Issuu

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 18, 2009

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 62

www.dukechronicle.com

Students 101 DUKE UNCC 59 robbed off Smith makes all the difference East Campus by Jeff Scholl The chronicle

by Samantha Brooks The chronicle

Two seniors were robbed at gunpoint early Tuesday morning near East Campus. The two students, a male and a female, were sitting in a parked car in the 1200 block of West Markham Avenue around 1:15 a.m. when two men approached the passenger side of the vehicle, Public Information Officer Kammie Michael of the Durham Police Department wrote in an e-mail. One of the men pointed a gun and demanded money and car keys from the students, who were returning to their off-campus residence. Michael said the suspects took an undisclosed sum of money but did not acquire the car keys because the robbery was interrupted when another vehicle turned on to West Markham Avenue. No one was injured in the incident. Michael described the suspects as black males of medium build in their early 20s, weighing between 140 and 150 pounds. One suspect was wearing dark jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt and the other was wearing dark jeans and a gray sweatshirt, Michael said. Sue Wasiolek, dean of students and assistant vice president for student affairs, said both students are doing fine and that the number of police patrols in the area has been increased. Students were informed of the incident in an e-mail sent by Wasiolek around 8 a.m. Tuesday. See robbery on page 5

sam sheft/The Chronicle

Junior Nolan Smith’s return to action after a two-game suspension ended up being one of the best games of his Duke career. Smith led all scorers with 24 points as the Blue Devils broke away from Charlotte early.

courtney douglas/The Chronicle

Bo fo’ sho’ DUU confirms plans for comedian Bo Burnham’s Dec. 3 show in Page, PAGE 3

See M. BBAll on page 8

N.C. to limit 11 children’s vaccines by Shaoli Chaudhuri The chronicle

Two Duke students were robbed at gunpoint on West Markham Avenue early Tuesday morning. Police patrols in the area have been increased.

For Duke’s first two games, Nolan Smith could only sit and watch from the bench. Tuesday night, he showed his teammates what they had been missing. Behind a career-high 24 points from the junior guard, the No. 9 Blue Devils (3-0) crushed Charlotte 101-59 in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off. “I was definitely itching to play,” Smith said. “Watching those two games, watching my team play, I was getting anxious, so I was ready to get back out there.” Duke stumbled out of the gates Monday night against Coastal Carolina, but had no such slow start against the 49ers (21), jumping out to a 14-2 lead in just over three minutes of play. Smith accounted for eight of those 14 points, scoring his first bucket of the season off a drive right through the middle of the lane. But the shooting guard provided more than a scoring lift—his presence on the court gave the Blue Devils a familiarity and confidence they had missed while he was suspended. “With Nolan back it just felt a lot more comfortable, and he was a big spark for us in the beginning of the game,” junior Kyle Singler said.

Financial strains have led the state to cut funding for 11 immunizations for insured children. The North Carolina Immunization Program will no longer provide these vaccines for free to pediatricians and their insured patients. Among these immunizations are the Hepatitis A vaccine, the Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella vaccine, the second dose of Varicella, the Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine, the Hepatitis B vaccine, the polio vaccine and combination shots like Pediatrix. “Funding formulas need to be re-explored during tight financial times,” State Health Director Dr. Jeff Engel said. NCIP participants were notified of the decision in an Oct. 30 memo from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, which announced the measures will take effect Dec. 1. Engel said the cut was made from the $18 million universal vaccine fund in North Carolina, a state fund that provides necessary immunizations to all children, including those who are insured. “Taxpayers pay [this fund] for insured kids,” Engel said, adding that some vaccines—like the combination shots—cost $100 or more. As a result of this first cut, $4 million were moved back to the state general fund. Before the institution of the universal vaccine fund, pedia-

tricians privately purchased patients’ vaccines up-front, at high retail costs. In addition, insured patients’ parents often had to pay deductibles and co-pays to insurance companies for the immunizations. Engel said the new cut “is going to force those problems to re-emerge,” adding that North Carolina Public Health is working with the North Carolina Pediatric Society to explore other ways to fund the program. He noted, however, that the state does not believe the cut vaccines are any less essential than those that will still be universally funded by the NCIP. “All these vaccines are vital to public health and we would never want a child to go without them,” he said. Certain vaccines were cut because similar vaccinations are still available, as with the combination shots, or—as with Hepatitis A—the shot is not required by public school systems because Hepatitis A is not contagious, Engel said. Amy Caruso, public information officer for the NC DHHS, added that the vaccination fund was not the only sector of the department to suffer cuts. “Tons of huge cuts were made. This was just one piece of a lot of cuts,” she said. “They definitely thought about it for a while as much as they could think about it.” This decision will not affect patients eligible for the Vaccines for Children program, according to the Oct. 30 memo. VFC is

ONTHERECORD

“We wanted to show the world that we play great defense and we deserve to be mentioned with the best.”

—Nolan Smith on Duke’s defense. See story page 7

See immunizations on page 5

Duke heads to Miami with winning mentality, Page 7

2 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009 the chronicle

worldandnation

TODAY:

6250

THURSDAY:

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Obama prods China on currency and human rights

Gen. Chiarelli announces Lie detectors bust police record Army suicide rate SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico — The lie-detector team brought in by Mexico’s top cop was supposed to help clean up the country’s long-troubled police. There was just one problem: Most of its members themselves didn’t pass, and a supervisor was rigging results to make sure others did. When public safety chief Genaro Garcia Luna found out, he canned the team, all 50 to 60 members.“He fired everybody,” a senior U.S. law enforcement official said. But the episode shows how difficult it will be for Mexico to reverse a legacy of police corruption that has tainted whole departments, shattered people’s faith in law enforcement and compromised one of society’s most basic institutions. President Felipe Calderon’s 3-year-old drug offensive has laid bare the extent to which crime syndicates have infiltrated police agencies at virtually every level.

