T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y
The Chronicle
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTH YEAR, ISSUE 54
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
YOUNG TRUSTEE
Freshmen can run for Board seat
Living near livestock ups MRSA chances
Translating the web
by John Barker by Ashley Wong
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Living near livestock populations increases the risk of exposure to certain strains of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus—also known as MRSA—even for residents who do not handle livestock. American and Dutch researchers led by professor Beth Feingold, a visiting scholar at the Duke Global Health Institute from Johns Hopkins University, discovered that livestock-related strains of MRSA spread easily through areas of high livestock density, regardless of individuals’ contact with livestock. The study was conducted by analyzing cases of MRSA reported in the Netherlands, a country with relatively high livestock density per capita in rural areas. The easy spread of bacteria without direct contact is unusual and deserves further research, the study’s authors said. “People living in areas of high livestock density have higher risk, even after accounting for known risk factors like direct contact with animals,” Feingold wrote in an email Wednesday. “It is interesting that most studies have looked only at direct contact with animals as a risk factor, and have not considered the potential for secondary transmission.”
First-year students are now eligible for a spot on the Board of Trustees. Duke Student Government passed an amendment to the Young Trustee bylaws Oct. 18, making it so that first-year students can now run for the position. This has sparked debate over what role freshmen candidates will play in the Young Trustee selection process and whether they have enough experience to compete for a role that traditionally goes to seniors. First-year students have had less time on campus, but they could offer something that older students may not be able to, freshman Grace Oathout said. “Freshmen have the advantage of having a brief, immediate image of Duke since they’re not completely assimilated to the Duke culture just yet,” she said. “They are able to speak on their immediate impression of Duke and see clearly what needs changing.” Each year, a Young Trustee is voted to serve on the Board for a three-year term to represent the student body’s current concerns and interests, as well as provide student perspectives on administrative rulings. Candidates for the position are first vetted by the Young Trustee Nominating Committee and then are chosen via popular election.
CHRIS DIECKHAUS/THE CHRONICLE
Luis von Ahn, associate professor of computer science, talks about his goal to translate the internet into all major languages through a language-learning program called Duolingo.
SEE TRUSTEES ON PAGE 3
SEE MRSA ON PAGE 3
Admin cracks down on DSG affirms‘merit and East Campus ‘bench wars’ ability’ of all students DUKE STUDENT GOVERNMENT
by Emma Baccellieri THE CHRONICLE
by Elizabeth Djinis
East Campus bench pranks are no longer just friendly competition. A series of frequent and damaging bench pranks on East Campus has prompted administrators to take action, including possible disciplinary action against future perpetrators. The “bench wars” have destroyed more benches than in years past, said LB Bergene, East Campus assistant dean for residence life. In an October email to freshmen, Bergene noted that the implications of the bench wars have escalated
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SEE BENCHES ON PAGE 4
Med School dean talks about genetic diseases, Page 2
EMMA LOEWE/ THE CHRONICLE
Basset residents build a new bench on East Campus. Because of recent destructive pranks, administrators are cracking down on students who damage benches.
The Duke Student Government Senate passed a resolution “acknowledging the merit and ability of all Duke students” at its meeting Wednesday. The resolution—which was passed with 41 positive votes, 11 negative votes and two abstentions—was created in light of University discussion regarding affirmative action policies in admissions and the role of diversity on campus. DSG President Alex Swain, a senior, noted that DSG has a responsibility to make sure that students feel supported and respected by their peers and hoped that this
resolution would be effective in cultivating that sentiment. “[The resolution] will send an important message to the student body showing our support for all students,” Swain said. “We as student leaders— when people are feeling like their presence isn’t welcome or appreciated—have the responsibility to solve that.” Some Senate members expressed concern that the resolution denoted an implicit support of affirmative action, as well as appearing to be a response to freshman Jed Bradshaw’s recent letter to the editor published in SEE DSG ON PAGE 4
ONTHERECORD
“It’s easy to do victory laps. But... think about what you want President Obama’s administration to accomplish....”
Cone exhibit opens at Nasher,
—Samantha Lachman in ‘States of Grace.’ See column page 15
Recess page 6
2 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012
THE CHRONICLE
Post-grad job search Genetic data may help stressful for Ph.D.s or reveal too much by Jeffrey Cicurel THE CHRONICLE
Ph.D. students are struggling to find employment after graduation in the economic recession. Post doctoral students and professors are feeling increasingly stressed about their respective fields, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported Oct. 24. This stress has much to do with the difficulty of securing tenure in a weak job market, exacerbated by graduate programs taking more graduate students than there are jobs. Some at Duke, however, argue that those dedicated to pursuing their interests in academia should not be deterred by such factors. Provost Peter Lange, who has been Duke’s chief academic officer since 1999, said he has trained many doctoral students, many of whom have gone on to pursue academic careers. He did not think students should shy away from pursuing their doctorates. “Anybody who goes into a profession through some combination of a passion for the profession and different degrees of confidence can be really successful. If you’re really good, you’re still going to get a job,� Lange said. “But if you’re feeling a little more marginal, or if you’re not sure that that’s what you want to do, then obviously the quality of the job market can be a little scary.� He added that, though the recession has affected Duke, it has not had as great an impact here as on other institutions. The University has not changed its “criteria� for granting tenure over the downturn. Zachary Abzug, a doctoral student studying biomedical engineering at Duke, plans to spend the next phase of his career working as a postdoctoral
researcher in academia. Eventually, he hopes to get a faculty position at a major research institution. He said he did not consider the difficulty of finding a job in academia. “Research in academia is what I want to be doing, and I will have to take the necessary risks to follow that path,� Abzug wrote in an email Tuesday. “I’m not too nervous about finding work, but I’m sure that’s largely because I’m so far removed from looking for postdoctoral work.� Originally planning to go to medical school, Russell Dulman, a senior majoring in biology, switched tracks and is currently applying to Ph.D. programs. He believes the opportunities with a doctorate can be better than other graduate degrees. “Part of my consideration to switch over to pre-doctorate was financial motivations,� Dulman said. “You take on a lot of debt when you go to medical school. If I go to get a Ph.D. in the sciences it is paid for, and doctors aren’t getting paid what they used to be.� Because he is studying the hard sciences, Dulman said he would receive an annual $30,000 stipend and pay no tuition. Afterwards he would have the opportunity to explore jobs in pharmaceuticals—an industry that has proven resistant to the recession. Dulman said he is also considering going into academia, but knows about the recent lack of job opportunities. Lange believes the teaching opportunities at public universities may never fully recover. “I think the current situation may be a little more severe than will be true within a few years, but I don’t think we’re going to go back to the brightest days,� he said.
www.qduke.com
by Casey Tissue THE CHRONICLE
As personalized medicine becomes more advanced through the use of DNA sequencing, questions arise concerning the dangers created by knowledge of genetically caused diseases. In a Chautauqua Lecture called “When the Genome Gets Really Personal,� Dr. Nancy Andrews, dean of the School of Medicine, spoke to students about the importance of DNA sequencing in determining a person’s future health issues and the ethical problems that have become a major part of decision-making in this field. She also described the significance that personalized medicine will have in the next five to 10 years. “Researchers want to find causes for genetic diseases or help patients who have one,� Andrews said. “This creates complicated questions because it mixes research and clinical work.� She noted several diseases that doctors have been able to link to genetics, including Huntington’s, some forms of cancer and Alzheimer’s, as well as several blood disorders. One such blood disease, called Thalassemia, which is similar to anemia, caused devastating problems on the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean throughout the 1900s. However, with “very aggressive genetic tests� and precautions doctors advised to patients, eventually they were able to decrease the occurrence of the disorder from one in 250 births to less than one in 4,000. Andrews called it a “huge public health success,� but also noted that not everyone supports these procedures. DNA sequencing started with the study of eugenics, when researchers found that they could decrease traits considered harmful and increase traits considered beneficial through controlling the breeding of plants and animals. “People now think a lot about the dark side of eugenics,� she said. “It’s
PHILIP CATTERALL/THE CHRONICLE
Nancy Andrews, dean of the School of Medicine, talks to students Wednesday about diseases based in genetics. morally repugnant to most people.� She also noted that some view the topic as a way of “purifying populations� or changing a gene pool. In today’s world, most genetic analysis is done for the purpose of research, and often children are tested since they generally have no pre-existing health conditions. These screenings, however, can cause some ethical questions to arise if researchers find unexpected results. If doctors discover that a child has an increased risk of cancer, for example, it is unclear what they should tell the parents, Andrews said. Familial genetic testing can also bring up ethical questions, she added, noting that sometimes patients “will learn that ‘dad’ is not ‘dad.’� SEE GENOME ON PAGE 4
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 | 3
TRUSTEES from page 1 During the first year on the Board, the elected Young Trustee serves as a non-voting observer, but for the following two years the YT joins the ranks of the voting members. The amendment to open the race to all students was proposed by junior Patrick Oathout, executive vice president of DSG and the chair of the DSG Rules Committee. Oathout
MRSA from page 1 According to the report published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publication Emerging Infectious Diseases, doubling the density of various livestock increases a person’s odds of carrying livestock associated MRSA over another kind by 20 to 75 percent. The natural presence of staph bacteria in the nose and sometimes on the skin does not normally cause problems. However, open wounds can sometimes allow the bacteria to enter the body and cause a staph infection. Normal strains of staph are frequently treated
wrote in an email Wednesday that he felt strongly that freshmen should not be excluded from running simply because of their age. “If a first-year really is qualified for Young Trustee they should be able to run,” he said. “If they’re not, they’ll be screened out in the application process.” Kaveh Danesh, Trinity ’12, who was elected Young Trustee in the Spring, said the Young Trustee is just another member of the Board when it comes to upholding the
University’s mission. The “young” title exemplifies the position’s purpose of providing a sense of the live, current Duke to the Board during the decision-making process. Danesh said he does not oppose the revision, citing that an age cutoff is always arbitrary. Some, though, may claim that freshmen have not had enough time to accumulate experience, he noted. Nearly all those elected by the undergraduate student body to the Young Trustee position since its in-
ception in 1972 have been graduating seniors. Thus, when students are faced with a choice between a freshman candidate and senior candidate, the older student appears to win out, Danesh said, adding that this should not bar freshmen from running. “Every once in a while, there might come a first-year who has accumulated more experience relevant to the position than any other student who chose to run,” he said. “Shouldn’t he or she, at the very least,
be given a chance?” The amount of experience a student garners while at Duke is not necessarily correlated with time, Danesh added. “Running based on merits is the most impartial solution,” he said. DSG President Alex Swain, a senior, expressed her trust that the vetting process for the position results in the most qualified candidates. “Whoever they choose will be the appropriate choice, whether it’s a freshman or not,” Swain said.
