November 11, 2009 issue

The Chronicle 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

WEDNESday, NOVEMBER 11, 2009

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 57

www.dukechronicle.com

DPAC reaps profits early in first year

Student Pharmacy to close Prescriptions will transfer to Outpatient Pharmacy Dec. 18

by Jinny Cho and Rachna Reddy The chronicle

The Student Health pharmacy, in its 40th year of operation, will close Dec. 18, Student Health administrators announced Tuesday.

Student prescriptions previously filled at the pharmacy will be transferred to the outpatient clinic pharmacy located in the Duke Hospital South Clinic two floors above the Student Health Center.

The decision to close the pharmacy was made by upper-level administrators less than a month ago after continued attempts to sustain the pharmacy.

The Student Health pharmacy has been operating at a deficit since 2005, when Congress passed the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 that allowed pharmaceutical companies to discontinue discounts on drugs, said Jean Hanson, administrative director of Student Health. Student Health pharmacist Steve Almond and pharmacy technician Cora Harris will be dismissed, said Dr. Bill Purdy, executive director of Student Health.

“We are very disappointed here at

by Toni Wei

The chronicle

Less than a year after the debut of the Durham Performing Arts Center downtown, both the city and the University are benefiting from their investments in the new facility.

According to a draft financial statement of the center’s first eight months of operation, DPAC earned a net total of more than $1 million in that time. In accordance with an agreement with the City of Durham, which owns the center, 40 percent of the income— $401,706—will go to the city. This number more than quadruples the city’s projected earnings from the center for its first full year, according to a Nov. 5 news release.

“The best thing is the way we were able to do that,” Mayor Bill Bell said. “Persons were very interested in the performances, and that’s a statement in itself—revenues were much more than expected in terms of people participating.”

Bell attributed DPAC’s initial success to the welcoming atmosphere that show attendees found at the center.

“I think we had great performances, great shows and a great facility in terms of the way it looks, the way it feels and the

See pharmacy on page 6

See dpac on page 7

Duke prof’s images ‘defend’ free speech

by Zachary Tracer The chronicle

A Duke professor is making a bold statement about free speech with a new book likely to touch a nerve among many Muslims.

Gary Hull, director of the Program on Values and Ethics in the Marketplace and a lecturing fellow in sociology, released a book Monday featuring depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam. Alongside the book’s historical images are cartoons of the Prophet, whose publication in September 2005 in a Danish newspaper sparked protests by MusGary Hull lims worldwide. Many Islamic traditions forbid visual depictions of the Prophet.

athletics and social media: part 2 of 3

the kyrie irving model Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a three-part series spotlighting the impact of social networking and new media on college athletics, particularly basketball. Yesterday’s emphasis was on current players, and today, Taylor Doherty writes about Kyrie Irving, who set new standards for the use of new media in recruiting. Tomorrow, The Chronicle looks into the Duke basketball program’s response to a changing landscape.

by Taylor Doherty The chronicle

Before Kyrie Irving even appeared on ESPNU to announce that he would be attending Duke, he had thousands of fans following his every word on Twitter and attending his regular online news conferences on UStream. Irving was not the first basketball player to be the object of an intense recruiting battle, but the way he handled the situation represents a larger social media phenomenon.

Together, Twitter and UStream lessened Irving’s dependence on traditional media to interact with fans and fuel speculation about his college choice in order

to generate attention. On Twitter, the No. 5 prospect in the Class of 2010 according to Scout.com chronicled his every move on the recruiting trail, and on UStream onlookers could ask questions in the chat room he hosted.

“I think Kyrie has been pretty revolutionary in this whole process,” recruiting analyst Adam Zagoria said in a phone interview last week. “Twitter is a legitimate source to break news, whether you are Shaquille O’Neal or Kyrie Irving. You can sort of bypass the mainstream media and break news on Twitter…. Those UStream

See hull on page 5

ONTHERECORD

Buddhist author expounds on ‘radical uncertainty,’ Page 3

“If they’re going to fight, then they’re going to have to fight with an officer,”

­—Joel Keith, state fairgrounds police chief, on event safety. See story page 4

See social media on page 11

Football: The Killer Vs Donovan Varner and Conner Vernon bring high school dynamic to Duke, PAGE 9

2 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 the chronicle

worldandnation

TODAY:

5555

THURSDAY:

5148

Power in Afghanistan shifts from Taliban to al-Qaida

Colombian army clashes 2002 DC sniper executed with leftist guerilla rebels JARRATT, Va.­—A defiant John Allen Muhammad, the sniper who terrified the Washington, D.C. region in 2002 as he orchestrated 10 fatal and seemingly random shootings, was executed Tuesday by lethal injection inside Virginia’s death chamber.

Muhammad, 48, was pronounced dead at 9:11 p.m., said Larry Traylor, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Corrections, speaking outside the Greensville Correctional Facility on an overcast night.

Asked if he wanted to make a last statement, Muhammad declined and “did not acknowledge us,” Traylor said. The execution took place without incident, he said.

Issuing a statement on behalf of Muhammad’s family and lawyers, attorney Jonathan Sheldon said they “deeply sympathize with the families and loved ones” of the victims, and offered “prayers for a better future” for the those left behind.

“

I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.

— Pablo Picasso

”

BOGOTA, Colombia — Nine Colombian army soldiers were killed in a bloody confrontation with leftist guerrillas early Tuesday along a well-known transit corridor in southwest Colombia frequented by drug traffickers and insurgents.

Analysts believe the attack might be part of a campaign by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, to step up its activities in advance of next year’s presidential elections.

President Alvaro Uribe, whose policies have set the FARC on its heels since he took office in 2002, is expected to seek a third term.

The assault also might have been intended to divert the army from its ongoing attacks against the FARC leadership, which is thought to be holed up about 70 miles east from the scene of Tuesday’s fighting. Over the weekend, the military claimed to have killed three members of FARC leader Alfonso Cano’s bodyguards.

TODAY IN HISTORY 1918: Armistice Day — World War 1 ends

KABUL — As violence rises in Afghanistan, the power balance between insurgent groups has shifted, with a weakened al-Qaida relying increasingly on the emboldened Taliban for protection and the manpower to carry out deadly attacks, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials.

The ascendancy of the Taliban and the relative decline of al-Qaida have broad implications for President Barack Obama’s administration as it seeks to define its enemy in Afghanistan and debates deploying tens of thousands of additional troops there.

Although the war in Afghanistan began as a response to al-Qaida terrorism, there are perhaps fewer than 100 members of the group left in the country, according to a senior U.S. military intelligence official in Kabul who spoke on

the condition of anonymity.

The official estimated that there are 300 al-Qaida members in the tribal areas of Pakistan, where the group is based, compared with tens of thousands of Taliban insurgents on either side of the border.

Yet officials and observers here differ over whether the inversion of the groups’ traditional power dynamic has led to better or worse relations. Indeed, it may be bringing al-Qaida closer to certain Taliban factions — most notably, forces loyal to former Cabinet minister Jalaluddin Haqqani — and driving it apart from others, including leader Mohammad Omar’s Pakistan-based group. The shifting alliances, analysts say, could have significant bearing on where the U.S. military chooses to focus its firepower.

Barbara Davidson/los angeles times

Brian Hill, 25, listens to President Barack Obama Tuesday as he read the names of those killed in last week’s shooting rampage at Fort Hood. Obama offered personal details and anecdotes about each one, and promised grieving friends and families that “your loved ones endure through the life of our nation.” The speech left thousands of military personnel and civilians in tears.

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the chronicle

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 | 3

E-interviews catch on with institutions

Embrace uncertainty, author says

by Alejandro Bolivar

Due to alumni network, Duke will not follow suit

The chronicle

ate representative on Duke Student Government’s Academic Affairs committee, launched the course evaluation Web site at Duke.

“We took a very different approach from the most common rating sites,” said Kaliszan, a graduate student in computer science at Stanford. “We looked around at what was available and a lot of [the Web sites] were professor centered. We’re trying to help students decide which courses are the best and then bring the program down to the professor level.”

Just one week after DSG’s Oct. 28

Many tragic events are impossible to predict. But as a practicing Buddhist, Joan Halifax says it is best not to even try.

Halifax, a Buddhist teacher, anthropologist and author, recalled how when she was in her 20’s during the 1960s, she could have not anticipated the fall of the Berlin Wall or the election of President Barack Obama. She embraces the uncertainty.

“In Buddhism, we are taught to be the truth we don’t know,” Halifax said. “Theoretical uncertainty is a really important theme today.”

Duke Chapel’s Faith Council and the Buddhist community at Duke hosted Halifax Tuesday night at Griffith Theater for a talk titled “Living in a World of Radical Uncertainty.”

