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
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTH YEAR, ISSUE 58
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KENTUCKY FRIED FRESHMEN by Andrew Beaton THE CHRONICLE
ATLANTA — When Mason Plumlee fouled out with 35 seconds left, he bowed his head but headed to the bench without regret. On the Blue Devils’ next possession, Seth Curry hit two free throws to extend Duke’s lead to eight. Twenty-one seconds later, Ryan Kelly capped off Duke’s scoring with a two-handed slam. Facing a Kentucky squad led by a quartet of freshmen, Duke’s seniors combined for 51 points—and the team’s first 28 points of the game— as the No. 9 Blue Devils beat the No. 3 Wildcats 75-68 in the Champions Classic at the Georgia Dome. Curry finished with a game-high 23 points, 14 of which came in the second half, after Plumlee scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half. “I think it was good, especially in the end-of game situation, having guys like myself, Ryan and Seth who have been in those,” Plumlee said. “Each possession becomes that much more important, so I think we had guys on the floor that understood the importance of a possession.” Kentucky (1-1) did not hold a lead during the entire second half, with Duke (2-0) holding a 12-point lead with 6:30 to play after a Curry jump shot. SEE M. BASKETBALL ON PAGE 8 ELYSIA SU/THE CHRONICLE
Preparing for new MCAT Gov’t budget cuts may be more challenging may affect Duke by Georgia Parke THE CHRONICLE
Undergraduate students preparing for a career in medicine will need to adjust their courseloads to better prepare for the MCAT. In the next few years, prospective medical school students will begin to take a revised version of the Medical College Admission Test. The changes to the test will include elimination of the writing section in 2013 and the addition of sections on behavioral sciences, social sciences and biochemistry, as well as added focus on critical thinking—to take effect in 2015. According to a Kaplan Test Prep survey, 87 percent of medical school admissions officers are supportive of the changes. But some think the changes, which will extend the length of the
Gross Hall renovations underway, Page 2
test from 5.5 hours to seven hours, will make pre-med undergraduate courseloads more challenging because of the added topics. In the 2012 survey of medical school admissions officers—released earlier this month—40 percent of respondents said they believed premed courseloads will increase, and no respondents said they believed the changes would make medical school preparation easier. The major subject changes will not affect pre-med students graduating in 2013 and 2014, said Owen Farcy, assistant director of pre-health programs for Kaplan Test Prep. But underclassmen need to plan ahead to make sure they will be prepared for the test when it changes SEE MCAT ON PAGE 4
BYTHENUMBERS
40 percent
of medical school admissions officers think MCAT changes will make the undergraduate premed courseload more difficult.
74 percent
of medical school admissions officers support the changes to the MCAT.
by Jack Mercola THE CHRONICLE
With the general election in the rearview mirror and a fiscal cliff on the horizon, federal and state governments will likely make some spending cuts that could affect Duke. If unchanged, major automatic spending cuts and higher tax rates will go into effect Jan. 1, 2013, prompting what many politicians and pundits have called a fiscal cliff that may shock the wallets of many Americans and could send the United States into another recession. Because the 2012 general election did not alter the balance of power on Capitol Hill—Republicans kept their majority in the House of Representatives and
ONTHERECORD
“My point here is that the definition of popularity is historically and pervasively blurred....” —Lindsay Tomson in ‘The sociology of mario kart.’ See column page 11
Democrats widened their majority in the Senate but still do not have a supermajority—the two parties that have been long at odds on issues concerning taxation and government spending will need to forge an agreement before the end of the year in order to alter these policies. Not only are Bush-era tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year, effectively raising taxes at all income levels, but federal spending will be cut across the board by 0.25 percent on average for many federal agencies. The National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health could see their funding cut by up to 7.8 percent. SEE BUDGET ON PAGE 6
PTSD linked to fear control in brain, Page 2
2 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012
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Renovated Gross Hall PTSD linked to smaller to open summer 2013 fear center in the brain by Kelly Scurry THE CHRONICLE
EMMA LOEWE/THE CHRONICLE
A $24 million construction project is underway at Gross Hall. The renovations, which are expected to be completed summer 2013, will allow more departments to move into the building. by Ryan Zhang THE CHRONICLE
Gross Hall is undergoing renovations that will expand its capabilities and allow other departments, including political science, to move in. The project will cost a little over $24 million, said Paul Manning, director of the Office of Project Management. Construction will conclude by summer 2013, and the building is expected to be ready for the start of the school year next Fall. Renovations are taking place both within the building and on its exterior and surroundings, though classes continue to be held inside. “Gross Hall was chosen [for this project] because it was an asset sitting unused,â€? Manning said. “Programs needed space for expansion, and here’s all this existing square footage.â€? Among the various additions are a new atrium and a large skylight to illuminate the upper floors. The south façade will also be redone, as the solid precast panels will be removed and replaced with a curtain wall of aluminum and glass, Manning said. “We’re fitting out the second floor and the third floor, which are empty and decanted now,â€? he added. “[The] second floor and
third floor are going to be [designated for] political science and the Pratt School of Engineering [and will include] faculty offices, teaching and research areas.� In addition to the indoor improvements, there are also plans to add a bridge from the pedestrian walkway on Science Drive to the central entrance of the building. Built in 1968, the 146,400 sq.-ft. building had previously been scheduled for demolition to make way for a new home for the Nicholas School of the Environment, Manning said. A change in plans, however, led to the reoccupation and renovation of the building. The top two floors of the building were largely vacated after the opening of the nearby French Family Science Center in 2006, said Executive Vice President Tallman Trask in an email Tuesday. French now houses the chemistry department, which formerly resided in Gross Hall. The political science department will move to the second floor of Gross Hall next summer as its current location in Perkins Library undergoes renovations, said department chair Karen Remmer in an email Tuesday. She added that the floor will be shared with the Social Science Research Institute.
A Hungry Heart: Gordon Parks Dr. Deborah Willis, Chair of the Department of Photography and Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and contributor to an upcoming book about Gordon Parks
Scientists have determined that brain structure may play an important role in developing post-traumatic stress disorder. A study released Nov. 5 by a team of scientists from Duke and the Durham VA Medical Center have determined a link between the size of the amygdala, a structure in the brain associated with impulse control and fear response, and the presence of PTSD in recent combat veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The article, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, found that the veterans with PTSD had a smaller amygdala volume. “We know that the amygdala is important to PTSD because it is important in how we process fear and perceive what’s threatening in our environment,� said Dr. Rajendra Morey, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science. PTSD is a severe anxiety disorder
that can develop in individuals who have seen or experienced an event that causes psychological trauma, such as domestic abuse, assault and war. Symptoms of the disorder include reliving the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and difficulty concentrating. Nearly seven percent of the general population is believed to have the condition. Incidents of PTSD occur in many veterans who served in combat roles. Nearly 14 percent of combat veterans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have developed PTSD, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The researchers studied 200 combat veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan after Sept. 11, 2001. Although all of the participants had been exposed to trauma before the study, only half of the veterans had PTSD. The study examined the volumes of the amygdala using MRI scans of all the participants. SEE PTSD ON PAGE 5
CHRONICLE GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE RODRIGUEZ
A new Duke study has found a link between post-traumatic stress disorder and a smaller amygdala, which controls fear and impulse in the brain.
