January 14, 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

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011

New software will replace Blackboard

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH YEAR, Issue 76

www.dukechronicle.com

Dept. of Ed postpones interviews

Fight me

Lauren Carroll

by Sanette Tanaka

Bye-bye Blackboard.

Sakai Collaboration and Learning Environment will replace Blackboard Academic Suite Version 8 as the University’s new eLearning software, announced the eLearning Roadmap Committee at the Arts and Sciences Council meeting Thursday. The University has used Blackboard Academic Suite for the past three years, the committee said, adding that they expect the transition to be completed by July 2012.

In their presentation to the Council, the committee cited the many benefits of Sakai, which include cost efficiency, simpler file uploading and potential mobile device and iPad capabilities.

“Sakai’s open-source application framework will be more flexible in meeting Duke’s evolving needs,” said Ed Gomes, senior associate dean of Trinity College Technology Services and chair of the eLearning Roadmap Committee. “It can be more cost effectively extended to support Duke’s global programs.”

The eLearning Roadmap Committee is composed of various members of technical offices throughout the University and has been researching alternative eLearning software options for the last year.

The Committee noted that the transition from Blackboard to Sakai will present some challenges such as financial risk, legal concerns associated with external hosting of the system and the need for faculty training.

“Some faculty may find that there are limitations to [Sakai],” said Tracy Futhey, vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer. “But we can actually augment the software in ways we can’t with Blackboard.”

The committee launched a pilot program of Sakai at the start of the Spring semester. The pilot program is for 11 courses with an approximate total of 400 students, varying between seminar-sized courses and large lectures, Gomes said. He added that the Committee plans to ask the Information Technology Advisory Council and various student and faculty governing bodies—such as Duke Student Government and the Arts and Sciences Council— for feedback and support throughout the transition process.

Faculty members—particularly those with multi-section classes—have already expressed positive feedback, said Amy

In a continuing investigation of civil rights complaints filed against Duke last Fall, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights postponed indefinitely a series of group interviews with select students.

Originally scheduled for Jan. 12, the eight group interviews would have been facilitated by members of OCR as part of a routine investigation, Chris Heltne, director of communications for Student Affairs, wrote in an e-mail.

The group sessions come in light of two cases alleging that the University discriminates on the basis of sex and race filed Sept.

13 and Oct. 13. At the time of the filings, the complaints were made by seniors Justin Robinette and Cliff Satell. Robinette, however, graduated early and said he is working in Philadelphia.

Heltne declined to comment on the specifics of how students were chosen to take part in the interviews, including how many students were initially chosen.

Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta and Stephen Bryan, associate dean of students and director of the

THE CHRONICLE

See council on page 5

DUMC patient death caused by poisoning, Page 3

THE CHRONICLE

addison corriher/The Chronicle

K-ville line monitors hosted a special event Thursday night for students participating in black tenting. Tenters battled on inflatables and enjoyed food from OnlyBurger.

See Interviews on page 6

Duke game to be broadcast in Chinese

by Patricia Lee THE CHRONICLE

Tomorrow’s home basketball game will feature something never done before at Duke or any other NCAA school.

When Duke and Virginia tip off in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 2 p.m. Saturday, Duke will broadcast the game in Mandarin Chinese. The free broadcast—the first of its kind —will be available live and on demand at GoDuke.com Inside Access. ESPN has also agreed to feature the broadcast on their showing of the game.

“This is an experiment, and we thought we’d give it a shot because there’s a small but obviously growing number of Duke alumni in China, but more importantly, the University has a strong interest in raising its visibility in China,” said Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations. “Basketball is very popular in China... so this is a unique opportunity to present something that is widely known and widely followed in

the U.S. in a different language for a Chinese audience.”

Jon Jackson, associate director of athletics for university and public affairs, said it is difficult to target viewers in China given the time difference.

Since the game is on at 3 a.m. China Standard Time, the University hopes that many of the broadcast’s viewers will be members of the Duke community who speak Chinese.

“Because of the time difference, I don’t think we’ll get a lot of folks up at 3 a.m. to watch the broadcast, but it is on demand after,” Jackson said. “I think you’re looking at mainly Chinese-speaking Americans, but hopefully we’ll get some folks to watch it after.”

Three Duke undergraduate students— senior Jesse Sun and juniors Yunze Chen and John Sheng—were chosen for broadcasting duties based on toni wei/The Chronicle their involvement with the International House and the Office of Global Commu- For the first time ever, a Duke basketball game will be broadcast in Chinese. Saturday’s game against See broadcast on page 5 Virginia will be televised in Mandarin.

DGHI partners with ABC News for new TV series, Page 4

ONTHERECORD

“Neighborhood revitalization is one area I would like to continue to work on.”

­—Durham Mayor Bill Bell on running for re-election. See story page 3

2 | FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 the chronicle

worldandnation onschedule...

Live For Life HealthCheck Allen 103A, 10a.m.-4p.m.

Spend 30 minutes with a LIVE FOR LIFE nurse and discover your positive health habits, and develop strategies to change the bad.

on the

Life and Thought of Martin Luther King Jr. Webcast, 12-1p.m.

To ask Professor Richard Lischer question, email live@duke.edu or tweet #dukelive.

4119

SATURDAY:

4824

“Freedom Riders” Nasher Museum, 6-9p.m.

A film about the Freedom Riders, civil rights activists who challenged segregation in interstate transport in the South in 1961.

web

“In then end, Singler’s clutch shooting couldn’t save a Duke squad that shot poorly from the field and had no offense in the paint. Duke has been handed their first loss of the season by a ferocious and athletic FSU squad. The Blue Devils came out flat and weren’t shooting well from the field, and their usually impenetrable defense was overshadowed by a career performance from Derwin Kitchen. ” — From The Chronicle’s Sports Blog sports.chronicleblogs.com

Nigel Goddard/The Washington Post

A pack of bloodhounds run in front of a team of riders and huntsman Nic Wheeler, the joint master of the Coakham Hunt in Iden, England. The hounds are trained to find humans; Coakham members have been “hunting men for fun.” The Hunting Act of 2005 made it illegal to use dogs to hunt foxes and some other mammals, but it does not apply to the Coakham Hunt’s quarry—men.