Throughout her speech, Halifax alluded to her Buddhist principles. Halifax’s third Zen teacher taught her the three tenants of the Zen Peacemaker Order: not knowing, bearing witness and compassionate action.

Over the course of her career, Halifax has counseled both death row inmates and terminally ill patients about the uncertainty of death and how to cope with it.

“I have no advice to give them,” she said, explaining how she responds when patients ask her about the afterlife. “But I am very supportive of what people’s intuition tells them.”

Halifax’s counseling is partly inspired

See courserank on page 7

See halifax on page 8

by Jessica Chang The chronicle

Forget finding the perfect interview outfit, high school and college seniors can now interview with some admissions directors or employers in pajama bottoms.

Some colleges and companies are using webcams to interview applicants.

E-interviewing is a new process for undergraduate applications, and Wake Forest University is the first college to use online interviews for undergraduate applicants, said Tamara Blocker, associate director of admissions at Wake Forest University. She added that she does know know of any other colleges that have started using e-interviews for their application processes.

When Wake Forest made the SAT and ACT optional for its applicants last year, interviews— which had previously been conducted more for informational purposes—became evaluative, and the university offered online interviews as soon as it made the switch. The online and inperson interviews are given equal weight in the application reviewing process.

“Basically, we use Skype and schedule a time for the interview, and it’s basically like having an See e-interview on page 6

photo illustration by courtney douglas

CourseRank, a Web site created by three Stanford University students, allows users to review and rate courses specific to the University. The site launched at Duke two weeks ago.

New Web site offers course feedback

by Joanna Lichter The chronicle

This bookbagging season, CourseRank may ease the sometimes overwhelming process of selecting next semester’s classes.

CourseRank, a software originally developed in Spring 2007 by Stanford University students Benjamin Bercovitz, Filip Kaliszan and Henry Liou, enables students to directly comment on classes offered at a university. The program allows students to write course reviews, rate classes using a five-star scale and post questions to other students about classes. Two weeks ago, junior Ben Getson, the undergradu-

Remembering Those Who Served

Embrace the Universe of Latin American Literature

On this Veterans Day, we commemorate the heroes who served in the military, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

To honor alumni who lost their lives in World War II and the wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq, the Duke Alumni Association laid a wreath this morning at the wall that displays their names in Memorial Quad, beside Duke Chapel.

At 11:00 a.m., Duke Chapel bells will toll in memoriam.

SPRING 2010 Prof. Ariel Dorfman

Latin American Literature in Translation SPANISH 121AD * LIT 161AD * ICS 131CD Tuesdays-Thursdays 10:05-11:20 a.m.

This class, taught by the renowned playwright Ariel Dorfman, is only offered every 4-5 years, and enrollment is limited.

Explore the crucial themes, obsessions, genres and stylistic strategies of Latin American culture. Organized as an introductory course, students who are already familiar with this sort of literature may find these explorations provocative and stimulating. Readings include canonical authors such as Sarmiento, Garcia Marquez, Lispector, Cortazar, with more recent writers who address contemporary issues. Ethical and political dilemmas will be constantly examined.

Knowledge of Spanish not necessary.

4 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 the chronicle

Report aims to Safety issues plague local events save watchdog journalism

by Christina Peña The chronicle

by Maggie Love The chronicle

A Duke professor is responding to the journalism industry’s SOS signal.

“Accountability through Algorithm: Developing the Field of Computational Journalism,” a report by James Hamilton, director of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy, suggests four ways to address the decline of watchdog journalism: more efficient data-analysis tools, digital dashboards for journalists, new watchdog positions for readers and interdisciplinary research between fields such as social science and medicine. Hamilton collaborated with Fred Turner, assistant professor of communications at Stanford University.

“We may be running an experiment at the state and local level where we get to see what happens when there’s less scrutiny of what officials are doing,” Hamilton said in reference to the decline of watchdog journalism.

He noted that newspapers facing budget cuts tend to first eliminate coverage of “things that are the hallmark of accountability,” including the environment, courts and education. These issues are the first to be bumped off newspaper pages because they require original and timeconsuming reporting, Hamilton added.

Software developers, newspaper editors and deans of journalism schools were just a few of the 1,200 who recieved the report via e-mail Friday.

“Accountability through Algorithm” suggests that a more tailored version of GoogleNews can help reporters track stories back to the original article, in addition to finding related articles for research purposes.

The next generation of watchdog journalism would

The North Carolina State Fair saw record-breaking 877,939 attendees this year—a crowd large enough to prompt safety concerns.

Durham teenager Jaylan O’Quinn McNair, 16, was stabbed in the back Oct. 17 at the fair, raising safety concerns for large events. Past events like Chapel Hill’s Apple Chill Street Fair were canceled due to violent outbreaks.

But Triangle officers noted that safety is a concern any time there are many people in one area, and that proper planning is the best solution.

“Although that one situation was unfortunate, given the amount of people that attended, all in all, I feel like we couldn’t have asked for things to go better,” said Joel Keith, state fairgrounds police chief.

He added that the Oct. 17 incident was between two people who simply did not like each other, resulting in one injured and taken to the hospital. The matter was handled quickly and efficiently and was the only incident at the State Fair this year, Keith said.

In 2008, 765,067 people attended the fair and there were no altercations, Keith said. In 2007, with the previous record total of 858,611 attendees, there was one incident where a person was cut. And in 2006, with 785,956 people in attendance, there were again, no incidents.

“If you have so many people in a certain area there are bound to be some sorts of altercations,” Keith said.

“Fortunately, we have enough officers around that can take care of situations that may arise.”

There are approximately 300 officers in the vicinity of the fair, both inside and outside of the fairgrounds, he added.

“If they’re going to fight, then they’re going to have to fight with an officer,” Keith said. “We’re in an enclosed compound. The outside is saturated with officers and the inside is also saturated with officers. They know if they act on those feelings of violence they are going to get arrested. It’s just not a good place to go and try to pick a fight.”

caroline rodriguez/The Chronicle

The North Carolina State Fair, which saw a record-high attendance this year, is one of several Triangle events that prompts safety concerns.

Crowd safety concerns In 2006, Chapel Hill’s annual Apple Chill Street Fair was canceled after several shootings on Franklin Street in 2004 and 2005 after the fair.

“Squabbles began to happen just with the large amounts of people,” said Lt. Kevin Gunter, public information specialist for the Chapel Hill Police Department.

“Then, alcohol consumption started to happen and over the years crime just started increasing.”

Gunter added that for two to three years, major incidents occurred that were unrelated to Apple Chill itself, but happened to coincide with the day of the festival.

Once Apple Chill was canceled, the problems associated with the after-gathering crowd also disappeared.

The annual Halloween night celebration on Franklin Street has also begun raising similar concerns in recent

See journalism on page 8

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the chronicle

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 | 5

hull from page 1

genevieve werner/The Chronicle

At their meeting Tuesday night, Duke University Union members deliberated ways to promote Duke’s Buzz calendar, a central online hub that lists upcoming campus events.

duke university union

DUU looks to promote Duke’s Buzz calendar

by Mona Ascha The chronicle

At its weekly meeting Tuesday night, Duke University Union received a special visit.

Susan Kauffman, director of communications for the office of undergraduate education and Snapper Underwood, Trinity ’08 and special assistant to the dean of undergraduate education, discussed marketing strategies for the Buzz calendar—a student calendar Web site that has been developed for Duke events.

“When I was a student, there was no single place to find out what was going on,” Underwood said. “Buzz is a way for

student groups to get the word out about their events.”

Although advertising for large-scale events such as LDOC may be easy, buzz is an opportunity for smaller groups that may not have many funds to advertise their events, Underwood added.

Recognized student groups are automatically registered with Buzz, and students can select categories from which they want to see events—from “free food and beverages” to “athletics and recreation.”

Both Underwood and Kauffman are See duu on page 12

Explore Feminist Philosophy!

PHIL 122S Philosophical Issues in Feminism WF 10:05-11:20 West Duke 204 Taught by Yolonda Wilson This course will cover issues in moral and political philosophy, with consideration of feminist concerns. We will begin the course with a feminist critique of the traditional liberal basis for political obligation.

According to some feminist critiques, the founding ideas of Western society are unfavorable to women. This understanding also sets the stage for critiques of feminist philosophy itself. That is, essentialist assumptions about women ignore the differences in race, class, sexual orientation, and disability status between women. These critiques of feminist philosophy will be woven throughout the course. Next we will explore two specific issues in moral philosophy, self-respect and privacy, through a feminist lens. We will ask ourselves how taking gender into account might influence our conceptions of self-respect and privacy. We will also consider the impact of gender in other questions of applied moral philosophy, like pornography and abortion.