“

You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. — Christopher Columbus

”

WASHINGTON — Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli Tuesday called the Army’s record suicide rate this year “horrible” and said the problem of soldiers taking their own lives is the toughest he has faced in his 37 years in service. As of Nov. 16, 140 soldiers on active duty and 71 soldiers not on active duty were suspected to have committed suicides. “We are almost certainly going to end the year higher than last year, which was also a record for Army suicides,” Chiarelli said at a Pentagon news conference. “This is horrible,” he said.“Every single loss is devastating.” However, Chiarelli, who has made suicide prevention a priority, said that despite the high total, the monthly suicide rate has declined since January.

TODAY IN HISTORY 1820: Antarctica is discovered by U.S. Navy Captain Palmer

tion Are you Atten r a e considering first-y s… t n applying to become stude a Robertson Scholar in spring 2010?

The Robertson Scholars Program invites you to a final interest meeting TODAY Wednesday, November 18th at 6pm. • Meet members of the program staff • Discuss program benefits and expectations • Review important information about the application process

Location: Smith Warehouse, Bay 10, Floor 2, meeting room A257. Learn more at www.robertsonscholars.org, or contact Kristin Miller, miller@robertsonscholars.org.

BEIJING — Describing ties with China as “never more important to our collective future,” President Obama Tuesday mixed praise for Chinese economic triumphs with gentle prodding on its currency, human rights and Tibet. Talks in Beijing with Chinese President Hu Jintao produced pledges of cooperation on climate change, the economy and even military relations but yielded no breakthroughs on the many global headaches that Washington wants Beijing to help relieve. A stiff joint appearance by Obama and Hu in the Great Hall of the People overlooking Tiananmen Square crystallized the state of the relationship between the two world powers: increasingly important to both countries, but also curiously bereft of warmth or intimacy. Hu, speaking first, said that as the world economy “has shown some positive signs

of stabilizing and recovering,” it is important for both countries to “oppose and reject protectionism in all its forms.” Obama called climate change and nuclear proliferation “challenges that neither of our nations can solve by acting alone.” He said the two will continue to “build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship.” “I spoke to President Hu about America’s bedrock beliefs that all men and women possess certain fundamental human rights,” Obama said. “We do not believe these principles are unique to America, but rather they are universal rights and that they should be available to all peoples, to all ethnic and religious minorities. And our two countries agreed to continue to move this discussion forward in a human rights dialogue that is scheduled for early next year.”

Kim Murphy/los angeles times

Seth Mansel and Andrew VanDenBergh, both Iraq veterans who opposed the war, reach out to soldiers and veterans in their coffee house, Coffee Strong, outside Fort Lewis, Wash. Coffee Strong, which opened a year ago, serves as a support base for soldiers and continues a trend which began during the Vietnam War, when disillusioned soldiers returning home sought solace in similar cafes.

the chronicle

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009 | 3

duke university union

Details for Burnham show finalized by Ray Koh

The chronicle

Duke Students will not have to go to YouTube or iTunes to get their Bo Burnham fix Dec. 3. At Duke University Unionâ€™s general body meeting Tuesday night, members finalized the details of Burnhamâ€™s upcoming show scheduled for 8 p.m. in Page Auditorium the last Thursday of classes this semester. â€œItâ€™s reserved seating, so people should buy their tickets early,â€? said Vice President of Communications Karen Chen, a junior. Student tickets are $5 and went on sale Monday. Tickets are $10 for non-Duke students and $15 for the general public. Burnham is a popular YouTube comedian and song writer who is the youngest comedian to appear on Comedy Central, Chen said. The body also held a committee information session for its new members. Each of the 15 committee heads reviewed the history of his or her committee and its function. In other business: Jazz at the Mary Lou will be moving its weekly show to the Duke Coffeehouse, said Jazz Director Camille Creed, a junior. The regular Wednesday night show will only be moved to East Campus for the Nov. 18 event. The featured performer will be the Trachy/ Lacy Collective, which includes Russell Lacy, one of the founding members of the John Brown Quintet and a North Carolina native.

CrimeBriefs Rubbered the wrong way An East Union employee threatened to slash the tires of another employeeâ€™s car Sunday evening. Arm robbery Two students stole a parking lot gate arm early Saturday morning. Baked and burned Officers responded to reports of marijuana odor in Craven House F early Saturday morning. Three students were found smoking and in possession of marijuana. Raindrops keep falling... Gutters were reported removed early Saturday morning from Craven Houses T and U. Banner bandit Ten tailgate banners were stolen from Wilson Recreation Center Saturday morning. The banners are valued at $1,500.

Chronicle File Photo

Comedian Bo Burnham, known for his popular Internet videos, will perform in Page Auditorium Thursday Dec. 3, said DUU Vice President of Communications Karen Chen, a junior (left). Chen said DUU decided to move the show because the Jazz committee hopes to expand its venue and identity on campus. The Coffeehouse will also host an open jam session Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for bands on campus to showcase their music. The event will be host-

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ed by Small Town Records. The Campus Concert Series will bring several rock bands to The Armadillo Grill Nov. 20. The show next Friday will feature the indie rock band Tenderhooks from Knoxville, Tenn., as well as the local rock duo Beloved Binge from Durham.

Free-flow draft An Armadillo Grill employee reported Saturday afternoon that unidentified students were serving themselves beer from behind the restaurantâ€™s bar without paying for the drinks. Wrong tunnel The tunnel on Flowers Drive and beneath Chapel Drive was reported to have been painted with spray and bucket paint Saturday evening.

