November 9, 2020

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The Chronicle The independent news organization at Duke University

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020

214

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 15

BIDEN ELECTED PRESIDENT

Andrew Harnik/Associated Press Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was elected president of the United States on Saturday. His running mate, Kamala Devi Harris, is the first woman, Black person and South Asian person elected vice president.

PROMISES TO ‘RESTORE THE SOUL OF AMERICA’

By Chris Kuo Features Managing Editor

Anna Zolotor Local and National News Editor

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was elected the next president of the United States on Saturday.

Biden will enter office with a vision for liberal governance, including plans to implement a coordinated national response to COVID-19, invest in green energy, expand Obamacare, implement criminal justice reform and undo Trump’s immigration policies. During the campaign, Biden offered the promise of a return to normalcy after four years of chaotic governance under President Donald Trump.

His running mate, Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), is the first woman, the first Black person and the first person of Indian descent elected vice president.

“I sought this office to restore the soul of America; to rebuild the backbone of this nation, the middle class; and to make America respected around the world again,” Biden said Saturday night, in a victory speech in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.

The president-elect thanked the American people for turning out in record numbers to make his victory possible, and he emphasized his commitment to rebuilding and healing the nation. He listed his priorities for the next four years, including tackling climate change and racial injustice, but stressed that his first battle will be against a pandemic that has killed more than

230,000 Americans.

Harris took the stage before Biden and thanked the American people for ushering in “a new day in America.” She reflected on the historical importance of her election as the first woman in the office of Vice President, as well as the first Black or South Asian person in the position.

I sought this office to restore the soul of America; to rebuild the backbone of this nation, the middle class; and to make America respected around the world again. joe biden

PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES

“But while I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities,” Harris said.

Biden’s victory marked the conclusion of a long election whose results were delayed by waits over ballot counts. News organizations including the Associated Press and CNN projected at around 11:30 a.m. Saturday that Biden had won

Pennsylvania, and thus the presidential race.

Trump has not yet conceded the race, despite Biden’s projected victory, promising unspecified legal challenges to the results.

On election night, with many votes still to count, the electoral map had not shown a clear winner: Trump was ahead in key swing states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia, while Biden had pulled ahead in Arizona and Nevada.

But as the remainder of absentee ballots were counted, crucial states swung to Biden. He won Wisconsin and Michigan, putting him at 253 electoral votes, even as the Trump campaign embarked on legal challenges to seek a recount in Wisconsin and to attempt to halt the count in Michigan. An early call of Arizona—putting Biden at 264 electoral votes—by the AP and Fox was also met by pushback from the Trump campaign, but both decision desks stood by the decision.

As votes were tallied, Biden called for patience and trust in the “messy” process of democracy, while Trump made false claims about attempts to steal the election and falsehoods about voter fraud.

In the early morning Friday, Biden pulled ahead of Trump in Pennsylvania and Georgia. He continued to hold his leads in Arizona and Nevada.

“The numbers tell us a clear and convincing story: We’re going to win this race,” Biden said in a Friday night speech.

See BIDEN on Page 7

INSIDE : STUDENTS REACT TO OUTCOME PAGE 2 | DURHAM RESIDENTS REVEL PAGE 2 | SOME NC RACES NOT YET CALLED PAGE 5

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2 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020

The Chronicle

Students react to Biden’s victory

By Matthew Griffin Editor-in-Chief

Chris Kuo Features Managing Editor

When he first heard that former Vice President Joe Biden had been elected president, senior Rahul Krishnaswamy, Duke Students for Biden co-chair, said it was like a “transformation.”

“I woke up this morning before it was called. I went outside, and then I saw on my phone that it was called,” he said Saturday.

“And even if it was the same atmosphere outside, it just felt like I was breathing completely different air.”

The end of the 2020 presidential election came after four years of chaotic governance under President Donald Trump, followed by four days of suspense as state election officials slowly tallied mail-in ballots and other late-counted votes. Major media outlets finally called the race for Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, around 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

For many Duke students, the news brought relief and joy.

Eric Wei | Staff photographer Supporters of the president, meanwhile, came to terms on President-Elect Joe Biden spoke at Durham’s Hillside High Saturday with their candidate’s defeat.

School on Oct. 27, 2019, while a candidate for the Democratic After first-year Akiya Dillon heard the news from a friend, presidential nomination. she immediately called her mother.

“I was super excited just because that anxiety goes away and you’re like, ‘Okay, I can breathe a little bit,’” she said.

When he heard the news, senior Salvador Chavero Arellano started to cry. Chavero is a Dreamer, an undocumented immigrant allowed to legally remain in the country because of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump’s immigration policies have stopped him from going to Mexico to see his family without risking being unable to return to the United States.

Now Chavero hopes to apply for advance parole to see them again, including his grandmother, who is facing health issues.

“A lot of things have been going through my mind, and really trying to process it all, but overall super happy,” he said.

Biden and Harris support DACA, whereas Trump attempted unsuccessfully to end the program and his Department of Homeland Security stopped processing new applications.

Chavero said he and his friends and allies will advocate for Biden and Harris and push for legislative immmigration reform.

Though relieved, Dillon, who canvassed for Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary, said she also knows there is a long path ahead to achieving progressive policies.

See STUDENTS on Page 7

Durhamites celebrate in the streets

By Chris Kuo

five seconds,” Reynolds said. back behind the eight ball.”

“It’s a relief,” she said. “I’m just kind of overwhelmed.”

Batson said he hopes Biden implements policies that help She said she hopes that Biden can reverse President Donald combat climate change and inequality in the country.

It was a moment of catharsis for Durham residents, an Trump’s policies on climate change. She also said she wants the next “Every little step counts, so we’ll keep chopping wood,” he said. impulsive outpouring of hope and joy and relief. president to unify the country. Many of her family members are Curtis Brooks, 53, said he liked Trump as a real estate Gathered at the intersection of West Main Street and businessman but not as a president.

Corcoran Street, waving American flags and Biden-Harris “I’m glad he’s out,” Brooks said. “It’s been a long four years.” signs, they did what people do after the conclusion of a History has also been made in Kamala Harris, the first harrowing election whose result meant the end of a divisive woman, Black person and person of Indian descent elected vice Durham residents screamed, laughed, presidency: They celebrated. president.

They jumped up and down and sang and chanted and “I think the White House is run better with a woman in danced and hugged each other, banged on pots and pans and a tambourine. They wore Black there,” Brooks said. “Your momma—she takes good care of you, Lives Matter shirts and Pride flags and cardboard masks with accompanied by a cacophony of honking right? There you go.”

President-Elect Joe Biden’s face. They screamed, laughed, Kevin Rodriguez, 42, was watching football with his brother when as cars drove past. danced and hugged each other, accompanied by a cacophony of he heard all the honking. The next four years aren’t going to be easy, honking as cars drove past, filled with people who stuck their he said. torsos out the car windows and through the sunroofs.

“There’s a lot of divisiveness that’s going to make policy At one point, a man with a sousaphone played “When The really tough to move,” Rodriguez said. “I’m hoping that Biden’s Saints Go Marching In,” as people danced around him.

Trump supporters, she said, and dialogue with them is “nonexistent.” message and his use of the office brings people together more Another man, wearing a Black Lives Matter mask, looked “The only time I have contact with them is through social than Trump chose to divide us, but I guess we’ll see.” around with his arms outstretched. media, and that place is a battleground,” Reynolds said.

Rodriguez doesn’t remember seeing a post-election reaction “This is America,” he said.

Tray Batson, 53, said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the as raucous as this one, even when former president Barack Sara Reynolds, 33, is the salon manager of Rock’s Bar and next four years.

Obama won in 2012.