For example, can a feminist enjoy pornography? Finally, feminism has sometimes been characterized as anti-male. We will conclude the course by asking whether feminism discriminates against men. The course will be accessible regardless of whether one has prior background in philosophy.

The 48-page self-published collection, “Muhammad: The ‘Banned’ Images,” is a response to an August decision by Yale University Press to remove all images of Muhammad from a book by a Brandeis University professor on reactions to the Danish cartoons, Hull said.

“My primary motive here is to defend reason, Western civilization and individual rights,” Hull said. “It’s just a very public statement in defense of free speech.”

Hull said the decision to remove images of Muhammad from the book is evidence that the United States has “forgotten what the Enlightenment was all about.”

“This is a huge issue. I mean, that’s one of the things that the founders fought for and died for—the right to unfettered speech,” he said.

Hull’s book closes with a statement in support of free speech signed by various supporters, including several professors and the Danish editor responsible for publishing the cartoons. Michael Munger, chair of Duke’s political science department, is among the signatories.

“I’m saying right now, I haven’t seen the book and I would sign it if it were blasphemous pictures of Jesus,” said Munger, adding that he is Catholic.

“The Cartoons That Shook the World,” the book from which the images of Muhammad were removed, examined why the cartoons provoked such violent reactions.

Yale University Press removed the book’s images on the advice of experts who said their inclusion might provoke violence. According to The New York Times, more than 200 people were killed in worldwide protests after the cartoons, including one of Muhammad wearing a bomb as a turban, were published in Jyllands-Posten.

Jytte Klausen, the book’s author and a professor of politics at Brandeis University, said she disagrees with Yale University Press’ decision.

“We have to print them in order to find out

what we have to talk about,” she said. “There was no threat of violence and we should not give in to the threat of violence.”

Ebrahim Moosa, associate professor of Islamic studies at Duke, said people who are offended might choose to ignore the book or “[Hull] may meet a lot of people who will disagree with him.”

Moosa declined to speculate on whether the book might provoke the sort of violent reaction that greeted the cartoons’ initial publication.

Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, said the University supports the academic freedom of its professors, but added that the book is not connected to Duke.

“In general, the standards and the norms of academic freedom are very different in the U.S. than they are in many different countries around the world,” Schoenfeld said. “Our faculty have both the right and responsibility to speak out and debate critical issues as individuals and scholars.”

Schoenfeld wrote in a follow-up e-mail that Duke is not concerned about the impact the book may have on the University’s reputation abroad.

Hull said the potential for a violent reaction to the book does not concern him.

“That’s what the FBI and the CIA and the executive branch should be focusing on and investigating and stopping. That’s their job,” he said. “My job is to defend ideas. Their job is to use their guns to defend those who defend ideas.”

Hull said that if individuals throughout history had refrained from talking or writing because they were worried about the consequences, there would have been little progress.

He said that while the intent of the book is not to offend Muslims, he is aware that it may do so.

“Everybody is offended by something.

The only question here is ‘What’s the proper response?’” he said. “Write your own damn book, draw your own damn cartoons, create your own damn movie. That’s the Enlightenment.”

Visit chronicleblogs.com for our news, sports, editorial and recess blogs.

6 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 the chronicle

Pharmacy from page 1 Student Health that we couldn’t keep [the pharmacy] open,” Purdy said. “We’ve tried very hard in the past three years to make ends meet.”

He added that the pharmacy has decreased its inventory and been cost-conscious. Hanson noted that the situation has been difficult.

“It’s going to be less service for the students,” Hanson said.

Purdy said the pharmacy, which serves about 9,000 individuals and fills about 17,000 prescriptions each year, will close in accordance with guidelines set by the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy.

The Student Health Center will continue to administer vaccines and provide over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol and cough syrup.

Purdy said all prescriptions will be transferred automatically to the outpatient pharmacy unless students request to transfer their prescriptions to an off-campus pharmacy. Outpatient pharmacy Manager Jim Stefanadis said he looks forward to serving students in addition to the Duke patients and employees currently served at the outpatient pharmacy.

Purdy, Stefanadis and Chief Pharmacy Officer Paul Bush met Tuesday to discuss the transition.

“Our plan is to make the transfer as seamless as possible,” Stefanadis said.

The outpatient pharmacy,

which maintains a staff of 11 employees, has filled prescriptions for students when the Student Health pharmacy was temporarily closed, Stefanadis added.

Purdy said the outpatient pharmacy carries a wider selection of medications than the Student Health pharmacy does.

For years, the main source of income for the Student Health pharmacy was birth control pills, Hansen said, and prior to the 2005 Deficit Reduction Plan, Student Health was able to purchase the pills at a deep discount.

She noted that other college pharmacies are struggling, and an increasing number are closing. Florida State University’s Thagard Student Health Center pharmacy closed last December.

Successful college pharmacies often have access to large space and sell other drugstore items, such as toiletries and magazines, she said.

Hanson said the pharmacy has always received good reviews from students in Student Health’s patient satisfaction survey.

She added that Almond, who has worked at the pharmacy for 26 years, has a “special knack for talking with students.”

“It’s always sad when longterm employees—loyal, hardworking people—have to be let go,” Hanson said.

Although Hanson regrets the pharmacy’s closing, she said the University must adjust to current circumstances.

“As disappointed as we are... we have to move on,” she said.

e-interview from page 3 on-campus interview but you’re sitting in front of your computer screen,” Blocker said.

Wake Forest will continue to offer on-campus interviews, but the online interviews—which were first made available in December 2008— are now offered to students who cannot make a trip to campus. For the incoming class this fall, Wake Forest had a total of more than 4,000 interviews, 300 of which were conducted through cyberspace.

“It has definitely expanded the number of people that can be interviewed, and that’s the purpose,” Blocker said. “We want to have some sort of personal conversation with as many applicants as we possibly can. The online interview has allowed us to do that.”

It is unlikely, however, that Duke would consider online interviews for undergraduate applicants in the near future because the University no longer offers on-campus interviews, Duke’s Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag said. All interviews are now handled regionally through Duke’s alumni interviewing network, so einterviewing is not necessary.

“I think in general, person-toperson interviews are probably going to be slightly more useful,” Guttentag said. “There’s just more information, visual information, that one can get in a person-toperson meeting.”

On both sides, employers and students are saving money through interviews via Skype, a free video

photo illustration by courtney douglas

Although e-interviews via webcam are becoming more common among colleges and companies, admissions officials said Duke will not be following the trend. conferencing application available for free download. There are also other software options, like Adobe Acrobat Connect, that are open for student use in The Link.

The University also provides resources for students who need to do interviews online with prospective employers.

The Career Center works closely with The Link, students and companies to coordinate video interviews, Erin Nettifee, coordinator of academic support in the Office of Information Technology, wrote in an e-mail. This Fall, approximately 20 students have e-interviewed through The Link and the Career Center with two different companies.

Lutron Electronics recently started doing e-interviews last summer, and expects to use the process more often, especially during the off seasons when the company might not be sending its employees to campus, said Nora Elmanzalawy, a college re-

cruiting representative at Lutron.

Students have also interviewed over the Web with the finance company UBS. “UBS has struggled recently, so perhaps this form of interview was a cost-cutting measure,” senior Vadim Leonov wrote in an e-mail.

Elmanzalawy said e-interviewing probably saves her company more than $800 for a school that Lutron’s recruiters would be flying to, and $400 to $500 for a school within driving distance.

In addition to the occasional technical difficulty, there are other disadvantages to e-interviewing as opposed to in-person interviews, students said.

“There are intangible traits that interviewers can pick up during an in-person interview on an interviewee that could influence their decision one way or another,” senior Justin Hong, who e-interviewed with UBS, wrote in an e-mail.

DukeReads on Ustream Live!

7:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 11

Women’s Studies’ Ranjana Khanna and NPR’s Frank Stasio discuss

The White Tiger

by Aravind Adiga

Access this interactive book chat: www.ustream.tv/dukeuniversity or www.dukereads.com

Submit questions via: dukereads.com/facebook live@duke.edu #dukelive

Family #7 – Partial blindness and a recent eye surgery have sidelined this mother of three from her job. While she awaits approval for disability income, her family struggles to make ends meet. Holiday gifts of (list a few) will be a ray of hope for this family.

Family #48 – This mother fled domestic violence to find safety for herself and her two children. She is now searching for a job and a home of her own. The family has few belongings now and needs household items and clothes to make a new beginning.

Family #87 – The godparents of an 11 year-old with severe mental illness now provide a loving and supportive home for him. They want nothing for themselves this holiday, but would be very grateful if their godchild receives new clothes for Christmas.

