September 8, 2015

Men’s soccer hosts Loyola

DUSDAC tries Korean truck

The Blue Devils are looking to notch their fourth straight win to start the season | Sports Page 4

The committee sampled Mixed Korean Truck at its meeting Monday evening | Page 2

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Blue Devils Trinity academic dean model revamped Graphic by Dottie Kontopoulos and Carolyn Sun | The Chronicle

to visit White House

Staff Reports The Chronicle Duke basketball will visit the White House Tuesday after cutting down the nets as NCAA champions for the fifth time in program history, the White House announced Friday afternoon.

The Blue Devils will meet with President Obama at 11:55 a.m.

Tuesday morning in Washington, the second trip to the White House for Duke during Obama’s administration after head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s team captured the 2010 national title. The ceremony will be streamed on the White House website: https:// www.whitehouse.gov/live.

Duke defeated Wisconsin 68-63 April 6 in Indianapolis to complete its run through the NCAA tournament, fueled by a breakout second half by then-freshman Grayson Allen.

Sydney Sarachek The Chronicle Trinity students in the Class of 2019 will have the same academic dean for their entire time at Duke.

Duke’s dean model, revised before the beginning of the academic year, now assigns students in the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences to academic deans who will advise them throughout their four years as un-

Check back with The Chronicle Wednesday for full coverage of the Blue Devils’ visit.

dergraduates. This structure—in which all students living in each first-year residence hall are advised by the same academic dean— will replace the old model that reassigned students’ academic deans when they declared their major during their fourth semester.

“We thought it would be important to have one person that knows the name and story of a student over the arch of four years,” said Lee Baker, dean of academic affairs for Trinity and associate vice provost for undergraduate

education.

After a recommendation from the Academic Advising Task Force within Trinity that a four-year dean model would be more beneficial to students and the University, a committee of four Trinity deans—Associate Dean Donna Kostyu, Assistant Dean Alyssa Perz-Edwards, Associate Dean Sabrina Thomas and Senior Associate Dean Gerald Wilson—began considering the model.

See DEANS on Page 3

Researchers designing app to screen for autism Vir Patel The Chronicle

Special to The Chronicle Edmund T. Pratt engineering professor Guillermo Sapiro is leading the development of an app that could help detect autism.

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Duke researchers are working to create an app that can bring the trained eye of a psychiatrist to an iPad camera lens.

The app will screen children for autism spectrum disorder and is being developed by a research team led by Guillermo Sapiro, professor of electrical and computer engineering, computer science and biomedical engineering. By recording and processing facial movements of participants using an iPad, the program can identify if a user shows characteristics of ASD and

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needs further testing. But Sapiro noted the system cannot diagnose ASD or provide treatment options.

“This is not a diagnostic tool, but a screening tool to help people get access faster or encourage them to seek access,” Sapiro said. “It’s similar to how kids go to school and get eyesight screening. [School nurses] might tell you to go see a doctor, but they don’t give you the glasses.”

He explained that the app first displays a series of short videos meant to evoke emotional responses. Based on the user’s facial movements in response to the videos, the app suggests whether or not the child requires further observation.

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The team’s ultimate goal is to release an app that is easily accessible to schools and parents, instead of only pediatric clinics with specialized resources, said graduate student Jordan Hashemi. As of right now, however, he said the team is unable to provide an estimate for when the application will be available in the App Store.

Although the current work is being done at Duke, the project began at the University of Minnesota, where Sapiro led a computer vision research team. In a clinical setting at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, he recorded children’s

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The Chronicle

DUSDAC considering addition of ‘Korean Chipotle’ Justin Ching The Chronicle Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee is currently looking at Mixed Korean Truck to fill the space formerly held by Bull City Street Food.

The truck serves a variety of foods, from their classic bibimbap to chicken wings.

Owner Jimmy Kim, Trinity ‘04, described the truck’s style as a “Korean Chipotle.” The truck offers similar menu items as the Chapel Hill reshe food taurant owned by Kim, Mixed Casucame out al Korean Bistro. in less than five “The goal of seconds, which is food trucks is pretty astonishing always to find a niche that we can’t for a food truck. fill with a brick— Julia Medine and-mortar store, and how we are going to bring that to campus,” said DUSDAC chair Brian Taylor, a senior.

Mixed received a very positive reaction from DUSDAC, with almost every member complimenting the taste and unique style of food the truck offered.

What impressed committee members most, however, was its speed of service.

“The food came out in less than five seconds, which is pretty astonishing for a food truck,” said committee member Julia Medine, a sophomore.

