer describes ‘insightful’ journalism Uni cancels

Spring MMS workshop

by Alex Zempolich THE CHRONICLE

Washington, D.C. correspondent Nick Spicer knows first-hand that Al-Jazeera is a news network for the “global everyman” that values on-the-ground reporting undiluted by cultural biases. Speaking Monday evening at the Sanford School of Public Policy, Spicer, a correspondent for Al-Jazeera English, discussed the ways in which Al-Jazeera, the most watched news channel on Youtube, has attempted make news more objective and less “cookie-cutter.” Spicer has been reporting internationally for 15 years previously for organizations including National Public Radio, The Economist and CBC Television. He said although many Western news media rely on domestically born journalists who may harbor implicit cultural biases to report in foreign countries, AlJazeera is committed to providing unfiltered news. “The aim is to have indigenous reporting and no imperial or post-imperial center, a kind of transcendental signifier, that explains everything on the planet,” Spicer said. “We want the people who are living in these places to tell their own stories.” This approach is the “million-dollar gamble” that Al-Jazeera has undertaken since its inception in 1996 as an Arabic news and current affairs satellite television channel headquartered in Doha, See spicer on page 6

by Nicole Kyle THE CHRONICLE

larsa al-omaishi/The Chronicle

Nick Spicer, Al-Jazeera’s Washington, D.C. correspondent, said the news organization—which is based in Doha, Qatar—looks to make news less “cookie-cutter” and free of cultural biases.

Students looking forward to Markets and Management Studies’ entrepreneurship program will have to wait. MMS Program Coordinator Bonnie Stevenson said the program has been canceled for the Spring semester. As a result, the highly anticipated course titled “The Start-Up Clinic”—which Elizabeth Spiers, Trinity ’99 and founding editor of Gawker.com, was supposed to teach—will not be offered. Spiers said she found out the program was cancelled in an e-mail Oct. 27 from Gary Hull, a lecturing fellow in sociology who was going to serve as the program’s director. Hull could not be reached for comment Monday. “I thought everything was fine,” she said in an interview with The Chronicle. “But then no one told me anything, and I wasn’t consulted—or communicated with, for that matter—at all during the process.” Spiers initially expressed her dissatisfaction on her Tumblr account Oct. 29. “I now have the unique distinction of having been fired from a job before even starting it,” Spiers wrote. See spiers on page 5

Burr expected to surpass ManoftheHouse Marshall in Senate election by Anna Koelsch THE CHRONICLE

The North Carolina Senate race between North Carolina Secretary of State Democrat Elaine Marshall and incumbent Republican Senator Richard Burr is expected to yield a Republican victory. Public Policy Polling’s final poll for the North Carolina Senate election shows Burr leading Marshall 52 to 40 percent. Burr is garnering a Richard Burr larger bipartisan support with 22 percent of the Democratic vote, while Marshall attracted only 6 percent of the Republican vote. Republicans are predicted to have an advantage in this year’s election season.

Duke given a B+ in sustainability report card, Page 3

Gallup’s final poll anticipates a 15 percent lead for Republicans among likely voters. After a party is in power for two years, midterms usually favor the opposition party, said Ferrel Guillory, director of the Program on Public Life at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “It’s a Republican moment right now in the election cycle,” Guillory said. “[But] Senator Burr has benefited from both his own hard work in preparing for the campaign and Elaine Marshall executing the campaign.” Senator Burr’s predicted advantage has been partially attributed to his ability to raise more money than Marshall.

This election day decides the congressional seat for North Carolina’s fourth district, in which Republican B.J. Lawson challenges Democratic incumbent David Price. Price and Lawson spar over the proper role of the federal government in areas including education, economic and health care policy. The New York Times political blog, FiveThirtyEight, forecasts Price winning 58.5 percent of the district, with a 98.5 percent chance of a win. Price’s website touts his legislative record. It says he “supported tough new rules for Wall Street to protect consumers form abuse” and “supported targeted investments in the infrastructure and research that fuels our region’s economy,” among other initiatives. The site notes that Price, a professor of political science and public policy studies at Duke, also has prioritized education by establishing legislation including a tax break on education loans and expansion of the Federal Pell Grant scholarship program. He “supports com-

mon-sense changes in the No Child Left Behind law to improve teacher quality and student performance,” according to his campaign’s website. The Lawson for Congress site states Lawson’s political goal is “to reduce the size and scope of a government that has grown too big.” He opposes the health care bill, saying those who passed it “sacrificed the doctor/patient relationship on a funeral pyre of lobbyist cash from insurance companies and special interests.” Lawson, Engineering ’96 and Medicine ’00, also criticizes Price for supporting the Trouble Assets Relief Program, the auto industry bailout and the Cash-for-Clunkers program. He opposes the Department of Education and instead favors local education. The Duke Student Government, in collaboration with Parking and Transportation Services, will run a shuttle to bring students from the West Campus bus stop to the polls. The shuttle will leave the bus stop every half hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

See senate on page 6

ONTHERECORD

“I see people tarnishing the badge. [Hill] is not in control of the department.”

—Durham Cty. sheriff candidate Ron Taylor on Sheriff Worth Hill. See story page 4

Duke Football takes measures to ensure safety on lifts, Page 7

2 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010 the chronicle

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“Two forwards—one experienced, one a mere rookie—along Tobacco Road were named Monday to the Associated Press Preseason All-America Team.Duke senior Kyle Singler was the leading vote getter on the team and the only repeat selection.The Blue Devils’captain was listed on 62 of the 65 ballots in the media poll after being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four last season and averaging 17.7 points and seven rebounds a game last season.” — From The Chronicle’s Sports Blog sports.chronicleblogs.com

Andrea Bruce/The Washington post

Shukurullah, an Afghan soldier, attempts to put on body armor that is too small as he prepares to man a joint U.S.-Afghani base in the Helmand province. This is the begginning of the transition over to solely Afghani forces in the secure Nawa region, as the U.S. Marines move to concentrate their presence in the desert. This projection falls in line with U.S. two year transition goals.

“

TODAY:

Gravitation is not responsible for people faling in love. — Albert Einstein

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TODAY IN HISTORY 1983: MLK federal holiday declared

San Francisco continues to Signals shift for women strongly support Pelosi in Brazilian election SAN FRANCISCO — If this is supposed to be a wave election, ushering in newly emboldened Republican stars and pushing out to sea old Democratic stalwarts, then the wave clearly has not reached San Francisco. It seems that this might be the last pocket of America that still loves Nancy Pelosi. Across huge swaths of the country, the Democratic House speaker has been vilified in hotly contested congressional races, including in one just 50 miles east of here in California’s Central Valley. Yet in her hometown of San Francisco, Pelosi is as revered as ever, with the only whiff of disapproval of her in this overwhelmingly liberal coastal city being that she has not pursued a progressive enough agenda in Washington. Pelosi is such a divisive figure that some embattled House Democrats are actively running against her. A few have said they would not support her as speaker again.

