Skip to main content

Nov. 13, 2012 issue of The Chronicle

Page 1

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

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTH YEAR, ISSUE 57

WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM

Palestine event Uni starts Africa research initiative disrupted by vandalism by Margot Tuchler THE CHRONICLE

by Leena El-Sadek THE CHRONICLE

A Duke Students for Justice in Palestine event recently faced backlash when some of its display was vandalized by a student. DSJP hosted an event Thursday on the Bryan Center Plaza entitled “Tearing Down the Wall: Clearing Up Misconceptions,” in which the student group meant to raise awareness about a wall separating the West Bank region of Palestine from Israel. DSJP constructed a replica of the wall—known as the “separation fence” or “anti-terrorist fence” to most Israelis and the “racial segregation wall” to most Palestinians—and handed out flyers detailing the damaging effects. The group planned to dismantle the wall “both symbolically and literally” at around 5 p.m. that day, said senior Sabrina Rubakovic, a member of DSJP, in a Facebook event. But about two hours into the day-long event, senior Zach Epstein, a member of the Jewish Student Union executive board and Duke Friends of Israel, destroyed part of the wall and flipped over a table of Palestinian food DSJP was giving out to passersby. “The incident was an act of intimidation SEE PALESTINE ON PAGE 7

CHRONICLE GRAPHIC BY CHELSEA PIERONI

Dozens of professors in disparate fields are joining together to coordinate Duke’s research in Africa. The Africa Initiative, which has been in the works since Fall 2011, serves to consolidate the efforts of Duke professors who have research interests on the African continent. Thus far, $100,000 has been allotted to the initiative, said Charles Piot, professor of cultural anthropology, African and African American studies and women’s studies, who is co-chairing the initiative’s steering committee with global health professor Dr. John Bartlett, associate director for research at Duke Global Health Institute. Piot said the idea was born out of casual conversations with his colleagues, who were discussing Duke’s global priorities and questioning why Africa was not visibly in the mix. Throughout the fall and winter, he sought out other faculty conducting Africa-related research and heralded Bartlett’s help to gather personnel from the School of Medicine. They sought out faculty from all schools and departments who were interested in Africa and came up with over 100 names, Piot said. “I’ve been here 20 years. I teach about Africa, and I imagined there might have been 25 [faculty],” Piot said. “We walked away from every meeting with new names.” After perusing the Duke schools

Duke’s new Africa Initiative is a network that brings together more than 100 University professors in multiple departments doing research across the continent. The initiative has been awarded $100,000 so far.

SEE AFRICA ON PAGE 8

West Union architects GoDuke changes photo to preview renovations policy after mishap by Imani Moise THE CHRONICLE

The architects behind the upcoming West Union Building renovation are hosting an open house discussion Tuesday to present the new plans for the future image of West Campus. David Cook and David Burke of Grimshaw Architects will be speaking to any interested students from 5 to 7 p.m. in Von Canon A. In addition to presenting the early stages of the plans, the architects will be looking for feedback from students on the renovations. “We believe that student leadership has been very informed, SEE UNION ON PAGE 5

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

This rendering shows what the finished West Union Building renovations will look like. The project’s architects, Grimshaw, will be presenting preliminary designs tomorrow.

No. 8 Duke faces No. 3 Kentucky in the Champions Classic, Page 9

Duke athletics has changed its procedures for handling photos following a recent controversy that drew national media attention. A sports information intern posted an entire set of photos from a Halloween party held by women’s lacrosse head coach Kerstin Kimel on the team’s official website, including one photo of junior team member Taylor Virden, dressed in blackface intending to portray Buckwheat, a character in the film “Little Rascals.” Photos will now be individually evaluated before being posted on GoDuke.com, vice president for public affairs and government relations Mike Schoenfeld said. The photo was removed from GoDuke.com, but screenshot of the photo made the rounds on

popular blogs such as Deadspin and BroBible. In a statement, Kimel apologized for the insensitive nature of the costume and said the team did not mean to offend anyone. “The Duke women’s lacrosse program celebrates Halloween with an annual gathering. This year, some of our costume choices were insensitive and entirely inappropriate,” Kimel said. “No offense was intended, but that does not matter because we should have realized how these choices would be viewed by those outside of our program.” Art Chase, head sports information director, declined to comment and noted that Virden did not have a comment at this time. —from Staff Reports

onTHERECORD

“The American political system needs to be improved, and mandatory voting is a large stepping stone....” —Chris Dee in “How to fix America.” See letter page 15

New class focuses on maternal health, Page 3


2 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

THE CHRONICLE

Despite European economy, Prof. wins int’l Italy can grow, panel says leadership award by Carleigh Stiehm THE CHRONICLE

Despite slow economic growth and poor government involvement, Italy’s economy still has a possibility for growth, a panel of financial experts said Monday afternoon. The panel, headed by Provost Peter Lange, presented five different perspectives on the outlook of Italy’s economy and the euro. Although their points of view differed, each conveyed an overall concern for the current state of Italy. The event—“Too Big to Fail? Too Big to Bail? Italy, Europe and the Euro”—was sponsored by the Departments of Economics and Romance Studies and the Office of the Provost. “For the scholarly community, Italy has been a kind of place that you have to look at as half full or half empty,” Lange said in reference to Italy’s current economy. “I think, to some degree, this has become increasingly resolved to

the half empty.” Panelist Gianni Toniolo, research professor of economics, was one of the few that still views Italy’s economy as being “halffull.” Toniolo noted that Italy’s current economic problems may not be caused by its sovereign debt. Instead, he credited “extremely sluggish” gross domestic product growth with the country’s financial decline. “Italy is a historically high debt country,” Toniolo said. He noted that despite many economic reforms made in the 1990’s, “old evils” such as corruption and slow development in the south still slow GDP growth. Toniolo insisted that Italy’s financial situation could still be saved with proper economic reform. “I leave you here with this glimmer of hope,” he concluded. Panelists Ronald Leven, a senior currency strategist at Morgan Stanley, and Luigi Zingales,

CHELSEA PIERONI/THE CHRONICLE

professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, criticized the Italian government for its handling of the economy. “This is a political problem, not an economic problem,” Leven said. “Europe has become a segmented marketplace with capital getting stuck at every border.” Though he emphasized that the long-term solution to the problem is not yet clear, he cited that a federalized bank with the power to support banks in every country that uses the euro would help unify capital markets throughout Europe. “Italy’s problem cannot solely be solved by Italy. Europe is going to have to start treating these as European problems,” Leven said. “Otherwise the euro is doomed.” Zingales said that the problems in Italy may continue to get worse as the current workforce reaches retirement age. He noted that the population is not increasing at a rate to replace workers as they leave the workforce, which will result in a “dramatic reduction in GDP.” Zingales added that the government will try to use immigrants to fill the vacant jobs and this will prompt “social tension.” This “social tension” will resemble the current discontent that the Italian public feels regarding corruption in the banking system in Italy, which makes it very difficult to have large reliable banks, Zingales said. “If you want to succeed in Italy, you don’t go to graduate

A panel of financial experts and professors spoke about Europe’s economic future in a talk called “Europe: too big to fail, too big to bail” Monday afternoon.

A professor and former ambassador has received international recognition for his leadership. James Joseph, leader in residence for Duke’s Hart Leadership program and former U.S. ambassador to South Africa, recently received the 2012 Distinguished Leadership Award from the International Leadership Association, acJames Joseph cording to a Duke news release. The award, given to individuals whose work on leadership has had a significant and international impact, is presented at the association’s annual conference in October. Joseph is also the founder of the United States-Southern Africa Center for Leadership and Public Values—a collaboration between Duke and the University of Capetown—and an emeritus professor of the practice of public policy. He has served in senior positions under four former presidents, including Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Under Clinton, Joseph was the first and only U.S. ambassador to present credentials to South African activist and politician Nelson Mandela. Joseph has shared his knowl-

SEE EUROPE ON PAGE 5

Duke They’re your dining points. Give them extra f lavor.

4-diamond dining, golf-view terrace, saturday & sunday brunch

bountiful breakfast buffet monday–saturday 7-10:30 am sunday 7-10:00 am

lively atmosphere delicious menu all your favorite beverages

light fare & beverages overlooking the course golfers & non-golfers welcome

3TUDENTS ALWAYS WELCOME s $INING 0LAN 0OINTS ACCEPTED s 2ESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED FOR &AIRVIEW s &OLLOW US ON &ACEBOOK AND 4WITTER

edge of leadership with the Duke community through his position with the Hart Leadership Program, as well as teaching classes and presenting guest lectures. He has taught classes such as Leadership as Moral Activity and Leadership and Public Values. At the International Leadership Association conference, Joseph gave a keynote speech to more than 1,000 participants from 35 countries. The association is a network organization that connects educators who focus their teaching and practice around leadership. In 1999, South Africa awarded Joseph the highest honor that can be given to a non-citizen—the Order of Good Hope. Joseph also has 19 honorary degrees and was named “One of the most influential black Americans” by Ebony Magazine in 1979. In addition to his numerous accolades, the U.S. Peace Corps honored him for his lifetime of dedication to civil society. Joseph is also an ordained minister and sits on the board for several organizations. He has written three books— “The Charitable Impulse,” “Remaking America” and “Leadership as a Way of Being”—with a fourth to be published by Duke University Press in 2013. —from Staff Reports

qduke.com


THE CHRONICLE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012 | 3

Course examines global Reasons diverge for maternal and child health rise in autism cases by Casey Tissue THE CHRONICLE

