Field hockey to open season
First DSG meeting of the year
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Licensing Office director departs
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ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 7
Dorm burglaries spike during move-in
Claire Ballentine The Chronicle Rose Ritts, executive director of the Office of Licensing and Ventures, is leaving Duke after holding the position for nine years. Since Ritts began as director in 2006, the OLV has become one of the most successful technology transfer offices in the country. Under her leadership, licensing agreements—which turn innovations by Duke researchers ROSE RITTS into marketable products—made by the OLV have risen from 35 per year when she joined to more than 150 so far in 2015. She will take the role of Executive Vice President of Innovation at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health System in Philadelphia beginning Nov. 1. OLV Managing Director Barry Myers will serve as interim executive director while the University searches for a new director. “When I joined Duke, this was a new start-up,” Ritts said. “Now it has a national reputation, and I’m moving on to the next start-up.” Ritts noted that when she started as director, the OLV generated a revenue of about $3 million per year—a figure which increased to more than $37 million in 2015. She added that her team originally comprised four or five See RITTS on Page 12
Carolyn Chang | The Chronicle Few Quadrangle was one of the locations affected by several burglaries reported during upperclassmen move-in.
Adam Beyer The Chronicle A series of dormitory burglaries has prompted Duke University Police Department to increase its presence on West Campus and near on-campus residence halls. The burglaries—most of which took place during the latter part of orientation week and upperclassmen move-in— affected several residents, primarily in Few and Keohane quadrangles. DUPD’s Community Safety Report states that between last Thursday and last Saturday, four incidences of larceny were reported in Few GG and Few HH, and that last Saturday alone there were three reports of property theft in Keohane 4A.
As a result of the increased number of thefts around upperclassmen move-in— which also included reports of larceny in Edens 2C and Kilgo P—DUPD is trying to ramp up its security presence on campus, explained Chief of Police John Dailey and Dean for Residential Life Joe Gonzalez. “Periodically, we do have a rash of thefts in the residence halls, and opening and closing are the times where the communities are the most susceptible to that type of behavior,” Gonzalez said. The move-in thefts have come at a busy time for DUPD, which also charged a man with second-degree sexual assault last Friday and is still investigating an on-campus car accident that occurred Sunday, Dailey noted in an email Wednesday. Another burglary was reported Tuesday at the 1914 Lewis Street
Memorial Jazz Concert Honoring Paul Jeffrey Honor the life and music of Paul Jeffrey with a concert of his arrangements Saturday, Aug. 29 8 p.m. – Baldwin Auditorium FREE
apartments on Central Campus, and two were reported the same day in Pegram on East Campus. Dailey noted that several police investigators are working to solve the thefts, but all cases are listed as “closed,” which the report explains means they were “reviewed and inactivated due to lack of solvability factors.” The report also says closed cases may be reactivated if new information becomes available. “Unfortunately, in situations like this it can be difficult to determine who might have been responsible,” Gonzalez said. He noted that the types of items stolen varied but that most could be considered “thefts of opportunity.” See BURGLARIES on Page 2
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DSG abolishes $20,000 newspaper program Alex Griffith The Chronicle Duke Student Government canceled its newspaper readership program in its first meeting of the academic year Wednesday. The program, which costs $20,000 per year and has been available since the early 2000s, provides students free access to USA Today, the New York Times and the Durham Herald-Sun newspapers, in addition to New York Times online content. Based on the number of times students swiped in to access newspapers via card-activated machines and the number of papers left on stands around campus, it was estimated that students take approximately 260 papers per day. “Ultimately, we concluded that students would prefer their activity fees to be more wisely allocated,” said senior JP Lucaci, vice president of services, who introduced the statute with junior Tara Bansal, vice president of academic affairs, and Policy Advisor Michael Pelle, a senior. “The benefits of the program simply did not justify the costs.” Bansal, Lucaci and Pelle cited the fact that all New York Times articles are available to Duke students through a library database called LexisNexis, and that many alternative news sources are available for free on the internet, including both USA Today and the Durham Herald-Sun. Opponents of the statute, however, explained that many classes require students to have access to the paper for discussion and research. Supporters responded by arguing that Duke does not supply free textbooks and other class resources, so it should not be obligated to provide a free newspaper as well. Bansal, Lucaci and Pelle also explained that the service will expire 30 days after cancellation, giving DSG time to negotiate a new, more cost-effective readership program to replace it. The statute passed with 13 senators in favor and six opposing.
Jesús Hidalgo | The Chronicle After working with PTS to alter on-campus bus routes, DSG wasted no time making another major move at its first meeting of the year—ending its newspaper program.
In other business: SOFC approved two group funding requests—the Marine Science and Conservation Leaders received $1,500 for a public trip to the Duke Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, N.C., and the Duke Symphony Orchestra received $1,260 to hold a public concert. The Senate elected Senator of Academic Affairs Brian Hopkins, a senior, as president pro tempore. He will assume control of the Senate when Executive Vice President John Guarco, a junior, is introducing and defending legislation. DSG allocated $2,000 from the surplus fund to cover DSG legal costs for the 2015-16 school year. The statute was introduced by Guarco. Finally, DSG passed a statute establishing the rules and timeline for fall first-year senator elections. Information sessions will be held Aug. 29 and 30, candidates’ petitions are due
Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. and elections will be held Sept. 10.
Gautam Hathi | The Chronicle The newspaper program that provides free access to USA Today and other publications will be canceled shortly— DSG hopes to replace it in the future.
BURGLARIES from page 1 “Whoever was doing it grabbed random things, so it varied from person to person what might have been stolen,” Gonzalez said. Sophomore John Lu, who lives in Few HH, said his room was broken into Saturday. He said that after returning from lunch, one of his bags was open and that it appeared as though someone had gone through his boxes. Although nothing major was taken, his room and mailbox keys and a pair of flip-flops were missing. “I was fortunate enough that I didn’t lose anything valuable,” Lu said. “I felt annoyed by the experience having someone violate my personal space. That’s a feeling no Duke student should experience.” Lu was also surprised to find that he had been charged $95 to replace his lock. Although Duke Campus Mail Services has waived his fee for a new key, Housing, Dining and Residence Life has not. Gonzalez noted that students could appeal this charge to Debbie Lo Biondo, associate dean for West Campus, who has the power to waive the fee for “extenuating circumstances.” Lu suggested that Duke Student Government should set up a fund to help reimburse students who are the victims of burglaries for the cost of getting their locks changed. “I’m concerned about other students who had even more stolen and the students who could not afford to pay the $95 lock change fee charged by HDRL,” Lu said. The string of burglaries also highlight concerns about security on Duke’s campus. Currently, there are few security cameras on West Campus, Gonzalez noted. He said that there have been discussions about the “need and appropriateness” in the past about adding them, but that the recent string of incidents has not been an impetus for action. “That discussion is still ongoing as we try to figure out what Duke wants in terms of cameras,” he said. For now, he explained that HDRL had been working to communicate tips to students on how to avoid burglaries. In emails to Keohane and Few residents, Gonzalez asked students to lock their doors, be attentive of their surroundings when entering dormitories and to report suspicious people in the residence halls.