4 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009 the chronicle

Searching for Korean War ghosts years later by David Pierson Los Angeles Times

JIAOSHUIKENG, China — Lin Zhengping was 13 the evening he saw the hills above his home glow. He was too frightened to go up and investigate. The following day, word came that villagers had discovered the wreckage of a plane. Lin and two friends set out, climbing the narrow dirt paths they had helped furrow with their families’ oxen. An hour later, after following the scent of burnt fuel, they arrived at the scene. The smoldering remains of a four-engine propeller plane was strewn across a ravine thick with brush and thorny trees. The glass canopy that fronted the bomber had snapped off the plane’s silver fuselage; the wings still intact on each side of its tubular body. Lin and his fellow villagers, with no radio or telephones to communicate with the outside world, didn’t know the Korean War had erupted and that the United States and China were fighting. They had no idea that the plane was American or that anybody would look for it. “People were excited,” Lin said. “They had never seen a plane before.” Most villagers had not spoken in decades about that day in November 1950. Then one humid day last summer, a bus and four cars arrived at the remote mountain village and unloaded dozens of soldiers carrying hoes and shovels. They said they had come to find the remains of an American warplane. The crash would have stayed largely forgotten if China hadn’t reached an agreement with the U.S. last year to find missing U.S. service men and women. Chinese military historians digging through its archives

then discovered old documents describing a crash of an American bomber near Lin’s village, Jiaoshuikeng. The recent search itself would have remained in anonymity had China’s state media not disclosed it last month, timed apparently to President Barack Obama’s first visit to China. What could be a better gesture of goodwill than to turn over the remains of long-lost American soldiers?According to Chinese military archives, the plane was a B-29 carrying a crew of 15, or at least that’s what was assumed based on the number of bodies found near the wreckage. American officials have been unable to identify the aircraft and said it was puzzling that a plane that ordinarily carried a crew of 11 would have so many people onboard. The B-29 Superfortress helped turn the tide in World War II. B-29s carried and dropped the two atomic bombs on Japan in 1945. They were used for bombing early in the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, but became obsolete toward the end of the conflict. One of them went down in southern Guangdong province on Nov. 5, 1950, about five months after the start of the Korean War and only days after the Chinese entered the fray in support of North Korea. Though the crash site was about 1,000 miles from the Korean peninsula, it wasn’t far from Taiwan, where the U.S. had airplanes based. At the crash site, villagers found charred corpses, one of which appeared to be a woman, another so small it could have been a boy. One body had eluded the flames. It was a man in a khaki uniform. Lin and the other villagers examined the body. He clearly was not Chinese. The villagers hastily dug shallow graves

SPLASH!

10% off with Duke ID

angelina qu/los angeles times

Lin Zhengping, 72, was 13 in November 1950 when a U.S. B-29 Superfortress crashed near his home in Jiaoshuikeng in southern Guangdong province. He led a search team to the crash site last summer. and buried the bodies. China, at the time, was in turmoil and few paid much attention to the village, where people lived poor, rural lives. A year earlier, Mao Zedong and his Communist army had taken control of the country after a bloody civil war and established the People’s Republic of China. In Jiaoshuikeng, 1,500 miles south of Beijing, villagers used tools and utensils made of wood or clay. Metal was too expensive. Within days, villagers were stripping the crash site of valuables. They came with saws to cut up the plane into sheets of metal to sell in nearby towns, Lin recalled. Some re-

membered finding a tube of toothpaste and a military badge. Another villager pocketed some Korean ginseng. Chinese government archives say the locals also found a parachute, firearms and a Parker pen. Even after all the large pieces of the plane were taken, the search for valuables continued for years. Children leading their grazing oxen up the slopes would inspect the ground. Villagers said they couldn’t remember if anyone reported the incident but recalled how Chinese military officials came to the village in 1960 to inquire about the crash. But by then not much was left of the wreckage, they said.

ATTENTION SOPHOMORES: THE MELLON MAYS UNDERGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM AT DUKE IS CURRENTLY RECRUITING SOPHOMORES FOR ITS TWO-YEAR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

We are hosting an information meeting on Tuesday, December 1 at 7:00 p.m. The Multicultural Center, in the Bryan Center If you are seriously considering attending a Ph.D. program after graduation in one of the following disciplines, please plan to attend to learn more! LOCATION

1920 1⁄2 Perry St. at Ninth St. 1 block from E. Campus

CONTACT 919.286.1875

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• Anthropology • Area Studies • Art History • Classics • Computer Science • Demography • Earth Science • Ecology • Ethnomusicology • English • Foreign Languages • Geology • History • Literature • Linguistics • Mathematics • Musicology • Philosophy • Physics • Political Theory • Religion • Sociology The goal of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students and others with a demonstrated commitment to eradicating racial disparities, who will pursue PhDs in core fields in the arts and sciences. Fellowships are for two years. Mellon Fellows receive an annual stipend of $5,100 ($3,300 for the summer and $900 per semester), a $750 summer housing allowance, and up to $400 a year for travel pertaining to the Fellow’s research. Each Fellow also receives a $350 project supplies budget, and each faculty mentor receives a yearly award of $750.

For further information and application materials, check our web site: http://trinity.duke.edu/mellon-mays Questions? Contact: Ms. Deborah Wahl, 684-6066 (deborah.wahl@duke.edu) Dr. Kerry Haynie, 660-4366 (klhaynie@duke.edu)