While five seconds may not be the norm during a rush, Mixed Korean

T

Stephanie Tsai | The Chronicle DUSDAC sampled Mixed Korean Truck Monday in an effort to fill the void left by Bull City Street Food.

Truck would provide some of the fastest service on campus. The restaurant has catered HackDuke, the 24-hour programming event, several years in a row, each time serving approximately 600 people. During a rush, Kim explained, the truck serves a customer every 40 seconds.

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“Anytime we see a food truck, even if they have pre-prepared stuff, it will take them a few minutes,” Medine said. “I think with a student population that is always bustling and moving around, [Mixed] has an amazing turnaround time.”

In his presentation, Kim also stressed

the importance of balancing both health and taste. Led by Executive Chef Yurum Nam, Mixed offers gluten-free and vegetarian options, a major concern for any form of dining on campus.

Although the truck does not currently list these options on its official menu, Mixed is willing to add and clearly label these items, Kim said.

Kim called himself a proud “Double Dukie.” He graduated from Trinity in 2004 and from the Fuqua School of Business in 2012, which was an appealing factor to the committee. Kim explained that he knows the community of Duke, and choosing Mixed would be sponsoring a homegrown business.

“I absolutely love Duke, and it would just be awesome to be back here serving the community,” Kim said.

Mixed is hoping to fill the vacancy created after Bull City Street Food failed to pass the vetting process.

The vacancy means that currently the dumpling food truck Chirba Chirba is the only truck that operates on Mondays.It was previously reported that the committee plans to make its selection by October.

In other business: Renovations for Marketplace are due to be completed by February 2016. Toward the end of the Fall semester, students will see areas currently under construction open up for use.

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AUTISM from page 1

DEANS from page 1

reactions to videos using a GoPro camera. Hashemi—then a master’s student under Sapiro—implemented a set of preliminary algorithms that analyzed the GoPro images to identify abnormalities in the children’s emotional responses.

In 2012, Sapiro moved to Duke and started a computer vision lab as part of the Information Initiative at Duke. He has been collaborating on the project with a team of psychiatrists.

Hashemi said the team is currently working to test the system’s various components in different environments.

However, the Sapiro Lab has already begun to explore new uses for their image analysis algorithms. Of particular interest is a project that is experimenting with judging the facial movements of car drivers, Hashemi said.

The project was not without its challenges, Hashemi said. Translating the extensive experience of medical doctors to the computer terminal was a key difficulty the team had to deal with. But Sapiro noted that weekly meetings allowed each team member to gain a strong, mutual understanding of the framework behind the app.

“We trust each other’s expertise. We might have a lot of crazy ideas, but sometimes they are not implementable in a clinical environment,” he said. “The team has been outstanding in helping each other understand our abilities and our constraints.”

Kostyu explained that the model was an attractive option because it allows students to form better connections with their deans.

“It meant that students could establish a relationship with a dean upon entering Duke, and wouldn’t have to change deans when they declared a major or changed a major,” she said.

Assigning deans based on first-year residence halls also establishes a model in which Housing Dining and Residence Life staff, faculty in residence, resident assistants and residence coordinators have the opportunity to form a close-knit community for incoming freshman, she noted.

In addition to the four Trinity deans who worked to implement the model, there are nine other academic deans. Three deans were appointed this t meant year—licensed clinithat cal psychologist John students could Blackshear, Shane establish a Goodridge, visiting relationshp with assistant professor of public policy, and a dean upon Rachael Murpheyentering Duke Brown, previously director of Academic —Donna Engagement for Kostyu Global and Civic Opportunities—for a total of 13 academic deans. All deans have more than one specialization and some have as many as six.

Baker said he recognizes that with the new dean model, students may be assigned to deans that do not specialize in the major they eventually select. Their deans may not be able

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | 3

to answer specific questions about the major, research opportunities and applying to graduate schools.

This drawback concerned some students, including junior Harrison Ferlauto, who noted that the new system will lead to a “separation” between what the dean knows and what the student needs.

“It’s awful,” said sophomore Mohamad Chamas. “We need somebody to be knowledgeable about our majors. You need to change deans when you change interests.”

But with so many students double majoring, it was already becoming difficult to represent each student’s interests when reassigning academic deans during their fourth semester, Baker noted. He added that Directors of Undergraduate Studies will now be responsible for specific questions regarding majors.

“DUSs and staff may need to work with multiple deans,” Kostyu said. “As a result, the new model maintains liaisons between departments and deans.”

