March 15, 2021

The Chronicle

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The independent news organization at Duke University

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021

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ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 24

DUKE ISSUES STAY-IN-PLACE ORDER Classes remote, campus life restricted for undergrads until March 21

By Matthew Griffin Editor-in-Chief

Leah Boyd University News Editor

Duke has implemented a “stay-in-place” order for undergraduates, effective at midnight Saturday night and lasting until 9 a.m. Sunday, March 21.

Classes will all be online during the order with very limited exceptions, Dean of Students John Blackshear; Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president for student affairs; and Gary Bennett, vice provost for undergraduate education, wrote in a Saturday evening message to undergraduates.

Students living in Duke-provided housing—including Blue Light, Avana and the Washington Duke Inn—must remain in rooms or apartments except for essential activities like picking up food and essential supplies, participating in surveillance testing, seeking medical care and spending time outdoors in a safe way, the administrators wrote. Students living off campus in Durham may only come to campus to participate in surveillance testing, seek medical care at Student Health or pick up grab-and-go orders at the Crown Commons express pickup.

Students may gather outside on campus in groups of three people while masking and social distancing, but dining will be pick-up only and students may not eat together indoors or outdoors. There will be a 9 p.m. curfew for oncampus undergraduates, by which time students must be in their residences.

Common spaces such as the Bryan Center and Brodhead Center will be only open to on-campus students for essential activities—including food or package pickup—during limited hours.

The move is designed to “contain the rapidly escalating number of COVID cases among Duke undergraduates, which is principally driven by students attending recruitment parties for selective living groups,” the

Leah Boyd | Contributing Photographer Students lined up in the Bryan Center Saturday evening to buy food as news spread that Duke planned new restrictions on campus life.

administrators wrote.

More than 180 students over the past week have been in isolation for a positive test, and 200 students are in quarantine due to contact tracing.

“Our ability to complete the semester, commencement for our seniors, and the health and safety of our community, including your fellow undergraduate students, is hanging in the balance,” the administrators wrote.

Administration will monitor the situation and provide an See ORDER on Page 2

MORE COVERAGE ON PAGE 2 Students react to news of restrictions Students spent their Saturday nights rushing to buy food or grab a last meal with a friend.

Timeline of events leading up to the order See how the last week unfolded as COVID-19 cases surged among undergraduates.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Duke misses NCAA tournament for first time in 26 years

By Derek Saul, Evan Kolin, Glen Morgenstern, Max Rego and Jake C. Piazza

Courtesy of the ACC At the end of a disappointing season, the men’s basketball team missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in 26 years.

For the first time since 1995, an NCAA tournament is set to occur without Duke included.

CBS’ annual Selection Sunday show came and passed, and the Blue Devils’ name wasn’t called. Not as an at-large bid, and not even as a COVID-replacement team (the top four teams that didn’t make the cut, who can potentially make it into the tournament if one of the original 68 teams has to drop out prior to Tuesday at 6 p.m.)

Then, right after the hour-long Selection Sunday broadcast concluded, The News and Observer’s Steve Wiseman reported that Duke would not play in the NIT. However, it remains unclear if the Blue Devils were offered a bid and didn’t accept, or whether the team pulled itself out of consideration.

On Thursday, Duke was forced to withdraw from the ACC tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test within the program and subsequent contact tracing. At the time, athletic director Kevin White included in a written statement that, “Since last March when the pandemic started, we have listened to our medical experts and always put safety at the forefront of

INSIDE — Hang in there everyone! We’ll get through this | Serving the University since 1905 |

any determinations regarding competition. As a result, this will end our 2020-21 season.”

However, the NCAA’s Andy Katz reported early Sunday morning that no teams had notified the NCAA tournament selection committee that it didn’t expect to be able to participate in the NCAA tournament due to medical protocols, meaning Duke was still in consideration for a bid.

When asked to confirm whether Duke had been offered and thus declined an NIT bid, team spokesman Mike DeGeorge referred The Chronicle to White’s statement from Thursday.

Despite all that uncertainty, we do know one thing for certain: The Blue Devils’ season is over, and COVID-19 ended it prematurely, just hours ahead of an ACC tournament quarterfinal matchup with Florida State.

We took a look back at how the Blue Devils got to this point, starting a full year ago.

Full rewind

It feels like deja vu, with COVID-19 bringing Duke’s postseason hopes to a grinding halt yet again.

Led by ACC Player of the Year Tre Jones and ACC Freshman

@dukechronicle @dukebasketball |

See M. BASKETBALL on Page 9 @thedukechronicle | ©2021 The Chronicle

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2 | MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021

Turmoil on campus as word spread of new restrictions

By Leah Boyd and Nadia Bey University News Editors

“I put my phone on do not disturb today, only to turn it on and see the world falling apart,” sophomore Victoria McReynolds said.

As leaked news spread across campus Saturday evening of plans for new temporary restrictions on campus life, students rushed to purchase food and shared what could be their final meals together for some time. Duke would eventually announce a “stay in place” order, with restrictions on when on-campus students can leave their rooms and when off-campus students can come to campus, among others.

Around 7 p.m. Saturday, the Bryan Center plaza was filled with groups of people walking and grabbing last meals. Inside the Bryan Center, the line to the Duke Lobby Shop had gone out the door. Some students were there to grab toilet paper, while others walked

out with bags filled with snacks. (The final announcement noted that students could leave their rooms to buy food.)

The Brodhead Center was full of chatter.

Students asked each other, “Did you hear the news?” and “How are you?” Other students sat in groups on Abele and Craven quads.

Sophomore Gabi Underwood described feeling anxious about the situation.

“Nothing like this happened last semester,” she said. “This almost reminds me of what happened a year ago.” She noted that she feared that shutdowns may last through the end of the semester.

First-year Alanna Manfredini said she appreciated that Duke was trying to keep students safe. She was concerned, however, about how she would finish some school projects this week—and what the news meant for the rest of the semester.

“I feel blindsided. There was so little knowledge about it,” first-year Ray Lennon

Special to The Chronicle In the final hours before the stay-in-place order went into effect, students painted the East Campus bridge with a pointed message aimed at fraternities, whom administrators blamed for much of the rise in cases.

Leah Boyd | Contributing Photographer Students gathered on the Bryan Center plaza Saturday evening, sharing final moments with friends before Duke announced a stay-in-place order with new restrictions on campus life.

said. “I’m not annoyed about it as a concept, but it was just so rapid.”

The new restrictions came three days after Duke announced that off-campus fraternity rush events connected to the newly formed Durham Interfraternity Council had contributed to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Administrators wrote in their eventual Saturday evening announcement that the restrictions were designed to contain a surge in cases “principally driven by students attending recruitment parties for selective living groups.”

“I’m feeling kind of frustrated. I don’t know what fraternities are doing. I don’t understand why people are so selfish,” sophomore Ashley Chen said.

Durham IFC President Will Santee, a junior, had earlier told The Chronicle that no Durham IFC groups should hold in-person rush. Asked for comment Saturday about the new restrictions, Santee wrote in an email that Durham IFC would put out a statement Monday.

East Campus was quiet Saturday evening,

in contrast to the hubbub on West. The Giles common room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

For first-year Josh Jacobs, who was sitting on the Alspaugh bench, it felt like “the calm before the storm.”