“

TODAY:

Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.

— Peter Ustinov

”

TODAY IN HISTORY

1882: First country club in U.S. established.

New Boeing army computer Chase ends bank services system costly, unreliable for foreign diplomats WASHINGTON, D.C. — Boeing’s new computer system for battlefield communications within the Army’s combat brigades has demonstrated “high cost, poor reliability and performance,” according to lawmakers.

The Boeing system “has yet to demonstrate desired performance levels in testing, has very large power, space and cooling requirements and is projected to cost $450,000 each,” said a statement by the House and Senate armed services committees. There would be 81 systems per brigade.

Combined with the Army’s new Joint Tactical Radio, the Network Integration Kit costs $970,000 per vehicle. That “may be unaffordable to procure and deploy” to the Army’s 45 active duty brigades, according to the statement accompanying the fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill spelling out policy.

off the

wire...

UNITED NATIONS — Dear foreign diplomats, U.S. banks might not want your business.

On March 31, J.P. Morgan Chase plans to shut down its division serving the banking needs of New York- and Washington-based diplomats as well as foreign governments. In a terse letter, Chase recently wrote that “we recommend that you open a bank account with another financial institution, and begin using it immediately in order to minimize any disruption.”

The move by Chase — which came without explanation — marks the latest instance in which an American financial institution has cut off services to a foreign mission. In November, Bank of America cut off five accounts held by the Angolan Embassy in Washington, and several other banks have told U.S. officials they plan to get out of diplomatic banking.

Lebanese president rebuilding government

the chronicle

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 | 3

Incumbent Bell seeks sixth Autopsy shows poisoning term as mayor of Durham as cause of DUMC death

by Yeshwanth Kandimalla THE CHRONICLE

Durham Mayor Bill Bell, incumbent since 2001, will run for a sixth term this year.

Although the official filing period for mayoral candidates is not until July 1 to July 15, candidates such as Bell may campaign and raise funds earlier, said Mike Ashe, director of the Board of Elections.

Bell said he will kick off his campaign once he files the paperwork Bill Bell with the Board of Elections, which he plans to do in the upcoming months.

The mayor has a positive outlook for Durham as he seeks his sixth term. Bell, who has served in city government in various capacities since the 1970’s, hopes to oversee the continued revitalization of downtown Durham and the city’s neighborhoods.

“The city has been on a positive path,” Bell said. “Neighborhood revitalization is one area I would like to continue to work on.”

Bell was elected by substanial margins in recent elections. In 2009, he won 77 percent of the vote compared to his opponent Steven Williams’s 22 percent.

If Bell, a Democrat, wins re-election and serves a sixth term, he would join E.J. “Mutt” Evans as the longest-serving mayor in Durham history. Evans served as mayor

of Durham between 1951 to 1963.

In upcoming years, Bell said he expects the economic recovery to increase city revenues and allow officials to continue city improvements.

“There are budget priorities, such as public safety and other core responsibilities of the city government,” he said. “With an increase in revenue, we could look at additional improvements in housing or parks and recreation facilities.”

He cited Duke as a “key partner” in downtown revitalization efforts, noting that Duke’s Division of Community Health contributed to the creation of the Walltown Neighborhood Clinic and the Holton Wellness Center, both primary care facilities.

Phail Wynn, Duke’s vice president for Durham and regional affairs, said he “welcomed” Bell’s candidacy in the upcoming election, describing him as a “very committed partner” in collaborating with the University.

“He’s been working with us on economic development issues and revitalization, which has had a major impact on the neighborhoods,” Wynn said.

Bell contributed to the creation of the Bull City Connector, the bus route established last August that links Durham and Duke, Wynn noted.

Wynn also praised Bell for his work to help Duke receive approval for the proposed construction of new facilities on campus.

See Bell on page 6

from Staff Reports THE CHRONICLE

An autopsy released during winter break revealed that a woman who died at Duke University Medical Center was poisoned by a pain reliever and common antihistamine.

The autopsy determined that Cheryl Suber, 30, died from an overdose of oxycodone and diphenhydramine, an allergy medicine and sleep aid sold under the brand name Benadryl, The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported.

Suber was found unconscious in her hospital bed Oct. 5 and succumbed to cardiac arrest despite resuscitation attempts made by medical staff. The Duke University Police Department is investigating her death as a possible homicide.

Hospital staff found two suspicious syringes in Suber’s bed that were labeled “saline” but contained a pink, opaque liquid.

According to a search warrant issued by the DUPD, “No one recognized what was in the syringe, but everyone felt that it was not a medication used on the unit.”

Suber was visited in her room on the day of her death by her boyfriend, David Bass, according to an affidavit filed as part of the search warrant. In an interview with police, Bass said he realized something was amiss and immediately notified Kimberly Turnage, a nurse who was working in the hallway. Turnage found Suber unconscious and without a pulse before activating a Code Blue alert and performing chest compressions.

A staff member said Bass entered Suber’s

room 10 to 20 minutes before the Code Blue alarms went off, according to the affidavit.

“We can say that this appears to have been an isolated case and that no medical personnel were involved except in responding appropriately to the situation,” said DUPD Chief John Dailey in an October statement.

The criminal investigation was prompted by the concerns of Dr. Daniel Kaplan, an attending physician who was suspicious of the circumstances surrounding her death, according to the affidavit. No charges have been filed at this time.

