Mar. 2 2011 issue

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, MARCH 2, 2011

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 108

www.dukechronicle.com

‘Bull’s Eye’ credited for 10-year crime low DPS admin

reflects on his first year

by Chinmayi Sharma THE CHRONICLE

When it comes to crime-fighting, Durham seems to have hit the bull’s eye.

Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez announced Feb. 21 that the city’s crime rate has reached a 10-year all time low and attributed much of the 31 percent drop to “Operation Bull’s Eye,” a sustained effort to concentrate police resources in a two-square-mile portion of northeast Durham identified as an epicenter of crime. The operation, which began in August 2007, has reduced violent gun crime in the area—the initiative’s primary focus— by 57 percent and drug-related calls to 911 by 38 percent, according to the Durham Police Department’s annual report for 2010.

by Tong Xiang THE CHRONICLE

improved an employee’s rights to challenge wage discrimination.

The act amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of race and sex.

Ledbetter’s search for justice was not an easy one, and she spoke to an audience of about 40 professors and students in Perkins Library yesterday about her endeavors to improve workers’ rights. Her talk celebrated the beginning of Women’s History Month, and was sponsored by the Duke Office for Institutional Equity, Baldwin Scholars and the Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture. It was followed by a question and answer session moderated by Nancy Zisk, professor at the Charleston School of Law. In her speech, Ledbetter encouraged students who will be entering the workforce soon to take an interest in employee rights.

Although Ledbetter’s efforts have strengthened workers’ rights, issues concerning pay inequality still exist today. Now, white women still make 77 cents for every dollar that their male counterparts make, and the discrepancy is even larger for minorities, she noted.

Ledbetter had served as a supervisor in four divisions at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in Gadsden, Ala., when she received an anonymous note stating that her male counterparts were making $500 more per month than her.

“I felt devastated and humiliated when I got that note,” she said. “I got shortchanged not only in my overtime and my pay twice a month, but I get shortchanged today and I will for the rest of my life.”

When Ledbetter brought her case before the U.S. District Court of Northern Alabama, the court ruled in her favor and ordered that Goodyear reimburse Ledbetter $3 million—but this

Reflecting on the first year of his tenure, Durham Public Schools Superintendent Eric Becoats said he plans to focus on improving low-performing schools, developing and retaining good teachers, recruiting strong administrators and expanding community partnerships.

Becoats—who wore a pinstripe suit, paisley tie and French cuffs—spoke yesterday in the Duke Chapel about his background as a “non-traditional educator.” After graduating with degrees in finance, Becoats began a career in banking. But after working with high school students in a weekend tutoring program, he decided to pursue an administrative position with Baltimore City Public Schools.

“I really didn’t want to... continue in banking [because] basically what I was doing was increasing individuals’ debt,” he said. “My heart and soul was making sure that students had what they really needed.”

When asked by Dean of the Chapel Sam Wells about the effect of race on education policy in Durham, Becoats skirted the question to speak about general diversity.

“I do think that this a prime place to show that diversity can work and that it does work and that it can work in a school system,” he said. “I am an advocate for diversity—you can look at it in terms of gender, socioeconomic status or race.”

Both leaders emphasized the need for more community partners to support a school district affected by socioeconomic problems.

“You are over the threshold of society’s unresolved issues which all come through your door,” Wells said to Becoats. “And yet you haven’t got a lot of colleagues in addressing those issues.”

In response, Becoats identified key partners in the community—the DPS Board of Education, the city government and the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce— with whom he hopes to forge deeper partnerships.

“This is a rich community... and people want to help,” Becoats said. “At the end of the day, I want kids to really be able to say to me that I’ve received a quality education and that they can do whatever they desire after school.”

This year’s Dean’s Dialogues series aims to examine the Duke-Durham relationship.

In the previous two lectures, Wells emphasized the need for Duke students to invest themselves in their community—a theme

See ledbetter on page 5

See becoats on page 5

See bull’s eye on page 12

ted knudsen/chronicle graphic

Ledbetter discusses wage discrimination

by Kinnari Bhojani THE CHRONICLE

When Lilly Ledbetter realized her employer of 19 years paid her significantly less than her male counterparts, she was determined to make things fair for herself and other women—and she did.

Ledbetter took her case for workers’ rights all the way to the Supreme Court, and later Congress. In January 2009, she became the namesake of the first legislative act President Barack Obama signed into law—the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which

tracy huang/The Chronicle

Lilly Ledbetter speaks in Perkins Library Tuesday on employee rights. She noted that women today make 77 cents less on the dollar than their male counterparts

ONTHERECORD

“She was a devoted friend, an intelligent engineer and a true connoisseur with regards to living life to the fullest.”

­—Pratt graduate Mollie Oudenhoven on friend Lindsay Rawot See story page 3

Top college basketball teams remain predictable, study says, Page 3

Turkey, Israel gaining political influence, Page 5

2 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 the chronicle

worldandnation onschedule...

Mardi Gras Party Languages Building, 3-4p.m.

The French Language Program will be hosting a Mardi Gras party on the lawn in front of the Language Building.

on the

Chef’s Table on East Campus East Union, 6-7p.m.

Join Executive Chef Michael Moroni as he gives out samples of local food items and answers any questions on Duke dining.

6535

THURSDAY:

5436

Duke Men’s Basketball Cameron Indoor, 9-11p.m.

Come out and support the Duke Men’s Basketball team as they take on Clemson in the last home game of the season.

web

“With tournament season fast approaching, it’s time to look at Duke’s biggest problems, how to fix them, and what kind of team the Blue Devils want to see down the stretch. This past week, against Temple and Virginia Tech, several strengths and weaknesses were brought to the forefront, including both recurring issues and newer realizations.”

— From The Chronicle’s Sports Blog sports.chronicleblogs.com

Sudarsan Raghavan/The washington post

Friday in the city of Taiz, Yemen, a man holds a little boy as they march to denounce President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Residents of Taiz are urging the President to step down in an effort to protest the government neglecting their region. Taiz’s residents include a large number of ambitious, middle-class families who are emboldened by President Saleh’s pledge to step down in 2013 when his term ends.

“

TODAY:

Old age is an island surrounded by death.

— Juan Montaivo

”

TODAY IN HISTORY

1634: The first tavern is opened in Boston.