TO RENT or TO BUY?
Friday, Nov. 16, 2012 • 6:00 p.m. Nasher Museum of Art Duke University Conversation and slide presentation Reception to follow For those of us who look for a compassionate voice in photography and ďŹ lm, the name Gordon Parks comes to mind. Over the course of more than two decades, Parks produced photo-essays on a broad range of topics, including gang wars in Harlem, fashion in Paris, and segregation in the American South, before embarking on his successful career as ďŹ lm director. He was also an accomplished portraitist, capturing nowiconic images of Ingrid Bergman, Gloria Vanderbilt, Duke Ellington, Malcolm X, and Muhammad Ali. November 30th would have been Gordon Parks’ 100th birthday. Dr. Deborah Willis is a contributor to the ďŹ vebook series, The Collected Works of Gordon Parks, to be published this fall. Sponsored by: Center for Documentary Studies • DeWitt Wallace Center • Duke University Libraries John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute • Kenan Institute for Ethics • OďŹƒce for Institutional Equity Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture • The Department of African and African American Studies The Graduate School • Vice Provost OďŹƒce for the Arts
CHRONICLEHOUSING COM CHRONI where Duke ďŹ nds housing
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012 | 3
W. Union architects Iran locked in internal debate invite student input over whether to talk to U.S. by Joby Warrick THE WASHINGTON POST
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
This model shows the most up-to-date plans for the West Union Building renovations. The renovations, designed by Grimshaw Architects, will finish by summer 2015. by Caroline Michelman THE CHRONICLE
The architects responsible for the West Union Building renovations held an open house Tuesday night in which they revealed the preliminary designs and spoke with students about their vision. Architects David Cook and Mark Rhoads from Grimshaw Architects, the firm behind the redesign, presented their plans to attendees, held a question and answer session and solicited student input. Although the redesign process started about a
year and a half ago, it is still in its early stages, and student input was encouraged. “The architects want a general sense of if the space has the right feel,” said Chris Roby, director of the University Center Activities and Events. “This is supposed to be the main student area on campus, so student input is very important.” The renovations will begin this summer and will create expanded dining facilities and student life space. Construction is SEE WEST UNION ON PAGE 5
Iran appears to be locked in a fierce internal debate over whether to hold bilateral nuclear talks with the United States, with key political leaders calling for dialogue with Washington and hard-liners pressing ahead with expansion of the country’s nuclear facilities. The Obama administration, girding itself for what could be the first major foreign policy test of its second term, has dangled an offer of bilateral talks in hopes of breaking through the nuclear impasse with Iran and easing the threat of a new Middle East war. But despite positive comments in recent days from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other senior leaders, Iran has shown no hint that it plans to accept the offer, U.S. and European diplomats say. Instead, intelligence analysts are detecting signs of continued progress at Iran’s uranium-enrichment plants and no significant softening on the part of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the man who will ultimately decide the country’s nuclear course, according to the diplomats. “We don’t think the Iranians are there yet, in terms of a deal,” said a European diplomat, insist-
ing on anonymity in discussing nuclear diplomacy with Iran. “Things are moving a bit because they’re feeling pressure from sanctions. But we have no information suggesting that they’re willing to change.” A new report expected later this week from the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, is expected to show that Iran has nearly completed installing centrifuges at its Fordow uranium-enrichment plant, a facility being built inside a mountain tunnel to protect it against military strikes, according to Western diplomats briefed on the IAEA’s preliminary findings. While not all the centrifuges are operating, the near-completion of the plant moves Iran a step closer to having a virtually bomb-proof sanctuary in which to increase its stockpile of enriched uranium, which can be used for civilian purposes or — if enriched further to fissile form — for nuclear weapons. Only the most powerful U.S. bunkerbusting munitions are believed capable of destroying the facility. U.S. and Israeli officials worry that Iran could use the Fordow plant to make highly enriched uranium for nuclear bombs. Iran insists that it seeks nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes.
The search for a diplomatic solution to the long-running crisis gained new urgency in recent weeks because of a conviction among Western governments that time is running out for averting an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which could trigger a wider conflict in the region. Israeli officials have signaled a willingness to delay a strike, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that his government will act unilaterally if necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear-weapons capability. Dennis Ross, the administration’s chief adviser on Iran before leaving government late last year, cited the implicit Israeli threat last week in predicting that 2013 would “be a decisive year, one way or another,” for Iran. “We will see this come to a head,” Ross told a forum at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on Thursday. “Either it will come to a head diplomatically or through the use of force.” Ross also cited Iran’s worsening economic crisis, which he said was battering the Iranian economy to the point where Iran’s leaders must soon decide SEE IRAN ON PAGE 4
Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship Speaker Series In parternship with DukeGEN Presents
An Evening with
JESSE LIPSON ‘00 AND
The 2012 John Fisher Zeidman Memorial Colloquium On Politics and the Press
BROOKS BELL ‘02
Panel discussion with:
The founders of ShareFile(sold to Citrix) and Brooks Bell Interactive
Slate, CBS News
When: Thursday, November 15th Where: Gross Hall 5:30 Reception with Food and Drink 6:30 Talk All Duke students and alumni are invited. RSVP:http://entrepreneurship.duke.edu/calendar
Media Coverage of the 2012 Elections
John Dickerson Nia-Malika Henderson T’91 The Washington Post
Ben Smith BuzzFeed Moderated by
James T. Hamilton Charles S. Sydnor Professor of Public Policy Director, DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy
National political journalists from broadcast, print and online media evaluate coverage of the 2012 presidential election.
Saturday, Nov. 17 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Fleishman Commons Sanford Building For information: 613.7306, shelley.stonecipher@duke.edu
4 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012
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MCAT from page 1 during their junior or senior year. “Freshmen need to start considering how they will prepare for the test right now,� Farcy said. Many Duke students will be affected by the changes, given the large number of students interested in pursuing medicine. Farcy noted that 355 members of the class of 2012 applied to medical school. Academic advisors at Duke will continue to have personal and group advising sessions to help students prepare for the MCAT and medical school, said Daniel Scheirer, director of health professions advising. He added that they will increase the number of courses students should take to better prepare for the test. “We are advising students to prepare by taking a course in biochemistry and one or more courses in psychology or sociology,� Scheirer wrote in an email Tuesday. Scheirer added that molecular biology and genetics will be important topics to cover during the undergraduate ca-
reer of students preparing for the exam. He also noted a new software program called AdviseStream, implemented this Fall, which allows pre-med students to plan and track their curriculum throughout their undergraduate experience. “The result will be a series of course maps, which will give undergraduates a visual of what courses contain which foundational concepts,� Scheirer said. Daniel Moore, a freshman who plans to take the MCAT, said he is not concerned about preparing for the new version of the test because of Duke’s advising program. “My academic dean told me what I need to do—she showed me all the classes I need to take, what I need to do during summers and what I need to do outside of school,� Moore said. Despite a potentially more difficult undergraduate courseload, approximately 74 percent of those surveyed believe that the new test will prepare students better for medical school. “The hopes of these changes is that [these students] who have experience in sociology and biological science will come to medical school and have more robust conversations with their peers and professors,� Farcy said.