Suber was frequently hospitalized because she had sickle-cell anemia but was not thought to be in life-threatening condition on the day she died. She left behind her parents, three siblings and a grandmother, the N&O reported.

“She’s no longer with us, and we don’t know why,” said Kevin Suber, her uncle, in a prepared statement released in October reported by the N&O.

lawson kurtz/Chronicle file photo

A recent Duke Hospital death was caused by a lethal combination of oxycodone and Benadryl.

4 | FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 the chronicle

Profs look for more compromises in Congress ABC partners with GHI for new TV series news

by Alex Zempolich THE CHRONICLE

Championing a new bipartisan approach, President Barack Obama and the lame-duck 111th Congress enjoyed a prolific December, though questions remain as to analysis how long this productive spirit can last.

A harsh political reality dictated a new approach for the president and his party after losing the House and their super-majority in the Senate. Their subsequent path was one of compromise, preferring passable bills with numerous concessions. Although Obama alienated some Democrats, others

found the results impressive—the extension of the Bush tax cuts, the New Start Treaty, the 9/11 health bill, the “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal and new federal funding measures were all bills passed more peacefully than would have been expected after the “shellacking” Obama called the midterms. “[Obama] has always shown a proclivity to compromise, but now it’s a necessity. You will see him try to incorporate and preempt Republican ideas that still fit into his own progressive frame,” said Pope McCorkle, a visiting associate professor of practice at the Sanford School of Public Policy and a former Democratic analyst.

Although, McCorkle added, he will have to “widen his frame and make some com-

promises concerning himself.”

The concessions included an extension Bush tax cuts for all incomes and a decreased estate tax, which lapsed for 2010 but is back with an exemption of $1 million per person and a maximum rate of 55 percent. Many Democrats in the House were outraged by the concessions and Obama’s hand in shaping them behind closed doors. But ultimately Republican consent to the administration’s demands for a 13-month extension of benefits for the long-term unemployed and both parties’ unwillingness to allow the full spectrum of Bush-era tax cuts to expire at the end of the month proved strong incentives for compromise in the House. The deal, however, only adds to the national debt and leaves the question of how to eventually decrease it unanswered.

Although Obama made several compromises, he was unwilling to compromise over the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and the New Start Treaty, which continued U.S.-Russian arms reduction efforts.

Refusing to back down and suffer what aides called a “huge loss,” Obama decided to take a gamble and demand that the Senate approve the treaty by the end of the year. The result was the largest battle over arms control in a decade in Washington as Obama worked with Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger, who served as secretary of state in the Nixon and Ford administrations, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to pass the treaty that would cut both arsenals by 30 percent and require both na-

ABC News and the Duke Global Health Institute have established a partnership to create a year-long television series covering health issues around the world.

“Be the Change: Save a Life” premiered Dec. 17 on a special edition of “20/20.”

The series will focus on the challenges that face various people in need of health care in nine of the world’s poorest countries.

In addition to providing research analysis and statistics for the television series, DGHI will also contribute to the series’s website. The partnership will extend over the rest of the year.

“The DGHI and Duke are very excited about this unprecedented opportunity to influence and support this initiative,” Geelea Seaford, DGHI assistant director for communication, wrote in an e-mail.

“The commitment of ABC News to undertake this year-long global health series is to be commended, and we hope will ultimately have tangible results that improve access to health and health care around the world.”

The initiative will be led by “World News” anchor Diane Sawyer and Dr. Richard Besser, ABC News’s chief health and medical editor. The series is supported by a

See congress on page 6

See abc news on page 6

by Michael Shammas THE CHRONICLE

the chronicle

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 | 5

Campbell, assistant director of the Center for Instructional Technology.

“A lot said they had an ‘a-ha’ moment, but after that it was great,” she said.

The pilot program will be externally hosted by the University of North Carolina, which has been using the software for three years, said Samantha Earp, director of academic services for the Office of Information Technology. Earp added that many other universities nationwide have made a similar transition.

Baker, Trinity dean of academic affairs and associate vice provost for undergraduate education, by reviewing assessment plans and providing feedback and suggestions for improvement to the student assessment process.

At last month’s meeting, the council had discussed a desire for a more prominent role of faculty in the student assessment process and this was achieved with the approval of the new committee, said council Chair Ruth Day. “Rather than it being an administrative job, it will be a faculty job,” she said.

In other business: A South Asian Studies certificate program was proposed to the council by Keith Whitfield, professor of psychology and neuroscience and chair of the Curriculum Committee. “[South Asia has] been important, and it’s going to remain important, and Duke is just a little behind,” Whitfield said “Students want to be able to say, ‘Look, I have this major, but look at my sub-field. I’m perfect for a job in India or in Sri Lanka.’”

The goal of the program is to provide students with an understanding of the history, culture and importance of the region, ideas not necessarily covered by the International Comparative Studies and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies departments, he added.

The council is postponing a vote on the program until faculty have an opportunity to discuss funding and study abroad requirements with the proposal’s authors.

The formerly ad-hoc Faculty Assessment Committee was unanimously approved as a standing committee by the council. The committee will advise Lee

Arts and Sciences Council Chair Ruth Day discusses the approval of the Faculty Assessment Committee as a standing committee.

council from page 1

sophia palenberg/The Chronicle

6 | FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 the chronicle

abc news from page 4

interviews from page 1

$1.5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and with an investment from ABC News of more than $4.5 million that covers personnel and production costs.

Seaford said because DGHI spans multiple departments, she believes that it is a good fit for ABC. “The Duke Global Health Institute is an attractive partner for many reasons,” she said. “It is an interdisciplinary, university-wide institute that draws upon faculty and expertise from all of Duke’s outstanding schools.”

Seaford added that the series will be beneficial for both Duke and ABC. “This partnership is important to raise awareness of global health issues and challenges among the vast and diverse ABC News audience,” she said. “Our partnering with such an influential and leading news organization like ABC News will help increase recognition of Duke and the Duke Global Health Institute as leaders in global health.”

