November 10, 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

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

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worldandnation onschedule...

Health Care Conference GeneenAuditorium,8a.m.-4:30p.m. The Fuqua School’s Health Sector Management welcomes you to participate in its annual conference.

on the

FREE Flu Shots Bryan Center, 11a.m.-5:30p.m. Duke students, swing by the Bryan Center to get a free flu shot! Getting sick is bad; getting everyone else sick is worse!

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THURSDAY:

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An Evening with Dave Eggers Page Auditorium, 6-7p.m. Dave Eggers will be discussing his award winning book “Zeitoun” and share his thoughts on Hurricane Katrina.

web

“The new Duke apparel website called Ampersand Threads has been shut down indefinitely after creator Mitchell Phillips had decided to not fight a legal battle with the University over copyright privileges. He also wrote that he never wanted to hurt the school or the team. Smith is in the process of speaking to Duke stores to see if he can get some of his designs in stock.” — From The Chronicle Sports Blog sports.chronicleblogs.com

Michael naclerio/The Chronicle

Kalpana Sonar, mother of two teenage boys, was treated for high high blood pressure and dizziness last October. Within a week she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Doctors say a perverse twist of science makes Indians susceptible to diabetes--an ironic twist for those who have escaped childhood malnutrition and deprivation. 7.1 percent of Indian adults suffer from diabetes.

“

TODAY:

What you really value is what you miss, not what you have. — Jorge Borges

”

TODAY IN HISTORY 1801: Kentucky outlaws dueling.

Elderly drivers become the Territorial disagreements focus of new traffic studies cause friction in Japan WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the number of people 65 or older expected to double in the next three decades, the elderly are driving more often, are taking longer trips and seem rooted in communities where getting around by car is the only option. The graying of the roads prompted the National Transportation Safety Board this week to host its first forum on aging drivers to analyze the impacts of the change. Within 15 years, people 65 and older will make up more than 20 percent of the driving population, officials said. Research shows that elderly drivers are getting into fewer deadly automobile accidents, but even those who try to select the safest hours of the day to drive can’t escape heavy traffic if they live in congested urban regions where “rush hour” has expanded to encompass more of the day.

off the

wire...

TOKYO — Japanese border disputes with China and Russia are thwarting the goals of Prime Minister Naoto Kan to improve ties with its neighbors and reduce dependence on the U.S. security umbrella. The September collision of a Chinese fishing boat with two Japanese Coast Guard vessels near islands claimed by both sides increased friction between Asia’s largest economies. Last week’s visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to an island also claimed by Japan hurt ties as well. The incidents underscored Japan’s weakness relative to its largest neighbors and its dependence on the United States, said Bhubhindar Singh, a professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore who specializes in Japanese security policy. Former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in February 2009 called for a “more equal” relationship with Japan’s biggest ally.

Study says achievement gaps still prevalent

tion Atten ear first-y s… nt stude

Did you know that you can apply to become a Robertson Scholar?

The Robertson Scholars Program invites you to an open information session to learn more about this opportunity! Learn more at our info session:

Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 5PM Von Canon A/B

• Meet members of the program staff • Discuss program benefits and expectations • Review important information about the application process

Please join us! Learn more at www.robertsonscholars.org, or contact Kristin Miller, miller@robertsonscholars.org.

the chronicle

wednesday, november 10, 2010 | 3

Students sign up to donate bone marrow

duu

A Few good men

Group aims to balance exec duties

by Brandon Levy THE CHRONICLE

In an attempt to save the lives of leukemia patients, prospective bone marrow donors swabbed their cheeks in the Bryan Center last Thursday. Although the process of registration is simple, it could save many lives. For senior Kyle Gerbe, whose close friend died of leukemia because no donor could be found for her, the cause is an important one. “You [can save] a life by doing it,” he said. “It’s an incredible opportunity. There’s no downside to registering.” More than 200 students participated in a bone marrow donor registration drive in Von Canon Hall in the Bryan Center. The event was sponsored by DKMS Americas, a branch of an international nonprofit that registers bone marrow donors and matches them with patients. About 70 percent of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant must depend on donors outside their family, but only four out of 10 of those patients will eventually receive the transplant they need, according to the DKMS website. College students are particularly important as registered donors because 40 percent of DKMS’ donors first registered between the ages of 18 and 22. Last week’s registration drive was planned and organized by Gerbe, the

by Tullia Rushton THE CHRONICLE

shariza baranyanka/The Chronicle

Dean and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Steve Nowicki speaks at the 100th anniversary celebration of former Duke President William Few’s inauguration, held in Perkins Library Tuesday.

With a goal of more evenly distributed responsibilities and increased clarity among executive positions, Duke University Union members voted Tuesday to restructure its executive board. Members moved to replace the vice president of internal affairs, vice president of external affairs and secretary positions with vice president programming and vice president administrative. According to current Vice President of Internal Affairs Elliot Johnson, a senior, these new roles would create more cohesion among board members and more distinct and defined roles as well. “Looking at the roles of the vice presidents... for the VP external affairs, there’s not much to do anymore while [VP internal affairs] does quite a bit,” said current Vice President of External Affairs Will Benesh, a senior, adding that DUU would get more done if certain VPs weren’t overloaded with their responsibilities. Johnson said VP programming would assume essentially all of the roles of VP internal affairs, which handles anything in DUU among specific committees.

See donors on page 5

See duu on page 6

The Living Policy Forum and the Sanford School of Public Policy present

“Ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Eric Alva Thursday, Nov. 11 Noon - 1 p.m. Sanford 04 Free Staff Sgt. Eric Alva was the first American wounded in the Iraq war. He received a medical discharge, a Purple Heart and instant fame in 2003. He is also gay. In 2007, he joined the Human Rights Campaign to work for repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. This Veteran’s Day, come hear why this combat veteran has taken the public stage to speak against this policy.

CLIMATE CHANGE, BOREAL FORESTS AND THE LEGACIES OF HISTORY Dr. Nancy Langston November 11th at 4:30 p.m. Love Auditorium, LSRC Duke University (West Campus) The 2010 Lynn W. Day Distinguished Lectureship in Forest and Conservation History welcomes Dr. Nancy Langston, Professor in the Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology with appointments in the Department of History and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Author of Forest Dreams, Forest Nightmares and Toxic Bodies: Hormone Disruptors and the Legacy of DES, Langston is Editor-elect for the journal Environmental History. She will explore the connections between forests, fisheries, toxics, and climate change, focusing on Lake Superior boreal forests.