with antibiotics. MRSA strains, however, are resistant to traditional courses of treatment and can lead to far more severe infections. It is possible for carriers of MRSA to spread it to others or become infected themselves. This study analyzed whether or not individuals carried livestock associated MRSA and attempted to link the carriage with proximity to livestock populations, not just livestock contact. “Non-typable MRSA was, in [a] 2007 paper, shown to be statistically associated with people who lived in rural areas and who worked with livestock—thus it was later known as livestock as-
sociated MRSA,” Feingold said. “I was interested in seeing if there was a trued geographical or spatial connection between the two.” Working with various other researchers from Johns Hopkins and Jan Kluytmans, a professor at VU University Medical Center in the Netherlands, Feingold discovered that mere proximity was sufficient to increase the odds of carrying and thus potentially being infected by MRSA. Yet person-to-person contact fails to explain the spread of the bacteria through local populations. “A study among veterinarian field workers found that after short-term occupational expo-
sure to pigs, 17 percent of them carried MRSA. However, more than 90 percent of those lost this carriage the next day,” the study said. Feingold said there is reason for further investigation into how these bacteria spread. Although the study does not necessarily indicate increased risk of MRSA carriage, it does indicate that livestock associated MRSA is far more likely to be carried by individuals living in livestock-dense regions than any other type of staph. Considering the absence of easily explained modes of transmission, this trend raises questions relating to public health, as well as whether other diseases exhibit
similar geographic trends. “The next steps should be research to answer the question, ‘Do we see similar relationships everywhere?’” Feingold said. The data suggest that MRSA may be transmitted by some other medium that is not yet fully understood. “We hope that our study helps spur other research to investigate the exact nature of how people who may not have direct contact are getting exposed, especially in light of the fact that most research has demonstrated that livestock associated strains are not easily transmitted from person to person—this is only a very small piece of a puzzle.”
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“If You Build It…”
The Transcontinental Railroads & the Environmental Consequences of Premature Development
The 2012 Lynn W. Day Distinguished Lectureship
RICHARD WHITE November 8th 4:30 p.m. Rm. 2231 French Family Sciences Center Duke University (West Campus) White is Professor of American History at Stanford University and a Pulitzer Prize nominated historian specializing in the history of the American west, environmental history and Native American history. He will explore the historical context of premature development and its inevitable environmental costs through the lens of the transcontinental railroads.
Easy to get to: The French Family Sciences Center is located just across from the parking deck on Science Drive For a map of the area go to: h t t p : / / m a p s - t e s t . o i t . d u ke. e d u / bu i l d i n g / 2 3 9
A reception will follow the lecture
Project Share
Help a local family in need: 1. Make a donation towards the purchase of gifts 2. Adopt a family A debilitating medical diagnosis has this 87 year-old wondering how many more holidays she will have left to enjoy. Please bring some cheer to her this year with your gifts of clothes in her favorite color of fuchsia. SYCE #3 This 73 year old former nurse is homebound and living on a fixed income. She enjoys watching television and solving crossword puzzles. Nightgowns, pens, puzzle books and an umbrella will bring some holiday cheer to her this year. SYC #41 These three children truly need some happiness in their lives. They recently relocated from South Carolina to live with their uncle, but were able to bring few personal belongings with them. The nine and seven year old boys enjoy reading and playing Nintendo games. The one year old girl is in need of clothes, a stuffed cow to replace a worn out favorite and any age appropriate musical or developmental toys. SYC #78 Help this family of five rebuild their lives after being displaced from their home due to mold. Your gifts of clothes, learning toys and a CD player will bring joy to them this holiday season. SYC 286
To get involved or for more information, visit: http://csc.civic.duke.edu/main/project-share
The Lectureship is sponsored by the Forest History Society, the Duke University Department of History, and the Nicholas School of the Environment. For more information and directions please call the Forest History Society, 919/682-9319. www.foresthistory.org
4 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012
DSG from page 1 The Chronicle Nov. 1, which criticized Duke’s support for affirmative action policies in admissions. Sophomore Josh Izzard, senator for academic affairs, said he was worried that the resolution will not have the intended effect on students. “Do we think that this is going to come across as DSG giving a lot of collective pats on the back, or is this going to come across as DSG separating itself from one author?” Izzard said. “This will only serve to press [Jed Bradshaw] further down, and that’s not the intent of this.” Although the resolution comes one week after Bradshaw’s letter, Swain assured the Senate that the document was a product of ongoing campus conversation concerning diversity. Junior Marcus Benning, senator for Durham and regional affairs, noted that, regardless of the timing, the message was important to convey. “I really hope Mr. Bradshaw’s feelings aren’t hurt, but the point of this discussion is to send the message that we affirm the merit of all students,” Benning said.
SIMPLY THE BEST!
In other business: The Senate unanimously voted to pass a bill adjusting the student activities fee for inflation. The fee is charged to all undergraduate students in order to fund programming on campus. “We have to inevitably increase the student activities fee every year to go with the rising cost of inflation,” Executive Vice President Patrick Oathout, a junior, said. Oathout proposed changes to the Spring 2013 DSG election timeline with the intent of allowing more time to
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choose a cabinet and giving the future president a chance to shadow the current president. DSG executive vice president, DSG president, and Young Trustee elections will take place on the same date. The elections will be held after Spring Break in hope that the earlier date will increase voter turnout. Senator for Academic Affairs Prashanth Ciryam, a freshman, introduced a bill to establish East Campus town hall meetings to foster interaction between senators and the student body. Some Senate members noted that this was similar to senator office hours, an existing program in which senators are available to talk to students. Ciryam said that town hall meetings would be regularly scheduled and better advertised than office hours.
GENOME from page 2 Andrews also commented on the reliability of today’s available technology, noting that genetic tests are not 100 percent accurate. “It could be very useful information, but if information is wrong, it could be harmful,” she said. “If sequencing is not as reliable, you need to send information to a more qualified lab to confirm that sequence. Who pays for this?” The procedure costs about $8,000 and often the results are “boring,” she said. Most of the time, researchers do not find anything worrisome. Although each of us has some form of genetic mutation, most are insignificant. After the lecture, students were left to ponder the ethical questions Andrews raised. Many considered the problems of prenatal screening, which allows parents to discover genetic mutations before their children are born. In turn, this raised questions of the ethicality of abortion. Many students also applied the lecture to their own lives, wondering if it would truly be beneficial to know about their predestined health problems. “If it’s something I know we can’t cure, then I’d rather not know,” fresh-
BENCHES from page 1
IMANI MOISE/ THE CHRONICLE
Junior Marcus Benning, senator for Durham and regional affairs, makes a presentation about diversity to DSG at their Wednesday meeting.
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from just a “house issue” and to a “Class of 2016 issue.” Despite the possibility of punishment, some freshmen are determined to keep the East Campus bench wars tradition alive. “There is a time and place for good spirited competition between the houses but the line has been crossed,” Bergene wrote in the email. “These actions are, at best, immature and, at worst, disturbingly disrespectful and a poor representation of the Class of 2016 to the rest of the Duke community.” Bergene warned freshmen that administrators would begin to collaborate with the Duke University Police Department to identify students who were participating in the inappropriate destruction, adding that implicated students will be subject to adjudication through the Office of Student Conduct. “The bench wars shouldn’t be taken seriously—they’re just a fun East Campus tradition,” said Alspaugh resident Jaclyn Karasik, a freshman and a photographer for The Chronicle. “We didn’t do anything that different from what was already going on.” In early October, a group of students from Bassett residence hall moved a bench from the Brown residence hall to the Marketplace steps, posting photos of the prank on the Official Duke University Class of 2016 Facebook page. Although the bench was returned to its original location without major damage, the incident set the stage for a larger prank. In the following week, Alspaugh residents both moved and damaged the benches from Brown and Giles residence halls. Both benches sustained structural injury in the move, especially the Giles bench, which was ultimately deemed beyond repair. Ben Lee, a freshman living in Giles, said having the bench destroyed was also damaging to the house members’ morale. “The feeling in the dorm is very angry at the perpetrators.,” he said. “Our bench was a major social center for our dorm.” The Giles bench damage was so extreme that the bench had to be carted
man Elizabeth Ginalis said. Another student in attendance, junior Biqi Zhang, a neuroscience major with a certificate in genome sciences and policy, has had her own genome analyzed. She said she was not worried about the results when she chose to be tested. “Things don’t run in my family, so I didn’t have any worry,” she said. But after being tested she gained knowledge of her predisposition to some diseases. “I do have information on certain markers related to Alzheimer’s and breast cancer,” Zhang said. “I don’t regret [taking the test]. I learned things about myself [but] they’re not serious things.” She also noted that genetics are only one factor in an individual’s health portfolio. Environmental factors also influence one’s development. Zhang also affirmed one of Andrews’ points, that currently, researchers may not be able to infer much information from the data they collect because the implications of genetic mutations are still being studied. “Ten years from now we’re going to have a much better understanding of genetics,” Andrews said, adding that for now, much of the human genome is a mystery. away, and residents of Brown decided to deconstruct their bench themselves, in favor of building an entirely new one. Bergene wrote in an email Monday that in the nine years she has worked with East Campus, the benches have always been a target for house rivalries. The destruction, however, has varied from year to year. Benches, she added, should usually last up to four to five years, but given the severity of house rivalries in recent years, the benches’ lifespan has decreased to one or two years. “This year, so many of the benches have been picked up and moved and rolled or stood up on end multiple times that bench structures just can’t hold up, and it falls apart or is so badly damaged that it can’t be repaired,” she said. Freshman Caroline Harrow, who also lives in Alspaugh, said she does not believe the entire class is to blame. “It’s unfair that we’re all punished because of the actions of a few intoxicated idiots,” Horrow said. East Campus has, however, seen a recent wave of bench construction. Since the benches were first destroyed, Brown has began work on its new bench, and Giles’s house council has discussed rebuilding as well, said Giles resident Caroline Steiblin, a freshman. Pegram and Bassett have also built new benches. “The way in which our bench was ruined is depressing,” Steiblin said. “The bench represents your dorm, and your dorm is part of your identity at Duke, so to have that taken away was a little bit sad.” Lee added that he believes rebuilding the Giles bench will be a good way to bring the house members together. Repairing the benches is expensive, Bergene said, adding that the cumulative cost of the wood, bolts and paint could range from $300 to $700—a cost that comes out of the house’s budget. Bergene additionally noted the social significance of benches in unifying a subset of the residential community. “If the benches weren’t important, I don’t think people would continue to request to build them when they move to West and now Central [campuses],” she said.