A new course discussing maternal and child health issues will be offered Spring 2013. GLHLTH 571: Introduction to Global Maternal and Child Health will focus on the current state of maternal health care, especially for mothers living in impoverished countries where many women do not have access to medical care. The class will be taught by assistant adjunct professor Eric Green, the recent winner of the Saving Lives at Birth Grand Challenge from the Gates Foundation for his project Baby Monitor. Baby Monitor, a mobile application that Green developed for pregnant women with limited access to medical care, uses voice response technology to provide instant medical assessments and dispatch health workers if necessary. Green plans to bring an emphasis on applied learning to the class. “We haven’t had a course in [this] and a lot of institutions do,” Green said. “It’s a big topic for scholars in improving maternal and child health. So it [makes] sense for Duke to offer this course.” The class is structured like a graduate seminar, with fewer lectures and more focus on outside readings and student discussion. Class discussions will cover five main topics: data and statistics, key interventions during birth, new innovations such as Baby Monitor, health system challenges and policies of medical practices. The class will also include several

case studies. “[The class will] focus a lot on low income countries, and new innovations that are popping up,” Green said. “We’ll do maternal health first, and child health second.” The class is open for registration to sophomores and above, as well as for graduate students in the science and global health field. It will give students a general overview of maternal and child care that covers a wide variety of topics, Green noted, adding that the class will prepare students for future courses in similar topics. The most important part of education is having students who are “engaged and working on ‘real’ things,” rather than only studying hypothetical situations, Green said. “Where I want students to dig in is their applied work during the semester,” Green said. “[The class has a] goal of having something ready for publication.” By the end of the class, each graduate student taking it will have completed a final research paper that is publishable, and the undergraduate students have the opportunity to do so as well. These projects would be applicable to real-world problems, and students would have the option of submitting their work for publication. “It could be great for students with interest in maternal or child health,” Green said. “It’s great for practitioners, great for SEE MATERNAL ON PAGE 6

JENNIE XU/THE CHRONICLE

Pediatrics professor Dr. Jeffrey Baker speaks about the ethical controversy surrounding a possible link between autism and vaccinations. by Anthony Hagouel THE CHRONICLE

The complex history and dramatic increase in autism diagnoses has fueled controversies in both the scientific community and the public surrounding the disorder’s definition, causes and treatments, said medical history expert Dr. Jeffrey Baker. The Duke chapter of Autism Speaks U hosted a discussion Monday titled

“The Perfect Storm: The History of the Vaccine-Autism Controversy,” led by Baker, director of the program in the history of medicine, in which a small group of students discussed the history of the disorder with Baker. The history of autism branched into two realms, Baker said—one within the scientific community and one in the public SEE AUTISM ON PAGE 6

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES

Ms. Shelly Lazarus Chairman Emeritus Ogilvy & Mather

Real Conversations with Real Leaders The University Community Is Invited to Attend

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Geneen Auditorium The Fuqua School of Business


4 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

THE CHRONICLE

House orientation begins, even with races unresolved By Ed O’Keefe THE WASHINGTON POST

WASHINGTON — Newly elected members of the U.S. House of Representatives come to Washington this week for their first lessons on parliamentary procedure, dinners with party leaders, tours of the U.S. Capitol, a group photo and the start of the arduous process of hiring a staff, securing choice committee assignments and scoring office space. None, however, are in the odd position that Ami Bera finds himself in. The Democrat has a slim lead over Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), who is chairman of the House Administration Committee and responsible for orienting new members. That means the

man Bera hopes to unseat will train him on how to do his job. Officials still need to count about 70,000 outstanding absentee and provisional ballots before certifying the results, but Lungren plans to return to Washington and attend to his official duties this week regardless of the outcome, aides said. Bera’s slim lead means he is eligible to attend the orientation sessions, so he took an overnight flight from Sacramento and arrived in Washington on Monday morning. “I think it will be interesting,” is all Bera would say about the prospect of sitting through orientation sessions led by his opponent. “I’ve not talked to Lungren since the election, so it’ll be my first chance to shake

his hand.” The Bera-Lungren contest is one of six House races that were undecided as of Monday afternoon. Four of the remaining races, in Arizona, California and Florida, include potential new members of Congress. When a race is unresolved, the Administration Committee still invites candidates to attend orientation sessions, surmising that it is better for both candidates to receive the training even though one eventually loses. “People in that respective district are owed a member of Congress who can hit the ground running on Day One, no matter who wins,” said Jamie Fleet, Democratic staff director for the Administration Committee. He said it was not uncommon for a candidate

to arrive in Washington for training only to be uninvited after officially being declared the loser. If he wins, Bera in many ways will embody the makeup of this year’s freshman class and the continued diversification of House Democrats, which for the first time will be dominated by women and minorities. The son of Indian immigrants, Bera would be just the third Indian American elected to Congress, after Dalip Singh Saund (D-Calif.) in 1952 and Bobby Jindal, a Republican, who won a House seat in 2004 and is now governor of Louisiana. Bera would be one of two Democratic physicians from California elected to SEE HOUSE ON PAGE 5

2M Americans could lose jobless benefits by Michael Fletcher THE WASHINGTON POST

WASHINGTON — More than 2 million Americans stand to lose their jobless benefits unless Congress reauthorizes federal emergency unemployment help before the end of the year. The people in danger of having their unemployment checks cut off are among those who have benefitted least from the slowly improving job market: Americans who have been out of work longer than six months. These workers have exhausted their state unemployment insurance, leaving them reliant on the federal program. In addition to those at risk of abruptly losing their benefits in December, one million people would have their checks curtailed by

April if the program is not renewed, according to lawmakers and advocates pushing to have the program extended. “We cannot forget the human cliff looming for more than two million Americans scheduled to lose their economic lifeline during the upcoming holidays,” Rep. Sander Levin, Mich., the ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation program is just one component of the looming “fiscal cliff,” a number of programs and tax breaks set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress comes up with an alternative. Conservative lawmakers have raised concerns that continually extending jobless

benefits is both an unmanageable burden on the federal budget and a disincentive for people to find work. Many jobless Americans have come to depend on the benefits. “I don’t know what I would do without them,” said Richard Crowe, 54, a Wintersville, Ohio, millwright who has depended on a $764 biweekly unemployment check since May, when the steel company he worked for closed and filed for bankruptcy. “I will probably have to try to sell my house just to stay above water.” Crowe, who made $84,000 a year before being laid off, said he has applied for around 100 jobs, but to no avail. “All I get back, if anything, are ‘Dear John’ letters,” he said.

His plight is not unusual. More than 5 million Americans have been out of work longer than six months— the limit for most state-funded unemployment insurance—though not all of them get jobless benefits. This group makes up 40 percent of the nation’s unemployed, a share that has dropped little even as the jobless rate has inched down. Federal jobless-benefit extensions are intended to provide support, until the job market improves, to workers who have gone beyond state-funded unemployment insurance limits. The program has been in place since President George W. Bush signed it into law in June 2008, as the SEE JOBLESS ON PAGE 5

Save your cash for when you get there. Let the Bull City Connector & Triangle Transit take you to your Fall Break getaway. Get to the Amtrak Station with the

bullcityconnector.org

Jostens Ring Days Distinctive. Classic. Lasting.

November 13 - November 15 10am - 4pm The University Store, Bryan Center, West Campus

Sponsored by Duke University Stores®

Connect to RDU with

triangletransit.org

919.485.RIDE (7433)


THE CHRONICLE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012 | 5

EUROPE from page 2 school, you might not even go to university, you get to know people. You spend some time in Rome and make connections,” Zingales said, adding that the

JOBLESS from page 4 economy was deteriorating as a result of the financial crisis. At the time, fewer than one in five jobless workers had been out of work longer than six months. As the unemployment crisis has persisted, the program has been extended on 10 occasions, according to the National Employment Law Project (NELP), which advocates for low-wage workers and the jobless. In February, Congress renewed the program but cut the number of weeks of extended aid available. The change reduced benefits that once stretched to 99 weeks in the states with the high-

HOUSE from page 4 the House, along with Raul Ruiz, who defeated Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.). The incoming class of House lawmakers also includes at least nine veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the first bisexual woman, Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona Democrat whose vic-

political system “prevents mobility” within the Italian economy. Toniolo rebutted the blame of corruption in Italy. “Of course we are corrupt,” he said. “But we are not as corrupt as we are perceived to be.” Panelist Marco Magnani,

head of the structural economic analysis department at Banca d’Italia, supported Zingales’ ideas about Italy’s economy being a political problem, although he noted that he views the situation as being “more optimistic than pessimistic.”

est unemployment rates. Supporters of the program point to academic research showing that unemployed workers who receive benefits spend more time looking for jobs than those who do not. Combined with the drop in the jobless rate, changes in the federal unemployment program have reduced the average time that jobless Americans can collect benefits by nearly one-third, according to the Congressional Research Service. Meanwhile, the proportion of jobless people receiving unemployment benefits has dropped from 64 percent two years ago to 43 percent in September, according to the NELP. A coalition of more than 35

groups led by the NELP is launching a campaign to press Congress to extend the program. In the coming days and weeks, the coalition is planning to visit lawmakers, buy ads and hold news events aimed at building pressure for its cause. The groups want Congress to make reauthorizing unemployment insurance a priority during the lame-duck session, which starts this week and is scheduled to go until the end of next month. Beyond the pain that a cutoff would cause recipients, advocates say that ending the federal jobless benefits would harm the economy since those who get such checks tend to quickly spend the money on basic needs.

tory in a new Phoenix-area seat will make her one of seven gay, bisexual or transgender lawmakers in the House and Senate. There’s also the first Hindu elected to Congress, Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who succeeds Rep. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), who in turn won a Senate seat and will be that chamber’s first Buddhist member. No matter how historic their

elections or the acclaim they enjoy back home, veterans of the orientation process said new members will need to quickly adjust to being in Washington. “You may campaign with bluster and bravado, but once you get there, you’re one of 435, you’re one of 70 or 80 new members, so you have to get in line and learn the ropes,” said Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.).

The Fannie Mitchell

UNION from page 1 but we also believe that perhaps students in general would like to know more about the project,” Rick Johnson, assistant vice president of Student Affairs for Housing, Dining and Residence Life, wrote in an email Monday. The renovation, funded by an $80 million gift from the Charlotte-based Duke Endowment, will revamp the building with a student life space modelled after the Link in Perkins and an expanded dining area inspired by Eataly, a city block of restaurants in New York City run by chef Mario Batali. Construction has already begun on the Events Pavilion, which will house dining facilities while West Union undergoes renovation. Construction on West Union itself will begin this summer. Student representatives from Duke Student Government and Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee have been involved in West Union planning for over a year, but some members of the student body feel disconnected from the renovation process. When asked what he knew about the West Union renovation, freshman Logan Brundage admitted to not being in the loop. “I know that Subway and Chikfil-A won’t be part of the new Union, but I don’t know what is replacing them. Other than that, I know nothing,” Brundage said. Despite not knowing much about the renovations and

only being on campus for a few months, Brundage said he is confident that tomorrow’s event will provide an important forum for students to give input and influence the West Union renovations for the better. He also added that of all the classes currently on campus, the freshmen would be most affected by the renovations so it is important that their voices be represented at this open house. “If students can take part in the planning now, it will be more likely that the finished result will better suit students in years to come,” he said. Sophomore Drew Underwood, who also expressed unfamiliarity with the plans, said he was not as excited about the open house. “At this point, the administrative things have been done, and construction has already began,” Underwood said. “Regardless of our feedback, be it positive or negative, it’s going to happen.” The Office of Student Affairs plans to continue relying mostly on small groups of student representatives to confer with about the renovations, but hopes to include some opinions from the larger student body using student groups like DSG and social media to spread the word. “The project is large, complex and multi-year,” Johnson said. “The open house is a good way to supplement smaller discussions and I foresee more of that type of discussion to reach the general student population.”