Hair Shop, one of the shops near the celebration. Before the “There’s a lot of work to do,” he said. “We had a lot of problems “It’s not been a great year for a lot of people,” he said. “There’s race was called, she had been refreshing the computer “every before [Trump] was elected, and the election of [Trump] put us finally something to celebrate.”

Features Managing Editor

‘Good energy’ at polls on Election Day

By Chris Kuo Features Managing Editor

Ann Gehan, Kathryn Thomas, Alison Korn, Parker Harris Staff Reporters

Iffat Allam had been greeting voters outside of the W.I. Patterson Recreation Center in Durham since 6:20 a.m. on Tuesday, but nearly 12 hours later, her energy and enthusiasm had yet to fade.

“I don’t feel tired,” she said. “I’m full of energy.”

Iffat is the mother of Nida Allam, a candidate for Durham County Board of Commissioners. Because there are no Republicans in the race, Allam is set to be the first Muslim American woman elected to public office in North Carolina.

Iffat was out Tuesday as a volunteer for People’s Alliance, a Durham progressive organization, passing out sample ballots and lists of endorsements to voters.

Durham voters headed to polling places to cast their ballots Nov. 3, marking the end of a long election cycle. As of Sunday, more than 4.5 million people had cast ballots by mail or during in-person early voting in North Carolina, and on Tuesday many Durham polling places saw short lines and uncongested spaces.

Despite plenty of high-energy volunteers like Iffat, there were few voters to be found at the polling place by Tuesday evening.

Allam said that when the precinct opened in the morning, there was a line of approximately 15 voters waiting to cast their ballots, but the lines quickly became nonexistent, with only a handful of voters coming by throughout the rest of the day. She estimated that the precinct, which is the polling location for Duke students living on West Campus, had only seen around 200 voters total, but said that voting had gone smoothly throughout the day.

One of three poll observers at the W.I. Patterson Recreation Center, Allie Davis, commented on crowd sizes.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been super busy, it was busier earlier, probably before people went to work,” she said.

One issue this year, especially considering concerns of community spread of COVID-19, has been voters waiting in long lines, but this was not much of a problem at the Center.

“There was a really small line when the poll opened. Because so many people voted early this year, it is a little bit slower,” Davis said.

Overall Davis observed “good energy” and said there were no major incidents other than questions about redistricting of precincts.

She said that by 11 a.m., about seven voters had cast provisional ballots because they had arrived at the wrong precinct.

Other voting sites were similarly quiet. The scene at the polling center at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics involved nonexistent lines and an unused curbside voting service for people with disabilities. According to one poll

worker, only about 100 people voted between 6:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Durham resident Sallie Wilson, who has “voted here a long time,” said it only took her about five minutes to get in and out of the polling station. She chose NCSSM’s polling location “because I live right down the street and there is never a line,” Wilson said.

At E.K. Powe Elementary School on Ninth Street, only 163 voters had cast their ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day. With only half an hour left before the polls closed, the parking lot remained empty, and it didn’t seem like there would be any lastminute rush of voters before voting ended at 7:30 p.m.

The Lakewood Elementary School polling site also had no lines outside the building, said Victor Canales, a volunteer offering surgical masks, chips, oranges, Welch’s fruit snacks and KIND bars to voters as they exited the building.

Canales, who is 30 years old, is a volunteer with Poder NC Action, an organization that seeks to elect candidates that are “pro-Black, pro-Latinx, pro-LGBTQ, and pro-Choice,” according to their website. This was Canales’s fifth stop at Durham County polling sites.

“I’m a little nervous, because there’s a lot on the line,” he said.

Canales said he hopes that whoever gets elected supports See POLLS on Page 6

The Chronicle

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020 | 3

Photos: Durham on Election Day and the day Biden won Poll lines, bright and early!

Voter check-in

Henry Haggart | Associate Photography Editor On Election Day, Durham polling centers opened early to check in voters. In this image, a Durham voter checks in at the polling site at the W.I. Patterson Community Center.

Henry Haggart | Associate Photography Editor Due to the COVID-19 pandemic record mail-in voting This led to shorter-than-usual lines at the polling centers on Election Day, yet the lines still existed. In this image, the first voters to arrive at the Durham Main Library wait in darkness outside before polls opened at 6:30 a.m. on Election Day.

Your vote counts

The American voice Free scooters

Lydia Sellars| Associate Photography Editor On Election Day, signs posted around Durham reinforced the idea that every vote counts, especially on the last day to cast a ballot.

A flood of emotions

Lydia Sellars | Associate Photography Editor Some messages around the Durham area targeted the “Americanness” associated with voting. In doing so, signs such as this one, in Durham on Election Day, aim to instill a sense of responsibility to vote. While the American vote, or “voice,” counted during this election, those of immigrants who are not citizens did not.

Lydia Sellars | Associate Photography Editor In order to ensure cheap and easy transportation to vote on Election Day, Spin and Lyft provided free scooter rides to several polling centers around the Durham area. In this image, two Duke students are taking advantage of the opportunity and going to vote via scooter.

Atop a car

Durham decorations

Henry Haggart | Associate Photography Editor The 2020 election was an emotional time for millions of Americans. For some, the reaction to Joe Biden’s projected victory was too powerful to contain in words.

Democratic cars

Henry Haggart | Associate Photography Editor Residents in downtown Durham celebrated after the end of the presidential election. In this image, someone climbs atop a moving car, waving a scarf as he drives by hundreds gathered to celebrate Joe Biden’s victory.

Henry Haggart | Associate Photography Editor The celebrations in downtown Durham came with a plethora of decorations. In this image, the bull statue downtown has a new decorative ornament adorning its ear.

Henry Haggart | Associate Photography Editor Crowds rushed to downtown Durham when Joe Biden became the president-elect. Honking cars crawling through the streets brandished Biden Harris signs.

4 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020

71,086,182 (47.7%) Popular vote total as of Sunday

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Cameron Oglesby | Graphics Editor

The Chronicle

75,351,262 (50.5%) Popular vote total as of Sunday

The Chronicle

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Trump, Tillis lead, but races remain too close to call

By Leah Boyd University News Editor

Election excitement in North Carolina isn’t over yet.

Democrat Joe Biden was projected on Saturday to win the 2020 presidential race, but North Carolina hasn’t called its winner yet.

As of Sunday night, Republican incumbent Donald Trump leads with 50% of votes, while Biden has 48.6%. Around 98% of the state’s votes have been counted.

North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race is also close, but Republican incumbent Thom Tillis has retained a small lead against Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham by almost 100,000 votes. As of Sunday night, Tillis has 48.72% of the vote, while Cunningham sits behind at 46.95%.

Libertarian Shannon W. Bray and Constitution Party candidate Kevin E. Hayes racked up 3.10% and 1.23% of the vote, respectively.

The News & Observer reported on Friday that there were still 166,000 potential votes left to count across the state. This included 95,000 outstanding mail-in ballots, around 30,000 accepted but untallied mail-in votes and 41,000 provisional ballots.

Outstanding mail-in ballots are ballots

requested by voters that have not yet been returned. The current tally does not account for the fact that some voters changed their minds and voted in-person on Election Day. About 35,000 mail-in ballots have been accepted since Election Day, but many of these have not been included in the state’s unofficial results yet. Mail ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 will be accepted until Nov. 12, and most of North Carolina’s 100 county boards will wait until then to meet and count the ballots.

Provisional ballots are cast when there are problems at polling centers; for example, if a person is unsure of their eligibility to vote, they can cast a provisional ballot that is either later accepted or rejected by the county election board.