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Recess
volume 14 issue 10 november 8, 2012
(RE)UNION
T I K C WRE
RALPH
3D film fails to leave the screen
PAGE 3
SOPHIA DURAND/THE CHRONICLE
five points
three new businesses come to downtown Durham
ensemble takes on Beyoncé, “Bed Intruder”
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BRIANNA SIRACUSE/THE CHRONICLE
women beware women
[dnme]
theater studies reimagines seventeenth century play
CENTER SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
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SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
recess
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November 8, 2012
editor’sNOTE
T
his week has been stressful: the heated discussions in von der Heyden, the onslaught of guilt-inducing emails, the awkward wall posts by old high school
a notebook while sipping coffee (black) from a chipped earthenware mug. But if you tell people you’re writing a YA novel, you get raised eyebrows, behind-the-hand peers. smirks, questions like “Is it about vampires?” or “Will KrisNo, I’m not talking about the election. I’m talking ten Stewart play the lead when they make it into a movie?” about NaNoWriMo. No one takes you seriously. Especially on a college camFor the uninitiated, NaNoWriMo is the shorthand for pus, where other students are doing their theses on Thus National Novel Writing Month. It’s a glorious time, one Spoke Zarathustra. in which aspiring writers buckle down and try to force Why not take YA seriously, though? I can honestly say 55,000 words onto a blank computer screen in thirty days. that YA books have made a greater impact on my life—on Those who complete the task win eternal fame (by which the person I am today—than any “adult” books I’ve read. I mean a digital “I participated in NaNoWriMo” badge I grew up in a small town. I didn’t meet many people who that you could potentially upload as your prof pic, if you weren’t like me, and I wasn’t exposed to many different really wanted to); those who don’t return to life as usual viewpoints or cultures. It’s cliche but true: books were my with only a few emotional scars, regretfully fantasizing education. I read about characters who seemed to have about what could have been. nothing in common with me, and yet they all felt emoNaNoWriMo is not intended for the faint of heart, and, tions I felt, they all wanted things I wanted. There’s a cerfrankly, not intended for me. Here’s my confession: I’m tain power in YA books that “literary” stories often don’t currently writing a novel, too. Except I started mine in May have: the power of the teen voice. Growing up, that voice and, since it’s for my senior thesis, it’s not due until some- resonated with me in a very real, honest way; I didn’t get time this spring. And I’ve only written about 45,000 words. bogged down in wordy description or language I couldn’t And it’s young adult. understand. It’s that last part that I find difficult to divulge. In my That’s not to say I never read contemporary fiction, experience, if you tell people you’re writing a novel, you classics, nonfiction, whatever. But when I was growing immediately seem cooler than you are. People start pic- up, those books didn’t speak to my experience. In sixth turing you in a smoky hole-in-the-wall cafe, scribbling in grade it took me about three months to read Little Women, and even now I can’t tell you anything that happens except that Jo marries an old guy. I just couldn’t relate. And yet I can tell you the smallwho we’re voting for in 2016 est details about most of the Michaela Dwyer.................................................................................Hillary, actually YA books I read that year. I so vividly remember the scene Holly Hilliard............................................................................................Trey Songz in Walk Two Moons where Katie Zaborsky.................................................................................................My Boo Sal and her grandmother Ted Phillips...........................................................................................Justin Vernon see Old Faithful that I feel Dan Fishman............................................................................................Kanye West like it actually happened to me. I still have nightmares Sophia Durand...................................................................#Internationalproblemz about being captured by the Emma Loewe............................................................................................Jon Stewart tripods from The White MounAndrew Karim..........................................................................................Derek Saffe tains series. I often find myself wondering if I should eat
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[recesseditors]
more onions like they do in Holes just to scare away the Duke squirrels. Just because YA books are written for a younger audience does not mean they’re inconsequential. The YA voice helped me connect with characters and allowed me to learn from them, to feel that I wasn’t alone in the often brutal experience of growing up. Bridge to Terabithia helped me cope with my grandfather’s death. Just Listen and Speak introduced me to the importance of women’s rights and how to deal with sexual assault. I met my first homosexual character when I read Boy Meets Boy. And yes, even Twilight was important to me, not because it taught me an important life lesson, but because I could so easily identify with the main character. Bella is not a strong female protagonist, but I liked her because she was like me: awkward, clumsy, self-conscious. Katniss from The Hunger Games is a confident go-getter, but I could never relate because she was so much stronger than I imagined myself to be. (That, and she killed people.) Bella, though, was as dorky as I felt, and yet she still figured out a way to take things into her own hands and make decisions that changed the course of her life. It gave me hope, and hope should never be mocked or ridiculed. Kids need hope. Kids need to feel connected with the world, they need to feel like someone out there is just like them. They need to know they’re not alone. Even if the writing isn’t sophisticated or eloquent, YA books have a way of speaking to kids, of helping their lives seem a little less hopeless. Books give kids a sense of identity, of self and of place. I want to write for kids because I want to give them something important: I want to give them something they can relate to and not feel so alone in the world. And I don’t think that’s something I should be ashamed of. So I’m just going to say it. I’m not doing NaNoWriMo, but I’m writing a young adult novel. And I’m really, really excited about it.
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“…a fascinating look at the Cones’ evolving relationships with – The New York Times Picasso and Matisse…”
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 8 PM • REYNOLDS THEATER
This exhibition is organized by The Baltimore Museum of Art, The Jewish Museum, New York, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. In Durham, the exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. At the Nasher Museum of Art, lead foundation support is provided by the Crow Creek Foundation. Lead corporate support is provided by Wells Fargo. The media sponsor is NBC17.
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Five Points renovation brings new business by Cord Peters THE CHRONICLE
Claiming that Durham “doesn’t have much to offer” can be a self-fulfilling prophecy if you only extend yourself to the bars on Main Street. But the city, which can at times feel disconnected from Duke, houses a number of establishments that students can take advantage of. The revival of downtown Durham continues with a new wave of openings at Five Points, the intersection of Chapel Hill Street, Morris Street and Main Street. Three local businesses—Bullseye Bicycle, The Cupcake Bar and Pizzeria Toro—located in the 102 Morris building, are helping to reinvigorate the area. Over 100 years old, the building was, until recently, condemned after roof and sewage leakage posed safety hazards. Yet under Durham architect Scott Harmon’s direction, the area is now an exciting place to go downtown. Pizzeria Toro and The Cupcake Bar are especially attracting new customers and contributing to Durham’s “foodie” reputation. “I think it is having a big impact on the Durham community,” said Anna Branly, co-owner, along with her sister Katie Braam, of The Cupcake Bar. “The space has been underutilized for so long. Now people have stopped by and thanked us for doing this.” Looking out of the lower level’s glass façade, you can see people walking around the Five Points area, a sight that Gray Brooks, co-owner of Pizzeria Toro, said you would not have seen five years ago. Brooks, who worked as a sous-chef under restaurateur Tom Douglas in Seattle before returning to his hometown of Durham, hinted at the city’s changing history. “ I remember in high school, those were some really rough times,” he said. “Durham is finally waking up.” In the 1980s, the renovation and transformation of the tobacco warehouses around Brightleaf Square marked the beginning of the revival movement, but past Brightleaf, the gentrification boom slowed down. Recently, renovations of historic buildings have revitalized other areas like Five Points, once the geographic and social center of town. The 102 Morris building, built between 1893 and 1901, is one the oldest buildings in Durham, but due to its modernization in the ‘50s, it no longer retains much of the architectural elements of that time period, such as the Empire roof, arched windows and brick façade. Prior to the renovation, some “points” of the Five Points area were neglected and hardly frequented. Now, the renovation creates a “double-loaded corridor” in which businesses exist on both sides of the streets, enhancing pedestrians’ downtown experience.
967-9053
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In addition to the many restaurants in the area, retail is becoming a growing sector of downtown business. Tyler Kober, owner of Bullseye Bicycle, said, “We are trying to be one of the first anchoring retail stores in downtown Durham.” Despite their unique trades, the building’s occupants all share the risk of being a first-time business owner. Brooks, working as a chef at a gourmet pizzeria in Seattle, brought his skills back to his hometown. Kober, after working at bike shops since he was 15—most recently at the Bike Chain in Chapel Hill—finally decided to open his own place. Branly and Braam, who started their delivery-only cupcake business in 2008, sought out a brick-and-mortar location. In 2011, Harmon, of Center Studio Architecture, proposed a plan to the city of Durham that would undertake renovations to the building; he envisioned three businesses on the first floor and three condominiums upstairs. To help finance the project, Harmon first had to find business owners and residents prior to construction. Attracting financiers for the project was a community effort. Harmon used local ties to attract potential buyers and gave them the opportunity to invest in the project. “One of the main reasons we chose this spot was because we could buy,” said Branly. “It’s worth it in the long run.” As Kober mentioned, the businesses are not at the whim of a landlord who could raise the rent when the area picks up. But economic reasons were not the sole incentive. Brooks said, “I’ve always had a soft spot for this building.” The renovations did not come without difficulty. The whole building had to be gutted—all of the plumbing, electrical and heating systems were replaced and The Cupcake Bar and Pizzeria Toro specifically built kitchens tailored to their establishments. Harmon, however, preserved some historical aspects.
For example, the original concrete floors still remain unfinished; for his pizzeria, Brooks recycled some of the wood for tabletops. And for The Cupcake Bar and Bullseye, Harmon removed the old ceilings, reconditioned them offsite, and installed them once again. The synthesis of past and modern design reminds us of the rich history of the building and its continual progress. Branly said, “Of course it was a difficult process, but if you want to have a place downtown, you have renovate. There aren’t any renovated spaces open for lease.” The Five Points area revival is just another example of how Durham is “waking up.” Duke consistently contributes to Durham’s growing infrastructure, an effort that speaks to the university’s goal of using Durham as another selling point for Duke. As Kober describes it, “Downtown is becoming cooler and cooler.”