RIO DE JANIERO — Dilma Rousseff is dedicating her victory as Brazil’s first female president to the nation’s women, saying it paves the way for their daughters to gain more power in government and business in Latin America’s largest economy. “I want to state my first commitment after the elections: to honor Brazil’s women so that today’s unprecedented result becomes a normal event,” said the 62-yearold Rousseff, a former Cabinet chief and energy minister. “I would very much like that parents look into their daughters’ eyes and say, yes women can.” Since Brazil became a republic in 1889, only one woman has served as finance minister. Outgoing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who chose Rousseff as his successor, named five female ministers compared with 47 men in the past eight years.

Correction

The Oct. 29 story “Early votes ‘alarmingly’ low for Duke” incorrectly attributed Gunther Peck, Fred W. Shaffer associate professor of history and public policy, as saying 91 percent of Duke students voted in the 2008 presidential election. Peck actually stated that 91 percent of the Class of 2012 voted in the 2008 election.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010 | 3

Low transparency grades weigh Willard to take down Duke’s sustainability score on role as OUE by Jessica Kim THE CHRONICLE

For the fourth year in a row, Duke received a B+ on the Sustainable Endowments Institute’s 2011 College Sustainability Report Card, falling behind some of its peer institutions. Although the University received high marks in many of the categories, it received two D’s for its policy of not disclosing where it invests its money. Duke received D’s in endowment transparency and shareholder engagement, and A’s in all other categories,

michael naclerio/Chronicle file photo

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Duke received all A’s in the 2011 College Sustainability Report Card except for two financial disclosure categories, in which Duke was given D’s.

including climate change and energy, green building and student involvement. The category “endowment transparency” measures the degree to which schools release investment information, and “shareholder engagement” is an indicator of how well schools incorporate university concerns in investment decisions. Although SEI Director of Communication Susan Paykin acknowledged that Duke performed well overall on the report, she said information about where a university is investing its money is also relevant to measuring its sustainability practices. “It is really important for universities to be working on these on-campus, really visible sustainability issues,” Paykin said. “But it’s easy to forget because it’s not as obvious that the University is investing millions of dollars into private companies which have huge effects on social and environmental issues.” Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, warned against placing too much emphasis on endowment transparency as a primary indicator of a university’s sustainability activities. “All rankings are arbitrary to some degree.... All of those [categories] in which Duke received the highest possible grades is because the actions of the University in these areas are significantly noticeable,” Schoenfeld said. “I think the impact of [the investment categories] on overall sustainability are less apparent.” Only one in five schools makes endowment holdings available to the campus community, according to the SEI website. The average endowment transparency grade across all schools in the 2011 report was a C. Duke received lower than average because it limits information on endowment holdings to a select group—namely members of the Board of Trustees, senior administrators and select members of the school’s community—whereas schools that receive a C usually make some portion of their endowment holdings open to the public, Paykin noted. See report card on page 5

senior adviser

Huntington Willard, director of the Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, was appointed Monday as senior adviser to Steve Nowicki, dean and vice provost for undergraduate education. The new position, which will in part help develop plans for the undergraduate house model, comes as an addition to Willard’s duties as IGSP director. “Hunt has lived this experience and well understands both the benefits and challenges of connecting our students with faculty in the professional schools,” Nowicki said in a Duke news release Nov. 1. Among other new responsibilities, Huntington Willard will work with the Office of UnWillard dergraduate Education and the Residential Life and Housing System to improve the connection between faculty to the student residential experience through the new house living model. He will also work with Associate Vice Provosts Donna Lisker and Lee Willard as well as Dean of Academic Affairs of Trinity College Lee Baker, who was recently selected as associate vice provost for undergraduate education. During his career at Duke, Willard has created a series of programs to involve undergraduates in the IGSP’s activities. He also leads the Focus program for freshman students, “The Genome Revolution and it’s Impact on Society,” as well as the Genome Sciences and Policy certificate. Willard arrived at Duke in 2003, with appointments in the department of molecular genetics and microbiology and the department of biology. —from staff reports

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4 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010 the chronicle

dusdac

Taylor challenges incumbent Group discusses range of despite candidacy concerns campus dessert options by Ray Koh

THE CHRONICLE

There’s nothing quite like a tasty dessert. Junior Jane Moore led a tasting and evaluation of dessert options on campus at the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee meeting Monday night. The group sampled desserts from The Loop, the Refectory, Bella Union, the Great Hall, Alpine Bagels and The Perk. Moore’s presentation identified campus eateries’ desserts based on taste, price and nutritional value. She then selected the best and worst desserts in a number of different categories, including bar, cake, cookie, pas-

try, muffin and frozen delight. The whole wheat apple muffin from Bella Union and The Loop’s lava cake were recognized as two of Duke’s best desserts. In addition to sampling a number of the desserts, Moore discussed the pricing of food items with DUSDAC members. She called The Perk’s cookies overpriced—listing them as a ‘borderline outrageous’ on her handout—but added that she believes Bella Union, the Great Hall and Alpine Bagels offer fair prices. Although milkshakes from The Loop are among Duke students’ favorite treats, See dusdac on page 6

dana fenster/The Chronicle

Members of the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee sampled desserts from various campus eateries and evaluated the options available to students based on several criteria at their meeting Monday. ADVERTISEMENT

The burrito so good, putting it down is dangerous.