Anna Barry-Jester, a consultant for ABC who recently visited Duke for purposes related to the series’s production, said she believes it is worth the hefty investment because it will have tangible benefits.

“I know that for ABC, this is an opportunity for the reporters to work on stories that they really care about and that they don’t really get a chance to tell a lot—the stories that aren’t really a part of the normal news cycle but still matter,” she said.

The partnership will also cause a significant increase in stories concerning global health during the normal news cycle as well as the number of hours devoted to the subject during prime time.

Barry-Jester noted that the relationship with Duke will give ABC easier access to credible information.

“I know that, for ABC, they like having the collaboration with Duke to get some expertise on global health issues,” she said.

The series has sparked interest among students as well.

“Although I don’t watch ABC, my parents do,” said junior Matt Mrozek.

“They would probably see the series at some point since it’s on for the whole year. I’m sure it’ll do a lot to raise awareness about global health issues.

Also, my major, chemistry, obviously concerns health issues, so I plan on taking a look at the series myself.”

Office of Student Conduct, declined to comment.

The focus groups that were originally scheduled were “not specifically about any incidents,” and were instead “to get a sense of student perspective and observations about the climate on campus for students of color, [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] students, racial differences, men and women and more,” according to Heltne’s e-mail to students selected to participate in the sessions.

Robinette and Satell confirmed that they filed complaints against the University but declined to comment further.

Last year, Robinette claimed that he was impeached from his former position as Duke College Republicans chair because he is gay. Robinette filed complaints with the Duke Student Government Judiciary, and he later criticized the administration’s inaction in resolving his case.

According to its website, OCR serves as a “neutral fact-finder” in investigations such as this one. OCR often conducts interviews with the complainants, the recipients of the complaint and other witnesses to determine the validity of the claims.

“We are postponing our on-site visit for next week to work with the University to resolve the allegations,” Kay Bhagat, an OCR attorney, wrote in a Jan. 6 e-mail to the complainants in the investigation. “If the resolution process is not successful with the University, then we will also notify you of any future plans to resume our interviews with your witnesses.”

Bhagat deferred all comment to Jim Bradshaw, an employee in the U.S. De-

Congress from page 4 tions to resume on-site inspections.

“It’s in [the United States’] best interest to ensure that the weapons that are under Russian control do not become loose and end up in other places,” said Ole Holsti, George V. Allen professor emeritus of political science.

Holsti dismissed opinions of Republicans in the Senate who were hesitant to support a treaty they believed could leave the nation vulnerable, explaining that the incredible destructive power of modern nuclear warheads renders the decrease a harmless change, especially with Russia

partment of Education press office. Bradshaw said that since January 2007, OCR has received 12 complaints involving the University—including the two involving Robinette and Satell, former Duke College Republicans vice chair, that are currently open.

Bradshaw said he could not comment on the details of the specific case against Duke, adding that a resolution has not yet been reached and OCR is still in the investigation process.

Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, said in a December interview that Duke typically receives one or two complaints from OCR “every other year.”

Schoenfeld added that Duke and OCR made the joint decision to postpone the interviews pending the review of additional information submitted by Duke to OCR, but he declined to comment on the specifics of the information, including the future date of the OCR sessions.

“All I can say is that there has been a complaint that the OCR is investigating, and Duke is cooperating,” he said.

According to the OCR website, OCR will contact the recipient of the complaint and try to negotiate a voluntary resolution agreement if it determines that a civil rights law has been violated. The Department of Education may mandate “specific remedial actions” that the University must take to address the complaint, which will be monitored by OCR. If the recipient is unwilling to negotiate an agreement, OCR will issue a document outlining factual and legal transgressions, as well as measures to ensure action.

Bradshaw said about 90 percent of cases that are submitted to OCR have been resolved within six months, though some may take longer due to the complexities of the allegations. following suit. The main goal of the treaty, however, is to further talks with Russia about curtailing smaller nuclear weapons which can “much more easily end up in the wrong hands,” Holsti said.

Looking to the incoming 112th Congress, McCorkle said he expects “very interesting” political dynamics. Among them is the Tea Party variable and how it will play into the budget and unemployment plans.

“The support for the Tea Party beyond the hard-core was an oppositional base against the Obama administration on taxes and big government,” he said. “How do you go from an antigovernment force to a positive force?”

bell from page 3 “We have had some delays with the new construction approvals,” he said. “Mayor Bell has actively helped speed up the approval process.”

Wynn described his outlook for the relationship between Duke and Durham as “very optimistic” if Bell were elected for a sixth term.

broadcast from page 1 nications, and their familiarity with Duke basketball.

“We spent a pretty good amount of time with them on the front end making sure they were comfortable with what we were asking them to do,” Jackson said. “All three of them have a passion for Duke and have a passion for basketball.”

Jackson and Schoenfeld said the idea has been in place for a couple of months but had not been possible until now because of space constraints in the press box.

Going to the game?

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Difficult road swing to test unbeaten Blue Devils

by Shiva Kothari THE CHRONICLE

Despite leading the nation with three wins against top-10 ranked opponents, there is one win that Duke does not have on its No. 21 résumé this year.

FSU A conference road vs. victory.

No. 3 The No. 3 Blue Duke Devils (15-0, 1-0 in the ACC) get their FRIDAY, 6:30 p.m. first chance to change Tallahassee, Fla. that when they face No. 21 Florida State Virginia (14-3, 2-0 in the Tech ACC) in Tallahassee, vs.

Fla. tonight at 6:30.

Coming off a thrillNo. 3 ing victory over No. Duke 14 Maryland at home SUNDAY, 2 p.m. to open up its ACC Blacksburg, Va. schedule, Duke looks to push its seasonlong winning streak to 16 games in its first road ACC game of the year.