Protestors swell in Ohio Floods of refugees are as key vote approaches trapped at Libyan border COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thousands of union supporters descended on the Ohio Statehouse Tuesday to protest a proposal to dramatically curtail bargaining powers of government workers, as the state becomes the latest flash point in the fight over union rights.

Like their counterparts in Wisconsin, protesters here accused lawmakers and Gov. John Kasich, R, of trying to use a budget crisis to destroy public-sector unions. Government workers did not cause the crisis and should not bear the brunt of it, protesters said.

But unlike the ongoing standoff in Wisconsin, Democrats don’t have the numbers to walk out and delay a vote.

Supporters said that a measure, which would go further than the one in Wisconsin by also affecting police officers and firefighters, could emerge from the state Senate Wednesday.

off the

wire...

TUNIS, Tunisia — The violence in Libya threatened to turn into a humanitarian crisis Tuesday as thousands of people fleeing into Tunisia were overwhelming relief efforts, creating a bottleneck of evacuees stranded on the Libyan side of the border.

U.N. officials moved to erect a tent city to shelter the more than 15,000 people arriving each day, largely Egyptian migrant workers but also Libyans as well as oil workers and menial laborers from Chad, Sudan and nations as distant as Bangladesh and China.

More than 75,000 people had already arrived in Tunisia since the uprising against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi began Feb. 17, but the sharply increasing flows over the dusty desert crossing of Ras Jdir was forcing Tunisian authorities to periodically close the border to stem the tide.

Physicians to petition NIH on animal research

the chronicle wednesDAY, march 2, 2011 | 3

Ranking with respect to the number of players drafted into the NBA

Former student was source of ‘inspiration and strength’

by Samantha Brooks THE CHRONICLE

Ranking with respect to Final Four appearances courtney douglas/The Chronicle

Top college basketball teams remain constant

by Melissa Dalis THE CHRONICLE

The Duke men’s basketball team may have suffered a loss to Virginia Tech Saturday, but a recent report suggests that top college basketball teams—including Duke—will always dominate.

Predicting March Madness is no different from predicting design in other flowing aspects of nature, according to a recent report conducted by Duke researchers. These systems—such as river basins, migration, lightning and animal movement—are governed by the “constructal” law, which states that everything that evolves in nature tends to flow more easily over time.

In a flow system like basketball, there is a visible and rigid configuration hierarchy, said Adrian Bejan, J.A. Jones professor of mechanical engineering and co-author of “The Natural Design of Hierarchy: Basketball versus Academics,” which appeared in Monday’s International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics. In terms of the constructal law—an idea which Bejan proposed in 1996—March Madness is simply a system with a continuously improv-

ing structure.

“In this case it has to do with the players,” said Perry Haynsworth, Pratt ’09 a former student of Bejan and contributor to the study. “The easiest path for these high school basketball players to the NBA is to the top 10 schools, and because of that these top 10 schools have more success.”

Basketball’s hierarchy is rigid and welldefined, with only a handful of key leaders— Duke; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Kentucky; Kansas University; and a few others, Bejan said. The study found that these top teams will continue to dominate the sport.

Breaking into the top tier of teams is extremely difficult, Haynsworth noted.

To do this, a university would need to increase spending for its program and recruiting. He added that breaking out of the top rank is also difficult, as shown by the fact that the number of Final Four appearances drops considerably after the top five to 10 schools.

“The principle is that winning will return See basketball on page 4

To her friends and peers, Lindsay Rawot embodied courage, enthusiasm and optimism.

Rawot, Pratt ’09, passed away Sunday at the age of 23 after a two-year battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She was diagnosed with the cancer in November 2008, during her senior year.

Rawot, a native of Lindsay Rawot Bentleyville, Ohio, graduated with a degree in civil and environmental engineering as a General Motors Scholar and member of the Pratt Research Fellowship Program.

“She was a devoted friend, an intelligent engineer and a true connoisseur with regards to living life to the fullest,” Mollie Oudenhoven, Pratt ’09 and friend of Rawot, wrote in an e-mail. “She will be sorely missed. A huge void now remains within both the Pratt community and the greater Duke community as well.”

According to Lauren Wessel, Pratt ’09, Rawot was extremely gifted in her engineering studies. While at Duke, Rawot designed and began a program that “utilized the power of real-world data... in conjunction with wet-lab learning” to form an online laboratory meant to engage students in engineering, environmental science, chemistry, biology and

technology, Wessell explained. Rawot also earned the Eric I. Pas Award, which recognizes civil engineering seniors who have conducted the “most outstanding” independent study projects.

Apart from academics, Rawot was active both on and off campus through social activities and volunteer work. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority as well as a volunteer for the Emily K Center and Habitat for Humanity. She also studied abroad at the University of Queensland in Australia Fall 2007.

Emily Roesing, Trinity ’09 and Rawot’s four-year roommate and sorority sister, wrote in an e-mail that Rawot had a unique relationship with members of her sorority because she went through recruitment as a sophomore.

“She was thrilled to join as a sophomore and felt especially dedicated to her mostly-freshmen pledge class,” Roesing said. “In turn, her characteristic enthusiasm and appetite for fun left an indelible mark on the chapter and the members who knew her.”

During the spring of her senior year, Rawot and close friend Amanda Zwilling, Trinity ’09, co-hosted an event for the I’m Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation in order to raise money for the organization and spread awareness about lymphoma.

“Lindsay is a constant source of inspiration and strength not only for her family and friends, but for all those whose paths she See rawot on page 5

4 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 the chronicle

Panelists evaluate Turkey as a model for democracy

by Ian Zhang THE CHRONICLE

As old regimes in the Arab world dissolve, a new voice is asserting itself on contentious regional issues. Now the world’s 15th largest economy, Turkey is quickly becoming a powerful voice in Middle Eastern politics.

To address the changing political landscape of northern Africa and the Middle East, the Sanford School of Public Policy held a discussion Tuesday with two journalists who follow Middle Eastern politics, focusing especially on Turkey and Israel. In a panel titled “Israel-Turkey and the Greater Middle East,” Ethan Bronner, Jerusalem bureau chief for The New York Times, and Semih Idiz, a Turkish columnist and international television commentator, each gave speeches and answered questions on the recent developments in the two countries and changes to their relationship.

The democracy that Turkey has nurtured has not gone

basketball from page 3 to a campus such as Duke because Duke is one of those channels of processing the best talent in the country,” Bejan said.