by Yeshwanth Kandimalla THE CHRONICLE

Despite accusations that residency requirements invalidate his candidacy, newcomer Roy Taylor plans to challenge a longtime incumbent in the Durham County sheriff election Tuesday. Taylor, a Republican, will challenge Sheriff Worth Hill, a Democrat who has held the position since 1994 in four consecutive terms. But Taylor could potentially be disqualified in the race due to a residency requirement—North Carolina General Statute 162-2 requires that candidates for sheriff live in the county in question at least one year prior to the election. Last year Taylor lived in Wake County for approximately five months, ending in December, while looking for a new home in Durham after he and his wife divorced. Former Durham County Sheriff Roland Leary filed a challenge to Taylor’s eligibility Oct. 5 with the Durham County Board of Elections. Taylor then publicly considered withdrawing from the race, but after speaking with legal counsel believes the North Carolina Constitution invalidates that statute. In an interview with The Chronicle Sunday, Taylor said Article VI of the N.C. Constitution, “Suffrage and the Eligibility to Office,” justifies his right to be a candidate. The document states that all qualified voters at least 21 years of age are eligible for election by the people to office unless they are otherwise disqualified by

the Constitution. Taylor is an eligible voter because he has lived in Durham County for more than 30 days and is not otherwise disqualified by the Constitution. If Taylor wins the election, the Durham County Board of Elections will determine his eligibility for the position in a hearing scheduled for Nov. 11, said Mike Ashe, director of the Board of Elections. Should Taylor be formally disqualified, the county commissioners will appoint the new sheriff. Hill could not be reached for comment last week. Although Tiffany Blakeney, a research associate at a private practice in Durham, is a registered Republican, she considers herself an agenda-based voter and has chosen to support Taylor for sheriff. She said she believes that first and foremost he will uphold family values as sheriff of Durham County. Taylor, currently police chief of private law enforcement contractor Capitol Special Police, promises to reduce corruption if elected. He said issues under Hill’s administration are evidence of a need for a change in leadership and cited two specific incidents. In 2006, former deputy Michael Owens was charged with trafficking drugs through a Durham nightclub that he owned. More recently, former lieutenant Derek O’Mary was indicted last month for embezzling almost $100,000 in funds intended for police sting operations as well as using cocaine seized in a drug raid. See sheriff on page 6

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010 | 5

special to The Chronicle

The class that Gawker founder Elizabeth Spiers was scheduled to teach this Spring has been canceled.

report card from page 3 The University has policies of not disclosing endowment holdings for competitive reasons, Schoenfeld said. The University’s investments had a return of 13.2 percent in the year ending June 30, 2010 and often outperform endowment returns at a number of peer institutions. Some universities, however, have made their endowments transparent and have not suffered in their ability to produce significant returns, said Alexander Robel, Trinity ’10. “One really good example is Dartmouth, which has a sizeable endowment and has a transparent endowment policy,” Robel said. “It has one of the highest grades in endowment transparency and they still make over 10 percent returns year in and year out.” Dartmouth received A’s for endowment transparency and shareholder engagement in the 2011 report and an overall score of an A-. While at Duke, Robel said he and other students confronted the administration about disclosing more endowment information. In Spring 2009, Robel collaborated with other student groups such as the Duke Democrats in circulating a petition requesting that the Duke University Management Company, a private firm that manages Duke’s assets, release details of endowment holdings upon request from any member of the University community. The petition received hundreds of signatures in a few weeks but ultimately did not result in any changes, Robel said. Schoenfeld said although there is no anticipated change in Duke’s policy on disclosing its endowment holdings, the

University did respond to concerns about investment transparency. In 2004, the University approved the Guideline for the University on Socially Responsible Investing and set up two committees to voice the University community’s complaints to DUMAC. Concerned individuals can submit proposals that must go through the committees and other institutions before being heard by DUMAC. The petition, however, referred to the multiple-step process as “long and difficult to navigate, as if it were intended to discourage students from questioning the endowment’s holdings.” Despite Duke’s lower scores for transparency, the University excels among its peers in on-campus sustainability and was named one of the 120 campus sustainability leaders in 2011. The report cited Duke’s full-time sustainability committee, its 7 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions since 2007, its use of local organic produce and reusable containers, its transportation system and the Duke Smart Home housing option as indicators of its efforts. The seven schools that received A’s this year included Brown University, Dickinson College, Oberlin College and Yale University. Forty-five others received A-’s. Also known as a “Green Report Card,” the independent evaluation by the Cambridge-based nonprofit has been prepared since 2007 for more than 300 colleges. Data for the report card was compiled from April to September 2010 on the basis of surveys sent to administrators and information available online.

Arts

The plan was set to follow a structure similar to that of the FOCUS programs, an experience consisting of four courses that focus on an interdisciplinary theme. Spiers said her class would challenge students to create and implement original business plans. Spiers said she believes the Duke administration was hesitant to offer business classes at the undergraduate level, but Spiers emphasized the importance of a more practical and application-driven education in her Tumblr post. “Duke has always been really conflicted about business courses in its curriculum— they consider them “vocational” and tend to shove the necessary ones under the ‘economics’ rubric, even when they have nothing to do with econ,” she wrote. “Personally, I think all theory and no application is a luxury that no one can afford anymore, literally or figuratively, especially since the cost of higher ed has gone up so dramatically. But I’m a practitioner, not a Ph.D.” Spiers said the demand for business classes is too great to be ignored, and added that Duke students have specifi-

cally expressed needs that are not necessarily being met. “Whenever I attend Duke [to speak], I have Duke kids e-mailing me about entrepreneurship,” she said. “[Duke] should probably give these students the opportunity to have business training as well—right now you can be an Econ major, and that’s pretty much it.” Junior Julia Hawkins interned with Spiers over the summer and took a prototype version of Spiers’ class in New York City, Hawkins said. “[Spiers] has so much faith in her pupils, which inspires and empowers them to go out and achieve the far out goals in their heads,” Hawkins wrote in an e-mail Monday. “I think [the class’ cancellation] is a huge loss to students who operate entrepreneurially yet don’t have the resources or patience to execute. Duke ought to provide students with as much opportunity for success later on.” Stevenson said that the entrepreneurship program was designed to allow MMS students to complete a concentration in entrepreneurship within one semester. “There’s still gong to be an area of concentration within entrepreneurship, but it won’t be one semester’s worth of classes,” she said. “That’s how it is now—students complete a cluster within the certificate over the span of four years.” Stevenson added that two of the four courses originally intended for the entrepreneurship program will still be offered independently, including Sociology 159: “The Sociology of Entrepreneurship” and MMS 147: “Business in Literature.” The MMS program is also revamping its internal structure and is increasing its areas of concentration from three to five, Stevenson said. The additional concentrations are pending the MMS steering committee’s approval, which will meet in December. The program’s cancellation follows the announcement of a new University entrepreneurial initiative, which aims to promote innovation both in and outside of the classroom. The campaign will be led by Duke Trustee Kimberly Jenkins, Trinity ’76, Graduate School ’77 and ’80, who assumed her position yesterday.