“A lot of people, including myself, went to West to get food and stock up at the [Lobby Shop],” Jacobs said. “I’ve never seen it like that.”

Jacobs said that he had just gotten his COVID-19 vaccine.

“I’m disappointed because a lot of people are starting to get vaccinated... and there’s noting we can do,” he said, adding that he would not be able to see a friend in the army who was leaving this week.

The announcement came just after 8 p.m.: an email from Duke’s administration and a DukeALERT telling students to check their emails. Two students boarded the C1 bus at the East Campus stop, one reading the email aloud.

Matthew Griffin contributed reporting.

Timeline: The events leading up to Duke’s stay-in-place order MARCH 8

MARCH 10

MARCH 11

MARCH 13

Duke announces that undergraduate COVID-19 cases have more than doubled in advance of the two-day break.

Administrators condemn in-person rush events associated with the Durham Interfraternity Council and say they are responsible for many new cases.

The men’s basketball team withdraws from the ACC Tournament after a positive test within the program.

Duke implements a ‘stay-inplace’ order, including a curfew, restrictions on campus activities and a move to remote learning, until Sunday, March 21.

ORDER FROM PAGE 1 update on Thursday, March 18.

Graduate students are not included in the directive because there has not been a significant increase in COVID-19 transmission among them, Provost Sally Kornbluth and Vice President of Administration Kyle Cavanaugh wrote in an email to faculty on Saturday evening.

Details about how the order will affect athletics will be announced later, wrote Art Chase, senior associate director of athletics for external affairs, in a message to The Chronicle.

Kitchens, common spaces and study rooms in at least some dorms will be closed at 6 p.m. Saturday “due to the high volume of covid positive cases,” wrote Kas Bryant, residence coordinator for Crowell and Wannamaker quads, in an email to residents of those quads.

Residence coordinators warned resident assistants before the announcement that

Duke would announce new temporary restrictions on campus life, according to screenshots reviewed by The Chronicle of group messages from RCs to RAs. Residence life administration told RAs about their plans for the restrictions at a Saturday evening meeting, wrote an RA present at the meeting, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, in a message to The Chronicle. The announcement from the administration confirmed the details presented at the meeting.

Leaked news of the restrictions spread across campus Saturday evening in advance of the announcement.

Shortly before 7 p.m., the Bryan Center Plaza was filled with groups of people walking and grabbing final meals together.

Inside the Bryan Center, the line to the Duke Lobby Shop was out the door. Some students were there to grab toilet paper, while others walked out with bags filled with snacks.

The move comes three days after Duke announced that off-campus fraternity rush events had contributed to a huge

spike in COVID-19 cases. Many of the new cases were connected to students rushing organizations associated with the Durham Interfraternity Council, the newly formed governing body for fraternities that have disaffiliated from Duke, administrators wrote to students on Wednesday.

Durham IFC President Will Santee, a junior, had earlier told The Chronicle that no Durham IFC groups should hold inperson rush.

Asked for comment on Saturday, Santee wrote in an email that Durham IFC would put out an official statement on Monday.

Duke announced Thursday that its basketball season was over after a positive test among team personnel, though ESPN reported Saturday that the team could still play in the NCAA tournament if selected for an at-large bid or as a COVID-19 replacement team. The team officially missed the tournament on Sunday after failing to be chosen for either, ending the basketball season officially.

Duke’s football team paused activities on Tuesday due to a COVID-19 cluster within the program.

The restrictions Duke announced Saturday include a curfew, rules about what oncampus students can leave their rooms to do and when offcampus students can come to campus, and a move to remote learning. They will last until Sunday, March 21 at 9 a.m.

The Chronicle is expecting a statement on Monday from the Durham Interfraternity Council, to address administrators’ allegations that fraternity rush caused the spike in cases.

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MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 | 3

New DUU president aims to bring intentionaliy, compassion to job

By Leah Boyd University News Editor

Junior Ysanne Spence hopes to bring intentionality, strong connections and a compassionate spirit to her role as president of Duke University Union.

Spence was born in Kingston, Jamaica, where she lived for 14 years before moving to the United States. She told The Chronicle that she grew up with “very strong female influences” that have inspired her throughout her life.

“My grandmother and greatgrandmother are totally amazing women who had careers in a time where women weren’t expected to have careers outside the household,” she said, and her mother and aunt were likewise “very strong, independent women.”

Spence said that while growing up in this space, it was “very much expected of [her] to be a leader.” As the oldest of four girls, Spence described how she has always been in a role of leadership, having to set a good example for her three younger sisters.

Spence’s decision to take the next step and apply for DUU president was strongly influenced by the women in her life growing up and her dedication to serving people.

“I’m a lover of people,” Spence said. “I love interacting with people. I love meeting new people. One of my love languages that I give is acts of service. I just love making sure that people are okay, and DUU has been such a great way for me to do that.”

She said that applying for president was a “no-brainer” for her after how much she has come to love the organization—and looking at all the presidents who have come before her.

“It was always a goal of mine as a first-

year to be a part of DUU’s history like that and to make actual change in that position,” she said.

Outside of DUU, Spence is pursuing double majors in public policy and cultural anthropology, as well as a minor in education. She is part of Dukes and Duchesses, has tutored for America Reads/ America Counts and sings in the Duke Amandla Chorus, Duke’s premier African chorus.

Spence has also served on many committees, including the Student Advisory Board, the Dean of Students Search Committee and the committee that brought in Shruti Desai as the new vice provost of student affairs for campus life. She is also on the Next Generation Living and Learning 2.0 Committee.

Strengthening internally and externally

As president, Spence is most excited to see things from a “bird’s eye view” and see all the moving pieces from DUU’s 13 committees come together. Her overall goal as president is twofold: strengthen DUU’s connection with the Duke student body and build its internal community.

For the former, Spence said her overarching goal is to make sure that all Duke students can access and feel included in DUU programming.

“It’s about making sure that the choices we’re making are well-informed and representative of the opinions and decisions of our student body as much as they can be,” she said.

Internally, Spence wants to make every

Courtesy of Frank Thomas Junior Ysanne Spence will be the next presisident of Duke University Union, a major programming See DUU on Page 12 and media organization on campus.

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4 | MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021

the chronicle

march 15, 2021

recess

dining in igloos? recess

Explore the COVID-conscious dining options Durham has to offer, page 5

lady whistledown’s ball Durham fans of Bridgerton to host Regency-era ball, page 6

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recess Cancel something:

Sarah Derris ...... cuomosexuals

Stephen Atkinson ........ COVID

Sydny Long ..... jack rubenstein

Skyler Graham ........durham ifc

Kerry Rork ......meghan markle

Jonathan Pertile ............ kimye

Tessa Delgo ...... marriage pact

Eva Hong ........................ dashi

on the cover:

“Sleeping Swans” by Daphne Xiao, MD at Duke University Hospital

staff note I miss my old room. It was square, and the walls were a deep royal blue. Were it not for the southwest-facing window, it would have been quite dark. Many afternoons in high school, after the slog of the school day, after waking up at 6 a.m., trudging through hallways and fighting against the mysterious magnetic force that existed between my

local arts

forehead and classroom desks, I would lie on my bed, acoustic guitar in hand, while a rectangle of sunlight inched across my body.