the chronicle

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009 | 5

Afghan minister accused of taking bribe By Joshua Partlow The Washington Post

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan minister of mines accepted a roughly $30 million bribe to award the country’s largest development project to a Chinese mining firm, according to a U.S. official who is familiar with military intelligence reports. The allegation, if proved true, would mark one of the most brazen examples of corruption yet disclosed in a country where the problem has become so pervasive that it is now at the heart of President Barack Obama’s administration doubts over Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s reliability as a partner. The question of whether Karzai can address his government’s graft and cronyism looms large as he prepares for his inauguration Thursday for a new term, and as Obama completes a months-long strategy review that will define the future of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan after eight years of war. Karzai is coming under intense international pressure to clear his cabinet of ministers who have reaped huge profits through bribery and kickback schemes. Although he announced a new anti-corruption unit this week, the president has been reluctant to fire scandal-tainted ministers in the past, and it is unclear whether he is ready to do so now. Meanwhile, Afghans’ perceptions that they are ruled by a thieving class have weakened support for the government and bolstered sympathy for the Taliban insurgency. In the case of the minister of mines, there is a “high degree of certainty,” the U.S. official said, that the alleged payment to Mohammad Ibrahim Adel was made in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, within a month of December 2007, when the state-run China Metallurgical Group Corp. received the contract for a $2.9 billion project to extract copper from the Aynak deposit in Logar province. Aynak is considered one of the largest unexploited copper deposits in the world. The selection of the Chinese firm, known as MCC, has angered some Afghan and American officials who worked on the bidding process with Adel, and who say he was biased toward the company and did not give a fair hearing to the proposals of Western companies. But the issue has also gained urgency because the ministry is reviewing offers for another massive mining deal—this time for an iron ore deposit west of Kabul known as Haji Gak—for which MCC is the front-runner. “This guy has done this already; we’re in the same situation again,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. In an interview, Adel denied repeatedly that he has received any bribes or illicit payments during his three-year tenure as minister and said that MCC won the contract after a fair review process. The Chinese company’s investment—including plans to build a railroad and a 400-megawatt power plant, and to make an $808 million bonus payment to the Afghan government—far exceeded that of other firms, Adel said. “I am responsible for the revenue and benefit of our people,” Adel said. “All the time I’m following the law and the legislation for the benefit of the people.” The performance of the Mines Ministry over the past three years under Adel typifies the weakness of Karzai’s government. Afghanistan’s wealth of mineral resources

robbery from page 1 This is the second armed robbery of a student near East Campus since students returned to classes this Fall. A student was robbed at gunpoint Sept. 22 near the East Campus bridge. Two students were robbed at gunpoint in the area during the summer. In July, four men with a gun robbed a student behind the East Union Building, which houses the Marketplace. In August, a senior was shot during an armed robbery just off East Campus. Durham Police ask that anyone with any information regarding the most recent incident call (919) 683-1200.

immunizations from page 1 a separate federally-funded program for the uninsured and the under-insured, children on Medicaid and Native American and Alaskan Native children. Caruso said she hopes insurance companies will “pick up the slack” to shoulder the costs for the vaccines. Representatives from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina could not be reached for comment.

represents a potential bright spot in an otherwise feeble economy. Flush with copper, iron, marble, gold and gemstones, the mining sector could become a major source of revenue for the country. But today, no major mines are functioning, and current and former U.S. and Afghan officials said incompetence and corruption have hindered the industry’s development and frightened away potential investors. “There is a pattern of improprieties that have gone on. We do know that the World Bank procedures, and the government of Afghanistan procedures, were badly breached repeatedly,” said one former American adviser to the ministry. “There is every reason to believe there were probably gratuities exchanged.” Adel trained as a mining engineer in what was then the Soviet city of Leningrad, and his autocratic style has alienated current and former Afghan and American officials who have worked with him. It also has prompted wide-

spread allegations that he or his deputies have received payments to award lucrative contracts to allies. The first major contract of Adel’s tenure was to privatize the Ghori cement factory, the country’s only functioning cement plant, set in the limestone hills of Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan. The former mines minister, Mir Mohammad Sediq, said that Mahmoud Karzai, the president of the Afghan Investment Co. and the brother of President Karzai, approached him, asking to take over the factory. President Karzai replaced Sediq and installed Adel as minister in March 2006. Adel moved quickly on the cement proposal. A competitor for the project, the Aria Zamin company, said Adel used his influence to deny the firm a fair chance. The company’s representative in the bidding, Nasir Khisrow Parsi, said that in the final days of the bidding process, Adel told him his company needed to present $25 million in cash to the ministry as a guaranty to show that the firm was serious.

6 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009 the chronicle

Duke University Stores® would like to thank everyone who participated in our Hoops Shootout on the Plaza on Tuesday, November 17. The following is the list of winners from each division:

Men’s Free Throw Shooting Contest 1st Place – Albert Karcher 2nd Place – David Ross 3rd Place – Philip Lomela

Women’s Free Throw Shooting Contest 1st Place – Jennifer Chen 2nd Place – Sarah Woodring 3rd Place – Laura Newland

Men’s 3 Point Shooting Contest 1st Place – Roger Pareja 2nd Place – Trae Harrison 3rd Place – Dan Styles

Women’s 3 Point Shooting Contest 1st Place – Jennifer Chen 2nd Place – Tameka Tisdale 3rd Place – Laura Newland

Each of the winners will be notified via e-mail when the prizes will be ready to pick up.

Sports

>> BASEBALL

The Chronicle

WEDNESDAY November 18, 2009

Duke will play 18 home games at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park this coming season, the team announced in a press conference Tuesday

www.dukechroniclesports.com

Mental edge is Duke’s best shot

Men’s basketball

At Tuesday’s weekly press conference, head coach David Cutcliffe fielded a pointed, but fair, question about getting ready for the Miami Hurricanes. “How do you get [the players] over Georgia Tech and over the injury situation against a team where you’d already be giving away athleticism even if you were healthy,” the reporter asked, “and sell them on a belief that they can go down [to Miami] Stephen and keep the stated goal of a bowl game alive?” Without hesitation, Cutcliffe told the throng of reporters to get the man a crown since he had asked the best question of the day. While the crowd got a good chuckle out of it, there’s no ignoring just how significant the question is. The simple reality is that at nearly every position—except quarterback, where the two teams are probably equal—the Hurricanes have a distinct talent and athletic advantage. Georgia Tech had tremendous athletes, but Miami has even better ones (which showed in the teams’ early-season matchup, when the Yellow Jackets suffered their only loss, 3317). And as seen on the deep passes Georgia Tech completed Saturday, Duke’s athletic disadvantage is pretty glaring. Last year, the Hurricanes were an average team with good talent that struggled with consistency. The Blue Devils fell badly to that team on Homecoming weekend, 49-31, in a game Cutcliffe felt his team quit on before the fourth quarter. And as stated before, Miami is infinitely better this year (though not necessarily more consistent, which is one thing Duke has an advantage in). So, Cutcliffe, how are you going to talk to your team?