spiers from page 1

arts.duke.edu

the chronicle

arts events at duke unIversItY n Ov 3 – nOv 9

The Theme is Blackness Theater Festival November 3-13

Contemporary plays by AfricanAmerican playwrights. Night of the Beast by Ed Bullins, Nov. 3-6 and Harriet Jacobs by Lydia Diamond Nov. 10-13. 8:15pm. Manibites Dog Theater (703 Foster St. Durham) $12-17 Gen., $10-15 Sr. Cit., $5 Duke Students. November 4 PANEL DISCUSSION. Literacy Through Photography in Durham Schools. In conjunction with the exhibition Literacy Through Photography – Arusha, Tanzania. 7pm. CDS Aud. Free. MUSIC. Duke-UNC Chopin/Schumann Festival. Opening Gala Concert; Chamber Music of Schumann. Susan Dunn, soprano, Donald Oehler, clarinet, Andrew McAfee, horn, Richard Luby, violin, Jonathan Bagg, viola, Fred Raimi, cello, David Held and Jane Hawkins, pianists. 7:30pm. Memorial Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill. $15 Gen., $10 Students/ Faculty/Staff. TALK. First Thursday and Artist Talk. Ralph Lemon. New Yorkbased artist, choreographer and classically trained dancer whose work is part of The Record exhibit. 6:30pm, Cash bar. 7pm, Meet the artist. Nasher Museum. Free. DANCE. How can You Stay in the House All Day and Not Go Anywhere? Mixed-media performance by classically-trained dancer and choreographer Ralph Lemon. 8pm. Reynolds Industries Theater. $34/$26, $5 Duke Students. This show will also take place on Nov. 6. November 5 MUSIC. Duke-UNC Chopin/Schumann Festival. Randall Love, piano. 8pm. Person Recital Hall. November 6 MUSIC. Duke-UNC Chopin/Schumann Festival. Duke and UNC Music Students Piano Recital. 5pm. Baldwin Aud. Free. MUSIC. Duke-UNC Chopin/Schumann Festival. Mayron Tsong, piano. 8pm. Baldwin Aud. SCREENINGS. Full Frame Fix. Presented by the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. 1 and 3pm. Nasher Museum of Art. Free. November 7 SCREENINGS. Full Frame Fix. Presented by the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. 1 and 3pm. Nasher Museum of Art. Free. MUSIC. Duke-UNC Chopin/Schumann Festival. Thomas Otten, piano. Works by Schumann and Chopin. 3pm. Hill Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill. $15; $10 Students/ Faculty/Staff. (A single ticket provides admission to the entire festival). MUSIC. Duke Vespers Ensemble Fall Concert. Duke’s sacred chamber music ensemble performs two gems of the German Baroque: J.S. Bach’s Cantata 140: Wachet Auf and Heinrich Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien, with professional orchestra. 4:00 PM. Goodson Chapel, Duke Divinity School. Free. All events are free and open to the general public. Unless otherwise noted, screenings are at 8pm in the Griffith Film Theater, Bryan Center. W = Richard White Aud., N = Nasher Museum Aud. 11/5 Images of Decolonization: Rebel Shadows (W, 4:30pm) Latin American Film Festival 11/6 Images of Decolonization: The Other Side of the Ocean (W, 4:30pm) Latin American Film Festival 11/8 GENERATION EXILE (USA, 2010) (7pm) Latin American Film Festival. Q&A w/ director Rodrigo Dorfman! 11/9 AJAMI (Israel, 2009) (7pm) Muslim Cultures Film Series ami.trinity.duke.edu/screensociety/schedule.php

For ticketed events and more info, visit tickets.duke.edu

6 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010 the chronicle

dusdac from page 4

senate from page 1

Moore pointed out that one milkshake contains 1,300 calories, or the equivalent of six Subway cookies. “It has more calories than a meal,” said Franca Alphin, director of nutrition services at Student Health.

The News and Observer reported earlier this month that the Burr campaign had raised $10.6 million during the campaign— $8.3 million more than his opponent. Marshall’s more limited campaign funds were partly a result of the national Democratic party’s lack of financial support. In 2008, the party funneled $11 million into Senator Kay Hagan’s campaign to defeat incumbent Elizabeth Dole, but North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman David Young said there are too many close races against Republican incumbents to expect for Marshall to be heavily supported by the national party.

In other business: Sophomore Amir Abdu said The Greek Devil is interested in opening up a new cart on the plaza with organic fresh fruits and roasted nuts. Abdu said it would be run by the owner’s wife, right next to her husband’s cart. The Greek Devil is also expanding its menu after winter break, with new items such as falafel. Students also discussed the possibility of using leftover food points at the end of semesters to buy gift cards at vendors for future use. Wulforst called it a “great idea” and said it would be worth looking into.

sheriff from page 4 “I see people tarnishing the badge,” Taylor said in reference to the two incidents. “[Hill] is not in control of the department.” Taylor also proposes a major push for community outreach, calling the current department’s approach “very closed-door.” “We could be using listservs to create a two-way interaction to keep people informed of specific crime trends or activity,” he said. “It would be much more proactive.” Taylor claims Hill uses insufficient funds as an excuse for not implementing changes. “We don’t have the money is his answer to everything,” Taylor said. “These measures that I’m proposing could be done with the money available.”

spicer from page 1 Qatar. Rather than use experts and politicians to color the news, Spicer said Al-Jazeera strives to be “shamelessly internationalist” in its global outlook. Indeed, it is the only global news network stationed in the southern hemisphere and maintains correspondents in many areas neglected by Western media outlets. Spicer noted, for example, that when Israeli forces intercepted a flotilla of boats bound for Gaza in May, killing nine passengers and sparking widespread international condemnation, Al-Jazeera was the only network with reporters on the boat; other news stations were still in Jerusalem. This “ground-up” reporting style is part of what Spicer referred to as “insightful and not inciteful journalism.”

Guillory noted that the North Carolina Senate race is not a high priority for the national Democratic party, adding that the party originally supported Cal Cunningham over Marshall in the primary. Young said he has confidence in Marshall’s ability to win the election because of her focus on issues North Carolina voters care about. “This is a turnout election,” Young said. “We’ve spent a lot of time and a lot of resources so I think we will win this election.” Young added that polling is hardly an accurate indicator of political success in a place like North Carolina. “North Carolina’s really breaking the trend,” he said. “We far exceeded the early voting predictions and we think that will continue [on November 2].”

Even though Burr has been favored to win the election since the beginning, the Burr campaign refuses to take anything for granted. Samantha Smith, communications director for Senator Burr, expects a tight race. “Given North Carolina’s rich history of close races, we won’t think anything until the polls close,” she said. “We’re doing all we can to get out the vote.” Guillory said although he expects the election results to tip in favor of Burr, the race will be close. Marshall is going to receive a large amount of votes, he said, adding that Democratic candidates in North Carolina typically get at least 45 percent of the vote. “Even when [Democrats] lose, the race is close,” Guillory said. “I would not be surprised if it was a lot closer than what the polls are predicting.”