The News & Observer report noted that the incoming mail-in votes are unlikely to affect the uncalled presidential and U.S. Senate races but could impact down-ballot races with smaller margins.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, a Democrat, is barely trailing behind Republican challenger Paul Newby, with the two having 49.98% and 50.02% of the vote, respectively. Only 2,617 votes separate the candidates as of Sunday night.

Evelyn Shi | Contributing Graphic Designer

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020 | 5

Cooper reelected, Robinson to be first Black lt. governor

By Rose Wong Senior Editor

Incumbent Roy Cooper, a Democrat, will serve as the Governor of North Carolina for a second four-year term. Republican Mark Robinson will be North Carolina’s next lieutenant governor and the first Black person to serve in this position.

As of Sunday Cooper led Republican Dan Forest, the current lieutenant governor, by approximately 242,000 votes, or about 4.4%.

Robinson leads Democrat Yvonne Holley by about 177,000 votes, or about 3.3%. Those margins may change slightly, as some votes have not yet been counted in North Carolina.

In polls before the election, Cooper led Forest by 10% to 13%.

In a victory speech in Raleigh, Cooper thanked voters for their continued support and promised to work hard over the next four years to represent all North Carolinians.

“To the people of North Carolina, thank you so much for electing me as your governor for another four years,” Cooper said during his acceptance speech. “Serving in this office has been the honor of my life.”

While the candidates’ platforms differ on numerous issues, the campaign has largely centered on their disagreement over Cooper’s COVID-19 response.

Shortly after the first COVID-19 cases were detected in North Carolina, Cooper declared a state of emergency and placed tight restrictions on schools, homes and businesses. Despite Cooper’s response to the pandemic being more cautious than that of most southern governors, his tactics have polled fairly well among North Carolinians, particularly compared to the president’s approach.

Forest has repeatedly criticized Cooper’s COVID-19 response and has instructed North Carolinians to keep the pandemic “in perspective.” He has also hosted numerous in-person campaign events, with many attendees not masked or socially distanced.

Recently, a positive COVID-19 test was linked to one of these rallies.

Other than maintaining the course of his COVID-19 response, Cooper’s platform includes investment in renewable energy, improving access to early childhood education and continuing disaster recovery and preparation efforts.

While in office, Cooper’s key achievements have included issuing a Clean Energy Plan and repealing House Bill 2, a controversial law that removed protections for North Carolina’s LGBTQ+ population.

Forest’s platform includes “defending the Second Amendment,” putting armed security guards in schools, combating illegal immigration and raising teacher pay.

In the lieutenant governor race, Robinson is a gun rights activist and Holley is a four-term state representative from Raleigh. Either candidate would have been the first Black lieutenant governor of North Carolina.

Robinson is in favor of school choice, expanded gun rights and the prohibition of abortion. Holley supports increasing funding for affordable housing programs, putting more psychologists in schools and implementing gun legislation.

In September, Robinson was widely criticized when several homophobic, antiSemitic posts from his Facebook page went viral. Holley remarked that she was “personally offended” by the posts, but Robinson denied that the content was offensive.

Price, Butterfield reelected to House, Dems flip 2 NC seats

By Carter Forinash News Editor

U.S. Rep. David Price and Rep. G.K. Butterfield, Democrats representing North Carolina’s 4th and 1st Congressional Districts, respectively, both won reelection last week to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Price represents Durham under the House map used in the 2020 election, although the county was split between Price and Butterfield’s districts under the old map used in 2018. Going into the night, both were expected to cruise to reelection in the heavily Democratic districts.

Price is also a tenured professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy.

Elsewhere in the state, Democrats Deborah Ross and Kathy Manning and Republicans Greg Murphy, Virginia Foxx, David Rouzer, Richard Hudson, Dan Bishop, Patrick McHenry, Madison Cawthorn and Ted Budd also had races called in their favor by the AP. Democratic Rep. Alma Adams ran unopposed

With the new map, the 2nd District tilts toward Democrats where the old one favored Republicans by double digits, and the Cook Political Report ranked it as “Likely Democratic.”

The story was much the same in the 6th District, which was also redrawn and presented an uphill climb for Republican

In another vacant N.C. seat, 25-year-old Republican Madison Cawthorn won against former Guantanamo Bay Chief Prosecutor Moe Davis, a Democrat, to replace Republican Mark Meadows, who left the seat to become Donald Trump’s chief of staff. Cawthorn was slightly favored, with the Cook Political Report rating the race as “Lean Republican.” Cawthorn has come under fire for sexual misconduct allegations and 2017 social media posts saying that visiting Adolf Hitler’s mountain retreat had been on his “bucket list for a while.”

Two other House races—out of North Carolina’s 13— were also rated as “Lean Republican.” One of those was the U.S. House districts in North Carolina won by 9th, which was a national media story after election fraud in Democrats in the 2020 election. a 2018 election won by Republican Mark Harris, leading to a second election. Republican Dan Bishop beat Harris’ original opponent, Democrat Dan McCready, and stood for election as incumbent Mark Walker, who also decided not to run the incumbent this year. The other semi-competitive race—in for reelection. The Cook Political Report rated the 6th as the 8th district—is north of Charlotte and home to Fort Bragg.

“Likely Democratic” as well.

The Republicans won in both districts.

5

8

U.S. House districts in North Carolina won by Republicans in the 2020 election. for her seat in the 12th district, leaving Republicans with an 8-5 advantage in the North Carolina House delegation.

Two districts—the 2nd and 6th—flipped to Democrats after multi-term Republican incumbents declined to run for reelection. Ross won in the 2nd and Manning won in the 6th.

In the 2nd District, which includes part of Wake County, Republican George Holding decided not to run for reelection after a court ordered North Carolina’s House districts to be redrawn in 2019 due to unconstitutional gerrymandering.

North Carolina’s U.S. House districts after the 2020 election Evelyn Shi | Contributing Graphic Designer

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6 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020

Blue Devils see mixed results

By Rose Wong Senior Editor

Duke faculty and alumni—as well as one graduate student—have seen a mixed bag of results as contenders in eight political races across the country.

Democratic Rep. David Price, who leads North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District, is a tenured professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy. He won reelection and secured his 17th term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Meanwhile, Professor of Political Science Michael Munger ran as a liberterian in the North Carolina House of Representatives District 34 and lost to Democratic candidate Grier Martin.

Republican Rep. Morris Brooks, Trinity ‘75, won reelection in Alabama’s 5th

Congressional District. Another Republican and Trinity ‘75, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, won reelection in West Virginia, where she served as a senator since 2015, and Democratic Rep. Scott Peters, Trinity ‘80, won reelection in California’s 52nd District.

Democratic Rep. Mike Levin, Law ‘05, won in California 49th Congressional District.

Anjali Boyd, a first-year doctoral student at the Nicholas School of the Environment, won the race for Durham Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor, with 45.61% of ballots cast.

Aaron “Ronnie” Chatterji, the Mark Burgess & Lisa Benson-Burgess distinguished professor at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and a professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy, lost to Republican incumbent Dale Folwell in the race for North Carolina treasurer.

READ MORE ELECTION COVERAGE ON DUKECHRONICLE.COM Live coverage of 2020 election results

BY STAFF REPORTS| 11/03/2020 Read in-the-moment coverage of how four days of tension played out at Duke.

Students follow results as nail-biter presidential race drags on

BY MATTHEW GRIFFIN, NADIA BEY, ANNA ZOLOTOR AND CHARLIE COLASURDO | 11/05/2020 Before the race was called, the outcome hung in limbo for days. Read how Duke students reacted to the uncertainty.

Lawsuits, media coverage, polls: Faculty discuss ongoing election

BY PREETHA RAMACHANDRAN| 11/05/2020 Faculty from across disciplines came together the afternoon of Nov. 4 to recap a strange Election Day.