Allan

sam sheft/The Chronicle

Kyle Singler had a quiet game by his standards on offense, but he played excellent perimeter and interior defense to limit Charlotte’s open looks.

Tight perimeter defense keys easy Blue Devil victory by Kyle Lambrecht The chronicle

Nolan Smith’s career-high 24 points will receive all the attention from Duke’s lopsided 101-59 victory over Charlotte. But the junior guard’s season debut may have had a larger impact on the defensive Game end of the court. “We wanted to show the world that Analysis we play great defense and we deserve to be mentioned with the best,” Smith said of his team’s performance during its first nationally televised game this year. “We were really

pressuring.... That was the key to our defense.” Behind Smith’s defensive energy, the Blue Devils forced Charlotte into 17 turnovers, seven of which came in the first four minutes. They also stopped a potent 49er three-point attack by smothering the perimeter the entire game. The 49ers could only muster 23.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc on 5-of-21 shooting. “We got off to a good start. Nolan was terrific on the ball defending,” Kyle Singler said. “That allows Lance, our second-best defender, to go out and be off the ball and defend their best player. Just having Nolan back on the court, he brings defense and offense.” Duke focused on establishing a defensive presence from the tipoff and the intensity both on and off the ball never wavered, exemplified by Charlotte senior guard DiJuan Harris being held to a meager four points and two assists. Last season Harris was third in the NCAA in total assists, but the combination of Smith’s on-ball defense and off-the-ball traps from forwards Lance Thomas and Ryan Kelly limited Harris’s offensive production. The Blue Devils defensive scheme also forced the guard into three turnovers. “Harris is really a good guard and Lance and Ryan Kelly did a good job of helping Nolan just make them a half-court team,” Krzyzewski said. “At the halfcourt I thought that Jon, Kyle and Nolan’s experience on the perimeter did not give [Charlotte] the open shots.” Duke’s perimeter defense was complemented by outstanding pressure in the post. The Blue Devils struggled against physical teams with strong players in the paint last season. But forward Miles Plumlee’s performance— great defense to go along with a double-double—suggests that this may no longer be a problem for Duke. His developing presence in the paint shows that the Blue Devils now have the ability to fight in the paint, coupled with an already strong perimeter defense. “[Plumlee’s] defense and his rebounding was good,”

See allan on page 8

faith robertson/The Chronicle indu ramesh/The Chronicle

Duke held Charlotte to under 34 percent shooting in Tuesday’s easy win.

See analysis on page 8

Head coach David Cutcliffe has to convince his players they can beat Miami despite the Hurricanes’ obvious advantages in talent and size.

8 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009 the chronicle

“I can give you 5,000 reasons why we won’t win,” Cutcliffe said. “But if I give you 5,000 reasons why we won’t win, I’ve got to give you 5,000 things we’re going to do about it.” Cutcliffe then explained that the one thing Duke has going for it in this contest is its brainpower and cunning.

He used an analogy that brought images of gladiator battles to the forefront. “Human beings wouldn’t rule the earth if we didn’t have our minds,” Cutcliffe said. “If you put all of us out there on a field and have an equal number of lions and tigers, the only damn chance we’ve got is to use our minds!” The power of Cutcliffe’s mind has definitely shown in games that Duke had no business being competitive in. Consider, for example, last year’s contest against Virginia Tech. The Blue Devils took on the eventual Orange Bowl champions at Lane Stadium, in freezing, snowy conditions and without starting quarterback Thaddeus Lewis. Then-quarterback Zack Asack couldn’t throw, and Duke’s running backs could never find any openings. Yet somehow, thanks to a suffocating defense and opportunistic scrambles by Asack, the Blue Devils only trailed 7-3 with just over two minutes remaining in the game. Duke eventually lost that contest 14-3, but the fact that the Blue Devils even had a chance to win in the fourth speaks volumes about Cutcliffe’s coaching and motivational abilities. But in this upcoming contest, it’s not him who will motivate the team, but the players themselves, he said. “When I get on that plane, I want to believe we’re going to play not with hopes of winning but knowing we’re going to win—and it’s exactly what my conversation with them was Sunday night,” Cutcliffe said. “I can’t answer [how to get that mindset] for them, nor do that for them.” Instead, the players will need to use their minds and figure out their how to win their own individual battles. How does Vincent Rey effectively keep track of running backs Graig Cooper and Damien Berry? How does Lewis manage to keep track of the Hurricanes’ linebackers? How will the offensive line plan for their counterparts tendencies on pass rushes? To do that, they will need a work ethic that Cutcliffe summed up in four words: total, focused, sincere and intense. If any single one is missing, the thought going onto the plane is not, “we will win,” but “we could win.” And against a team that has such a physical advantage, a mental edge is probably Duke’s only shot at keeping its slimming bowl dreams alive.

despite his lack of height. Duke showed no sign of letting up after intermission, going on a 14-5 run to start the second half. Three minutes into the offensive burst, Jon Scheyer notched the prettiest of his five total assists, tossing a lob to Plumlee that the big man slammed home to complete a perfectly executed alley-oop. In addition to playing the role of distributor, Scheyer found his 3-point stroke as well, leading the team with four buckets from downtown en route to 20 points on the night. Yet Smith continued to steal the show with his explosive play. After Scheyer blocked DiJuan Harris and recovered the loose ball, he shot a quick outlet pass to freshman Andre Dawkins, who found Smith streaking down the sideline ahead of the pack. He proceeded to rise up above the rim for a monstrous dunk that put the Blue Devils up by 37. Duke ultimately built its lead to 42 with just under three minutes remaining as Charlotte continued to struggle on the offensive end, shooting only 32.3 percent in the second half. All in all, four Blue Devils scored in double figures—Singler chipped in 17—and demonstrated the scoring depth that should serve them well for the rest of the season. “We do [have a lot of options] and we have an inside option,” Krzyzewski said. “We should not have a go-to guy; we should have a go-to team. If you have one guy that you go to, you can defend that guy better than if you have a team that you can go to. That’s why I think we are going to be a good basketball team—because we have that balance.”