This segment of time — after school and track practice, before dinner and homework — was my break. It wasn’t for getting things done. The clothes that I threw into one corner of the room would accumulate over the days, until the occasional afternoon when, struck by divine inspiration, I would decide to stuff

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them in my drawers or toss them into my hamper. Usually, still shirtless and in track shorts, I would recline against a pillow or sit on the off-white carpet floor and aimlessly strum my guitar.

I’m nostalgic for this memory, but it’s a nostalgia that doesn’t really make sense.

What is it that I miss? In high school, the days blended together. Which isn’t to say interesting things didn’t happen. They did. New friends, falling-outs, track meets and tests marked the weeks. But there was an undercurrent of pattern, routine, sameness, of a life that had been shaped for me. And I was always so tired.

Midway through my first year of college, my parents moved. On a Sunday in January, I went home to sort piles of “keep” and “throw away.” I took videos of every room in the house and saved them to my Snapchat memories, but at that point the rooms were already unrecognizable. The beds were stripped and the floors were littered with piles of things unmoored from their previous locations and sapped of significance. I wanted to save memories I had already lost.

When this attempt to systematically preserve my past failed, I was left with a cloud of feelings, sensations and thoughts swirling in place and time — vague memories that could only be sparked by the disparate artifacts of my life in that house. What tethered me most strongly to my past, I discovered, were the moments when culture brought me comfort in my room: the afternoons I practiced songs on my guitar; the first time I listened to “Bizarre Love Triangle” through cheap Sony headphones; the weeknights I stayed up in bed watching “Twin Peaks” on my laptop,

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 | 5

choosing this intimate solitude over an adequate night’s sleep. My nostalgia blended these moments together and ignored that comfort only exists where there is discontent, where there is a need for comfort. I don’t really want to go back in time. I like my life better now, I think — and yet, sometimes I feel like I could spend hours lying in bed, listening to music, scrolling through photos, drilling deeper into some unreachable past.

I don’t think I’m alone. TikTok churns out nostalgia for the masses with industrious speed. Some of it isn’t surprising — nostalgia for the simplicity of childhood, for vintage fashion or for imagined historical aesthetics (what is “dark academia,” anyway?). But recently, some videos on my For You Page are nostalgic for the early days of the pandemic, nostalgic for the trends and sounds that were drilled into my brain when I had nothing else to do. I hated April 2020. And yet, after hearing a Beabadoobee song I tell myself I don’t even like, I have this absurd urge to return to those days... those simple, simple days.

Music, film, photography, TikTok videos — these mediums are so powerful, they can tie us to ourselves, bring us comfort amid turmoil, shade us from the heat. Yet, at the same time, as I recently heard in a movie, it’s good to remind yourself that the world’s larger than the inside of your own head. There is comfort to be found inside the confines of bedrooms and memories and music, but there is relief elsewhere, too, and I have to remember that.

—Stephen Atkinson, culture editor

Downtown igloo fever: top outdoor dining options in Durham

By Meredith Cohen Staff Writer

This week, we reached a milestone that none of us ever thought or hoped we would reach: we have now lived under the COVID-19 crisis for an entire year. When reflecting on the aspects of life that have changed the most over the last year, one notable difference is how restaurants have adapted their businesses to simultaneously keep their doors open and keep their staff and customers safe.

Some common measures that restaurants have taken to increase COVID safety include reducing dining room capacity, increasing outdoor seating areas, spacing tables out at least six feet apart and requiring masks at all times when not eating.

This topic has become especially relevant for Duke students; living in a foodie town like Durham, lots of students are constantly looking to try out new foods and restaurants while remaining socially-distanced and COVID-safe.

So, after about a semester of trying to determine which restaurants are safe to go to, a new consideration has been added to the list as of late 2020: Igloos.

The igloos are set up on the patio of the Unscripted Hotel in downtown Durham. Each one is furnished with couches, chairs, decorative pillows and throw blankets, a rug and fairy lights draped across the walls. There is only one party allowed per Igloo, and to further minimize COVID risks, they zip each party up inside their igloos and require masks to be worn at all times when outside of your Igloo.

The Igloos not only tackle the issue of COVID transmission in dining areas, but also the issue that has faced us all winter long, which is that eating outdoors is not so appealing when the weather is anywhere below

50 degrees. The Igloos offer a pseudo-indoor experience, with the added benefit of cozy blankets in case you do get cold, but without the risk of being exposed to (or exposing) others outside of your immediate party.

My one question about these Igloos, which you might be wondering too, was about sanitization. Luckily, my question was quickly answered with some research. According to the Unscripted Hotel’s website, “Igloos are cleaned after every use and we allow a 30-minute gap between parties to reset the space. We use an Electro-static Fog machine that completely sanitizes the igloo within seconds.”

Additionally, the menus are digitized and blankets are washed after each use. It appears that sanitation and COVID safety would not actually be the main concern for Duke students looking to try out a new experience.

Rather, the issue may be money.

For a party of 1-5 people, customers must spend a minimum of $300 in the igloo. For many of us, however, spending $300 between just a few people in one night is not feasible.

Other restaurants that also offer heated Igloos, such as the Lynnwood Grill & Brewing Concern in Raleigh, have similar fees; for up to four guests here, you must spend a minimum of $200.

While this steep price may have been worth it in the much colder months, it is starting to warm up in North Carolina. With more comfortable temperatures, regular outdoor dining may once again become popular.

If you would really like the safe dining experience of eating in your own private Igloo, then by all means, book one. Just be wary, however, that prices run steep and, often, the Igloos at Unscripted are completely booked weeks in advance.

In the coming spring and summer months, one of Durham’s many local restaraunts are a great way to soak in the warmth. These

include Vin Rouge just off Ninth Street, Bull City Burger and Brewery, located downtown and Plum, just outside of downtown.

Last semester, The Streetery was a great option on the weekends that allowed restaurants to extend their outdoor seating into the streets of downtown Durham, accompanied with live music. The Streetery is set to return March 19 and Durhamites will soon be able to venture outside and support

local restaurants as the weather warms.

The pandemic has forced restaurants to adapt their dining models, and the Igloos are just one example of how businesses continued to draw in customers during the cold months while preserving a safe atmosphere. Do not think, however, that the igloos are a must-try in Durham — there are plenty of local businesses to support and other safe dining experiences to be had (that will also cost way less money!)

Courtesy of Unscripted Durham Igloos are set up on the roof of Unscripted Hotel in Downtown Durham for COVID-safe dining.

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6 | MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021

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Bridgerton fans to host Regency-era ball in Durham next spring

By Yumi Tsuyuki Contributing Writer

Throwbacks seem to be the theme of ‘20s so far. Think Y2K from the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, flared jeans from the ‘70s, global pandemics from a century ago and “Pride and Prejudice” style balls from the Regency era.

Inspired by the hit Netflix series “Bridgerton,” three Durham-based women — Catherine Crevoiserat, Mariah Thorpe, and Carrie Thomas — decided to make the dreams of every swooning fan a reality. Thus, the plan to stage a real-life Regency-era ball next spring was born.

In case you missed the recent national obsession with “Bridgerton,” it features a Jane Austen-era Gossip Girl named Lady Whistledown who captures the scandals of Daphne Bridgerton, the diamond of the debutante season as she falls into a whirlwind fake romance with the emotionally unavailable Simon, Duke of Hastings.