EXPERT

IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM

Careers at a Think Tank S ARAH M EADOWS , P H .D. ‘04 S ENIOR S CIENTIFIC R ESEARCHER , RAND C ORPORATION

For Graduate Students Wednesday, November 14 Breakfast, 9 - 10 am FOCUS Classroom, Smith Warehouse Bay 6 2nd floor Registration Required via eRecruiting

www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/career

Small Group Advising Sessions 10 - 11 am Career Center, Smith Warehouse Bay 5, 2nd floor ** Register in eRecruiting. Search Sarah Meadows under employers.

The Expert in Residence Program features accomplished

professionals to share specialized knowledge and provide career advice to students.


6 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

THE CHRONICLE

AUTISM from page 3 sphere—which hold different perspectives about its development since its discovery in the 1940s. The past 70 years have led to a wide canon of theories that attempt to explain the cause of autism, most of which have been disproven, he noted. Both the complicated history of autism and the unanswered question of causation, Baker explained, contribute to an incongruity in the public and scientific explanations of autism. Many influential organizations such as Defeat Autism Now are championed by leaders who have been directly affected by the disorder, he said. This can create a less objective public interpretation, which allows false explanations, such as the use of mercury in vaccines administered to infants, to circulate within the community. “Do vaccines cause autism? It’s so easy to think that they do—some are given at one year of life—and most parents believe that their child is normal at one year of life. But are they really normal at that point?” asked Baker, who said he is not at all convinced that mercury could be a cause. “You get a sense that it’s just a happy field that everyone gets together and agrees with everything, but there are quite a few controversies.” The over 500 percent increase in autism prevalence since the 1970s in the United States has fueled the debate, he said, where the scientific community has argued that this increase is due to heightened awareness and a broader

definition of autism, whereas the public is convinced that there are external causes to blame. “We like to talk about how diseases may be socially constructed,” he said. “There is a sense that diseases have to be defined, and autism isn’t based on specific laboratory tests, so it has to be restricted to a definition.” The broad scope of autism’s definition has lead to many opposing schools of thought concerning how it is treated, caused and whether or not it is an epidemic, said freshman Brittany Klein, a member of Autism Speaks U. “I agree with Dr. Baker that the broadening of the definition is the major cause of the rise, but I’m not opposed to the idea that there might be other environmental causes,” Klein said. Senior Kaiti Dunlap, president of Duke’s chapter of Autism Speaks U, hopes to help the cause by broadening fundraising, awareness and general involvement within the Duke and Durham community. “We wanted to get more people interested in autism,” Dunlap said. “So we’re grateful to people who want to come speak.” The answer to the autism problem is still unclear, and there is a lot of research that has to be done in order to solve what has become a growing epidemic in the modern world, Baker added. “I’m not totally sure what I think,” he said. “I truly believe at least half is driven by expanded definition and surveillance, but I’m not sure that there hasn’t been a real reason for the serious rise in prevalence.”

MATERNAL from page 3 researchers and great for people who are interested in policy.” There has already been a large interest in Green’s course, especially among pre-med students interested in child health care. “I want to be a neonatologist so that’s perfect for my field. There is no known cause of prematurity, so that class could look at how infrastructure plays a role in prematurity,” freshman Maurlia Upchurch said.

Freshman Lorena Garcia, who hopes to become a pediatrician, said that the class would give her insight into her future career as well. Understanding the relationship between a mother and child will help her deal with the difficult circumstances she may face as a doctor, Garcia noted. Students also liked the idea of writing a research paper that could be published and reviewed for other researchers to see. “It gives a voice to the women and children who don’t have the resources,” Upchurch said.

Saudi women face employment prejudices

LINDA DAVIDSON/ THE WASHINGTON POST

dukechronicle.com

Tahany Omar, 36, has a Masters of Business Administration from the U.S. but has found the job market challenging in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—she works in an investment firm, but not in management.

November 15, 2012 Sanford 05 | 5:30 pm

CHELSEA GOLDSTEIN IR Specialist, Europe-Eurasia Area Desk (Defense Threat Reduction Agency, U.S. Department of Defense)

GILL STEVENS Communications Director for Congressional campaigns, Independent Political Consultant, McCain Presidential Campaign

ERIC LORBER Institute for Defense Analyses, worked on Iran Sanctions with US Treasury Department

ELLA LIPIN Research Associate, Council on Foreign Relations Middle East and Africa Studies, Fulbright Grantee

We are pleased to announce the Class of 2016 Baldwin Scholars Aarti Asrani Hanan Awel Audra Bass Rebecca Bauer Chandra Christmas-Rouse Nourhan Elsayed Kimberly Farmer Katherine Fernelius Suhani Jalota Nash Mepukori Gayle Powell Arianna Price Caroline Steiblin Gloria Tomlinson Maurlia Upchurch Sarah Urdahl Catherine White Kalifa Wright


THE CHRONICLE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012 | 7

PALESTINE from page 1 meant to silence our voices in calling for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people,� said DSJP President Ahmad Jitan, a senior and columnist for The Chronicle. Epstein declined to comment to The Chronicle, but he issued an apology to all those involved in hosting the event via the event page on Facebook. “I would like to apologize deeply for what occurred,� he said in his apology, which was obtained by The Chronicle. “I acted overzealously, thinking at the time that I was making a sacrifice for the Jewish and Israeli students who feel targeted and harassed, the fickle Duke students whose minds are filled with polarizing material that bears false witness to the situation at hand and the security of the Israel state whose very existence—which I pray for often and intensely—is explicitly threatened by Iranian military leaders.... Again, I apologize for the harm that was done by my overzealous actions and hope that all sides can join together in a respectful, non-polarizing discussion of how to tangibly improve the situation in Israel and Palestine.� Immediately after the incident, DSJP and some witnesses cleaned up the vandalism, said freshman Sarey Hamarneh, a member of DSJP. Members of the student group rebuilt the part of the wall that was destroyed so they could continue the event as planned. Hamarneh said he does not think that Epstein’s actions are representative of any organization on campus. Rather, an emotional response was triggered that caused him to react in an unjust way. “[DSJP was] not being anti-Semitic or anti-Israel in any way,� Hamerneh said. “[Epstein] just did not like what we were

doing, and his actions just got out of hand.� Rabbi Jeremy Yoskowitz, assistant director of Jewish life at Duke, was one of the first witnesses to help clean up after the incident ensued. Yoskowitz said that he is particularly proud of the unity the Duke community strives to achieve. “I have more than enough respect for the intelligence and intellectual curiosity of our students to believe that we are able to have conversations, even difficult ones, without resorting to either hateful rhetoric or physical violence,� Yoskowitz said. “This campus and this student body are better than that.� Student criticism is not new to DSJP, Jitan added. He said the organization previously received criticism from The Chronicle’s independent editorial board and then-president of the Jewish Student Union, Kevin Lieberman, Pratt ’12, in response to DSJP’s hosting of “Israeli Apartheid Week,� a nationally recognized event that contends that Palestinians suffer under Israeli oppression. Jitan said he thinks the criticism are just symptoms of a larger culture which silences and invalidates marginalized voices—not just of Palestinian solidarity activists, but women, students of color, the LGBT community, students with disabilities and others. “It should be of concern to any student who is concerned with social justice and values a safe, healthy and productive environment on our campus,� he added. Civil discussion among student groups is essential to ensure a safe environment for Duke students, Hamerneh said. “Hopefully this incident will not affect our relationship with any organizations on campus negatively, but will instead provide an incentive to start some

communication between DSJP and DFI,� he said. Throughout the academic year and even since the vandalism, DSJP has been in conversation with leaders in Duke’s Jewish community, hoping to promote opportunities for respectful, honest and open conversations with students who are concerned about Israel and Palestine, regardless of their personal positions, Jitan added. “As a sensitive issue, we understand the need to make sure that no one feels antagonized on campus all the while they are free to express their views,� Jitan said. “The events of last week, while troubling and reflective of a larger culture that silences marginalized voices, shouldn’t be taken as a sign of animosity

between any groups on campus.� Muslim Chaplain Abdullah Antepli, a columnist for The Chronicle, concluded the Thursday event by calling for immediate change from Duke students. Although Antepli was not originally scheduled to speak at the event, members of DSJP called him, requesting that he speak about the vandalism that occurred earlier in the afternoon. “The consequences would have been drastically different if the tables were turned,� Antepli said. “This is an attack on the entire Duke community that harms our culture of respect and civility. We can move forward if we stand together as a community. We are one Duke. Together we stand through the hardship and struggle.�

SARAH ELSHERYIE/ THE CHRONICLE

Last week, a student supporter of Israel destroyed part of this wall, which Duke Students for Justice in Palestine put on the Bryan Center Plaza to represent the separation between Israel and the West Bank.

WHERE WILL YOU CALL HOME? 8Rf[\aR @]RNXR_`

V[ 2ZR_TV[T :N_XRa`

Dr. Andrew Murray

Wednesday

Ping An Health Insurance Company of China, Chief Operating Officer

November 14, 2012

O

n behalf of the Fuqua School of Business’s Health Sector Management program and Health Care Club, we welcome you to participate in our flagship event, the 2012 Duke MBA Health Care Conference.

James Hogan

Mark your calendars and network with industry leaders to learn about current global health trends and how these trends will affect the business landscape in various emerging markets.

Medtronic, President of Latin America

Conference Networking Lunch Career Fair

CHRONICLEHOUSING COM where Duke ďŹ nds housing

4 Y \ O N Y 5RNYaU

8:00AM-4:30PM 12:30PM-1:45PM 4:30PM-6:30PM

Register Now at www.fuqua.campusgroups.com/ healthconf/home


8 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

THE CHRONICLE

AFRICA from page 1

Showcasing global health

SAMANTHA SCHAFRANK/THE CHRONICLE

Medical student Jon Higgins presents his work at the Global Health Showcase held at the Nasher Museum of Art Monday.