Can a child count on you this fall? Join the national effort to improve math education this fall by becoming a tutor in the America Counts program. Modeled after the very successful America Reads Challenge, America Counts lets volunteers and university students in the federal work-study program tutor elementary-school students in basic math.
America Counts FAQs Who can tutor?
America Counts welcomes undergraduate and graduate student tutors. Volunteers tutor two hours each week. Students eligible for federal work-study tutor up to six hours each week. The rate of pay for undergraduate work-study tutors is $13.25 per hour. For graduate students, the rate is $16.25.
Where do tutors work? At Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership elementary and middle schools, nearby charter schools and community centers.
When do I tutor? America Counts tutors work with children during school, Monday through Friday.
How do I apply? Submit online by 5 p.m. on September 7. Application is available here: http://bit.ly/1NiUbDA
Why be a math tutor? • Students need solid math skills in the information age. • Low income students who take algebra and geometry attend college at three times the rate of those who do not. • Math teaches students ways of thinking that apply in every workplace. • Math tutors are great role models. • Local schools need math tutors. • It’s fun!
The Community Service Center is a department of Duke University Office of Durham and Regional Affairs
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I&E Initiative debuts in new home downtown Sarah Kerman The Chronicle Wednesday night the Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative debuted its new downtown Durham home. The space’s location on the third floor of the Imperial Building marks an effort by the University to promote collaboration between innovators at Duke and local entrepreneurs who may not have previously had Duke affiliations. Sitting a mile from East Campus, the space could also serve as a way of enticing students to interact with the Durham community earlier in their Duke experience and eventually provide the opportunity to attend classes downtown. “It’s really an exciting time in Durham and it’s an exciting time for Duke I&E,” said Eric Toone, vice provost and director of the Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative. He explained that the space will serve as a community where students will be able to work, collaborate and host programs and workshops. In his brief remarks at the event Toone emphasized the intellectual value in having such a space, but also the other advantages the location of the space can bring for students such as its close proximity to downtown bars and restaurants. Several students expressed enthusiasm about the possibilities the space could offer. “I think it’s pretty awesome that Duke has office space in Durham that helps connect with people,” freshman Derek
Hill said. Freshman Jackie Xu noted that she did not think of Durham as a haven for start ups, calling the space’s open layout a “Silicon Valley poser”, but she praised the University’s efforts to expand and make more entrepreneurial opportunities available to students. The layout of the office is intended to foster a collaborative working environment. It has an open floorplan with offices and glass windows encircling the cubicles. Exposed brick and air ducts give it a feel that is similar to Smith Warehouse, several students remarked. In 2012, David Rubenstein, chair of the Board of Trustees, gave $15 million to the I&E initiative in addition to providing funding for the new space, Toone noted. Rubenstein and President Brodhead will join Toone at the ribbon cutting ceremony which will officially mark the space’s opening Thursday. Nancy Knowles, director of strategic communications for the I&E Initiative, said the Imperial Building facility will hold classes starting in the 2016 spring semester, in addition to hosting other workshops and alumni networking events. She explained that the I&E program will still maintain its maker space—an engineering innovation space—in the newly renovated basement floors of Gross Hall. Since the space is about a mile from East Campus, Knowles acknowledged that transportation is a factor that could pose a challenge for undergraduate students looking to use the space. She
Lily Coad | The Chronicle Students traveled downtown Wednesday as the I&E Initiative showed off its new space as part of the University’s efforts to increase collaboration with local entrepreneurs.
explained, however, that students can use the free Bull City Connector and get off at the stop on the corner of Morris and Main streets. She also added that the University will sponsor a Duke bus that will make stops at the Imperial building once classes are offered at the facility. The I&E initiative is also in the process of negotiating student discounts with Uber for their first trip to the building, Knowles added, emphasizing the importance of getting undergraduates to use the space. Undergraduates filled the space Wednesday night thanks in part to shuttles which provided transportation
from East and West Campuses to the Imperial building. The event featured food and beverages from several wellestablished student favorites like Monuts Donuts and Locopops. True to the theme of the event, however, several start up brands were also represented, including Mati—a healthy energy drink created by Duke alumna Tatiana Birgisson, Trinity ‘12. Several students spoke about returning to the space after Wednesdays event. “It seems like a really good place for students to come and work,” said Shruti Gupta, a masters in engineering management graduate student.
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MEN’S SOCCER
DUKE KICKS OFF SEASON Meredith Cash The Chronicle
With a successful preseason behind them, the Blue Devils will look to start its regular season off on the right foot at the John Rennie Nike Invitational. Duke will take on Saint Mary’s in the first day of the tournament at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Koskinen Stadium before taking on DePaul Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Duke is coming off Saint Mary’s a win against the College of Charleston vs. in its first exhibition Duke game and a tie in a heated contest FRIDAY, 7:30 p.m. with No. 17 UNC Koskinen Stadium Charlotte to close out exhibition play. “We’re doing DePaul a good job,” head vs. coach John Kerr said. “Getting our spacing, Duke our roles and our tactics right has been SUNDAY, 2:30 p.m. Koskinen Stadium a focal point of the preseason. We have some maturity that has shown early on.” Friday’s matchup will serve as the official homecoming for the many returning players on Kerr’s roster, but six Blue Devils will play a regular-season match at the newly-renovated Koskinen Stadium for the first time. After posting a 9-9-1 record in 2014 and missing the postseason for the third straight season, Duke is desperate to start the season on the right note. Last season’s leading scorer, junior forward Brody Huitema, will look to lead the offense and
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FOOTBALL
Fields out for season Staff Reports The Chronicle
Freshmen Ciaran McKenna and Oliver Spring should make an immediate impact after impressing during preseason exhibition games, but midfielder Torbjørn Alseth will not see the field initially after sustaining a foot fracture before arriving on campus. “I’ve been pleased with many parts of [preseason play], especially defensively,” Kerr said. “We leaked so many goals last year...and that sticks in my head that we have to do a lot better job if we want to play postseason soccer.” The Gaels will prove to be a difficult first test for the Blue Devils after coming off a 12-5-2 record last season. Saint Mary’s defeated No. 16 California last weekend in an exhibition game on the road. Like the Blue Devils, the Gaels are
The injury bug has struck Duke once again. Per a team press release Wednesday afternoon, junior cornerback Bryon Fields suffered a torn ACL during practice Tuesday and will miss the entire 2015 season. “The cruelest element of college football— and for all of college athletics—is injury, and we certainly feel heartbreak at this time for Bryon and his family,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said in the release. “We know Bryon is in great hands with our medical staff, and I have all the confidence in the world in Bryon’s dedication and perseverance to overcome this obstacle. The challenge for a football team to lose a player with Bryon’s ability and experience is significant, but it’s one we’ll embrace.” Fields started all 13 games as a sophomore last year and was slated to start again in the secondary, which was expected to be one of the Blue Devils’ strongest units. He registered 70 tackles—including 2.5 tackles for loss—and one interception as Duke went 9-4 a season ago. The injury to Fields could mean more playing time for sophomore Alonzo Saxton II, who took first-team snaps earlier in camp while Fields was out with a leg injury. The Columbus, Ohio, native played in eight games last year and could step into a starting role alongside Breon Borders, Deondre Singleton, Jeremy Cash and DeVon Edwards in the secondary.