That hierarchy has evolved over a period of years and will not be affected by the outcome of a single tournament, Bejan said. He added that March Madness is analogous to the morphing of a river basin or any other flowing system.

The constructal law is not about predicting what will happen in this year’s tournament specifically, but it can statistically determine who will make it to the tournament over a long period of time.

“The prediction is that, after this particular March Madness, the hierarchy of who’s who in basketball will be completely unchanged,” Bejan said. “The hierarchy we have in our minds today will be the same as in mid-April.”

unnoticed by countries like Egypt, Idiz said. Egypt is watching Turkey, which has shown that democracy and Islam are not entirely incompatible.

“How can a 99 percent Muslim country attain a level of advancement and democracy and actually be part of the developing new world where it is increasingly influential?” Idiz said.

Idiz noted that there is significant talk about a Turkish model of democracy and whether it can be replicated in other Muslim countries like Egypt, Tunisia or Libya. He said there is an ongoing debate over the extent to which the nation’s democracy can be used as a template for other governments. Idiz personally believes that Turkey as a model for democracy has at times been misinterpreted.

“It was a model that did not emerge overnight. It emerged as a result of what I call the school of hard knocks,” he said.

“If there is anything in the Turkish model argument, it shows that this is not an easy path for these countries to follow.”

Because basketball is featured in popular culture, the study used the sport to relay the theory of constructal law to the general public.

“There is nothing more pleasing in academia than talking to your colleagues in a language that is actually understood by a man on the street,” Bejan said.

The paper draws a distinction between academic and athletic long-term success.

Each of the categories has its own path and history—most schools excel in only one arena, with only a few exceptions.

Ability to predict university and basketball results based on a few key leaders does have its limits as represented by fluctuations, such as Duke’s recent loss. The rigid hierarchy, however, will not change, Bejan said.

“Even if the president of Duke decides to discontinue basketball tomorrow, America will think that Duke is a powerhouse,” Bejan said.

Beyond addressing the idea that Islam and democracy are not mutually exclusive concepts, Bronner and Idiz both mentioned the increasingly complex relationship between Turkey and Israel.

In May, the relationship between the two countries was strained after Israel raided an aid ship headed to Gaza, killing nine people in the process, many of whom were Turks. Bronner also noted that Israel perceives “the niceness” Turkey is showing toward Iran as undermining the economic sanctions that Israel and the United States believe could be effective.

Idiz said the two countries previously had a relationship that was “sustained through thick and thin” but “recently went sour.” Both speakers were disheartened with the prospect of future relations between the two countries.

“The first thing to say of course, is that the state of Israeli-Turkey relations as they are today means that something is out of joint,” Idiz said.

caroline rodriguez/The Chronicle

Adrian Bejan, J.A. Jones Professor of mechanical engineering and co-author of “The Natural Design of Hierarchy: Basketball versus Academics,” proposes that the hierarchy of basketball is rigid and well-defined.

the chronicle wednesday, March 2, 2011 | 5

becoats from page 1

thanh-ha nguyen/The Chronicle

In a speech at the Duke Chapel Tuesday, Durham Public Schools Superintendent Eric Becoats described his priorities for the future.

rawot from page 3 crossed,” Zwilling said. “[We] rallied hundreds of family members and friends, traveling from all over the country to support her efforts and celebrate her continued survivorship. Lindsay’s passion, optimism, strength, and perseverance will forever be with everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her.”

Rawot returned to Durham after graduation in September 2009 to receive a stem-cell transplant from the Duke University Medical Center. While back in the city, some of Rawot’s friends and former classmates helped organized an event on campus to demonstrate support for her illness. Jen Zwilling, a junior and Amanda’s sister, organized the DKMS Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive March 22, 2010 in honor of Rawot.

Rawot’s funeral will take place March 4 in Cleveland, Ohio after a visitation ceremony March 3. Many of her civil engineering classmates have contributed a combined $1,000 to the I’m Too Young For This! organization in her honor.

“The vivacity with which Lindsay lived often made me think that she lived too much and too deeply too quickly,” Wessell said. “While I know that this is not true, I would give anything to have her by my side for just a second longer.”

ledbetter from page 1 amount was later reduced to $360,000.

After the lawsuit, Goodyear changed Ledbetter’s job description from supervisor to technical engineer—a position that required physical labor that would have left Ledbetter crippled had she continued in her job.

With the help of a pro-bono lawyer, Ledbetter took her case to the Supreme Court in 2006, but the court ruled against Ledbetter in 2007 because she had exceeded the 180-day statutory period of limitations within which she should have submitted her claim. Ledbetter, however, was determined to open this “Pandora’s box” to seek justice.

“I thought about letting it go, but I couldn’t. There is no way. So I stayed with it,” she said of her persistent efforts to challenge the Supreme Court ruling.

Ledbetter began lobbying Congress to broaden the time period during which an employee can file discrimination lawsuits challenging their employers. Eventually, lawmakers decided to take up Ledbetter’s cause in Congress and proposed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The passage of the act marks one of the many efforts Ledbetter has taken to be proactive in the protection of workers’ rights. She has also appeared on NPR and ABC News, and in Equal Employment Opportunity Commission training videos and programs designed for law schools in an attempt to spread more awareness about workers’ rights.

Ledbetter’s efforts have also raised further questions about the discrimination in the workplace, noted Zisk, Trinity ’80 and Law ’83, in her moderator remarks after Ledbetter’s speech. Zisk said Title VII also does not account for persons to be eligible for compensation if they discover discrimination after they retire.

Several students at the talk said Ledbetter’s experiences can be used as a learning experience in the classroom and in society.

“As a woman [entering] the workplace, her story encourages me to fight for my own rights,” said junior Zifan Lin, who attended the speech for her class “Women at Work.”

he reiterated yesterday.

“I see a lot of students who, through Teach for America... will take two or three years teaching public schools, but I don’t see many seeing a life in teaching,” Wells said.

“How do you foster a culture in which a Duke undergraduate would see themselves as having a whole life future in teaching?”

About 40 individuals attended the lecture, including Duke faculty and members of the community. Sam Miglarese, director of community engagement at Duke’s Office of Durham and Regional Affairs, said he was impressed by Becoats.

“I really feel strongly [that] the commitment of [Becoats] to Durham Public schools is extraordinary,” Miglarese said. “I think he’s been very open to working with Dr. Phail Wynn [vice president for Durham and regional affairs] in the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership and we have 400 student tutors [working in DPS] at any given time.”