The last major changes to the MCAT were made about 20 years ago in 1991. The Association of American Medical Colleges formed the MR5 Advisory committee in 2009 to perform the fifth comprehensive MCAT review. The committee evaluated the test in its current form and spoke with medical students, undergraduates and medical school admissions officers to create a list of recommendations for the new version. “The test has traditionally been used as a measure of science knowledge in biology, chemistry, physics, et cetera,� Farcy said. “But it is also a test of critical thinking skills.� The changes, he said, represent “the humanistic side of medicine, not just science.� To accommodate the new test length, a lunch break will be added, Farcy said. Additionally, tests will only be administered in the morning—as opposed to the current format, which allows tests to start in both the morning and afternoon. “I’m definitely against it being seven hours long,� said Peter Mullen, a pre-med freshman. “Performance would deteriorate throughout the whole thing.� The AAMC expects that this new version of the MCAT will be in place until 2030.
IRAN from page 3
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between negotiations and economic catastrophe. Under pressure from international sanctions, Iran’s currency has plummeted in recent months while exports of petroleum — Iran’s chief source of foreign revenue — have been cut nearly in half. “The focus on their economy has become more acute, and that suggests that there may be increased interest in looking for a way out,� he said. On the other hand, “it doesn’t mean that diplomacy is guaranteed to produce an outcome that we want,� Ross said. Administration officials have acknowledged raising the possibility of bilateral talks as a way of luring Iran back to negotiating table. The offer was most recently made during informal contacts on the sidelines of September’s U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York. Iranian diplomats at the time expressed interest in exploring the idea, according to U.S. and European officials familiar with the exchange. The offer remains open, diplomats said, though no negotiations — formal or informal — have been held, or planned so far. A State Department spokesman last week dismissed as “ridiculous� a published report that Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett was meeting privately with Iranians. Meanwhile, the signals from Iran have been mixed. In Tehran, where Obama’s reelection triggered speculation in state-run media about an imminent “grand bargain� to settle the nuclear dispute, a number of prominent politicians and opinion leaders have wondered aloud about whether the moment had finally come for ending three decades of hostility with the United States. “Some people in the system and administration are increasingly asking this question: Who has said — and why — should we so intractably insist on enmity with the U.S.,� Sadegh Ziba Kalam, a political analyst and professor at Tehran University, said in an interview Sunday. “It is possible that the idea that enmity with the U.S. is not in our interests is getting more weight and we see a move toward serious negotiations.� Ahmadinejad is among several prominent Iranians who have spoken favorably in recent days about a possible deal with the United States. The Iranian president, during a visit last week to Indonesia, said Iran’s nuclear program was now a “political� issue, adding, “The issue should be resolved in relations between Iran and the United States.� Another senior official, Mohammed Javad Larijani, secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights and brother of the country’s parliament speaker, suggested in a televised interview that it was in Iran’s interest to deal directly with Washington. “To protect the interests of our system, we would negotiate with the U.S. or anyone else even in the abyss of hell,� he said last week. But other prominent officials remain adamantly opposed. Influential figures among Iran’s military and paramilitary organizations — such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij militia — have flatly rejected the possibility of U.S. talks, as have a number of conservative clerics and religious leaders. “We are not going to resume relationships with America, unless the U.S. changes its behavior,� Brig. Gen. Mohammad-Reza Naghdi, the leader of the Basij, told a news conference on Saturday in Tehran. The last significant opportunity for a breakthrough in U.S.-Iranian relations came in 2003, when Iranian leaders secretly reached out through intermediaries to members of the George W. Bush administration to discuss a possible “grand bargain.� The effort quickly collapsed.
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012 | 5
WEST UNION from page 3 expected to be complete by summer 2015. Although many students were unaware of what the renovations will entail, much of the information the architects used in their designs came from student focus groups conducted last Spring, Roby said. The architects were also excited to hear student feedback. “It’s great being able to speak with students in open a dialogue,” Rhoads said. “We’re early enough in the process that student input can really make an impact.” The architects noted that the renovated West Union is meant to be the social heart of campus. “We want to turn the West Union into a real interactive spot for student life,” Rhoads said. “Right now, it is a place where you walk around, but we want to change it into a gathering place.” The new West Union is intended to promote a healthy, vibrant lifestyle among students, Cook added. “The West Union doesn’t work now,” Cook said. “The design is the inverse of how it works now. It’s supposed to relate to the campus, be a connection between the inside and the outside.” The architects’ vision of a fun, social student center was echoed in students’ reception of the designs, which was overwhelmingly positive. Many attendees of the open house were excited by the changes, although some were less excited about the timeline. “It looks really awesome, it’s just too bad it won’t be done in time for [sophomores] to use it and experience it,” said sophomore Benny Bscher. “I think the Bryan Center will become completely obsolete once [West Union renovations are] done.” Sophomore Emma Arata agreed that the new West Union will be a much more livable space. Especially excited by the redesign’s focus on sustainability—the plans include a rooftop terrace—she thinks the renovations are making much better use of the space, and the new West Union will be a good transition between the Main Quad and the Bryan Center Plaza. With the renovation and design still in the early stage, the open house was only the first of many meetings and focus groups for students to critique the project, Roby said. “It was a cool thing to do for students to offer input,” Arata said. “It’s great to create the interface between the architects and the students who aren’t involved in committees.”
BRIANNA SIRACUSE/THE CHRONICLE
Students, faculty and employees look at plans for the ongoing West Union Building renovations. Representatives from Grimshaw, the architecture firm managing the project, visited campus Tuesday to answer questions and detail the plans.
Did Lincoln deserve his reputation as the Great Emancipator?