Due to the weather forecast for today, this event has been rescheduled for tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 14 11:30am - 1:30pm • West Campus Plaza FREE Papa John’s® Pizza FREE Fountain Drinks & Bottled Water

All “Cameron Crazies” t-shirts are 20% off in the University Store.

This event is open to all students* and employees. Prizes will be awarded to the top 2 contestants in each division. *Due to NCAA® regulations, NCAA student-athletes are not eligible to participate in this event.

in search of interested professors and students, Piot drafted a letter to Provost Peter Lange and President Richard Brodhead, presenting his and Bartlett’s findings in Dec. 2011. The letter made suggestions for how to move the initiative forward, outlining current faculty projects taking place in Africa, as well as student involvement in study abroad, DukeEngage programs in the continent and student groups like DukeAFRICA. “John [Bartlett] and I have found overwhelming, indeed unanimous, support for a Duke Africa initiative,” the letter read. The initiative will play an important role in elevating Duke’s status among its peer institutions, Bartlett said. “We have a critical mass of faculty and staff with partnerships in Africa, and providing a forum for their interaction and exchange of ideas will offer great new opportunities,” Bartlett wrote in an email Nov. 5. “To our knowledge, such a broad University and Medical Center-wide focus is unprecedented among U.S. universities and holds the promise of distinguishing Duke and its partners from others.” The initiative has been granted $100,000 to use as it sees fit, Lange said. The money will fund 10 faculty projects from departments ranging from music to medicine, and the professors involved will present their projects at a salon to be held in the Gothic Reading Room Wednesday, Piot said. Next semester, Piot expects to arrange several conversations between two professors from separate departments that normally would not interact and allow them each to present on their research and provide a platform for potential collaboration. The project will ideally expand beyond faculty cooperation, he said. “A big part will involve students,” he noted. “In the last two summers, over 100 DukeEngage [participants] have gone to Africa—almost 25 percent go to Africa.” Piot noted that he personally takes a group of students to Togo every summer—his work has materialized into a recurring DukeEngage program. At its core, the initiative will serve as a means to coordinate all University efforts involving Africa. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, which will fund seven classes of five students from sub-Saharan Africa, will be incorporated into the initiative, although it is not directly a part of it. Additionally, a website is in the works that will list all courses being offered concerning Africa and “suggest curricular pathways,” Piot said. “[We want to] make the whole greater than the sum of its parts,” Piot noted. He said he hopes the initiative will allow Duke to bring more scholars and professors from African countries to Duke. He specifically mentioned Stellenbosch University’s African Doctoral Academy, which brought together students from all over the continent to study at the South African university. If Duke pursued a similar program, Piot said, the University could develop a network of Duke-affiliated scholars across the continent, furthering the inter-continental collaboration. Duke’s growing involvement with China—through Duke Kunshan University and other ventures—may also play a role in the Africa Initiative, Piot said. “China is all over the continent,” he noted. The initiative will require additional fundraising, which Piot hopes will add up to $1 million to $2 million. Not all funding can come from the University, however—the committee for the initiative will be responsible for doing some fundraising itself, Lange said, adding that he has been pleased with how the project has unfolded. “It’s been partly a process of discovery and partly a process of just generating a lot of activity and innovation, so I feel really good about that,” Lange said.

G O

Visit dukechronicle. com or like us on Facebook for daily news and campus updates.


Sports

>> THE BLUE ZONE

The Chronicle

TUESDAY

Make sure to visit the sports blog for live updates during tonight’s basketball game between Duke and Kentucky. www.sports.chronicleblogs.com

November 13, 2012 www.dukechroniclesports.com

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

Duke, Kentucky get early taste of March Two top by Brady Buck

DUKE vs. Kentucky

THE CHRONICLE

Tuesday, November 13 • Georgia Dome 9:30 p.m. No. 8 Blue Devils (1-0)

BACKCOURT

FRONTCOURT

F F G G G

BENCH

It may only be November and the second game of the year, but Duke’s tilt with perennial college basketball powerhouse Kentucky promises to be one of its stiffest tests of the year and will likely feel like a Final Four game. The No. 8 Blue Devils and No. 3 Wildcats will play each other in the Champions Classic tonight at 9:30 p.m. at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. “We want to be a team that’s able to go forward in the NCAA Tournament and you have to play outstanding teams on neutral sites,” Duke assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “And if you’re fortunate enough to get that far you’re going to be playing in a dome.” After losing four first-round NBA draft picks from last year’s national championship team, Kentucky head coach John Calipari has reloaded with another top recruiting class. Freshmen Nerlens Noel, Archie Goodwin, Will Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress join sophomore Kyle Wiltjer and N.C. State transfer Ryan Harrow to help the Wildcats defend their national title. “We’re an attacking kind of team,” Calipari said. “There are so many things to work on because we’re freshmen, so that makes it hard.” Despite inexperience and a revamped roster, Kentucky presents a daunting challenge with a roster filled with NBA-caliber talent, size and athleticism. “Offensively they’re very dangerous in transition. They turn turnovers into points as well as anyone we’ll play this year,” Wojciechowski said. “We have to do a really good job of taking care of the ball and getting back in transition defense,

MASON PLUMLEE 19.0 PPG, 14.0 RPG RYAN KELLY 8.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.0 APG RASHEED SULAIMON 6.0 PPG, 4.0 APG SETH CURRY 15.0 PPG, 3.0 TPG, 42.7% 3P TYLER THORNTON 13.0 PPG, 4.0 TPG, 3.0 APG

No. 3 Wildcats (1-0) C F G G G

NERLENS NOEL 4.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.0 BPG KYLE WILTIJER 19.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 66.7 FG% ALEX POYTHRESS 8.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG ARCHIE GOODWIN 16.0 PPG, 2.0 APG JARROD POLSON 10.0 PPG, 3.0 APG

(Projected lineups, statistics from 2012-13 season) Noel and Wiltjer may be the DUKE KY nation’s scariest frontcourt 72.0 PPG: 74.0 by the end of the season, but 69.0 PPG DEF: 55.0 FG%: they showed their youth in the 51.1 42.9 3PT%: opener, letting Alex Len domi43.8 46.2 FT%: nate. Look for seniors Plumlee 65.2 64.3 RPG: 38.0 31.0 and Kelly to do the same. APG: 17.0 12.0 Wildcat point guard Ryan 11.0 BPG: 6.0 Harrow appears unlikely to SPG: 5.0 4.0 play with the flu, and fellow 15.0 12.0 TO/G: guard Julius Mays is dealTHE BREAKDOWN: ing with an eye injury. That Kentucky may be the most talented team in leaves Calipari with a thin the nation, but their inexperience was apparcrew to work with. ent in their season-opening win, a narrow 72A healthy Wildcat squad may 69 defeat of Maryland. If the Wildcats can’t have the depth to outwork figure out their problems on the boards, after the Blue Devils, but with Hargetting outrebounded 46-34 by the Terrapins, row and Mays injured, CaliDuke should be able to grind out the win. pari could go with a rotation as thin as six or seven deep.

OUR CALL: Duke wins, 77-74

coaches face off by Andrew Beaton THE CHRONICLE

Kentucky head coach John Calipari is coming off his first NCAA championship. Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski is coming off his second gold medal after leading the USA men’s basketball team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. And the last time the pair coached against each other, Krzyzewski walked off the court with a 113-59 victory. But that was a pre-Olympic exhibition game with Krzyzewski coaching Team USA and Calipari leading the Dominican Republic national team, which did not qualify for the Games. “It would be nice to have LeBron [James] and [Kevin] Durant join us Tuesday,” Duke associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski said. When No. 9 Duke faces No. 3 Kentucky at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta at 9:30 p.m. tonight, two of the most revered college coaches will square off in much different circumstances than their previous encounter. “[Team USA] beat us by 100. I hope that’s not the result of this game,” Calipari said. “I think we were down 38 at half, and I was kind of waiting for the game to end and get out of there.” Krzyzewski and Calipari have coached

SEE SCOUTING ON PAGE 11

SEE KENTUCKY ON PAGE 11

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Q&A: Laettner readies for Duke-Kentucky by Andrew Beaton THE CHRONICLE

Former Duke basketball player Christian Laettner is best remembered for his game-winning shot in the 1992 Elite Eight against Kentucky, giving the Blue Devils a 104-103 win in overtime. Laettner is joining former Kentucky basketball player Jeff Sheppard prior to Tuesday’s Duke-Kentucky game to honor Dick Vitale’s work with the V Foundation. Named after and started by former N.C. State basketball coach Jimmy Valvano, the V Foundation awards grants for cancer research. The event, titled the “Big Blue Salute to Dickie V.” will include auctions of Duke and Kentucky basketball memorabilia, with the profits benefiting the fund. The Chronicle: How did this event with you and Jeff Sheppard get started? Christian Laettner: He and I decided to do something before the Duke-Kentucky game, to have a pep-rally party in honor of Dickie V., and we’re going to present Dick Vitale with a check. All the proceeds will go to the Jimmy V Foundation

CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Christian Laettner cuts down the net following the 1992 Elite Eight win vs. Kentucky

because Dick has done a lot of work with the Jimmy V Foundation over the years and so have I. So, we’re throwing a party before the game and looking forward to having some fun, and then we’re going over to the game and see who wins and gets the bragging rights.

tates the game and the amount of passion he has for the game. He was very inspirational when I was in high school, and even still today.

TC: It must be a pretty good cause to bring you and Jeff Sheppard—a Duke player and a Kentucky player—together, right?

CL: The only way it gets more intense is because Dickie V. is calling the game. The Duke-UK game is going to be a great game—two top-ten teams, a lot of history there. I’ll be there, and I’m sure I’ll get booed a little bit. Calipari vs. Coach K, that’s two of the best coaches in the college game.

CL: Exactly, that’s what we’re thinking. All jokes aside, it’s two of the most historic, storied programs in all of college basketball—Kentucky basketball and Duke basketball…. It’s just a great cause and a great time and everything just kind of came together where we were able to put it together. When I was in high school you dream of playing in the college level and when you’re at the college level you want to in the NBA. But while you’re working your way up to the college level, one of the things that inspires you is Dickie V. and the way that he broadcasts and commen-

TC: Talking about that passion, does it get any better than a game like Duke-Kentucky Tuesday night?