Recognizing that he leads a school district plagued by high dropout rates for African-American males, Becoats closed on a personal note to emphasize that his community enabled him for success, and he believes Durham can do the same for its students.

“I was not the perfect child in school,” he said. “There was a triangle of support for me. My principal, my counselor and my social studies teacher put me in the middle and they told me, ‘You’re going to be successful.’”

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ACC teams can make noise in Big Dance

WEDNESDAY March 2, 2011

Laetitia Beck and Lindy Duncan [pictured] both finished in a tie for third at the Suger Bowl Intercollegiate. Duke also finished T-3 overall. PAGE 9

www.dukechroniclesports.com

CLEMSON

DUKE CAMERON • TONIGHT • 9 p.m. • ESPN

THE LAST HOMESTAND

If you’re good at something, people are always eager to notice when you don’t meet your usual standards. The Atlantic Coast Conference and basketball have been synonymous with success for a long time, and as the dominance of the ACC in the national basketball landscape has diminished in the past few years, critics have been Tom more than happy to point that out.

But while the arguments against the ACC aren’t without merit, that doesn’t mean the conference lacks the potential to make a postseason impact.

Defense is the name of the game for several of the underrated teams in the conference, and good defensive teams are often strong candidates to be postseason surprises. The ACC is full of such teams. Virginia Tech has been decimated by injuries, but as they showed against Duke on Saturday, they’ve still got plenty of heart and a defense that

Gieryn

See gieryn on page 8 courtney douglas, michael naclerio/Chronicle file photos

Casey Peters, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith will all play their last games in Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight, facing off against a Clemson team on the bubble.

by Scott Rich THE CHRONICLE

lawson kurtz/The Chronicle

Virginia Tech boasts a solid defense which could help it in the NCAA Tournament, Gieryn writes.

Clemson may be Duke’s opponent in Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight, but they are hardly the main attraction.

When the No. 4 Blue Devils (26-3, 12-2 in the ACC) step onto Coach K court for the final time this season at 9 p.m., the attention will instead be on Duke’s stellar senior class, who will be playing in college basketball’s most storied venue for the final time.

But while the eyes of the fans will be on Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Casey Peters, the seniors know that the game itself is still the most important thing— especially if the Blue Devils are to claim the ACC regular season title with victories in their final two games.

“First thing that comes to mind is to win,” Smith said. “Thinking back over all the wins I’ve had in Cameron, there’s going to be nothing better than to put on a great performance in my last game here.”

Emotions will certainly run high for this senior class, though, who brought Duke’s fourth national title to Durham last season and, with a victory, would graduate with a 65-2 record in Cameron as well as the longest active home winning streak in the country.

The two players who have been there for the whole ride, Smith and Singler, have had a relationship that has run the gaunt-

let of experiences during their four years as Blue Devils. Their first year on campus was a tumultuous one that ended with a second round exit from the NCAA Tournament. Two years later, however, they found themselves on top of the college basketball world and decided together to return for one last season at Duke.

“The decision was easy because we wanted to come back and wear the Duke jersey

“There’s going to be nothing better than to put on a great performance in my last game here.”

— Nolan Smith some more, win more games and lead this team,” Smith said. “Our junior year is when we became brothers.... Living together, doing everything together off the court, our relationship has been great, and we want to finish this year off the way we planned coming back for our senior years.”

The two will have to put their relationship and emotions to the side, though, in order to win one more game against a des-

perate Clemson (19-9, 8-6) team that finds itself squarely on the bubble as Selection Sunday approaches.

That’s something that associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski knows well from his experiences both as a coach and a player for the Blue Devils.

“When you know it’s the last time you’ll put a uniform on in Cameron, there’s a lot of different emotions,” Wojciechowski said.

“There’s a lot to celebrate with these guys, but when the ball goes in the air for the jump ball you need to put all that to the side and focus on the task at hand.”

That task is to beat the Tigers, who face a similar situation as Duke’s last opponent, Virginia Tech, in that a win could take them off the bubble and secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Clemson is coming off two straight wins and very nearly upset North Carolina three weeks ago, losing to the Tar Heels by just two points.

The Tigers also have the experience to weather what is sure to be a hostile Cameron crowd. The Tigers boast eight upperclassmen on the roster, and most have had successful careers under former head coach Oliver Purnell.

When Purnell left the university to coach DePaul, though, Brad Brownell took the See m. basketball on page 8

the chronicle

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 | 7

baseball

women’s basketball

Duke slips, falls to High Point 3 named to All-ACC team

by Matt Levenberg THE CHRONICLE

Riding a six-game winning streak heading into Tuesday’s matchup against in-state rival High Point, Duke looked to maintain its momentum and improve to 8-1.

But the Panthers (4-5) had different plans, tallying 17 hits in a 9-3 victory over the Blue Devils (7-2).

In his second career start, freshDUKE 3 man Drew Van Orden began the game with three scoreless innings, 9 HP but in the top of the fourth the wheels came off for Van Orden and Duke.

High Point batted around the order, and the dagger came with leadoff shortstop Mike Mercurio at the plate. Mercurio, who finished the day 3-for-5 with three RBI, came through for his team with the bases loaded and a 3-1 lead, driving a linedrive double down the rightfield line. He knocked in all three runners to cap off a six-run fourth inning.

“Mercurio is a good player and a very good hitter,” head coach Sean McNally said. “We went after him and he made us pay. That’s what good hitters do.”

Duke had several chances to score off High Point starting pitcher Drew Dades. Dades surrendered six hits and five walks through five-plus innings. In the second inning, all three of the Blue Devils’ outs came at third base. Although the bottom of Duke’s order has produced thus far this season, they did not offer much help yesterday as the six through nine hitters went a combined 2-for-14 in the game.

Despite surrendering six runs in the third, the Blue Devils had a chance to battle back in the sixth. Catcher Jeff Kremer began the inning with an infield single and scored on a long double by freshman Jordan Betts, cutting the High Point lead to four. With a runner on second with no outs, the Panthers went to the bullpen. Reliever Spencer Andrews battled out of a jam by getting designated hitter Dennis O’Grady to foul out to first, and then he struck out outfielders Anthony D’Alessandro and Joe Pedevillano back-to-back.