The show’s performance has been record-breaking; an incredible 82 million households have watched the show, making it Netflix’s biggest series by far. It shot to the top, becoming the number one series in 76 countries worldwide. Clearly, it spoke to people. Produced by the Shonda Rhimes’s media company, Shondaland, (of Grey’s Anatomy and How To Get Away with Murder fame), Bridgerton depicts dreamy dance scenes set in sweeping ballrooms, where women clad in lavish ballgowns twirl past with prospective suitors.

Mariah Thorpe, who runs a business for kids’ parties called Jamz Kids, first proposed the idea of a Regency-era ball in a Durham moms Facebook group. Her experience with kids’ parties, along with Catherine Crevoiserat and Carrie Thomas’ familiarity with hosting

large-scale events, created the impetus for this ambitious affair.

It turns out she reached out to the right Facebook group — who else could match the dedication and competency level of a mom?

“Several women responded that they would love to be on a planning committee, and tada,” Crevoiserat said.

After a couple of Zoom calls, the scheme expanded to include a high tea as well as the ball. Tea will be served at the Washington Duke Inn (scheduled for June) with an actress playing Lady Whistledown. There will be plenty of time to mingle and titter about the latest scandal at a regency marketplace, where guests will have the opportunity to purchase periodappropriate vintage items and accessories such as tiaras and hand fans. The planners note that there will be a cap of thirty people for this initial event, in order to give everyone more time with the actress, so make sure to book tickets quickly!

In other preparations for the main event, such as finding authentic ball gowns, shoes, or hats, look no further than the Lady Whistledown’s Ball: Durham Facebook page, where Catherine Crevoiserat shares her impressive knowledge of historically accurate fashion and footwear on a daily basis. Crevoiserat also recommends perusing the #Ladywhistledownrecommends page and exploring thrift shops for bridesmaids’ gowns, although some alterations might be necessary to maintain that historical accuracy. No expense should be spared—after all, the social season is upon us!

A venue for the ball has yet to be decided, since it would be difficult to maneuver the event around current COVID-19 guidelines. Instead, the planners have it in the works for spring 2022.

Elaborate plans are in the works for the ball festivities once it does occur. A local ballroom

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dance studio will teach basic ballroom dancing lessons at the beginning — no need to stress ahead of time about any lacking ballroom dance skills. An orchestra will perform time period pieces and dances (perhaps there may even be the possibility of a pop music orchestra like the background music so cleverly inserted into the TV series).

Stations will be placed around the ballroom for those more interested in the history of the era. Guests will be able to taste ratafia (an alcoholic beverage from the period), practice the language of the fan, learn courtly manners and more. It should be noted, however, in order for the champagne and ratafia to flow freely, guests must be at least 21 years of age. In short, it will be a lavish night to enjoy the sumptuous life of seventeenth century elites and feign ignorance

| DUKEPERFORMANCES.ORG

of the discontents of modern life.

After the socially isolating events of this past year, a ball might be exactly what the community needs. It has been a long, tiring while since many people have had the occasion (or motivation) to dance. A night to mill around with large groups of people, to dress up in an extravagant ball gown instead of ratty sweats and T-shirts, perhaps even to stir up gossipy scandals — this event epitomizes the little things that we took for granted, that have been lost during the pandemic. In fact, maybe that is the reason for all the nostalgic throwbacks that come back in style. We simply miss the ways things used to be. But as Lady Whistledown declares, we will “emerge, phoenix-like from the ashes.’’ One day, we will dance again.

Courtesy of Netflix

Durham-based fans of Bridgerton banded together online to plan a Regency-era ball for locals next year.

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 | 7

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BUBBLE POPPED. COLUMN: AN UNUSUAL ACC TOURNEY EXPERIENCE • SOFTBALL: DOMINATES VIRGINIA

COURTESY OF THE ACC

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8 | MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021

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COLUMN

Missing the days of a normal ACC tournament

By Shane Smith Sports Managing Editor

GREENSBORO, N.C.—This week marked the one-year anniversary of when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports in the U.S., and as we’ve seen the world of sports develop over the last 365 days, I found myself back where I was when it all started: the ACC men’s basketball tournament.

On March 12, 2020, I was halfway on my trek from Durham to Greensboro for Duke’s opening-round matchup against N.C. State when breaking news forced me to stop immediately in a nearby Olive Garden parking lot to see that the 2020 ACC tournament was cancelled.

One year later, while most games were played and a champion was eventually crowned in Georgia Tech, the conference’s league tournament was more or less experiencing the same issues, with Duke and Virginia both having to withdraw for a positive COVID-19 test within the program.

This year marked the 28th time that the Greensboro Coliseum hosted the ACC men’s basketball tournament, twice as many as any other venue. The conference allowed a couple thousand fans to attend at limited capacity, but as someone who grew up attending every ACC tournament in the Gate City, I couldn’t help but notice the strange, eerie feeling that encapsulated the week of games.

For the first time since the 1970s, the ACC champion had to win just two games to take home the crown due to the two game cancellations from the top-seeded Cavaliers and Duke. There just didn’t seem like there was the same level of satisfaction once the tournament was down to a final two,

Shane Smith

North Carolina state law allowed for a limited amount of fans at the ACC tournament, but our Shane Smith says it still wasn’t the sanme.

knowing that some teams had exited the bracket at the hands of a virus, rather than another team.

With the abrupt end to Duke’s season and North Carolina falling to Florida State in the semifinals, this was the first championship game since 1996 that featured neither the Blue Devils nor Tar Heels. With two non-local teams and limited crowds, Saturday night’s championship matchup between the Yellow Jackets and Seminoles felt like an opening-round game would in usual times. Sloppy play plagued both sides

as Georgia Tech shot 5-for-23 from 3-point range and Florida State turned the ball over 25 times. Championship-deciding plays were made in front of a quiet crowd, and it felt like anything but the conference’s biggest stage.

The ACC tournament is usually an event in which great atmospheres attract fans at every game, though this year many fans just stayed for their team’s matchups before exiting the arena. When two rivals happen to play in different games of the same sessions of the tournament, you can

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normally find, for example, North Carolina fans joining the Louisville faithful to root against Duke before the Tar Heels played in their game. However, most moments at the 2021 tournament were filled with individual voices instead of a roaring crowd.

And perhaps my favorite part of the ACC tournament was nowhere to be found: the hunt for tickets to the following day’s game after your team seals another postseason win. An empty concourse was the setting after every game this week, but usually it’s a treat to watch masses of fans flock to the designated section of the losing team after every game, trying to buy tickets to the next session off of despondent fans heading home unhappy.

The unusually empty environment gave me a chance to reflect on the historical significance of the Greensboro Coliseum.

ACC legends like Michael Jordan, Len Bias, Tim Duncan, J.J. Redick and David Thompson have dominated in the Coliseum since its inception in 1959, and the same seams that once held the thousands of fans who watched them now sat mostly empty.

When the ACC tournament returns to Greensboro in 2023, we can all hope that the same old crowds will be present.

The Blue Devils finally got a chance to play in front of a supportive, pro-Duke crowd this week in Greensboro, and the ACC deserves much credit for pulling off a successful event. However, the empty, cavernous halls of the historic Greensboro Coliseum at the 2021 ACC Tournament served as a sobering reminder of how much has changed in a year and how far we’ve come from the college basketball atmosphere we all miss so dearly.