wreck-it ralph
DIR. RICH MOORE WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS
Wreck-It Ralph, the newest animated film from Disney, certainly isn’t a wreck of a movie. Like many of its predecessors, it’s a visual stunner: the graphics are spot-on, the animation is imaginative and the conception of Ralph’s world is detailed and fascinating. While the story depth can’t quite match Pixar’s Wall-E and Up, and the humor is overdone, Wreck-It Ralph is still an enjoyable ride for all ages. The movie begins by detailing Wreck-It Ralph’s (John C. Reilly) life as a bad guy in the game Fix it, Felix Jr. Frustrated with being underappreciated and tired of playing second fiddle to Felix (Jack McBrayer), he embarks on a quest that leads him through numerous video game worlds. He finally decides to prove that he, too, can be a good guy. Wreck-It Ralph is fun to look at—the bright colors and roller coaster zoom shots of racing game Sugar Rush give viewers the feeling of Candy Land brought to life, giving even the 2D version an almost 3D feeling. Overall, the animation is very clever—many of the video game characters are purposely made more jumpy in their movements, reminding the audience that they’re still in a video game, and we’re still dealing with computer code. Beyond that, the movie does an excellent job of making the lives of the video game characters similar to our own. They have homes and jobs and places they hang out—the SEE RALPH ON PAGE 7
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November 8, 2012
music spotlight
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Duke New Music Ensemble covers popular music in upcoming show by Michaela Dwyer THE CHRONICLE
The term “cover” is hardly ever used for art forms outside of popular music. It seems silly, after all, to call something like photo artist Sherrie Levine’s 1980 Untitled (After Walker Evans) series—replicas of Walker Evans’ Depression-era photography—a “cover” of Evans’ original work. Visual art, like Levine’s, is more friendly to terms like “appropriation”; theater and dance often employ “reinterpretation” or “revision.” This Sunday, the Duke New Music Ensemble ([dnme]) shows another side of the “cover,” one with both flexibility and nuance, with their evening-length concert appropriately titled “Music for Covers Only.” The show features eight recent popular songs—originally recorded by artists such as Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga and even the creator of the Auto-Tuned “Bed Intruder” YouTube ditty—all re-interpreted and recomposed by Duke graduate students. [dnme] was created in 2007 to allow music graduate students to play and compose contemporary music. The group is, as current director and graduate student in music composition Tim Hambourger said, “a chance [for students] to play with each other, to be performers and composers all at the same time” outside their normal curricular work. Sunday’s show is a direct response to [dnme]’s first covers-only concert that was coordinated with The Record exhibition at the Nasher in 2010. Hambourger noted the enthusiasm surrounding that show from audience and ensemble members alike. “I overheard conversations with three or four different people who said things like, ‘looking back on it, I would’ve totally loved to cover this!’” he recalled. “Having it be pretty contemporary and keeping everything pretty recognizable was our second take on this [cover] idea and we can focus in a little more, with more of a tight-knit theme.” This time around, all of the pieces are drawn from the past decade, though they vary widely in genre and structure. On the one hand, there’s Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (re-titled “If You Like It Then You Shoulda…”), from which Hambourger extracted the bridge and turned it into “this long upright bass solo that turns into this funky 1970s guitar and keyboard groove.” On the other hand, there’s Radiohead’s “Myxomatosis” (now “Xotamymosis”), which already pounds with an almost hostile, gritty bass line. Fellow composition student and bassist/keyboardist Vladimir Smirnov’s response was to up the distortion and frenzied drumming on the track. The piece concludes—Hambourger says “melt[s] away”—with a synthesized string arrangement. “Bed Intruder Song,” the YouTube phenomenon widely known by the central phrase “hide your kids, hide your wife” and that Jamie Keesecker interpreted for this show, seems like an outlier. After all, it’s not a hit by Top-40 standards—but, then again, neither is “Myxomatosis.” In this way, Keesecker’s choice speaks to the increasingly internet-based manner in which we acquire and play music in the 21st century. But it also represents Keesecker’s unironic interest in the song’s musicality.
“It seemed like just the right time to remind people how good of a song it is,” Keesecker said. “My arrangement starts pretty basic and… plays in a very recognizable way. Halfway through, it starts to change and it goes through some different moods, these little tangents.” Hambourger pinpointed “Bed Intruder Song” as indicative of the pleasures of mainstream pop culture. “I’m thinking of Jamie’s cover and the part [in which the Auto-Tune plays], ‘You are so dumb…really so dumb,’” Hambourger reflected. “You hear that part of the song in the beautiful flute melody. It cracks me up. You hear pitches you recognize but they’ve been completely warped and it’s hilarious.” Suqi Huang, a first-year student and the only undergraduate currently playing in [dnme], said that while “Mil”—a cover of Lil Wayne’s “A Milli”—is the most challenging melody-wise, “Bed Intruder Song” is easier for her violin training. “It’s fun to play because the video itself is hilarious,” she added. Huang was enticed to join [dnme] partly as a result of her experience at the North Carolina Governor’s School, the six-week state-funded residential program begun by Terry Sanford in 1963. Huang, who attended for instrumental music, was taken out of her comfort zone when she encountered musical improvisation for the first time as part of the school’s focus on contemporary artistic and intellectual ideas. In addition to [dnme], Huang plays with both the Duke Symphony Orchestra and Duke Chamber Players and takes a quartet class. During the Duke Arts Festival she performed with a quartet in Perkins Library. “Each of [these groups] has a different dynamic. In [dnme] we don’t have that much of an obvious leader. In general, we have to listen to each other. Without a conductor giving us tempo, we have to do it ourselves, which makes it more challenging,” Huang said. Keesecker and Hambourger both compared [dnme]’s unique structure in “Music for Covers Only” to that of a band. It’s a metaphor that will be especially fitting when the Ensemble takes their show to Motorco Music Hall in December after their Bone Hall performance this weekend. The use of both venues reflects [dnme]’s open-endedness. While the members of [dnme] are unsure of their next project, they’re excited to bring their collection of covers to both Duke and Durham. “The Ensemble really gives us a chance to show the rest of the community things we’re really interested in at the moment and things that make us excited,” Keesecker said. “I feel like it’s our way to contribute our voice to the collective music scene.”
“You hear pitches you recognize b they’ve been completely warped and hilarious.”
[dnme] presents “Music for Covers Only” this Saturday in Bone Hall and Thursday, Dec. 6 at Motorco Music Hall at 8 p.m.
November 8, 2012
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Fleck/Roberts collaboration comes to Carolina Theatre by Ted Phillips THE CHRONICLE
Every few decades, a musician gains such enormous skill and reputation as to become nearly synonymous with their instrument. It is hard to talk about the cello without mentioning Yo-Yo Ma. The same can be said of Chris Thile and the mandolin, Edgar Meyer and the upright bass and Zakir Hussain and the tabla. As with many of these figures, Béla Fleck is tied to his instrument—the banjo. Fleck’s most recent album is a collaboration with the Marcus Roberts Trio, with whom he will perform tonight at the Carolina Theatre. The pair first jammed at the 2009 Savannah Jazz Festival, and, after clicking on stage, they decided to record an album. The result, Across the Imaginary Divide, was released this past June. As its title suggests, the album bridges Roberts’ swing-heavy jazz with Fleck’s innovative banjo music. According to Barry Poss, founder of Sugarhill Records and Fleck’s long-time friend, Fleck has changed the way we perceive the banjo. “Béla’s influence is revolutionary,” Poss said. “It’s just enormous.” Before Fleck came into prominence, the banjo was known mostly as bluegrass, old-time or folk instrument. And while Fleck undoubtedly traces his musical roots to those genres —he studied with bluegrass great Tony Trischka—he has united the banjo with new musical worlds. Perhaps most importantly, he’s exposed new audiences to his instrument. Poss recounted Fleck’s stop in Durham on his first tour with his iconic group Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. They opened for Take 6, a gospel group that sings a cappella. “So here’s this largely African-American crowd, and this white kid comes on stage with a banjo. You could’ve heard a pin drop in the hall. But then he started playing and he, along with the Wooten brothers (bassist Victor and percussionist Roy)—the audience just exploded.” He continued, “It really was a remarkable accomplishment [that], in such short order, [Fleck took] an audience that was so skeptical of what’s going on [and brought them to] completely embrace him and his music.” Since Fleck’s career first took off with newgrass royalty
“[He satisfies] those who already love the instrument but also [makes] new converts to it.”
New Grass Revival and continued with the Flecktones, he has garnered a reputation as a master collaborator. By making music with masters such as those mentioned above, Fleck has explored genres as diverse as jazz (Chick Corea and Roberts), world (several African traditional string musicians) and classical (a triple-concerto commissioned by the Nashville Symphony with Meyer and Hussain). Fleck isn’t the first banjoist to explore other musical styles. According to Laurent Dubois, Director of the Center for French & Francophone Studies and author of an upcoming history of the banjo, there is a long tradition of banjo players exploring new musical fields stretching back at least 100 years. But he sees Fleck as the prime ambassador of the banjo among contemporary musicians: “[He satisfies] those who already love the instrument but also [makes] new converts to it.” While not as well-known as Fleck, the Marcus Roberts Trio deserves as much attention. According to Director of Duke Performances Aaron Greenwald, “Marcus is as much of a monster player and virtuoso as Béla Fleck.” Roberts gained recognition in 1985 when Wynton Marsalis selected him as his sideman, beginning what Greenwald described as a long chain of wonderful pianists in Marsalis’s band. Rounding out the Roberts Trio are bassist Rodney Jordan and drummer Jason Marsalis, the youngest of the famous Marsalis jazz clan. Like Fleck’s earlier collaborations, his performance with the Marcus Roberts Trio develops a novel aesthetic. Many collaborations throw two different genres together without fundamentally changing the way each instrument is played. Fleck, on the other hand, makes what Greenwald described as “forward music”—music that expands boundaries rather than exploring already-drawn borders. Fleck and the trio could have simply mimicked old forms—like New Orleans jazz—that sometimes feature the banjo. But both Fleck and Roberts donate songs to their joint repertoire, and with every track they tread new musical territory. Said Roberts in a video feature about the tour, “The record sounds one way, but what will happen when we tour is that every night we will be spontaneously making up many different grooves and perspectives.” Fleck, the master-collaborator, has built his career on that kind of spontaneity, working afresh with people who continue to push him and the limits of the banjo. Béla Fleck and the Marcus Roberts Trio perform tonight at the Carolina Theatre at 8 p.m.
but d it’s
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easy money
DIR. DANIEL ESPINOSA FILM I VAST
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Easy Money, released in Sweden in 2010, stars Joel Kinnaman (best known for the TV series The Killing) as JW, a business student with blue-collar roots working as a cab driver in
Stockholm, Sweden. When his two unsavory bosses offer him an outrageous sum to pick up Jorge (Matias Padin Varela), a Chilean drug dealer and escaped convict, JW gets wrapped up in a scheme to intercept a shipment of cocaine intended for the Serbian mob. JW’s story is intertwined with that of Jorge and Mrado Slovovic (Drogomir Mrsic), a Serbian thug, sent to find and kill Jorge. The film has, deservedly, earned comparisons to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Easy Money, based on the novel of the same name by Jens Lapidus, follows, like the Millenium series, a protagonist with a troubled past who wants revenge. However, Easy Money isn’t as sharp-edged as Dragon Tattoo. The film is, for the most part, fast-paced, but it lingers on moments of heartfelt emotion with a more tender mood, distinctly different from the harsh grittiness of Stockholm’s drug underworld. Kinnaman has an uncanny ability to display the exact emotion needed, and director Daniél Espinosa’s (Safe House) use of eye-level camera angles draws the viewer in to every one of JW’s agonizing decisions. Even scenes featuring the bad guys are shot with an eerie, intrusive intimacy through the use of extreme close-ups charged with emotional weightiness.