Lance Thomas (right) celebrates after Miles Plumlee (left) stole the ball and dunked it home in the first half of Duke’s win over Charlotte.

analysis from page 7 Krzyzewski said. “With the amount of minutes he played last year, he is like a freshman as well... he did a good job of trapping Shamari Spears on the pass.” Kelly and fellow freshman Andre Dawkins saw a lot of playing time Tuesday, and they did not disappoint the Cameron Crazies. Both Dawkins and Kelly scored five points, but more importantly, they played tough defense that stifled a potentially effective Charlotte offense. Duke looks to use the fundamental play of Dawkins on the perimeter and Kelly as help defense on the interior in the future. If the Blue Devils are able to continue to limit opposing offensive production, Duke will be able to extend their defense pressure beyond halfcourt, something they did very little last season. “The more our freshmen develop, we might be able to do more three-quarter or full [defense],” Krzyzewski said. “But initially going in, we don’t know how the freshmen are going to come around. If they come around, we can rest [the starters] for a few minutes.” Tuesday, those starters could have taken their rest early thanks to suffocating defense from an inspired Duke team.

addison corriher/Chronicle file photo

Defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase made this tackle against North Carolina, but he will have his hands full with Miami’s stable of running backs.

allan from page 7

lawson kurtz/The Chronicle

Shamari Spears struggled Tuesday against a swarming Duke defense.

m. bball from page 1 Smith’s offensive outburst—combined with Duke’s stifling man-to-man defense—proved too much for Charlotte to handle, and the 49ers showed as much by coughing up the ball seven times in the game’s first four minutes. “I think our defense set the tone for the whole game in that we didn’t give up fast breaks,” head coach Mike Krzyzewki said. “Lance and then Ryan Kelly did a good job of helping Nolan to just make them a half-court team. And then at the halfcourt I thought that Jon, Kyle and Nolan’s experience on the perimeter did not give them the open shots.” Forward Miles Plumlee’s defensive efforts also paid dividends when he stripped Phil Jones at the 18-minute mark and streaked down the court for a tomahawk slam dunk that sent the Cameron Crazies into a frenzy. Plumlee proved to be a weapon on the other side of the court as well. Refusing to be bullied down low by the 6-foot-10 Jones, the sophomore finished the game with 15 points and 11 rebounds, both career highs. At halftime, the Blue Devils were up by 30 and limited Charlotte to only 27 points in the first period. The only 49er able to make a dent in Duke’s formidable front line was 6-foot-6 forward Shamari Spears, a former Boston College player who transferred to Charlotte. At 245 pounds, Spears was able to create shooting space on the low blocks

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the chronicle

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009 | 9

Diversions Shoe Chris Cassatt and Gary Brookins

Dilbert Scott Adams

Doonesbury Garry Trudeau

The Chronicle what we want NC to stop providing:

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interceptions by JD: �� clee refugee camps for south carolinians: �� will, emmeline hunting and fishing licenses: �� rachna opinions: ��austin recruits for the tar heels: �� gabe, andy, caroline bans on sparks: ��court, stephen, crod, larsa webinars: ��klein, reed, ashley names like Billy Bob and Johnny Ray: ��tracer, lindsey Barb Starbuck thinks NC doesn’t provide enough: �� Barb Student Advertising Manager:...............................Margaret Potter Account Executives:............................ Chelsea Canepa, Liza Doran Lianna Gao, Ben Masselink Amber Su, Mike Sullivan, Jack Taylor Quinn Wang, Cap Young Creative Services:................................Lauren Bledsoe, Danjie Fang Christine Hall, Megan Meza Hannah Smith Business Assistant:.........................................................Joslyn Dunn

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10 | wednesday, november 18, 2009

RGAC’s inconsistent assessment The fate of most West Cam- subset of criteria, which colpus selective living groups lectively sum to a maximum hangs in the balance this score of 100. While RGAC deweek as the first full Residen- fines the criteria, there is no tial Group Assessment Com- guidance as to how the committee evaluation cycle draws mittee should measure progto a close. ress within each editorial Today, we one, meaning will discuss the that the scorRGAC process itself, focus- ing is entirely subjective. ing on the arbitrary nature This would be acceptable of the scoring and ranking of if the same individuals were living groups. In tomorrow’s grading all groups in a single editorial, we will critique the year, because each group mission of RGAC and suggest would be held to the same set improvements for the future. of subjective standards. Looking back over three But under the current sysyears of RGAC group evalu- tem, only six of the 11 RGAC ations, it is clear that the committee members evaluate scoring process suffers from each living group. Because inconsistency. there is a different set of peoEach selective living ple on each group’s scoring group’s yearly RGAC score panel, there is no guarantee is composed of a grade in a for consistency within each

“

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What if your mother was that illegal immigrant who is treated like a criminal for trying to provide the best life possible not even for herself, but for her children? —“AntiApathy” commenting on the column “Injustices against illegal immigrants.” See more at www.dukechronicle.com.

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year’s scores. Questionable scoring practices have huge implications for an RGAC process in which small fractions of a point matter. For example, this year in the small group designation, the difference between groups eligible to “squat” and maintain their current section, and groups that must select a new section in the lottery comes down to as little as .14. Another problem with RGAC is that its ranking mechanism fails to incentivize good behavior. To determine ranking and housing selection, RGAC separates living groups into three categories based on their size. Although it logistically simplifies the housing assignment process, this policy un-

fairly penalizes groups with high scores. For this cycle, the minimum score for a large group to be eligible to squat is 84.76, compared to a minimum of 76.82 for a medium group. This means that Mirecourt (a large group), which earned a 79.27, cannot squat while Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, a medium group with a score of 76.82, can keep its current section. This does not reward Mirecourt for good behavior. In addition, the punitive measure recently built into the RGAC process is concerning. This year, Campus Council created a policy stipulating that groups more than one standard deviation below the mean group score

would be put on probation. A process to remove living groups with bad behavior is a good thing and should be encouraged, but implementing this rule as the RGAC cycle was nearing completion is inappropriate and could be perceived as biased against certain groups. It is also just as random as the rest of the process—there is merely a .62 difference between Sigma Nu fraternity, the highest-scoring group on overall probation, and Delta Tau Delta fraternity, which is not on overall probation. RGAC’s evaluations are fraught with subjectivity and arbitrary delineations between groups. Its scores should be viewed as the product of an imperfect process.