Baker explained that he saw the benefits of the new model firsthand when he addressed the parents of Trinity freshmen during orientation. Parents were relieved to hear that their children could turn to their academic deans throughout their four years at Duke, he said.

“When our deans were welcoming students and shaking hands with the parents, there was almost a palpable sign of relief,” Baker said. “[Their children are] not just being handed off after they’ve declared their majors.”

He also noted that having one consistent academic dean will particularly benefit students who go through multiple extenuating circumstances. Having a consistent academic dean will help them monitor the progress of their degree completion more

efficiently.

“This way it’s like, ‘You’re back from studying abroad, I know you’ve got three semesters, I know you’ve had a rough patch, but we’re going to get you through,’” Baker said. “They’ve got someone who knows their history.”

However, some students may not have the same academic dean for four years. Because academic deans are not locked into four-year contracts, a student’s dean will change if the dean decides to leave.

Baker said he does not anticipate this happening often.

“When people sign on for being an academic dean as a new job, they’re mindful of it,” he said. “This isn’t just a place to get experience for a couple of years and then go off to another university. This is more of a longer term commitment and relationship.”

Chronicle File Photo Lee Baker, dean of academic affairs for Trinity, oversaw the recent shift in the academic dean advising system.

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MEN’S SOCCER

COLUMN

Data DUKE AIMS FOR 4-0 START Digging: Duke’s home-field edge Alex Serebransky The Chronicle

After winning its first three games of the season, Duke will look to match its best start to a campaign since 2009.

The Blue Devils will face Loyola Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium as they look to continLoyola ue their early-season momentum in vs. their final tune-up Duke before conference play begins later in the week. Saturday’s Tuesday, 7 p.m. victory against Iona Koskinen Stadium gave Duke three wins in as many tries to open the season, and the Blue Devils will have to rebound quickly if they hope to go 4-0 for the first time in six years.

“It is a quicker turnaround than we normally have,” senior midfielder Zach Mathers said. “But I know that we’re going to bounce back. We’re high on confidence right now.... We’ll be ready.”

Duke (3-0) may be perfect so far this season, but the Greyhounds (0-2-1) have not gotten off to a strong start, as they have failed to record a win in their first three games, earning a draw in their first contest Saint Francis before dropping their next two matches to Old Dominion and La Salle.

Loyola lost its top two goal scorers from last season in Joseph Calahan and Connor Thompson, and their absence has been felt—the Greyhounds have failed to find the back of the net so far through their first three games.

This is not good news for a Loyola

Sanjeev Dasgupta | The Chronicle Midfielder Zach Mathers assisted on both goals in Duke’s 2-1 victory Saturday, and will look to keep up his strong play Tuesday night.

Every team loves playing at home— the comfort of your own bed, the perks of knowing every inch of your home turf and, of course, the thousands of screaming fans rooting for you to succeed. In an era where everyone is scrounging for a competitive edge, the right to host a contest is still one of the simplest yet most sought-after advantages.

But how much is home-field advantage really worth?

After easily dismantling Tulane on the road in last week’s season opener, the Blue Devils will play their first game at the newly-refurbished Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday. Along with a new name, the renovated stadium has a brand-new 3,175 square-foot electronic scoreboard and additional seating designed to enhance the fan experience—at the expense of the running track that once surrounded the field. So as Duke begins a new chapter in its football history, it seemed like a good opportunity to find out just how much of a difference playing at home makes.

Head coach David Cutcliffe took the helm prior to the 2008 campaign and during his seven full seasons in Durham, the Blue Devils posted an overall record of 40-48, good for a .455 winning percentage. Breaking down that record even further reveals that Duke has a .479 winning percentage at home versus a .425 mark in road or neutral-site contests. Yes, there’s a difference. But considering the home team tends to win marginally more often than the visitors in just about any sport, nothing appears earth-shattering.

It turns out the Blue Devils have performed better on both sides of the ball within the familiar confines of Wallace Wade. They have outscored their opponents by more than three points per game at home under Cutcliffe, but overall have actually been outscored

Brian Pollack

Sanjeev Dasgupta | The Chronicle Sophomore Markus Fjørtoft has led the charge for a much-improved Blue Devil defense that has carried the team to a 3-0 start this season.

squad facing a Duke defense that is much improved from last season. After conceding a conference-high 34 goals in 2014, the Blue Devils have allowed just three goals thus far this season and seem much more confident in the back line.

The centerback pairing of graduate student Tyler Hilliard and sophomore Markus Fjørtoft have been a big reason for the defense’s success so far.