TC: And there may not be more a memorable moment between the schools than “The Shot” in the 1992 NCAA Tournament? CL: It just keeps getting bigger and bigger every year. It gets more historic and more legendary, and I just try to enjoy it as much as possible. The really neat part is that my SEE LAETTNER ON PAGE 12


10 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

THE CHRONICLE

WOMEN’S TENNIS

MEN’S TENNIS

Quarterfinals the last Cunha and Hemmeler stop for Mar in N.Y. win national title by Danielle Lazarus THE CHRONICLE

After reaching the quarterfinals of the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championship, Duke junior Hanna Mar lost to the eventual runner-up. Mar, ranked No. 35 in the preseason, was one of 32 tennis players invited to compete in the prestigious tournament hosted by Columbia in New York. She was automatically entered into the tournament after winning the USTA/ITA Division I Regional Championship in October. “I think she did really well,” assistant coach Marc Spicijaric said. “You can take a lot of positives from the matches that she won. I think you can even go back to two weeks ago at regionals when she really started to get confident from doing well there. We were really trying to build [her confidence] going into to this weekend.” Mar began tournament play as the sixth seed. She faced No. 89 Aleksandra Josifoska of UNLV in the round of 32 and won 6-3, 6-1 before easily defeating No. 41 Katie Le of Santa Clara 6-1, 6-1 in the round of 16. Mar, however, was unable to carry her strong performance into the round of eight, where she fell to No. 22 Anett Schutting of Berkeley, 6-2, 6-1. Schutting went on to place second in the tournament. “Overall, I’m pleased with my results,” Mar said. “I had not made the tournament before, so I didn’t know what to expect. I knew there was going to be some tough competition and some of the top players, so going in there and winning two matches, I’m really happy with how it turned out.” With her performance in the tournament, Mar ends the 2012 fall season with

a 13-3 record, going 5-2 against ranked opponents. “I’m happy with my season,” Mar said. “I think I improved over the course of the season, and I also gained more confidence in my playing, so that’s a really good place to be.” At the Kitty Harrison Invitational in Chapel Hill, Mar’s teammates, senior Mary Clayton and junior Marianne Jodoin, won their respective brackets. Ranked No. 44, Clayton wrapped up the blue draw with a victory against No. 24 Lauren McHale of North Carolina, 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4, while No. 27 Jodoin crushed Marshall’s Ellie Ball in the finals of the white draw, 6-1, 6-0. The doubles pair of Clayton and sophomore Annie Mullholland lost in the semifinals to Dominik Zapranzna and Maria Voscekova of Marshall but rebounded against Virginia’s Maria Fuscillo and Hana Tomlijanovic to claim third place. Duke finishes the fall season with a 46-24 singles record and a 20-8 record in doubles play. The team looks forward to returning in January, with a focus on Mar as a key player for the spring season. “Myself, [head coach Jamie Ashworth] and her teammates believe in Hanna… but sometimes she doesn’t necessarily believe how good she is compared to some girls in the country,” Spicijaric said. “She’s been working really hard and it’s really great for her to achieve her goals because she’s been putting in time off the court. I think she had a really good Fall, and I think she’ll have a lot of confidence going into the Spring semester. That will not only be good for herself, but it will do good for the team as well.”

by James Sanderson THE CHRONICLE

Capping off the fall season with a national championship, the Blue Devils hope to pick up where they left off in the spring. Duke took home a national title in doubles from the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships for just the second time in the program’s history, as senior Henrique Cunha and sophomore Raphael Hemmeler defeated Hernus Pieters and Ben Wagland of Georgia 6-4, 6-2. The No. 16 ranked pair in the ITA preseason doubles rankings did not drop a set in the tournament, with victories against teams from Texas A&M, Texas, Virginia and Georgia. The pair’s closest match came in the semifinal round against Jarmere Jen-

kins and Mac Styslinger of Virginia, which Cunha and Hemmeler took 7-5, 6-2. The pair then cruised to victory against the country’s No. 35 ranked doubles team in straight sets. “They were pretty dominant from start to finish,” Duke head coach Ramsey Smith said. “They did a good job of playing really aggressive doubles and it paid off at the end. ” Cunha, the No. 1 ranked singles player in the country, faced shoulder problems following the six sets over two matches that he played in the singles bracket on Friday. This injury forced him to retire in the semifinal match the next day. “My shoulder was hurting, so I SEE M. TENNIS ON PAGE 12

ELYSIA SU CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Henrique Cunha, pictured, and Raphael Hemmeler won the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships.

Duke football commit gaining national buzz Evrett Edwards isn’t your typical Duke football recruit. Most Blue Devil gridiron commits don’t draw attention, let alone praise, from Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Edwards—a 5-foot-11 lockdown cornerback—did though, while attending a camp in Tuscaloosa this summer. “[Alabama] had heard about me,” Edwards said. “But they had not seen me or Brady paid any attention to me until I got down there. I shut down everybody that lined up against me for three days straight. And [Saban] told me that I am the best high school corner he has seen this year.” Usually, the gems of a Duke football recruiting class aren’t one of the first players to commit either. “What makes Edwards so special is that he committed early to give them some [recruiting] momentum,” said Dave Hooker, an ESPN ACC football recruiting analyst. Giving his pledge to head coach David Cutcliffe in March, Edwards is a high-end threestar prospect and the No. 41-ranked cornerback overall in the class of 2013, according to ESPN.com. But those rankings do not reflect the increase in buzz surrounding Edwards since the beginning of the year. The Woodbridge, Va. product is a speedster, with a 40-yard dash time of 4.42 seconds. Perhaps best of all, he is a diligent student to the game, watching hours of film each week to study his opponents’ tendencies.

Buck

FAITH ROBERTSON/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Head coach David Cutcliffe could have even more to celebrate if he holds on to top recruit Evrett Edwards. “I study film for outrageous amounts of hours,” Edwards said. “I study tendencies and can tell which routes will be ran by certain wideouts. A lot of kids in high school just react, but I am very cerebral on the field.” Given the difficulty of luring elite defensive linemen to Durham, it’s pivotal to have quality defensive backs in Duke’s 4-2-5 scheme, especially when facing the perimeter athletes in Florida State’s and Clemson’s spread attacks, which torched the Blue Devils’ secondary for 678 total yards and eight touchdowns, collectively, through the air this year. Potentially enrolling at Duke next semester, the intelligent, loose-hipped and quick

Edwards promises to be an impact player who can help prevent explosive ACC offenses from connecting on aerial bombs in years to come. “I think Edwards is a prime example of a guy that you need in that conference,” Hooker said. “I really think he is an intriguing prospect for Duke. I do think it’s reasonable that Edwards could come in [as a freshman] and work his way into the rotation.” His high school team’s season is now over after finishing 6-5 and losing in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs this past weekend. Committed recruits usually enjoy down time after the conclusion of their high school seasons. But Edwards does not have that luxury

as he is still being hotly pursued by a number of top programs, which are trying to sway him out of his commitment to Duke. Cutcliffe and his assistants are experiencing, in a way, a good problem—fending off a host of high-major BCS programs. Edwards says he talks to the Blue Devil coaching staff at least twice a week. Playing in an area that is a hotbed for prep football talent, Edwards has seen his recruiting process pick up during his senior campaign. Now, he has about 30 scholarship offers with a laundry list of schools still in hot pursuit of him, even though he has been committed to Duke for months now. North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Maryland and Arizona State are recruiting him now, Edwards said, while Penn State, Illinois and Pittsburgh, among others, have been doing so for a while. “It doesn’t surprise me that other schools have continued to come calling,” Hooker said. “That’s one thing that is so impressive about Edwards is that from day one he committed to Duke, and he has not wavered, to my knowledge.” In today’s age, verbal commitments from football recruits carry little weight given the accessibility to players via social media. Many commits, especially those who have pledged to Duke, would decommit if traditionally rich football schools came calling. “It’s easier to get in touch with kids, and I think [other schools recruiting committed players] is incredibly prominent,” Hooker said. “Frankly, a verbal commitment from a good portion of the guys doesn’t mean much SEE BUCK ON PAGE 12


THE CHRONICLE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012 | 11

KENTUCKY from page 9

trying to make them beat us with their halfcourt offense.” According to Dick Vitale’s Twitter account, Calipari will be without starting point guard Ryan Harrow, who has been battling an illness dating back to last week. Julius Mays—a 6-foot-2 reserve shooting guard— practiced with the team on Monday after suffering an eye injury against Maryland and is expected to play. In Harrow’s absence, the Wildcats will turn to former walk-on Jarrod Polson to man the point guard position. With Harrow unable to play extended minutes last week, Polson made the most of his first opportunity on a big stage in the team’s opening game against Maryland. The 6-foot-2 junior made clutch plays down the stretch and finished with 10 points to help his team escape with a 72-69 win. Kentucky’s other two go-to-guys on the offensive end against the Terrapins were Wiltjer and Goodwin, who finished with 19 and 16 points, respectively. Wiltjer is a skilled, face-up big man who can stretch defenses with his shooting ability. Goodwin is an aggressive 6-foot-4 guard who loves to attack the rim and possesses a competent stroke from 3-point range. One of the interesting matchups of the night will be the small forward battle—Alex Murphy against former Blue Devil target Alex Poythress. With a sculpted 6-foot-8 physique, Poythress rebounds at a high level for a small forward and is more than capable of scoring in bunches. Even though he has not logged minutes in a real game yet in his career, Murphy will need to play and play well for Duke to counter the Wildcats’ size and versatility. “We look at all of our guys as guys who can play,” Wojciechowski said. “Alex has done a good job in the last couple days of practice and I’m sure he’ll be ready to play Tuesday night.” In the Wildcats’ contest against the Terrapins, Kentucky’s youthful frontcourt was exposed against a physical stable of Maryland big men. Noel—a 6-foot-10 shot-blocking specialist—and 7-foot Cauley-Stein struggled to slow down Maryland center Alex Len, who finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds. “At times in the second half we looked like a freshman team, which is what we are,” Calipari said. “Maryland’s size hurt us, their physical play hurt us.” Duke will likely follow Maryland’s lead by feeding its preseason first-team All-ACC selection Mason Plumlee in the post. The 6-foot-10 senior is coming off an impressive 19-point and 14-rebound performance against Georgia State. “I think Plumlee has gotten so much better,” Calipari said. “He can run the floor, he fights the post, he guards the guy before he catches it.” Shooting a woeful 3-for-19 from distance, the Terrapins would have likely knocked off the defending champs had they been able to