The word... of the year!

hen thinking about relationships and friendships, I remember the wise words of elementary school teachers everywhere—“strangers are friends you’ve yet to meet.” But as I sit in class and scan through the Facebook profiles of my 1,043 closest friends, I realize that strangers are people that I have already friended, but will never meet. And that brings me to this year’s steffi decker word… “unfriend.” refuse to lose This week, the New Oxford American Dictionary unveiled its choice for word of the year: “Unfriend.” (If you’re interested, other finalists include “hashtag,” “sexting,” “funemployed” and “teabagger.”) Thanks to Facebook and other tools of social media, friendship is just a click away, and conversely, so is unfriendship. So if Facebook friendships are conceived so easily, does that mean that relationships have become so fleeting and insubstantial that they can be erased with the click of a button? Does the Oxford Dictionary’s lending of credibility to Facebook-speak prove once and for all that social media has numbed us to the value of legitimate human connections? I cautiously say no. Admittedly the nature of friendship has certainly evolved, but I think for the better. When you can have up to 5,000 friends (according to Facebook), the concept of a “friend” becomes less meaningful. With the term no longer descriptively useful, society has adopted new, albeit sophomoric, terminologies to help differentiate the nature of relationships—“frienemies,” “frienefits” and “bromances” for example. This suggests to me that society can adapt without the word “friend” in our lexicon. So if we can let go of the word “friend” as a meaningful indicator of anything, or at least suspend our concern over syntax for a moment, I think we will discover the unique value of social media in enriching human relationships as opposed to obliterating them. The last couple decades of media growth have demonstrated that the more media there are, the more enriching are our experiences. Think about your favorite TV show or movie. Watching “Mad Men,” for example, as it’s broadcast live on Sunday nights is a fun experience, but watching “Mad Men” without commercials (thanks to Tivo

or Time Warner Cable as is the case in Durham), then watching it again, tweeting about it, Gchatting with friends and digesting other people’s commentary makes for an exponentially better experience. The same goes for more direct social media. Having dinner with a buddy is usually a good time, but returning from dinner to post interesting links on your friend’s wall about the global warming issues you debated over dinner, tagging him in pictures from the evening and tweeting about the awkward waiter you guys had at Mt. Fuji, all make for a more rewarding friendship. Admittedly, you might engage on that level of exchange with only a small percent of your “friends,” nonetheless, Facebook enables you to communicate in a limitless number of ways. Keep in mind though that Facebook is just a delivery technology. The desire to share, whether it is accomplishments or feelings, trivial or dire—human beings want to engage with their surroundings—that’s why we came out of the cave. Facebook enables people to fulfill this basic human need to share and to relate to one another. Similarly, Twitter is a platform that enables people to express themselves, although more concisely. I know, however, that there are a great many Twitter-haters out there who seem to have an irrational fear of Twitter. You can take some comfort knowing that in the somewhat near to distant future, Twitter will become obsolete, I promise. Twitter, like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, minidiscs, cassette players, DVD players, newspapers, etc. are all delivery technologies. Mediums are different. Media are systems for communicating, language for example, images, movement, etc. Delivery technologies become outdated and get replaced, mediums, on the other hand, endure and evolve. The word “friend,” I am coming to believe, is a delivery mechanism of sorts. It was once a vehicle that encapsulated a set of commonly accepted emotions, responsibilities and rewards. Now, the word “friend” has been rendered meaningless by its infinite array of understandings, its casual deployment and sheer overuse (much like the word “seriously”). So to mitigate confusion (and to encourage people to come up with more creative titles for their relationships like “bromance”), I hereby am unfriending the word “friend.” And that is this year’s word. Steffi Decker is a Trinity senior. Her column runs every other Wednesday.