“We’ve got some experience,” Duke head coach John Kerr said. “Tyler Hilliard is a great defender and has great experience for us. He’s doing a lot of good things back there... [He] cleans up a lot of things for us if we do make a mistake positionally. Markus [Fjørtoft] is killing [it] in the air. He’s dominating back there and doing a great job.”

Duke will hope it can keep Loyola’s goalless streak going and record its second clean sheet of the season.

Although the defense seems to be clicking early, there is still room for improvement on the offensive side of the ball. As the team is still adjusting to having new faces in new spots on the field, its offensive execution has not been quite as crisp as it could be.

“I think the biggest thing is speed of play,” Kerr said. “Especially early in the

game, when we’re too slow getting the ball to the next guy and if we can speed it up a little bit quicker, we’ll be a lot more dangerous.”

In addition to increasing their tempo on the ball, another area where the Blue Devils will look to improve upon is their efficiency in front of the goal. Against Iona, Duke was able to garner 13 shots on target, but was unable to score from free-flowing play—only finding the net from corner kicks.

The Blue Devils may be able to get away with not converting quality chances against lesser teams, but as conference play quickly approaches, they will need to be more prolific at putting the ball in the back of the net. Kerr said he does not seem too concerned about the team’s missed opportunities so far.

“Soccer’s like that,” Kerr said. “We’re creating opportunities, we [have] just got to get that final pass.”

If Duke can find that rhythm in the midfield, convert more of its chances in front of the net and still maintain its strong defensive performances, the team should be full of momentum heading into its ACC opener Friday against No. 2 Virginia at 7 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium.

See COLUMN on Page 5

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COLUMN from page 4 by their opponents by just less than two points per contest.

With offensive coordinators Kurt Roper and Scottie Montgomery calling the plays, Duke has put up 30.7 points per game at home—more than a touchdown better than its 22.9 average elsewhere. Defensively, the difference is less pronounced, though still there— Cutcliffe’s teams have yielded 30.5 points per game on the road but just 27.6 at home.

College football is unique in that teams have the liberty, to some degree, to choose and schedule opponents on their own accord. It’s not uncommon for schools to butter up their non-conference home slates—especially during marquee weekends like Homecoming—with cupcake teams to give their fans a positive experience and boost morale surrounding the program.

The Blue Devils are no doubt guilty of this to some degree—their first three home victories last season came by a combined 111 points against opponents who ended the year with a total of 29 losses. But Duke has also hosted seven ranked opponents—including a No. 1 Alabama squad in 2010—during the Cutcliffe era to balance the scheduling. Taken as a whole, the Blue Devils’ home opponents entered Wallace Wade with an aggregate winning percentage of .552, and finished their respective seasons at a .522 clip, excluding the Duke game from their records.

Another way to assess the quality of opponent is through betting spreads, which can be explained as the estimated final score differential prior to kickoff.

Since 2008, Duke has beaten the spread—meaning it either won by more than expected or lost by less than expected—60.5 percent of the time at home, as compared to 59.5 percent in road games.

Betting spreads usually grant a three-point edge to the home team, but that can easily be negated by unevenly matched teams. For reference, the Blue Devils were still a 13.5-point favorite last week despite being on the road in New Orleans. Duke has been a favorite in roughly half of its home games in the past seven seasons, but a road favorite less than one-sixth of the time. This, more than anything, is evidence the Blue Devils have taken a slightly easier road in terms of who they schedule for their home games.

This week’s home opener is another one of those scheduling perks, pitting Duke against fellow Durham inhabitant N.C. Central. Although the Eagles—a member of the MEAC conference—romped to a 72-0 victory against St. Augustine’s last week, they are sure to be heavy underdogs when they take the field Saturday. When the two schools last met two years ago, N.C. Central failed to get on the scoreboard and found itself on the wrong end of a 45-0 blowout. But you can be sure Cutcliffe will be warning his team of the perils of looking past the Eagles to their next two foes, a suddenly-hot Northwestern program and a top15 Georgia Tech squad.

Fortunately for Duke, both of those contests will be held in the new Wallace Wade—because, to borrow from “The Wizard of Oz”, there’s no place like home.

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“

Stop pulling the Trump card

I

n recent months, presidential candidate Donald Trump has overwhelmed political discourse, drawing many reactions: contempt, celebrity fanfare, ironic dismissal and embrace among others. But no matter your angle of approach, his reception on the whole has been cacophonous and is a prime example of media coverage bordering on ludicrous, but the attention to him is hardly without cause. Rather it seems a direct consequence of the culture the New Yorker recently called “anti-politics.”