November 8, 2012
While most thrillers feature villains that are nothing more than empty shells used to drive the plot, Easy Money gives us multi-faceted “villains” who each have someone for whom they would do anything. We actually care about them. And in a film full of double- and triple-crosses, these undying devotions make it even more difficult to know who to root for. A drug dealer can have a heart of gold, and more importantly a drug dealer with a heart of gold can still murder someone without flinching. Easy Money is not just a “guts and gore” action movie, although there is plenty of that. The film is about the consequences of our actions. By desperately trying to keep up the appearance of an extravagant lifestyle with his wealthy friends, JW gets swept up in more than he can handle. After experiencing all the twists and turns we expect from any good thriller, he, along with the audience, comes to the inevitable realization that nothing is ever as it seems. If the idea of Zac Efron producing and starring in this sort of film scares you, see the Swedish version before he takes over as JW in the upcoming American adaptation. —Megan Rise
New Nasher exhibition showcases Cone collection by Georgia Parke THE CHRONICLE
In keeping with the Nasher Museum of Art’s reputation of exhibiting the works of high-caliber artists, Henri Matisse now joins past artists Velázquez, Warhol and El Greco as a temporary Durham resident. The Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters exhibition, which opened November 4 and runs until February 10 at the Nasher, includes more than 50 out of the 3,000 total pieces of the collection of sisters Etta and Claribel Cone. It showcases sculptures, paintings, sketches and other works by Matisse, Picasso, Gaugin, Renoir, van Gogh and more. Additionally, the exhibition contains textiles and decorative arts from around the world as well as photographs and letters chronicling the lives of the sisters as they collected the work of these artists together. “The way it includes photographs and diaries and jewelry [and] lace and fabric from around the world tells the story of the sisters as people and collectors,” said Wendy Livingston, manager of marketing and communications for the Nasher. Etta and Claribel Cone came from a wealthy family in Baltimore made successful by a textile empire that their brothers Moses and Caesar built in North Carolina. Their art collection began when the family gave Etta $300 in 1898 to decorate their estate in Baltimore. With this, the sisters’ lifelong devotion to art collecting began. They eventually
made yearly trips to Europe to purchase the art. Gertrude and Leo Stein, who were family friends, introduced the sisters to radical artists at the time like Picasso and Matisse. Eventually they accumulated over 115 pieces by Picasso and more than 500 by Matisse, which helped them achieve praise and recognition by critics and the public. By the time they visited Picasso in 1922—over fifteen years after first acquiring his sketches—they saw an established, famous artist who had come far from the state they first found him in. “Nowadays, museums and curators would love to discover the ‘next Picasso,’” said Livingston. “Well, they discovered the actual Picasso.” Sarah Schroth, Nancy Harks Senior Curator at the Nasher, explained that the sisters bought the art to enjoy it personally, hanging them in their adjoining apartments regardless of whether they were the fashionable thing to own in Baltimore. They were very progressive for Victorian-era ladies and were the only ones who collected modern art in their city on that level. “And in the end, they gave it all to the new Baltimore Museum of Art, very generous indeed,” Schroth wrote in an email. “And they did it as sisters, also unusual.” Picasso’s gloomy Woman With Bangs hangs juxtaposed to walls filled by sketches of the Cone sisters that were done personally by Matisse. Photographs of Matisse’s Large Reclining Nude in various stages of completion give an intimate prelude to the
DUKE VOLLEYBALL F I N A L H O M E M AT C H E S Thursday November 8th 7pm vs. FLORIDA STATE FREE tote bags to early arriving students
Saturday November 10th 7pm vs. MIAMI Inferno Match! FREE pizza & mini volleyballs to early arriving students!
Admission is FREE! All matches take place in Cameron Indoor Stadium
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finished painting itself. This unusual sneak preview emphasizes the profound friendship the Cone sisters had with the artist, who affectionately referred to them as “my Baltimore ladies.” As they were significant sponsors of his work, the sisters were often present for his creative processes. The exhibition also includes correspondence between the Cones and the artists, displaying a shared affection between artist and collector. In a framed handwritten letter in French to Etta, Matisse expresses his condolences after Claribel’s death. Another piece in the exhibition is a sketched self-portrait by Picasso, simply reading “Bonjour Mlle Cone.” All works of art are on loan from the collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art; the exhibition originally opened at the Jewish Museum in New York City on May 6, 2011. Since then, it has traveled to be presented at the Vancouver Art Gallery in Vancouver, British Columbia, and now to its third and final venue at the Nasher. Livingston noted the exclusive nature of the exhibition through its collection of selected pieces. Once the Nasher exhibition closes on February 10, the pieces will no longer be shown in this unique format. “You can go to Baltimore and see part of the Cone sisters’ collection, but not in this way,” said Livingston. As coordinating curator and interim director for the Nasher, Schroth saw the exhibit at the Jewish Museum in New York, where she decided that she wanted to bring it to the Nasher. “The intelligent curatorial concept is combined with marvelous masterpieces by artists we all know,” said Schroth. “It includes superb examples of Matisse and Picasso in many media, as well other painters who influenced Matisse, their favorite artist—such as stunning canvases by Gauguin, Van Gogh, Courbet.” The collection also has a unique connection to North Carolina. Because the Cones’ brothers owned textile mills in North Carolina, the ultimate accumulation of the collection can be traced back to the local industry. “We are highlighting the role the textile industry played in the formation of the collection,” Katie Adkins, assistant curator of exhibitions, wrote in an email. “In addition, textiles are a part of the collection– not only does Matisse include textiles with bright colors and designs in his paintings of interiors, but the Cone sisters also acquired lace and fabrics on trips around the world.” The exhibition is complemented by additional works collected by the Cone sisters at the Weatherspoon Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, which will be on display until February 17. “These collections… provide a story and framework around which you can understand the relationship between various works of art and the time period in which they were not only created, but also acquired,” Adkins wrote. Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters will be on display at the Nasher Museum of Art until February 10.
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Women Beware Women adapts morality play by LaCresha Styles THE CHRONICLE
There are no easy answers for the audience in Professor Jay O’Berski’s modern adaptation of Women Beware Women. O’Berski’s interpretation is exceedingly puzzling and provocative, and from the beginning casts the audience in a world of love and lust, deceit and danger and, most certainly, debauchery. Thomas Middleton’s 17th century Jacobean tragedy is often classified as a morality play that cautions against indulging our basest desires, but viewers of Women Beware Women should not expect a typical morality play. If anything, the rendition is the exact opposite. The characters are as sensuous as they are monstrous. They are powerful and passionate, and no one character seems more redeemable than the next. “Reducing this show—and perhaps life—to a moral code flattens out so many experiences,” said Lucy Goodson, a Duke senior who plays Bianca, in an email. “Love is mixed with doubt, is mixed with joy, is mixed with betrayal, is mixed with depression, is mixed with selfdiscovery, and we arrive again at love. To believe any one aspect can live in isolation greatly underestimates the power of the human condition. This play resists ‘easy’ morality, I hope, because it’s difficult to make anyone a black-hatted villain.” The ambiguity adds to the potency of such a play, where the audience can experience these characters and decide in the end: who did you identify with? Who is the most vil-
lainous? Who is to blame? “My feeling is that you root for the antiheroes much more than the good guys in these plays,” O’Berski said. “So, while [Women Beware Women] may be set up as seemingly a morality play, it ends up being more of an anti-morality play. You might come to a terrible ending, but it’s really fun to watch these characters behave horribly and go out in a blaze of glory.” One striking feature of the play is its cast of all-female Duke students. Originally, the play was not an allfemale production, but during casting O’Berski was inspired by the female students auditioning for the play. “I’m just really interested in the strength of women and the sense that there are no prescribed roles for women anymore. It’s just all bets are off,” O’Berski said. The actresses had substantial control in deciding how to portray their characters in a modern setting. They chose how their character looked, their backstory and most interestingly their sex, gender and sexual orientation. As a result, some actresses still portray the original male characters, while others take liberties in changing their genders. For example, The Duke has become The Duchess; moreover, one character is gender-neutral. Part of Women Beware Women’s impact is how the allfemale cast changes the dynamics of the play’s relationships—ones deeply concerned with sexual desire and love. The gender distinctions, or lack thereof, will challenge the viewers to resist conventions and consider human relationships outside of society’s constructs of sexuality. “At the start, the audience will want to pin labels on the characters by what they know—lesbian, bi, masculine, feminine, butch, femme, bitch, lady, etc.,” Goodson said. “However, pretty soon into the play, these labels just don’t matter. They can’t matter. Our actions are unrelated to our gender or sex or our sexual orientation.” Through this reworking of Middleton, O’Berski’s cast and crew encourage a discourse by presenting emotional extremes through questionable characters. From the terrifying alternate ending to the cast selection, O’Berski has crafted an uncanny experience, a world that could easily become our own. “We’ve created a new world where women can get married openly without ridicule, but it’s also far from an ideal world. It’s still a world that has corrupt and twisted people in it,” said Alyssa Wong, a senior playing The Duchess. “Middleton writes about corruption and [the violent aftermath of love], and you get aspects of both in this play. Love is powerful and pure and destructive and poisonous at the same time, which can be appealing.” Women Beware Women runs in Sheafer Theater from Nov. 8-10 and 15-17 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 11 and 18 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students.
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RALPH from page 3 writers even slip in references to inefficient bureaucracy with random “security checks” when characters leave games. The pure creativity of how the writers integrate our world with the video game world is part of what makes this movie so much fun. Where Ralph doesn’t get such high marks is humor— surprising for a movie that seemed like a vehicle for laughs. Typically, Disney movies delight both the young and the old, but this movie is geared only toward much younger kids. There are a lot of silly voices and over-the-top antics that simply weren’t funny to anyone older than eight. Furthermore, the writing is not as creative or interesting as it could have been. I kept expecting to laugh or get more out of a scene, but was often disappointed by the dialogue. This movie is a far cry from the whimsy of Up or the clever wordlessness of Wall-E. These flaws aside, Wreck-It Ralph is an entertaining movie. The soundtrack is composed of Top 40 ear candy and the scenes are often vibrant and engaging enough to offset the screenplay’s shortcomings. At the end of the day, look at it as you would its subject matter: an arcade game. It’s fun to watch and fun to play, but no more than a diversion. —Christina Malliris
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The Chapel Hill Restaurant Group (Spanky’s, Squid’s, 411 West, 518 West, and Mez) is proud to announce the opening of another restaurant in RTP, called Page Road Grill(PRG). PRG is dedicated to providing a quality dining experience for everyone who walks through our doors and we are looking for people who will uphold our high standards of service with a passion for food and drink. PRG will open in late November 2012 and we are looking for energetic, friendly, and team oriented hosts and servers with previous experience. Please email jobs@ pageroadgrill.com for information.