See M. SOCCER on Page 9
See FOOTBALL on Page 12
Darbi Griffith | The Chronicle Senior captain Zach Mathers and the Blue Devils will open their home slate Friday with a contest against Saint Mary’s at the John Rennie Nike Invitational.
best his 15 points from last year. Two-time AllACC choice and captain Zach Mathers will help ground a young roster through the midfield in his senior campaign after completing a summer with the Carolina Railhawks organization. Kerr’s six newcomers include three transfers and three freshmen from abroad. Defender Jared Rist—a graduate transfer from Georgetown—will help reinforce Duke’s depleted defense that allowed a league-worst 34 goals last year. Tyler Hilliard—who has been sidelined due to injury during preseason play— will bring his four years of experience from ACC foe Syracuse to improve the defensive unit as well. Mitch Kupstas—who graduated from Brown—is vying for the starting spot between the posts amidst a deep goalkeeping roster.
FIELD HOCKEY
Blue Devils head west to begin nonconference Ali Wells The Chronicle The No. 5 Blue Devils will be on the attack and on the road to kick off the 2015 regular season. Heading to the No. 5 West Coast for the Duke vs. weekend, Duke will face California Friday California at 3 p.m. and No. 6 Stanford Sunday FRIDAY, 3 p.m. at 5 p.m., with both Varsity Field Hockey Turf matches on the Cardinal’s Varsity No. 5 Field Hockey Turf in Duke vs. Stanford, Calif. The squad has No. 6 Stanford adjusted to a new style of play since the SUNDAY, 5 p.m. end of last season, Varsity Field Hockey Turf switching to become more of an aggressive team on the offensive end. Head coach Pam Bustin said the change
was motivated by recognizing opportunities when the Blue Devils could have gone on the offensive at the end of last season. “The nature of the game—especially if they’re playing international like a lot of our kids are—is a very fast-paced, moving-forward game,” she said. “[We want] to find a happy medium where we find those opportunities to go forward and use them but still keep our possession game where it is.” Senior midfielder Aileen Johnson—who led the team with seven assists and ranked second with six goals a year ago—is also excited about the team’s transition. “We’ve been known as a defensive team and I think that it’s awesome that we have switched more to an attacking mentality,” Johnson said. “We’re going to attack, our defense, our offense, and we’re going to score. We say our best defense is our best attack.” Ranked in the top 20 in the ACC in both assists and points per game last season, See FIELD HOCKEY on Page 12
Carolyn Chang | The Chronicle Junior Heather Morris and the Blue Devils will look to push things on the offensive end as they open the regular season on the West Coast this weekend.
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VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2
AUGUST 27, 2015
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recess editors Favorite memory from FWOC so far?
Georgia Parke.........2-ing all the stories Elizabeth Djinis...InDesign & Taylor Swift Gary Hoffman..Pinhook all day every day Dillon Fernando.......what’s Playground?
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Stepping onto Duke’s campus as a newly-minted freshman four years ago, the arts were the furthest thing from my mind. Orientation Week prompted various introductions to far too many students and two majors stood out: Economics and Pre-Med. And for the record, “pre-med” isn’t even a major. So you might be the only one who likes to be creative, I reasoned to myself glumly, but at least you’ll have a bunch of friends who can tutor you. Well, my first impression was very different from the truth. In my three years here (and as a senior, I am now embarking on my fourth!!), I’ve spent hours at the Nasher Museum, processed in Duke Chapel with the Chapel Choir, watched a world-famous Indian dancer through Duke Performances and participated in a Disney movie singalong in a crowded room of fellow revelers. To paraphrase the famous line from “Love Actually,” ‘art actually is everywhere’...at least on Duke’s campus. O-Week throws a lot of arts campus activities at students all at once. Join an a-cappella group—you’ll meet your best friends. Be a member of DUI— you’ll meet your best friends. Do Hoof’n’Horn—do I even need to repeat the refrain? While all of these groups offer something different, they can also make you feel like you have to fit into a distinct niche on campus. Don’t let the arts discourage you. My motto freshman year was take chances. If one thing didn’t work, try another. If I liked something, I would do it again. Don’t be afraid. There is so much to see and do that you can’t possibly get hung up on one rejection.
Or just one passion. But if you’re an arts lover, and chances are if you’re reading this you are, there is one place you’ll always feel at home: the pages of Recess. We are a unique spot in The Chronicle to think critically about the arts while simultaneously supporting them. In the issues of Recess, you’ll find stories about campus events, local events and our take on popular culture as a whole. This is a place to laugh, cry and learn. To discover events on campus that might broaden your perspective. To interact with the arts community at our University and in our city.