Parking is available in the parking deck on Science Drive at a cost of $2.00. For a map of the area go to: http://map.duke.edu/parking/1 Co-sponsored by the Kenan Institute for Ethics, Duke LGBT Center and OUTLaw

A reception will follow at 5:30 p.m. in the Hall of Science.

Contact: Mary Lindsley 613-7312

www.sanford.duke.edu

The Lectureship is sponsored by the Forest History Society, the Duke University Department of History, and the Nicholas School of the Environment. For more information and directions please call the Forest History Society, 919/682-9319. www.foresthistory.org

4 | wednesday, november 10, 2010 the chronicle

UNC-Duke Obama backs partnership India for U.N. has slow start council seat Apparently Duke students wouldn’t collaborate with the Tar Heels if you paid them. No applications had been submitted as of Monday for the Kenan-Biddle Partnership, which will allocate $150,000 over three years to collaborative projects at Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Daily Tar Heel reported. The initiative will support studentled projects that contribute to the scholarly or public service missions of the two universities in grants of about $5,000 each, according to a Duke News release. Duke Student Government President Mike Lefevre, a senior, told the DTH that a lack of effective promotion might explain the lack of applications. Since reading the article the Daily Tar Heel published, however, he told The Chronicle that he now realizes the issue can likely be attributed to the tendency of college students to put off applications until the last minute. The program’s deadline is Nov. 15. “Reading that article, I actually got some new insight,” Lefevre said. “Since then, I’ve heard about at least two [applications] that are in the works.” —from staff reports

Live Smart

by Scott Wilson and Emily Wax THE washington Post

NEW DELHI - President Barack Obama endorsed India’s desire for a permanent seat on an expanded U.N. Security Council, a symbolic gesture sure to cement the goodwill he earned on a visit here this week but equally likely to trouble neighboring China and Pakistan. Obama’s embrace of the idea, part of a generous valedictory to India’s Parliament and people, demonstrated the geopolitical complexity that the United States faces in the region and that the president has had to navigate. There is little prospect that other members of the Security Council will agree to invite India in, and Washington is heavily dependent on China for its economic engine and counts on Pakistan to help it wage the Afghan war. On the eve of his arrival five days ago, many Indians believed Obama placed their interests behind those of its regional rivals. Few Indians hold the same opinion as he leaves. “The United States not only welcomes India as a rising global power, we fervently support it, and we have worked to help make it a reality,” Obama said. “With India assuming its rightful place in the world, we have an historic opportunity to make the relationship between our two See india on page 6

tracy huang/The Chronicle

Students outline their plans for “smarter living” at the William B. Senner Grant Awards Competition at the Duke Smart Home Tuesday, presenting either research, prototype or implementation projects.

the chronicle

donors from page 3 philanthropy chair of Kappa Alpha Order, with the help of several dozen volunteers. Gerbe first contacted DKMS in late September, and the organization helped him get the necessary supplies. Other than that, he said, most of the work consisted of contacting as many people as possible about the event. “Publicity and getting the word out were all there was to it,” he said. A total of 217 Duke students registered at Thursday’s event, Gerbe said, adding that he was highly satisfied with the drive’s results. The drive was even more successful than similar events held at other universities recently, he added, with 180 registered at Harvard University and nearly 500 at the University of Missouri, a larger school whose drive lasted five days. To help plan, publicize and run the event, Gerbe enlisted the help of multiple university organizations, including several other Greek organizations. Gerbe said approximately 50 students volunteered at the drive itself, including 45 Kappa Alpha members. In addition, the volunteers organized a fundraiser to help cover the costs of labor and long-term storage of donor information. They hosted the Metro 8 club on 9th Street on the night of the drive, donating the $1 cover charge to the bone marrow registry. Junior Austin Sutton, who led the planning of the fundraiser, said the event raised $450. “It wasn’t as large a turnout as we could have had, but overall we’re just happy we could help out,” Sutton said. DKMS covered the $65 cost of registering each student, allowing the Duke volunteers to focus on publicizing the event. Although students were able to make donations to DKMS when they registered, Gerbe said that

wednesday, november 10, 2010 | 5

money was not what was important. “We just asked people to pay whatever they could,” Gerbe said. “DKMS really helped to cover the cost pretty much exclusively.” Many people avoid registering as marrow donors because they have an inaccurate perception of the donation process, Gerbe said. In the past, donors were given no anesthesia and the procedure could only be performed by extracting marrow directly from the donor’s pelvis with a large needle. “Because of that, nobody wanted to be a registered donor,” Gerbe said. “People were scared. That stigma has stayed attached to it, which is why the registry is so small.” But a new procedure called peripheral blood stem cell collection allows donors to help leukemia patients through a much less painful procedure. In the process, blood is removed from one arm and passed through a machine that separates the stem cells from the blood while the remaining blood is returned through the other arm. Although the process takes about 6 to 8 hours, it is no more painful than giving blood. Alex Miller, a junior who registered at a similar drive organized by the Delta Delta Delta sorority last year, was recently matched with a patient—something that does not happen to most registered donors. Miller received a package in the mail and a phone call telling him that he had been selected. “It came out of nowhere. I was really surprised,” he said. After undergoing a series of tests to ensure that he is healthy, Miller must now wait for the patient to be well enough for the transplant. When the time comes, DKMS will fly him to Washington, D.C., for the procedure. “I’m really excited to do it but definitely still kind of anxious,” he said.

