THEQuad
CHATTER “The more we assume that the problem of racism is limited to the Klan, the birthers, the tea party, or to the Republican Party, the less we understand that racial domination is a collective process and we are all in this game.” –EDUARDO BONILLA-SILVA, sociologist, on how whites and racial minorities speak a different language when discussing race (CNN.com)
“There’s no doubt that having a college education improves the relative situation of any black American compared with any other black American. But it does not significantly reduce racial disparity. We’ve got to do something else to really have an effect on that.” –WILLIAM A. DARITY JR., economist, discussing how black college graduates are suffering from higher unemployment rates than their white counterparts (The New York Times)
“This is one of the first times we’ve been able to demonstrate that, here, you have a spill in the environment, and yes, this is from fracking fluid and not from other sources of contamination. It’s a pretty cool way to overcome the issue of trade secrets.” –AVNER VENGOSH, geochemist, on a new tool that can tell where environmental contamination comes from (thinkprogress.org)
“The West views this primarily as a debate fought with the weapons of rhetoric. The terrorists view this as a war fought with bullets and bombs. It is hard to debate someone who thinks they’re at war with you.” –PETER FEAVER, political science and public policy professor, on how the terrorist attacks in Paris affect the political conversation (CNBC.com)
ROOMMATES
Giving guidance
Recent graduates serve as college advisers in seven N.C. high schools. The White House has emphasized look beyond what’s comfortable, and strengthening high-school counseling he tries to emotionally prepare them in its campaign to expand college ac- to make the transition to college life cess. Duke answered that call to action better. Petty cites the near-peer feature last spring, becoming the twenty-fourth of the CAC program as important to higher-education institution to estab- having these conversations. “Having lish a chapter of the College Advising those experiences fresh in mind and to Corps (CAC), a nonprofit organization be able to open up honestly and discuss that aims to increase post-secondary them—it’s not something that perhaps enrollment among low-income and one of their teachers or other guidance minority students by placing recent counselors could do.” college graduates at underserved high Although the advisers attend a summer training program prior to arriving schools to serve as full-time advisers. The Duke CAC is made up of seven at their placement high schools, all already possess the foundaalumni, with placements at tional knowledge necessary two partner high schools “Our advisers to step into their roles. in Durham County and For KellyNoel Waldorf five high schools in rural never tell ’14, working as an adviser communities in central students where at Bartlett-Yancey High and northern North Car- to go—they olina. During individual School (Caswell County) appointments and class- inform and has meant entering a familroom visits, the advisers connect them iar landscape. She grew up guide students through all with resources.” in a small town in North aspects of the college appliCarolina, and was the first cation process, from filling in her family to attend out a financial-aid form to writing an college, and like many of the students admissions essay. More broadly, they she advises, comes from a low-income work to foster a college-going culture background. She knows the difficulties by promoting scholarship opportuni- of navigating the college search in an ties, arranging visits with admissions under-resourced high school. Still, she representatives, and holding practice is a firm believer that the process can be standardized tests. demystified somewhat through early-in“The goal is to help these students tervention programs. “Getting to the understand that this is a process and students earlier and filling that deficit of that you can prepare for it,” says Giri- knowledge is really important,” she says. ja Mahajan, director of the Duke CAC Supported by the John M. Belk program. “Our advisers never tell stu- Foundation, the chapter is one of the dents where to go—they inform and university’s latest efforts to close gaps connect them with resources. Ultimate- in college attainment. Duke unveiled ly, we want to get [the students] to un- plans last year to increase minority repderstand that there are more opportuni- resentation and degree completion in ties out there than less.” science, technology, engineering, and For adviser Adam Petty ’14, commu- math (STEM) programs, in part by nicating the range of these opportunities enhancing teaching methods in introis a core responsibility. At Northamp- ductory classes. That initiative, called ton High School (Northampton Coun- the Collaboratory on Mentoring, Perty), he has noticed that many of the sistence, Assessment, and Student Sucstudents matriculate at one of a handful cess (COMPASS), was made possible of local colleges after graduating, only by a $1.5 million grant from the Howto drop out after one semester. So, he ard Hughes Medical Institute. -Tim Lerow emphasizes to his advisees the need to
Messy or clean?
Moving to K-ville
In their room, they play basketball. The hoop is also in the tent, along with a scoreboard. Hunter currently holds the record for most consecutive baskets made. See videos of other K-Ville tents: kvillekribs.tumblr.com
“We’re messy, but we do clean regularly.” -Hunter “When we clean, we clean. We disinfect.” -Alex
Get along?
“We fight a lot. We have these epic fights and go a day or two without talking and then everything will be fine. The first time it happened, it was resolved because we were both sitting in the room, and I started whistling Lord of the Rings.” -Hunter
Music
Hunterloves The Who Alexloves Pink Floyd
“I mean, he’s an average whistler, but that song holds a lot of meaning.” -Alex
Area of study:
AlexEnvironmental science HunterBiology with an undetermined future
Quirks
Hunter about Alex: “He meditates in the mornings. He gets really into it.” “I build stuff!” -Alex “The other day, he turned our room into a workshop for a week.” -Hunter
FRESHMEN IN ALSPAUGH 201
Alex Bressler + Hunter Stark Dallas, Texas
Tiffin, Ohio
Fast friends Before freshman year began, the duo met on a Duke Talent Identification Program studying tropical medicine and ethnobiology in Costa Rica. “The bromance started pretty quickly.” -Hunter Interview by Madeline Taylor/ Photo by Megan Morr
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www.dukemagazine.duke.edu
DUKE MAGAZINE
SPRING 2015
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