editor’s note
Some of my favorite Recess pieces have been profiles of Duke arts leaders most students would never know. Good journalists should pose questions you didn’t even know you had. So that’s what we do. How does the Nasher choose what goes in an exhibit? How do Duke Performances round up their schedule? What famous artists are coming to campus? How can students better take advantage of the local arts scene? And speaking of local, if I can give one piece of advice to readers of Recess and the current freshmen class (and don’t worry, there’s nothing I love more than advice), explore Durham. The arts scene is not limited to our Gothic Wonderland. Most Duke students wouldn’t name
Durham as the reason they chose Duke. But there is so much to love here. As inhabiters of this place for only four years, we are not able to see the growth it has experienced. Full disclosure—my mother was a Duke student and every time she visits she remarks on how much Durham has changed. But she’s not the only one. This has become a foodie city, a Buzzfeed-written-about city, a New York Times 36 hours city. Durham is not just a place now, it’s a place to be. And on a more personal note, some of my favorite memories have involved getting off campus. The warm, toasty flavor of a Dr. Durham at Cocoa Cinnamon. A peek into Ninth Street’s classic bookstore The Regulator. A quick brunch at Parker and Otis. As one of the people I interviewed for this issue said, this is a unique time for Duke students to be in Durham. Duke is beginning a number of collaborative efforts with the city. In this issue alone, you’ll find plenty of evidence of Duke and Durham working together. I’ve only just scratched the surface. And admittedly, there’s way more to do here than eat. As a senior, I can’t help but feel sentimental and appreciative. Durham and Duke have given me so much. They’ve been my home for three—soon to be four—amazing years. So take chances. Do unexpected things. Read Recess. We’ll be here each week to see you through it all. And if you need me, I’ll be enjoying my salted butter caramel at The Parlour. —Elizabeth Djinis
Screaming Females return to Pinhook roots Thurs. Gary Hoffman The Chronicle The Pinhook’s roots in alternative music and renowned artists will be on full display with a show this Thursday. The Screaming Females, a punk outfit hailing from New Brunswick, New Jersey, is composed of Marissa Paternoster on guitar and vocals, Jarrett Dougherty on drums and King Mike on bass and will showcase their sound this Thursday, Aug. 27 at the Pinhook, a venue on West Main Street in Durham. While the defining aspect of their repertoire is raw energy combined with a melodic sensibility, most impressive is the band’s overall cohesiveness. They routinely pull back from driving choruses to reveal articulate, detailed builds. “It was pretty much what you’d expect,” Paternoster said. “A bunch of twenty-somethings hanging out in someone’s dirty basement waiting for a band to play. Just people waiting to hear some music.” The band got their start ten years ago in the basement shows of New Brunswick’s sprawling punk and indie rock scene. Since then, The Screaming Females have released six studio albums and toured internationally. Despite the relatively heavy output, they still spend more time touring and performing for fans than recording in the studio. “We just wanted to meet a great wealth of different people and play music for them,” Paternoster said. The band succeeds in attracting a diverse crowd as they gain fans of all
ages, some who aren’t even necessarily into rock and roll. Paternoster herself has attracted national attention for her guitar work. She began playing when her father suggested it and showed her his guitar. Eventually, her frenetic solos and melodic riffs led Spin magazine to name her the 77th-best guitarist of all time in 2012. Still, every note is carefully thought out and each band member complements each other’s playing to form a cohesive artistic statement that is still developing. “On our last album we tried to focus more on vocal melodies, take away some of the things in our songs that we thought were kind of superfluous, and make really precise arrangements,” Paternoster said. The Screaming Females return to the Pinhook’s its fall lineup after performing as one of the Pinhook’s first shows. Kym Register founded the venue seven years ago as a place to foster a love for music. “I just felt a need to provide a space for musicians in Durham because there wasn’t a lot,” Register said. “My friends were amazing and helped out. They made it happen as much as I did.” Interestingly, though, the venue has begun to function as a community space. Recently Eddie Conway, a former Black Panther, came to speak. Bands at the The Pinhook encompass a variety of genres, including punk, indie and hip hop, and are recognized both at the local and national level. “It’s kind of becoming my dream,” said Kym. “I’m just hoping it can be everything all the time.” Register also stressed that while
Special to The Chronicle Punk rock trio Screaming Females will perform at the Pinhook in Durham this Thursday, Aug. 27.
The Pinhook is a queer-owned establishment and issues of gay and lesbian rights are very important to them, they are certainly inclusive of everybody. Crowds usually are made up of a combination of Duke students and local kids who come from a variety of backgrounds. The Pinhook continues this spirit of inclusiveness in their weekly Really Open Mic Night, where local artists come to showcase their talents. Kym describes it as a “meeting of the minds,”
as groups are exposed to genres of music and art mediums that they might not have heard otherwise. “I think it is important for us to stay like an accessible queer-supported, community-oriented space,” Register said on the future of the venue. Paternoster echoed a similar sentiment when recalling The Screaming Females’ goals from the start. “Besides for making music that we care about we just wanted to go out and have exciting life experiences before we die,” she said.
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Bull City Dignity Project documents untold Durham Georgia Parke The Chronicle Some of Durham’s oldest stories are being told through some of the city’s youngest residents this summer. The Bull City Dignity Project—facilitated by senior Kari Barclay and junior Lara Haft and funded by the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke—brought ten local high school students together to create a documentary theater performance that pieces together parts of Durham’s history to create a powerful collection of untold narratives. The performance is in the form of continuous and overlapping monologues— some of which interact with each other— that directly tell stories from Durham residents who were interviewed by the students as a part of the program this summer. “The show is real words of community members all about Durham history,” Barclay said. “It’s about telling true stories in people’s own words.” The ten students in the project as well as Haft and Barclay conducted a series of more than 20 interviews with community members and activists, many of whom the students knew through preexisting relationships and with whom the students built a relationship of trust as documentarians of their lives and stories. “You have so many different stories to share and everybody wants to tell their own story.” Barclay said. “It was lot of late nights of editing and piecing all the pieces together to figure out how to these stories intersect.” Barclay said that while he and Haft facilitated the program and help to conduct interviews, transcribe and refine the written parts of the performance, the high school students were the primary interviewers and shapers of what the show would ultimately become and ran the talkback discussion after each performance. The students decided which of themes to focus on in the show out of the stories told in the transcripts of interviews, ultimately presenting a variety of topics including economic development, LGBT life and civil rights history among other intersectional subjects. The students, who auditioned and interviewed to be a part of the project, came
Allie Mullen | Special to The Chronicle
Allie Mullen | Special to The Chronicle
Allie Mullen | Special to The Chronicle
from several high schools in the area and many from theater or poetry backgrounds like the facilitators. “So much of the program was run by the students,” Haft said. “We really lucked out with the group that we had.” Haft noted that although the show covers many topics including some that are not often front and center issues, the narrative was not a complete one. Wanting to avoid misgendering or misrepresenting some of the storytellers, she said, was a consideration in choosing which issues and narratives to include or not include. “We were bringing in some stories from the margins to the center,” she said. “But it’s not a people’s history of Durham.” Haft noted that the students were using a college-level methodology of conducting interviews and documenting the narratives. The students, coming from a diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, could have the experience of participating in theater
and gaining stage experience while also studying ethical issues at a college level without paying to participate in costly summer performance programs. Barclay and Haft originally connected over a shared interest in storytelling, with Haft’s background coming from spoken word poetry and Barclay’s from directing and acting in theater. “We thought how can we apply our skills more at home in a way we can make a play that’s really by Durham, of Durham and for Durham,” Barclay said. “We brought up the idea of why Duke students have to go abroad to make a difference.” Barclay also emphasized how a disparity exists between new residents—and Duke itself—who tend to value the city for its innovation, arts and food scenes and overall new and developing culture, and those who value and want to preserve the history of it. “A lot of residents who have been here for a while like the black communities here
Allie Mullen | Special to The Chronicle
say, ‘Hey, we’ve been here forever. Look at Durham, look at the history of Black Wall Street, look at the civil rights activism. Durham is ours and you’re taking it away from us,” he said. “These stories are all a way for people to claim Durham as their own.” The show was performed earlier in August at the Hatyi Heritage Center as well as the Pinhook in downtown Durham. There will be a final performance at Duke in the Nelson Music Room Aug 30. Ticket sales have been run as a pay-what-you-can donation format, Haft said, funding future events and programs with the Bull City Dignity Project. Though the performance at Duke will be the last in this incarnation, Haft said that it has the potential to live on in some capacity such as a video documentary project. “Next year I’ll be acting as the program coordinator and the students acting as directors and have creative control.” she said. “It’s a very exciting thing.”