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early from page 1 years makes early decision an attractive option for seniors. Other top universities have experienced sharp increases in early decision applicants. Northwestern University reported a 22 percent increase in applicants and the University of Pennsylvania reported a 17 percent increase. Although many institutions have recently eliminated their early admittance programs, the practice continues to be a

“If we had lost the [national championship] game on the last shot, it is hard for me to imagine a student choosing not to apply to Duke.” — Christoph Guttentag, dean of Undergraduate Admissions stronghold for Duke, Guttentag said, adding that the University is not considering phasing out early decision. “There is a cohort of students for whom Duke is a clear first choice,” he said. “We like having some proportion of the class that is able to say that they knew Duke was their first choice.” Lange said Duke especially emphasized the advantages of applying early decision this year, which may help to explain the rise in applications. In light of the economic downturn, Guttentag said there has been a “deliberate effort” to assure applicants and their

families that financial aid is available. “We are serious in our desire to make Duke affordable,” Guttentag said. He added that the University’s need-blind admissions policy demonstrates a commitment to offering all admitted students the opportunity to attend. Director of Financial Aid Alison Rabil said she does not know how many applicants applied for financial aid. University recruitment has likewise been affected by the tightening budget. Duke Admissions reduced its recruiting expenses by 10 percent this year and has not made any major changes in its methods, Guttentag said. “We didn’t make any special efforts to attract students, which makes the increase [in early decision applications] interesting,” he said, adding that the most visible change in recruitment was the distribution of a poster featuring a photo mosaic of the Duke Chapel. Guttentag said he does not think the 2010 national championship win by the men’s basketball team was the underlying factor for the increase. He added that the University is in an “enviable” position because of the strong track record of the basketball team and Duke Athletics as a whole. “If we had lost the game on the last shot, it is hard for me to imagine a student choosing not to apply to Duke,” Guttentag said. “Then again, we didn’t lose the game. So, who knows?” Guttentag, however, stressed that applicants are attracted to more than Duke basketball, highlighting the “classy” reputation of Duke’s Cameron Crazies. “It’s the spirit that Duke students show toward teams, plural,” he said. ”It’s the atmosphere that supports teams that embodies a sense of spirit.”

6 | wednesday, november 10, 2010 the chronicle

lopez from page 1

india from page 4

him to Durham in 2007 after serving in Connecticut at the Hartford Police Department for more than 23 years. Having applied for the position of police chief of Durham five years earlier, he decided to take the city up on its offer when the position opened again. “I wanted to move to the South because I got into an argument with my snowblower and I did not want to be around it anymore,” Lopez joked before getting serious. “I looked at the statistics, looked at the police department, and from a professional law enforcement stance [DPD] looked like a very good organization.” During the discussion, Wells addressed the media’s negative portrayal of the Duke-Durham relationship and how it affected the community’s interaction with the University. “Many people watching will be quite frustrated with [the] very one dimensional stereotype of rich, white Duke and poor, non-white Durham, [because] obviously, none of those descriptions are accurate or helpful,” Wells said. “Nonetheless, they seem to lodge in the imagination of people, particularly [those] looking for a brief story or looking for information that confirms that kind of story.” Looking forward to Durham’s future, Lopez said he believes that the city must focus on raising employment rates. “We have to build on this economy, and we have to build from the outside,” he said. “There is no gold here.... A lot of corporations are looking for a home [and] this is a great home for them. We have to look at the job situation here in this county—there are a lot of people here who really need blue collar jobs.” Lopez said he is pleased by the positive contribution that law enforcement can make to the community. “You have to care about people. You have to want to make a difference,” he said. “Law enforcement is the only occupation where no matter what you do, whether you’re arresting [someone] or whether you’re solving a crime and assisting a victim, that you’re making a positive difference in someone’s life.”

countries a defining partnership of the century ahead.” On his last day, Obama paid tribute to India’s national hero, Mohandas K. Gandhi, called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh “a dear friend,” and, in a speech that he sprinkled with Hindi words and phrases, criticized Pakistan for failing to stop terrorism. That criticism in some ways may have been an effort to make amends for an earlier rhetorical misstep, when on a first-day visit to a memorial he failed to mention Pakistan as the staging ground for the Nov. 26, 2008, terrorist attack in Mumbai, which killed more than 160 people. The next day a 19-year-old college student in Mumbai asked him why he did not call Pakistan a “terrorist state.” His careful answer, coupled with the previous day’s omission, infuriated Indian commentators, who said Obama was coddling Pakistan. But in his parliamentary address, Obama said, “We will continue to insist to Pakistan’s leaders that terrorist safe havens within their borders are unacceptable, and that the terrorists behind the Mumbai attacks be brought to justice.” The line received the most applause of the evening. “In Mumbai, Obama looked like a salesman of American companies,” said Sanjay Nirupam, a lawmaker from Mumbai, referring to the billions of dollars in aircraft, engine and other export contracts Obama announced there. “In today’s speech, he came across as a salesman for India.” Obama’s fondness for India is in part rooted in his fondness for its leader. Singh is a bookish, Oxford-educated economist whom Obama admired from the time of their first lunch together at the Group of 20 summit in London in 2009. At a news conference after their Monday meeting, Obama called Singh “a man of extraordinary intellect and great integrity.” Singh returned the favor by endorsing a U.S. move to promote economic growth at home that has angered other economic powers on the eve of the G-20 summit in Seoul. Obama heads to the conference later this week.

chris dall/The Chronicle

Members of Duke University Union voted to introduce two new executive positions, in order to better distribute duties among officers, at their meeting Tuesday.

duu from page 3 VP programming would also be in charge of “committee bonding,” organizing events such as retreats and orientations. VP administrative will assume the responsibilities of VP external affairs as well as those of the secretary position, which will be eliminated for the 20112012 executive board. In addition to taking notes for each meeting, VP administrative will continue VP external affairs’ role over the Union Consulting Group—which helps student organizations with event planning—and take on overseeing the Freshman Internship Program. Despite the majority of members voting in favor of the executive board restructuring, there was some concern about the overall effect it will have in the future. “I’m not opposed to the change, but

I don’t see a purpose to the change,” said Speakers and Stage Chair Alex Shapanka, a sophomore. Shapanka expressed specific concern with eliminating the position of secretary, saying that taking notes during meetings hinders participation in conversation. However, current Secretary Joyce Kim, a senior, said she can both actively contribute to group discussions and take notes efficiently. In other business: Chairs gave updates about their respective committees, discussing progress and highlighting upcoming events. Animal Planet’s Jeff Corwin will be speaking at Reynolds Theater Thursday at 8 p.m. and will hold a book signing afterward. DUU Major Attractions will also be presenting Matisyahu with Freddie Gibbs Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 8 p.m. in Page Auditorium.

help wanted Congratulations to our 2010 Student Science Education Outreach Grant Awardees! This year’s theme focused on the five senses and how they help us make sense of science, medicine, and everyday life.