Another example the correspondent pointed to as illustrative of the network’s approach was its coverage of Gainesville, Florida pastor Terry Jones’ plan to burn Qurans on 9/11, which Spicer helped cover. “We wanted to show the world what the U.S. is really about—to show that the University of Gainesville was admitting many Muslim students and that 20 or so Muslim men said, ‘Look, for half a century, our people have been looking for freedom of expression, and [so] we appreciate the First Amendment,’” he said. “We wanted to show a more fair representation of America.” Spicer added that he believes many American news outlets consistently fail to incorporate valuable first-person sources in their coverage. “[Without first-person sourcing], there is no ability to compare points of

view,” he said. Spicer also criticized the American news media’s coverage of the lead-up to the Iraq War as cursory. “The media didn’t do its job in the prelude to the Iraq War,” he said. “They didn’t go to the American people and ask hard questions about weapons of mass destruction, but instead beat the war drum.”

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The Chronicle

TUESDAY

November 2, 2010

Will Snyderwine and Cooper Helfet were named the top specialist and offensive lineman, respectively, in the ACC last week by a conference nominating committee

www.dukechroniclesports.com

Duke Football takes measures to ensure safety on lifts by Andrew Beaton THE CHRONICLE

Last Wednesday, 20-year-old Notre Dame student Declan Sullivan crashed to his death upon the collapse of the 50-foot hydraulic scissor lift on which he filmed football practices for the team. The primary factor causing the fall of the tower was high winds, which were gusting higher than 50 mph. Sullivan was instructed to film despite the manufacturer’s warning that the lifts should be used in winds no higher than 25 mph, according to the South Bend Tribune. The tragedy has broached issues of safety for filming on towers across the country, as students go up on similar lifts every day to film practice, including at Duke. The football team typically uses three or four lifts to capture the practice at different angles and to observe the team’s different units. The film is integral to Duke’s preparation every week. “[Watching the practice film] is the first thing [the coaches] do when they come in,” said Tom Long, Director of Football Video Operations. “They will spend a good two to three hours analyzing it. We shoot everything from the start of practice to the end of practice.” With this extensive use of the lifts, there seems to exist the potential for tragedies such as the one at Notre Dame. Duke’s football staff, however, said they make every effort to ensure that such an accident does not occur on their watch. “We use, for lack of a better term, common sense,” Long said. In addition to intuition, Long said that a key component of the process are the constant updates the team receives from a weather risk management service called WeatherData. Duke uses these updates for both the safety of their players and knowledge of whether or not it is appropriate to send videographers up to the towers. Another crucial aspect is communication between the various parties on the team. Head coach David Cutcliffe said in his Sunday teleconference that he works closely with the film crews and See film on page 8

courtney douglas/ the Chronicle

men’s basketball

Dukies in the NBA are Singler named prestronger than ever season All-American Basketball season has returned. But if this week’s games against Division II opponents—Cal Poly Pomona for the men and Wingate and Carson-Newman for the women—don’t exactly whet your appetite, turn your attention to the early stages of an NBA season full of Duke-related story lines. In fact, even without placing Chris any of its 2009-2010 national championship roster in the NBA, Duke still has more players in The League than any other college, and many who will likely play major roles on playoff teams. 12 ex-Blue Devils are members of NBA rosters, and eight are projected to start. For a school that used to have the reputation of not producing enough NBA talent, that’s a pretty sizable number. The best place to find Duke alums is Indiana, where ex-Blue Devils Mike Dunleavy and Josh McRoberts will start on a team that finished last season with a 32-50 record. Duke fans will be happy to note that Pacers coach Jim O’Brien recently announced that McRoberts will start over ex-Tar Heel Tyler Hansbrough,

Cusack

whose poor preseason doomed him to the bench. Considering the painful memories of Hansbrough’s triumphs in Cameron, it’s got to be cathartic for those fans to see him sitting on the bench in favor of a former Duke player—even if it is the oftvillified McRoberts. “[Hansbrough] was behind coming in because he didn’t have a training camp last year, then he missed most of the season, and the more times he misses five-onfive, the further behind he gets,” O’Brien said early in October. “There’s no way of sugar-coating it. He’ll start to catch up once he’s able to go in every drill we do.” Hansbrough and McRoberts will be joined courtside by 2003 All-ACC firstteamer and former Blue Devil Dahntay Jones. They all take on another former ACC guy and Dukie, Corey Maggette, and his new team, the Milwaukee Bucks, on Nov. 5. Maggette has moved from one rebuilding squad to another over his career, arriving in Milwaukee this year after stints with the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic. He will likely be the primary offensive option on the team after finishing in the league’s top-

Two forwards—one experienced, one a rookie—from Tobacco Road were named to the Associated Press preseason All-America team Monday. Duke senior Kyle Singler was the leading vote-getter on the team and the only repeat selection. The Blue Devils’ captain was listed on 62 of the 65 ballots in the media poll after being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four last season and averaging 17.7 points and seven rebounds a game last season. “Someone asked me if we don’t win a national championship, will it ruin the year? You just never know what to expect in the year and toward the end of the year. We’re not worried about that right now,” Singler told the Associated Press. “There’s so much we can accomplish, especially at the beginning of the year and the middle of the year. There’s so much to learn and experience.” While Singler was widely expected to be an All-American this season after spurning the NBA for a chance to repeat as a national champion, many were surprised to see North Carolina

See cusack on page 8

See singler on page 8

by Staff Reports THE CHRONICLE

Rahiel Alemu/The Chronicle

With 62 of a possible 65 votes, Kyle Singler was the top vote-getter on the preseason All-American team.

8 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010 the chronicle

film from page 7 personally looks out for their safety. Long verified this, noting that there have been times in the past three years when Cutcliffe personally has called people down from the towers due to what he perceived as unsafe weather conditions. “The Thursday before the Miami game [this season], it was raining pretty bad and they tried to get an hour’s worth of practice in,” said Adam Barkley, an assistant video coordinator who works full-time for the department and regularly films on the lifts. “But before we even went up in the air, Coach Cut told us that in no uncertain terms we were not to go up.” The close working relationship between Cutcliffe and the videographers includes having coaches on the lifts. Barkley noted that, in addition to Cutcliffe, safeties coach Jim Knowles and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper have spent time on the towers. “I’ve never been worried that it might happen to me,” said Bryan Fox, a senior who works on the film staff. “Coach Cutcliffe, as well as Tom and other support staff, have really been on top of letting us know, even before we set our stuff up.”