against each other just once as college coaches, when then-No. 1 Duke beat No. 11 Memphis 70-67 in a Nov. 2005 non-conference game. But theree have been many near misses over the years. rs. When Kentucky lost to West Virginia in the he Elite Eight of the 2010 NCAA Tournament,, which the Blue Devils went on pari’s top-seeded Wildcats to win, Calipari’s fell one gamee short of a Final Four meeting with h Duke. “Do you know how badly we wanted to play lay Duke?” Calipari gmingham News in told the Birgmingham Sept. 2010. “I think that’s why we played so badly against West Virginia. ia. We wanted dly we couldn’t Duke so badly see straight.” The two o teams were placed in the he same region of last year’s NCAA Tournament, but thee Blue Devils did ace the eventual not get to face champions after getting upset by 15-seed d Lehigh in the round of 64. If the teams had met in the Elite lite Eight, it would have marked d the 20-year anniversary of Duke’s uke’s 104-103 overtime victory against the Wildcats in the 1992 992 Elite Eight. The final sequence of that game is now among the most memorable moments in college basketball ball history, with Grant Hill throwing hrowing the ball rs of the way three-quarters urt to Christian down the court Laettner, who o nailed a turnaround jumper mper as time expired to send end the Blue Devils to thee Final Four shoot a higher percentage from 3-point range. Calipari realizes that the Wildcats will likely not have that same fortune against a Duke team that has lethal shooters like senior Seth Curry and freshman Rasheed Sulaimon. “Maryland did not make shots that Duke will make,” Calipari said. “If [the Blue Devils] come out and make 20-of-25 [3-pointers], we’re done. We’ll tap them on the butt and go home.” Playing in what promises to be an electric atmosphere at the future site of the 2013 Final Four against top-flight talent this early should pay dividends down the road for Duke as it tries to establish its identity. “They’re a great measuring stick,” Wojciechowski said. “Guys come to Duke to play in big games. These are the type of games that our players want to play in. From a practical standpoint, in addition to that, it gives us a better feel of where we’re at as a team and what we need to do to continue to get better.”

Volunteer with America’s Unofficial Ambassadors! 2013 Summer Volunteer Programs in Indonesia, Morocco & Zanzibar Special Webinar Nov. 16, 2 pm To RSVP, E-mail stefanc@creativelearning.org www.unofficialambassadors.org

and eventually their second consecutive national championship. Although Kentucky leads 11-8 in its alltime series against Duke, Krzyzewski is 4-1 against g the Wildcats. Kentucky is coming off a seasonopening 72-69 victory victo in which it was outrebounded outrebounde 46-34 by Maryland, which h held a 63-62 lead with less than six minutes to play. The Wild Wildcats pulled en led by a it out in the end, 19-point performance pe soph from sophomore Kyle Wiltjer. The T rest of lea their leading contributors are part of the team team’s heralded recruiting class, with Calipari saying he expects four freshmen to p play at least 25 minutes min each against D Duke. The team’s top recruit is a 6-foot-10 post playe player, Nerlens Noel, wh who scored just four po points but recorded nine rebounds, three blocks an and two steals against the Terra Terrapins. Dealing with the athleticism ath of Kentucky other top Noel and Kentucky’s freshmen, Alex Poythress, Po Ar7 chie Goodwin and 7-foot center Willie Cauley-Stein, will be an adjustment for the Blue Devils season-open victory after their season-opening against Georgia State. ve talented “[Kentucky is] a very and physically-gifted team that Offensiv they’re plays very hard. Offensively very dangerous in transition,” h Wojciechowski said. “We have to do a

SIMPLY THE BEST!

SCOUTING from page 9

really good job of taking care of the ball and getting back in transition defense, trying to make them beat us with their half-court offense.” Krzyzewski used just eight players in the team’s first game, excluding Alex Murphy from the floor after the redshirt freshman started both of the team’s preseason contests. Murphy’s absence was called a coach’s decision, with no further specifics given. “Alex has done a good job in the last couple days of practice and I’m sure he’ll be ready to play Tuesday night,” Wojciechowski said. “For us to be at our best, we’re going to need all of our players playing really well, certainly Alex has a lot of ability and can be a contributor to our team this year.” Calipari said his young squad will have to contend with Duke’s ability to put power forwards on the perimeter with Mason Plumlee manning the post. The Wildcats were exposed in their opener by sophomore center Alex Len, who scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, both career highs. Both Calipari and Wojciechowski stressed the importance of this game as an early-season test for measuring where their respective teams are. They also noted the game’s location, the Georgia Dome, a neutral site where both teams will have fans. The Georgia Dome will host the 2013 Final Four. Like last year’s Final Four, Calipari is stocked with a collection of the nation’s most-heralded talents. And after seeing Krzyzewski harness the abilities of some of the world’s best players this summer, the intrigue between the two coaches has never been higher. “Having a team like that and getting everybody to sacrifice—to know you’re supposed to win, and win anyway—what an achievement,” Calipari said. “What Mike has done for USA basketball and how he’s done it.... It was amazing.”

cosmic cantina +HDOWK\ /RZ )DW 2UJDQLF 9HJDWDULDQ RSWLRQV DYDLODEOH

Menu Sampling Old School Veggie Burrito $2.86 Regular Chicken Burrito $5.65 Cheese Quesadilla $1.41 Chicken Quesadilla $3.59 VeggieNachos $4.12 Chips & Salsa $2.06

Open until 4 am 1920 1/2 Perry St. at Ninth Street Just a block from East Campus Also serving from Chick-Fil-A on Campus


12 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

THE CHRONICLE

CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS

HELP WANTED

TRAVEL/VACATION

DUKE EMPLOYEE SPECIAL TUITION RATE!

PART-TIME TENNIS INSTRUCTORS NEEDED

BAHAMAS SPRING BREAK

Employees may enroll for academic credit in an undergraduate course valued at one course credit for $975 and/or enroll as an auditor in an undergraduate course valued at one course credit for $100. Application deadline December 1 for credit. Registration deadline January 8 for audit. Questions? http:// www.learnmore.duke.edu/academics/ or 684-2621.

SUMMER SESSION 2013 COURSES!

Projected summer 2013 course offerings now available. See http://summersession.duke. edu/courses

SKI & SNOWBOARD FILM WARREN MILLER’S “FLOW STATE”

Thursday, November 15 7 & 9:10 pm Tickets available at Alpine Ski Ctr, C+R Ski Outdoor, and Triangle REIs thru 11/13. Great Door Prizes from the above sponsors and SnowShoe, Steamboat, Sugar, Telluride and Wintergreen. www.raleighskiandoutingclub.org Email shiller@email.unc.edu Facebook/WarrenMillerRaleighNC

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.

RN FOR PHONE TRIAGE

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

DRIVER WANTED FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

Looking for reliable, friendly driver to take 14-yo boy to and from school 2-3 days a week. From Southpoint Mall area to East Chapel Hill High School. Hour round trip. Please call Deb at 919-656-8646.

M. TENNIS from page 10

kids are getting older and they’re starting to understand what it means and what it was for and what it’s about, so it’s very interesting to watch their reaction.

couldn’t finish the semifinals, but overall I think I did my best. I had a great tournament,” Cunha said. “After my singles match [on Saturday], I spent hours in the training room, rested up and took care of myself. I left everything on the court [Sunday] because I knew it was going to be the last match.” Following Cunha and Hemmeler’s doubles title victory at the ITA Carolina Regionals, the No. 2-seeded team in the tournament carried high expectations to Flushing, N.Y. in search of a national championship. The pair did not disappoint. “We came here to win,” Cunha said. “We knew we were playing well. We were really confident before the tournament and we came here ready to win.” Hemmeler attributed the team’s success to their strength in serving and returning throughout their matches, several adjustments made in the week prior and the execution of set plays over the course of the tournament. While Hemmeler did not enter the singles draw, Smith credited his up-tempo playing style as one of the team’s keys to success. “Henrique obviously played a lot of singles so he was pretty tired, especially at the end, but Rafa did a great job of bringing the energy to every match,” Smith said. “They have incredible chemistry with each other, I think that’s a really important part of a doubles team.” The pair finishes the fall season with an impressive 12-1 record, and becomes the first Duke team to capture a doubles title at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships since 2003. The first to accomplish this feat were Ludovic Walter and Jason Zimmerman. Cuhna and Hemmeler will return to action in January when the Blue Devils begin their spring schedule.

TC: Did you realize at the time it would become such a hallmark moment?

$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

CL: I didn’t think it at the time. I didn’t even think it an hour later or a day later, but as time wore on, every day and every week I’m starting to realize how important it was.

The Chronicle

CL: I think Duke’s going to win. They’re going to have so much more experience on the court with the three seniors. Kentucky has got a really, really young team. I expect Kentucky to be excellent by the season’s end and I don’t think they’re excellent quite yet. I think Duke will be able to sneak one out.

classified advertising www.dukechronicle.com/ classifieds rates

CHILD CARE

LAETTNER from page 9

All advertising $6.00 for first 15 words, 10¢ (per day) additional per word 3 or 4 consecutive insertions - 10 % off 5 or more consecutive insertions - 20 % off deadline 12:00 noon 1 business day prior to publication

TC: Do you have a prediction for the game?

BUCK from page 10 anymore.” Despite the increased interest from other big-time football schools, Edwards is still firmly committed to the Blue Devils. “I am committed to Duke, and Duke is committed to me,” Edwards said. “Like I said from the beginning, I am looking for a fouryear school and Duke is the type of school that will prepare me for life after college.” Edwards is clearly unique and exemplifies the impressive strides made by Duke football on and off the field. And if you still don’t believe it, Edwards’ most staggering distinction is his reaction to Saban’s remarks this summer. “It was just another compliment,” Edwards nonchalantly said.