POLLS FROM PAGE 2

Courtesy of Anjali Boyd Graduate student Anjali Boyd was elected Durham Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor.

Courtesy of the Fuqua School of Business Fuqua professor Aaron “Ronnie” Chatterji fell short last week in his bid for N.C. treasurer.

the undocumented community and BIPOC communities—“the people that are struggling the most right now.”

Some voters, like Durham resident Alvin Pitts Jr., decided at the last minute to cast a ballot. Pitts—who initially planned on not voting—emerged from the voting center at 6:30 p.m. with a sticker on his shirt and a positive attitude about the process.

Pitts said the reason he did not initially want to vote was that he was not partial to either of the candidates. He said it had been a “struggle” to choose who to vote for because he didn’t feel like he had “a true representative” of himself as an option.

“It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of Trump,” Pitts said. “I respect his strategy, but I can name a million reasons why he shouldn’t have gotten the job. But I couldn’t give Joe Biden the job just because he was Barack’s homeboy, since

how much did Barack do to directly affect my current situation? I didn’t have anybody to vote for, so this is how I voted for the president: Joe Biden is what, [77]? I won’t wish anything on his health, but if he does become unable to perform his duties, then we see our first female, minority president, and so I voted for her for that.”

Pitts said that he has voted at the same polling location for elections in the past, and because the location is right next to his church and where he plays basketball, it has always been easy for him to vote in Durham.

“The voting experience itself was easy,” Pitts said. “It was nice that there were no long lines that I had to wait in. I worried about that because it’s late, but I was like, ‘I don’t care if there’s 1000 people in the line, I’m going to [vote].’ And so it was cool to get in and get out in five minutes.”

“The mood here is good,” Pitts said about the polling location. “Voting here was kind of like a CVS visit. You know, you get some mints, a toothbrush, pretty easy stuff. Except I got a goodie bag when I came out [of the building], and they never do that at CVS.”

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BIDEN FROM PAGE 1 Students involved in progressive advocacy were thrilled at the news of the victory.

“We are so just happy, so relieved and so proud of the outcome and of the work that we’ve done,” said sophomore Daniel Marshall, Duke Students for Biden co-chair.

Although the overall race has been called, the result in North Carolina is still not certain.

Trump holds a lead and is likely to win, but some ballots remain to be counted and the race may not be called until next week.

Marshall said Duke Students for Biden had made a difference, pointing out that early voting at Duke had increased more than 50% between 2016 and 2020.

“We still don’t know about North Carolina.

It still could go either way. But we know that Joe Biden won,” Marshall said.

Robby Philips, a sophomore involved in the Sunrise Movement, a climate activism group, said Biden’s win came as a “huge moment of relief.”

There’s “a really celebratory attitude in the air,” he said as he walked to the Durham Farmers Market.

The wait for the result over the past few days was harrowing, and he hadn’t been able to finish much work since he had been constantly checking the results, he said. Even though the electoral map looked hopeful, he had still been afraid Trump could eke out a win, Phillips said.

Those fears are behind him now.

“It feels like maybe the most difficult part is past for now, closing the book on a pretty dark chapter,” he said.

Still, there’s work to be done, he said, especially on the climate change front.

“In some ways, the real work can begin now to organize, to really advocate and fight for the policies we need for climate change,” he said.

“There’s still a really difficult road ahead in combating climate change and organizing and creating a more just future.”

Biden’s win came after a hectic election cycle defined by protests over racial injustice, a chaotic presidential debate, disputes over mail-in voting and the ongoing effects of the coronavirus.

After the killing of George Floyd in May set off a nationwide wave of protests linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, police reform and racial justice became a focus of the presidential campaign. Biden called for reform and voiced his support for the peaceful protesters, while condemning violence. Trump, meanwhile, pushed a

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message of “law and order.”

Like much of 2020, the first presidential debate was unprecedented in its chaos.

Trump repeatedly interrupted the moderator, and both candidates traded vicious barbs. After the debacle, the second presidential debate was made virtual, then cancelled after Trump refused to participate. The third debate proceeded more normally.

Election integrity became a primary concern after Trump made false claims about the trustworthiness of mail-in voting and refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. Many states faced a huge influx of mail in ballots due to the coronavirus forcing many voters to stay at home.

Trump was playing golf when the race was called for Biden, he continued to spread falsehoods about the election’s outcome, tweeting that he had “won the election” and that “bad things” had happened with the counting of absentee ballots. Twitter labeled the tweet as “disputed.”

On Saturday morning, Trump’s campaign held a press conference outside a landscaping company in Philadelphia.

There, Rudy Giuliani said Trump would not concede and falsely claimed that ballots had been tampered with in Pennsylvania.

He also claimed that media networks have “hateful biases” toward Trump.

Neither Harris nor Biden referenced Donald Trump’s name in their victory speeches, or directly mentioned that he had not yet conceded the election, but both spoke of the importance of protecting democracy.

“America’s democracy is not guaranteed.

It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it,” Harris said.

The coronavirus pandemic took center stage throughout the race, with Trump and Biden taking very different stances on the virus. The current president has been widely criticized for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 236,000 Americans having died of the virus.

Just shy of a month before Election Day, the candidates’ disagreements on COVID-19 policy suddenly became personal for Trump, when he announced Oct. 2 that he and the first lady had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Trump was hospitalized at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for approximately four days. He received supplemental oxygen, a five-day treatment course of the antiviral drug remdesivir, and an experimental antibody cocktail from Regeneron.

Matthew Griffin contributed reporting.

Mary Helen Wood | Associate Photography Editor Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) spoke at a Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People banquet in August 2019, while a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. At the event, she spoke about the fight for civil rights, saying conversations on the subject were “about America’s identity.”

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020 | 7

STUDENTS FROM PAGE 2 “It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s still not where I would like to be,” she said.

Like Dillon, first-year Chloe Nguyen emphasized the need for ongoing reform during a Biden presidency.

“There needs to actually be change implemented, like fundamental change to help people and address the systemic problems that have been ongoing, in order to make sure that we don’t have another Trump in four years,” she said.

Krishnaswamy said that despite President Donald Trump’s likely victory in North Carolina and the results of some state races, he’s proud of what Duke Students for Biden accomplished in Durham County.

“We helped get turnout to record levels.

Durham County has always been reliably blue, but we’ve made it more blue than ever before in

among Hispanic and Black voters in some parts of the country.

“To me, that speaks well of a lot of underlying ideologies,” he said. “We’ll see what happens in 2024.”

Like Merriner, first-year Clay Bromley supported Trump. He is a member of ROTC, and he said he voted for Trump because the president’s policies helped military members and veterans.

He also said he had accepted the results, despite Trump’s refusal to concede.

“He lost, but I’m not upset about it because that means the majority of people decided that it would be a better vote for them,” he said.

“And I think that’s exactly how it should be.”

Looking ahead, Bromley hopes that Biden doesn’t pack the Supreme Court by adding more seats. He also wants Biden to support military and defense spending.

Sophomore Sarah Zimmerman said she’s glad the election is over.

“Regardless of what political party you

I don’t think I’ve ever felt prouder of our country than I do right now. We were given a choice between division and unity, and we chose unity. jamael smith FIRST-YEAR

recent history … and of course every vote counts, especially with the popular vote” he said. As of Saturday night, Biden has a popular vote lead of more than 4 million votes nationally.

Krishnaswamy also noted that Democrats flipped two U.S. House seats in North Carolina and reelected Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

Sophomore Daniel Billings, who is from the United Kingdom, said Europeans generally did not have a favorable view of Trump as president, and that Biden is going to improve foreigners’ perception of Americans.

“He’s bringing back a bit of decency to this office, to this country,” Billings said.