PTSD from page 2 Even though the study did link the size of the amygdala to PTSD, it did not determine what conclusively led to the smaller brain structure. “We don’t know if people who have smaller amygdalas go on to develop PTSD [after exposure to trauma] or if the [exposure] leads to a decrease in the size of the amygdala,” said Kevin LaBar, co-author of the study and professor of psychology and neuroscience. Morey stated that the data is more consistent with the idea that people with PTSD may have a smaller amygdala prior to trauma exposure, which may predispose them to developing the disorder. The researchers did not observe a trend suggesting that the amygdala changed in size as a result of the frequency, duration or severity from the trauma. A variety of factors could potentially affect the size of the amygdala, ranging from heredity and nutritional issues during gestation to environmental issues. The discovery of the link between amygdala size and PTSD could play a factor in determining occupational roles in the military, LaBar said. “If it can be established that this is a contributing factor for developing PTSD, we may be able to use this as a screen test so it may help us in assigning [people with smaller amygdalas] to jobs in the Army that would make them less exposed to trauma,” he said. The results from the study are not expected to have an impact on treatment options for those suffering from PTSD, which currently consist of medication and group therapy, said Dr. Gregory Weiss, a physician in the Mental Health Service Line at the Durham VA Medical Center. “While medicine can help control some of symptoms, such as jumpiness, psychotherapy is still the gold standard,” he said.
WWW.QDUKE.COM
Did he free the slaves?
Why did he wait so long?
How a Railroad Lawyer Became the Great Emancipator:
Abraham Lincoln and the Problem of Ending Slavery Paul Finkelman John Hope Franklin Visiting Professor of Legal History delivers the
Robert R. Wilson Lecture at Duke Law School
November 14, 2012 12:15 p.m. | Duke law room 3041
6 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012
BUDGET from page 1
SIMPLY THE BEST!
The cuts are likely to slash federal research funds for universities nationwide, said Chris Simmons, associate vice president for federal relations and one of three registered federal lobbyists employed directly by the University. “Given the size of the federal deficit, we’re prepared for some cutbacks, especially in research,� he said. “If funding is cut, the University will have to compensate for that in some way.� Not all universities will see funding cut equally, and those that have more competitive research faculty will likely come out on top, Simmons noted, adding that Duke has a high-powered faculty that is highly competitive for funds. Duke was ranked the fifthlargest research university in the nation based on expenditures and was the 13th-most federally funded in the 2010 fiscal year. Simmons added that the effects of budget cuts will lag behind the actual implementation of the cuts. “We won’t know the actually impact of the cut on our budget for several months,� he said. “How we react to those cuts will depend on how our faculty competes and which federal programs are cut.� Last week, North Carolina voters elected a Republican-controlled state government. Upon inauguration, the GOP will hold the governor’s seat, the lieutenant governor’s seat and a majority in both the state house of representatives
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and senate, a dominance North Carolina has not seen in 140 years, said Mike Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations. Like for the federal government, a top priority on the state government’s agenda will be the budget, he added, noting that possible spending cuts will have direct and indirect effects on the University. One state program relevant to Duke that may see funding cuts is the North Carolina Legislative Tuition Grant Program, a scholarship program that grants money to North Carolina students who choose to attend in-state private schools, Schoenfeld said. NCLTG used to give $1,800 scholarships to in-state students in order to incentivize young North Carolinians to keep their talent in state. Last year, the program was changed to a need-based system to save costs, but the general concept remains the same. If state funding for K-12 public schools is slashed and the results of those cuts negatively affect Triangle-area schools, it may hamper Duke’s ability to recruit faculty and staff who would send their children to such institutions, Schoenfeld added. Throughout his campaign, President Barack Obama touted his ongoing dedication to the expansion of the federal Pell Grant program, which provides needbased aid to low-income university students. Obama argued that if his opponents in the Republican party gained more power in Washington, they would drastically cut
funding for this program, making it more difficult for Americans to obtain higher education. This distinction, however, may not be so clear—funding for higher education is typically an important priority across party lines, Simmons noted. “We know that the president and Congress have been supportive of universities and of sending students to college,� he said. Although Pell Grants are protected from automatic cuts, other federal financial aid programs could be cut by $134 million. Another hot-button issue this election cycle was the staying power of the Affordable Care Act, which Obama’s victory will enshrine as the “law of the land,� said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, in an interview with ABC News last Thursday. Duke spends approximately $400 million insuring around 70,000 faculty, staff, dependents and retirees annually, Schoenfeld said. As health care reform becomes fully implemented nationwide—a process that will take a number of years—Duke will see its cost of providing insurance increase. For example, beginning in 2014, the University will have to insure faculty and staff members’ dependents until they are 26 years old, Schoenfeld noted. “Stability almost always trumps uncertainty and there are many aspects of the ACA... that will make the health care system more rational, more comprehensive and more fair, but they’re not without their trade offs,� Schoenfeld said.
Divine connections
CAROLINE RODRIGUEZ/THE CHRONICLE
Associate dance professor Ava Vinesett presents an interactive lecture—Creating Ashe/Connecting to the Divine Tuesday night.
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Cleaning up the ACC’s bowl mess Winter is coming. And for the first time in 18 years, winter does not mean an early end to the college football season for Duke. In just 18 days, the Blue Devils will receive an invitation to play in their first bowl game since 1994. Not only will this mark the culmination of Duke’s most successful season in two decades, but it will also unscramble the ACC into its final postseason alignment. But until Dec. 2, the guesses of college football pundits are as good as yours when it comes to projecting where the ACC teams will end up come bowl season. One of the reasons for this uncertainty is that the ACC will not likely fill all of its bowl contracts this season. The conference currently has agreements with eight bowl games, but with two games remaining in the year, only four ACC teams— Duke, Florida State, Clemson and N.C. State—are currently bowl eligible. Boston College has already been knocked out of bowl contention after a dismal 2-8 start, and North Carolina is ineligible for postseason play due to NCAA infractions. Virginia and Virginia Tech are each one loss away from losing their bowl eligibility as well—one of those dominos is guaranteed to Daniel fall when the Cavaliers and Hokies square off in Blacksburg, Va. on Nov. 24, and Virginia needs a win over North Carolina this weekend to have a shot at bowl eligibility. Maryland still has a shot at bowl eligibility... mathematically. But to make it to 6-6 the Terrapins will need to post back-toback victories against Florida State and North Carolina. Let’s just cross that one off our list. So under those conservative assumptions, the ACC can have at most eight bowl eligible teams this year, but those who are fighting for one of the four remaining bowl contracts will need major help to get there. Wake Forest sits at 5-5, needing to win one of its two remaining non-conference matchups to go bowling this season. The Demon Deacons, however, will have to defeat either third-ranked Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. or a sneaky Vanderbilt squad, which has posted a 4-3 record in the powerhouse SEC this season and is riding a four-game winning streak. Duke’s next opponent, Georgia Tech, faces a must-win game when the Blue Devils travel to Atlanta this weekend. If the Yellow Jackets can defend their home turf, they will have a shot at the ACC Championship game if Duke beats Miami in its final game of the season. If the Blue Devils come out on top this weekend, Georgia Tech needs to beat in-state rival Georgia, who will represent the SEC East in its conference championship game. And then we have Miami, who needs a victory against South Florida at home this weekend or against the Blue Devils in Durham Nov. 24, and will likely make it to six wins. But that might not mean bowl eligibility for the Hurricanes, who still await the outcome of the Nevin Shapiro investigation by the NCAA and could be deemed bowl ineligible this season. Miami has a difficult decision to make over the next two weeks, and could self-impose a bowl ban in order to lessen penalties by the NCAA. This issue will be discussed ad nauseum over the next two weeks, especially since the Coastal Division title could be hanging in the balance as the Hurricanes enter the final week of the season. So when the dust settles, the ACC may end up with only five or six bowl eligible teams—so what does that mean for Duke? The Blue Devils’ ultimate bowl destination will depend on both their performance and that of other teams—most notably Clemson—in the season’s final two weeks.