PART-TIME TENNIS INSTRUCTORS NEEDED
RN FOR PHONE TRIAGE
Looking to hire part-time tennis instructors during the 2013 Spring semester. Location is about 5 miles from campus. Please send resume to hollowrocktennis@gmail.com if interested.
Busy Chapel Hill Pediatrics office in search of a phone triage nurse. Must be a RN. 32-40 hrs/ wk; no nights or weekends; excellent benefits package and competitive pay. Email dwilliams@chapelhillpeds. com
COMPUTER ANIMATION ASSISTANT
Carrboro, NC based television computer animation company has entry-level position for assistant animator for 6 month position. Looking for individual with basic knowledge of Photoshop, 3D computer animation, and preferably After Effects skills as well. Seeking highly-organized and detail oriented individual for a job working on a cuttingedge, Discovery Channel tv series at our offices in Carrboro. Send resume via email: carolinacg.artist.job@gmail.com
TRAVEL/VACATION BAHAMAS SPRING BREAK
$189 for 5 days. All prices include: Round-trip luxury party cruise. Accommodations on the island at your choice of thirteen resorts. Appalachia Travel. www. BahamaSun.com 800-867-5018
Sports
>> THE BLUE ZONE
The Chronicle
THURSDAY November 8, 2012
Check out the sports blog for comprehensive basketball player previews of junior forward Josh Hairston and senior guard Seth Curry.
www.dukechroniclesports.com
VOLLEYBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Blue Devils wrap up home play Maryland guard cleared to play by Jackie Klauberg THE CHRONICLE
Emotions will be flying high in Cameron Indoor Stadium when the Blue Devils (14-13, 5-10 in the ACC) hit the hardwood today against the top ranked team in the conference, No. 13 Florida State, and then turn around to take on Miami Saturday. Not only will the level of play be competitive, but Saturday also marks senior night for the three Duke seniors on the squad—Christiana Gray, Megan Hendrickson and Nailah Waterfield. “We’ve got a big weekend ahead of us,” head coach Jolene Nagel said. “Saturday is also senior night. It’s wonderful No. 13 because we get to celebrate their FSU accomplishments, but also really vs. hard because you get to know Duke these girls so well and form such close relationships with them. So it’s sad at the same time.” THURSDAY, 7 p.m. Duke heads into the match Cameron Indoor Stadium against the Seminoles having lost the teams’ last meeting. Florida Miami State (22-3, 13-2) is a skilled team all around as shown in its firstvs. place ranking in several statistical Duke categories in the conference. The Seminoles lead the ACC in hitting percentage with .287, followed by SATURDAY, 7 p.m. Cameron Indoor Stadium Miami in second with .244. Florida State will likely look to Sareea Freeman for a solid performance on the offensive side of the net. The senior leads the conference with a hitting percentage of .456, followed by her junior teammate Ashley Neff who sits in second place with a .418. The Hurricanes also dominate the conference statistically. Miami, which is ranked second overall in the
SAMANTHA SCHAFRANK/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO
When Dezmine Wells transferred to Maryland after being expelled from Xavier, the NCAA initially denied his requests to waive the normal transfer requirement that a player sit out for a season. The NCAA ruling meant that Wells would not get a chance to play against one of his high school rivals, senior Duke basketball forward Ryan Kelly. But the NCAA officially reversed course Wednesday, approving Wells’ appeal despite its Oct. 26 decision to deny his waiver. The decision makes Wells eligible to suit up for the Terrapins this season. Wells was expelled from Xavier after his freshman season for sexual assault allegations, but a grand jury later deemed the charges unworthy of prosecution. Wells, a 6-foot-5 swingman who averaged 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his freshman season, is a Raleigh native who played at Word of God Christian Academy in the city. Kelly, also a Raleigh native, played at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, and faced off against Wells in high school. “My junior and senior year, that was kind of like the rivalry in Raleigh between the independent schools,” Kelly said. “I’m happy for him. Obviously what happened at his previous stop was kind of a mess.” Both Kelly and Wells enjoyed successful high school careers. Kelly, a 2009 McDonald’s All-American, won the North Carolina Gatorade Player of that season and
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 16
Senior middle blocker Christiana Gray leads the team with 265 kills so far this season, and will lead the Blue Devil attack this weekend.
SEE WELLS ON PAGE 16
by Andrew Beaton THE CHRONICLE
WOMEN’S TENNIS
MEN’S TENNIS
Duke ends fall season Cunha, Hemmeler with tournaments finish season in N.Y. by Lopa Rahman THE CHRONICLE
In their last opportunity to make an impression in a competitive setting before the start of team play, four Blue Devils will compete against top-flight talent in tournament play this weekend. Junior Hanna Mar will travel to Flushing, N.Y. for the USTA/ ITA National Indoor Championships, and sophomore Annie Mulholland, senior Mary Clayton and junior Marianne Jodoin will participate in the Kitty Harrison Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C. As the culmination of the fall season, the ITA National Indoors includes a 32-player singles draw. The prestigious event features the cream of the crop in college tennis— this year, seven of the top 10 players from the Campbell/ITA preseason rankings will be in attendance, as well as 20 other ranked athletes. With a preseason ranking of No. 35, Mar is among these athletes. “I have a lot to look forward to,” she said. “There is going to be really good competition, really good matches.” The Illinois native earned a spot in the tournament by winning the singles title at
the ITA Carolina Regional Championship Oct. 18-23. She is 11-2 in the fall season with three victories against ranked opponents. Last season, she picked up All-ACC honors, but her selection to the tournament draw is based solely on her recent success. “You don’t have people that are resting on their laurels from a year ago,” Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “You have 32 people that played their way in this fall.” Mar will face No. 89 Aleksandra Josifoska of UNLV in the first round of singles play Thursday. Ashworth noted that her preparation for the upcoming tournament has been largely mental. “She’s hitting a good ball, and she can definitely compete with anybody in the country—she just has to believe that,” Ashworth said. “As long as she does that and doesn’t go on the court with a mindset of, ‘If I play well I could win,’ and rather, goes out there and says, ‘If I play well I should win.’ That difference between ‘should’ and ‘could’ in her head is a big thing.” SEE W. TENNIS ON PAGE 16
by Olivia Banks THE CHRONICLE
Great expectations await the Blue Devils at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Blue Devils are off to Flushing, N.Y. to compete in the final tournament of the fall, the USTA/ITA National Indoor Tournament Championships, which is set to be held at the USTA Billy Jean King National Tennis Center starting Thursday. The team will send senior Henrique Cunha to compete in the singles draw, as well as sophomore Raphael Hemmeler who will compete alongside Cunha in the doubles draw. There are high expectations for Cunha as the No. 1 singles player in the nation. Hemmeler, a first time qualifier, will also be held to a high standard. Based on past success on the court, the duo is looking to maintain their momentum as they compete against the nation’s top talent. “We have great chemistry,” Cunha said. “We’re both really positive, we help each other on the court and I think we match well.” As one of the top-ranked doubles pairs, Cunha and Hemmeler are in good position to
take down competitors from across the country. Individually, though, all eyes are on Cunha in his fourth and final National Indoors Tournament of his Duke career. Head coach Ramsey Smith said he has a special place in his heart for Cunha, who was his first recruit at Duke. He added that Cunha’s time with the team has made for fond memories. “He’s the best recruit in the history of our program,” Smith said. “He has been one of our hardest workers, and one of the most respectful, and it has been fun watching him grow.” Along with the development of his mechanics, Cunha has become a strong team leader and guides the younger players by setting a positive example. Hemmeler aspires to do the same for the freshmen, as well as future recruits. As he gains more experience, he said he hopes that his leadership will mean as much to the team as Cunha’s presence has meant to him. “[Cunha is] a great tennis player, but he’s also a great leader,” Hemmeler said. “He’s a perfect example of how you should try to be on and off the court.”
THE CHRONICLE
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 | 13
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Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. (No number is repeated in any column, row or box.)
Daily
MT. FUJI ASIAN BISTRO SUSHI & BAR SPECIALS
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The Independent Daily at Duke University
The Chronicle
14 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012
THE CHRONICLE
Party animals A grim feeling hung over suffers from “undervoting,” President Barack Obama’s when the number of ballots victory on Tuesday—the cast for president meaningprospect of another four fully trails the total number years of partisan gridlock of ballots cast. and brinksmanship. It was It is easy enough to see easy for newsstraight party casters to find voting as a editorial voters forlorn crutch for about partisanship. But uninformed, dogmatic and many of the individuals ideologically driven voters. A chose to vote straight party straight party option removes on Tuesday, and in doing so the (admittedly trivial) disinendorsed the same system centive against uninformed they decry. voting—the hassle of checkNorth Carolina is one of 15 ing a lot of boxes instead of a states that has a straight-party few and the psychic discomvoting option on its ballot. fort of uninformedly voting North Carolina’s particular for a single party when that variant of the straight party option is no longer recomoption excludes the presiden- mended by the ballot itself. tial candidates, which means This is particularly true of that some voters mistakenly local elections, where candifail to vote for president. In dates running under a party fact, North Carolina usually label have usually not been
“
I think there’s a good case to be made for why the founding documents protect the balance of power that exists between federal and state governments. Don’t lose heart from that fact ... Strong communities start small. —“Will” commenting on the story “Duke Obama supporter reflects on mixed feelings.” See more at www.dukechronicle.com.
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YESHWANTH KANDIMALLA, Editor LAUREN CARROLL, Managing Editor JULIAN SPECTOR, News Editor ANDREW BEATON, Sports Editor CHRIS DALL, Photography Editor MAGGIE LAFALCE, Editorial Page Editor KATHERINE ZHANG, Editorial Board Chair PARKER KUIVILA, Managing Editor for Online JIM POSEN, Director of Online Operations CHRISSY BECK, General Manager KRISTIE KIM, University Editor TIFFANY LIEU, Local & National Editor ANDREW LUO, Health & Science Editor CAROLINE RODRIGUEZ, News Photography Editor PHOEBE LONG, Design Editor MICHAELA DWYER, Recess Editor SOPHIA DURAND, Recess Photography Editor SCOTT BRIGGS, Editorial Page Managing Editor MATTHEW CHASE, Towerview Editor ADDISON CORRIHER, Towerview Photography Editor NICOLE KYLE, Social Media Editor SAMANTHA BROOKS, Senior Editor REBECCA DICKENSON, Advertising Director MARY WEAVER, Operations Manager DAVID RICE, Director of External Relations
stand up to the tribunal of required information. Political parties, which are supposed to unite candidates who share a common vision for the future, address this information deficit. In fact, party affiliation can be so telling that some electoral processes, like the one used to elect the German federal legislature, elect part of the legislature based solely on the electorates’ party preferences, independent of their preferences for particular representatives. Uninformed voting along party lines is better than plain old uninformed voting. And, even though local politics can diverge from national party platforms, party labels still have meaning in local contexts.