Billings also recognized that Trump won a sizable portion of the electorate, which meant that Biden’s win was only a “political victory,” not a “moral victory.”

Given how many voters cast their ballot for Trump, empathy is essential, he said.

“It’s a complicated election. You got to detest the man but you can’t really detest 70 million Americans. Life is confusing,” he said.

Sophomore Eliot Merriner, a Republican, said he is disappointed about the result of the presidential election but not too concerned, since he thought Republicans were successful on the state level and in the Senate.

Those victories, along with federal judges appointed by Trump, will stymie Biden’s attempt to make serious changes during his term, Merriner said.

“And I think despite the fact that Trump did not win the presidency, I thought there were a lot of trends in the voter demographics that looked promising for the future,” he said, noting that Trump improved his support

support, it was an incredibly stressful time as a whole for everybody,” she said.

Zimmerman also said she is “beyond thrilled” about Biden’s victory.

“I was anxious about the election because I thought that if Trump won, that would mean losing human rights, losing what our country stands for, the dignity of the United States and so many other things. So Biden winning is definitely a win for the country and all of its citizens.”

She acknowledged that tensions would probably remain as long as Trump is still in the White House.

“I don’t think Trump is going to be someone to back down or give up his power, which even he has stated, which I think is going to create a lot of increased tension for about a month,” she said.

Once he leaves, the country will have some “peace” and be able to “move forward and grow” again, she said.

First-year Jamael Smith was relieved to hear Biden won, he wrote in a message to The Chronicle.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt prouder of our country than I do right now, Smith wrote. “We were given a choice between division and unity, and we chose unity.”

He wrote that he hopes a Biden administration will “mend the wounds of the past four years.”

“While these issues definitely won’t go away under Biden, it’s nice to know that we’ll have a leader willing to address them and work to help this country heal,” Smith wrote.

Anisha Reddy and Parker Harris contributed reporting.

Courtesy of Biden for President Joe Biden visited Durham in October, shortly before the general election. In his remarks, he urged Durhamites to vote in the “most important election in our lifetimes.”

The Chronicle

dukechronicle.com

8 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020

the chronicle

november 9, 2020

recess recess

sugar & spice Durham-based cotton candy company Wonderpuff showcases inventive flavors, page 9

princess of pop Ariana Grande’s latest album leaves a lot to be desired, page 10

searching for a way to fly

Staff writer Jas Santos reflects on the popular manga series “Haikyu!!”, page 10

The Chronicle

dukechronicle.com

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020 | 9

local arts

Durham-based Wonderpuff is a movement to feed your sugar cravings

By Maddie Menkes Staff Columnist

Picture the music video for Katy Perry’s 2010 summer hit “California Girls:” screaming neon colors, swirling rainbow lollipops, giant ice cream dripping with strawberry syrup and pink cotton candy clouds. This sugar-filled fantasy has come to life through local cotton candy shop, Wonderpuff.

Wonderpuff is an all-organic, vegan cotton candy shop based in Durham. Crafted by delicate threads of organic flavored sugar, each ingredient coalesces into a beautifully swirled cotton candy.

Wonderpuff is a safe space for candy lovers who seek to escape the green world of veggies. The company’s exuberance originates from its cofounders, husband-and-wife team, Jackie and Rem Morin. I talked to Jackie to get the inside scoop on how she satisfies Durham’s sugar addiction. Her motto is straight from the wise words of Urban Dictionary: YOLO! “Dude, I’m over thirty and this is the way I want to die — by eating sugar,” Jackie Morin said.

Jackie Morin grew up in Miami, Fla., where “vanity reigns” and people strut the streets of Collins Avenue in tiny bikinis. Morin recalls that pressure for women to look a certain way meant desserts were often frowned upon.

Although food is an important part of Miami culture, Mornin mentions how there is no food community uniting the citizens in their love of eating. Life in the “Magic City” isolates food lovers and conceals what delicacies they enjoy consuming.

“I’m all about the sweet tooth,” Morin said, laughing about how she wants Wonderpuff to be a community where eating sugar is celebrated. “I want to feed [people’s] sugar addiction in a healthy way and encourage everyone to enjoy their sweet tooth.”

Morin describes the importance of taste as well as Wonderpuff’s image. Combing through Wonderpuff’s Instagram feed, an aesthetic pulled straight off of “That ‘70s Show”, you will see girls roller skating down the streets in sparkly rollerblades smiling as they satisfy their sweet tooth with Wonderpuff cotton candy.

Morin’s flavors are inspired by the bubblegumpop aesthetic and vibrancy of Ariana Grande and Doja Cat’s music.

“I want customers to get the taste of prettiness [when eating Ariana Grande and Doja Cat inspired flavors],” she said. “I love to feel good and that’s makeup for me. “I want my cotton candy to be everyone’s makeup.”

Lavender, Champagne and Rose, flavors that soothe the senses, encapsulate the gorgeous riffs of Ariana Grande’s music that will inspire you to belt in the shower. I had the pleasure of trying the Rose

flavor. Decorated with sprinkles and sparkles, the sophisticated flavor danced in my mouth leaving me with “no tears left to cry.” Each bite delicately landed on my tongue exuding a flavor similar to that of a rose Turkish delight. Other flavors such as Bubblegum, Raspberry Mojito and Blueberry Waffles radiate a fresh flirtiness inviting you to dance to Doja Cat’s latest hit. Blueberry Waffles transported me to my middle school years of sneaking off to 7-Eleven for a blueberry Slurpee; lightly tinted cotton candy transforms into a neon blue raspberry slushie and a clear container morphs into a green, blue and yellow-swirled Big Gulp cup.

When ordering a customized Wonderpuff cotton candy container, customers can also select from flavors that will fly you to a Caribbean beach while you relax on a blue and white lounge chair, sip from a coconut, embrace the sunglasses sliding down your nose and listen to the waves crash against the shore.

Originally from the Caribbean Islands, Morin did not want her heritage to dissipate when she moved to the Triangle, so she made sure to incorporate tropical flavors into the brand of Wonderpuff, such as Grilled Watermelon, Pineapple Coconut and Mango.

Even in ways beyond their unique flavors, Wonderpuff is anything but a typical sugar factory — in Morin’s eyes, it’s a movement.

“Wonderpuff is women’s liberation. Black liberation,” Morin said. “As a Black woman who grew up Muslim, I was told and conditioned — and conditioned myself — [to think] that I am crazy for loving things or wanting to do certain things. But I am not crazy.” Morin said.

She fought her own mental health battles when opening Wonderpuff, doubting her choice to open her own store, that she was dreaming too big. Although Morin was able to fight this perpetual self-doubt and allow her desires to reign supreme, it was not an easy mountain to climb.

When Wonderpuff was founded, Morin was in “a hole of depression and anxiety.” The world outside of Wonderpuff was not exuberantly decorated with sparkles and rainbows but stained with hateful crimes: the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the religious hate crime against three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, and many more tragedies.

“Racism was growing and brewing. I was very triggered, and it took me down a dark path. My husband told me it was time that we start Wonderpuff.” Morin said. “Wonderpuff saved my life and mental health.”

Through Wonderpuff, Morin was able to find her voice again and her love for life that had been slowly dwindling away.

Courtesy of Wonderpuff

Wonderpuff, co-owned by Jackie and Rem Morin, is an all-organic, vegan cotton candy shop based in Durham.

recess

“We all have our role to play,” Morin said.“I am not on the frontline or out there every day with our people.

What is something [I can do] that can amplify Black women, Indigenous women, women in general and humans everywhere? Wonderpuff is definitely that.”