Head coach Joanne P. McCallie is ready to take on another tough challenge and thinks that the Blue Devils’ recent wins against ranked opponents will help them in this game.

“We are just excited,” she said. “Our schedule has been really hard and [previous] games have been really good preparation. You always have be ready to battle.”

Part of the battle will take place underneath the basket tonight. Krystal Thomas as well as the entire Duke team will need to emphasize rebounding against a Florida State squad that ranks 11th nationally with a 10.3 rebounding margin.

“Rebounding [needs to be] really con-

The Blue Devils came from behind to beat Davidson on the road last night, 23-18 SI’s Luke Winn says that Seth Curry is one of the nation’s best uncontested shooters

sistent because Florida State is a big team with a lot of post presence,” McCallie said.

Following Friday’s game against the Seminoles, the Blue Devils will play another road ACC contest at Virginia Tech Sunday in Blacksburg, Va. The Hokies will be the first non-ranked team Duke will play after facing three straight ranked opponents, including Florida State. McCallie believes the difficulty of this ACC road trip will help Duke in the future.

“It really helps us for the NCAA Tournament,” the coach said. “We talked about going two-for-two against Kentucky and Maryland [at home]. The same is true when you are... in the NCAA tournament, you are on the road a lot if you are successful. For us, it’s trying to go two-fortwo.”

As always, senior Jasmine Thomas remains a key player for Duke. She looks to lead the No. 1 freshman recruiting class into their first road ACC road games. Recently nominated as one of 20 midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award for National Player of the Year, Thomas has seemed to save her best for last in recent games. She led the Blue Devils to several late victories over Winter Break, and in their most recent win against Maryland, the senior had seven points over the final 1:58 in the game.

“She is always in attack mode, whether it is defense or offense it doesn’t matter,” McCallie said. “And I think that’s something we want modeled by the other players and especially the younger players that are coming in and learning the ropes a little bit.”

The Blue Devils are off for four days after this road trip and will play next at home against Georgia Tech on Friday, Jan. 21.

Grossman drafted later than expected Senior selected by MLS’s Columbus Crew with 28th pick

by Danny Vinik THE CHRONICLE

toni wei and kim solow/The Chronicle

Jasmine Thomas [top] and Haley Peters [bottom] will be tested by a challenging set of games.

After a strong performance in the combine, Cole Grossman entered Wednesday’s MLS Draft in Baltimore, Md. with big expectations as to where he would be selected. Many MLS experts had Grossman pegged to be picked in the middle to late first round, with some even expecting him to be a top-10 pick.

Unfortunately, Grossman had to watch the entire first round without hearing his name called. He continued to wait until the Columbus Crew chose him with the 10th pick in the 2nd round, 28th overall.

“It’s the old cliché, but anytime someone passes on you, especially in a draft where it’s such a personal thing, it adds more fuel to the fire and more motivation,” Grossman said. “I have no idea really why I dropped deep in the second round, but I did and it’s definitely going to motivate me to prove anyone who didn’t pick me wrong.”

During the past few days, Grossman has been at the MLS combine, an event where potential draftees can show off their skills and get close up attention from team scouts.

See grossman on page 12

VIRGINIA

DUKE

CAMERON • SATURDAY • 2 p.m. • ESPN

Duke will look to benefit from loss

by Tim Visutipol THE CHRONICLE

It’s been almost two years since Duke lost two games in a row.

Tomorrow night, the Blue Devils will try to make sure that the number stays the same. After their disappointing MORE ON loss to Florida THE GAME State Wednesday, ending a Duke-Virginia will 25-game winalso be broadcast in ning streak, No. 1 Duke (15-1, Mandarin Chinese 2-1 in the ACC) on Goduke.com. For returns to Cammore on this story, eron Indoor Staplease see page 1. dium, hoping to

avoid back-to-back losses in conference play. The team takes on Virginia (10-6, 1-1) Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Blue Devils enter the game with what appears to be an unbalanced offense. Against the Seminoles, Duke attempted 35 three-pointers, making only 11. The also relied heavily on its guard play, with its big men scoring a mere six points throughout the game.

While the statistics look daunting for the Blue Devils, their fans can be comforted by the program’s success in dealing with past adversity. The last two Duke teams that won the national championship all suffered early losses against ACC competition.

Senior Nolan Smith believes these

early season losses may have paved the way for these teams to go on and win the NCAA title. In an interview last August, he attributed last season’s success to the early losses against Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Georgetown as important learning curves for the team.

“Those three losses, in particular, brought us together as a team, brought more focus to the team… that really helped us through the NCAA tournament,” Smith said. “If we can win every game this season that would be great—if we’re learning from those games. But if we don’t, then we need to learn from those losses. That’s the most important thing.”

See virginia on page 12

margie truwit/Chronicle file photo

After an All-ACC season at Duke, Cole Grossman moved on to the professional ranks yesterday.

12 | FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 the chronicle

grossman from page 11 While few players made much of an impression in such a short trial, Grossman capitalized on the opportunity, standing out as one of the top midfielders at the entire event.

“The combine went really well. By all accounts, I played really well,” he said.

“The coaches and all the teams down there thought I did well. I’m not sure how much it helped me, but it certainly didn’t hurt my performance.”

However, the senior could not help but admit that he was a bit disappointed that he fell so far.

“To be honest, I was expecting to go higher,” he said.

Grossman had a terrific senior year for the Blue Devils, starting all 20 games. He scored 10 goals and added eight assists as well.

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament this year, Grossman had possibly his best game in a Duke uniform. Assuming the duties of suspended forward Ryan Finley, the captain scored two goals in the final 15 minutes against Coastal Carolina to give Duke a 2-1 victory. Grossman’s Duke career came to an end in the following game, however, in a 1-0 overtime defeat to South Carolina.