It is a culture our generation is hardly immune from; in fact, it is a culture we help to enshrine.

Those who embrace Trump laud his air of authenticity and honesty. They cite his refreshing vitality against the politician willing to pander to any vote at any cost, but experts have already thoroughly inspected the “veracity” of the claims that have created this voter sentiment. We recommend, for instance, Politifact’s Truth-O-Meter, which categorizes 49 percent of his statements as false and another 19 percent as “Pants on Fire” inaccuracies. This track record compounds doubt as to whether his brashness should be conflated with authenticity and honesty.

Why else has the Trump phenomenon grown uninhibitedly? In a crowd of Republican hopefuls, he is a natural lightning rod for attention, simplifying

onlinecomment “Build well designed houses on Central (Anderson St) and rent to fraternities / sororities with on-site residence quarters for house mom / dad.”

— “just maybe” commenting on the Sept. 4 column “Double standards for a single problem”

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the field for viewers and upping page views for media outlets. The media can start coverage earlier and more eye-catchingly with a news-sourced reality television show to eat up a summer of news cycles.

But this reality show will have some far-reaching consequences with Trump largely influencing, if not controlling discourse in American politics, forcing other candidates to dance politically with him.

Editorial This phenomenon is not all on Trump. The moment was ripe for his taking. Part of this is the “anti-politics” politics essential to the coming election, reiterated by Ben Carson’s recent surge and evident in recent years of American political discourse.

Trump represents the hope that America can take every political knot of a problem and cut through it.

He offers to be the panacea: he says to give him ISIS, immigration and China and that he will fix it. The narrative goes on: I went to Wharton and am the only candidate on stage with success in the real world–the business world–so I must be uniquely qualified to solve America’s problems. All it takes is toughness.

His answers reassuringly flatten the complexity of our

S

nation’s problems.

The attractiveness of his approach to campaigning is not just political but a cultural phenomenon revealing misdirection in American values. If we pay the right price--maybe the core belief of this country that immigrants are essential to the American Dream–we can afford the leadership of one successful businessman. This seems like a devil’s bargain to us. We hold that politics need to be a process of communities working together to resolve seemingly intractable problems, a definitional quality of government, and not this radical protection of private interests from immigrants, from China and most of all, from politics itself. Engaging and changing politics does not mean oversimplifying them or avoiding them altogether.

This seems the most dangerous part of today’s political moment. Our generation, though not rife with Trump fans, is complicit. We ironize politics to the point of eroding its meaning. Our youthful disenchantment risks pushing away politics as a space for society to come together to solve broader problems for a broader good. Irony is an incomplete view. We cannot forget the essential nature of politics as communal and alienate ourselves from processes that rely on us. In other words, we make Trump possible.

Indian name

h-roo-th-ee?”

“Actually, it’s Shr-uu-th-ee” “Oh, so Sh-ruh-th-ee?”

“Yeah… sure” I’m not going to lie… this was about 70 percent of what my orientation week experience was like. Even a full year later, I remember how irritated I was all week about having the same conversation over and over again. I even wished I had an easier name just for simplicity’s sake.

Having a name that’s tough to pronounce is not news to me. In fourth grade, I had a math teacher

just giving them a hard time. What are they supposed to do? Something tells me that Piyush and Nimrata are a lot less appealing to voters than Bobby and Nikki. But now that I’ve thought about it a little, I’m a little surprised that I’ve been so apathetic about the reality that Piyush doesn’t really have a chance even though Bobby does.

Before, I thought that the criticism of changing your name wasn’t the equivalent of abandoning an entire culture or identity. But when do we cross the line of choosing a different name and being embarrassed of who we are?

Shruti Rao TAMING OF THE SHRU

who just skipped me on roll call because he didn’t even want to try. In sixth grade, I had a teacher who shamelessly referred to me as “S-girl.” This may sound horrible, but I don’t blame anyone for having a hard time with my name. I’m not sure that all the sounds even exist in the English language, but as a bare minimum, you should at least make an effort.

Even though I’ve had a few cumbersome, annoying experiences with my name, I hadn’t really thought much about the significance of my name experience. My parents chose Shruti and I’m an adaptable young millennial so I went with it. Growing up, I had lots of nicknames, which doubled as terms of endearment, such as “Shru” and “Shruth.” On a few rare occasions, when I tell someone that they don’t have to pronounce it perfectly or that I don’t really care what exactly what they call me, I’ve been told that I should “own” my name since it is a part of my identity.