In a world blanketed with bleakness, it’s the little things in life, like a deliciously spun fabric of sugary goodness, that can get us through the day. Wonderpuff enriches a world of dreamers who love to fantasize about the playful goodness in life. We could all use more opportunities to smile right now, and Wonderpuff’s sugary treats can help us get out of the cold weather, finalsseason doldrums.

Currently, the best way to indulge in Wonderpuff ’s offerings is through their website. According to Morin, Wonderpuff’s storefront was originally supposed to open in March, but due to COVID-19, the launch got pushed back.

“It’s as if this year got deleted, but time

continues to move on,” Morin said.

In order to open the storefront, Morin needed the help of her community. The company is currently running a Kickstarter in hopes of opening a storefront location at Boxyard RTP. To get the word out about the Kickstarter, Morin promoted her business through social media as she could not afford to publicize in the more traditional paid advertising outlets.

“I would post two to three times a day for eight days straight,” Morin said.

Clearly, the strategy worked — Wonderpuff’s Kickstarter broke through the cotton candy clouds; with a goal of $20,000, Morin has already received $21,029 to open the Wonderpuff storefront.

Whether it is for a birthday, special occasion or just a cotton candy craving, Wonderpuff’s product will make you feel like there is something to celebrate. So put on your rollerblades and skate on a sugar-filled, neon colored, sparkledusted journey.

recess Invent a cotton candy flavor:

Sarah Derris .......................wasabi

Stephen Atkinson ................cedar

Sydny Long ....................dill pickle

Skyler Graham ............. fresh linen

Kerry Rork .....................root beer

Jonathan Pertile .............. sriracha

Tessa Delgo ........... mac & cheese

Derek Chen ............mystery flavor

on the cover: Wonderpuff owner Jackie Morin poses with containers of cotton candy. courtesy of Wonderpuff

The Chronicle

dukechronicle.com

10| MONDAY, 8 | MONDAY,NOVEMBER NOVEMBER9,9,2020 2020

the chronicle

november 9, 2020

recess recess

sugar & spice

Durham-based cotton candy company Wonderpuff showcases inventive flavors, page 9

princess of pop Ariana Grande’s latest album leaves a lot to be desired, page 10

searching for a way to fly

Staff writer Jas Santos reflects on the popular manga series “Haikyu!!”, page 10

The Chronicle

dukechronicle.com

MONDAY, MONDAY,NOVEMBER NOVEMBER9,9,2020 2020| 11 |9

local arts

Durham-based Wonderpuff is a movement to feed your sugar cravings

By Maddie Menkes Staff Columnist

Picture the music video for Katy Perry’s 2010 summer hit “California Girls:” screaming neon colors, swirling rainbow lollipops, giant ice cream dripping with strawberry syrup and pink cotton candy clouds. This sugar-filled fantasy has come to life through local cotton candy shop, Wonderpuff.

Wonderpuff is an all-organic, vegan cotton candy shop based in Durham. Crafted by delicate threads of organic flavored sugar, each ingredient coalesces into a beautifully swirled cotton candy.

Wonderpuff is a safe space for candy lovers who seek to escape the green world of veggies. The company’s exuberance originates from its cofounders, husband-and-wife team, Jackie and Rem Morin. I talked to Jackie to get the inside scoop on how she satisfies Durham’s sugar addiction. Her motto is straight from the wise words of Urban Dictionary: YOLO! “Dude, I’m over thirty and this is the way I want to die — by eating sugar,” Jackie Morin said.

Jackie Morin grew up in Miami, Fla., where “vanity reigns” and people strut the streets of Collins Avenue in tiny bikinis. Morin recalls that pressure for women to look a certain way meant desserts were often frowned upon.

Although food is an important part of Miami culture, Mornin mentions how there is no food community uniting the citizens in their love of eating. Life in the “Magic City” isolates food lovers and conceals what delicacies they enjoy consuming.

“I’m all about the sweet tooth,” Morin said, laughing about how she wants Wonderpuff to be a community where eating sugar is celebrated. “I want to feed [people’s] sugar addiction in a healthy way and encourage everyone to enjoy their sweet tooth.”

Morin describes the importance of taste as well as Wonderpuff’s image. Combing through Wonderpuff’s Instagram feed, an aesthetic pulled straight off of “That ‘70s Show”, you will see girls roller skating down the streets in sparkly rollerblades smiling as they satisfy their sweet tooth with Wonderpuff cotton candy.

Morin’s flavors are inspired by the bubblegumpop aesthetic and vibrancy of Ariana Grande and Doja Cat’s music.

“I want customers to get the taste of prettiness [when eating Ariana Grande and Doja Cat inspired flavors],” she said. “I love to feel good and that’s makeup for me. “I want my cotton candy to be everyone’s makeup.”

Lavender, Champagne and Rose, flavors that soothe the senses, encapsulate the gorgeous riffs of Ariana Grande’s music that will inspire you to belt in the shower. I had the pleasure of trying the Rose

flavor. Decorated with sprinkles and sparkles, the sophisticated flavor danced in my mouth leaving me with “no tears left to cry.” Each bite delicately landed on my tongue exuding a flavor similar to that of a rose Turkish delight. Other flavors such as Bubblegum, Raspberry Mojito and Blueberry Waffles radiate a fresh flirtiness inviting you to dance to Doja Cat’s latest hit. Blueberry Waffles transported me to my middle school years of sneaking off to 7-Eleven for a blueberry Slurpee; lightly tinted cotton candy transforms into a neon blue raspberry slushie and a clear container morphs into a green, blue and yellow-swirled Big Gulp cup.

When ordering a customized Wonderpuff cotton candy container, customers can also select from flavors that will fly you to a Caribbean beach while you relax on a blue and white lounge chair, sip from a coconut, embrace the sunglasses sliding down your nose and listen to the waves crash against the shore.

Originally from the Caribbean Islands, Morin did not want her heritage to dissipate when she moved to the Triangle, so she made sure to incorporate tropical flavors into the brand of Wonderpuff, such as Grilled Watermelon, Pineapple Coconut and Mango.

Even in ways beyond their unique flavors, Wonderpuff is anything but a typical sugar factory — in Morin’s eyes, it’s a movement.

“Wonderpuff is women’s liberation. Black liberation,” Morin said. “As a Black woman who grew up Muslim, I was told and conditioned — and conditioned myself — [to think] that I am crazy for loving things or wanting to do certain things. But I am not crazy.” Morin said.

She fought her own mental health battles when opening Wonderpuff, doubting her choice to open her own store, that she was dreaming too big. Although Morin was able to fight this perpetual self-doubt and allow her desires to reign supreme, it was not an easy mountain to climb.

When Wonderpuff was founded, Morin was in “a hole of depression and anxiety.” The world outside of Wonderpuff was not exuberantly decorated with sparkles and rainbows but stained with hateful crimes: the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the religious hate crime against three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, and many more tragedies.

“Racism was growing and brewing. I was very triggered, and it took me down a dark path. My husband told me it was time that we start Wonderpuff.” Morin said. “Wonderpuff saved my life and mental health.”

Through Wonderpuff, Morin was able to find her voice again and her love for life that had been slowly dwindling away.

sports

Courtesy of Wonderpuff

Wonderpuff, co-owned by Jackie and Rem Morin, is an all-organic, vegan cotton candy shop based in Durham.

“We all have our role to play,” Morin said.“I am not on the frontline or out there every day with our people.

What is something [I can do] that can amplify Black women, Indigenous women, women in general and humans everywhere? Wonderpuff is definitely that.”

In a world blanketed with bleakness, it’s the little things in life, like a deliciously spun fabric of sugary goodness, that can get us through the day. Wonderpuff enriches a world of dreamers who love to fantasize about the playful goodness in life. We could all use more opportunities to smile right now, and Wonderpuff’s sugary treats can help us get out of the cold weather, finalsseason doldrums.