Jaclyn Lautz & Fang Yuan; Masters of Engineering Management Program “Visualization Techniques and Spectral Analysis of High-frequency Corona Discharges in Living System Capillaries” Meghan Semancik & Sarah Hochendoner; Neuroscience “Your Brain and the 5 ‘Neurosenses’ “ Carrie Olson-Manning, Paul Durst, & Andrew Manning; Biology & Biochemistry “Let Them Eat Cake!” Kara Leimberger & Ben Finkel; Evolutionary Anthropology “Beyond “Monkey See”: The Diversity of Primate Perception” Claire Gordy & Deirdre Fuller, Damian Maseda, Carlos Goller; Immunology “How Does the Immune System Sense an Infection?” Angela Jiang, Ellen Litkowski, Katherine Xu, & Baninder Baidwan; Biology & Psychology FEMMES: (Females Excelling More in Math, Engineering, and Science): “The Five Senses” Nancy Yang, Charles Li, Jenny Jin, Fola Omofoye, Eva Williams, Yi Yang, & Becky Zon; Public Policy, Biology & Chemistry ScienceDays at Duke: “Sensational Sensory Exploration”

Need Cash Fast?

NeuroCog Trials, a rapidly growing company with close ties to Duke University Medical Center, has been involved in design and implementation of multi-site clinical trials, including rater training and data quality assurance, and neurocognitive test development, for 10 years. We are looking to fill a full-time PhD-level position. This individual will assist in novel test development and validation, trial design, data analysis and interpretation, and business development, and will oversee neurocognitive rater certification and data quality control for multi-site pharmaceutical company trials. These clinical trials usually involve a large meeting of investigators and testers who require certification. Travel to US or international meetings is expected. The person filling the position should be proficient in Excel, SPSS and/or SAS. Expertise in visual design, presentation, and software development is a plus. The starting salary will be competitive with pharmaceutical industry standards with medical benefits. Management skills are essential. Additional requirements: PhD in psychology, neurosciences or related field; experience with neuropsychological or cognitive data collection and analysis; ability to travel on limited basis (average of 3-5 days per month); large-group presentation skills. Experience with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dementia is a plus.

Contact: Dr. Richard Keefe email: PhDpsych@neurocogtrials.com phone: 919-401-4642

Complete computer questionnaires at Fuqua School of Business Receive cash on the spot! For real! We need research participants to fill out business research surveys. You come in and do a 15 minute computer questionnaire and we pay you $8 in cash right on the spot! No joke! There are many different studies listed with varying time lengths and payment amounts. Look at our website: http://experimetrix.com/fuqua For more questions contact: Sarah, spd@duke.edu

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The Chronicle

WEDNESDAY November 10, 2010

Kellie Catanach racked up quite the hardware this week, winning ACC player of the week and College Volleyball Update’s national player of the week

www.dukechroniclesports.com

men’s soccer

Duke looks to continue hot streak in ACCs by Andrew Beaton THE CHRONICLE

Last year, Boston College shut out Duke during the regular season and then again in the first round of the ACC Tournament. With a 1-0 victory over the Eagles earlier this season, the No. 19 Blue Devils are looking to fully avenge last year’s losses as they kick off their ACC Tournament tomorrow night at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. “They beat us twice last year, and we’re going to beat them twice this year,” senior Cole Grossman declared. Duke catches Boston College (9-3-5, 2-24 in the ACC) at a good time, as the No. 21 Eagles have struggled through conference

play this season. Although they impressively tied conference powerhouses Maryland and North Carolina, they only pulled out two conference victories while losing to and drawing with teams they should have beaten. These struggles earned them the No. 5 seed in the tournament. Duke (9-4-4, 3-3-2), on the other hand, enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed, coming off a strong three-game winning streak to finish the season, in which it collectively outscored its opponents 12-2. “We’re absolutely buzzing—we’ve come off three big wins,” sophomore goalie James See m. soccer on page 8

Finley and Wenger named ACC’s offensive and defensive players of the year by Staff Reports THE CHRONICLE

left to right: addison corriher, ted knudsen, addison corriher/The Chronicle

Duke enters the ACC Tournament with the conference’s offensive and defensive players of the year.

Duke’s defense goes back to square one Halfway through the victory in Annapolis two weeks ago, it appeared that the key adjustments the Duke defense had been making were coming to fruition with some degree of permanence. But, just six quarters of football later, it is very clear such a hasty conclusion was Jason ill drawn. The season started off On Football with three terrible performances in which the defense yielded an average of 48 points a game on 511 yards of total offense. In those games, the defense was victimized by both strong rushing and passing attacks and its own

Palmatary

mistakes, including penalties and miscommunication. Following the humiliating defeat at the hands of Alabama, the defense, specifically the front seven, began to demonstrate some improvement over the next four outings. Despite a turnover epidemic in those games that resulted in opposing offenses continually starting possessions deep in Duke territory, the defense relented a more respectable average of 32 points a game on 392 yards of total offense. The unit furthered this sense of momentum by blanking Navy for a half, but any hope of sustained defensive improvement would completely vanSee palmatary on page 8

A pair of Duke sophomores nabbed the top ACC All-Conference awards yesterday, marking the first time that the Blue Devils have earned both awards in the same season. Ryan Finley, a forward, and Andrew Wenger, a defender, were named the offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively, after leading Duke to a 9-4-4 record and the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament. Wenger is the first Blue Devil to win top defensive honors, and Finley is the second on the offensive side of the ball, following Mike Grella’s award in 2008. Finley leads all Division I players in goals scored, 17, and in total points with 37. He has netted three hat tricks this season, a

Duke record, and has recorded points on 20 of the Blue Devils’ 32 goals. Wenger, as Duke’s center back, leads the team in minutes played. The defenseman has posted six shutouts on the year and surrendered 15 goals in 17 games. He was also a first-team all-ACC selection last year, making him the first Duke player since 1995 to earn top-team honors in his first two seasons. The No. 19 Blue Devils had other award recipients as well. Senior Cole Grossman, a midfielder, garnered first team All-ACC honors, giving the Blue Devils three firstteam selections for the first time in 11 years. Sophomore James Belshaw, the starting goalkeeper, was named to the second team, and Jonathan Aguirre and Sebastien Ibeagha both earned All-Freshmen Team honors.