SOFTBALL

Even without Raine, Blue Devils make it rain

By Em Adler Associate Sports Editor

Kristina Foreman, Caroline Jacobsen and Jameson Kavel combined for a .579 OBP, 10 extra-base hits and 19 RBI, while Shelby Walters and Peyton St. George allowed four runs across 25 innings, and the Blue Devils swept their first full ACC series in dominating fashion.

It was clear from the first action Friday evening that No. 20 Duke was going to embarrass Virginia across the four-game series at Duke Softball Stadium. The only question was how badly. This was, after all, the Blue Devils’ first series without senior captain and star third baseman Raine Wilson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury after a misplanted step on first base last Sunday.

“We miss [Wilson] in the heart of the lineup, as far as run production.

And also just her leadership and ability to be the voice of reason with the team on the field and also in our huddle,” head coach Marissa Young said. “I think she’s our vocal leader of all our captains, so her lack of presence is definitely felt. But I feel like the kids did a good job of just playing for her this weekend, and kind of stepping up to fill in in those spots.”

Wilson’s direct replacement in the lineup this weekend was Kamryn Jackson, a sophomore third baseman.

She filled in at designated player in each of the first three games of the series, pushing Foreman to second base and nudging Gisele Tapia across the diamond to third.

But Jackson didn’t record a hit against the Cavaliers, and the less-than-ideallyarranged Duke (19-1, 8-1 in the ACC) infield had a less-than-ideal defensive weekend, combining for three errors.

“I think Kristina’s been doing a really good job for us this year at second base.

And Tapia has a lot of experience there in her [time] prior to coming to Duke,” Young said. “So rather than moving two people into different positions, keep Kristina at two and move Tapia over to three.”

Softball is not, of course, a onedimensional game, so Foreman’s 7-for-12 offensive line with two home runs, multiple stolen bases and seven RBI made allowing a few hits up the middle forgivable.

Duke’s outfield defense remains nothing to worry about. Kendyl Lange made her first starts of the season against the Cavaliers, patrolling left field for the Saturday doubleheader and Sunday matinee. The senior outfielder, who’s spent time in center and left for the Blue Devils, missed the team’s first 15 games on account of injury, but figures to be the team’s starting left fielder and a presence atop the lineup if she can repeat last year’s .417 OBP and .423 SLG performance.

To Lagne’s left stood centerfielder Kavel and right fielder Jacobsen, both excellent fielders. The pair joined Foreman in making up for Wilson’s production, with Kavel and Jacobsen each going 5-for-12 with six RBI apiece.

Duke’s defense was certainly good enough to hold Virginia (6-13, 2-11) to just 10 total hits across Games 1, 2 and 4 of the series, including a Walters perfect game bid in Game 2 that lasted 4.2 innings. The defensive performance allowed the Blue Devils to outscore the Cavaliers 16-4 in those three games.

Game 3 on the other hand, was a barnburner of an instant classic.

Brianna Butler didn’t have her best stuff that day, and allowed three home runs in 1.1 innings. Claire Davidson, Walters and St. George did just enough in 7.2 innings of relief, however, for the offense to claw out of the 6-1 deficit.

The Blue Devils entered the bottom of the seventh inning down one, before a leadoff homer from Foreman sent it to extras.

Twelve batters came up to bat between both teams in the eight and ninth inning, none scoring, before Jacobsen in the home ninth. She ripped at the first pitch she saw, took off out of the box and pointed ecstatically at the ball flying over the straightaway centerfield fence.

“I don’t know where that [pointing] came from, it kind of came out of nowhere,” Jacobsen said. “But I guess it turned into a pretty cool video.”

Duke travels to Elon for a mid-week game, before hosting Syracuse next weekend.

“I think for a team’s confidence, to know that we can win in so many different ways, is really important,” Young said of the Virginia series. “And I always said this to the team: [Past Duke teams] have been in games like this, and maybe things didn’t work out in our favor, and to be able to come from behind, or even give up a couple of runs early-on and be able to fight back, it gives us confidence to know we don’t have to be up from the start and run rule every time to win a ballgame.”

Courtesy of Duke Athletics

Duke scored 26 runs this past weekend.

The Chronicle

dukechronicle.com

M. BASKETBALL FROM PAGE 1 of the Year Vernon Carey Jr., the 2019-20 Blue Devils looked like serious contenders in March Madness, but they would never have a chance to compete for some hardware. An exciting March 7 win against North Carolina in front of a packed Cameron Indoor Stadium crowd would be Duke’s last action of the season, as the ACC and NCAA tournaments were both cancelled amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. Things seemed bleak last spring and early summer as the world grappled with the pandemic, with the Blue Devils not returning to campus until Aug. 2, when they moved into their rooms at the Washington Duke Inn and began team activities.

The preseason was unlike any other, with the start of the college basketball season delayed by a month to the last week of November. Additionally, Duke did not host its traditional Countdown to Craziness or exhibition contests, meaning its regular-season opener would be the world’s first look at the team. -Derek Saul

A rough start

decided to forgo the rest of its nonconference streak with a decisive 69-53 win at N.C. tournament. -Jake Piazza schedule to allow the players to return home State Feb. 13. But three days later, forward Jalen Johnson—Duke’s top-ranked recruit Deja vu for the holidays. -Glen Morgenstern entering the campaign—decided to opt If the rollercoaster theme of Duke’s Duke stock crashes out of the rest of the season. Johnson’s season wasn’t already obvious, then the Six days after announcing that their departure left the team without arguably its team’s ACC tournament experience was the remaining nonconference matchups would most dynamic player, and many wondered nail in the coffin. not be played, the Blue Devils began their if there was life without Johnson for the The Blue Devils began their run with a ACC slate in mid-December on the road Blue Devils. dismantling of Boston College in the opening against Notre Dame. While Duke ended up Apparently, there was. round, an impressive but largely expected beating the Fighting Irish 75-65 to move to Duke rattled off three consecutive wins result. It was the next night, however, that really 3-2 on the season, it would be the last time without Johnson, including a monumental sparked hope in the hearts of the Duke faithful. the Blue Devils took the court for three weeks, 66-65 victory against then-No. 7 Virginia Led by a career game from freshman center with COVID-19 issues in both Pittsburgh and that helped push the Blue Devils into Mark Williams, Duke rolled past Louisville to Florida State’s programs postponing—and ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s “First Four Out” of advance to the ACC tournament quarterfinals. eventually cancelling—the team’s next two his NCAA tournament projections. At this The particularly impressive performance pushed point, Duke still had a ways to go to earn the Blue Devils back up to “Next Four Out” in conference matchups.

Duke finally took the floor again Jan. 6 a bid from the committee come Selection Lunardi’s projections, with a win Thursday night against Boston College, with the Eagles coming Sunday, but the Blue Devils looked like a against the Seminoles potentially pushing them to Durham and nearly pulling off a massive completely different team that was poised to into the 68-team field. upset. But the Blue Devils held on for associate challenge for a spot.

