The Chronicle T h e i n d e p e n d e n t d a i ly at D u k e U n i v e r s i t y
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 53
www.dukechronicle.com
Brooks speaks Upswing in early applicants continues on government Record 2,282 Class of 2015 applicants a 14 percent increase over last year inefficiencies by Anna Koelsch THE CHRONICLE
For the second year in a row, a record number of high school seniors have applied early decision to Duke.
by Chinmayi Sharma
The number of applicants increased by 14 percent, from 2,007 last year to 2,282 this year, said Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag. Guttentag said the increase follows
THE CHRONICLE
We hear too often about America’s impending doom, said David Brooks, political pundit and New York Times journalist. It is time, he believes, that we started talking about the remedy. In Tuesday’s annual Terry Sanford Distinguished Lecture, Brooks spoke to hundreds of students, faculty and political enthusiasts about legislative gridlock. Brooks believes that increasing polarization has poisoned the political process and shaken Americans’ faith in government. “People basically know what needs to be done,” he said of the need to reform the system. “[But] we don’t know the avenue to get there.” Brooks said he believes that the twoparty system has trapped politicians in a “social, tribal cycle” which prevents them from straying too far from their party’s ideology. This rigidity is a product of a congressional culture rooted less and less in personal interaction. “The parties talk about each other as if the other side lacks human features,” he said, noting that congressmen rarely See brooks on page 12
Chronicle graphic by melissa yeo
The number of early decision applicants to the University has risen in recent years, reaching record levels as some peer institutions have eliminated their early acceptance programs.
the general trend the University has experienced in early decision applications. “In the last three years, we’ve seen a steady and dramatic increase,” Guttentag said. “I think we’ve done a better job of making sure students understand what a Duke education is about and why it is appealing.” Provost Peter Lange said the combination of academic excellence and unique opportunities like DukeEngage partially accounts for the increase. Of this year’s applicants to the Class of 2015, 1,923 applied to the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and 359 applied to the Pratt School of Engineering—a 14 and 12 percent increase over last year, respectively. The largest increases by geographic location among states with more than 100 applicants were seen in California, New York and Texas. Among states with at least 50 applicants, South Carolina, Michigan and Georgia experienced the greatest increases. Additionally, 191 international students applied early decision, marking an 11 percent increase from last year. “It’s my 28th year working in college admissions and I’ve never seen interest this high,” Guttentag said, adding that the increase in competitiveness in the past few See early on page 5
City still faces poverty, health challenges, DPD chief says by Robert Dunlap THE CHRONICLE
thanh-ha nguyen/The Chronicle
Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez spoke in Duke Chapel Tuesday, addressing the crime, drugs and mental health issues plaguing the city.
Duke Police Chief Jose Lopez recognized the challenges that remain for Bull City in his Chapel address yesterday. Although he praised both Durham for being an engaged city and the University for leaving its footprint “just about everywhere” in the city, he called poverty, drug addiction and mental health issues the biggest issues facing Durham. “[We need to] look at the youth who are really disconnected from society, who are not in school, who are not working and who live in a fantasy world and may commit a crime to supplement their income or supplement their addiction,” he said. “There are a lot of individuals who are depressed, addicted to a lot of different narcotics and drugs. And with a lot colleges nearby—and students there who use drugs, coupled with a lot of people who don’t watch after their property—it sets up a nice little situation for people to sell drugs and comfortably be able to purchase [them].” Lopez said the prevalence of drugs leads to robberies and larcenies, particularly from “people who are on their way to buy drugs.” Mental health is also a major issue that needs to be addressed in Durham, he said. Lopez added that in a men-
ONTHERECORD
“The tradition may be fumbled, but the game is not yet lost.”
—Fourth-year med student Alex Fanaroff.” See column page 11
M. soccer takes on ACC tourney today, Page 7
tally healthy community, crime would not be as directly linked to poverty and drug addiction. “There are a lot of people we see out there that really need help. They need to get their lives in order and the police don’t do that,” he said. “That’s something that needs to be done by professionals and social workers. The police are a great agent, but you have to have someone to refer people to.” The police chief addressed immigrant reform, as well, though he noted that “quite frankly it is not today’s issue—it has been in this country for many years,” and referred to “the Irish and the Chinese who [helped] build this country.” He said that although he believes there does need to be immigration reform, it will not come from a local level. Until that change arrives, he said he would like illegal immigrants in Durham to feel more free to come forward and report crime without fear of compromising their own tentative position in America. Lopez was at Duke for a discussion with Dean of the Chapel Sam Wells as a part of the Dean’s Dialogues series, “Listening to the Heart of Durham.” Lopez began the discussion by recounting the experiences that brought See lopez on page 6
Bone marrow drive nets more than 200 registrants, Page 3