Allie Mullen | Special to The Chronicle High school students from Durham spent the summer interviewing Durham residents and compiling stories about the city’s history to be performed in the Bull City Dignity Project, which shows next week at Duke.
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Art Card premieres with food rewards in Durham Elizabeth Djinis The Chronicle duARTS’ new Art Card program allows students to score free food simply by supporting the arts on campus. Students can pick up art cards at artsthemed campus locations such as the Bryan Center box office, Arts Annex and participating restaurants. The cards can be stamped at most on campus arts events, such as a visit to the Nasher Museum, a Hoof’n’Horn production or a Duke Performances concert. Students who rack up 10 stamps will receive a free item from local vendors like Monuts Donuts, Cocoa Cinnamon and Pompieri Pizza. “We want to incentivize people to go to arts events but also just say ‘thank you’ to people that are already going,” said duARTS president Anshu Vipparla, a senior. Vipparla brainstormed the idea of an arts reward card with duARTS board members last spring. The group wanted to encourage students
to try a variety of arts events rather than merely attending their friends’ performances. “There’s always so much going on that [students] just limit their options and go to the [events] that their friends are involved in,” Vipparla said. “We’re bridging the gap to get them to go to all of the events.” To make this happen, Vipparla approached Vice Provost for the Arts Scott Lindroth and Amy Unell, a Career Center alumna in residence and a point person on campus for arts initiatives. Both Lindroth and Unell were immediately on board and called in Wendy Livingston, the Nasher Museum of Art’s director of engagement and marketing, for advice. Livingston had implemented a similar rewards program last year with the museum’s Miro exhibit and was happy to help. “Any new reason we can give students to enjoy the arts at Duke, we’re in,” Livingston said. With the administration’s support, Vipparla began reaching out to local vendors and received overwhelming enthusiasm from on-campus venues like Joe Van Gogh and Saladelia and
Special to The Chronicle
Durham favorites alike. The individuals involved approached many of the same restaurants that participated last spring with the Artstigators campaign. Joe Van Gogh owner Robbie Roberts said he is always a fan of encouraging customers to find a creative outlet. He hopes arts-themed menu items may get them to think about art themselves. “For people who are so inclined, it’ll give them a jumping-off point for thinking about being creative or other people that are being creative,” Roberts said.
Although the University offers an array of concerts and visual arts programs, Lindroth said student tickets are often not sold out. “Arts events at Duke attract a growing campus and community audience,” Lindroth wrote in an email Wednesday. “But in general, we can always find seats for students at arts events,” Vipparla said she hopes to expand the card’s benefits to Durham arts events as well. “That’s the next step—to make sure we reach out into the vibrant arts community in Durham,” she said.
Courses with openings for Fall 2014 AMI 101 – Intro to Arts of the Moving Image W 3:05-6:05, Carr 103, Instructor: Bill Brown
Examination of critical concepts in arts of the moving image from various perspectives. Spanning both traditional cinema and emergent fields. Emphasis on technology in relation to history and viewership. Exercises in film and digital production as well as theoretical writing.
AMI 202 – History of Documentary Film
M 4:40-7:40, Carr 103, Instructor: Karen Price Traces the history of non-fiction film and video from the actuality films of the late nineteenth century to today’s digital features. Examines how technological advancements have informed style, content, and reach of documentaries. Demonstrates documentary’s role in society, from government propaganda to investigative reporting tool to form of protest. Provides an international view of the genre’s major movements, voices, and achievements.
AMI 320S – Film Animation Production
MW 10:05-11:20, Smith 101, Instructor: Casey Herbert Experimentation with various media; mastering animation techniques such as metamorphosis, timing, articulation, storytelling, sound design, special effects, and camera. Each student to produce a one-minute animated film on the Oxberry 16mm film animation stand.
AMI 334S – Producing Docu-Fiction
TuTH 1:25-2:40, Smith 101, Instructor: Josh Gibson Investigation of hybrid, genre-defying films that question traditional definitions of documentary and fiction. Emphasis on experimental forms, documentary reenactment, mockumentary and dramatized “true stories.” Exploration of both documentary and fiction production techniques, culminating in the production of a final video project.
Connect • Collaborate • Create at the Arts Annex Free workshops in photography screen-printing ceramics painting & drawing Workshops begin the first week of September More info:
arts.duke.edu or 919-613-5116
Arts Annex is located just off the C1 bus route on Campus Drive SponSored by:
AMI 690S - Post–Cinema
Th 1:40-4:10, Smith A266, Instructor: Shane Denson This seminar looks at twenty-first century motion pictures and the theories designed to explain their relations and differences from the cinema of the previous century. Additionally, we will experiment with “hands-on” applications of digital video for the purposes of film analysis, cinemetrics, and a variety of scholarly and creative responses to post-cinematic media.
http://ami.duke.edu
studentaffairs.duke.edu/ucae
in cooperation with:
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M. SOCCER from page 4 a veteran squad, returning 18 players from last season’s roster—including eight starters. Saint Mary’s boasts a number of accomplished returnees to its starting lineup. Huitema and the rest of Duke’s offensive line will need to be creative in getting past junior defenders Alex Braman and Rafael Sanchez. Both received first team All-WCC honors last season and were selected to the preseason allleague team this year. The Gaels also have one of the top professional goalkeeper prospects in last summer’s Premier Development League in senior Lucas Champenois. “We’re always open to adjusting if need be,” Kerr said. “[Sometimes] we need to take advantage of a situation or we need to cope with a situation. Those are adjustments we make once the season starts and we determine who our opponents are.” Although the Blue Devils will have to navigate through the Gaels’ stout and experienced defense, they will face a very different challenge in taking on the Blue Demons just two days later. DePaul boasts a fresh and revitalized offense thanks to its incoming freshman class—including John
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Freitag and Jake Scheper, rookies who have already contributed to DePaul’s success in the preseason, with each notching a goal and Freitag assisting on Scheper’s score. The Blue Demons won both of their preseason exhibition games and have early momentum to challenge Duke. They opened exhibition play with a come-from-behind victory against Western Illinois, then posted a decisive 3-1 win against Green Bay to close out the preseason. Despite this early success, the Blue Demons are pegged to finish last in their conference according to the Big East preseason coaches poll. Duke has the opportunity to best its 1-0-1 record in the tournament from last season, when it took on Loyola Marymount and Stetson, but has not notched two wins in its home tournament since 2009. A tournament victory in Durham could be just the spark Duke needs to kick off a campaign to reclaim its status as an ACC contender. After the John Rennie Nike Invitational, the Blue Devils will host Iona Sept. 5 and Loyola Sept. 8 before kicking off conference play against defending national champion No. 2 Virginia. Alex Serebransky and Brian Pollack contributed reporting.