Family #180 – This single father is struggling to provide for his two children and a nephew on a very small monthly income, You can help him make this a memorable Christmas for all his boys this year with gifts of basic clothing, a digital camera and action figures.

Family #208 – Two sets of twin grandchildren, ages 3 and 11, now live with their grandmother. Her love and support for them is boundless, but her income is limited. You can help her make this a Christmas for them to remember fondly with gifts of clothes, games and bikes.

the chronicle

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 | 7

courserank from page 3 blast e-mail, more than 2,000 students were registered on the Web site, Getson said. At its Oct. 21 meeting, DSG allotted $1,100 to promote the site, but DSG’s use of the Web site is free for the first year. DSG plans to reassess the site after its free one-year trial period ends.

“Until now, there’s been no organized way for students to talk with other students about courses they’ve taken,” Getson said. “Students need this option—it’s important to them.”

Getson began searching for an alternative to Duke’s course evaluation system in Fall 2008 in response to student concerns.

He first heard about CourseRank from Owen Astrachan, professor of the practice of computer science.

Prior to CourseRank, there was no lasting student evaluation system in place at Duke.

Former DSG President Elliott Wolf, Trinity ’08, created a Duke-specific course evaluations Web site that was approved by the Arts and Sciences Council in 2006. But the site failed to attract sufficient student input.

Students still relied largely on word-ofmouth and other Web sites such as RateMyProfessors.com, Getson said. Although the administration provides students with course synopses and ratings on ACES, the synopses are not available for every class and are written by faculty members. On ACES, students rate courses based on a five-point scale, however, the ratings are not always released to the student body.

“The ratings are out of context because no written reviews are released with them,”

Getson said. “This benefits University officials and not students, and does not address the need students have.”

As of Tuesday night, about 5,200 reviews have been posted by more than 2,100 students. Although students initially encountered technical difficulties on the site, many have continued to use CourseRank for its accessibility and convenience.

“I really like it,” freshman Kerri Devine said. “I was able to see all the different times my courses were being offered, and which professors taught them.”

Some students, however, do not see equal value in the program. Senior Peng Shi, a double major in math and computer science does not believe CourseRank is effective in high-level courses, as the students who take these classes will probably not visit

dpac from page 1

michael naclerio/The Chronicle

The Durham Performing Arts Center, which was largely subsidized by Duke, brought in more than $1 million in profit in its first eight months.

employees that work there,” he said. “We’ve gotten rave reviews on the customer service they provide.”

The center, which opened in December 2008 and cost $46.8 million to build, sold out more than 20 shows in its inaugural season.

Bell said he was pleased with the center’s success and what it means for the city.

“Any time you are able to have revenues exceed expenses it’s a boost, but I think what’s more important is it’s a statement of Durham being a center for arts in the region,” he said. “While we focus on DPAC, we have other attractions to complement DPAC and attract people to downtown Durham—it’s just another jewel in the downtown area.”

Duke’s $7.5 million donation to the center’s construction has also yielded a worthy new stage for the American Dance Festival, Executive Vice President Tallman Trask said, adding that the new 2,800-seat venue is a vast improvement over Page Auditorium, which was previously used for ADF performances.

“It worked out very well,” he said. “And part of the money also is what makes [DPAC] nice—they were going to cut

back on a lot of things that they didn’t end up having to cut back on [due to Duke’s contribution].”

DPAC has also partnered with Duke groups to offer students a cultural alternative to activities on campus. The Hub in the Bryan Center currently sells discounted tickets and season tickets to select DPAC shows. The tickets, subsidized by the Office of Student Activities and Facilities, are available for a wider range of shows than last year, when tickets were sold through Duke University Union, said DUU President Zach Perret, a junior.

Perret said DUU’s new relationship with DPAC involves trying to present University shows at the downtown center, adding that an attempt to do so for next Spring recently fell through.

“They have the exact size [venue] we need and don’t have at Duke,” he said. “I can’t promise it will work out this year, but I’m confident it will work out in future years.”

Although Perret said he did not know student attendance numbers at the center, he has received extremely positive feedback from students who have attended shows at DPAC. “When students do go there, I know they love it,” he said. “Those are the responses we got last year—they saw how cool a venue it was, how nice it was outside and how great it was inside. It’s a great thing for the University to have, a great programming venue nearby.”

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the Web Site, Shi said.

“There is no incentive to report anything,” he said.

Although CourseRank is currently geared toward undergraduates, some graduate courses are posted on the Web site. Getson noted that many of the reviews have come from recent Duke alumni.

Faculty and administrators are also able to review courses, and those comments will be flagged to students in red, Getson said.

He hopes the interaction between students and faculty will provide a workable solution to be permanently implemented at Duke.

“It’s important that as many students use CourseRank as possible,” Getson said.

“That’s how we will determine to use CourseRank for the next few years, or to come up with a different solution.”

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fair from page 4 years. As the number of attendees continued increasing from year to year, the city took measures last year to cut down the size of the celebration for a more “Homegrown Halloween.”

“We’ve obviously had a drastic effort to decrease the number of people for our Halloween gathering for safety reasons that come with being able to manage a crowd of that size,” Gunter said. “We wanted people to hear us and they did.”

In 2007, 70,000 to 80,000 people attended Halloween on Franklin Street with a total of 13 arrests, Gunter said. Due to the

halifax from page 3 by her visits to the sites of several historic tragedies. She has visited the Auschwitz concentration camp twice, and said both trips had a profound effect on her.

During her first visit, she attended an interfaith conference where discussions among participants revealed how difficult it is to process a tragedy of that scope. Later, a friend told her they needed to visit Nanjing, China, the site of a 1937 massacre at the hands of the Japanese.

“No one could put their arms around the magnitude of the atrocity that happened,” she said.

Halifax said the lessons she has learned from past tragedies are very applicable today.

“We’re in a time where the sense of catastrophe is very present,” she said.

To illustrate the interfaith response to catastrophe, Halifax’s talk was followed by a discussion panel with Rabbi for Jewish Life Michael Goldman and Paul Griffiths, Warren Professor of Catholic Theology at the Divinity School.

Goldman emphasized the importance of ethics over epistemology.

city’s new measures, 2008 saw a decrease in attendance to 40,000 people and only five arrests were made. This year, 50,000 people attended, with a single arrest.

“In recent years, as the night would progress, we would see gang members moving into the crowds—whether or not they were from Durham or Raleigh—we were seeing a crowd that was not dressed in costume that seemed to be there for different reasons,” Gunter said. “This year we didn’t seem to have that. I don’t know why. I’m not going to single out any particular area out of the Triangle. The temper was just different.”

Kammie Michael, public information officer for the Durham Police Depart-

ment, explained that safety and traffic are concerns at any large events such as football games, parades, festivals and fireworks celebrations and that officers plan accordingly.

District commanders are notified of large events in their districts so they can work with event organizers to make sure the events are safe, Michael said. She added that off-duty officers are also hired to work at large events and direct traffic.

“The best way to preserve the peace is to have a good, solid plan in place and to have enough officers working at the event,” she said.

Jim Sughrue, public information officer for the Raleigh Police Department,

“We shouldn’t worry about natural disasters, which we can’t control, but rather our actions, which we can,” he said.

Griffiths said suffering is essential to Christianity, noting that two-thirds of the Psalms are laments.

“I think it’s central to a Christian response to begin with lament and end with lament,” he said.

All religious leaders present—representing Buddhism, Catholicism and Judaism— stressed the importance of love to their faiths, especially as a means of coping with adversity.

“Get rid of greed, hatred and delusion and you end up with love,” Griffiths said.

“The gift of love, in order to be a gift, has to come from some place other than me.”

Senior Priyanka Sista said she enjoyed the event’s interfaith balance.

“I know very little of other faiths,” she said.

“It’s nice to hear about other perspectives.”

Durham resident Andy Stewart said he was grateful to attend the speech.

“It was absolutely remarkable,” he said.

“If we didn’t live in Durham, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to be stretched like the three there stretched us.”

Joan Halifax, a Buddhist teacher and author, spoke about “Living in a World of Radical Uncertainty” in Griffith Theater Tuesday Night. The Chapel’s Faith Council and Duke Buddhist Community hosted the event.

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explained that it may not be possible to prevent acts of violence because they can occur rather quickly and sporadically. But he noted that RPD puts a lot of work in organizing law enforcement presence and planning that would minimize the chance of incidents.

“We always encourage people whether they’re at an event or going about their daily lives to be aware of their surroundings,” Sughrue said. “It is easy to get lost in what someone is doing and not pay attention to people getting close to you or getting into a situation where your safety is compromised. We encourage people to be very careful because obviously the police can’t be everywhere.”

daniella choi/The Chronicle

journalism from page 4

York University, said the report is innovatively promising.