We admit ambivalence about this issue, although we do believe that North Carolina should eliminate the straight party option on its ballot. The upshot of the option is small. It encourages uninformed voters to vote using the little information they have—party affiliation—and helps them to do it quickly. This upshot is slight enough to justify the option’s elimination. But keep in mind that the downsides to straight party voting are trivial too. Any ballot which indicates party affiliation will encourage partisan politics, and getting rid of a straight party check box will not solve that problem. Perhaps, given the role of political parties, it is not a problem we want to solve. But it is the real problem.
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vetted by the party and are not well known by the electorate. One infamous case involved Steve Mansfeld, who was elected in 1994 to serve on the Texas state criminal court and, after serving six years, went on to become a security guard. That straightparty voting can help elect congeries of unvetted future security guards does not speak in its favor. But these points require careful handling. Making rational decisions at the polling station can be very difficult, if not impossible. A genuinely informed decision would require sophisticated economic knowledge, subtle foreign policy know-how and information about municipal political structures and controversies. Few voters can
MARGOT TUCHLER, University Editor JACK MERCOLA, Local & National Editor DANIELLE MUOIO, Health & Science Editor ELYSIA SU, Sports Photography Editor ELIZA STRONG, Design Editor HOLLY HILLIARD, Recess Managing Editor CHELSEA PIERONI, Online Photo Editor ASHLEY MOONEY, Sports Managing Editor SONIA HAVELE, Towerview Editor MELISSA YEO, Towerview Creative Director NICOLE KYLE, Special Projects Editor MAGGIE SPINI, Senior Editor MICHAEL SHAMMAS, Recruitment Chair BARBARA STARBUCK, Creative Director MEGAN MCGINITY, Digital Sales Manager
The Chronicle is published by the Duke Student Publishing Company, Inc., a non-profit corporation independent of Duke University. The opinions expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of Duke University, its students, faculty, staff, administration or trustees. Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board. Columns, letters and cartoons represent the views of the authors. To reach the Editorial Office at 301 Flowers Building, call 684-2663 or fax 684-4696. To reach the Business Office at 103 West Union Building, call 684-3811. To reach the Advertising Office at 101 West Union Building call 684-3811 or fax 684-8295. Visit The Chronicle Online at http://www.dukechronicle.com. © 2012 The Chronicle, Box 90858, Durham, N.C. 27708. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior, written permission of the Business Office. Each individual is entitled to one free copy.
M
y fall break abroad was one of the most things I need to do now to stay on track for an surreal weeks of my life. It began last internship next summer. Friday with a train ride down to the Paris, India and my two years at Duke have south of France to see my half-sisters and their been awesome. A part of me, however, always children. My sisters grew up by the resents feeling as though I can beach in a small town called St. never commit 100 percent to the Cyr, where life moves at a differpresent. I went to India to fully ent pace. People live in the conimmerse myself in India. The text of a different narrative. As far same holds true for France. But as I can tell, the phrases of “What nowadays, you feel like you’ll be do you want to do with your life?” left behind if you don’t stay conand “I want to be successful” don’t nected and continuously prepare hold much meaning. The people for what’s next. I know it is an asphilip doerr of this small town live very much set to know how to plan ahead, small world in the present. Shops often close to have goals. Even so, I feel like early and everything is closed on there comes a point at which this Sundays. Family time and rest come first, then process of continuously looking toward the next comes the customer. phase makes you forget how badly you wanted My sister lent me her car for the weekend while the present. I wish it were enough to be an I was there, so Saturday morning I made my way American studying in France, but being caught over to the neighboring beach town of Bandol. up in this world of the future, of internships, After two months of walking and using the metro programs and applications, I feel like I can’t. in Paris, I was happy to be behind the wheel like I’m too scared to put off the future and fully the true suburban American I am. I made my way soak in this present, this present that 8 months over to a small beach and lay down on the warm ago was the future I wanted so badly. sand; everything felt unreal. Here I was, the last I feel that a solution to this problem is not week of October, 75-degree weather, lying on a yet clear. Maybe it has to start on a personal beach in the south of France. I couldn’t imagine level. Maybe it takes having the guts to do what being anywhere more perfect on that morning. you want and how you want it instead of sucThe rest of my week proceeded similarly. I cumbing to the pressure of “keeping up” with left France on Tuesday and headed to Florence. those around you. I have a feeling that I’m not It ended up being a 12-hour trip, but I can’t alone, that some of the people I’m trying to complain about a train ride through France keep up with feel the same way. They’re tired and Italy surrounded by snow-covered moun- of it, too, and often find themselves wondering tains and quaint towns. Italy was awesome. At why they’re doing what they’re doing. Why was any given moment, I found myself surrounded I reading a consulting book over the summer by beautiful buildings, beautiful landscapes, or instead of hanging out with my eagerly anticiboth. To top it all off, I could find no complaints pated host family? with a diet of pizza, pasta and gelato. Above all All in all, I was appreciative of a week away else, though, the week away from work and tech- from my e-mails and planning for the future, nology did me a lot of good. and for the remainder of my time here I plan The stress associated with our work-culture on doing my best to truly enjoy Paris. I’m not is often overwhelming. I know the topic is a brave enough just yet to ignore internship apbit trite, but the fact is that people actually are plications for the next two months, but even so constantly stressed. This past summer I went I can’t help but wonder if things might be beton DukeEngage’s program in Jodhpur, India. ter just focusing on today’s homework or just lisI often found myself in the bedroom of my tening intently to a lecture instead of trying to homestay, reading a book on consulting while maximize efficiency and spend class time Goomy host brothers and sisters watched TV down- gling internships. There’s no easy answer, but I stairs. During lulls in work at our NGO, a fellow hope I can strike a balance before I find myself Dukie and I couldn’t help but talk about what behind a desk at “the internship of my dreams” we wanted to do the following summer. That and realize that I have become so used to looksame vicious cycle continues here in Paris. As a ing forward that I never even looked around. PubPol major, I’ll probably fulfill my internship requirement this coming summer. Here I am, Philip Doerr is a Trinity junior and is currently in Paris, walking around with my iPhone (gotta studying abroad in Paris, France. His column runs stay connected 24/7), reading e-mails about the every other Thursday.
THE CHRONICLE
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 | 15
commentaries
States of grace
May the Force be with you
T
he crazy person formerly known as Rep. Allen The politics surrounding Israel in America are West is vanquished. broken. See Gov. Romney’s remarks at a private fundIn voting Allen West out, voters in Florida’s raiser, in which he said that peace was “unthinkable 18th district showed that they possess much more to accomplish” and that in the process, “you recogsense than the former representative ever displayed nize that this is going to remain an unsolved problem in his tenure. … and we kick the ball down the field.” The infamous West appears to believe the things Those comments weren’t indicative of a commithe says on a regular basis. Examples include calling ment to resolve this problem. I worry that President a two-state solution to the Israeli-PalesObama will be averse to doing so if we tinian conflict “a foreign policy blundon’t communicate why we want two der of epic proportions.” In West’s states. words, “This is a region, it is not anyThe transition to a second term ofthing tied to a certain group of people; fers a unique opportunity. We didn’t it would be just the same as saying we hear much from President Obama should have an Appalachian state, sepabout what his biggest priorities will arate from North Carolina.” be during his second term. Leading This hostility to two states puts on two states would be one area (that samantha West out of step even with his own previous presidents like George W. lachman party, whose platform includes lanBush and Bill Clinton also addressed guage supporting two states. As was what’s our age again? in their second terms) that would be Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), who said that more than worthwhile. anyone who “continues to cling to the In the foreign policy debate bedelusion of a two-state solution is insane.” Both of tween the two candidates on Oct. 22, “Israel” was menthese men were integral members of what J Street, tioned 34 times—more than any other country but an organization committed to American leadership Iran. President Obama displayed a true commitment to advance a two-state solution, calls the “One State to Israel when he approved the $205 million for the Caucus,” or those members who support an annexa- Iron Dome system to shield against rockets from Gaza tion of the West Bank. under the United States-Israel Enhanced Security What gets lost in the euphoria and/or gloom Cooperation Act of 2102. But real friendship should immediately following an election are the potential also mean recognizing that fixed borders are another policy implications of such results. With that, I want critical component to Israel’s long-term security. And to look at what a Jewish progressive like myself wants those borders won’t happen if we don’t have a presiout of President Obama in his second term in regards dent who shows the political will and sustained leaderto what America should (and can) do to bring about ship to bring about their implementation. secure borders for Israel and self-determination for It’s easy to do victory laps. But I would encourage the Palestinian people. those who were ecstatic about the outcome Tuesday But first, I have to mention that I’m affiliated with night not to just celebrate the defeat of the other J Street U, a partner of the organization I described guy, but to think about what you want President above. J Street U is a national student movement Obama’s administration to accomplish. The situaoperating on over 60 campuses in support of a two- tion for both Israelis and Palestinians will continue state solution. I hope, along with others, to bring to deteriorate if we do not raise our voices and say the organization to Duke so that we can have more that we think American leadership on this matter productive dialogues and informative events about should be a priority. what it means to be students who want Israel to be a To be sure, skeptics will point to threats from Iran, Jewish, democratic state at the same time as wanting Syria and Egypt, and non-state actors like Hamas and American leadership to help the Palestinians realize Hezbollah. But these threats only underscore the political and human rights in a state of their own. J “why now” question—better to negotiate from a posiStreet believes that American leadership is essential, tion of power, with America behind you. so that’s why they supported candidates in this elecExit polls show that 69 percent of Jews voted for tion who also share these values. President Obama. But this isn’t an issue that is excluAs I write this column (there are a few races that sively of concern to the Jewish people or the Palestinremain too close to call) 69 J Street-endorsed candi- ian people. If you care about human rights, stability dates have won. That means that senators like Sher- in the Middle East or America’s security interests in rod Brown (D-Ohio) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) general, then you, like me, will see two states as the will return to the Senate, while non-incumbents like only way to achieve peace. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) will also be there to be both supporters of Israel and voicSamantha Lachman is a Trinity senior. Her column es of reason. Tuesday was a huge night for an organi- runs every other Thursday. You can follow her on Twitter zation that was founded in 2008. @SamLachman.