women’s basketball

No. 2 recruit verbally commits to Duke by Andy Moore THE CHRONICLE

Much hype has been made of the recruiting class brought in by head coach Joanne P. McCallie for the 2010-11 season. Let it now begin again for 2011-12. Elizabeth Williams, the No. 2 player in the Class of 2011 according to ESPN’s Hoopgurlz.com, will sign a letter of intent to play at Duke, the Virginia Beach, Va., native told The Chronicle yesterday. “I’m really happy with my decision,” said the 6-foot-3 center. “I feel great. I definitely went with my gut, prayed about it and it felt right for me. [Duke] had the factors I was looking for.” Williams said she had recently nar-

rowed her choices down to two schools, Duke and Tennessee, and the decision to turn down legendary coach Pat Summitt’s program was a hard one. While playing for Team USA in the FIBA U17 World Championships this sum- Elizabeth Williams mer, she also competed with—and befriended—several future Tennessee recruits, further complicating the call See recruit on page 8

8 | wednesday, november 10, 2010 the chronicle

recruit from page 7 to choose Duke. Still, she couldn’t pass up the chance to play under McCallie—and occupy a frontcourt that loses Krystal Thomas after this season and returns only Allison Vernerey. “[Tennessee has] won so many championships, and I got close with other recruits while playing for the FIBA team this summer,” Williams said. “But I still think that I made the right decision.” The Associated Press and Gatorade State Player of the Year for Virginia, Williams brings a complete and polished game for a post player. She’s a shotblocking force, swatting 172 shots as a junior at Princess Anne High School. She’s also a standout on the offensive side of the court, averaging 16.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game last year.

m. soccer from page 7 Belshaw said. “We’ve got momentum. The whole team’s ready, and everyone’s in a great spirit.” Regardless of momentum, to pull off another win against Boston College the Blue Devils will have to improve their play from the regular-season matchup. Although Duke was successful in holding the Eagles scoreless, Boston College had a number of good offensive looks that ultimately did not translate to the scoreboard. “We did a lot of things well, [but] in fact we also did a lot of things not so well,” head coach John Kerr said. “[Since then] we made a couple of defensive adjustments to accommodate what B.C. likes to do.” In addition, the Blue Devils struggled on offense for much of the earlier matchup, notching only two shots on goal in the first half. The Eagles focused on shutting down sophomore striker Ryan Finley, who faced a tough, physical defense throughout the match and was held scoreless. Finley, named the ACC offensive player of the year yesterday, finished the regular season as the Division I leader in goals with 17. Knowing he could be guarded heavily again, Duke will have to be open minded in its offensive game plan, creating other opportunities if its top scorer is

Perhaps the most impressive bullet on her resume, Williams has won gold medals for the United States with the FIBA U16 and U17 teams. “I’m a smart player, a team player. I just like to win,” she said. Born in England, Williams is the daughter of Nigerian-born parents. She grew up playing soccer and didn’t pick up basketball until the age of nine. Once she began playing basketball, though, she quickly dropped the pitch for good in favor of the hardwood. According to Williams, her soccer background is still evident—especially in her footwork in the paint. Williams is also the daughter of a doctor, and she cited Duke’s medical facilities as being a factor in the decision. “Academics are really important to me,” Williams said. “And I love the people and the environment [at Duke]. It’s just such a great place.” rendered ineffective. “Hopefully we can capitalize on some free kicks and corner kicks, and if we start doing that we’re going to be really hard to beat,” Grossman said. “When we’re unselfish and willing to make the last pass, it makes a huge difference.” Still, tactics aside, the largest factor in this game for the Blue Devils seems to be their hunger for revenge against the team that booted them from last year’s ACC Tournament. That game was particularly frustrating as it was defined less by the players and more by the hurricanelike conditions during the match. “It’s in our minds—it hasn’t gone away yet,” Kerr said. “We felt unfortunate that we had two losses against them last year, so we’re excited about the opportunity to rectify that.” Looking ahead, should the Blue Devils pull off the win tomorrow, they will likely face the tournament’s No. 1 seed, North Carolina, in the semifinals. Furthermore, if Duke can win both of those games and make it to the championship, it may earn a bye in the NCAA Tournament. For now, however, beating the Eagles and exacting revenge is on the Blue Devils’ minds. “We’ve given them one win back from their win in the regular season last year,” Belshaw said. “So there’s one more score to be settled.”

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palmatary from page 7 ish shortly. The Midshipmen erupted for 31 second-half points and almost pulled off the unfathomable upset. And, in last week’s win, the Blue Devils were gashed for 48 points and 643 yards, and the offense had to drive the length of the field in two minutes after a double-digit fourth quarter lead was relinquished. It has become clear to me the respectability that the defense showed just a few weeks ago was actually an aberration. Poring over statistics to try and determine its major area of weakness is a difficult task. Pretty quickly it becomes apparent that it is the group’s deficiencies as a whole that are leading to these track meets. In terms of total points allowed and yards given up, Duke ranks 114th and 116th out 120 teams in Division 1-A. In both of these categories, Duke is the lowest-ranked major conference team with the exception of Pacific-10 cellar dweller Washington State. The run defense and pass defense, giving up 200 and 258 yards per game, respectively, are equally responsible for the opposition’s huge outputs. To many in the stands, it may seem like the Blue Devil defense is too basic and conservative. Instead of putting pressure on offenses, they are content to use a ‘bend-but-don’t break’ mentality, which the team insists isn’t the reality. “I don’t feel like that is our philosophy, though it may seem like it to an outsider,” linebacker Abraham Kromah told me yesterday. “The coaches put us in the right place, and then we have

to go force turnovers and make plays. That’s something that we control.” The coaching staff has preached increasing takeaways, and, in fact, Duke has not lost in a game in which it has won the turnover battle. Not much progress has been made, however. At the end of the week, Duke came in 117th in the nation with just eight sacks, and its eight interceptions put it in the bottom half of the country in that category. In many respects, the two statistics go together as a quarterback under duress is more likely to make a bad decision. But concerns in the secondary have limited Duke’s willingness to send extra rushers. “We’re not rushing the passer very well, and that’s something we’re looking at,” Cutcliffe said in yesterday’s press conference. “But, to get more into blitzing, it’s dependent on the matchups in coverage.” Cutcliffe also pointed to the great size that many of the ACC receivers have and the problem that poses for his smaller defensive backs. So, even when the communication is sound and they are in the right position, their lack of ball skills is getting them beat. Not much has gone right on the defensive side for Duke this year. Fortunately, this lack of success leaves plenty of room for improvement, and the ever-optimistic Cutcliffe praises even the unit’s smallest victories as he works to solve his team’s most pressing need. “With all these points being scored, the defense has been on the field when the game was won [the last two weeks],” Cutcliffe said. “They are doing what they need to do in crunch time.” But not on many other occasions.