Up until now, I have been fairly ambivalent about the name issue. I figured that names are essentially logistical tags for people. You use my name so I know that you’re talking about me and not some other kid. Unlike produce or retail items, people don’t get numerical product or identification tags. It would be pretty weird if a professor was giving a lecture on game theory and said “Hey, 8R6EB, what would you do?”

But what happens when we choose a name different than the ones our parents gave us? For example, Bobby Jindal the republican Governor of Louisiana and current presidential candidate, is often criticized for changing his name from Piyush to Bobby. Nikki Hayley, Republican Governor of Louisiana, has faced similar criticism for changing her name from Nimrata to Nikki.

For the most part, I’ve felt like people were

I remember being shocked and uncomfortable when seeing Governor Jindal’s recent tweet that “Immigration without assimilation is invasion #GOPdebate.” This is unbelievably insulting to Americans everywhere. A distinct mix of cultural and ethnic experiences is the foundation of what it means to be American and assimilation is the destruction of that distinct identity.

Jindal’s tweet suggests a deep level of discomfort for who he is, which extends a lot further than just his name. Unfortunately for Bobby, nobody cares about what he says because he is shockingly irrelevant in the current election. Still, the idea that being an immigrant who doesn’t assimilate is somehow an invasion is fundamentally troubling.

Especially coming from the child of immigrants.

Watching Indian-Americans navigate the political sphere has made me wonder if giving up their original names is more than just a trivial matter of convenience. Even though we don’t choose our names, maybe even because we don’t choose them, names carry cultural value. They can serve as a vessel for our original identities and cultures.

I think there is a difference between telling your Starbucks barista to call you by a nickname and changing your name. Maybe names are more than just tags; they’re representations of our identity, culture and background. Everyone develops their own attitude towards this. And honestly, it’s probably not a huge deal. But if you feel like your name represents your identity in some way, that not using your name is somehow forfeiting your original culture, then hang in there. I know I’ll hold on to Shruti a little tighter.

Shruti Rao is a Trinity sophomore. Her column runs on alternate Tuesdays.

The Chronicle

www.dukechronicle.com commentary

Letter to the Editor On July 14, Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – plus Germany) and the European Union completed a marathon 20 months of negotiations.

Together, they announced a historic accord to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities and prevent its development of a nuclear weapon.

Since then, there has been intense debate playing out in the media as individual members of Congress review the nuclear agreement and prepare for a vote on it ahead of a Sept. 17 deadline.

While the threshold level of support in the Senate has just been reached to ensure that the deal can survive a resolution of disapproval, it turns out that across the U.S., support for the deal is much stronger than the controversy would indicate.

Formally known as the Joint Congressional Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement places tight restrictions on the amount of nuclear fuel that Iran can keep for the next 15 years. The current stockpile of low enriched uranium (enriched below 20 percent) will be reduced by 98 percent. This limit, combined with a 67 percent reduction in the number of its centrifuges, would extend the “breakout time” to one year. The breakout time is the amount of time it would take Iran to make enough highly enriched uranium (above 90 percent) for a single nuclear weapon, should it abandon the accord and race for a weapon. By comparison, analysts say Iran currently has a breakout time of two to three months.

A wide variety of scientific and nuclear experts, military leaders, national security experts and political leaders have taken clear positions stating that there is not a credible alternative to the nuclear agreement and that it provides the best path to addressing the issue.

These include: — Dozens of retired U.S. generals and admirals (Aug. 11) — 75 bipartisan former members of

Congress (Aug. 31) — 29 of the nation’s top scientists — including Nobel laureates and former White House science advisers (August 8, now up to 32 signatories) — A long list of prominent international relations and Middle East scholars (Aug. 27) — Over 70 distinguished Iranian dissidents (Aug. 31) — 60 American national security experts (July 20) — 67 former Israeli intelligence and military experts (Aug. 3) — 29 of the nation’s top scientists (Aug. 8) — More than 100 former American ambassadors (July 16) — All six member nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Aug. 3) – includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. — Last, but certainly not least, a University of Maryland poll published on Sept. 1 shows that the majority of Americans support the JCPOA. One of the more compelling arguments in support of the agreement is made by Iranian political dissidents.

They say that a rejection of the JCPOA by the U.S., coupled with the threat of military action that some political leaders in the U.S. have expressed, will empower hardliners in their country to abandon restraint and reignite the pursuit of nuclear capability.

On the other hand, by continuing in a strong coalition and implementing the rigorous program of nuclear oversight outlined in the JCPOA, the U.S. and its European allies can avoid unnecessary war and also positively reinforce a movement toward moderation in Iran.