lettertotheeditor Response to “Rethink affirmative action” Unlike many students who read the Nov. 1 letter “Rethink affirmative action,” I was not the least bit surprised by the author’s statement. As a black student, I deal with the stigma of somehow being less deserving of my Duke admission by people who don’t know me all the time. Though I have become desensitized through the years, remarks such as the ones made in this letter still strike a nerve. However, what I am more concerned about is the hypocrisy in criticizing affirmative action without discussing legacy admissions in the same light. These two admissions practices could be considered similar, but it is only affirmative action that gets the court challenges and the letters to the editor. The purpose of affirmative action is to help reverse the hundreds of years of denial of opportunity to generations of minority populations, which undoubtedly created a disparate benefit to white people. Furthermore, the fact that only white students used to be admitted to most institutions means that they bear most of the legacies (especially at “institution[s] with the
credentials that Duke has”), which brings me to my main point. If you are going to take away affirmative action based on past discrimination, you should also take away admissions benefits based on past privilege. If you want to denounce every minority student you feel didn’t work their “fingers to the bone” to get here then you must also denounce all legacy admissions benefits as well. (Legacies account for 13 percent of the Class of 2015, according to a Feb. 2 editorial in The Chronicle.) I understand that most members of our generation justly feel that they aren’t responsible for past oppression. However, anyone who has taken a history class knows that the past affects the present and future. Past discrimination has created a huge disparity that our country has a responsibility to rectify. Meanwhile, I think the double standard of criticizing affirmative action while giving legacies and wealthy donors a pass should end. Coleman Young Trinity ’13
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t’s not often in a person’s life when he or she experiences news that becomes a flashbulb memory—the term in memory psychology for an exceptionally vivid snapshot of the time and place in which a piece of shocking, consequential news is heard. Countless people, for example, remember when and where they first watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. I’m sure many of you probably remember where and when you first heard you were accepted to Duke. This past Tuesday, Oct. 29, I experienced a flashbulb memory of my own. I heard there daniel strunk were going to be more “Star Wars” defining movies. circumstances It’s safe to say I grew up watching, re-watching, analyzing and thinking about “Star Wars.” In fact, I have a bad feeling about this—but I’ll give it to you straight as the laser blast that Han shot first. I’ve perused wookieepedia.com on occasion. I’ve read quite a few “Star Wars” books (I own the official encyclopedia set and a George Lucassigned “The Making of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith”). Back in my middle school years my friends and I would go out to the backyard woods and try to hit each other with sticks. We called this lightsaber fighting. My mom called it dangerous. But you get the point. I learned lessons from “Star Wars.” From Darth Vader’s chokeinducing force powers I learned that might does not make right. From Yoda’s masterful monologues I learned that “size matters not”—that character and wisdom, rather than pre-conceived judgments and physical appearances, determine greatness. From Han Solo I learned that those with gruff personalities can still have hearts of gold. And from the band of misfits jumping to hyperspace aboard the Millennium Falcon, I learned that even a small group of dedicated, diverse individuals could oppose the tyranny of the Galactic Empire. But the greatest lesson “Star Wars” taught me was also the simplest. Put quite simply, “Star Wars” helped me dream. It inspired me. It put me in the shoes of the characters on that Cloud City in Bespin or that Red Squadron X-Wing as it pivoted in to attack the Death Star. And for a second, if only for a second, I was taken out of this world. I faced down Darth Vader in the Emperor’s throne room. I learned from Yoda in the wet jungle swamp of Dagobah. I was Luke Sykwalker on the classic hero’s journey. I don’t think this can be understated—the importance of helping a child learn to dream. This is one of the greatest gifts our schools and parents can give our children. Some might call this concept, along with this column, cliché and saccharine. But I have written before that dreams are fragile things, and I’ll say it again. There is tremendous power in a child watching a movie or picking up a book and feeling that he or she has entered a new world. These worlds might be fantasy or science fiction or fiction or nonfiction. But such exploration, such dream-fostering, teaches a child how to see our world not as it is but how it could be. And it inspires them to make it so. I felt many emotions when I heard that George Lucas had sold Lucasfilm to Disney for $4 billion. I felt nostalgia, a reminder of the movies I had loved as a child and obviously still love to this day. I felt great pride in America that the son of a small-store owner could grow to be a billionaire from the creativity and beneficence of his intellectual property and individuality, one of many versions of the American Dream. I felt anticipation for Episode VII, soon to be released in 2015—and a touch of dread and worry that it might fail to do the original trilogy justice. But above all I felt a new hope. Hope that new generations might one day experience what I experienced all those years ago when I first popped those VHS tapes in to my family’s old, livingroom VCR. That children the world over, rich or poor, male or female, Christian, Muslim, Atheist or Jew, might one day experience the universal joy I knew. That through a future filled with “Star Wars,” they might also enter and discover the universe that I inhabited, dissected and explored. That they might dream big dreams in a galaxy far, far away—and dream even bigger dreams for their own futures. Each generation, our world is made anew by the dreams of dreamers—the dreams of businessmen, teachers, artists, politicians and authors. And each generation, our world is made better by the creative genius of those like George Lucas, who help foster those dreams. “Star Wars,” at its heart, is more than just entertainment. It is a source of inspiration. I hope the future generation of movies will inspire as many dreams as the original trilogy of the past. And from one dreamer to future ones I say: May the Force be with you. Daniel Strunk is a Trinity junior. His column runs every other Thursday. You can follow Daniel on Twitter @danielfstrunk.
16 |THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012
THE CHRONICLE
VOLLEYBALL from page 12
STEVEN BAO/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO
Junior Hanna Mar will represent the Blue Devils at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships this weekend in Flushing, N.Y. Heading into the tournament she is ranked No. 35, with an 11-2 fall season record.
W. TENNIS from page 12 Mar echoed this sentiment, citing confidence as a crucial aspect to focus on during the tournament. “I have been playing well in my matches, so I have to keep doing that and use the confidence that I have built up in the matches that I’ve played,” she said. Mulholland, Clayton and Jodoin’s tennis-filled weekend begins Friday at the Kitty Harrison Invitational. Mulholland and Clayton are a doubles pair, and Jodoin is playing singles. Jodoin, ranked 27th in the preseason rankings, is 6-6 in singles this fall. Three of her wins have come against ranked opponents. Mulholland and Clayton did not play as a pair last year, but in the fall, one of
the team’s major goals was creating three strong doubles pairs, Ashworth said. Depending on how the tournament pans out, they might play together in the spring. “Hopefully they can play well together and show that that might be a possibility for us,” Ashworth said. Fall tournament play has been beneficial for the Blue Devils, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses that need to be addressed before the start of team play, as well as placing them in a competitive setting. “Putting themselves in competitive situations is really important for us and that’s the main reason we play all these tournaments in the fall—to build up our confidence, build up our recall, build up everything that we’ve been working on and putting it into play,” Ashworth said.
ACC, leads the conference in assists, averaging 13.22 per set and trails behind Florida State in terms of kills per set, averaging 14.23. The Hurricanes will likely look to Nrithya Sundararaman to generate production on offense. The senior leads the conference in assists per set, averaging 10.60. Miami’s sophomore couple of Emani Sims and Alexis Mourning are second and third in the ACC in terms of blocks averaging 1.34 and 1.31 per set, respectively. Nagel is excited for her squad to get a second chance at these two teams who both took Duke down three sets to one on their home floors. Having the Seminoles and Hurricanes in Cameron will likely be an advantage for the Blue Devils as the team has a home record at home of 9-4. Duke’s two conference foes have posted impressive numbers this season, but the last time the Blue Devils faced either was in September. “Well they are both really good teams,” Nagel said. “FSU has had a great year and they are a really good team. They are very well coached and very talented, but when we played them, it was our second weekend out in the ACC and we were still trying to figure out who we were. We are really excited to play them at home. It’ll be nice to see how we have progressed.” The only category Duke leads the two teams in is digs. Junior libero Ali McCurdy continues to lead the conference in digs per set, averaging 5.46 per set. Middle blocker Christiana Gray will spearhead the Blue Devil attack. The senior leads the team in kills so far this season with 265, followed closely by sophomore Jeme Obemie who has 263. Duke is coming off a split weekend having beaten Boston College Friday night but fallen to Maryland Sunday. The Blue Devils have a quick turnaround playing this unusual Thursday night game, but Nagel is confident that her team will be prepared for anything that is thrown at them. “Yeah, we did get back pretty late on Sunday night,” Nagel said. “But this is how the schedule goes, you have to be ready at the time the whistle blows.”
quickquotes Duke basketball players Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly, Amile Jefferson and Rasheed Sulaimon spoke with the press this Wednesday in the Cameron Indoor Stadium Media Room. Duke will take on Georgia State this Friday, October 9th, at 7 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Here are some highlights from the players’ press conference: >>On this year’s freshmen: “In both games our freshmen showed us what they are capable of. Rasheed will help us out a lot, offensively especially. Amile [Jefferson] brings a lot of energy. You never really know with freshmen until you get into a game setting or game situation. I thought they both played terrific.” —Mason Plumlee >>On having Seth Curry back: “It just puts another deadly scorer, another leader on the floor. [Curry is] just another guy that’s out there and puts confidence in all of us. He’s a senior, he’s been through it, and with him he makes us feel more comfortable. He runs the team, and he’s a great overall scorer. He just makes my job easier.” —Rasheed Sulaimon >>On his energy and emotional play style: “Playing in an atmosphere like this, it’s almost unbelievable that somebody wouldn’t have some sort of emotion or energy. The crowd here is amazing. Our fan base is great, and you’re playing for Duke. It’s something to be proud of, and every time I’m out there I just want to give my all.” — Amile Jefferson
WELLS from page 12 took Ravenscroft to three conference championships in his four years. Wells, who played with notable names such as current Washington Wizards guard John Wall and N.C. State forward C.J. Leslie, took Word of God Christian Academy to two state titles. “Now I get to play against another Raleigh native in the ACC. It’s pretty amazing really what the North Carolina independent schools have done in college basketball and beyond,” Kelly said. “Just in my short three and four years when I was at Ravenscroft, some really good players went through the independent school system, and you continue to see it.” With Wells joining Nick Faust and Pe’Shon Howard, the Terrapins present a formidable core on the perimeter. Mark Turgeon’s squad should be dangerous in the post as well, with the return of the 7-foot-1 Alex Len and the addition of touted freshman center Shaquille Cleare. “It’s good for Dez, and it’s not good for anybody who’s playing against him because he’s a heck of a player,” Kelly said. “I haven’t talked to him in a while. But if I saw him, we’d know each other right away.”
ELYSIA SU/ CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO
Senior Henrique Cunha will compete individualy and also with sophomore Raphael Hemmeler this weekend in the USTA/ITA National Indoor Tournament Championships.