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End of an era Duke students’ Saturday expressed for the cancellation morning Tailgate tradition has of Tailgate failed to address the been ended at last. In an e-mail true root of the problem with sent to the student body Mon- Blue Zone festivities. Monday night, Vice President for eta and other administrators Student Affairs Larry Moneta have long seen Tailgate as an declared that embarrassment Tailgate will not to the Univereditorial take place besity, so to use fore the game against Boston an isolated safety incident and College this Saturday, and Tail- low attendance at a successful gate will no longer exist with home game as an impetus to University sanctioning. cancel the event belies larger The manner in which the issues that should have been administration took action dealt with earlier. against Tailgate does not inNonetheless, the decision spire confidence. After waf- to end Tailgate was a signififling on the issue for years cant one for several key reaand implementing hollow, sons. First, Tailgate creates an marginal adjustments to the unsafe environment for the event each season, the Uni- student body. The event reguversity has taken swift action larly results in numerous stuat an inopportune time—just dents being sent to the hospibefore the end of the season. tal for alcohol-related injuries. Additionally, the reasons Saturday’s incident, when a

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incisive & insightful column! Observations & conclusions were worth my time reading the column. —“avidreader” commenting on the column “‘Abbreving’ our experience.” See more at www.dukechronicle.com.

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minor was found unconscious in a Porta Potty at the end of Tailgate, is symptomatic of a larger problem involving alcohol abuse at Tailgate. Although some degree of excessive drinking is inevitable on a college campus, the University cannot continue to support an event that has consistently produced alcohol-related EMS calls. Second, Tailgate adversely impacts Duke’s reputation. As a top-ranked, prominent university, Duke faces constant scrutiny from the public. As a result, events such as Tailgate are publicized in national media outlets, drawing attention away from Duke’s academic successes and instead reinforcing negative stereotypes about our social scene. The final reason to end

Tailgate is its connection to Duke Football. Although few legitimate ties exist between these two entities, other than the event’s name and the time at which it is held, Tailgate inevitably corresponds with football games. We do not believe that students should be required or unfairly pressured to attend football games—in the same way that they ought not to be mandated to attend other on-campus events—but the student body does have an obligation to show the team more respect. Players are contributing members of the University, and Tailgate makes a mockery of their efforts. Students have responded strongly to Tailgate’s cancellation, with individuals expressing a sense of entitlement to

the tradition and outrage at its sudden demise. With this outcry have come bloated characterizations of Tailgate’s unifying effects for campus life. Students should consider other, more constructive venues for creating campus unity. In looking to the future, a vacuum now exists in the social climate of the Fall semester. Duke Student Government should take some agency in coordinating a viable replacement to Tailgate, but students themselves are also responsible for generating a new alternative. The administration has done its best to create a football-centric pre-game atmosphere on Main Quad, but the student body must determine what will occupy its time on Saturday mornings in the Fall.

Don’t forget what I did Everyone has a claim to something. Even when ing”; if you don’t get the main idea from the title of you do that so selfless act from the deepest part book, you’ll surely get a clue after the exhaustive list of your heart, you still appreciate the recognition of potential forms of giving that we average, timefor such. It’s just, well somewhat, racrunched Americans can do and tional. must do. (Let me digress: While the Take for instance “Citizen You: “giving” sentiment is a good one, I Doing Your Part to Change the think the Bible already covered “do World.” Changing the world seems unto others” quite nicely.) And of more feasible than ever, Jonathan course, Clinton could not withstand Tisch proclaims. The CEO of Loews speaking on his own endeavors of Hotels calls upon the nation with giving, for what basis could he write contagious excitement to join the a book about the idea? Suffice to new shift in civic engagement. No brandon maffei say he resists for 186 pages before longer just “volunteers” teetering reciting the accomplishments of giving back around and addressing symptoms his eight years in the White House: of societal issues, citizen professionan enumeration of how millions of als, entrepreneurs and activists are getting more Americans now get family leave, safer drinking wato the root causes of matters. ter, patients’ rights, college aid and immunization As major sponsor of Tufts’ Jonathan M. Tisch who wouldn’t have gotten it had a guy named ClinCollege of Citizenship and Public Service (quite a ton not been president. tongue-tischer), he has surely done his fair share of During the open session with Tisch on his new contribution to society. And yet, I would be remiss book a couple weeks ago, I got a chance to ask not to acknowledge the 40 times either the words him some small questions. My meager attempts at “Tufts” or “Tisch College” were used throughout investigative reporting left me somewhat emptythe book. After an extensive breakdown of what handed. First question: “What was the selection this particular college has done and represents, process like for your work’s stories?” First sentence it humbly wraps up with Tufts being just “one of of his answer: “They were good.” Second quesmany colleges and universities around the coun- tion: “What do you think about other social action try” that take civic engagement seriously. works, such as Bill Clinton’s ‘Giving’ or his wife’s Within this glorious section are stories of Tufts ‘It Takes a Village?’” First sentence of his answer: students who have hit the ground running, in- “First off, I am a big fan of Bill Clinton, especially spired by the new wave of activism. I did not so his work ‘Giving.’” Of course, Bill had attended much seize upon these inspiring anecdotes as the “Citizen You” launch party, in which he gave a much as I was overwhelmed by the constant adver- rousing speech, so yes, again, bad question. tisement of implicitly Tisch-sanctioned work. At a To be sure, these books do give interesting accertain point, I thought I was reading an applica- counts of people truly “doing good” and making a tion essay, except this one was a two-fold combina- difference in society. There’s no harm done with tion of the story of Al-Chalabi, the engineer-policy a little self-promotion of what it means to be an double major, and Tisch, the authenticator. Ac- active citizen. If you want your legacy to be the cording to the book, the student had to finally put impassioned, model image of what it means to do on hold his fascinating project, as the economic right, then by all means, be confident and share climate wasn’t there to support it. Nonetheless, your side of the story. ’Tis the spirit of social endespite the disappointment, we find that this is trepreneurship, having a selfless heart for engageOK, as he has learned that “the process of social ment tinged with a business ethic. A little adverchange often is measured in years rather than in tisement could just be the difference necessary to days, weeks or months”—thank you Confucius. change our world. But this inherent self-recognition is no singular phenomenon. Before reading this book, I got a Brandon Maffei is a Trinity sophomore. His column chance to skim former President Bill Clinton’s “Giv- runs every other Wednesday.