“I think it’s something university-based also cater more toward reader involve- journalism programs are particularly wellment to make news reading more per- suited to do,” he said. sonal. If readers want more in-depth Rosen added that the interdisciplinary information about a story, they will be nature of the accountability model is charable to link to related documents and acteristic of the university setting. articles. This model is also more costThe report is making headway outside efficient because the content would be of academia as well. free up to a certain point—but readers Steve Riley, senior editor of investigawould be charged for additional, more- tions for The (Raleigh) News & Observer, detailed information. said because the newspaper has fewer peoAnd these ple, it needs proposals will to “get smart“It’s not a matter of inventing be applied as er.” And the soon as this being new technology, it’s a matter of work summer. Hamdone at the ilton said the DeWitt Cenapplying it to journalism.”

DeWitt Walis one way — Sarah Cohen, ter lace Center to help the will work with Knight professor of journalism p u b l i c a t i o n Relevance, a get there.

Durham soft“We’ll take ware company, all the ideas in a new DukeEngage program during the we can use to get faster and... smarter data,” summer of 2010. The goal of the program, Riley said. which will accept three students, is to creRiley has met with Hamilton and Sarah ate open-source software to help reporters. Cohen, Knight professor of the practice This program is an example of the attitude of journalism and public policy, several necessary to the survival of watchdog jour- times. Cohen, a Pulitzer Prize-winning nalism, Hamilton said. journalist, said she has interviewed at “The company is altruistic and the stu- least 40 reporters since she came to Duke dents are idealistic,” he said. in July and all of them have been enthuJustin Gehtland, president of Relevance, siastic about the prospects of computasaid the company is excited to work with tional journalism.

Duke. He noted that the software the DuCohen said she is confident computakeEngage students will create could be tional journalism can help save watchdog used to analyze source documents and col- journalism, noting that reporters have to lect information from local news sources. read dozens of Web sites and blogs every “The better journalism we have, the bet- day—a relatively inefficient process that ter off everyone is around that journalism,” technology could modify and improve for Gehtland said. the future.

Duke is not the only university looking “It’s not a matter of inventing new techinto the report’s applications. nology, it’s a matter of applying it to jourJay Rosen, a journalism professor at New nalism,” Cohen said.

Sports

>> MEN’S SOCCER

The Chronicle

WEDNESDAY November 11, 2009

www.dukechroniclesports.com

Men’s Soccer

Key game for Duke in ACC quarters

by Kevin Fishner The chronicle

Coming into the 2009 season, no one expected the Blue Devils to start 4-0 and carry the momentum into a 12-5 regular season.

After losing four starting seniors, one of whom was All-American and ACC Offensive Player of the Year Mike Grella, No. 15 Duke was supBC posed to be heading vs. into a down year. But No. 15 with the emergence Duke of two freshmen, forWEDNESDAY, 2:30 p.m. ward Ryan Finley and defender Andrew Cary, N.C. ACC tournament Wenger, along with greater team chemistry, the Blue Devils were able to surprise some teams.

“We got to where we hoped we would be this season, which is fairly high on the RPI scale,” head coach John Kerr said. “Especially since we’re starting eight different players from last year, we have come a long way. We’re excited about the postseason.”

No bowl?

Not a problem Duke has played 45 football games since I’ve been a student here. I had never been as excited about one as I was last Saturday.

Now, it’s important to keep in mind that the Blue Devils won a grand total of one game in the 2006 and 2007 seasons, and that victory was on the road against Northwestern. In 2008, the David Cutcliffe Era got off to a blazing start, but Duke faded quickly once ACC play began.

This season, the Blue Devils did the reverse. They had an awful opening game against Richmond, Joe bounced back against Army and hit their stride starting with the N.C. Central contest. Going into Saturday’s game in Chapel Hill, Duke was 4-1 in its previous five games with a realistic chance to get a bowl berth.

Plus, the matchup with the Tar Heels had been moved away from its traditional time slot of Thanksgiving weekend, so for the first time, I was going to be able to watch this rivalry game. It was a sunny 66 degrees at kickoff—perfect weather for the Blue Devils’ pass-oriented offense.

And then the game started.

Nothing went Duke’s way. North Carolina scored on its first drive. Then

Drews

olly wilson/Chronicle file photo

See m. soccer on page 10

Freshman Andrew Wenger was named to theAll-ACC first team Tuesday. Wenger started all 17 games for Duke and is the Blue Devils’ only representative on the first team

Senior Josh Bienenfeld and Duke lost 2-0 to Boston College earlier this season in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Football

The Killer V’s reunited

High school teammates Varner, Vernon making a name at Duke

by Scott Rich The chronicle

You’d never guess from the way wide recievers Conner Vernon and Donovan Varner work together on offense that the two used to be fierce rivals in high school. But rather than competing on gameday, the pair faced off on the practice fields of Gulliver Prep in Miami.

Whenever Vernon lined up at receiver, it was Varner blanketing him in coverage. Whenever Vernon kicked off in practice, it was Varner waiting to return the ball.

During their high school football careers in Miami, the

sight of Varner and Vernon competing during practice was commonplace, even though the pair now lines up on the same side of the ball for the Blue Devils.

And now, that competitive instinct might be one of the driving forces that has revitalized Duke’s offense, and consequently the outlook of the entire football team.

“I got to stick Conner a lot in high school, so that was a lot of fun,” Varner said. “But we would battle and compete every day in practice and talk a lot of trash to each other. But off the

See drews on page 10

See varner/vernon on page 11

lawson kurtz (left), addison corriher (right)/Chronicle file photos

Freshman Conner Vernon (left) and sophomore Donovan Varner (right) were teammates at Miami’s Gulliver High before reconnecting as Duke wide receivers.

zachary tracer/Chronicle file photo

Head coach David Cutcliffe has made November football games meaningful in his second year at Duke.

10 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 the chronicle

drews from page 9 the Blue Devils went three-and-out to turn the ball right back over. They went three-and-out on their second possession as well, foreshadowing an afternoon in which they were completely dominated in time of possession.

UNC quarterback T.J. Yates, while not awe-inspiring, was efficient when he had to be. Thaddeus Lewis, however, was harassed all day and never seemed comfortable.

He completed just 16-of-33 passes for 113 yards.

Safety Jordon Byas blocked a punt in the first quarter, but he later interfered with a Tar Heel punt returner who was calling for a fair catch, giving North Carolina 15 free yards to start its next drive.

The Tar Heels lost starting running back Shaun Draughn to a fractured shoulder blade early on, but backup Ryan Houston filled in and ran all over the Duke defense.

There was a reason for much of that misfortune, though, and it’s the same reason why I was so excited to watch this game: Playing in a big game was a brand new experience for Duke Football. I had never watched a game like it, and none of the Blue Devils had ever played in one like it.

“Our guys had never been in this position,” head coach David Cutcliffe said after the 19-6 loss. “I don’t know if they knew it was going to be as hard as it was, but it’s not supposed to be easy. You know what? Thank goodness it’s not easy, because if it was easy there would be a whole lot of people doing it.”

Now, barring an upset of Georgia Tech or Miami in the next two weeks, Duke will not be one of those teams playing in the postseason, and it’s because of what transpired Saturday at Kenan Stadium.

The Blue Devils were outmatched against North Carolina. There’s no question about that. (In fact, Cutcliffe astutely pointed this fact out early last week.) But Duke has been outmatched before and still played well. It hung with then-No. 6 Virginia Tech, losing by just eight points Oct. 3.

Defenses have been keying on the passing game for weeks, but Lewis had still gotten it done before Saturday.

The Blue Devils have played well on the road this season, as well. They were 16-point underdogs against N.C. State but thrashed the Wolfpack in Raleigh Oct. 10. It’s not like the Kenan Stadium crowd was incredibly intimidating, either, so the road atmosphere could not have affected Duke very much.

It would be overly simplistic to say the sole difference against the Tar Heels was the magnitude of the game, but I think it was a major factor. For the first time in years, Duke was playing in a game with direct bowl implications, and it showed.

The good news is that the Blue Devils will know what to expect when this type of situation comes up again. And it will come up again. Maybe not this

addison corriher/The Chronicle

Linebacker Vincent Rey and the senior class never beat North Carolina, but Joe Drews thinks this year’s loss is an omen of good things to come. season, although Duke is still technically in the hunt for the Coastal Division title and a bowl berth. (If the Blue Devils can’t stop Houston, can you really envision them slowing down 2008 ACC Player of the Year Jonathan Dwyer this week or Miami’s Jacory Harris the next?)

But Cutcliffe undoubtedly has the program on the right track. Whatever happens in the season’s final three games, this season has been a success. When was the last time November football meant more than November basketball in Durham?