WEDNESDAY November 14, 2012
Make sure to keep up with the sports blog for live updates on all basketball games, as well as a postgame breakdown of Duke and Kentucky’s matchup.
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MEN’S BASKETBALL
Hairston helps Blue Devils absorb Kentucky punches
Carp
On Football
SEE CARP ON PAGE 8
ELYSIA SU/THE CHRONICLE
Junior Josh Hairston converted two offensive rebounds into baskets in the second half during a critical 14 minutes, after senior Mason Plumlee fouled out at 16:04 left in the game. Last Friday against Georgia State, Hairston was the only Blue Devil to play and not score. by Tom Gieryn THE CHRONICLE
ATLANTA — In a fight between two talented heavyweights, winning requires more than just punching. It requires taking punches as well, and Duke demonstrated Tuesday night that it understands this principle. In a physical 75-68 win against Kentucky at the Georgia Dome, the No. 3 Wildcats landed a heavy blow when star senior center Mason Plumlee picked up his fourth foul with 16:04 left in the game and the Blue Devils leading by six. But with the help of junior forward Josh Hairston, Duke not only absorbed the blow, but also stung Kentucky with a counterattack. “This is definitely my best game here at Duke, in my career,” Hairston said. “I just wanted to bring energy, toughness, fight, and I think that’s what I did.” Leading all scorers with 16 points at the time, Plumlee was forced to the bench, also leaving Duke without its primary defensive presence against Kentucky freshman phenom Nerlens Noel. Plumlee had led the Blue Devils with his intangibles, showing a demonstrative side that was seen only in flashes last season. He demanded the ball loudly in the post, and generally looked eager to play a physical game against a hyped Noel. “Early on I felt like I could score, and then they started doubling me,” said Plumlee, who added three assists and five rebounds to his 18-point scoring effort. “And when they double, it’s only going to open other guys up. I had some turnovers, but besides the turnovers, I felt something good was going to happen every time.” With Plumlee sidelined, Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski turned to the 6-foot-7 Hairston against the 6-foot-10 Noel, and the Wildcats immedi-
ately responded by inserting 7-foot Willie Cauley-Stein into the game alongside Noel. With the Blue Devils reeling, the Wildcats saw their chance to land a few more punches. “I felt we had some chances to get up and down,” Noel said. On the first Kentucky possession following Plumlee’s departure, 6-foot-8 Wildcat forward Alex Poythress rebounded a missed 3-pointer over 6-foot-1 Tyler Thornton and slammed it home to pull Kentucky back within four. But Hairston was not about to let his team hit the mat. “I know my team needed me on defense, to play physical, to try and guard Nerlens Noel,” Hairston said. “[Noel is] a great player and he hit some tough shots, but I just wanted to make him work for everything.” Noel—who has been touted for years for his outstanding shot-blocking ability—aggressively pursued the opportunity to block shots in the lane, and his willingness to attack penetrating guards left the offensive glass open. Hairston pulled down two offensive rebounds and put them back in, keying a 12-6 Duke run with Plumlee on the bench. “When I got into the lane, I knew Noel would try and block shots,” senior guard Seth Curry said. “So I was just trying to get it on the rim. And Josh did a good job cleaning up a few times for me.” Keeping the Wildcats at arm’s length during Plumlee’s absence was crucial, knowing that Kentucky head coach John Calipari and his usual elite recruiting class were not going to be knocked out easily either. “You know they’re going to make a run,” Krzyzewski SEE HAIRSTON ON PAGE 8
8 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012
M. BASKETBALL from page 1 But Wildcat freshman Alex Poythress threw down a put-back slam to reduce the margin to 10. That sparked a run with Kentucky rallying to make the score 64-61 with less than four minutes to play. But Curry made two free throws to extend the lead to five. The Blue Devils did not score in the 4:26 between Curry’s points. “We just said, it’s a three-minute ballgame. Let’s win a three-minute ballgame, and we did,” Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Seth was terrific. I think he was the difference maker in the game…. I think he took control of the game. We wanted the ball in his hands, and he made veteran, tough plays down the stretch.” Poythress responded with a jumper on the next sequence, but another Curry bucket ensured that the Wildcats never came within a possession of tying the game for the rest of the way. In the final 2:04, the Blue Devils made 7-of-8 free throws. Curry went 6-of-6 from the free throw line, and Plumlee— who typically struggles from the charity stripe—nailed all four of his attempts. “I personally want to have the ball in my hands as much as possible to go up there and knock them down,” Curry said. Rasheed Sulaimon gave the three seniors a boost in the final 20 minutes, after the freshman shot 0-for-7 in the first half. Sulaimon hit three 3-pointers in the second half—two of them coming in a critical stretch with Plumlee on the bench after picking up his fourth foul with 16:04 to go. Sulaimon led Duke with six rebounds and five assists. When Plumlee went to the bench after the foul call, the Blue Devils extended their lead to double digits for the first time. Throughout the game, Plumlee fought a physical battle in the paint with Wildcat Nerlens Noel, who is regarded as the top freshman in the nation. Despite Plumlee picking up two early fouls that clearly frustrated him, he shot 5-of6 from the field in the first half, guiding Duke to a 33-31 lead at the break. “Especially when you’re playing a team as talented as Kentucky at every position, you have to get things from tons of areas and different players,” Kelly said. “As seniors we need to be there to lead our team through anything. That’s what got us through a game there like that when you had people in foul trouble and had to play with that.”