Such movement is much needed in a region of the world where there is tremendous instability, conflict and human suffering.

I pledge a grievance

R

egardless of what you may think of Donald Trump, if you have even an inkling of political or pop culture interest, I’m sure those thoughts are strong; his presence in the upcoming presidential election has been captivating, to say the least. From the interesting to the unintelligible to the insane, his campaign has earned the undivided attention of the cable

Contact Amrith Ramkumar at ar299@duke.edu.

thought, and stratifying ourselves by political maxims will shepherd people into increasingly hostile camps. Political candidates should be leading people towards the middle of the room, not following an agenda to a far corner.

I was happy to hear that Donald Trump would not sign a pledge to the eventual Republican candidate. While his message or style may not resonate with me nor

Caleb Ellis MORE OR LESS

news war-rooms. More often than not, the punditry’s emphasis on his rhetoric and positioning are emblematic of a larger, corrosive fascination with the sensational. Yet, the intense scrutiny over Trump’s decision to pledge allegiance to the eventual Republican nominee – turning down the possibility of a thirdparty run in the process – actually hits on an important point. Are elections about parties or people?

The most memorable moment of Fox’s first Republican primary debate last month was when Bret Baier asked the candidates whether or not, in the event that they lost, they would support the eventual Republican nominee.

Clearly baited, Trump proceeded to tell a booing audience that he wasn’t ready to make that pledge and that he could not commit to an unnamed candidate who he did not genuinely support. A lot of people were stunned by that position.

I personally found it to be the most genuine moment of the night.

The growing concern with America’s partisan split is well placed, and the moderate public’s frustration with Washington’s bitter stagnation fuels a large portion of Trump’s support.

Mark Emamian However, blind allegiance to political parties is perhaps the single biggest factor Sr. Research & Development Engineer, in the growth of hyper-partisanship. The Duke Free Electron Laser Laboratory, Physics notion that diametric opposition to the Department other side of the aisle will ultimately advance political discourse roots itself in a kindergartener’s logic. My way or the highway didn’t work when we were six, and it absolutely will not work now.

The value of political parties lies in their ability to catalyze participation in the American political process by rallying people around policy platforms that resonate with them. Squelching the ideological middle ground that many citizens find themselves in doesn’t fit that description. All candidates, from the presidential to the mayoral, have the right and obligation to advocate on behalf of the policies and beliefs that they’d govern by, not those of the Republican and Democratic national committees. As illustrated by sentiment nationwide, not all Americans think alike. There’s value in diversity of

Want to write a guest column?

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | 7

work towards the political middle ground the country desperately needs, I was still disappointed to find that, for the sake of his election, he had decided to sign the RNC’s pledge of allegiance. Committing to a to-be-determined candidate based purely on their party represents a failure to evaluate that individual on his or her own merits. For a job as big as President of the United States, it would serve us better to pick an individual, not a primary color.

John F. Kennedy began his 1961 inauguration speech by asserting, “We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom.” It’s not the catchiest, most invigorating or even most memorable quote, but it’s among my favorite in American history. It was a tremendous way to begin a presidency — to recognize that the country’s highest office should not be used as a trophy for the right or left. Trite as it sounds, the nation’s best moments are consistently the one’s built on compromise. If political parties are unwilling to engage and support candidates who fall out of line with what they deem acceptable, the willingness of future leaders to volunteer their true selves will continually fade.

That reality is a large part of why Donald Trump has stood out so starkly.

In this case, the source of his opinion is irrelevant. What matters is that they are his, unhinged and unfiltered by a party more concerned with winning than anything else. The RNC might be bristling at the prospect of having such a divisive figure lead their early primaries, but by all accounts, they were equally perturbed by his unwillingness to swear an oath of fealty that has become a requirement of party politics.

Even in the early stages, this primary cycle has shifted the race away from the center — the idea that to earn a party candidacy, you must first prove yourself to be the most liberal or most conservative player in the field. That climate is unhealthy for candidates who are being forced to prove themselves to an institution rather than to the people.

Caleb Ellis is a Trinity senior. His column runs on alternate Tuesdays.

8 | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

www.dukechronicle.com

The Chronicle

September 8-14 EXHIBITIONS Beyond the Front Porch 2015: Documentary Studies Capstone Projects. Final projects by Duke seniors who graduated in 2015 with Certificates in Documentary Studies.

Thru October 3. Center for Documentary Studies. Free.

