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
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 60
www.dukechronicle.com
FDA warns against caffeine, alcohol mix by Alejandro Bolívar THE CHRONICLE
First Tailgate, now Four Loko. The Food and Drug Administration contacted 14 companies that produce alcoholic energy beverages Wednesday— including the makers of the popular Four Loko brand—calling the addition of caffeine to their products an “unsafe food additive” and warning that continued production of the drinks will result in prosecution. In response to the letter, a number of beverage producers have decided to remove caffeine from their alcoholic products. Although there are a number of drinks similar to Four Loko, it is currently the most popular such drink among students. Bottled in colorful, 23.5-ounce cans, it contains 12 percent alcohol and an undisclosed amount of caffeine. Some students on campus were indifferent to the news, but others opposed the FDA’s actions. Junior Scott Anderson said he believes the removal of caffeine from the highly alcoholic concoction will not have much effect on student behavior. “People will find ways to drink irresponsibly one way or another,” he said. “Before Four Loko there was irresponsible drinking, and there will be irresponsible drinking after Four Loko.” Senior Michael Krekel called the situation “pretty ridiculous,” adding that the beverage is “really no different than any drink you could mix on your own.” See four loko on page 5
academic council
Group seeks involvement in int’l programs by Lauren Carroll THE CHRONICLE
ted knudsen/The Chronicle
In light of the Food and Drug Administration’s recent warnings against the combination of alcohol and caffeine in Four Loko drinks, some students are heading to local stores while the product is still available.
The Academic Council established a new committee Thursday that will assess Duke’s global initiatives to increase faculty involvement in international planning. The Global Priorities Committee, which will consist of 12 to 14 faculty members, is responsible for monitoring global programs. “We feel it is important to have a strong faculty voice in these global projects,” said Chair Craig Henriquez, professor of biomedical engineering. Although this committee increases the number of approvals necessary to authorize a global project, Henriquez said he hopes the GPC will develop a more expedient process to encourage faculty involvement. Henriquz pointed to Duke’s new campus in Kunshan, China which was approved “faster than the faculty was even ready for,” as an example of projects in which faculty members can be more involved. See academic on page 5
American students find ways around Chinese censorship by Sony Rao
THE CHRONICLE
Chronicle graphic by margie truwit
Students studying abroad in China sometimes use Duke’s Virtual Private Network to gain access to websites blocked by the government.
When imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Prize in early October, Chinese state media immediately blacked out the news. But the censorship of Liu, who was involved in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, does not mark the first time censorship issues have arisen in the country. As Duke expands its academic and service programs abroad, such censorship issues are increasingly relevant to American academia. Regarding limitations on the curriculum taught to students in China, Yan Li, program director at the Asian Pacific Studies Institute and an administrator of Duke’s study abroad programs in China, explained that although faculty members are not restricted in the content of their lectures, they understand that there are certain limitations to what they can discuss. “Faculty organize their classes as they see fit, but we do occasionally have to remind them that China has restrictions, and they have to be aware of how far they can go on certain topics,” Li wrote in an e-mail. Ralph Litzinger, a cultural anthropology professor and director of DukeEngage Beijing, said he plans to cover topics such as HIV and AIDS, prostitution and show several docu-
ONTHERECORD
“It’s a grand idea and, were it viable, would rival in the mind that of attending a university.”
—Junior Chris Bassil in “The value of education.” See column page 10
Campus Council continues house model discussions, Page 3
mentary films, though some of those topics may be banned in China. Litzinger noted that certain issues such as Liu’s Nobel Prize cannot be openly discussed in the country. “Duke has a long tradition of critical studies around feminism, globalization, sexuality, film—everything,” Litzinger said. “The question is, when we go to China are we going to give up that tradition?” As Duke’s programs in China continue to grow, Litzinger noted that faculty members will have to be more strategic in maintaining spaces for open deliberation and discussion. And Duke is not the only institution establishing programs in Asia. According to a recent Institute of International Education study, study abroad programs in China saw a 3.9 percent increase in U.S. students in 2008-2009. The report concluded that students are increasingly interested in Asian and South American study abroad programs, in comparison to programs in Western Europe. In addition to censorship of certain topics that could be taught in the classroom, China periodically censors access to websites like Gmail and Facebook. Both sites were among several web pages that were inaccessible in China this summer. See china on page 5
NCCU Chancellor Nelms speaks in Duke Chapel, Page 3