Still, despite Duke’s mindfulness regarding the safety of its film staff, the university lacks a standardized policy regarding when exactly the lifts should and should not be used. While the “common sense” reactions have been successful in keeping the staff safe thus far, there is no set of rules in place that states exactly what weather conditions are deemed dangerous enough to prohibit people from being in the towers. Duke may not get a chance to adapt its own policy, though, as signs point towards the NCAA addressing the issue soon. While Duke athletic director Kevin White declined to comment for the story due to his former role as Notre Dame’s athletic director, Long believes the issue will be resolved universally. “We [video directors] have a meeting every year called the Collegiate Sports Video Association, and we bring up problems,” Long said. “I’m sure it will be the first thing brought up at the meetings this year, to establish [a policy] not just here at Duke but maybe throughout the entire NCAA.” This notwithstanding, given the influence of Sullivan’s death and the inherent instability of such lifts, these filming practices may never seem completely safe again. “You feel the sway every time you go up there,” Barkley said. “You never feel quite normal.”

singler from page 7

cusack from page 7

freshman Harrison Barnes named to the team as well. The consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2010 class, Barnes is the first freshman to make the preseason team since voting began in 1986. The selection will likely add to the pressure on Barnes to revive the Tar Heels after a disastrous 2010 season that ended in an NIT berth and the departure of Ed Davis, Will Graves and David and Travis Wear. “This is indicative of the great respect that Harrison has nationally, and it’s an unbelievable accomplishment for a freshman,” North Carolina head coach Roy Williams told the Associated Press. “I know Harrison would agree, however, that it would be even more exciting to make the All-America team that’s picked after the season.” Barnes, though, received the lowest vote total amongst the first-team with 17. Joining Barnes and Singler are Kansas State’s Jacob Pullen, BYU’s Jimmer Fredette, and Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson, all of whom received more than 46 votes.

20 in points-per-game and field goal percentage last season. Plus, a top-heavy Eastern Conference will provide an opportunity for Maggette to make the playoffs for the second time in his career. J.J. Redick and Chris Duhon likely have the best chance of any ex-Blue Devil to win an NBA championship. Both will come off the bench for the Orlando Magic, which will compete with LeBron and Co. in Miami and the Boston Celtics for top seeding in the playoff bracket. It’s been quite the turnaround for two Blue Devils who were widely expected to be busts at the professional level. If you’re interested in the stronger Western Conference, there are even more Blue Devils to follow. Three potential playoff teams employ Blue Devils at key positions: the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, and Phoenix Suns. Grant Hill will team up with Steve Nash to lead a young Suns team reeling after the offseason loss of Amare Stoudemire. Seeing if the 38-year-old Hill can make it through the rigors of an 82-game season is worth watching by itself—it’s a far cry from the dominating

athlete Hill was in his days as a Blue Devil. Shane Battier is in a similar situation in Houston, pairing with fellow veteran Yao Ming to lead the youthful Rockets. Watching Battier is not for a fan new to the game, though. Battier has averaged 9.8 points-per-game and 4.7 reboundsper-game in his nine NBA seasons, but is known mostly for his defense and intangibles. While Battier’s defensive abilities provoked awe in the Cameron Crazies years ago, the strength of his game are not exactly made for SportsCenter, explaining his relative obscurity to the casual fan. More exciting will be the Chicago Bulls, with two ex-Blue Devils in the starting five: Luol Deng and offseason addition Carlos Boozer. Boozer will be out until late November with a hand injury, though, and by that point Michigan State will be headed to Durham as part of the ACC/Big 10 Challenge on Dec. 1. There’s plenty of Duke basketball to watch in the next few weeks, even if waiting in line for a few hours to see an inter-division pummeling seems like an anticlimactic start to a national title defense. But the good news is the NBA season will still be here in April to help let you down slowly from March Madness, regardless of how far the actual 2010-11 Blue Devils advance in the tournament.

CORRECTION

Chronicle file photo

J. J. Redick has become a solid pro, and he has the best chance of any Duke alum to win an NBA championship, Cusack writes.

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the chronicle TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010 | 9

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The Chronicle reasons why i’m not voting: midterms don’t matter: �� twei, nina can’t open one friggin booth here, BOE?: �� doughyruppy statistically, you don’t matter: �� where in the world? no chance to vote for munger: ��charlie, bus stop haven’t really gotten behind o donnell...: ��andyk, vinik ... and her no masturbation campaign: �� yeo, ted, dana if you don’t vote teabagger, swift kick to the head: ��xpena OBAMA SAID THINGS WOULD BE DIFFERENT: �� remi Barb Starbuck says they’re kidding, you should vote: �� Barb

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The Chronicle

10 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010 the chronicle commentaries

“

Vote today Spurred on by the excite- taking place after a presiment of the 2008 election dential election of historic and the enthusiasm sur- significance. The 2008 elecrounding then-presidential tion brought out the most candidate Barack Obama, diverse group of voters for a Duke students turned out presidential election in U.S. to vote early in history, accordlarge numbers ing to the Los editorial two years ago. Angeles Times, During the busiest single day, and produced the third-high1,138 voters showed up at an est showing of young voters, on-campus early voting site according to The Chronicle in the Old Trinity Room. By of Higher Education. Young the time Election Day had voters also made up more passed, 85 percent of regis- than half of the 15 million tered Duke students had cast first-time voters that turned their ballots. out in 2008. As of yesterday, however, Turnout for midterm only about 170 students with elections is historically lower on-campus addresses had than for presidential elecparticipated in early voting tions, and this year Durham for this year’s midterm elec- could not afford to offer an tions. on-campus voting location at This election cycle is a Duke like it did in 2010, acunique one because it is cording to Guenther Peck,

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Last time I checked this country was founded and thrived on people immigrating here from other countries, hence our diversity. They weren’t deported then (which most likely included your family) and shouldn’t be deported now. —“softy13” commenting on the story “Illegal students struggle for higher education.” See more at www.dukechronicle.com.