Currently, the best way to indulge in Wonderpuff ’s offerings is through their website. According to Morin, Wonderpuff’s storefront was originally supposed to open in March, but due to COVID-19, the launch got pushed back.

“It’s as if this year got deleted, but time

continues to move on,” Morin said.

In order to open the storefront, Morin needed the help of her community. The company is currently running a Kickstarter in hopes of opening a storefront location at Boxyard RTP. To get the word out about the Kickstarter, Morin promoted her business through social media as she could not afford to publicize in the more traditional paid advertising outlets.

“I would post two to three times a day for eight days straight,” Morin said.

Clearly, the strategy worked — Wonderpuff’s Kickstarter broke through the cotton candy clouds; with a goal of $20,000, Morin has already received $21,029 to open the Wonderpuff storefront.

Whether it is for a birthday, special occasion or just a cotton candy craving, Wonderpuff’s product will make you feel like there is something to celebrate. So put on your rollerblades and skate on a sugar-filled, neon colored, sparkledusted journey.

recess Invent a cotton candy flavor:

Sarah Derris .......................wasabi

Stephen Atkinson ................cedar

Sydny Long ....................dill pickle

Skyler Graham ............. fresh linen

Kerry Rork .....................root beer

Jonathan Pertile .............. sriracha

Tessa Delgo ........... mac & cheese

Derek Chen ............mystery flavor

on the cover: Wonderpuff owner Jackie Morin poses with containers of cotton candy. courtesy of Wonderpuff

12 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020 10

dukechronicle.com

The Chronicle

playground

Ariana Grande’s latest ‘Positions’ is ambitiously unambitious

By Jonathan Pertile Social Media Editor

Ever since Bob Dylan released “Blonde on Blonde” in 1966, the trope of returning to your roots has permeated the music industry for decades. At this point, we’ve come to expect it from our crossover pop stars (ever heard someone say they want the old Taylor Swift back?). Who we don’t expect it from would be the reigning princess of pop, so when Ariana Grande dropped “Positions,” an R&B-embellished pop album in the vein of her debut record, “Yours Truly” (2013), it shocked the world to the tune of one million likes on Twitter.

To leave behind commercial, radiofriendly music is a bold move. Unfortunately for Grande, “Positions” comes across as ambitiously unambitious. Rather than feeling like a new, original work, “Positions” is a rehash of her past albums, synthesizing the R&B of her debut, the sexuality of “Dangerous Woman,” and the mature outlook of “Sweetener” and “thank u, next.” The result is a competent yet conservative album that at times lacks personality.

The problems with “Positions” are best exemplified on its lead single and title track. Here, Grande eschews her history of transcendental lead singles (“thank u, next,” “no tears left to cry,” “Dangerous Woman”) in favor of an addicting earworm that feels like it could have been sung by anyone. Granted, the album is advertised as a sex record, and we shouldn’t expect Grande to have to always sing about “serious issues” (whatever that means), but she’s done a lot better with less material before. Where’s the provocativeness of “Side to Side,” the quirky ecstasy of “Sweetener” or the sly wit of “bloodline?”

What’s left behind in Grande’s wake is the hollow shell of what could have been. You’d expect a genre shift to take some chances, but there are precious few risks on the album. “off the table,” Grande’s first collaboration with The Weeknd since 2014’s “Love Me Harder,” is the musical equivalent of Jurassic Park 2: the sequel that figured if it just kept the dinosaurs around, it would still be good. Her track “obvious” might make listeners believe love is destiny, except it comes off as a parody of her ever-so naive interlude “pete davidson” from “Sweetener.”

Grande’s songwriting regression is somewhat offset by bits and spurts of overwhelming charm. “shut up,” which opens the album with an orchestral explosion, has Grande moving past the traumatic events that inspired her past two albums, and the follow-up, “34+35,” has an edgy suggestiveness that would make “Dangerous Woman” proud (add the numbers in the title and see for yourself). Most impressively, though, is career highlight “pov,” which finds Grande wishing she could see herself the same way her lover does. It’s the kind of personal songwriting Grande has honed over her past two albums on tracks like fan-favorites “better off ” and “needy,” and her practice has paid off.

Elsewhere, Grande makes up for her subpar lyricism with her four-octave range and a complementing R&B production. “my hair” is easily her most impressive vocal performance to date, complete with a Mariah Carey-esque verse sung entirely in whistle notes. Right on its heels are “nasty” and “west side,” harmonyladen mid-tempos that succeed thanks to Grande’s knack for vocal production (she does the vocal arrangement for nearly every song on “Positions” herself).

However, the deluge of mid-tempo songs

Courtesy of Republic Records Pop princess Ariana Grande dropped her R&B-influenced sixth studio album “Positions” Oct. 30.

do take their toll. Like a raft in the open ocean, listeners drift across the album with nothing to tug their ear except the occasional whistle note. Relief is slow to arrive — it takes the album ten tracks for the charismatic “love language” to teeter onto the stage. Here, Grande takes chances not seen elsewhere in her discography, tacking on a short interlude on the end reminiscent of fellow pop-star Billie Eilish’s switch-ups in “bad guy” and “my future.”

Unfortunately for Grande, “Positions” is unable to overcome the terms of its own game. Why take on such an ambitious genre

sports

shift if you’re not going to meet that level of ambition throughout the album? It almost begs the question of whether “Positions” is shameless money grab — it is Grande’s third album in as many years, after all — although it’s highly unlikely that a multi-millionaire, Grammy-winning artist like Grande would resort to such conspiracy. Instead, she’s probably just doing whatever she wants. And that would make a lot of sense! She’s coming off her career peak of “thank u, next,” and she has more than enough artistic freedom to go back to her roots. If that’s what makes her happy, who can blame her?

campus voices

Searching for a way to fly with Haruichi Furudate’s manga ‘Haikyu!!’

By Jas Santos Staff Writer

My strong desire to succeed used to be a source of inner conflict. As a relentless, starryeyed teen who nursed big dreams, I read the books of countless self-made individuals and noticed a jarring trend: Many of them drifted away from their families and were miserable at the summit of success. While for the most part, the negativity of these accounts made it easy to tune them out, their more enduring message lingered in my mind, that if I were to pursue success, I would be lonely.

I eventually picked up the story that escorted me out of this unease and gave my mind a healthy restart.

In the volleyball court, ambition is the blessing endowed to short players, to make up whatever they lacked in height with strength and jumping prowess. I spotted this almost instantly in the sports manga “Haikyu!!,” with its short yet high-spirited player Hinata, who never wasted a second of practice despite only being a high school freshman. He races his peers to school to train in the gym at 5 a.m. and slips into training camps that he was not even invited to. His fixation for greatness, often found in tired stereotype villains, is brandished into a positive driving force that allows him to go toe-to-toe with taller, more elite players like Shiratorizawa Academy’s Ushiwaka. The moment he unconsciously serves a ball that was set for another spiker, I could not stop laughing in my seat; for the first time, I witnessed a manga shounen protagonist who cares less about being benevolent and more about stretching past the limit of his current abilities.

True to his name, as both the “sunflower facing the sun” and “the man who seeks,” Hinata Shoyo

revived a healthier perspective about my brand of idealism. He taught me that it was possible to be both the carefree, energetic, bright-haired boy beloved by all, and still suck every opportunity like a blackhole. Hinata’s duality served as his team’s most formidable weapon against their opponents on the court, who could not fathom how someone of his nature and stature could play the big game. Watching new opponents fall to Hinata time and time again made me realize that we should not lump career-oriented individuals or sunshine personalities into neat little categories. His character helped me embrace the sides of me that were more enterprising and less altruistic, confident that those traits did not erode a kind and sincere personality.