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Kelly, who finished with 10 points, was most impactful on the defensive end guarding Kentucky sophomore forward Kyle Wiltjer. With Plumlee on the bench at times, Kelly’s defense in the post was thrust into the spotlight, and he responded with three blocked shots, all of which came in the first half. After recording a team-high 19 points in the team’s season-opening victory against Maryland, Wiltjer scored just five points Tuesday night. “They took him away. They did a great job of saying, ‘He’s not getting a shot off,’” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said. “He played well against Maryland, shot the ball. Well this team said, ‘He’s not shooting it.’” Quinn Cook, who did not start for the second consecutive game, also gave the team an early spark, playing 15 of the first 20 minutes while starting point guard Tyler Thornton played just seven. Cook subsequently started the second half Thornton’s place. Entering the game with Duke down by four, Cook took advantage of a Kentucky backcourt that was without starting point guard Ryan Harrow, who did not travel to Atlanta due to illness. Cook orchestrated an offense that combined to turn over the ball just eight times, while recording 16 assists. The Wildcats recorded 13 turnovers and 13 assists. “I thought he played with assertiveness. He pushed it. He played really good defensively,” Krzyzewski said. “Quinn Cook really gave us a lift. He scored in transition—it was kind of difficult for us to score in the halfcourt in the first half.” Redshirt freshman Alex Murphy, who did not play in the team’s opener against Georgia State, played two minutes in the first half but did not see the floor for the rest of the game. Junior Josh Hairston played a critical 14 minutes, however, converting two offensive rebounds into baskets in the second half. This was the first time the Blue Devils defeated a top-three opponent since a Feb. 2008 victory against then-No. 3 North Carolina, while Krzyzewski moved to 5-1 in his career against Kentucky and 2-0 against Calipari-led teams. And Krzyzewski was able to count on Curry, who turned in a big-game performance reminiscent of his 22-point performance in Feb. 2011. “I’m proud of you,” Krzyzewski said, patting Curry on the back. “I’m glad you came to Duke.”
HAIRSTON from page 7
CARP from page 7
said. “They’ve won more than 100 games in the last three years. They’re national champions, so they’re going to make a run.” And as expected, Kentucky came storming back with an 11-2 run of its own that lasted five minutes. Poythress—who made a statement with his aggressive play throughout the game—had two of his five offensive rebounds and scored four of his 20 points during this stretch. Graduate guard Julius Mays scored five straight points to make the score 66-63 with 1:37 to play. But Duke got its gloves back up and dealt Kentucky a knockout punch in the form of a Seth Curry drive for two points, followed by an Archie Goodwin turnover on the other end. Duke broke a Wildcat press following the turnover, and Noel fouled Thornton near midcourt as he hustled to recover defensively. With Duke in the bonus, Thornton drilled both halves of a one-and-one with 40 seconds on the clock, forcing Calipari to go into foul-and-hope mode. Curry and Rasheed Sulaimon combined to shoot 3-for-4 from the line on the ensuing Blue Devil possessions, sealing the win for Duke. But being in a position to count on free-throw shooting at the end had all begun 16 minutes earlier, when Duke showed a maturity and resilience—usually a hallmark of Blue Devil squads— that had frequently eluded it last season. Hairston, the only Duke player to play and not score in the team’s season opener last Friday, landed some of the critical jabs. “Josh fought like crazy,” senior Ryan Kelly said. “He was unbelievable. He did an unbelievable job fighting Nerlens, all their bigs, rebounding.” Fighting, indeed.
The ACC’s eight bowl contracts will select bowl-eligible teams in just under three weeks. BCS bowl games are given priority, starting with the Discover Orange Bowl, which will receive the ACC Champion. Given Clemson’s resurgence back into the BCS picture, the Tigers may earn the ACC a second BCS slot with a bid to the Sugar Bowl. Should this happen, it will most certainly open up better bowl possibilities for the Blue Devils. The Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta receives the next choice, and will likely take the Tigers, should the Sugar Bowl not come calling. A representative from the game attended Clemson’s thrashing of Duke two weeks ago and likely paid keen attention to the large number of fans willing to attend away games. Should Clemson make a BCS game, Miami could be the next choice for the Chick-fil-A bowl—if they do not self-impose a ban—but otherwise Duke could potentially sneak into a major bowl game against an SEC opponent. If the Blue Devils were to win their remaining two games and make it to the ACC Championship game in Charlotte, N.C., they would be guaranteed at least a trip to the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando, Fla. or the Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, which hold the next two selections. Should they not make the ACC Championship game, many believe that Duke could be invited to the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, which holds the conference’s fifth choice due to its proximity to the Triangle, though that same situation applies to N.C. State in Raleigh. If the Wolfpack are selected instead of the Blue Devils, the next option would be the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn. So if you’re trying to book early travel plans to Duke’s bowl game, don’t bother asking an expert—chances are they know just as much as you do. Two more wild weekends will provide only limited clarity to what has been a year to remember in the ACC.
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A better West Union Tuesday, architects from represents an opportunity to the firm Grimshaw held an correct the current architecopen house for students to tural oddities hampering soview and comment on plans cial interaction. Whereas the for the new West Union build- old, inadequate West Union ing their firm is designing. leaves students with few othThe early results er options for are very encourpublic, comeditorial aging. In both munal social their designs and solicitation spaces, the new West Union of feedback, the architects promises to encourage fluid, demonstrated an awareness interconnected and open soof the needs this new building cial community. must fulfill. As currently proThese advancements are posed, the new building will grounded in the physical, spareconceive student space on tial transformations envisioned. campus by providing a social The old West Union is an rudihub at its heart. The New West mentary assemblage of nooks Union will hopefully serve as a and crannies—its many rooms place students want to be, not feel cloistered and isolated, and just a place they have to be. the building lacks intuitive pasThe new West Union build- sageways, inhibiting any sense ing will serve as a keystone of connectivity amongst the for West Campus life after students inside. As proposed, its completion. The overhaul the new West Union identifies
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these shortcomings and works to correct them. The values the building wants to advance—openness, socializing and visibility—are matched in the building’s physical attributes. A prominent and fluid central staircase connecting the floors of a glass-covered tiered atrium will unify the space. Students inhabiting the building for myriad reasons—to study, eat and play—will be visible to each other. Large glass windows promise to make the new building brighter and more attractive. Crucially, the inclusion of so much space designated explicitly for students, including Link-like areas for studying, activity space for socializing and seating areas for dining and conversation, signals prioritization of the needs
of a diverse and active student community. Currently, the only true 24/7 communal space on West Campus is Perkins Library, if one doesn’t count the eateries McDonald’s and Pitchfork Provisions. We wholeheartedly support the development of the new West Union building as a more attractive alternative. We hope the architects and the administration will join to execute the construction of a building that accomplishes this vision. A pub, proposed for the ground floor occupied formerly by the Outpost, would be a unique and welcome addition to on-campus social life. The new West Union should be versatile and include space for afterhours gatherings—including a performance space and a
late-night eatery. Sustainability should also continue to be a priority. Finally, we encourage students to remain engaged. With construction scheduled for Fall 2014, the window of opportunity for impactful student input is shrinking. Future open houses present crucial opportunities for student voices to be heard. Instead of leaving creative decisions up to administrators, we encourage student leaders formally involved in the process to proactively assess and advocate for student needs. Right now all signs are encouraging, but the architect’s vision is not set in stone. Students still have the opportunity to influence how this building takes shape, and we hope they take the opportunity to do so.