But Duke never got to play that game against Nevertheless, Duke wouldn’t win another the Seminoles. head coach Jon Scheyer’s first career win as a head coach. Scheyer was replacing head coach game for the remainder of the regular season, The team announced Thursday morning Mike Krzyzewski on the sideline due to the ending on yet another three-game losing that a member of the program’s Tier 1 latter being forced into quarantine after being streak. The disappointing finish saw the Blue personnel had tested positive for COVID-19, exposed to an individual who tested positive for Devils fall to a double-digit seed in the ACC forcing the Blue Devils to withdraw from the COVID-19. tournament for the first time in program ACC tournament. The announcement was the Krzyzewski returned and secured a win history, and nowhere to be found in Lunardi’s beginning of a whirlwind of a weekend, the one against Wake Forest three days later, but bracket projection. in which White initially said the team’s season At this point, the NCAA tournament was over before multiple reports surfaced that three consecutive losses to Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Louisville, respectively, seemed like a distant dream, with the Duke could still play in the NCAA tournament brought Duke back down to .500, with buzz being that if the Blue Devils wanted if offered a bid. chatter starting to center around the to punch their ticket to the Big Dance Ultimately, Duke didn’t receive that bid, potential of the Blue Devils missing the they’d have to become the first team to ending one of the most tumultuous seasons, and NCAA tournament for the first time since win five games in five days to win the ACC years, in Blue Devil history. -Evan Kolin 1994-95.

The rollercoaster ride didn’t end there, though.

The Blue Devils appeared to turn a corner with wins against Georgia Tech and Clemson, How we’re surviving lockdown: but everything came crashing down when Watching Duke in the tournament...sike: ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� mattyg Duke fell 77-75 to a decimated Miami. A heartbreaking loss in the Tobacco Road Watching every March Madness game: �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������thepizzaman rivalry, followed up by a head-scratching The Chronicle: ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������kolinoscopy defeat in Cameron Indoor Stadium to Notre Dame, put Duke at 7-8 on the year and without a true signature performance. With Student Advertising Manager: �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Rebecca Ross just seven games left in the regular season, Account Representatives: ������������������ Juliana Arbelaez, Emma Olivo, Spencer Perkins, Sam Richey, Alex Russell, the Blue Devils missing the Big Dance Paula Sakuma, Jake Schulman, Simon Shore, Maddy Torres, Stef Watchi, Montana Williams was not only a legitimate possibility, but a probability. -Max Rego Marketing Manager: ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Jared McCloskey

There was no reason to believe that the Blue Devils would not be their usual dominant selves as the season began, with the team entering the campaign ranked No. 9 in the country. However, the season got off to a rocky start.

First, Duke’s season-opening Nov. 25 matchup against Gardner-Webb was postponed after a positive COVID-19 test in the GardnerWebb program. After the postponement, the Blue Devils’ regular season started on a hopeful note, as freshman Jalen Johnson’s 19-point, 19-rebound performance propelled the team to a win against Coppin State.

However, a loss at home against Michigan State quickly derailed Duke’s confidence. The Blue Devils were then forced to postpone another matchup against Elon Dec. 1 due to a positive COVID-19 test in Elon’s program before losing yet another nonconference game, this time to Illinois. The defeat dropped Duke to No. 21 in the AP poll, its worst ranking in over three years.

It’s not over til it’s over The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, N.Y.snapped 10018 Then, as winter break approached, Duke New York, Duke its three-game losing

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10 | MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021

The Chronicle

The cost of healing

As we walk through the current health pandemic and related social pandemics, there’s a lot of grief and lament, but as people get vaccinated and the virus metrics move

four to six thousand soldiers. He was clearly tortured and one might say that a storm raged in his life. His storm was his norm. When he encounters Jesus, he begs him not to torment

Luke A. Powery COLUMN in a better direction, there is also talk about healing. There is hope as we anticipate a healing process of sorts, one in which a kind of wholeness of relationships is restored, where we are no longer socially distant and people no longer get sick with the coronavirus at the same rates. As we look forward to these positive developments, it’s worth remembering something less obvious: the newness and change of healing come with costs.

There’s a wild Bible story that illustrates this.

The fifth chapter of the Gospel of Mark describes a naked man who lived among the tombs and no one could restrain him with chains or anything else. He howled wildly and bruised himself with stones. The writer says he had “an unclean spirit” and his name was “Legion,” which meant that his problems were huge and as large as a Roman army of

him when in fact he’s already tormented. This man was in need of healing.

Eventually, Jesus does just that and this wild man is freed from his internal chains and found “clothed and in his right mind.” This is wonderful news for the healed man; but look at the impact his healing has on others around him. The story says that the “demons came out of the man but entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.” It’s an example of the aporia of life. The man is blessed through healing but this is not a blessing for the animals! And the loss of the swine meant an economic loss for the swineherds. It’s an economic downturn for them and their livelihood—an unforeseen cost of the healing.

What also happens is that the change in the healed man stirs fear in others. We learn that some people “were afraid” when

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change in his way of life.

In our time, the current period of the pandemic will pass away and there will be something new on the other side. So much will have changed and to be honest, we shouldn’t come through this time unchanged.

How can it be when over 500,000 human beings in the United States have died due to COVID-19? Death should change us but the ancient story of the man from the tombs shows us that even healing changes us.

So even as we seek healing in our lives or for our countries, just know that this means change—things will not be the same for anyone, individuals or communities. On the other side of healing, it can be scary because it means a different way of life, a new order, a new reality, a new creation has arrived. There is no “return to normal.” With healing, as the soul singer Sam Cooke says, “a change is gonna come,” which, ironically, can cause dis-ease.

We are, of course, right to hope and pray and work for healing because there will be blessings.

But remember that even with healing there will be unforeseen and surprising costs that come with transformation and new beginnings.

Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery is the dean of the Duke Chapel. His column runs on alternate Mondays.

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they see this man clothed and in his right mind. When others hear of his healing, they are “seized with great fear.” Although we don’t normally consider this in relation to healing, change of any kind can generate fear. The people feared the healing and the freedom of a man who had been in bondage because sometimes it’s more comfortable to imprison those we fear rather than see them dancing free. His healing cost them how they related to him in the past.

You might think that at least Jesus would be treated as a hero, but the text says the people “began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood.”

The people are so sick that they ask the healer, Jesus, to leave. Jesus’s act of healing brings fear because the sickness was normal. That’s the world they knew, so they’re afraid of the calm, not the chaos. Healing is too costly for them because their social order is reordered.

A final result of the healing is that the oncetormented man is given a new responsibility.

Now that he is healed he wants to travel with Jesus, but instead Jesus tells him to “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” He is given a new vocation as a preacher! The healing has created a new reality within and for him, which comes with the cost of orders for a new mission and a fundamental

Basketball just kinda quits

The Duke men’s basketball team’s season ended abruptly last Thursday after a player tested positive for COVID-19. Just when all hope seemed lost though, ESPN reported later that week that Duke could still play in this year’s NCAA tournament if things line up just right.

Coach Mike Kryzewski released a statement regarding this incredible opportunity: “Pass.”

Monday Monday SATIRE Once their dreams of victory were dashed, the players, coaches, and training staff of the men’s basketball team were collectively overwhelmed by an astonishing sense of relief.

“Playing basketball is, like, really hard,” said player Michael Savarino. “It’s like...sheesh!

Y’know?”

“They were like, ‘Your season’s done!’ and then we were like, ‘Oh. damn. That sucks.’ But then they were like ‘Wait! Your season might not be done!’ and we looked at each other and were like, ‘Nah, we’re good.’“ We also spoke with the anonymous player who tested positive for COVID: “When I got COVID and got the team’s season canceled, I was sweating bullets because I was worrying that everyone would hate me. Also because I had COVID.” But luckily for that player, COVID positivity was the best thing that could have possibly happened for the team.