Correction: In Wednesday’s print edition, a photo of former Blue Devil harrier Phil Fairleigh was mistakenly used in the article about graduate student runner Shaun Thompson, “Voluntary redshirt could pay off for Thompson.” The Chronicle regrets the error.
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Private room in popular West Durham Neighborhood. Secluded end of house with a private bath. Utilities included, cable tv and wi-fi also included. 5 minutes from Duke University and downtown Durham. $650 a month and $650 a deposit. (919) 286-1795 or (919) 971-0206 BOOKS FOR SALE? NEED A PLACE TO LIVE? GOT A CAR TO REPLACE? NEED A RIDE HOME? Chronicle Classifieds, your on-campus site to find a job, buy, sell, trade, find a place for spring break and much more...
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Leading from behind
T
he school year begins with a cacophony of rhetoric, especially for the Class of 2019, whose orientation is built, in part, to inspire them grandly about what they can do at Duke. Their week ended with closing remarks from several speakers. President Brodhead advised students to be the “builder of your best self.” Dean Nowicki looked at what it means to question authority and be “engaged and productive.” Today we explore one of the paths students walk in those visions: leadership. In their first few weeks, freshmen are introduced to Duke’s leadership culture. They are presented with ways to become leaders on campus: of their dorms, of their student government and of the hundreds of organizations that define Duke. Some organizations have high membership or demanding logistics, and having several student leaders is sensible. Yet others adopt a philosophy of leading by label where positions are pulled from the air to incentivize student involvement. This approach seems backwards for trying to identify star members and to make leadership positions healthily competitive. We worry, from Duke Student Government to the smallest student group, that an excessive leadership culture cheapens what it means to be a leader. It is little more than sound and fury. It is student leadership
“We gained nothing from the 53 year embargo, all we did was supply the Cuban regime with the opportunity to blame their every economic failure on the U.S. embargo.” — “Sensible Centrist” commenting on the Aug. 26 column “Another failure is no suprise”
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.
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AMRITH RAMKUMAR, Editor RYAN HOERGER, Sports Editor RACHEL CHASON, Co-News Editor RYAN ZHANG, Co-News Editor GAUTAM HATHI, Digital Content Director STEPHANIE WU, Office Manager CAROLYN CHANG, Photography Editor JONATHAN ZHAO, Editorial Page Editor LEONARD GIARRANO, Editorial Board Chair MICHAEL LAI, Director Of Online Development
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conceived as moving between positions rather than a process of committing seriously to a community and thinking about ways to make it better. The difference is one of intent and action. Leadership, as we envision it, is being the member who goes above and beyond doing what the group needs done. Plainly, leadership is identifying and defining what a group needs done, thinking about problems or goals, understanding
Editorial their origins, imagining solutions, anticipating consequences and then leading a team forward. It means really sinking your teeth in and doing more than just “doing.” The responsibility for making this cultural shift is largely on a university. William Deresiewicz, an academic-turned-writer, recently argued there are serious consequences to the absence of help from a university. Students create what he calls a “parallel curriculum for themselves … [of] skills they think they really need” to lead. This is all about starting your own non-profit, business or club or minimally being a leader in every organization. After all, differentiating yourself to stay ahead is important. However
university or funding-side checks on leadership inflation should be developed to combat this. A potentially effective solution is for a university to substitute the extracurricular good here with a curricular good. More opportunities for students to be leaders in their academic studies and departments are a central way to create meaningful and guaranteedly intellectual projects for students to lead. Duke should consider steps it can take to incorporate the leadership culture of extracurriculars into the rigor of academic experiences and vice-versa. Part of the capacity to lead is recognizing students aren’t always ready. They don’t always know enough to build their best self. This humility starts in the classroom, where students must be exposed to the depth of real challenges in their fields, the complexity of solutions and the need for reflective decision-making inherent in responsible leadership. The necessary change is a broader cultural one, wherein students should reward authenticity of leadership over excess of leadership. Instead of leadership being the ends of the Duke experience, both the University and students should understand leadership as a slowly actualized byproduct of a different goal they must work towards together: a more thoughtful, well-guided, reflective and intentional education.
The fourth cup of coffee
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ALEX GRIFFITH, University Editor NEELESH MOORTHY, Local & National Editor SANJEEV DASGUPTA, News Photography Editor GEORGIA PARKE, Recess Editor JESÚS HIDALGO, Recess Photography Editor BRIAN POLLACK, Sports Managing Editor NICK MARTIN, Towerview Editor THU NGUYEN, Towerview Creative Director CARLEIGH STIEHM, Senior Editor RITA LO, Graphic Design Editor DANI LAZARUS, Recruitment Chair ADAM BEYER, Senior News Reporter GRACE WANG, Senior News Reporter JULIE MOORE, Creative Director
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 2022 Campus Drive call 684-3811. To reach the Advertising Office at 2022 Campus Drive call 684-3811. One copy per person; additional copies may be purchased for .25 at The Chronicle Business office at the address above. @ 2015 Duke Student Publishing Company
B
efore campus was filled with the new semester mantra of “how was your summer?”, the tranquility of a deserted Duke was disrupted by the laughs of eight to ten year old girls. I had an atypical O-Week; I spent it volunteering at the FEMMES summer camp, which is dedicated to fostering an interest in science, math and engineering in young girls. As entertaining as they were, boy, do they have an excess of energy. If we weren’t constantly moving around or amusing them in some
days I’ve braved Perkins until early morning, determined to finish a paper or study just a bit more, and felt relieved when I finally finished. Or the times I didn’t even realize it was already 6:00 AM because I was so immersed in conversations with a friend. Or even the nights when dancing on the Shooters bar seemed to be the only course of action. Those have easily been some of my best and worst nights at Duke but equally important parts of my time here. Maybe I find it hard to be ashamed of my coffee
Christine Nuñez PEER FOR YOU SERIES way, the cries of “I’m bored” were widespread. So naturally, I showed up to camp each morning with an iced latte from Joe Van Gough to try to even out the playing field and keep up with my rambunctious campers. While one eight year-old struggled to pronounce “latte,” the others began interrogating me on my caffeine consuming habits. “How many coffees a day do you drink at school? One? Two?” “Yeah, usually one or two is enough,” I replied. Lies. Three tends to be the average number I gravitate towards as the semester drags on. Sometimes four if it’s a particularly rough week. “Too much caffeine is bad for you,” another nine year-old warned me. I secretly panicked. I hope they can’t tell I’m lying. But sure enough, within a minute, the conversation had deviated towards the need for playgrounds on Duke’s campus (seriously). To be honest, I’m not quite sure why that exchange bothered me so much. Cups of coffee are intertwined in our lives as college students more seamlessly than you would think. They provide a much needed artificial source of alertness while also naturally promoting conversation through coffee breaks, interviews, even waiting in the long line in Vondy right before midnight hits; all these conversations flow hand-in-hand with a desire for caffeine. Although I know my own coffee consuming habits may seem unreasonable to some, was I really that embarrassed by them? Was it shameful to admit that sometimes I did need that fourth cup to help me get through the day or finish that assignment? It isn’t really, yet I still struggled to admit to my campers, and maybe even to myself, that I do have my own weaknesses, caffeine-related or not. I learned to recognize that greater awareness of my vulnerability, needing an extra boost in the form of a cup of coffee, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The more I thought about it, I started to realize that the days I needed that extra boost, tended to be linked to “strong” memories. There have been the