Resetting rhetoric
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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
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Tonight, in this election, you, the American peo- the two biggest nuclear-weapon states to make these ple, reminded us that while our road has been reductions creates no incentive for any other nuclear hard, while our journey has been long, we have weapons state to consider reduction, and further suppicked ourselves up, we have fought ports non-nuclear-weapon states’ cries our way back, and we know in our that Russian and American goals of a hearts that for the United States of nuclear-free society are hypocritical. America the best is yet to come.” USAID itself was expelled from Barack’s acceptance speech did exRussia this September when the Rusactly what it had to. It thanked all the sian government became fed up with right people and reminded us that he USAID support for democratic orgais at heart a family man. It gave a granizations. The Russian government cious nod to the challenger. And if it cares a little more about dislydia thurman obviously hadn’t been noticeably free of John banding election-monitoring groups doubly a lie McCain’s name, that speech could than befriending the United States. have been the one delivered in ChiObama has underestimated the percago just about four years ago, right down to the last sonal impact Putin has on Russian ideology; if friendjourney metaphor. ship and alliance free of political pressure is the goal, Sitting in my room, listening to his 20-minute the United States would have to accept at face value speech, I felt as though I was at a spelling bee with all the adherence to some of the more unsavory, undemthe buzzzzz-buzzzzz-buzzwords being thrown around. ocratic elements of Russian policy in Russia and beI understand that campaigning is a difficult task. To yond its borders. That’s certainly not something that simultaneously brand oneself and allow for an under- Obama’s reset policy did, and, in my opinion, falls standing of the meaningful subtleties that your spe- well outside the realm of what it should be doing. cific policies and character project is hard. So fine, This October, the Russian foreign minister said, “If focus on your patriotic and presidential public image we talk about the ‘reset,’ it is clear that, using computer until you get the votes. But after inauguration, realize terminology, it cannot last forever. Otherwise it would there’s an expectation of follow-through. Each four- not be a ‘reset’ but a program failure.” I’m no English year term a president serves ideally will result in a little major, but that seems incongruous with the optimistic more than extra jargon for political science students wordplay Obama has been batting around with reto memorize or staged pictures with foreign diplo- gards to Moscow. Match the public sentiments of Rusmats. So we’ve given you another shot, Barack! sian officials with the deliberate expulsion of USAID At the beginning of Obama’s first term, the great from Russia and it becomes strikingly clear that it’s not orator sought to turn powerful rhetoric into progress perceptions of a boisterous, domineering, Bush-led with a “Russian reset.” The American image project- America on the global stage that has been preventing ed by Bush wasn’t necessarily one most Russians ap- tighter relations between these superpowers. preciated and Obama was going to change that. By The fact of the matter is that different ideologies diminishing forcefulness and projecting friendliness, and enormous nuclear arsenals make for a complex the United States was set to adopt a doctrine of “mea relationship, and merely engaging Russia in a conculpa,” of humility. versational and amicable fashion won’t reset that. But this attitude failed to account for the pragma- Sometimes it does take pressure to accomplish the tism of political circumstances. It takes more to ac- ends that are valuable to Americans. It’s up to Obama complish political ends than gestures. Russian policy then, not to campaign for Russian approval, but to isn’t a reactionary response to American friendliness. determine what is most valuable to American foreign With considerations in the Middle East, oil prices policy under different circumstances. If it’s better to drive policy. The Russian resistance to interventions step up on nuclear arsenal reductions and be the first in Libya, then Syria over the past two years, and over to suggest a compromise, then that’s what needs to the past decade in Iran is intrinsically attached to a happen. Americans can be friendly and unassuming! desire to keep oil prices high and Russian exports lu- But if it’s better to amp up pressure on Russia with crative. So now, four years later, we find a Moscow that regards to Syria, with regards to Iran, then we need to is hardly a supportive ally in the Middle East. realize that words can’t go it alone. My vote going into Even more concerning, progress with nuclear this new administration is for a new start. It’s probstrategic arms reduction is unimpressive. More than ably time to reset rhetoric and focus on meaningful 90 percent of the nuclear weapons in existence are progress. in stockpiles in Russia and the United States, and a lack of trust (based upon a mismatch of political inLydia Thurman is a Trinity sophomore. Her column terests, as in the Middle East) prevents the two sides runs every other Wednesday. You can follow Lydia on Twitter from making real changes to that fact. The inability of @ThurmanLydia.
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Spontaneous response to disasters
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s the after effects of Hurricane San- important to note, however, that “price dy continue to be felt in the North, a gouging,” as it is so derisively called, sees new specter—gasoline rationing—is to an even more critical need. As supplies making its own unpleasant presence more in affected areas dwindle and prices rise and more painful for consumers. In the accordingly, entrepreneurs who operate wake of the storm, demand for gasoline outside of the disaster zone are increashas increased dramatically. At the same ingly incentivized—in an attempt to time, the supply of gas—escapture increased profits pecially from powerless lofrom these localized price cal providers and damaged increases—to redirect their regional suppliers—has own resources toward the either stagnated or sharply storm-stricken areas. The contracted. In response, inflated prices in these local governments have areas, operating again as rather unwisely attempted signals, will draw fresh reto keep prices down by imsources like honey does chris bassil posing price ceiling and gas flies. In so doing, the price human action rationing boondoggles on increases—if they are althe desperate populations. lowed to materialize—will In order to effectively assess such a spontaneously coordinate the replenishpolicy, it’s important to start by recogniz- ment of supplies in these areas by realing that prices are more than just arbitrary locating resources toward them. In short, sums paid by buyers to sellers in exchange the much-maligned price increases amplifor trinkets and knick-knacks. A price, fy the willingness of neighboring locales within the context of the economy at large, to resupply underserved areas. is actually a highly complicated method of All of this holds, however, only so long communication. It conveys information as the voluntary interactions of consentpertaining not only to the wishes of buyers ing individuals are allowed to take place and sellers, but also to the desirability of free of third-party interference. As soon as goods, the availability of goods, the costs of exogenous distortions—in the form here their factors of production, and the overall of state intervention—are permitted to efficiency of the allocation of resources in tamper with the price system, the correcthe economy as a whole. A price is capable tive forces of voluntary exchange are imof discriminating against buyers who are mediately undermined. In the regrettable either unwilling or unable to prioritize a event that price controls are enacted, for good in question and against sellers who instance, the state destroys both the conare equally unlikely to provide that same servation and replenishment mechanisms. good at competitive market rates. Its fluc- In so doing, it virtually guarantees that the tuations serve as a signal from consumers pain experienced by consumers will enand producers to entrepreneurs and in- dure longer than is absolutely necessary. vestors who, should they forecast strongly It was such an insight that led American enough, can alter the structure of produc- economist Murray Rothbard to observe, tion and allocation of certain resources in in 1962, “The typical government