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Fred W. Shaffer associate professor of history and public policy. While we understand why voter enthusiasm has waned, Duke’s drop-off in voter turnout has been startling compared to its peers like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and we maintain that voting is an essential exercise of civic engagement. Despite the undeniable influence young voters had on the outcome of the 2008 elections, political apathy is seeing another surge across college campuses and among young voters. Whether President Obama, extreme candidates or a lack of close races is the scapegoat, political apathy does not do any of us any

good. It results in us blindly complying with decisions voting citizens make on behalf of the country. As educated people and citizens, voting is a fundamental responsibility. How can we be students at a university that encourages us to “challenge ourselves and change our world”— DukeEngage’s motto—when we fail to engage with our own country’s political system? And indeed the logic of voter apathy is the same kind of logic that regards individual acts of service as irrelevant. One single vote is unlikely to alter an election, just as an individual DukeEngage project is not likely to change the world itself. Both are the kinds of acts that an educated citizenry should

value—they challenge us to inform ourselves about the world around us. Rock the Vote, a nonprofit, non-partisan political organization, noted that just 280,000 young voters signed up in its midterm elections voter drive, a fraction of the 2.5 million who eagerly put their name on voter forms two years ago. So, challenge yourself. Take the time out today to inform yourself about the candidates and the issues and vote, whether by absentee ballot or right here in Durham. Duke Student Government has partnered with Parking and Transportation Services to provide a free shuttle to nearby polling locations. Do your part to change our world by voting today.

Call of duty

uke undergraduates over the age of 18 and ing so outdone by our peer institutions. Why have who are citizens of the United States: You Duke students dropped the ball? Judging from should be ashamed. this and other statistics from colleges across the I know you have papers to write, nation, it seems that the problem exams to study for and parties that is on our campus. you absolutely have to attend because Specifically, there has been a you’ve been sober and in the library lack of urgency with regard to tofor the past five days. Yes, you’re busy. day’s midterm election. In terms But no amount of papers, exams and of promoting awareness and ensemi-formals absolve you of a fundacouraging involvement, we must mental duty to your country vis-à-vis look to organizations such as the political power granted to you, the Duke College Republicans metty fisseha namely, your right to vote. (DCR), Duke Democrats, DSG i’m just saying The sensational presidential elecand Student Affairs, whose comtion of 2008 has come and gone and bined efforts can help or hurt the yes, Duke’s impressive voter turn out two years Duke community’s attitude toward the midterm ago was commendable. But that just makes it even election. Take the fact that students must go off more appalling that, with just five days before mid- campus to cast their vote but that, up until today, term elections this year, less than 1 percent of Duke Duke had not been offering transportation needstudents had cast their vote. I will admit that presi- ed for them to get to the booths. While the e-mail dential election can be seen as more exciting or sent by DSG yesterday to students about providing even more important than midterm elections. But vans to the polls is a step in the right direction, the it doesn’t take a political science major (ahem) to fact that it didn’t come until the day before elecknow that the upcoming midterm elections carry tions is disappointing. just as much weight if not more than the elections We should have been actively encouraging stuthat put Obama in office two years ago. dents to vote through a well thought-out campaign Allow Vice President Biden to explain. that integrated efforts of Duke Dems, DCR, DSG In an article for ABCNews, Biden is quoted on and Student Affairs—not publicizing for a free the issue of this year’s midterm election as saying, transportation program the day before elections. “This is a real important election.... It’s more imporFurther, the recent events involving Justin tant than the one that got Barack and me elected.” Robinette and the DCR has, for many students, He explains that if the Democrats lose in the House jeopardized the credibility of the group as well as or the Senate based on voter behavior in the mid- that of all Duke political organizations. In light of term elections, then all of the efforts made by the these realities, Duke Dems and DCR should have Obama administration and the Democratic Party been working together to overcome this and prowill not only be stunted but perhaps even reversed. mote voter participation. It hasn’t been an easy In other words, voting today in the midterm elec- year for our politically affiliated groups on camtions either enables or disables President Obama pus, namely for DCR, so there should have been from enacting his administration’s agenda. an increase in activity from these groups so as to So why hasn’t the Duke community reacted to redeem their respective reputations and continue this call of duty? Granted, while not everyone may to serve their duty to the Duke community. know the inner workings of the American democratPerhaps this dramatic drop in political participaic system, we as educated college students should be tion at Duke has failed to take absentee voting into among the population of Americans that are at least consideration. Or, perhapis it has less to do with the somewhat informed. And the assumption is that if on campus dynamic and is instead a criticism on the greater Duke population knew what’s at stake the election process as the whole. Maybe it is time then people would be flocking to the voting booth to revisit the traditional physical “ballot-casting” sysin masses. But so far this hasn’t been the case, while tem and shift toward an electronic voting option our peers—Tar Heels among them—have stepped that makes it more convenient for citizens to enup to vote in much greater numbers. gage their government. Either way, Duke students An article for the Chronicle titled “Early votes should put their commitments aside today, for a ‘alarmingly’ low for Duke” notes that “whereas few hours, and serve their country at the frontlines Duke’s voter turnout in 2008 was greater than that of the voter booth—no matter how inconvenient, of surrounding universities, its turnout this year or seemingly unimportant it may be. has been one tenth that of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.” Duke’s low turnout Metty Fisseha is a Trinity senior. Her column runs every would not have been as alarming if we weren’t be- Tuesday.

the chronicle

Oldies, but goldies?