September Wed, Sept. 2: Painting & Drawing Thu, Sept 3: Printmaking

Road Through Midnight: A Civil Rights Memorial. Jessica Ingram’s photos of sites throughout the South of historic relevance to the civil rights era; includes audio oral histories.

Thru October 17. Center for Documentary Studies. Free.

Wed, Sept. 9: Ceramics Thu, Sept. 10: Photography Sat, Sept. 12: Painting & Drawing

Odili Donald Odita. Two large-scale murals by visiting artist and abstract painter Odili Donald Odita have been commissioned by the Nasher Museum; one is at Duke and one is in downtown Durham. Thru October 1, 2017.

Wed, Sept. 16: Printmaking Thu, Sept. 17: Ceramics Sat, Sept. 19: Photography

Richard Mosse: The Enclave. Immersive 40-minute sixchannel video installation shot in eastern Congo. Thru January 10, 2016.

Wed, Sept. 23: Painting & Drawing Thu, Sept. 24: Printmaking Sat, Sept. 26: Ceramics

The New Galleries: A Collection Come to Light.

Comprehensive and dynamic reinstallation of the museum’s collection, highlighting masterworks while illustrating a history of human creativity. Thru September 18, 2016.

EVENTS September 8 Wind Master Class with Jimmy Gilmore, clarinet, and Rachel Niketopoulos, French horn. Featuring wind students of the Duke Wind Symphony and Duke Symphony Orchestra.

7:30pm, Baldwin Auditorium. Free.

September 11 Faculty and Student Chamber Orchestra Concert. The Ciompi Quartet, Susan Fancher & others, with guest artist Ashley Bathgate (cello) and conductor Harry Davidson, present Elgar’s Serenade for String Orchestra, Duke composer Scott Lindroth’s Cello Quintet, and Milhaud’s La Creation du Monde. 8pm, Baldwin Auditorium. $10 general; students free.

Mementos Mori from Manual Cinema. Six puppeteers use hundreds of paper puppets, seven overhead projectors, two cameras, and three screens to create a live “movie” in front of the audience, all accompanied by four musicians. 8 pm, Sheafer Theater, West Campus. $10 General Public; $5 Students/Sr. Citizens.

September 12 Nasher Creates: Saturday Sketch. Three-week Saturday sketching series with local artist Laura Frankstone. 10am.

Free.

Fred Raimi, cello, and Jane Hawkins, piano. Music of Bach and Beethoven. 8pm, Nelson Music Room, East Duke Bldg.

Free.

SCREEN/SOCIETY All events are free and open to the general public. Unless otherwise noted, screenings are at 7pm in the Richard White Lecture Hall, East Campus. (G)=Griffith Film Theater, Bryan Center. (Carr) = Carr 103. All events subject to change.

Wed, Sept. 30: Photography

October Wed, Oct. 1: Painting & Drawing Sat, Oct. 3: Printmaking Wed, Oct. 7: Ceramics Wed, Oct. 14: Photography Thu, Oct. 15: Painting & Drawing Sat, Oct. 17: Printmaking Wed, Oct. 21: Ceramics Thu, Oct. 22: Photography Sat, Oct 24: Painting & Drawing Wed, Oct. 28: Printmaking Thu, Oct 29: Ceramics Sat, Oct. 31: Photography

November Wed, Nov. 4: Painting & Drawing Thu, Nov. 5: Printmaking Sat, Nov. 7: Ceramics Wed, Nov. 11: Photography Thu, Nov 12: Painting & Drawing Sat, Nov. 14: Printmaking

September 8 Girlhood (Bande de filles) (G) French and Francophone Film Festival

Wed, Nov 18: Ceramics Thu, Nov 19: Photography Sat, Nov. 21: Painting & Drawing

September 10 AMI Showcase—Alumni Filmmaker Homecoming Screening + Q&A with Lawrence Chen ‘09 (Carr)

ALL WORKSHOPS TAKE PLACE AT THE ARTS ANNEX

September 14 Timbuktu (G) French and Francophone Film Festival September 15 Poetry Cine-East: East Asian Cinema series September 16 Soy Cuba (G) [Rare 35mm Screening!]

AMI Showcase—Cuban Cinema Series ami.duke.edu/screensociety/schedule

studentaffairs.duke.edu/ucae This message is brought to you by the Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies, Center for Documentary Studies, Chapel Music, Duke Dance Program, Duke Music Department, Master of Fine Arts in Experimental & Documentary Arts, Nasher Museum of Art, Screen/Society, Department of Theater Studies with support from the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts.