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, MARCH 4, 2011
www.dukechronicle.com
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 110
‘A reason to come to school’ ‘Duke-in’ abroad
Poetic Justice gives struggling students an outlet for expression
programs see large increase in apps by Julia Ni
THE CHRONICLE
by Tong Xiang THE CHRONICLE
On the last day of January, two men in knit caps and hoodies walked into the Durham Performance Learning Center, stood up on tables in its crowded cafeteria and started yelling. “How many of y’all like poetry? How many of y’all like hip-hop? Yeah? Aight, well check this out, then!” And then Pierce Freelon and Kane Smego started performing spoken-word poems, delivering rhymes with such thunderous flow that students leapt out of their chairs. They were recruiting participants for Poetic Justice, their spoken-word after-school program, and by the time they left, they had handed out 70 applications—or one to nearly every student in the room at the small, nontraditional high school geared toward children who have not performed well in traditional settings. First offered at Jordan High School in September, Freelon and Smego began a second 10-week
As students pack their bags to prepare for Spring Break trips, many have even larger ambitions to see the world. More students than last year have submitted applications to study abroad through “Duke-in” programs, according to the Global Education Office for Undergraduates. As of Wednesday, a total of 520 Duke students have applied to go abroad this summer and Fall, Margaret Riley, the office’s director, wrote in an e-mail. “A number of Duke programs have experienced increased applications,” Riley said. Duke-administered programs experienced a larger increase in applications than non-Duke programs. Overall, 255 students applied to Duke summer and academic year programs this year, a significant increase from the 191 students who applied last year. Non-Duke programs, however, did not see much of an increase. This year, 363 students are applying to Duke-approved programs—up three students from last year. Applications for Fall “Duke-in” programs were due March 1, and applications for many “Duke-in” summer programs—which were initially due Feb. 3—have been extended and are being accepted on a rolling basis. This year’s application pool breaks down into 316 female and 204 male students. Most applicants were rising juniors and seniors, with just four rising sophomores applying to study abroad for the Fall semester. The most popular choice among students was the Duke in Madrid program, which received 81 applications—up from last year’s 56.
See poetry on page 4 sophia palenberg/The Chronicle
See study abroad on page 12
Egypt travel restrictions lifted with caution by Kelly Scurry THE CHRONICLE
With unrest in Egypt stabilizing, University travel to the country will soon resume. The International Travel Oversight Committee decided to lift travel restrictions to all of Egypt March 2, allowing programs in the region like DukeEngage Cairo to continue as previously planned. The committee, which sets travel policy for initiatives like DukeEngage and Duke-sponsored study abroad programs, announced Feb. 3 a decision to freeze all travel to Egypt in light of the political turmoil and unrest that erupted throughout North Africa and the Middle East that started this January. “We are very pleased and not surprised [by the decision] because of the termination of [former Egyptian President Hos-
ni] Mubarak’s regime. We knew it was a matter of time,” said Mbaye Lo, leader of DukeEngage Cairo and assistant professor of the practice for Asian and Middle Eastern studies. The committee’s decision came with two caveats, said Christy Michels, Duke international travel policy administrator and manager for the global administration support. Before traveling to Egypt, ITOC will require students to register with the University and have a plan for leaving the country in case of emergency. Additionally, ITOC will continue to monitor the situation in Egypt and reserves the right to reinstate the travel suspension if the committee believes the country is unsafe for students. See egypt on page 12
special to the chronicle
The International Travel Oversight Committee ended travel restrictions to Egypt March 2, although Duke will still require that students traveling there have an emergency evacuation plan prepared.
The outright ACC title is on the line in Chapel Hill, Page 5
dukechronicle.com Goldenberg named interim VP for residential life and dining at DSG’s meeting Thursday.