reason order to provide for the future demands for selective price control—‘we must imof the populace. A price plays an integral pose controls on this product as long as and yet invisible role in the spontaneous it is in short supply’—is revealed to be an coordination of the seemingly disparate almost ludicrous error.” The actuality, he and unrelated phenomena that make up explained, is “precisely the reverse: price our economy. Like language or the human control creates an artificial shortage of the body, the price system fascinates because product, which continues as long as the it represents spontaneous order on a scale control is in existence.” that utterly defies planning and preconThe concept is one that, at first, can ceived direction, but that functions splen- be difficult to grasp. We are so often predidly nonetheless. sented with portraits of starving families In the case of the gas shortage, then, at the mercy of ruthless price gougers that the rising price of gasoline should be seen the cries for government to help almost in a new light. No longer the instrument seem to justify themselves. It is for this of greedy and rapacious sellers, seeking to reason, though, that we must be vigilant profit off of the weak and downtrodden, against lapsing into the so-called “Nirvana the rising price actually signals to buyers fallacy,” which is committed when we comthat supplies of the good in question are pare the market order to the fantasy of a dwindling. As the supply continues to dwin- perfect outcome rather than the reality of dle and the price continues to rise, buyers the imperfect state response. In a perfect of gasoline will be increasingly forced to Eden, for instance, no individual would go purchase only the amount that they abso- for more than a second without all the gas lutely need. The high price of gasoline will he could ever want. In a market economy, incentivize consumers away from excessive especially one stricken by a natural disasstockpiling, and represents a crucial mech- ter, he might go for some time without it, anism of conservation that is endogenous but various mechanisms will be in place to to the price system itself. This, of course, provide for conservation, replenishment does not guarantee that those who come and bidding for scarce resources amongst late to the market will still receive the gaso- consumers. Finally, in the unfortunate line they need. It does, however, do a far state takeover of the disaster zone, he will better job than price controls and ration- suffer through the barriers erected against ing—both of which incentivize excessive all of these functions, and, moreover, will stockpiling and black marketeering by ar- be made to feel as though he should be tificially attaching pre-disaster “prices” to a grateful for it. post-disaster supply—at giving them someI, personally, know how I would rank thing of a chance. them. It should be clear—according to this value-free deductive analysis—that Chris Bassil, Trinity ’12, is currently workshortage-induced price increases provide ing for Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Bosan important mechanism on the part of ton, Mass. His column runs every Wednesday. the unrestricted market for conservation You can follow Chris on Twitter @Hamsterdin times of increased scarcity. It is also amEcon.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012 | 11
The Socialites
The sociology of mario kart
I
have owned a Nintendo DS since turbo boost. They were also the peoI was 15. In completely unrelated ple who made “Hit It and Quidditch” news, I also had not kissed a boy by Harry Potter tribute tees with me, the that time. My raunchipeople who memorized est love affairs were rethe Ron Burgundy catastricted to utterly literal logue of pickup lines, joysticks, reinforcing the people whose unmy belief that navigatapologetic obsession ing the male anatomy with hot dogs induced paled in comparison to a bounty of low-culture navigating Koopa Trooculinary rants. I’ve pa Beach. lindsay tomson been blessed by a lot of I was a disobedifreaks in my life. middle child ent 11th grader in apSo what if the most syndrome proximately one way: I interesting things I did played video games in in high school were class. I didn’t cuss, I got good grades actually just being imposed on my and I didn’t touch or ingest any un- Sims? Living vicariously is an innate seemly unmentionables. But you bet human tendency that allows us to be your bottom dollar that I’d meta- safely standard while also acting unphorically serve the finger to my AP commonly uncharacteristic. Some English teacher in the form of my achieve this with a little technological Nintendo DS. assistance. An in-crowd wannabe is “Oh, you wanna talk poetry? Well no different than an avatar-wielding I’m playing ‘Professor Layton and geek—both seek ways to step outside the Curious Village,’ so pipe down. themselves. And both consider the Shakespearean ‘Who Wants to be a outside option to be a, so to speak, Millionaire’ can wait, because solving cooler alternative than their own rethis cryptogram is more important ality. The key is to understand that than your iambic pentameter, lady.” living vicariously does not mean livI was truly the James Dean of digi- ing enviously, because in most cases tally fortified teenage rebellion. the object of your fixation is hardly a At a time when the majority of my literal representation of what you’re friends started drinking alcohol, Ma- in need of. rio Kart acted as my surrogate social While I was riding shotgun to big lubricant. I may not have been doing daddy Donkey Kong, I didn’t actukeg stands with the guy in the puka ally want to be a 64-bit creature driftshell necklace, but I was still bonding ing in a boxcar. What I did want was with the weirdoes similarly equipped an adventure. I’ve recently realized with handheld gaming devices. These that the word adventure has been weirdoes (who remain my friends and haunting me ever since graduation. who remain weird) taught me one of I’ve even more recently realized that the most significant lessons of my the word adventure has been really adolescence: There’s a difference be- haunting me since puberty. As a little tween being cool and being popular. kid, I had no concept of cool or popIn my high school, those terms ular. In fact, I felt very few sentiments were lumped together. The cool kids other than “this is fun” or “I have a were the popular kids, even if the cool boo-boo.” As kids we either laugh or kids were vilified by the majority of cry, and the things we cry about are their classmates. For teenagers, pop- fleetingly forgotten as soon as we find ularity doesn’t indicate high-approval the right adventure. As adults we let ratings. If anything, it merely denotes adventure become clouded by obligaintrigue and in most cases jealousy. tory peer definitions of cool and Cool kids, who were doing defini- popular. So now, in a life stage overtively cool things like Drugs and Sex wrought with arbitrary syntax, I can’t and Pop-Rock ‘n’ roll, were dubbed help but feel that I’m a couple quests “popular” just because they gave ev- short of a satisfying life. ery social stratosphere something to I know a lot of weirdoes who regossip about. But calling the girl in mind me that my personal definition head-to-toe Juicy Couture popular of cool is being silly, childlike and addid not automatically insinuate that venturous. I had to be reminded of she was a pleasant human being. this when I was 15, I still need those However, and this is equally impor- reminders at 22, and I fully intend to tant, it didn’t imply that she was an abuse Peach with red shells well into unlikeable person either. It cannot be my 40s. By the time I get to Cougar assumed that a heavily criticized per- Town though, I’m confident my virson is a bad person. Just like it cannot tual expeditions will be mere manibe assumed that a categorically cool festations of the many real world person is a universally adored person. adventures I’ll have under my belt. My point here is that the definition After all, you can’t get to the finish of popularity is historically and perva- line without slipping on a couple basively blurred. This grammatical am- nana peels! biguity for one word transitively distorted my understanding of another. Lindsay Tomson, Trinity ’12, is curSo the meaning of cool also required rently applying her Duke-developed skills clarification, if not re-characteriza- of sarcasm and awkwardness in the real tion. world. Her installation of the weekly SoThe people who really enlight- cialites column runs on alternate Wednesened me to coolness were the very days. You can follow Lindsay on Twitter same people who taught me how to @elle4tee.
12 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012
THE CHRONICLE
Free Throw Shooting Contest
TODAY
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.