THE CHRONICLE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012 | 13

Diversions Shoe Chris Cassatt and Gary Brookins

Dilbert Scott Adams

Doonesbury Garry Trudeau

The Chronicle on fire: Myriad Bold: ........................................................................ locopop stalked:.................................................................................shwanth Marigold: ................................................................................ jewels he pulled a teresa: .................................................................briggsy Hobo:..................................................................................og abeats photo hall is quiet on sundays: ..................................... chelc, pcatt i don’t think you’re that horizontal: .....................................dmoyz up til 5, thrown into the deep end: ..................... thornberry, court Barb Starbuck: ........................................................................... Barb

The Duplex Glenn McCoy

Student Advertising Manager: .................................. Allison Rhyne Account Representatives: ..................... Jen Bahadur, Sarah Burgart Courtney Clower, Peter Hapin, Claire Gilhuly, Sterling Lambert Liz Lash, Dori Levy, Gini Li, Ina Li, Vivian Lorencatto, Lalita Maraj Parker Masselink, Cliff Simmons, James Sinclair, Olivia Wax Creative Services: .......... Allison Eisen, Marcela Heywood, Mao Hu Rachel Kiner, Anh Pham, Izzy Xu

Sudoku

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.)

qDuke.com your landing page for all things

Answer to puzzle

Duke www.sudoku.com


The Independent Daily at Duke University

The Chronicle

14 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Interdisciplinarity on steroids The Charlotte-based Duke not traditional departmental Endowment made the an- divisions. nouncement that it would give This plan sounds more like Davidson College $45 million, a standard facelift to us than the largest single donation “a 10-year plan to remake the ever given to the school. model of liberal arts educaWhile we tion,” again a congratulate claim made on editorial Davidson on Davidson’s own this generous gift, we find the website. “We are being motiDuke Endowment’s rationale vated by questions,” said Dafor the gift puzzling. A Duke vidson president Carol QuilEndowment staff member, Su- len. “What does it mean to san McConnell, explained that offer a liberal arts education the money would be used to now? Why is Davidson worth make “liberal arts relevant in the tuition, given online opthe 21st century.” How so? Da- tions?” While liberal arts unividson plans to construct and versities may feel like they are renovate six academic build- under siege, fancy news buildings to create “spaces that fos- ings are not the answer. There ter interdisciplinary learning,” are a few problems with Davidaccording to Davidson’s web- son’s grand but ill-fated plan, site. Faculty will be housed in from which Duke—another the new buildings depending university with much staked on the resources they need, on interdisciplinarity—should

“

People have many reasons for giving abroad, and the dollar generally goes further there than domestically. While I agree that I want to spend my time and treasure working on problems at home, it’s unfair to suggest that everyone should. —Anonymous user commenting on the column “Activism is not selfless.” See more at www.dukechronicle.com.

LETTERS POLICY The Chronicle welcomes submissions in the form of letters to the editor or guest columns. Submissions must include the author’s name, signature, department or class, and for purposes of identification, phone number and local address. Letters should not exceed 325 words; contact the editorial department for information regarding guest columns. The Chronicle will not publish anonymous or form letters or letters that are promotional in nature. The Chronicle reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length, clarity and style and the right to withhold letters based on the discretion of the editorial page editor.

”

Direct submissions to:

E-mail: chronicleletters@duke.edu Editorial Page Department The Chronicle Box 90858, Durham, NC 27708 Phone: (919) 684-2663 Fax: (919) 684-4696

The Chronicle

Inc. 1993

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

learn a few lessons. First, while campus infrastructure is important, it alone cannot advance the cause of interdisciplinarity. Flexible architectural spaces can foster all kinds of connective, fluid thinking—but true interdisciplinarity willl require more important curricular, financial and cultural changes. It remains to be seen how rigorously the Duke Forward campaign and Duke generally commit itself to this task. Second, Davidson’s new gift should not have been branded as an interdisciplinary initiative in the first place. Like Duke, Davidson seems eager to brand. Interdisciplinarity is a big buzzword in higher education this year. We caution Davidson, Duke and other universities to not overuse the term.

Haphazardly labeling all sorts of University initiatives—imagine “interdisciplinary new West Union” and “interdisciplinary LDOC”—can breed confusion, sloppiness and disingenuousness. If Davidson’s gift is mostly about physical improvements of Davidson’s campus—as we suspect—publicize it as such. Some things at universities are not going to lend themselves easily to interdisciplinarity, and that is fine. But if Davidson actually wants to approach interdisciplinarity, it should do so in a serious way. Third, if online education truly poses a threat to the liberal arts model, it will take deep thinking on the part of universities to address the issue. A new allegedly interdisciplinary building project is not going to revolutionize much. Often,

online education is seen as a bogeyman to scare liberal arts universities into changing their entrenched ways. Maybe change is needed—we hope universities fully embrace and harness the power of online platforms—but so is thoughtful deliberation. Carelessly labeled interdisciplinary projects will not suffice. Davidson’s plan to allegedly revitalize the liberal arts education is not a fluke. It is only one manifestation of quickly growing anxieties among universities about their own relevance. We commend universities for grappling with the issue—the democratization of knowledge coinciding with the rising costs of an elite education—but caution them to do so without the hyperbole of revolution-talk.

The buck stops here

onlinecomment

Est. 1905

THE CHRONICLE

commentaries

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.

P

resident Harry Truman kept a walnut-wood other. But in this debate, every candidate made sign on his Oval Office desk engraved with vague inflated statements, and broadly lambasted the words, “The buck stops here.” The the administration’s repression of student life. words referenced Truman’s belief that he was ulI participated in the debate as well, and in timately responsible for managing my closing remarks, I castigated the United States. Policy decisions, the presidential candidates for and the consequences of those detheir lack of substance and their cisions, were his burden. The sign cheap shots at the administration. was emblematic of his leadership, I thought it was bold; some saw it and Truman referenced the words as brash. I didn’t intend to be senin his 1953 farewell address: “The sational or controversial. Rather, president—whoever he is—has to I was just appalled by the blatant decide. He can’t pass the buck to patrick oathout passing of the buck. Reprimandanybody. No one else can do the deing administrators who don’t have realpolitik with ciding for him. That’s his job.” the chance to defend themselves patrick For most decisions at Duke, the is unfair, weak and not construcbuck stops at the Allen Building— tive. It’s also hypocritical, because the amorphous group of administrators who are at the end of the election, every candidate knows clumped together when we point fingers. The they’ll have to receive administrative approval to administrators make the final decisions on this get anything done. They know that an amiable campus, whether it’s regarding the house model, partnership with administrators is an efficacious West Union renovations or tailgating policy. Duke partnership, and they’ll eventually tread back on Student Government doesn’t really make that their criticism. many decisions—we do more lobbying than govYes, the Allen Building and our Board of Trusternance. ees almost always make the final decision. Part of I’ve heard many students complain about the that is the structure of Duke’s bureaucracy. But anAllen Building’s hegemony over student life. The other part comes from our campus leaders. The sentiment is unsurprising given the amount of cul- administration is always one step ahead of us and tural, programmatic and infrastructure changes we are always trying to catch up. It doesn’t have to the Allen Building has initiated over the past year. be this way—instead of responding to administraDuke Student Government knows the sentiment tive decrees, what if we influenced them before exists, and it’s why so many student candidates they were ever initiated? What if we elected stuscapegoat the administration in their messages dent government leaders with visions, goals and and platforms. Many think the strong candidate is aspirations, rather than candidates who promised the one who promises to wrench the administra- to fight back? We don’t need student leaders who tion’s power from their hands, the one who will point fingers—that’s what we have on Capitol Hill, storm into the Allen Building and demand the old and it’s abysmal. We do need student leaders who Tailgate back, the one who promises to let Duke set the agenda, and move us forward with confibe Duke again. It’s a message of power, conviction dence. and force—who wouldn’t like that? When I spoke up at the debate I probably At the Duke Student Government president could have been less bombastic, but I was angry. and executive vice president debate last year, all I was frustrated that there was no one sitting on of the presidential candidates bashed the adminis- that stage that would take responsibility for the tration but didn’t go after each other. They prom- past and promise to move forward. Maybe my ised to turn back the decisions in motion, to take comment was a gaffe. But gaffes on the campaign a stand against those nebulous administrators. It trail, whether they’re about the inability to make was a debate without substance, partly because decisions on Russia’s foreign policy, the unvetted the candidates didn’t have significantly different approval of gay marriage, “legitimate” rape or the platforms. In a race where candidates differed on 47 percent, reveal the true, unfiltered sentiments leadership style, rather than ideological grounds, of candidates. My comment was unfiltered, it was the candidates did surprisingly little to distinguish a raw demand for someone to take responsibilthemselves from their opponents. Without any ity. Because the buck shouldn’t stop at the Allen conflict the debate lacked entertainment, for sure, Building—that’s cheap leadership. but also substantive discourse. In some ways, a government with members who are sensitive to parPatrick Oathout, DSG executive vice president, is a tisan rancor will be a government with members Trinity junior. His column runs every other Tuesday. who mutually respect and cooperate with each You can follow Patrick on Twitter @patrickoathout.


THE CHRONICLE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012 | 15

commentaries

Want to contribute to campus dialogue? The Chronicle is now accepting applications for regular columns, as well as Monday, Monday and rotating author series columns. Email mfl5@duke.edu for an application.