See baseball on page 8

Jasmine Thomas named to first team for 2nd straight year

thanh-ha nguyen/The Chronicle

Sophomore catcher Jeff Kremer went 2-for-2 in the contest, finishing with a single, double and his ninth RBI of the year.

As the Blue Devils prepare for the upcoming ACC tournament, Jasmine Thomas, Krystal Thomas and Chelsea Gray earned All-ACC honors for their standout regular season performances.

Senior Jasmine Thomas was named to the All-ACC first team for the second time in her career, placing her in the elite company of past Duke stars Alana Beard, Monique Currie, Georgia Schweitzer and Iciss Tillis. At least one Blue Devil has been named to the All-ACC first team in 12 of the last 13 seasons.

Thomas is averaging 14.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists this season. Her statistics fail, though, to show her importance in the clutch, as Thomas has repeatedly stepped up for the Blue Devils this year and hit shots with the game on the line.

Fellow senior Krystal Thomas was named to the AllACC third team after leading the ACC in rebounding with 9.0 boards per game. She is averaging 8.3 points per game this season, and has excelled in ACC contests, leading the conference with 10.3 rebounds per game in 14 league matchups.

Although Gray has seen limited playing time recently due to the flu and an ankle injury, she still earned AllACC honorable mention honors. The freshman averaged 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Gray also played some of her best basketball in conference play, tallying six double-figure scoring performances in ACC matchups.

— from staff reports

8 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 the chronicle

gieryn from page 6 allows just 62.9 points per game to complement a dangerous inside-outside duo in Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen.

Clemson’s defensive chops are the most impressive, as the Tigers’ 60 points allowed per game rank them 12th in the nation, with most of the teams ahead of them playing in smaller conferences or the much slower-paced Big Ten. Their execution on the offensive end leaves something to be desired, but their excellent length and athleticism could give any opponent fits as tournament time rolls around. Their 19-9 record may not appear especially impressive, but consider that their losses have been by an average of less than five points, with their only double-digit defeat coming at the hands of North Carolina on the road.

Yet the Tigers are an example of an ACC team—for a change—not getting the credit it deserves. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi currently does not project Clemson to crack the top 68.

Maryland joins Clemson in the pile of teams that Lunardi says will be playing in the NIT instead of battling for a national championship in the Big Dance. But in addition to solid team defense, the Terrapins possess another attribute that could cause trouble for opponents: a player who can take over all phases of a game. Jordan Williams has emerged as one of the nation’s best post players, ranking fifth in the

conference in scoring, first in rebounding and first by a wide margin in free-throw attempts. He’s also an excellent shot blocker and he rarely turns the ball over, so he’s the kind of player who can single-handedly control a game when he’s on.

North Carolina represents another team flying under the radar. The Duke faithful have especially enjoyed the Tar Heels’ relative fallow period in the recent past, but the trio of Tyler Zeller, Harrison Barnes and John Henson has the sheer talent to dominate any game. Although Barnes and Henson have not lived up to lofty expectations, their recent performances suggest an ability to sustain a higher level of play—Henson has averaged 12.3 points and 12.4 rebounds over his last nine games, and Barnes has chipped in 17.9 points and 6.7 boards during that same span.

Duke has games remaining against two of these squads, Clemson and North Carolina, and then will undoubtedly face one or more of them in the ACC tournament. The Blue Devils will have to be on top of their game if they want to make it through that stretch unscathed.

But as an ACC team themselves, they know firsthand just how dangerous some of these teams can be.

It’ll be the teams from the rest of the country, who have been reading the national press, who will be surprised to get tripped up by an underhyped squad from an undeservingly downtrodden conference.

Don’t forget to follow @dukebasketball

baseball from page 7

women’s golf

High Point’s other big bat, Steve Antolik, entered the game batting .400, and he stayed hot. In the seventh Antolik ripped a double past the outstretched glove of third baseman Betts to score teammate Sal Pezzino and make the score 8-2, effectively killing Duke’s chances of a comeback. Eight of the Panthers’ nine batters recorded at least one hit.

McNally erased any idea about the defeat being a good loss, saying the Blue Devils played a better game in their previous loss against Richmond Feb. 19. Duke allowed two players to reach base on bunts which were intended to be sacrifice bunts, and they also had multiple baserunners thrown out, wiping away scoring opportunities.

“Mentally we weren’t sharp today,” McNally said. “We had guys coming off a good weekend. They were feeling good and relaxing—they had an off-day yesterday. Let’s hope this is a lesson moving forward.”

m. basketball from page 6 reigns at Clemson and instituted a different defensive style that saw similar results. Indeed, his high pressure half-court defense has had just as much, if not more, success as Purnell’s full-court trapping scheme, as the Tigers have allowed only 60 points per game this season.

“Clemson is an outstanding defensive team,” Wojciechowski said. “They do the best job of anyone in our league of pressuring the ball.”

Regardless of whether Clemson pulls off the upset or Duke gets the win, once the final buzzer sounds, the attention of Cameron will once again be squarely on Singler, Smith and Peters.

It’s something that the normally effervescent Smith knows and, in a way, dreads.

“I’m an emotional guy,” Smith said. “We take care of business, get the win, and I expect my after-the-game speech to be very short, so the guys don’t see me cry.”

Blue Devils finish T-3 Freshman Laetitia Beck shot a 66 on day one and led the Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate for a time before ultimately finishing in a tie for third at the tournament, which wrapped up play Tuesday.

The Caesarea, Israel, native’s impressive performance was matched by Blue Devil Lindy Duncan, who shot a 68 on the final day to also finish in a tie for third. Duke ultimately finished T-3 with a score of 15over at the event played at at the 6,105-yard English Turn Golf and Country Club.

Southern California won the 54hole tournament, shooting an 868, and Alabama finished close behind with an 872. No. 5 Duke and Tulane came in third with an 879.

After Beck’s career-best round of 66 on Sunday, the freshman shot a 76 and a 71 to finish the tournament with a 213.

Duncan took a much different route to her 213, starting off the tournament with a 73 then shooting rounds of 72 and 68 on days two and three, respectively.

Beck and Duncan were followed by Aleja Cangrejo, who went 76, 75, 76 to finish T-49 with a 227. The freshman finished her first spring tournament with a birdie on the final hole.

Kim Donovan and Stacey Kim both shot a 231 over the 54 holes to finish T-65. Courtney Ellenbogen, playing as an individual, shot 232.