For his career, Grossman amassed 25 goals and 24 assists while playing in 70 matches. He was named to the All-ACC first team this year.

With his Duke career behind him now, the St. Louis native is ready to start the next chapter of his soccer life. And even though he didn’t go where he expected, he’s ready to make the best of it.

“I’m excited. [Columbus] is a pretty tradition-rich organization,” Grossman said.

“They’re a great team and they’re known for having a great stadium and great fans.”

virginia from page 11 After Wednesday’s defeat, head coach Mike Krzyzewski echoed these sentiments and urged his team to grow from this unexpected setback.

“Each team has to learn from going through tough experiences,” Krzyzewski said. “That’s why playing conference games makes you better because we’re going to get everyone’s best shot.… We haven’t been in a game like that all year.”

The contest against Virginia pits two opponents attempting to bounce back from defeats, with the Cavaliers playing for the first time since suffering a six-

point loss to North Carolina.

Virginia has also been set back by news that senior forward Mike Scott will be out for the season after undergoing surgery on his left ankle. Scott leads the team in both scoring and rebounding.

Like Scott and the Cavaliers, Duke also continues to deal with the loss of its own vital player, Kyrie Irving. Saturday, the Blue Devils will continue to learn what kind of team it is without its phenom point guard.

“I’ve said all along, we’re not a great team since Kyrie’s injury,” Krzyzewski said. “We’ve got a chance to be a good team. We have to learn what this team can do.”

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HELP WANTED The Duke Football team is looking for part-time help in the video office for the upcoming 2011 season to videotape practices and assist with other video needs. No exp. necessary.

Must be enrolled at Duke for the 2011 spring & fall semesters.

Benefits include team meals and team issued clothing. Hours 8-11am Monday, Wednesday, Fridays for the spring /Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursdays for the fall and game days throughout the season. $10/ hour, starts Feb. 1, 2011. Please contact Tom Long at 919-668-5717 or tlong@ duaa.duke.edu.

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The Museum of Life and Science in Durham has several openings within its Guest Relations department. Lead Guest Relations Associates will work the front desk and Guest Relations Associates-BioQuest will work in our outdoor exhibits.

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MEETINGS DUKE IN GREECE INFO MTG: All students are invited to attend an information meeting for the summer Duke in Greece program on Monday, January 17, at 5 pm, in Allen 103. The application deadline is February 3, 2011. See the Global Education Office for Undergraduates (GEO-U) website at global.duke. edu/geo for more details about the program.

DUKE IN PARIS INFO MTG: Students of all majors are invited to attend an information meeting about the summer Duke in Paris program on Tuesday, January 18, at 5 pm, in Languages 305. The application deadline is February 3. See the Global Education Office for Undergraduates (GEO-U) website at global. duke.edu/geo for more details about the program.

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Nolan Smith, who scored 19 and tallied six steals Wednesday, will take on the Seminoles Saturday at 2 p.m.

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The Independent Daily at Duke University

The Chronicle

14 | FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011

Binding admissions questionable In the hyper-competitive ability of admissions yield.” world of elite universities that For the applicant, an early acDuke inhabits, the quest for ceptance diminishes the stress the nation’s brightest high of the admissions process. school seniors is fierce. AtIn light of the continued tracting qualified applicants commitment of Harvard, is only half Princeton and editorial the battle— Virginia to nongetting the best binding admisstudents to matriculate is a sions, we believe the impact unique challenge. of early decision should be reIn this context, it is under- visited. Recent financial presstandable that Duke has not sures have prompted Virginia followed top universities such and Harvard to consider reas Harvard, Princeton and the instating an early action proUniversity of Virginia in elimi- cess that is nonbinding. But nating its binding early deci- these schools, and others that sion program. As this editorial repealed their early decision board indicated in its Oct. 20, programs in 2006, have made 2009 editorial “Early admis- it clear they will not return to sion still the right decision,” a process that is binding. there are concrete advantages Although we recognize to early decision. For Duke, the pragmatic economic conearly decision serves as “a use- siderations that necessitate ful tool to stabilize the predict- early decision at Duke, we

“

onlinecomment

Well done, Chronicle Editorial Board. May the relevant Duke decision-makers heed your call for transparency.

”

—“noblesse d’epee” commenting on the editorial “Hellinga case demands resolution.”

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are concerned about the impact of a binding process.

Opponents of binding early decision cite disparities in socioeconomic status between applicants in the early and regular decision pools.

Because early decision notifications are received before financial aid is calculated, early decision applicants are frequently those whose ability to pay for college is assured. Although need-blind financial aid helps mitigate these concerns, binding early decision decreases an individual student’s ability to make a college decision that incorporates all economic considerations.

This disparity would be less concerning if not for large differences in acceptance rates between early and regular

applicant pools. For Duke’s Class of 2014, the chances of being accepted early decision nearly doubled the chances of acceptance through regular decision, with acceptance rates at 30 percent and 15 percent respectively. The numbers reinforce the notion that for high school seniors looking to attend elite universities, waiting until April to commit to a school can seriously damage the chances of acceptance.

As it is unlikely that the early applicant pool is significantly more qualified than the regular pool, admissions officials have in the past justified the higher early admission rates as helping ensure the presence of students with unique enthusiasm and spirit for Duke. While the presence

of these students is important, it should be noted that students who are willing and able to apply early to Duke are likely to be students who would accept offers of admission even if they were not bound to.

Undoubtedly, schools like Harvard and Princeton have the unique advantage of matriculating the majority of students who receive acceptances. Duke, as it is currently situated within the higher education landscape, cannot afford to give up the admissions advantages secured by binding early decision.

Yet it is important to note that when it comes to college admissions, binding early decision does more for the schools that employ it than for the students seeking to gain admission.