drinking habits because I associate that fourth cup of coffee and those long nights with a sense of vulnerability between my classmates and myself. Have you ever looked up at the people sitting near you in Perkins late at night? Catching each other’s sleepy eyes and uncontrollable yawns can almost be an intimate exchange, exposing a more honest image. Yet there seems to be some mutual unspoken understanding that, although we may be at our worst, a sense of camaraderie exists. Even later in the night, haven’t you felt calmer, more open to sharing and disclosing tidbits of yourself you usually hide to friends? Or even strangers? It’s as if with the cover of the night, we all let our guards down, inducing a powerful honesty. That vulnerability, the genuineness that I find associated with my over-caffeinated experiences, is the same interactions that Peer for You strives to promote on campus. This year, Peer for You peer responders, current undergraduate students from diverse walks of Duke life, will be contributing to this column in the hopes of sharing some of their own experiences and sparking further conversations on wellbeing and important campus issues. More specifically, Peer for You is a student-run resource that serves as a forum for undergraduate students during challenging times. Any Duke student can message a peer responder through our website describing a struggle they are currently facing and receive a response within 24 hours. In this way, Peer for You hopes to foster a more supportive Duke environment by encouraging students to be more open with themselves and each other, exposing some hints of vulnerability that might not otherwise be seen. So grab a cup of coffee, or four, and join us as we open up. Christine Nuñez is a Trinity senior. This column is the first installment in a semester-long series of biweekly columns written by members of Peer for You.
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A lesson in empathy
I
spent the summer participating in the DukeEngage Seattle program, but now beginning a different internship in New York, it feels natural to keep plowing ahead, compartmentalizing my summer in Seattle as just that — another summer experience. I’ll withhold judgment on whether DukeEngage fulfilled its mission of significantly impacting me through service immersion. It’s too hard to tell. I thought it would be more appropriate to share a moment from the summer that meant something
ery opportunity in the world, and as consequence, I exude privilege. I don’t try to, but it’s immediately obvious because it’s my reality – I’m lucky. So I carry a certain level of guilt when even trying to relate to individuals often defined by their misfortune. Tristan and Joe offered enormous insight in how they framed this dissonance. First of all, youths experiencing homelessness develop a plethora of skills and character traits that demand my admiration: resourcefulness, resilience,
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015 | 11
Just read the book
A
nother year, another “scandal.” I use the term loosely. If we call having a porn star a “scandal,” then this probably qualifies as well. Is anyone surprised? A group of freshmen have opted out of reading “Fun Home”, Duke’s latest summer reading selection. The students believe that reading the graphic memoir — which deals with topics as controversial as feminism, sexual orientation, and mental health — would compromise their Christian morals. This is not “Fun Home”’s first rodeo with allegations of immorality. Despite receiving
Kyle Harvey
Brendan McCartney
GOLDEN BOY
A PINCH OF GINGER
to me and will continue meaning something to me. I was blown away by a youth homelessness-training program I participated in called, “The Ropes: Understanding and Engaging in Youth Homelessness.” I expected a rigidly structured program that presented “scenario A” and then handed us “solution A.” Before even going, I resented what I assumed would be a simplified instruction manual on how to handle anything but simple situations. Reflecting on my own expectations, I feared that an “us versus them” dichotomy would permeate the discussion. Tristan Herman and Joseph Seia, the program leaders at New Horizons, knew better. They geared the three-hour conversation so that the fundamental question was not how can we handle youth homelessness, but how do we handle ourselves in the face of experiences we don’t understand. We could have spent the three hours combing through hyperspecific procedures for handling potential circumstances. Instead, Joe and Tristan compiled a list of effective strategies and spent the majority of the program developing one overarching tool – empathy. We began the meeting with the important task of surfacing all societal and personal stereotypes. We shouted out the obvious misattributions of criminality and laziness that society unfairly imposes on homeless populations. Even though I recognize their fallacy on an intellectual level, I could feel my own prejudice gnaw at me as I voiced the stereotypes out loud. We deconstructed them. We found the kernel of truth in each stereotype and put it in the context of a system stained by internalized racism, self-fulfilling prophecies and little upward mobility. I looked my own prejudice square in the face and saw how it distracted and how it dehumanized. I come from a wealthy suburban town. I grew up in a relatively stable family and living conditions. I’ve been afforded ev-
adaptability and an unmatched will to survive. I’m envious of how kids my age possess such self-reliance. That’s worth recognizing. Furthermore, these youths exist in a vastly different culture than I do; however, their decision-making rationale is quite similar. They have to keep warm in difficult weather conditions, stay awake in case of danger and endure the monotony of the day. They develop coping mechanisms. I would too. They must quickly acclimate themselves with street power dynamics, sometimes choosing between survival and morality. I would make the same choice every time. They develop a routine and sense of normalcy that makes uprooting their life on the streets undesirable. I seek a similar comfort in my own normalcy. The skills they develop to survive on the streets translate poorly to a work environment, just as my writing skills would do nothing for me on the streets. I left the training sessions feeling a little less removed from the struggles these youth face. I didn’t have any more understanding of their experiences, but a greater appreciation for their choices, their human choices. I could see why they were stuck. I would be stuck too. I have to go beyond recognizing my innate advantages and acknowledge just how circumstantial those advantages are. There are all kinds of metrics for judging success and different perspectives of how to value those metrics. The tools that let me succeed in one system will almost surely fail in another. Previously, I subconsciously standardized different modes of living rather than thinking about the cultural differences. If we’re serious about ending homelessness, then we have to go beyond pity and consider the culture of homelessness with its strengths and weaknesses. Kyle Harvey is a Trinity junior. His column runs on alternate Thursdays.