Duke plays again March 11-13 in Baton Rouge, La. in the LSU Invitational.

— from staff reports

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 | 9

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10 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011

Collaborate thoughtfully with UNC During a recent visit to Two events last week particucampus, former president larly exemplified the pros and Nan Keohane was asked cons of collaboration. whether she had any regrets Duke and the University of about her time at Duke.

North Carolina at Chapel Hill “I wish we could’ve con- announced early last week nected to UNC that a joint editorial more... I wish committee sewe could’ve lected the nondone more collaboration fiction book “Eating Animals” with neighboring universi- by Jonathan Safran Foer as the ties,” she said in an interview Class of 2015 summer reading with The Chronicle. book at both schools.

Robert Steel, former chair This represents a frivolous of Duke’s Board of Trustees partnership with UNC—its and Trinity ’73, echoed a simi- only apparent purpose that lar theme in his Founder’s Day Foer may visit both campuses address last Fall, arguing that on a single trip. The choice the University needs to “more also raises the question of actively collaborate with our whether Duke capitulated neighboring institutions.” to UNC’s historic preference We agree with Steel’s claim for non-fiction books. that Duke’s proximity to other The summer reading book Triangle universities is a “com- is an avenue to provide a bondpetitive advantage” that should ing experience that is unique be recognized more often. to Duke freshmen, as students

“

onlinecomment

I laughed at the headline for this: “Students look to link tailgate to football” Wouldn’t that be nice?

”

—“DumpyMcStumpkins” commenting on the story “Students look to link tailgate to football.”

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I

spend Orientation Week building familiarity with their campus and their classmates.

Choosing the book through a joint process ignores important considerations that are specific to Duke. For example, summer reading book discussions at UNC are faculty-led whereas students conduct them at Duke.

Successful collaboration with UNC should be based on mutual interests and meaningful connections, not collaborations of convenience that impinge upon the distinctiveness of student experiences.

One promising partnership occurred last weekend with the exhibition of the inaugural Duke-UNC China Leadership Summit. The two-day event hosted on both campuses featured student and faculty lecturers from Duke and UNC,

as well as business leaders from the Research Triangle Park.

Organizers of the conference are planning to make it an annual affair, and participants from North Carolina State University may be added next year.

This type of grassroots collaboration, led by students and faculty, is the sort that ought to be prioritized.

As the University strives to follow the ideals laid out by former leaders like Keohane and Steel, it should evaluate whether true synergies can be created in each endeavor. As illustrated by this year’s summer reading selection, collaboration merely for the sake of collaborating has no real benefit and can compromise our educational integrity.

Duke has already accomplished much by associating

with UNC and other schools during the past decade.

The Robertson Scholars Program is a brilliant concept, despite its recent struggles with ineffective and inconsistent leadership. Duke also shares library resources with UNC, N.C. State and North Carolina Central University via the Triangle Research Libraries Network.

Taking courses in Chapel Hill is relatively convenient, and Duke and UNC faculty tend to dialogue frequently as well.

As a private school surrounded by resource-laden public institutions that must answer to a centralized Board of Governors, Duke should continue to pursue greater collaboration while recognizing that it has the freedom to decline superficial engagements.

Fairies and bodybuilders

t was a typical chilly Saturday morning in No- er in one giant beer shower. Duke should seek to vember in Durham. As a Duke tour guide led recreate an environment where everybody, sports his group past the athletic campus, a parent con- fans and studyaholics alike, can come together fronted him with a difficult question: and enjoy a great Duke tradition “Why are all these people dressed up (minus the shower, of course). as fairies and bodybuilders?”

Second, don’t go big and go The tradition known as “Tailhome. UNC students would scoff gate” has continued to perplex at the idea of not actually making it visitors, faulty, administration and to the game to support their team. many students since its inception.

Have a drink or five if you want, Why college kids would get up at but don’t let tailgating become the 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning and fashion show that ours bechris edelman boorish emerge bearing tutus and Speedos came. When the pregame becomes in 40-degree weather is perplexing. the game, and your friend actually shades of blue Why they would then hang around has to consult the instructions on to be bathed in beer only to pass out the back of his party monitor shirt and never reach the game is beyond many peo- to find out whether your situation warrants callples’ comprehension. ing 911, then you’ve had too much to drink. With Just ask any student down the road at the Uni- the Blue Devils coming back from a 3-9 season, versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where the team will continue to need our support in there is not even a designated student tailgate area. the stands.

Of course, Tar Heels tailgate, but the celebration Third, preserve the integrity of our image. is more subdued and might involve grilling hot Game days in Chapel Hill draw legions of towndogs and hamburgers, playing beanbag toss at frat ies and alumni who intermingle with the students, houses and then actually going to the game. reminiscing about their college days and sharing Neither Duke nor UNC has a “traditional” col- their pride in the school that UNC has become lege pregame ritual, and neither student body since their glory days. On the other hand, Duke seems to be entirely satisfied. Here at Duke, many has received negative publicity lately as headlines students feel alienated by a social scene that, at across the country condemn its Tailgate extravatimes, promotes alcohol over athletics. Twelve gance. College students do many things they miles down 15-501, UNC doesn’t even have a uni- wouldn’t want their parents or future employers fied place to celebrate tailgate. to know about. Poor decisions may be inevitable, Neither Duke’s nor UNC’s tailgate is ideal. but there is no need to make a spectacle of them.

Duke even cancelled its final Tailgate of 2010 due Football Saturdays draw significant attention from to safety concerns. This Monday, Duke Student visitors, alumni and viewers across the country. We Government (DSG) held an open campus forum need to present an image that we are proud of and in which students could contribute their ideas for not one that would embarrass former Blue Devils how to restructure Tailgate. In the coming weeks, or make our parents demand a refund.

DSG, students and administration will work to reTailgating is a great college tradition, and it’s structure Duke’s pre-game tradition and create one that should be part of every Duke student’s a permanent solution that we can all support. In experience. Let’s take advantage of this oppordoing so, all parties involved should create an al- tunity to learn from UNC’s mistakes—and our ternative that reflects the lessons we have learned own—and design a creative new Tailgate experifrom both Duke’s and UNC’s experiences. ence that reflects our Blue Devil pride. It need not First, create a community. UNC doesn’t have be a sober affair, but I also hope that when Duke any effective way of bringing a sizeable part of the tour guides are asked about Tailgate traditions in 18,000 undergraduates together to create camara- the future, they don’t need to come up with an derie. A hefty dose of liquid confidence certainly excuse to cover up an embarrassing situation. helps, but Duke’s Tailgate creates a communal experience that is unrivaled at UNC. Students who Chris Edelman is a Trinity senior. His column runs otherwise might not see each other come togeth- every other Wednesday.

www.dukechronicle.com

the chronicle

On the meaning of sickness

I

was sick last week.