Lonely bench

A

s a child, I used to wait impatiently for my grand- rough translation of what my grandfather had told me father to come home from work. Despite my par- on a napkin that was given to me by the flight attendant. ents’ displeasure, I would hang onto the rails of I never told anyone of our discussion the day before, nor the garden fence and stare across the pasture in anticipa- did I ask anyone what his words meant. tion of his arrival. After hearing the sound I never knew that a few days before we of a taxi coming to a stop, I would jump left, my grandfather had been diagnosed over the fence and excitedly run across with prostate cancer. He refused to tell anythe field. My grandfather would look up one, even my grandmother, until he started and smile as he saw me sprint through the feeling very sick a few months later. grass. As I neared, he would set his suitOne year after we had left, my grandfacase aside, crouch down and extend his ther passed away. The last time I saw him, arms so that he could catch me and throw the last time I ever spoke to him, was that me up into the air repetitively. It was cus- mousa alshanteer day when we both sat on the bench. A few tomary. My grandfather would put me days after the funeral, I would understand you don’t say? down, tussle my hair and hold my hand as what my grandfather had been trying to we walked back to the backyard. tell me. It all makes sense now. Despite Years later when I was in the fifth grade, I realized my the diagnosis, my grandfather never let the illness affect immaturity. After coming home from work one day, my his life. He remained strong and presided over family grandfather sat down on the bench next to the fragrant matters regardless of what would happen a year later. He lemon tree, kicked back and motioned for me to sit next laughed, told jokes and went about his life in a way no to him. He put his arm around me and requested that I different than he had done so in the past, all the while listen closely to what he was about to say. Unaccustomed refusing to let the cancer impact his attitude, personality to serious conversations at such a young age, I prevented or commitment to family. He remained faithful, blamed myself from smiling and put my head onto my grandfa- no one and taught many to remain thankful despite the ther’s shoulder. incomparable difficulty he was facing. “As you grow older, you will learn to be patient. DeWhen I look back at that moment and remember spite the troubles you will endure, you must understand what my grandfather had told me, I realize that I haven’t that not every solution is within your reach. During these been living by his advice. I haven’t remained strong, nor times, you’ll realize that everything you need will be in have I been thankful for my blessings. Who the hell am your heart and your mind. Everything you need to re- I to complain about my life? I would never be able to main strong is right here.” compare the insubstantial worries that trouble me now My grandfather tapped his right index finger on my to those that affected my grandfather. chest and then on my head as a tear streamed down his My grandmother went on to tell me that my grandfaface. I didn’t know why he was crying, but I assumed that ther would go to work, ride the taxi back, walk through it was because our plane was leaving the next day, and the field and sit on that same bench every day since I that the next time I would see him would probably be in had left—something that he had never done before our another four years. I pondered his words for a while and conversation. In the midst of the incomparable struggles looked up at my grandfather. He looked back at me and that I face, I strive to remember the wisdom that my smiled at my confused expression. I hugged my grand- grandfather aimed to instill in me. father as tight as my little arms could manage but wasn’t On this day, I regret that I was not able to sit next to able to shed one tear in response. Perhaps it was because him on the days when he sat alone. I was still pondering what he had just told me. Perhaps it Happy birthday, Grandpa. was because I didn’t know what my grandfather was going through. I was too young to understand. Mousa Alshanteer is a Trinity freshman. His column I sat quietly during our eight-hour commute back runs every other Tuesday. You can follow Mousa on Twitter @ home. Sometime during the flight, I wrote down a mousaalshanteer.

lettertotheeditor How to fix America in one simple step The 2012 election season was dominated by polarized, hateful, theocratic and purely ignorant comments. There was no undertone of compromise, and if the last four years are any indication, compromise will remain absent for quite some time. So what do we as a country do? How do we moderate the factions of our government and foster compromise within the halls of Congress? America can do better, and needs to. But how? What if there was a way to force candidates to stop mudslinging as a way to scare their party base into voting and instead focus on having better policies than the opposition? What if there was a way to increase the importance of swing moderate voters and bring candidates away from dangerously extreme parties that are unable to compromise? Mandatory voting might just be what we need. As Australia, Singapore, Argentina and other countries have shown us, even with a small fine—or tax, to get it past the Supreme Court—the voter turnout could increase from the paltry 57.5 percent of voters this year to upwards of 80 percent within one year. The problem is, most (not all) of the 42.5 percent of non-

voters didn’t abstain because they had no preferred candidate, but because they didn’t think their vote would matter, the polling station was too far away or out of sheer laziness. So, if these 40 percent of people were required to vote, the focus of elections would shift significantly— from getting a candidate’s own political party out to vote, to getting the vote of swing voters or even of moderates from the opposing party. This would not only reverse the increasing polarization of political parties, but would also lead to more moderate presidents, senators and congressmen being elected and to a system fostering compromise and bipartisanship. America can once again be a nation of compromise, political efficiency and of representation from all the people, not just the extreme groups passionate enough to consistently vote. The American political system needs to be improved, and mandatory voting is a large stepping stone on the way to an efficient, representative and bipartisan government. Chris Dee Pratt ’16

After affirmative action

I

believe in affirmative action. I also believe that at some point, affirmative action will need to end. It’s not a perfect system. Any time we have an idea for a system that treats different races differently, we need to be extremely skeptical—and that includes everything from poll taxes to school segregation to voter ID laws to affirmative action. However, unlike the other three examples, affirmative action’s value justifies the use of racial preference. Race should matter in college admissions, because race matters in real life. Racism is alive and well; it doesn’t just take the forms we’re used to. We rarely see businesses outright denying a customer service; today, we see people of color followed because they look suspicious. Racism is almost never in the form of lynching a black teenager for whistling at a white woman— rest in peace, Emmett Till— but it still means pursuing, confronting and eventually shooting a black teenager for looking suspicious in a white neighborhood—rest in peace, Trayvon Martin. jordan deloatch One devastating form that never just a game racism takes is the criminalization of people of color. I don’t mean that the biggest threat to racial equality is the arrest of innocent people—though we definitely need to work on that— but rather, the image of black and Latino people as criminals. It’s an image that is implanted deeply within the American consciousness. Most people won’t display pride in racism. Most people will say that they’re not racist. Many people who fall into those two categories still harbor racist attitudes—an AP survey found that 51 percent of Americans express explicit anti-black attitudes. The “successful black man” meme is an insidious example: It claims to subvert existing stereotypes but instead provides an avenue to say “just kidding!” after already having said what is otherwise taboo. The image of the black or Latino criminal has real consequences. The most relevant one is that employers are less likely to hire and promote people of color. This isn’t something antidiscrimination laws are particularly good at fixing, since this often comes in the form of implicit bias rather than explicit bias—someone with a black-sounding name is less likely to be called back than someone with a white-sounding name. The result is that black Americans are faced with an undue burden when entering and climbing the professional ladder. This hints at the problem that affirmative action seeks to correct, which is systematic racism. Systematic racism is so hard to beat because it’s baked so deeply into everyday life that we often have trouble recognizing it. There’s a reason that TV shows, for example, like to have white leads to go with minority supporting characters: They can have the illusion of diversity while avoiding having to test whether white audiences can “identify” with non-white characters. Most people aren’t looking to intentionally exploit systematic racism, but it still presents an obvious and unfair advantage in the system that needs to be corrected. There’s a reason we place a high value on affirmative action in college admissions: Employers see something in a Duke degree that they don’t see in very many other degrees. Duke has great power, so it has the great responsibility of promoting fairness rather than sustaining systematic discrimination, and Duke has overwhelmingly chosen to promote fairness. But affirmative action cannot—and should not—last forever. It works only in a world where systematic discrimination is a factor. In an ideal world, we would be able to see race without making any judgments on it. More realistically, we’re moving toward a world where people of all races will have equal opportunity. That’s the end goal of affirmative action. Yet we might see affirmative action truncated before it’s due. The Supreme Court has heard the arguments for Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, which will decide the future of affirmative action, and based on the makeup of the Supreme Court, there’s a significant chance affirmative action will disappear or be severely altered for the Class of 2017 or 2018. If we lose one of our powerful tools of racial equality, are we ready to move on? Will we be able to expand outreach programs from elite universities into inner cities to give high school students the resources to clear the twin hurdles of gaining admission to and paying for an elite university? Are we prepared to build up our minority communities in other ways? If not, then regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision, there’s no time like the present. Jordan DeLoatch is a Trinity sophomore. His column runs every other Tuesday. You can follow Jordan on Twitter @jstorm64.


16 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

THE CHRONICLE

November 13 - 26 EXHIBITIONS Student Action with Farmworkers: 20 Years of Growing Farmworker Activists. Thru Dec 9. Perkins Library Gallery. Free. Documenting the Politics of Food: Photographs from the Rubenstein Library Collections. Thru December 10. Rubenstein Library Photography Gallery. Free. Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore. Thru February 10, 2013. Nasher Museum of Art. Free to Duke students (1 per day with I.D.) Tickets: 919-684-4444 or tickets.duke.edu.

EVENTS November 15 Matisse Talk. Author and art historian Nancy Ramage, great-great niece of the Cone sisters, will give a talk, “Matisse and Old Lace: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore.” Reception to follow. 7pm, Nasher Museum of Art. Free. Women Beware Women. By Thomas Middleton. Directed by Jay O’Berski. A Jacobean tragedy where women seize hold of their sexual power, plumb the depth of their ferocity, and find that they are capable of depravity equal to any man. 8pm, Sheafer Theater, Bryan Center, West Campus. $10 Gen.; $5 Students/Sr. Citizens. November 16 Lecture Series in Musicology. Katherine Bergeron (Brown University). “What’s in a Name: History, the Afterlife, and Berio’s King.” 4pm, Rm. 101 Biddle Music Bldg. Free. November Dances 2012. New works by Duke Dance Program faculty and students. 8pm, Reynolds Theater, Bryan Center. $15 Gen.; $5 Students. Djembe & Afro-Cuban Ensembles. Bradley Simmons, dir. with guest artist Gene Golden. 8pm, Page Auditorium. Free. Women Beware Women. (See Nov. 15) 8pm. November 17 November Dances 2012. (See Nov. 16) Duke Opera Workshop. Sandra Cotton, guest director. 8pm, Nelson Music Rm., East Duke Bldg. Free. Women Beware Women. (See Nov. 15) 8pm. November 18 Free Family Day. Gallery Hunt, make-and-take crafts, live entertainment. Support provided by the Fox Family Foundation, Nordstrom and SunTrust Foundation. In-kind support by The Container Store®. Noon-4pm. Free. Women Beware Women. (See Nov. 15) 2pm. Duke Opera Workshop. (See Nov. 17) 3pm.

SCREEN/SOCIETY 11/13

LET THE WIND CARRY ME (W). Documentary about renowned cinematographer Mark Lee Ping Bing Cine-East: East Asian Cinema

11/14

HANGING GARDEN. Japan Foundation Film Series Cine-East: East Asian Cinema

11/15

TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE (SW). Epic biopic about the Haitian liberation leader and his rise from slave to general and governor of the world’s first Black republic.

11/26

CLOUDS OF MAY (Turkey, 1999) (W) Tropes of Home: Films from the Middle East ami.duke.edu/screensociety/schedule

This message is brought to you by the Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies, Center for Documentary Studies, Chapel Music, Duke Dance Program, Duke Music Department, Duke Performances, Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University Libraries, Screen/Society, Department of Theater Studies with support from the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Nov. 13, 2012 issue of The Chronicle by Duke Chronicle - Issuu