A year or two from now, when Duke has more of Cutcliffe’s recruits and more players who have participated in big games, it’s unlikely the Blue Devils will fall flat like they did Saturday. Cutcliffe may even refer back to this game as a key learning point in the program’s development.

Right now, that may not matter much to a senior class that never won the Victory Bell or a program that has lost 19 of its last 20 against its archrival.

And yet, in a development that would have been unthinkable just two years ago, it will matter soon—and that’s the real accomplishment of this season.

m. soccer from page 9

larsa al-omaishi/Chronicle file photo

Junior Cole Grossman is one of several members of a balanced Duke attack that hopes to defeat Boston College.

The reason for the success of this year’s team is hard to pinpoint, but one of the most surprising reasons is that there are no standouts on the team. Last year, with the talented Grella up top, Duke’s play revolved around getting the ball to his feet.

When an entire team is focused on one position, it is exceedingly easy for opponents to scout and defend against. However, with their balanced approach, the 2009 Blue Devils have been able to win games multiple ways.

“We’ve been getting to know each other really well and our positioning and what we’re good at,” Kerr said.

One of Duke’s strengths this year has been its midfielders, who have controlled the flow of the game and linked the defense to the offense well.

Central midfielders and senior leaders Josh Bienenfeld and Ryan McDaniel have conducted the midfield all season with their rugged play and scrappy mentality.

Supporting the defensive style of play of Bienenfeld and McDaniel has been offensively-minded newcomer Christopher Tweed-Kent. Joining the team as a sophomore, Tweed-Kent has given the Blue Devils an explosive option on the outside.

Along with the scoring capabilities of Tweed-Kent, Finley and junior Cole Grossman have given the Blue Devils offensive

firepower this season, scoring nine and seven goals, respectively.

The overall scoring distribution of the team has been more even than last year, with 13 different players tallying scores compared to just eight a year ago.

This emphasis on team rather than individual will serve the Blue Devils well as they enter the ACC tournament Wednesday night in Cary, N.C against third seed Boston College (11-7-0). Duke is the sixth seed in the tournament.

“Boston College is a good team,” Kerr said. “They have gotten better these last couple of weeks as well. We’re facing an opponent that’s a little different than the one we faced few weeks back.”

In their matchup in late September, the Eagles defended their home turf and sent the Blue Devils back to Durham with a 2-0 loss. The game was close until the closing seconds, when the Eagles were awarded a penalty kick to seal the victory.

“They’re a good team and they have matured—but we have too,” Kerr said.

“It will be an interesting test on Wednesday to see how far each team has come.

We had a very good game against them a few weeks back and we’ve got a lot of confidence.”

If the Blue Devils get past the Eagles Wednesday night, their next matchup would be in the semifinals against the winner of North Carolina versus N.C State.

The winner of that match would likely face top seed Wake Forest in the finals Sunday.

the chronicle

social media from page 1 interviews [were also] pretty revolutionary for a recruit, to invite people into your living room and answer questions.”

Beyond using social media as a means to generate hype, Irving’s online presence influenced the way the media covered his recruitment because it gave him the opportunity to speak directly to fans without any sort of middleman.

When Zagoria somewhat controversially cited anonymous sources and broke the story that the guard would be attending Duke two days before Irving was set to announce his decision, the prospect was able to bite back: “I don’t know what’s going on with all these supposed sources but I have not commited [sic] to Duke,” Irving tweeted.

“Twitter is a legitimate source to break news, whether you are Shaquille O’Neal or Kyrie Irving.”

— Recruiting analyst Adam Zagoria Ultimately, Irving’s tweet turned out to be a fabrication of the truth—Seth Davis, a CBS college basketball analyst and former Chronicle sports editor, also had sources that confirmed Irving had in fact secretly committed four weeks earlier. Still, Irving’s denial certainly served the purpose of keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 | 11

When Irving suggested that a number of fans might be surprised by his decision, he made his eventual commitment to Duke’s program appear uncertain.

After Irving formally chose Duke, he at least admitted that keeping the buzz alive was a part of his rational. “I had to keep the suspense,” Irving said on ESPNU when asked about why he denied the reports.

Beyond Twitter, Irving managed his public persona with the help of UStream.

After posting a link on his Twitter feed, the guard would sit in front of his laptop’s webcam and answer questions that visitors posted in the chat room.

Of course, answering questions in a rapid-fire and informal manner can result in making mistakes that generate unwanted speculation on the Internet. On Sept. 30, weeks before even Zagoria had announced that Irving had committed to Duke, the guard dismissed rumors that he was set to make his announcement either that night or the next day. But while the UStream broadcast was an attempt to put the rumors to rest, it simply fed the fire. Irving’s good friend—whom he called Jerry—suddenly got confused during the broadcast and said that he’d be with Irving at Duke for Countdown to Craziness even though the guard was scheduled to visit Kentucky that night.

Irving fell back in the chair and looked at his friend in disbelief.

“What are you talking about?” Irving said as he got ready to end the live stream. “Oh my gosh, dog. You’re out, we’re out dog.”

Irving followed up on his Twitter later that night to confirm that the comment was a mistake and that he would be attending Kentucky’s Big Blue Mad-

Photo illustration by courtney douglas/The Chronicle

ness, but not before adding to already existing rumors. On the video feed, the recruit’s visible discomfort seemed to suggest that he was nervous about giving up too much information or saying the wrong thing. Irving wanted to give the public some access, but it seemed clear that not everything was supposed to be for fans’ ears.

Paul Levinson, a professor at Fordham and the author of “New New Media”, explains that maintaining this balance—in effect having both a private and a public persona—is difficult business.

“There was a sociologist named [Erving] Goffman, [and] he used to write about people’s front region, or their public persona, and their back region, or how they’re different when they’re with their friends and family,” Levinson said. “This applies to athletes. They need to be aware of how much of their back region they want to make available to the public.”

However, it is access to what Levinson calls the back region that keeps fans interested. In a sense, then, Irving’s eventual obligation to actually commit to just one college took away part of his ability to continue to generate attention. Without the mystery, there is now no need

varner/vernon from page 9 field, we were cool, and in games we would make big plays, so it was a pretty fun experience.

“He makes fun of me sometimes about how I couldn’t catch in high school, but I used to tell him I shut him down at cornerback.”

While Vernon did not admit to being “stuck” by Varner, he agreed with his teammate that the competition at Gulliver Prep was fierce.

“It got heated at times,” Vernon said. “We would both get ours­—I’d get him, he’d get me­—so it was never one-sided.”

The energy the pair exerted during practice became evident in the numbers the two put up. As a junior at Gulliver, Varner not only recorded six interceptions, but also amassed more than 1,300 total yards of offense and was named to the All-County team. Vernon, meanwhile, made the jump to the varsity squad late his freshman year and never looked back. In his senior season, with Varner already at Duke, Vernon caught 60 passes for 1,163 yards and 11 touchdowns, leading Gulliver Prep to a 12-2 record and a berth in the state championship game.

For Gulliver head coach Earl Sims, who took over the Raiders in 2005, what distinguished the two athletes was their competitiveness and intense work ethic.

“What made them special... is all the extra work they put in to get better in the offseason,” Simms said. “Conner got so much faster, Donovan put on more weight and got faster and those guys used to go and run routes.”

Still, both went under the radar during the recruiting process. While Vernon was rated a three-star recruit by Rivals. com, only three other BCS schools—Mississippi, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest—offered the receiver a scholarship.

Varner, meanwhile, was listed as a two-star defensive back. Part of what hindered his recruitment was his relatively short stature­ for a receiver, as Varner is listed at only 5-foot-9.

The common thread for both players, though, was the lack of significant interest from any of the Florida football powerhouses, even the hometown Miami Hurricanes.

“A lot of schools in Florida passed up on us, especially me because of my size,” Varner said. “I knew I had a lot of ability and I had a lot of speed and agility, and I didn’t understand why they would pass up on me.”

That opened up an opportunity for Duke to make a play for both overlooked players, an effort that Sims said certainly did not go unnoticed.

zachary tracer/Chronicle file photo

Donovan Varner defended teammate Conner Vernon as a cornerback in high school, but he has become a downfield threat on offense at Duke.

“Duke was the first school that actually showed a lot of interest in Donovan,” Sims said. “Even though the other schools came onto him late, he honored that, and Coach [Scottie] Montgomery did a great job recruiting both of those guys.”

“As far as Conner, he [and his family]... were looking at Wisconsin, and once Duke called for him, I think they sat down and understood how that would probably be a great

for fans to analyze and discuss his every move. Before Irving even committed, his Twitter reflected this reality: “I wonder if I would have all these followers if I wad [sic] already committed?? Lol idk,” Irving wrote. It was the secret, after all, that helped Irving develop such a presence on the internet. Since his commitment Oct. 22, Irving has accumulated 197 new followers, but the rate of growth seems to have slowed down.