have distinct memories of sitting in the backseat of the Lester family 1999 Ford Expedition. Even though there were only two of us, my brother and I would fight over the middle seat of the third row, leaving what seemed to be an immensity of space between the driver and us. Sometimes we would unbuckle our seatbelts, just because we could. Even though our parents claimed to have eyes in the back of their heads, we knew those molly lester “eyes” couldn’t possibly be powerful enough to see past the vast- more taste, less filling ness that was the empty middle row. No, in that third row, we were invincible to the laws of the road, but we weren’t invincible to our parents’ music. Whether we were on the way to school or the grocery store, the Expedition’s radio dial was always turned to 97.1, Fox 97 (that’s nineeeeee-teeee sevennnnn), “Atlanta’s feel good music station.” Golden oldies roared throughout the confines of the car, and it seemed like with each song, our parents would recount a story about where they were when that song debuted. Headed to school, we’d sing along with the Beach Boys— “wouldn’t it be nice if we were older, then we wouldn’t have to wait so long”—and hear tales of a first middle school dance in the 1960s. The tune was catchy, the lyrics easy to remember (and void of swear words!) and the message appropriate for impressionable children. On the way to soccer practice, Marvin Gaye would re-seduce my mother like he’d done in ’71, crooning “What’s Going On.” She’d tell us that this was the “single best song to dance to in college,” whatever that means, and her hand would keep time to the beat as we weaved in and out of traffic. The Expedition’s radio playlists were composed of wholesome, “feel good music” that my parents wanted to share with my brother and me, even if we distanced ourselves on the third row island. The songs served as glimpses of a life back when times (and music) were simpler. But that was then and this is now. I’m leaving my nostalgic tone behind and turning on my sarcastic switch because, you realize, our children are never going to have the experience my brother and I had in the Expedition. If you’ve been listening to the same sort of music that I have for the past 10 years, I hope you don’t plan on sharing it with your future kiddies. When I think of my own middle school dances, my first kiss and my first pair of totally awesome low-rise Seven jeans, I don’t think of a Beach Boys’ song about saving myself for marriage. No, I think of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s infamous one hit wonder, “Baby Got Back.” My waspy tween friends and I would awkwardly dance in the school’s gym, screaming lines like, “I want ‘em real thick and juicy, so find that juicy double.” I mean, 20 years from now, I sure hope San Francisco (Facebook’s “What city do you belong in?” quiz told me that’s the city that best suits me) doesn’t have an “oldies” station that promotes “feel good music” from the Aughts. It would undoubtedly play a lot of songs about hoez, rimz and bling, and I can just imagine making up answers to my kids’ uncomfortable questions about the songs’ subject matter. I can see it now… “Hey Mom, what’s a freak?” Or, “When we were babies, did we have ‘back?’” And worse, “How come Kelis’ milkshake brings all the boys to the yard?” Sadder still, if my hypothetical, futuristic children were to ask me who performed at my favorite concert of all time, I’d have to honestly answer with Kanye West, Usher and a surprise guest appearance by Ludacris. The year was 2005. I was 15, my skirt was short and I knew every word to every song performed that night. The highlight of the evening was the finale performance of “Yeah.” Ludacris appeared on stage and the whole crowd went wild as he told us he wanted “a lady in the streets, but a freak in the bed.” So how exactly do you share the music from your young adulthood with your children? I’m thinking you don’t. I’m thinking you lose the radio, load up the old iPod with everything but the rappers and tell the kids that in addition to magically growing eyes in the back of your head at age 30, country music was your favorite genre. By the time they realize they’ve been deprived of sharing in your musical history, they will be old enough to keep your “thug lyfe” in perspective. Molly Lester is a Trinity senior. Her column runs every other Tuesday.

commentaries

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010 | 11

Improving the marketplace

he Duke Student Government academic affairs are forums—notably lacking in the traditional academic portfolio is not an easy one and is often misun- governance structures of the University—in which to derstood. The challenge for this particular vice share the student perspective on curriculum and campresident is to generate the types of pus intellectual climate. ideas that take years to mature but to The result should be reasoned reports work on them for only eight months. reflecting student experience and ideas Almost no academic affairs project that take into consideration thorough recan be accomplished in a single year. search and many consultations with faculThe fact that the DSG vice presity. This type of student involvement won’t dent for academic affairs has to lobby be easy to dismiss on the basis of naïveté administrators who have vastly more or brashness. They will, in the words of professional and institutional experi- gregory morrison the DSG statute establishing the commitence is another challenge. tees, “start a dialogue that administrators finish the thought will be compelled to hear and respect.” For example, current DSG Vice President for Academic Affairs Kaveh Danesh, The work of these committees can be a junior, is in his second year working on academic policy a meaningful student contribution to the academic issues. On the other hand, Provost Peter Lange arrived policy “marketplace of ideas.” at Duke in 1981. Dean and Vice Provost of UndergraduYet, the fact that Danesh is forced to innovate to involve ate Education Steve Nowicki arrived in 1989. Dean of students in the formulation of academic policy is a pity. Academic Affairs for Trinity College Lee Baker arrived in Students definitely have some seats at the proverbial 1995. That’s a combined 65 years of Duke experience— table. The DSG vice president for academic affairs and almost 22 times as much as Danesh—for the three admin- one other undergraduate student representative are istrators who drive the University’s academic policy. full voting members of the Academic Affairs CommitToo often this experience differential gets in the tee of the Board of Trustees. Student representatives sit way of meaningful student input on academic or cur- on the Curriculum, Faculty Interaction, Program II and ricular issues. Global Education committees of the Arts and Sciences Chelsea Goldstein, Trinity ’10 and DSG vice presi- Council. Ruth Day, chair of the Arts and Sciences Coundent for academic affairs in 2008-2009, said there is cil prepared a helpful “Student Guide” for the students “not really a good place in the structure of academic who sit on A&S committees and has herself been accesgovernance to insert student opinion,” and that often sible to student leaders wishing to discuss course evaluaadministrators, unintentionally I’m sure, show “a lack tions and curriculum. These are great opportunities for of regard for student opinion on academic and cur- the University to hear the student perspective. ricular issues.” The Academic Standards Committee of However, the Arts and Sciences Council lacks a forum the Arts and Sciences Council, recently created in large in which to receive student ideas generally. This deficienpart to accept student input, is now officially defunct. cy reduces student leaders to forming ad hoc commitThere is a limit, obviously, in terms of what impact tees and working to lobby individual administrators like students ought to have on the academic policies of the Chair Day or Provost Lange instead of working through University. Faculty should be the driving force in devel- accessible and understood hierarchies. In addition to deoping curriculum. Students need not have a fundamen- signing a mechanism to more fully incorporate student tal role in decisions like who gets tenure or which depart- input (as the old Academic Standards Committee was ments hire which new professors. Bringing students into supposed to do), the A&S Council should also allow a the room is not always helpful, and sometimes might be student representative to be included on the Budget and downright counterproductive, but, as Goldstein said, Priorities Committee, much as the DSG president is inthere is absolutely “value [in] having student opinions cluded on the University Priorities Committee. Students in the marketplace of ideas in a meaningful way” when it should not be excluded from the important conversacomes to the academic affairs of the University. tions about how to allocate limited resources. The DSG Senate’s recent approval of Danesh’s proStudent advocacy regarding academic policy isn’t posal to establish two student committees to examine easy, hampered as it is by high turnover in elected the intellectual climate and curriculum at Duke is in- leadership and short institutional memory. A student novative and has great potential. commitment to make informed contributions and an These committees have at their heart research and administrative commitment to structurally innovate faculty involvement, marking a fundamental recognition in order to receive student input will go a long way that students are not the only stakeholders—or even the to ensure robust dialogue on campus about the most most relevant ones—in these two areas. Danesh noted fundamental function of the University: education. that the faculty, in many ways, “define” Duke. Their parThe “marketplace of ideas” will then be open and ticipation in both committees will inform and improve ready for business. student input. As Danesh cautioned, students “all have ideas about curriculum and [intellectual] climate, but Gregory Morrison is a Trinity senior and former Duke those ideas could well be wrong.” The new committees Student Government EVP. His column runs every Tuesday.

12 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010 the chronicle

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