In my medical opinion, my illness was among the worst colds ever suffered. It was a cold so brutal and suffocating that Coach K might want to use it to guard Harrison Barnes. If the terrorists knew this cold existed, they’d use it as a biological weapon. It was the swine flu of colds.

At least, that’s how it seemed to me.

Because the truth is, now that I’m on the mend, it was alex fanaroff only a cold. Even when I was farewell tour sick, I had no doubt that I’d get better in a matter of days. While some of my patients’ illnesses carry mortality rates approaching 100 percent, I knew that there was an approximately 0 percent chance that my condition would kill me. And still, it was pretty awful.

I couldn’t go work in the hospital. I couldn’t go to parties with my friends. I couldn’t play intramural sports.

I couldn’t cook, or clean up after myself or do much of anything besides lie around on my couch and feel sorry for myself.

But the unexpected break from my regularly-scheduled life gave me time to think, for the first time in a while, about what being sick meant. And, even though my own illness could never be considered serious, it gave me more of an insiders’ view on sickness than I’ve had in a while.

Medical students don’t take much time to think about what being sick means. Being sick is for patients, not for us. Doctors—and med students—don’t have time to be sick. In fact, a recent survey of medical residents showed that nearly 60 percent showed up for work when sick at least once in the preceding year. Last Thursday, the day before I stayed home from work with my cold, I took a DayQuil and attempted to ignore my burning eyes, running nose and pounding headache. One of my patients, when I told her I hoped she felt better soon, responded, “I hope you feel better soon.”

But the pressure to show up for work when sick isn’t external; rather, it’s internal. And it has a lot to do with what sickness means, and what health means and how we, as physicians and trainee physicians, define our identity.

Sickness and health are somewhat slippery terms. It’s intuitively obvious that the two are opposites: Sickness is the absence of health; health is the absence of sickness.

Friday, when I missed work, I was sick. Today, I’m at work and I’ll go to the Duke-Clemson basketball game; I’m healthy.

The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing.” Further efforts to define health have focused on quality of life, since mere duration of life seems inadequate to capture “complete physical, mental and social well-being.”

The University of Toronto defines quality of life as comprising the areas of being, belonging and becoming—very loosely, who you are, who you hang out with and what you do. For medical students and trainee physicians, all of these areas seem to converge at the hospital. We are the caretakers of the sick; we hang out with other caretakers of the sick at the hospital; we help take care of sick people. For us, illness strikes at all phases of our identity—if we ourselves are sick, then we cannot be caretakers of the sick, cannot hang out with caretakers of the sick, cannot take care of sick people.

So we resist the label. We show up for work when we’re ill, ignoring the danger in which we put ourselves and our patients.

Our patients’ illnesses pose a similar threat to their being, belonging and becoming. No matter whom they hang out with or what they do, serious illness prevents them from leading their daily lives. The threat of death is a literal threat to one’s being. And, unlike my own minor illness, most of my patients have chronic illnesses. Even if they recover, they will never be quite whole again.

In comparison, my cold seems like no big deal. Maybe I should’ve shown up for work.

Alex Fanaroff is a fourth-year medical student. His column runs every Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 | 11

commentaries

A break from spring break

T

oday, this Californian woke up and decided only be afforded by those who are less driven and mothe weather was finally suitable for breaking tivated. When you are balancing five classes, two club out the shorts and Rainbows, which can only sports, Campus Council, a research position and sendmean one thing: Spring is upon us. ing out summer internship resumes, evDuring this time of year, there are a ery second counts. It’s actually amazing few occurrences you can pretty much that anyone can find the time to read bank on. The first is that you’ll gain at these columns. least five pounds during Mardi Gras Even more amazing is that with all and probably not remember any of it. these responsibilities, Duke students still The second is that you’ll have to listen manage to have fun. In fact, for many to all of your Catholic friends complain of us, partying is just one more thing at about how they shouldn’t have given which we have to excel. So when that scott briggs up chocolate for Lent, only so they can one week break in the middle of the as i see it eat their way through all 40 days and very long Spring semester comes, we 40 nights worth in the course of three make the most of it. After all, we know hours on Easter morning. Finally, and no other way. The challenge of managmost importantly, you can be sure that next week all ing classes, sports and jobs is temporarily replaced of your friends will be taking California, Florida and by the test of juggling the beach, the club and childMexico by storm in an unofficial race to see who can hood friends. Those seven days whirl by, and we come grind on the most strangers, drink the most marga- back to school questioning if we ever really got a true ritas and puke them up the fastest. Yet this nonstop “break.” lifestyle is nothing new to Duke students.

Spring break is a celebrated and sacred college We come from a wide array of social, economic tradition, and I would be remiss to suggest that you and racial backgrounds, but to a certain degree I be- should miss out on the experience. Nevertheless, I lieve we have all come here for the same reason. Duke think there is good reason for you to consider a brief is the quintessential college experience. We have top one-day pit stop along the way.

10 academics, top athletics, a gorgeous campus and So this year, I suggest a slight change of pace. If amazing research and service opportunities. Simi- even for just a few hours, take a chance to learn how larly, our students are about as well-rounded as they the other half lives. Fall asleep in a lounge chair or come. Somehow, we manage to make the most of all read a book for fun. Try something new: Spend a this great school has to offer. That, in itself, makes few hours doing absolutely nothing. Learn what the the average Duke student very far from average. words “free time” really mean. You have the rest of But excelling at everything is far from an easy your life to work at the speed of light. feat, and if I have learned anything in my short time at Duke, it is that our students have mastered the art Scott Briggs is a Trinity freshman. His column runs evof racing against the clock. Sleep is a luxury that can ery other Wednesday.

lettertotheeditor Cameron Crazies: an endangered species?

