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The independent news organization at Duke University
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
ONLINE DAILY AT DUKECHRONICLE.COM
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 19
‘ESSENTIAL WORKERS OF DUKE’ Marketplace staff keep dining hall open in pandemic
Chronicle File Photo Marketplace, the dining hall on East Campus, has remained open to serve students. Workers are altogether satisfied with Duke’s COVID-19 safety measures, but they still have concerns.
By Katie Tan Staff Reporter
When first-years walk into Marketplace, 36-year veteran cashier Julia Anderson greets them from behind a plexiglas barrier. A mask now covers her bright smile, and she can no longer offer her huge hugs, but she still says “Hi! How are you doing?” as she hands each student a plastic utensil set. Over at the beverage station, her colleague William Minor performs the same routine he’s had for years, preparing teas and juices and wiping down dispensers. Because all selfserve options are removed, Minor now also serves drinks to students. He passes paper cups and tea bags through the clear barrier’s small opening, being extra cautious about what he’s touched and how many times he’s changed his gloves. Much has changed in the East Campus dining hall. Indoor seating is closed for students. Most tables and chairs are wrapped in caution tape. Stickers line the floor, indicating the direction students should travel and the six-foot distance they should keep while standing in line.
The workers who make Marketplace run feel the changes. Both Anderson and Minor, who are good friends, noted how different the eatery’s atmosphere is. They are used to seeing long lines at food stations and loud, crowded tables. But as students rush in and out with takeout boxes, they are experiencing a sort
Workers praised Duke’s pandemic response on the whole, but had concerns about testing and symptom monitoring. of “separation anxiety” from the students, as Anderson put it. “The students are not really here at Marketplace because they can’t eat here, and we as employees can’t get to know them like we used to,” Anderson said. Sometimes students group closely together, chatting excitedly and temporarily forgetting about social distancing
guidelines, Anderson said. She gently advises them to stand at least six feet apart. “I understand that students have a lot on their minds when they come here, so they’re not necessarily thinking about social distancing,” she said. “I don’t mind reminding them about it, though. We all want students to stay healthy on campus and go home healthy.”
The other side of the Duke bubble
So far, that hope for health has been the broader campus’s reality. Outlets across the country have praised Duke for successfully keeping the coronavirus at bay. The University has emphasized its consistent student testing, a staple of the semester for students and faculty alike. Overall, Minor and Anderson said they are satisfied with Duke’s effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. “Duke is doing their part by using all their resources to keep its community members safe. We, the employees, just need to See MARKETPLACE on Page 3
Duke bets big on quantum computing By Rosa Golchin Staff Reporter
Courtesy of Duke University Duke is expanding its quantum computing center in Durham by 10,000 feet, turning it into the new Duke Quantum Center.
Armed with shiny new technology and a major building expansion, Duke is pushing its quantum computing research to new heights. Since November 2020, construction has been underway to expand Duke’s existing quantum computing center in downtown Durham by 10,000 feet. The new Duke Quantum Center will host Duke’s Scalable Quantum Computing Laboratory, itself home to the Error-corrected Universal Reconfigurable Ion-trap Quantum Archetype. The center is anticipated to reach an operational state in March 2021 as one of five new quantum research centers funded by a $115 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The ultimate goal of the project is to present a prototype of quantum systems equipped for advances in areas including computing, physics and chemistry. A quantum computer is a machine that can process a huge number of possible outcomes at once, with the ability to address problems which are typically deemed too complex or dense even for supercomputers.
INSIDE — Journalism a quantum-computing AI couldn’t fake | Serving the University since 1905 |
“Quantum computers process superpositions of numbers. It can compute many things at the same time because the computer is a quantum thing and exists in multiple states at the same time,” said Chris Monroe, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and physics who recently joined Duke’s quantum computing See COMPUTING on Page 3
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE Students get excited over snow The year’s first snowfall was a common experience in another socially distanced semester. PAGE 2
Meet the Class of 2024 See a sample of the results from our first-year survey, with full coverage at chron.it/2024survey PAGE 3
The best lacrosse team ever? Breaking down a team stacked with talent.
@dukechronicle @dukebasketball |
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