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wednesday, november 10, 2010 | 11

commentaries

Tradition fumbled Let me be the first to say it in public: Thank you, 2010. It was held in the back lot of the Blue Zone, a Larry Moneta. larger space than the first lot. There was free food and Thank you for saving Duke’s undergraduate popula- water. It was supervised by University administrators tion from itself. and cops, rather than just cops. Student Why the 14-year-old passing out in a groups were permitted to bring grills Porta Potty was the straw that broke the into Tailgate, and many of them did, incamel’s back—and not the junior doing cluding my own fraternity. I have no idea coke off the hood of a car (UNC Tailgate, if any of this reduced hospitalizations, 2004), or the time there were nine EMS fistfights or cocaine abuse, but I do know calls (Richmond Tailgate, 2009), or the that I brought my own younger brother general appearance of every single Tailto one of these Tailgates and that he gate since tailgate underwent its maligdidn’t wind up passed out in a portable alex fanaroff nant conversion into Tailgate—is beyond toilet. farewell tour me. But still, better late than never. Still, Moneta and the rest of the StuLet’s get your objections out of the dent Affairs people decided that Tailgate, way first. Yes, I’m a crusty graduate student. Yes, what as it stood then, was “extremely unsafe,” and essentially I think about Tailgate should have no bearing on its made the decision to stop supporting a centralized Tailfuture. Yes, you should be able to have your good times gate in favor of a more protean vision of tailgating. But the same way that I had mine. the administration’s official pull-out was not the deathBut: knell for Tailgate. Instead, it just moved from the back 1. I’m an alumnus, and I care about my alma of the Blue Zone to the front lot where it is now. Since mater; then, with occasional changes—off-and-on (mostly off) 2. I’m old enough that not all of my decisions are official University support, a guest policy, a cars policy, awful ones, and I’m young enough that I still remem- a 30-case-per-vehicle policy—Tailgate has looked pretty ber what it was like to have fun; much the same. 3. So maybe I’m in a fairly unique position to conLooking back on it, Tailgate 2005 seemed both fun tribute here. and safe, with decentralized clumps of students freely If you don’t buy that, more power to you. Moneta’s mingling around grills and baby pools filled with beer. going to cancel Tailgate regardless. (And regardless of Actually, it seemed an awful lot like a tailgate at any how many students come to a Main Quad protest Tail- other school in the country. Tailgate 2010, meanwhile, gate this Saturday.) looks like a cross between a riot and an orgy, which is Some historical perspective may be in order. 75 percent awesome, but also 25 percent dangerous. Tailgate—as we know it, with costumes, spandex Especially if you’re 14. and beer showers—is not a grand historical tradition The major difference between the Tailgates of my on the level of the Magna Carta or even Krzyzewskiville. “youth,” and the current Tailgates appears to be the Around 2000, a small number of students (mostly ath- active involvement and presence of University adminletes) started wearing costumes during their Blue Zone istration, rather than just the imposition of limits and tailgates. When I showed up in the Fall of 2003, Chron- restrictions. icle columnist Jonathan Ross actually wrote, “Football Obviously, this makes sense. Adolescents (and here games are huge at most Division I schools, with tailgat- we include anyone younger than, say, 22) are neuroing and parties and all that, but here, they’re almost an logically programmed to make poor decisions. Put a afterthought.” thousand adolescents in an enclosed space, allow them In the summer of 2004, thanks to visiting fans’ com- to police themselves with no input from real adults, and plaints that students vandalized their cars and the ef- you’re going to get a bad result. It’s like “Lord of the forts of heretofore unrecognized Tailgate heroes Ted Flies,” except with beer. Roof and Joe Alleva, student tailgaters gained exclusive So here’s some unsolicited advice, for Moneta and use of the back lot in the Blue Zone. Perhaps not coin- the rest of the undergraduate leaders who are apparcidentally, most alumni remember 2004 as the year that ently going to hammer out a Tailgate plan this Spring: tailgating became Tailgate. Following a “ruckus” (The More free food and water. More involvement by UniChronicle’s words) at the final tailgate of the year, the versity administrators. More grills. More T-shirts with 2005 tailgating season was marked by the official par- clever slogans. More incentives (basketball tickets?) for ticipation of University administrators, who monitored students to behave themselves and actually attend footthe situation in the Blue Zone and passed out free hot ball games. dogs. Green-shirted student leaders wore shirts emblaThe tradition may be fumbled, but the game is not zoned with the legend “Don’t Fumble the Tradition” yet lost. and herded students into the football game before kick-off. Alex Fanaroff is a fourth-year medical student. His column Tailgate 2005 was somewhat different than Tailgate runs every Wednesday.

City lights

esterday I played a game I haven’t since childhood. It was Jell-O, the car game also known as statue, where you sit rigid unless the car moves you and fall against windows and into neighbors’ laps. The terrain made for an especially challenging game. The road wound right and left on a cliff above the ocean. The waters below were those of legends—the Cape of Africa that sailors have feared for centuries. We had spent the last two rachna reddy weeks on these beaches studyfield notes ing for exams and examining the invertebrates in tidal pools. On this drive, were headed back to Cape Town from a marine reserve called De Hoop— “the hope” in Afrikaans, for The Cape of Good Hope, a mountainous, rocky area with white dunes, zebra and southern right whales. The next morning, we would fly on a northward diagonal to Johannesburg and drive seven hours to Kruger: home. Life in the Cape, which included our mid-semester break of climbing mountains, surfing and nights out in Cape Town, was a life more similar to that I lived in the States. When we first reached Pretoria in the middle of October, I had not seen a vehicle moving faster than 30 miles per hour in two months. The city, its traffic lights, crowds, Jacaranda trees in rows, hawkers, and strangers were, understatedly, over-stimulating. We spent two days there and in Johannesburg visiting museums before flying to Cape Town. We had in some ways longed for the city while we lived in the bush; a chance to enter a room with our hair sleek and clean, our eyelashes coated in mascara and not red savannah dust. But by the time I adjusted to urban commotion enough to enjoy any of those small pleasures of civilization, I longed to return to Kruger again. I missed the comfortable sleep that comes only from breathing fresh air, waking up to a day of work outdoors, and how I hear hyenas who-whooing outside my window. I felt a strange sorrow being in the polished civilization that was Cape Town, a reminder that in December I would leave this country for busy roads and downtowns back home. “Cape Town is not like the rest of Africa,” a South African classmate told me. Cape Town was brilliant. I climbed into the mist to the top of Table Mountain, snorkeled with Cape fur seals, bar-hopped and watched surfers in Kalk Bay, but nothing about the city and the thrills it offered could rival how much better I felt a week later, when we stayed at a marine reserve and moved our mattresses into a field to sleep outside under stars. My life at Duke is full of commotion and crowds. Though I miss many parts of it, I was reminded, when I went to Cape Town, that soon I would have to leave my life in the field. I was happy when our bus pulled into the Kruger gate, happy to see the savannah again, greener with the rains we’d missed in our month away. Rachna Reddy is a Trinity junior. She is studying ecology in South Africa for the semester. Her column runs every other Wednesday.