“Honestly, once we got those wellness days and the sun came out, none of us felt like playing anymore.”

It’s true. The team was reportedly found frolicking around in a field last Tuesday and Wednesday that is normally used for a fraternity rush event when there’s not a global pandemic.

Coincidentally, the field was still being used for a fraternity rush event even though there’s a global pandemic.

The cancellation of Duke’s season is particularly convenient for players who recently rushed and took bids from frats. Now these players can devote more time to these social endeavors.

In future years, the players are considering taking a page from greek life’s book and splitting the basketball team from Duke itself and becoming the “Durham Blue Devils”. This change would allow the team to “do cool and badass stuff, and not have to deal with narcs,” as one player put it.

Other members of the team are taking to more innocent endeavors in the absence of balling.

“We’ve been getting really into Settlers of Catan. I actually like it better than basketball. I wish I had discovered it sooner. It could’ve really changed things.”

Matthew Hurt was hurt by the initial cancellation of the season because he feared it could hurt his NBA draft chances, but he has quickly pivoted.

“It was a moment where I could really take a sober look at myself. I realized that I had gotten into basketball for the wrong reasons. I’m a psychology major, and that’s always come first for me. I really, really like psychology. So who needs the NBA when I can do... whatever people with psych majors do after they graduate?”

Once the opportunity to play again presented itself, everyone in and around the team was over the whole basketball thing.

“It wasn’t nearly as fun to play when we didn’t have the roar of the Crazies filling up Cameron. It made me realize that I need to focus on more serious stuff. Like, carbon emissions are really bad. They’re bad, right? We should do something about that.”

“We’ll be better next year. We promise! We just really don’t feel like it this year. Can we just call this one a fluke? Please?”

“I miss Zion. This was more fun when we had Zion.”

Monday Monday painted the bridge.

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MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 | 11

Why this matters The night my aunt died, a group of students in my building threw a party.

We had known she was dying for some time. All the details had been hammered out

Nicole Lindbergh GUEST COLUMN for some time: where she’d be laid to rest, who would give the eulogy, what to do with her belongings. The only question for me, the night she passed, was what I was going to do about the party downstairs.

I’m a senior, and COVID-19 has taken so many things from all of us. I didn’t and still don’t know anything about the two guys who live below me, besides that like the rest of us they enjoy trap music and Fortnite Kid remixes, and every other week or so, they host big parties with more than 10 people.

For a long time, I was sympathetic to my fellow students, who like me are living a college experience that we never expected to have. That night, as I fought back my tears, listening to the booming bass of their dance remixes permeate into my apartment, I kept to that sympathy. “These poor guys,” I thought.

“Who am I to break up their fun?”

It’s tempting after a year of hell and

misery, isolation and struggle, and constant, writes to the Duke Confessions Facebook constant death, to regard your happiness— page, and there’s no one left to hurt. any happiness—as a rare commodity. Candy, This isn’t true. Forget the senior theses binge-watching and simple pleasures are the ruined by a week of lost lab work, the athletic competitions Duke athletes have been barred from attending which have prevented them from qualifying for national competitions, the student workers losing a week of income, or the opportunities for a real senior year us members tools we have to combat the isolation. When my of the Class of 2021 have left lost to a week of neighbors kept me up that night and all those rotting in our dorms—COVID-19 is still killing Saturday nights, I rationalized their decision to people. I mean this both in reference to the violate Duke and North Carolina guidelines as 500,000+ Americans we’ve lost this past year, a simple pleasure of a similar kind, as innocent and you, the infected fraternity brothers reading as an extra slice of cake, or another episode of this. We have no idea the effects of COVID-19 Bridgerton. Harmless fun. long term, and we’ve already seen survivors I gave Duke students throwing parties a pass suffer permanent lung damage and neurological in a way I denied myself. When I flew to my aunt’s effects that can and will affect you later on. funeral, I quarantined two weeks before and two When your test results come back negative weeks after, going beyond Duke’s recommended after a quarantine, or even over months of guidelines to ensure that my elderly uncle, continued safe practices and continued negative mourning the death of his wife of 63 years, results, it’s tempting to think of the time you wouldn’t succumb to COVID-19, and to protect spent in isolation as lost time. But it’s not. More my fellow students from anything I brought back than ever, I am convinced that quarantining from the plane. At my aunt’s funeral, I kept my that two weeks before my aunt’s funeral was the mask on at all times, including the eulogy. necessary step to protect my own family. The I have seen students respond to outrage at Durham Interfraternity Council events this in-person rush activities and the subsequent past week could have happened at any time, lockdown with irritation. COVID-19 isn’t a and they can happen again unless we all adhere life-or-death situation anymore, a student to the Duke Compact.

I’m still sympathetic to my peers throwing parties. But it’s time to admit that we haven’t lost out on the college experience. This is the college experience now. We can choose to adapt to that, or we can cling to the past, resent our lot in life, and continue to hurt others and ourselves.

In-person events and partying are not the innocent “treat yourself” pleasure you think they are. I pray that the young men infected right now never have to know what it’s like to lose someone during COVID-19. To weep so much your mask becomes drenched in your tears and it feels like you are literally drowning in your grief. To be unable to hold your grieving grandmother without knowing if your touch could kill her, because despite your precautions, and despite your carefulness, you could have caught something on the plane that could end her life. For those students who commute and see their family, hold jobs in the Durham community, or even just want to protect themselves and their immunocompromised peers, we all depend on our mutual trust in each other to be safe. That is what was at stake this past week, and I hope that those who have hosted parties realize this during the lockdown.

And for the rest of us, the next time you see a violation: Call it out. I know I will.

Nicole Lindbergh is a Trinity senior.

It’s okay not to be okay At Duke, it’s not uncommon to hear someone grumbling about how much work they have to do, and yet, the most common answer to the question, “How are you?” is still “Fine”, or even “Good!” When it comes down to it, we have trouble being direct with each other and ourselves about our mental health. Why is it so hard for us to

edit pages “

everything.”

Does any of this sound familiar yet?

Mental Health Awareness Week is a project that seeks to address those issues.

Duke’s Student Wellness Center has collaborated with DSG and other student groups on campus to create an intentional effort to show Duke students that “You

Cynthia Dong GUEST COLUMN admit that we’re not really okay? Why is it so hard to talk about failure, rejection, and struggle when it happens all the time at Duke?

Personally, I think it all stems from the insane amount of pressure Duke puts on its students to appear successful in every aspect of life, this “effortless perfection” that’s mentioned often. If you’re not pulling a 4.5 GPA and partying from Wednesday to Sunday, what are you doing with your life?

If you don’t have 3 internships lined up and your 10-year career plan ready, who even are you? Obviously, this is an exaggeration, but it genuinely feels that way sometimes.

It feels like no matter what you’re doing, it’s never enough. What makes this worse is the reality that we can’t expect everyone to be kind and understanding. It always seems like there’s a tiger in the room when you’re a student at Duke.

So, you don’t really want to admit things might not be okay. This is problematic because if you don’t want to admit you need help, you likely won’t try to look for it. On top of that, because you don’t hear other people talking about it, you might feel like you’re the only one who can’t pull yourself together. Then, you start spiraling. “What if I just can’t do this? What if I’m going to fail out of Duke? It’s all just too much. It’s just too much to handle. I feel like I can’t do this anymore. Maybe I should just quit

Are Not Alone” and that the resources to support you during your spirals are here.