critical acclaim (along with enough awards to fill a glorified trophy case), the novel has been subject to repeated calls for its removal from libraries, course syllabi and university-approved reading suggestion lists. When South Carolina’s College of Charleston distributed “Fun Home” to its incoming freshmen in 2013, members of the state legislature reacted hotly, with Governor Nikki Haley ultimately signing a budget that punished the public college by forcing it to use $52,000 of government funds to offer a curriculum with a heavier focus on U.S. founding documents (you can’t make this stuff up). So far no one has demanded that Duke apologize for selecting the reading. Instead, a handful of students have decided that they will not read “Fun Home” to preserve the sanctity of their faith. While standing up to perceived immorality might be admirable on the surface, the decision not to read the novel comes meddled with likely inconsistencies and unfortunate moral consequences. I wonder if these same students walked out of Shooters during O-Week when they saw a straight couple grinding, turn off the radio whenever The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” starts to play and routinely skip every scene of Game of Thrones featuring a boob or two. Sure, we all draw lines, and we are all inconsistent. Acknowledging inconsistencies in our standards of behavior, however, allows us to understand how much of our morality actually is rooted in faith. When individuals inconsistently use faith to evaluate the behaviors of others, their faith often becomes little more than a justification for unfairly applied prejudice. Assumed inconsistencies aside, what worse way is there to offer a moralistic opinion than to do so while consciously isolating oneself from alternative perspectives? Without spoiling the novel, “Fun Home” depicts many of the struggles of growing up identifying as LGBT, both physical and emotional. Included in these struggles is the psychological burden leveraged on LGBT individuals by those who find homosexuality immoral and sinful. Imagine the parallel to LGBT
students at Duke, when their peers line up to watch “50 Shades of Grey” but find “Fun Home” morally hazardous. Though empathy should propel us to make some effort to understand alternative viewpoints on issues that are innately moralistic, logic requires it. Without an opendoor policy on competing experiences, ideas and perspectives, our opinions turn from rational thought into ego-inflating malarkey. Far too often, individuals brand one another by their willingness to absorb controversial information. Suggest to a
foreign policy hawk that the United States has been anything less than an infallible saint in its centuries of foreign policy, and you will be branded anti-American; tell an Evangelical conservative that you are interested in reading the Qur’an, and you will be labeled a possible terrorist; tell the typical liberal Duke student that you think Ben Carson made a good point in his latest interview, and you will be reflexively considered an ignorant jerk. These labels harm objective appeals to empathy and logic, and both sides of the political spectrum are guilty of deploying them like missiles. Liberal Duke students have spoken out passionately in response to the few who refused to read the novel, but I question how the boycott of “Fun Home” bears any meaningful difference from 2013’s student walkout on Charles Murray or 2014’s controversy surrounding General Martin Dempsey as the commencement speaker. As Republicans have bitterly attributed political correctness to partisan divisiveness, conservatives have unleashed a moral backlash against any aspect of popular culture that seems unnatural to them. As Democrats have fought for a preservation of diversity in thought and expression, liberals have trampled on unfettered free speech. Contrary to common perception, both conservatives and liberals see value in censoring certain perspectives; they only differ win which values they use to assess which perspectives are appropriate. As human beings with reason and empathy, we have a responsibility to ourselves to become aware of our unique biases and preferences. As students at a place like Duke, we have a responsibility to analyze alternative viewpoints when opportunities to do so present themselves. To the freshmen who feel victimized by Duke’s alleged negligence of their faith, gosh, I really do hope you can watch “Game of Thrones” even with its vulgar moments because, let me tell you, that show is incredible. Brendan McCartney is a Trinity senior. His column runs on alternate Thursdays.
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RITTS from page 1 people but has since expanded exponentially. According to an annual survey by the Association of University Technology Managers, Duke moved from the bottom 25 percent of technology transfer offices in the United States to the top 10 percent since 2006. In collaboration with other administrative units at Duke, the OLV has established many partnerships with organizations outside the University to promote the translation of research into practical use. “We’ve built an amazing team BARRY MYERS and showed we have an engine that can translate what researchers do,” Ritts said. Myers—who also serves as director of emerging programs for the Duke Translational Research
Institute and program director of the Duke-Coulter Translational Partnership Grant Program—will fill the position as the administration searches for a new director. “Dr. Ritts created and staffed OLV ithout their resulting in a nationally ranked innovations, office whose rise and there would be nothing to accomplishments translate outside of this are one that many universities strive to place. — Rose Ritts emulate,” Myers said in a press release. “In addition to her accomplishments in tech transfer, Dr. Ritts enabled our efforts in the DTRI-CTSA Pilots and the Coulter Translational Research Partnership providing much needed value and success to these incredible Duke initiatives.”
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Ritts said she enjoys being part of the early stages of projects and building organizations. She added that this influenced her decision to take the position at Thomas Jefferson University, a place that has not experienced as much success in making licensing agreements as Duke has. She noted that she will miss her team at the OLV and the accomplished researchers on campus that facilitate the high number of licensing agreements. “Without their innovations, there would be nothing to translate outside of this place,” she said. Ritts hopes that her successor will be someone with a vision who can move the OLV forward, she explained, adding that she believes the OLV is in a good place for her to leave and that hiring new employees for the future will be much easier because the office now has a solid base. “The new leadership will have no problem,” she said.
FIELD HOCKEY from page 4 Johnson was named to the 11-player ACC preseason team announced Tuesday. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Lauren Blazing also earned a spot on the conference preseason team after leading the ACC and ranking sixth nationally in save percentage at .786 in 2014. Johnson and the Duke squad will face the first test of their new style of play this weekend, taking on their first top-10 opponent of the season Sunday. The Cardinal boast a strong defense anchored by 2014 First-Team All-American goalkeeper Dulcie Davies. Davies tallied a career-best 0.82 goals against average and matched her career low of 18 goals allowed last season. After setting program records with 19 wins, a 12-game winning streak and the No. 3 spot in the national polls last year and winning its first NCAA tournament game, Stanford enters this season with its highest preseason ranking in program history and could challenge the Blue Devils’ spot in the preseason poll. Duke will open the regular season against the Golden Bears—tabbed second in the West division of the America East Conference in a three-way tie with Pacific and University of California-Davis. California returns Clara Goni and Allie Zimmer as leaders on the offensive end but is also tasked with acclimating 10 freshmen to the college game. The Blue Devils will look to keep nerves under control and find team rhythm on Friday, but seem to have adapted well to their new style of play after coasting through a 3-0 preseason slate. “We just want to take things one game at a time, but I know we want to win. We all know that this is our year,” junior forward Heather Morris said. “The coaches have even said that we’re working on things that we would be normally working on midway through the season already, so we’re all ready to take it to [our opponents] and show everybody who Duke field hockey is.” Jake Herb contributed reporting.
FOOTBALL from page 4 Fields’ surgery will be performed by Dr. Claude T. Moorman III, who is Duke’s head team physician, according to the release. The Charlotte, N.C., native could apply for a medical redshirt season and return next year with two remaining years of eligibility. Duke opens the 2015 season Sept. 3 at Tulane.
Darbi Griffith | Chronicle File Photo Junior Bryon Fields will miss the 2015 season after being diagnosed with a torn ACL, Duke announced Wednesday.