letterstotheeditor Tailgate cancellation—it’s about time As a Duke student and Durham native, I am always acutely aware that the “Duke bubble” does not extend to athletic events. Non-student football and basketball spectators often consist of my neighbors, my friends’ parents and my parents’ coworkers. I ran into a middle-school-aged girl from my neighborhood at a football game this season, and later found out that she had been relieved to find me so “nicely dressed.” I had been wearing a ratty Duke sweatshirt and basketball shorts, hardly “nice” by real-world standards, but in stark contrast to many of my peers dressed in spandex and drenched in Busch Light. Family members who are Duke alums (even as recent as ’00) have also expressed confusion about and disapproval of Tailgate. Tailgate is not a Duke tradition, and I’m glad to see it go. Laurel Burk Trinity ’13 Discrepancies in administration’s support of extracurriculars What angers and disappoints me the most about the administration’s decision to cancel Tailgate is the idea that the football team deserves more support than other student organizations and on-campus events. I’m tired of Coach Cutcliffe and Larry Moneta trying

to make me feel guilty for not caring about or supporting Duke football. Coach Cutcliffe, why didn’t the football team show up to support me last Spring when I represented Duke in a global health case competition at Research Triangle Park? My point is not that the football team should have shown up at my competition or that Moneta should have sent out an e-mail to the student body to chastise it for not heavily attending my event. I believe that both are unfair expectations given the legitimate differences in interest among students. The discourse surrounding this decision should be about more than whether Duke students should be supported by the University as they get drunk in Halloween costumes—it should also focus on unseating the assumption that certain kinds of extra-curricular participation should be encouraged and supported more than others. Brian Clement Trinity ’11

on financial aid. In addition to raising over $300 million for financial aid and limiting or eliminating parental contribution and student loans based on family income, the Financial Aid Initiative of 2005-2008 also eliminated the differential on-campus housing costs for students on financial aid. As a result, students receive financial aid based on the actual cost of their housing no matter where they live on campus. This means that it does not cost a student on aid more to live in a single room than it does for them to live in a triple. However, this and other pertinent information has often been unclear to the students who base decisions on such factors. Students on financial aid must be accurately informed about how their financial aid factors into the costs associated with being a Duke student beyond just tuition. Through this and other efforts, they should be able to participate in campus life in the same way as students who do not receive aid. Duke must not just consider financial resources as a barrier to enrollment, but also to equal participation in campus life.

Clarifying costs of housing for financial aid students In his column, “Anticipating unknown unknowns” Gregory Morrison states that “the differential [housing] fees... have been abolished.” We feel it is necessary to clarify that the fees remain in place, but do not apply to students

Alison Rabil, Assistant Vice Provost and Director, Office of Financial Aid Brooke Kingsland, Chair, DSG Financial Aid Advisory Committee Trinity ’11

12 | wednesday, november 10, 2010

brooks from page 1 lunch together, as they once did, and frequently choose to live outside Washington D.C. As a result, Brooks said, congressmen are less able to reach across the aisle, for fear of losing the party support necessary for re-election. The columnist said he thinks the broken system will render America unable to avoid the national bankruptcy and financial meltdown he believes is currently inevitable. In order to change course American government needs a “total system reformation,” he said. Brooks said that President Barack Obama has worsened the problem by pushing an aggressive agenda insensitive to the nation’s economic fears. He noted that the president set in motion 131 major initiatives in his first six months with an administration that Brooks described as “woefully understaffed.” Tuesday’s midterm “shellacking,” as Obama called it, was a message from voters that they did not like his legislative priorities, especially his decision to push health care reform when nationwide unemployment was hovering at its highest rates in a decade, Brooks said. Just as Bush’s failed policies helped Obama take office two years ago, he said, the president’s agenda to date has fostered voter discontent and engendered grassroots movements like the Tea Party. Although Brooks believes that the rise of the Tea Party is representative of a desire to reform government, he said the movement itself relies on twisting the truth and manipulating societal ignorance to gain a following. Brooks insists the solution lies with America’s third ideological tradition: centrism. He said centrists want “a limited but energetic government to enhance social mobility,” but find themselves hampered by an insufficient fund-raising apparatus and an inability to spread their message. Still, Brooks remains hopeful that the system can change. “I maintain my optimism against all sanity,” he said. “There has to be change in intellectual landscape, change in the institutional landscape and change in the political landscape.” Brooks, who was a guest professor at Duke in Fall 2006, was invited to speak at the Sanford School of Public Policy

the chronicle

by Gridlock, a new program that aims to find solutions to restructuring America’s inefficient bureaucracy. “When walking around Duke, [Brooks] gazed into an empty classroom and remembered when he was a guest lecturer here,” said David Schanzer, co-founder of the Gridlock program and associate professor of the practice for public policy. “He spoke nostalgically about the free flow of creative ideas in that class. He sees that as the promising future of America.” Brooks concluded his remarks by conveying his faith in that future.

“[This is] the most wholesome generation in history,” he said, noting that the next generation to enter Washington will be able to boast a third fewer teenage pregnancies and abortions than this one. His remarks seemed to resonate with students in attendance. “I was very impressed by his open consideration of various Democratic and Republican party strategies, with equal critique for both,” freshman Jack Wagner said. “[But] I think maybe his views of sweeping systematic change might be hyperbolic and idealistic.”

ted knudsen/The Chronicle

New York Times columnist and political pundit David Brooks spoke Tuesday at the Sanford School of Public Policy’s Fleischman Commons. Brooks addressed the polarization of Congress, among other topics. ADVERTISEMENT

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