Still, Irving’s example has already had an influence on other players and is likely to continue to do so in the near future. Though current Duke junior Nolan Smith has been on Twitter since June 2, his growing presence on UStream was at least partially the result of seeing how well it worked for Irving.

“I think I’ve seen a couple of people on there, so I figured I’d give it a shot. I’ve seen Kyrie Irving on UStream talking to a bunch of Kentucky fans about stuff,” Smith said. “I went on there, and they have a lot of viewers. I have like 300 viewers; it’s just something fun.”

Kyrie Irving did not immediately respond to a tweet requesting an interview.

With social media at his disposal, though, he may be in no rush to.

fit for him not just athletically but academically.”

And once Varner committed to Duke and got acclimated to college life last year, he knew that playing for the Blue Devils would also be an excellent situation for his former teammate and practice rival.

“I had a big part in the recruitment of [Conner] and I told him we can come out here and it would be just like high school,” Varner said. “We could be successful and make big plays and have a lot of fun together.”

Needless to say, the instant impact of the pair has been a major factor in a high-octane Duke passing attack this season.

While Varner only recorded 164 receiving yards last season, the sophomore leads the team in that category with 674 already this year. Vernon, meanwhile, needed little time to get used to the college game. After catching four balls in his debut in the Blue Devils’ seasonopening loss to Richmond, the freshman broke out with four catches for 128 yards in a loss to Virginai Tech four weeks later, followed by back-to-back 100-yard performances against Maryland and Virginia in the following weeks.

“I haven’t had a true freshman receiver like what Conner’s done,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “I’d have a hard time not voting for him on an All-ACC team.”

The two have combined for 1,257 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season, a jarring number that their high school coach didn’t expect.

“I gotta be honest, it’s very surprising,” Sims said.

“Knowing who they are... there was no doubt about it they were going to be successful. But nobody knew it would be this soon.”

The two might have finally hit their first major speedbump in last weekend’s loss to North Carolina, though.

In a game in which the entire Duke offense struggled, the normally prolific combination combined for only five receptions for 35 yards.

But as these “Killer V’s,” as some fans have taken to describing them, continue to grow in Duke’s offensive system, at least Sims thinks the pair could make the Florida schools who overlooked them envious.

“I already know they’re going to push each other.

They’ve got something inside of them that’s different from a lot of other players,” Sims said. “So they know what time it is... there’s no limit to how good they can become if they continue to push themselves.”

And the competitive fire that was present between Varner and Vernon at Gulliver Prep should continue to drive them now, even if the competition is no longer as direct.

Classifieds

12 |WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009

duu from page 5 happy with buzz’s slow but sure progress. The Web site broke 1,000 visitors in one day recently, which had been an early goal, Underwood said. On average, the Web site receives 500 to 600 visitors each day.

“We’re nowhere near what we’d like to see for student visitors per day,” Underwood said.

Underwood and Kauffman asked DUU members for their feedback on Buzz to increase the number of hits the Web site receives as well as to increase its popularity so that it becomes a major communication tool among Duke students.

Members compared Buzz to other communication Web sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and Blackboard.

“What I’ve noticed that Facebook has provided is that even if you don’t say you’re attending an event, it still says the event is coming up,” sophomore Rachel Sussman said.

DUU members emphasized that students would need a “compelling reason” to use Buzz to start visiting

the Web site rather than Facebook or Twitter to learn about upcoming events. In addition, they suggested possible marketing strategies such as advertising on the plasma TVs in The Link or through the Duke Mobile iPhone application.

“It’s just a matter of [Buzz] getting seen around campus,” senior Adam Hinnant said.

Kauffman and Underwood embraced the suggestions openly, emphasizing that they wanted to give the calendar a “student feel” in order to have more students use it.

DUU members also discussed their upcoming general body meeting, in which they hope to unite the separate committees of the union.

President Zach Perret, a junior, aims to have a general body meeting each semester so that various DUU committee members can learn about other parts of the organization and decide if they want to join other committees.

“The Union is more than simply each individual committee,” Perret said. “The general body meeting will bring people together, expose [committees] to one another, and make the union improve as a whole.”

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 | 13

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14 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009

Loosen pass/fail requirements Tomorrow, the Arts and Sci- could remedy the situation. ences Council has the opporThe proposed pass/fail tunity to alter Trinity College’s policy would rename a passpass/fail policy and thereby ing grade as “satisfactory,” encourage intellectual explo- raise the bar for a satisfactory ration among students. grade to a C - or higher and Under the allow individcurrent policy, ual instructors editorial students must to determine decide to take a course P/F if students may take their by the end of drop/add, and course—seminars includcourses taken P/F do not ed—on a pass/fail basis. count toward major requireThere is general support ments or T-Reqs. In addition, within the Council for these the P/F option is not available changes, and reasonably so. to first-year students and can- The new satisfactory/unsatisnot be used for seminars and factory designation brings the tutorials. system in line with the proceA pass/fail policy at a lib- dure for granting credit to study eral arts institution should be abroad classes, and it increases flexible enough to allow stu- the number and types of classes dents to concentrate on intel- that can be taken pass/fail. lectual exploration, not grades The policy also contains and GPAs. The current policy several contentious proposals. fails at this goal, and changes In past meetings, the Council made at tomorrow’s meeting has disagreed about three im-

“

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portant points: permitting premajor students to take courses on a P/F basis, allowing individual departments to count a pass/fail course toward their major’s requirements and determining the procedure and timing for students to opt into a class pass/fail. We will discuss each of these in turn.

First, the Council should amend the policy to include pre-major students. Permitting freshmen to enroll in a course on a pass/fail basis will encourage risk-taking that often leads to the discovery of intellectual interests. For practical reasons, this is better sooner rather than later on in a student’s academic career.

Furthermore, students arrive at Duke with varying levels of preparation, and allowing first-years to take a course P/F

enables them to adjust academically without permanently damaging their GPA. Second, individual departments should be able to determine if a course taken on a pass/fail basis will count toward its major’s prerequisites or requirements. Major requirements vary greatly from department to department, and some required classes carry more relevance to a student’s course of study than others.

To this end, deciding guidelines for pass/fail within a particular department should be left to the faculty—the very people who are most familiar with their major and have a vested interest in maintaining its intellectual rigor.

Third, the Council should give students up until the end of the course correction period to “tag” a class that they

wish to take pass/fail. Then, by the course withdrawal deadline four weeks from the end of the semester, the student would make a final decision to take the course P/F or receive a letter grade.

Such a policy would encourage students to explore their intellectual interests while also incentivizing engagement with course material, since the student can still opt for a letter grade up until relatively late in the semester.

Most students want the opportunity to enroll in a breadth of challenging and interesting classes, but the fear of a bad grade damaging post-graduation prospects often precludes them from doing so. The A&S Council should recognize this unfortunate reality and bring meaningful change to the pass/fail policy.

Reconsecrating memory

O

n the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the U.S. commemorates Veterans Day. A day once used to celebrate the end of World War I was institutionalized by President Dwight Eisenhower to be the day Americans honored all veterans. “[L]et us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freeelad gross dom, and let us kitty babies reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain,” reads Eisenhower’s proclamation.

Today, around 190,000 combat troops are deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Finding the exact number of deployed servicemembers, however, is almost impossible for the typical civilian, since some deployments are unannounced. Of the 1.9 million Americans who have served or are serving in the two wars, Veterans For Common Sense, using a Research and Development Corporation study, estimate that 350,000 will come home with post traumatic stress disorder, and that another 370,000 will suffer a traumatic brain injury.

The toll this war continues to take on our nation’s service members is intensely significant. On this Veterans Day, finding ourselves steeped in two wars, with initial reports emerging that President Obama will be sending 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan during the next year, the American people should take time to pause and ask whether we really have reconsecrated ourselves to creating an “enduring peace.” But, more importantly for those currently serving, we should ask ourselves how best to find peace in the midst of two wars.

Immediate withdrawal will probably not bring an enduring peace. Today, we would leave Iraq susceptible to sectarian violence and Iranian intervention. We would leave Afghanistan even more so to the whims of the Taliban. Although Afghanistan could very well be “pacified” within a short time by Taliban forces, the question then becomes: Peace at what cost?

If some form of occupation is the solution for the near future, are we doing our service members justice? Is the task too daunting? Because Veterans Day is also about remembering history, perhaps the occupations of Japan and Germany can provide some guidance in our current wars.