Duke Undergrads, I am a Duke alumnus and an Iron Duke with basketball season tickets. I have the pleasure of normally being upstairs in Cameron for almost all games. At the Feb. 20 Georgia Tech game, I had my former roommate from Duke in town, and we were able to get tickets in the student’s section. When we picked up our tickets, I was very surprised to find out we were sitting in the main student’s section, directly across from the Duke bench. When I was a Duke student in 1983-1987, the early years of Coach K’s incredible Duke career, the graduate students were upstairs in the corner, and almost all of the bleacher seating was reserved for undergraduate students. Today many of the seats available to undergrads when I was an undergrad are no longer available. The area behind the benches is almost all allocated to the athletic department, and the end zones are now occupied by the graduate students. Yet with more undergrads at Duke today than ever before and less undergrad seating available, the undergrad seating is not filled for most games?

I don’t get it. There are 1,000 seats for 6,000+ undergrads. You are an undergrad at the best basketball program in the last 20+ years, and have a free ticket to see your team play in what is arguably the best venue in college basketball. How about carving out a couple of hours from your other activities, studying or whatever you are doing and get out to a game?

So, are Cameron Crazies an endangered species?

I hope not. We have rejected building a big arena to keep our home court advantage, and the Cameron Crazies are a key ingredient of our basketball success at Duke. While I really enjoyed being downstairs and had forgotten how great it is to be that close to the action, I hope that we are not heading towards a day when an old guy like me can have courtside season tickets. We can’t let this happen. You’ve got one more chance this year, so go over to Cameron March 2 to cheer on your Blue Devils to a victory over Clemson.

GO DUKE! John Philips Engineering ‘87

12 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011

bull’s eye from page 1 Even though the city still has a long way to go—Durham had 25 criminal homicides, a 19 percent drop from 2009 to 2010—Lopez said the Bull’s Eye project, which emphasizes collaboration between DPD and the community, is reforming Durham’s image and making the city safer as a whole.

“Crime is contagious and must be contained. It has a lot to do with poverty in the area and general blight,” Lopez said, noting that poor, neglected areas often become hotbeds of crime where citizens have little confidence in the police. “People there don’t think any one cares.”

The area being targeted by Bull’s Eye, a “hot spot” that makes up only 2 percent of the city’s total area, was home to almost 20 percent of Durham’s violent gun crime and “shots fired” calls to 911, as well as onefifth of arrests for prostitution, possession of stolen goods and drug activity, according DPD analyses.

City Manager Tom Bonfield said because it is hard to measure and quantify criminal trends, Durham officials studied crime data from May 1, 2006 through April 30, 2007 and determined that a concentrated, high-intensity approach was the best way to allocate resources.

The program’s first year was estimated to cost about $225,000 to be paid for using overtime funds and a federal grant. It is unclear what the initiative currently costs DPD, Lopez referred comment to DPD Public Information Officer Kammie Michael, who could not be reached for comment.

the chronicle

Working with the community City officials said in addition to reducing crime in the identified hot spot, the Bull’s Eye operation is intended to improve citizens’ perceptions of DPD’s ability to protect them.

Like most cities, Durham has neighborhood watch initiatives, but Lopez said many Durhamites—especially those living in the hot spot—choose not to participate in crime prevention. Bull’s Eye works to combat this by employing law-enforcement strategy that depends largely on a motivated community for success, in addition to answering emergency calls.

“Not all the contributing factors to crime are under the city government or DPD’s control,” Bonfield said. “This has to a collaborative effort.”

From its beginning, the program has tried to establish trust in the community.

The Bull’s Eye initiative began with a doorto-door circuit of 3,400 addresses in which officers passed out bilingual information packets to hot spot residents in an effort to build confidence and encourage participation, according to a report issued by Steven Chalmers, former DPD chief. Chalmers’ report called for conversations with citizens about their concerns and license checkpoints that would demonstrate a visibly increased police presence.

DPD has also collaborated with many local organizations to reduce residents’ repeated contact with officers. DPD works with churches, school systems and social services to address potential causes of crime, like drug addiction and psychological disorders.

Chalmers noted in his report that the Bull’s

Eye initiative also collaborates with the Salvation Army and the John Avery Boys and Girls Clubs to provide programs and community events for youths that would keep them off the streets. He added that DPD also partnered with the North Carolina Division of Community Corrections for this initiative to monitor juvenile and adult probationers to prevent crime recurrence.

The program’s first year was considered a success, and the city won a federal grant to help fund its efforts, the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative, to help continue its efforts in the hot spot, Lopez said.

“People talk about how they never even wanted to walk out their doors but now feel much safer than even three or four years ago,” Bonfield said.

In 2010, robberies dropped 7 percent in Durham from 2009, according to the latest annual report. Lopez believes that such seemingly-small statistical reductions will make Durham a more enjoyable living environment for its residents.

“I’m not stupid enough to think I can send my kids out by themselves and breathe easy. But you don’t need to have to fix the problem all the way to realize stuff is getting better,” said Rebecca Wellington, a middle-aged woman who lives in the hot-spot area. “I’m not so scared no more.

That’s the straight fact.”

Flexibility going forward Although she admitted her experience is confined to her personal life, Wellington said many of her neighbors suffer from social and psychological problems. Without help, she said, many of these people—who often

come from abusive or financially unstable households—can be drawn to crime.

To address issues like these that can cause crime, Bull’s Eye tries to be a flexible operation that responds to area residents’ needs, Lopez said. This year, DPD created the “crisis intervention training investigator” position, which is charged with evaluating the relationship between crime and residents’ mental illnesses. The current investigator, William Fleeman, has already conducted 300 follow-up sessions with persons identified as possibly having mental illness and children suffering from familyrelated trauma.

“We are acting as a sort of leader in this field as police departments do not often become so heavily involved with the social aspects of community problems,” Bonfield said.

Although Durham has made strides in reducing crime, Lopez said there is still room for substantial improvement. For example, the 2010 DPD report shows that aggravated assault crimes have increased 9 percent from 2009 to 2010, one-third of which involve domestic violence.

Lopez said he remains hopeful that Durham will continue its general trend of improvement, noting that statistics will fluctuate year to year. He said he hopes residents keep in mind the big picture—the past 10 years—in which Durham’s crime rate has dropped significantly.

“Almost all [cities] try to identify areas of criminal concern, but what is different is that after the first year of some success we did not walk away,” Lopez said. “We didn’t want to make a momentary change. We wanted to make a lasting change.”

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