You have to have PASSION

“H

ow can you sit there watching TV exam results were sufficient (that was in Engduring Winter Break? If you waste land—I actually don’t think it’s changed much your time like that then you’ll nev- since). It wasn’t until my last year in college er get into a good college!” that I started to worry about what I didn’t actually say that.

I actually wanted to do with my That’s my 15-year-old daughter life. I had an answer but it seemed making fun of me—and of her far too risky; so I became a bankfriends’ anxious parents. Because er like half of my classmates. It guess what? We’re all suddenly wasn’t till more than 10 years waking up to the fact that in only later—I was 33 years old—that I TWO YEARS our kids will have took my life in my hands and ento somehow differentiate themsimon partner rolled as a lowly first year student selves from thousands of other in a history Ph.D program. Finally the professor candidates to get into the college I was pursuing my passion—and I next door of their choice. Two years is not haven’t looked back since! But if long when you think about all someone had given me better adthose painful boxes in the college application vice, mightn’t I have saved that whole decade forms where you have to list your extracur- spent lost in the corporate wilderness? ricular activities, leadership skills, community So now, when students ask me for advice service and passions. Every Duke student has about what to do after graduation, I usually ask been through it. You know. So yes, I do admit them this question: If your great-aunt Mildred that this Winter Break I bugged my daughter. left you $10 million today, what would you do?

Didn’t she have something better to do than If you have an answer to that question (providplay Pet Puppy Lite on her iPhone? Shouldn’t ed it’s not just “party till I drop”) then you’re she be pursuing her passion—or if she doesn’t lucky. Because now is the time for you to purhave one, then *#?& well going out and find- sue your dream. That’s right, you don’t have ing one? to wait for Mildred to kick the bucket. We are As a faculty member in residence, I have a lucky enough to live in a society that no matter secret fascination with the accomplishments how crazy your dream or passion, there is probof the freshmen in my dorm. What did they all ably a way to pursue it without actually starving. write in those boxes to attract the attention of And if the whole thing turns out to be a terthe admissions officers—in addition of course rible mistake, wouldn’t you rather find that out to their perfect grades and SAT scores? I know at 25 than at 50? Actually, your attempt to live that each of them has something—national your dream will probably look great on your Scrabble champion, ran a 100k marathon in law school application! the Mongolian steppes, raised $50,000 to dig Yes, I’m all in favor of identifying and purwells in India, had a composition performed in suing passions early. But I can’t help thinking Carnegie Hall, founded a sheep-shearing sta- that there’s a significant difference between tion in Australia, who knows what else? (Two the kind of passion I’m suggesting we should of those are actually listed on the Duke web all follow, and the kind of passion I’m bugging site as accomplishments of the incoming class my daughter to go out and get to work on. of 2015.) But of course, everyone is modestly What am I really asking of her? Is she supposed doing his or her best to look as ordinary as ev- to go out and somehow find an actual, autheneryone else. tic dream—oh, yes, and take some significant Honestly, I think the students in my dorm steps toward fulfilling it—within the next two are incredible young people. But in my more years? Or is it enough to just pick some activicynical moments, I do wonder if filling in those ties that will look good on the application? And boxes hasn’t become just another college prep if the latter, isn’t that a bit cynical? Isn’t it, in skill, like juicing your GPA or picking the best fact, more or less a reversal of the idealism I try answer in a multiple choice test. so naively to convey to my students?

When I was in high school, I wouldn’t have If anyone has an answer, please stop my had a clue what to put in those boxes. But that daughter in the hall and tell her. was in the Dickensian days when schoolboys were “vessels ready to have imperial gallons of Simon Partner is an associate professor in the hisfacts poured into them until they were full to tory department and faculty in residence in Alspaugh the brim.” Extra-curricular accomplishments Dormitory. This is the first in a weekly column from were not required for college application— the faculty members in residence on East Campus.

the chronicle

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 | 15

commentaries

What are the Lebanese to do?

O

n Wednesday, the year-old unity govern- bases close to Cuba). It’s not hard to see why they ment of the nation of Lebanon collapsed, might be wary of the intentions of Israel, which as 11 of its 30 cabinet members resigned has invaded Lebanon and challenged its borders in protest of Prime Minister Saad on multiple occasions, the most reHariri’s cooperation with the U.N.cent skirmish occurring a mere six backed international tribunal invesmonths ago. tigating the 2005 assassination of his All of this amounts to a situation father. The tribunal is expected to that is extensively complex, and one issue indictments, which will likely that is best characterized, for lack of include members of Hezbollah, a a more eloquent turn of phrase, as an political party with alleged terrorist absolute mess. And it raises a question ties, in the near future, the anticipathat stretches as far back as the foundchris bassil tion of which has been the root of ing of that nation itself, which is this: just a minute growing tension in the nation for What are the Lebanese to do? some time now.