Soon after the fall of Japan in World War II, over 385,000 U.S. soldiers occupied the island country, or a little over one soldier per square kilometer. Once Germany fell, the country was split into four zones.

Around 1.6 million American troops initially occupied Germany, or about 16 soldiers per square kilometer of U.S. controlled territory. The initial dropoff in U.S. troop levels to over 277,000 one year later left almost three soldiers per square kilometer.

According to the Oct. 13 Washington Post article “Support Troops Swelling U.S. Force in Afghanistan,” around 124,000 troops are serving in Iraq and 65,000 are in Afghanistan. That leaves a little over a quarter of a soldier per square kilometer in Iraq, and about one-tenth of a soldier per square kilometer in Afghanistan.

Today’s technology certainly allows U.S. soldiers to travel faster, cover more area and attack more efficiently. But can these technological innovations really make up for the severe decrease in available troops? And the numbers shortage doesn’t even account for the low levels of critical infrastructure development in Iraq and Afghanistan, even compared to those levels present in 1940s Germany and Japan. Today, it’s as if the most rudimentary lessons of the past have been lost in the shuffle to war.

This Veterans Day will be overshadowed by the health care debate and the shooting at Fort Hood. And although all of these issues require introspection, we shouldn’t forget that the wars we are still fighting in the Middle East require at least as much attention.

Why are we in Afghanistan? Is the goal of the operation to rebuild the country or establish enough of a military presence there to prevent future terrorist attacks? Or has the goal been lost, and are we just there as a remnant of our failed hunt for Osama bin Laden?

Why are we in Iraq? Are we leaving soon? When will we know that the Iraqi government is strong enough to no longer require our presence to maintain order?

There are serious questions left to answer in both conflicts that the current and past administrations have failed to address. But for the sake of those soldiers fighting today, those who have served in the past, and those who will be going overseas in the future, we must find the answers.

We must reconsecrate ourselves, not only to promoting enduring peace, but to honoring and remembering the efforts of our veterans. This Veterans Day should be dedicated to memory so that the lessons of the past are not forgotten to the detriment of the future.

Elad Gross is a Trinity senior. His column runs every other Wednesday.

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Breakfast club

“O

h, John-boy, you’d be run- Trinity Park and Walltown communities, ning! You’d run so fast! You’d among others close to East, is not lost on be chasing Emily in her car!” me, though. Walking to class, walking A friend of mine was telling me how to get to the grocery store, walking to restauJohn-boy off the couch and out to exercise. rants—one can save gas and root yourself The secret is to drop him off in Walltown in a not-quite-so-transient neighborhood around dusk. community.

Only a few blocks off East Campus, About a year ago, I started to stumWalltown, as my friend describes it, is not ble around what community meant and somewhere my fellow female first-year looked like in Durham. The church I was should ever run—she just preparing to join required moved to Trinity Park— “service to the poor” once a and somewhere that “Johnweek. I had visions of drivboy” should only venture if ing to the soup kitchen evhe has a car full of friends ery Saturday for the months he’s chasing. it would take to finish my Durham can be a scary training. Instead, I joined place. It’s a place that fellow church members in can really use our help, emily leonardy eating breakfast with the though. We can tutor kids homeless guys who live on duke it out for an hour a week at the the church property and community center and we anyone else who showed up. can volunteer once a month at the soup There was very little “service” involved— kitchen. In my time here, I’ve even helped no lining up as the givers and the needy, clean up a not-for-profit consignment assuming the positions of the server and shop. Durham is really lucky that it has a the served. Because we all need to feed major research university that provides lots our bodies breakfast, whoever shows up of jobs and lots of money—we really sus- first starts coffee and we sit around one tain the local economy. We have a lot of table and eat the same scrambled eggs. gifts to offer Durham.

I’ve found that I am just as needy as anyPop quiz: Do you have any idea where one else around that table.

Walltown is? Did you know there is a name Just because I have a degree from Duke for the neighborhoods beyond the walls (and in a few years, two) doesn’t mean that of East Campus and the Gothic spires I have no needs to be fulfilled by others. of West? Of course you know, but that We’re trained to be self-reliant, but we redoesn’t mean you have to go there. The ally aren’t. By thinking that we are all indeDuke administration has sanctioned your pendent beings, we’re robbing ourselves isolation, requiring on-campus residence of the rich experience of learning how to three out of four years. Not that you be- sit with others in awkward breakfast circles, come more part of the Durham commu- or laughing around that same table about nity when you move to Duke 2.0—The the best way for John-boy to jump start his Belmont or Partners Place—for your se- fitness training. The way to build communior year (your humble columnist points nity—the way to reap the rewards of investthe finger at herself too, former resident ing in others and them in you—is not to of A22 that she is). put yourself in a place of strength, but to A few seniors boldly branch out to the allow yourself to be served and taught by neighborhoods off East Campus where those you think need your help. there is a long tradition of uneasy relations It doesn’t take living near East Campus with neighbors. In these cases, at least to experience life with our fellow Durhamthere is enough interaction to prove that ites, but it does make it easier. Students students venture outside the Duke bubble spend all day together in classes—wouldn’t and try to live life alongside our fellow it be instructive, even invaluable, to experiDurhamites. These sometimes strife-filled ence the rest of our time outside the Duke relationships have more potential for the bubble, in the real Durham community? rewards of community than do meager at- Many graduate students have the opportutempts to “cure” or “improve” Durham by nity to do just that. quick spurts of volunteerism.

Since when do the graduate students I’ve never lived near East Campus, nor have all the fun? have I ever been particularly friendly with those who live in the myriad apartment Emily Leonardy, Trinity ’08, is a first-year buildings I’ve inhabited during my ten- Divinity student. Her column runs every other ure in Durham. The convenience of the Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 | 15

An open letter to Major Hasan

M

aj. Nidal Malik Hasan, I do not Your language of justification is what I understand you and that fright- find troubling. “Allahu Akbar” is the first ens me. phrase that calls Muslims to prayer. The Demographically, we have much in fact that you invoked our religion when common. We are both American citizens you shot those people involves me. I do with Palestinian ancestry, raised and edu- not want to identify with you in the least, cated here. Perhaps most but I feel compelled to do importantly, we are both so. I feel like your sins are American Muslims. my own.

You volunteered to Since the attack on serve in the U.S. Army deThursday, I have had a spite the disapproval of number of conversations relatives, and continued to with other Muslims both serve even though you were in person and via e-mail. critical of American policy Some of them have layousef in Iraq and Afghanistan. mented that this will cast abugharbieh You counseled troubled more suspicion on us by fast forward soldiers upon their return. the general American If I had met you a few years public, but others have ago, and known only these facts, I would wondered how you and they can derive have said you were a model American, a such radically different views from the person of conscience attempting to bal- same holy text. ance a sense of civic duty with personal Major, your actions are problematic morality. for me and them because the same text But last Thursday you snapped and that we revere and look to for moral guidshot more than 40 fellow soldiers at Fort ance you turned to and found justificaHood, killing 13. It is an event that many tion for violence. have been struggling to understand.

With other incidents that occur in A great deal of media attention has fo- far-off foreign countries, I can attribute cused on how isolated you were from your terrorism to a culturally influenced interpeers—ostracized by some in your family pretation of the faith, but with you I canfor serving in the military and discrimi- not. We have the same culture and think nated against by some fellow soldiers for in the same language. Your actions leave your Muslim faith. me at a loss.

These may have been factors that Some American Muslims will undoubtdrove you to the edge. I’m not sure. Sol- edly be critical of me for writing this coldiers can snap. An article in Monday’s umn. They will say that I am struggling New York Times told the story of at least to condemn something that I shouldn’t two other soldiers who had murdered feel responsible for in the first place. Evpeople upon their return to Fort Hood. ery religious group has adherents that But it would be disingenuous to suggest are more prone to violence and radical that your shooting spree isn’t a class apart behavior, they may say. Why would you infrom those other murders and suicides. vite criticism upon us? Why air our dirty I am not sure where your actions lie on laundry for public viewing and invite stethe spectrum between pressure-induced reotyping and bigotry? insanity and premeditated terrorism, but Because we already have these converultimately I don’t think it matters. What sations among ourselves and we ought to matters is that you snapped and how you let the general public know, even if we are chose to do it. ashamed. Talking about these problems Before you killed those men and wom- publicly is not a matter of apologizing for en, you yelled “Allahu Akbar.” When you our beliefs but of defining them. yelled “God is Great” before killing, you Let’s speak openly so that people and I became cosmically linked. That is know that we too are concerned. We too why I am writing this column. Our similar are disturbed. backgrounds are not enough for me to feel the need to react to what you did, but Yousef AbuGharbieh is a Trinity senior. His “Allahu Akbar” is. column runs every other Wednesday.