The week features a week-long social media campaign where DSG’s instagram page will be posting about relevant mental health issues and coping strategies. There’s also a long list of events being offered to spread awareness about mental health, including the 2nd Annual Mental Health Forum and panels hosted by Mi Gente and Diya.

It’s also important for us to take accountability for the culture surrounding mental health. Change begins with the courage to admit the truth. It can be really hard, especially when many of us experience a lot of imposter syndrome, but it’s easier to talk about these things when you really internalize that you’re not the only one experiencing them. Most of us have been rejected from at least one of Duke’s “premier” social or preprofessional organizations. Even more of us have scraped up rejections for programs in the double-digits. On top of that, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a Duke student who hasn’t considered a complete career change at least once.

For me, the time in my life that exemplifies this “floating duck syndrome” was my first semester at Duke. It was easily one of the most stressful periods of my entire life. There were days I threw up because of how anxious I was. There were days where I

Duke’s Student Wellness Center has collaborated with DSG and other student groups on campus to create an intentional effort to show Duke students that “You Are Not Alone” and that the resources to support you during your spirals are here.

” couldn’t go to classes because my chest felt so heavy that I couldn’t get out of bed. I felt like I would never be successful at Duke. On top of that, I didn’t have solid friends yet.

We were all still trying to figure out who our friends were, where we belonged, and what we wanted out of life. But when I was going through all of that, most people didn’t see any of it. They only saw what I showed them: a girl who was doing fine in school, a girl who liked to talk to everyone, a girl who was always smiling. Most of the people had no idea that there were days where I felt like my life was pointless and that I was a complete failure. That’s why it’s so important for us to share our stories; otherwise, we’ll all just feel like we’re the only one on our island of misery. There’s power in community and bonding through shared experiences. It’s not easy to talk about, but then again, when does anything of worth come easily?

Another thing I want to emphasize is that mental health awareness shouldn’t end with this week. Every week should be a week dedicated to your mental wellbeing.

While some might scoff at the utility of “deep breathing” or therapy, the evidence overwhelmingly concludes wellness techniques really work in alleviating stress, anxiety, and depression. Therapy in particular has the ability to address a wide variety of mental illnesses, including PTSD and OCD. And while medication can be a controversial topic with mental health, it has improved the lives of countless people.

I know that without Celexa, my trusty antidepressant, daily functioning becomes very hard for me.

Just remember, no matter how it might seem, you are never alone. Struggling with your mental health does not mean you will be unhappy forever. There are resources here to help you and so many people rooting for you (I know I am!). All you need to do is take the first step and reach out.

Cynthia Dong is a Trinity sophomore. She is a Duke Student Government senator and co-leader for the Mental Health Awareness Week project.

12 | MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021

member of DUU feel as though they’re part of the family that she believes the organization is.

“I want everyone who steps foot into DUU and everyone who is a part of the DUU community, all those who are on the executive board and committee members—I want them to all feel as though they are part of the DUU family no matter where they are in the world, in the country, in the state,” she said.

Senior Frank Thomas, current DUU president, believes that Spence’s vision will help make DUU a “more accessible, inclusive and diverse organization.” “[Spence’s] vision will not only make DUU a better place with better offerings and scope, but its betterment will have a profound impact on the Duke community at large and the memory-making of thousands of students,” Thomas wrote in an email.

Leading with grace

Spence’s mantra as a leader is “lead with grace,” something she says her mother always repeated to her growing up. She tries to be a leader that is compassionate and understands the people she’s leading, trying to find common ground when she can.

“We are all students,” Spence said. “Even though I’m your president, we are in the same boat. We all have the same issues. We all have the same things that we need to do.”

While Spence said she has high expectations for those on her executive board, she believes that understanding people cannot always be at their 100% best has been helpful to her.

She believes having grace is the best way to be compassionate and understand that no one is perfect, even though she expects good work from those she works with and wants to get things done.

Thomas commended Spence for the care she puts into her relationships with others as a leader. “[Spence] also leads with intentionality, and no decision she makes is made lightly and without thinking of the impacts it may have, especially on groups that are often overlooked,” Thomas wrote.

Spence also discussed how she tries to take all sides into account when making decisions. She likes to parse through her options before making a final call, which she believes has been helpful through her time on DUU. “People say I’m slow to react. I would say I’m quick to listen,”

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Spence said.

She also described herself as a fun person, and while she believes DUU is already a “fun, creative and collaborative space,” she said she thinks she can “turn it up a notch” and is excited to make it her own.

Zoila Airall, adjunct associate professor of education, noted in an email her appreciation for Spence’s humor, writing that she smiles when she sees her “because [Spence] can light up a room with her warmth.” She also praised Spence for being “giving, considerate, [and] poised.”

Airall taught Spence in the Anthropology and Education seminar, for which Spence is a teaching assistant this semester.

Thomas wrote that Spence brings a “critical eye to DUU’s

I’m a very value-driven person, and a lot of that stems from my family and how connected and close we are.

ysanne spence

INCOMING DUU PRESIDENT

overall reach and impact on campus,” noting that she has “never been afraid of a challenge or hard work” and lauding the passion she brings to everything she pursues..

Airall wrote in an email that she admires how Spence “operates with a strong sense of integrity in everything that she does.”

“I have witnessed [Spence] speaking truth to power because she believes deeply in taking the high road with a moral response as opposed to a response that is expedient or popular,” Airall wrote.

She wrote that Spence’s multiracial identity and her being from Jamaica are large parts of “the reason that she is open to cultural differences and understands intimately the meaning of prejudice and discrimination because they are behaviors that she learned in the United States.” Airall added that she loves “the way [Spence] talks about home

and her love of country” and that when Spence speaks, she feels as though she’s listening to her grandparents, who are also from Jamaica.

The values of family

When asked what she really wants readers to know about her, Spence immediately thought of her sisters.

“I’m a very value-driven person,” she said, “and a lot of that stems from my family and how connected and close we are.”

Airall wrote that there is “a lot of love and tenderness, pride and respect” in Spence’s relationship with her parents, which she feels is “rare between many young adults and their families.” She wrote that Spence’s relationship with her parents reminds her of what she was like at Spence’s age.

Spence recalled a class presentation where students had to present about something they’re passionate about. While some students talked about machine learning and other academic passions, Spence presented about her family. To the surprise of the class, Spence was able to name and talk about 96 members of her family.

She has come to deeply value her relationships with others and finds that connection and connectivity are her two most important values.

“I was raised to value the people around me, the people that have come before me and the people who are here to help me along my journey,” she said.

Spence cited Tearria Beck Scott, associate director for student engagement, involvement, and Francesqa Santos, assistant director for arts and media, student engagement, involvement, as two of her mentors who have impacted her life “in a way [she] can’t really describe.”

“They’ve always pushed me to be the better version of myself. It’s been a huge blessing to have them because they understand me in a way that I don’t think many other people can understand, like what Black women go through and what they face in leadership positions,” Spence said, adding that she would not have even considered applying for president if it wasn’t for their mentorship.

Like Thomas, Santos praised Spence’s intentionality in her leadership, writing in an email that “she truly wants to make Duke better for everyone” and wants to create ways for every student to be involved in DUU. “She is a support for so many folks and her love shines through,” Santos wrote.

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