After all, in addition to their conOf the 11 ministers to resign, two are members spiracy theories, the paradoxically cynical optimists of Hezbollah and eight belong to the Shia Amal that inhabit the nation hold tightly as well to their movement, a group allied with Hezbollah, and grudges, and the issue at stake in the Hariri investiMichel Aoun’s bloc of Maronite Christians, with gation is one that pits the value of absolute justice the eleventh being Minister of State Adnan Sayyed against that of present and future stability. And alHussein. though the notion that no crime should go unpunAlthough the resignations and consequent dis- ished, especially as it relates to one’s own blood, is solution of the nation’s governing body may have perhaps one of the strongest motivators to man’s been unanticipated, general political turmoil was sense of purposeful initiative, at what point does it benot. An indictment implicating members of Hez- come nothing more than obscenely unproductive? bollah in the Hariri assassination would largely There are many who argue that those respontarnish the image of the Iran- and Syria-backed sible must be brought to justice, and that to deviate group in Lebanon, which maintains itself as a from that conviction is to not only give in to and pure resistance movement working to defend the reward criminal behavior, but to ensure that it pernation from Israel, its neighbor to the south. The sists in the future. The argument is one with which bombing in question, however, killed 22 people, I, alongside many other Americans, align myself, and such high-profile Lebanese blood on the par- but it is not one that I can say with absolute certainty’s hands would likely undermine grassroots sup- ty should be universally applied. That is because it port. As such, the party has been quick to label the is founded on supposition; the supposition that a U.N.-backed tribunal as an “Israeli project” and for governing or judiciary body can cooperate within that reason urged Hariri, prior to their sweeping itself against outside forces and that it is capable resignations, to oppose the investigation. The res- of ensuring its own preservation. This supposition ignations themselves were prompted specifically does not apply in the case of a government that has by the cabinet’s refusal to convene an emergency endeavored to dissolve itself. meeting in hopes of condemning the tribunal’s I do not know what will happen in Lebanon, forthcoming findings. nor can I discern exactly what should happen, eiMany have been quick, especially in western me- ther, and I suppose that many in the region feel dia, to dispel Hezbollah’s allegations of some sort the same way. Sadly, though, I think that history of dark Israeli hand in the tribunal as overstated, will be doomed to repeat itself there in the combut it’s easy to imagine that Israel would be pleased ing months, and what was for a time known as the with an erosion of Hezbollah’s place in Lebanon, Paris of the Middle East will become once again regardless of Israel’s involvement with the tribu- embroiled in the political and military feuds of its nal. And the Lebanese love their conspiracy the- many factions and lawless neighbors. ories (there is a relatively popular notion there that the Haitian earthquake was triggered by the Chris Bassil is a Trinity junior. His column runs evU.S. government in an effort to establish military ery Friday.

Duke and Progress

O

n Monday, Duke Energy and Progress Energy announced that they would merge in a stock deal worth a reported $13.7 billion. In the process, the two North Carolina-based utilities would create not only the largest electric utility in the country with territory in North and South Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, Florida and Kentucky, but also become a near monopoly in the North Carolina energy market.

Duke Energy already provides Duke University with all of its electrical power and is responsible for a whopping liz bloomhardt 52 percent of the University’s total green devil campus greenhouse gas emissions, albeit indirectly. To quote from the University’s 2009 Climate Action Plan, “The carbon intensity of these emissions will be impacted by Duke Energy’s plans to reduce their GHG emissions over time.” The carbon intensity of such a large slice of the emissions pie will, by extension, significantly impact the University’s goal of reaching carbon neutrality, and that’s why Duke University cares about the impact of this merger.

At the outset, the deal will do little to improve the actual environmental impact of either company’s operations, promising to alleviate some redundancy in dispatching and transportation of fuel. However, since Progress Energy has a portfolio with lower carbon intensity than Duke Energy’s, the new company, which will be called Duke Energy, will benefit. Again, by extension, the interests of the University in seeing Duke Energy’s carbon intensity decline will be satisfied as well.

Duke Energy already maintains a healthy but improvable low carbon sector in its portfolio, with 15 percent of capacity coming from nuclear and 11 percent from hydro/wind sources. The newly-merged company will lose a few percentage points of non-emitting capacity, augmented instead to a more even, 42/35 percent split between coal and gas/oil capacity. Natural gas, now consumed by the newly renovated East Campus Steam Plant, has a lower direct carbon intensity than coal.

In the long term, while the utilities hedge their bets against regulation and consolidate, they are also preparing for investment to infrastructure, upgrades to the grid and new technology. Regulators generally allow utilities to pass infrastructure improvement costs on to rate-payers, so the resulting larger customer base will mean a smaller marginal increase in rates for consumers.

Cheap electricity is a foundation of the North Carolina economy, attracting the likes of Google, Facebook and Apple to build huge data centers in the state. Although maintaining low rates is likely to result in customer satisfaction, it provides little incentive for investments, especially by homeowners, in efficiency and renewable technology. Since the residential sector accounts for more than one-fifth of all electricity consumed in the United States and roughly half of all carbon emissions from buildings, this is a significant disincentive unlikely to be remedied during the approvals process.

Without consumer side incentives, the burden to lower GHG emissions defaults to the producers, and regulators who set targets and deadlines. Through this regulatory pressure to decrease overall emissions, utilities that are anticipating its implementation are making low-cost consolidation moves to prepare to better and more cheaply meet future requirements.

For Duke Energy, in addition to increasing its consumer base, “… scale becomes very important to attract capital and the combined companies will have a very strong balance sheet,” Duke Energy CEO James Rogers told The Wall Street Journal. Rogers is likely referring most notably to the ability of the combined company to pursue nuclear projects already in the works at both Progress and Duke Energy. Both have reportedly been looking for partners.

In the University’s own calculations, the introduction of nonemitting nuclear power makes up a huge drop, about 40 percent, in the carbon intensity of the electricity purchased from Duke Energy in the near term. Provided the projects are able to get off the ground as a result of this deal, the likelihood of that anticipated drop increases dramatically. Better yet, the time frame of the projected decrease becomes more likely, that is, by 2020, leaving a small buffer before the 2024 date for carbon neutrality for delays.

The deal between Duke Energy and Progress Energy is in no way done. The companies have given themselves until the end of the year to complete the proceedings. During that time, they will be seeking regulatory approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the North Carolina Utilities Commission and the South Carolina Public Service Commission, as well as shareholder approval and a federal antitrust review. The near monopoly in North Carolina may prove interesting in these proceedings.

In the mean time, suffice it to note that this is the biggest strategic move by Duke Energy, and a promising sign for Duke University, as both look forward to the changing energy landscape.

Liz Bloomhardt is a fourth-year graduate student in mechanical engineering. Her column runs every other Friday.

16 | FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011

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