the chronicle Wednesday, November 18, 2009 | 11 commentaries

Sparks (doesn’t) fly with the FDA

his past Friday, the Food and Drug ingly. Here we see it as generally accepted Administration announced its inten- that the burden of moderation is placed on tions to ban beverages that combine the individual choosing to partake of the caffeine and alcohol, including drinks like harmful substance. Now, it is true that these Joose and 4 Loco. slogans come to us not from the FDA but The reason for doing so seems to be that from beverage companies themselves, and the companies manufacturing such prod- so do not present any true contradiction in ucts have failed to provide policy. However, it’s remarkevidence that the mixture of able how the addition of a caffeine and alcohol is a safe single ingredient is enough one. Presumably, if these to shift the burden of blame manufacturers can prove in our minds from the conthat these drinks are not, in sumer to the manufacturer. fact, hazardous, then they Caffeinated alcoholic will remain on the shelves. beverages are also said to inIn addition to the lack of crease the risk of a number chris bassil safety information about the of undesirable activities, all true story beverages, Dr. Joshua Sharfof which are enumerated stein, the principal deputy above. This list, however, commissioner of the FDA, also added in reads more like a list of the downsides of a press conference that the drinks were alcohol itself rather than one specific to suspected to increase incidents of “serious caffeinated drinks. If the increased risks injury, drunken driving, sexual assault and of drunken driving and sexual assault are other dangerous behaviors.” The Center for ones we trust individuals to handle when Science in the Public Interest cited similar they consume beverages containing alcohol dangers in a statement concerning its law- alone, then why do we alter our stance based suit against MillerCoors, known around col- merely upon the addition of caffeine? This is lege campuses for the deathblow it dealt to not to say that these risks are not present or a beverage called Sparks. MillerCoors cited that all individuals are capable of avoiding “emerging research” as evidence enough them, but more to point out the inherent for these statements. hypocrisy in the FDA’s current stand against The legal and logistical reasons for the po- caffeinated alcoholic drinks. tential discontinuation of these products are In short, it seems that the FDA is a little readily apparent, as the FDA has a responsi- erratic in where it chooses to place responbility to protect consumers from potentially sibility when it comes to the handling of harmful products. However, situations such “dangerous” substances. The bottom line of as these also require a closer look at where all this, however, is that in the end, it really the burden of responsibility truly lies. doesn’t matter what the FDA decides to do. Consider first the idea put forth by the The reality, which may be of no conFDA that caffeinated alcoholic beverages cern to the FDA and other officials but have not been proven to be safe and are merits mentioning here, is that caffeine therefore potentially detrimental to the and alcohol will continue to be mixed in public. Although the dangerous nature of the future, regardless of the outcome of these drinks is certainly not in dispute here, this process. The “Monster bomb” will still the method by which the FDA is determin- frequent pre-games and frat parties, and, ing their legal status is a little less clear. Nei- although the mixed drink may never make ther caffeine nor alcohol is recognized for its way to the shelves here in the States, it anything beneficial to human health, but will always have its place at the bar. The both are perfectly accessible on their own. important thing, it seems, is not that cafSomehow, though, the mixing of the two in feine and alcohol don’t meet, just that a product constitutes a breach in responsi- they don’t do so before each one has been bility on the part of the manufacturer that paid for separately. After that, anything does not exist so long as the unsafe ingredi- goes—at least according to the FDA. ents remain isolated. And always remember to drink responsiTake, for example, slogans like “drink bly, just in case you’re the one who’s actually responsibly,” which promote the idea that it being held responsible. is the duty of any individual who chooses to drink to monitor his or her own health, and Chris Bassil is a Trinity sophomore. His colto adjust their level of consumption accord- umn runs every other Wednesday.

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A Son of Liberty

ill Phillips is the man—though of homosexuals himself, and he doesn’t technically, he is not quite a think it’s fair that they do not have the man yet. same rights as everyone else. Phillips is only 10 years old and Very well-spoken, confident, inquisispends much of his week in a fifth grade tive, thoughtful, passionate and only 10 class in West Fork Elementary School in years old, Will Phillips is making the type Arkansas. Phillips is just of stand his forefathers starting to get national would be proud of. It attention for something wasn’t easy for the young that he is not doing. The ruffians of the American elementary school stucolonies to revolt against dent refuses to stand and the King—when a child recite the Pledge of Allenamed Andrew Jackson giance. It has nothing to refused to kiss the boots do with the phrase “under of a British soldier, he reelad gross God,” on which the deceived a permanent scar kitty babies bate about the Pledge usufor his stand. It wasn’t ally centers. Phillps won’t smooth going for the make an oath to the flag of his country young men and women who participatuntil there is liberty and justice for all ed in sit-ins in segregated shops—when homosexuals in the U.S. a group of four college students sat at And he’s not taking his stance lightly. a whites only counter in a Greensboro, A substitute teacher left Phillips alone N.C. Woolworth’s only a few miles away for a few days, but eventually confronted from Duke, they had to withstand the him for not reciting the Pledge. Like protests of white patrons. any good child raised in the American Throughout America’s history, the tradition, Phillips called forth the spir- push for civil rights has had its supportits of Thomas Payne, Samuel Adams and ers and its detractors. The case of Will Patrick Henry. Phillips told CNN how he Phillips will be no different. There are responded that day in the classroom. those who believe the Pledge should be “I eventually, very solemnly, with a recited no matter what, and there are little bit of malice in my voice, said, others who believe that the Pledge is like ‘Ma’am, with all due respect, you can go any other instrument of the American jump off a bridge.’” system, a tool to be used to better society As the child retold the story, Phillips’s through debate and demonstration. The father placed his head in his hands. The delegates to the Continental Congress parents were called into the office to meet were able to overcome their expected with the principal. But Phillips’s candor sense of duty and obedience to the King and passion convinced his parents that to construct a separate society better the kid was not simply acting out. Linda representing the rights of the colonists. Phillips, Will’s mother, went home and Our government has passed numerous started twittering. And behold! The pow- amendments to the Constitution, provider of social networking swept Phillips into ing a variety of disenfranchised groups the national media maelstrom. with the rights we all should have. What was once a personal stand in a Phillips is right. Homosexuals resmall classroom has become a symbol of main significantly disenfranchised in civil rights action for the entire country. this country. The Oct. 2 New York Times The increased media attention has also article, “The High Price of Being a Gay brought Phillips’ actions into the spot- Couple,” measures the financial costs of light at his school. He told CNN that his homosexual couples to often be hunfellow students have assumed that he is dreds of thousands of dollars more exhomosexual. “In the halls and the caf- pensive than the costs of heterosexual eteria, I am repeatedly called a gaywad,” couples. And underlying the economPhillips said. When asked by CNN what ics is a moral injustice denying liberty a “gaywad” was, he responded, “I really and justice for everyone. Marriage in don’t know. It’s a discriminatory name this country is weaker today because it for homosexuals.” is a privilege of the dominant and not a But why is Phillips making a stand in right shared by all. the form of not reciting the Pledge of AlWhen the interview wrapped up, Phillegiance? Will wants to be a lawyer, and lips’ father nudged him, trying to get he spent a weekend taking a deeper look Phillips to say thank you. But Phillips at the words he was expected to recite confidently nodded, not saying a word. in school. “I looked at the end, and it In an unjust world, the young activist said with liberty and justice for all, and had no one to thank. there really isn’t liberty and justice for A Son of Liberty was born. all…. Gays and lesbians can’t marry, there’s still a lot of racism and sexism in Elad Gross is a Trinity senior. His column the world.” Will said that he knows a lot runs every Wednesday.

12 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009

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