Veering outside Hinata’s latent abilities is nonetheless where I gained the most takeaways. Hinata’s talent and drive shine best in the honesty that he is far from being self-made. The intensity of the match rises as player #10 retreats to the bench. Hinata’s superpower smash provokes enemies because his setter Kageyama precisely set it up to be that way. To me, this speaks to the truth that our freshman player rides behind the back of the collective power of the Karasuno team.

My rapid period of self-growth as an artist was catalyzed by my awkward conversations with the most aloof and intimidating art kids in our batch, asking them to join a community mural team competition that some never even knew existed. The first year we participated, we didn’t finish on time and couldn’t get some of our heavier designs to stand. Those setbacks served as set-ups for future attempts. After years of shooing away roaches and huddling in a cramped room to form our gameplan, I feel rejuvenated now at the sight of meters-long empty canvases that I once found daunting. Across our four

Courtesy of Shueisha “Haikyu!!” is a popular Japanese sports manga series written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate.

years of designing murals, I left tournament sites with teammates with matching smudges on our arms, their materials jumbled in my bag in haste. They would stay with me, as would the skills we learned from each other that day.

While “Haikyu!!” masterfully captured the journey of a family growing closer together, I was drawn to people who shared the same ideals and drive — I view this as no accident. Stepping into my inner Icarus, I was not estranging myself, but was leveling up together with people who inspired more faith than fear in reaching for opportunities. Ambition will not push away equally ambitious people. On the contrary, I learned that it lays the foundation for new relationships.

In the words of Hinata, “If I’m not alone, then I might be able to see [the view from the top].” Hanging around a handful of individuals who were just as high-strung as I was, was vital

in channeling my mindset of goal-reaching into more compelling periods of growth. They welcomed heart, sentimentality and positive transformation in traditional workspaces that are overlooked by external, surface-level observations of an individual’s grinding work ethic. Their company gave me a reason to cry over something as commonplace and seemingly mundane as highschool tournaments.

My limited time with these strangers, now seasoned competitors and allies solidified helps me piece together parts of myself outside the stereotype of an isolated achiever as I bloomed into adulthood. They propel my desire to succeed, if only to experience the emotional highs once more. In a surprising turn of events, a few of them stuck around for longer and I had the fortune of welcoming them as lifelong friends.

The Chronicle

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MONDAY, MONDAY, NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 9, 9, 2020 2020 || 13 11

sportswrap

the chronicle

november 9, 2020

PATHETIC FOOTBALL: BLOWN OUT BY UNC FIELD HOCKEY: FALLS IN ACC TOURNAMENT

COURTESY OF THE ACC

sports

14 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020

opinion dukechronicle.com

The Chronicle

No serious college relationship™?

No problem!

L

descriptive. Let me start again: you may or challenges we experience, in hopes that at may not be twenty, and you may or may not least one of you knows that someone else be a Black girl, but you’re a Duke student out here gets it. who is single and not necessarily by choice.

We’ve all seen the not-so-subliminal

longer at the ice cream parlor would be undignified, but your mom would question why you returned so soon from “watching a movie with your best friend.” Hurt doesn’t

Well, as your fellow comrade, nay, messages that we should have started dating connoisseur, in all things single, here, I by now. The marketing of a sustained, two want to give a bit of space to some of the partner relationship as the ideal is chronic, from our friendships with a member of our preferred gender being met with hot take of the week that knowing look of the passerby, all but shouting “You can’t JUST be friends!

“I’m just figuring out colors, talking to myself.”

Right? RIGHT?” to the iconography of a highschool—and even more terrifying—a —Matthew Griffin, Editor-in-Chief, on November 8, 2020 college sweetheart, which rivals the high school couple trope epically in the media we consume.

The messaging makes it seem like relationships grow on trees, like it’s something that simply falls into your lap in a serendipitous storm, rather than what it truly is: the complex product of many dialoguing factors of identity, condition, Direct submissions to: and context.

The Chronicle welcomes submissions in the form of letters to the editor I have to admit, I had it all planned E-mail: or guest columns. Submissions must include the author’s name, signature, out. I was going to date around, perhaps chronicleletters@duke.edu department or class, and for purposes of identification, phone number and local hop from flirtationship to flirtationship address. Letters should not exceed 325 words; contact the editorial department Editorial Page Department freshman and sophomore year, until I for information regarding guest columns.

The Chronicle undoubtedly found my Serious College The Chronicle will not publish anonymous or form letters or letters that are Box 90858, Boyfriend™ junior year. promotional in nature. The Chronicle reserves the right to edit letters and guest Durham, NC 27708 And aside from Covid-19 happening, columns for length, clarity and style and the right to withhold letters based on Phone: (919) 684-2663 which has found me sitting in my sparsely the discretion of the editorial page editor.

Fax: (919) 684-4696 decorated childhood bedroom day in and day out rather than living the “good ole college experience,” I am beginning to suspect that I wouldn’t have had a Serious College Boyfriend™ anyway.

Est. 1905 For all the objectivity with which we can examine why the relationships portrayed in MATTHEW GRIFFIN, Editor media are often never found beyond the realm EVAN KOLIN, Sports Editor of fiction, or truthfully remind ourselves MARIA MORRISON, Managing Editor that a sustained, monogamous relationship CARTER FORINASH, News Editor is not the only avenue to happiness: if this MONA TONG, Assistant News Editor kind of relationship is what you want but ROSE WONG, Senior Editor have been unable to achieve, you may feel JAKE SATISKY, Digital Strategy Director unattractive, undesired and like something SIMRAN PRAKASH, Photography Editor is wrong with you, among a laundry list of MIHIR BELLAMKONDA, Opinion Editor other untrue, self-deprecating things.

SARAH DERRIS, Recess Editor First and foremost, there is nothing CHRISSY BECK, General Manager wrong with you. Despite the centrality of conventionally attractive bodies REBECCA SCHNEID, Sports Photography Editor SHANE SMITH, Sports Managing Editor that approximate whiteness in public JACKSON MURAIKA, Assistant Sports Photography Editor MASON BERGER, Video Editor imaginations of desirability, relationship AARON ZHAO, Features Photography Editor MARY HELEN WOOD, Audio Editor BELLA BANN, Photography Social Media Editor status is not a linear function of beauty in NADIA BEY, University News Editor MARGOT ARMBRUSTER, Opinion Managing Editor LEAH BOYD, University News Editor this most reductive sense. So, why are we NICHOLAS CHRAPLIWY, Opinion Managing Editor PRIYA PARKASH, University News Editor still single?

VICTORIA PRIESTER, Opinion Managing Editor PREETHA RAMACHANDRAN, University News Editor As is the case with many things, the SYDNY LONG, Recess Managing Editor WILLIAM HE, Local and National News Editor beginnings of this answer lie within.

BEN WALLACE, Community Editorial Board Chair ANNA ZOLOTOR, Local and National News Editor Have you ever been hurt by someone RYAN WILLIAMS, Community Editorial Board Chair ASHWIN KULSHRESTHA, Health and Science News Editor you perceived to be a potential romantic SHANNON FANG, Equity and Outreach Coordinator MICHAEL LEE, Health and Science News Editor partner? Maybe this hurt took the form of a NADIA BEY, Recruitment Chair STEFANIE POUSOULIDES, Investigations Editor years-held crush that went unreciprocated.

JAKE SATISKY, Recruitment Chair JAKE SHERIDAN, Features Editor Maybe you were deliberately led on.

TREY FOWLER, Advertising Director CHRIS KUO, Features Managing Editor Perhaps someone dropped off the face of JULIE MOORE, Creative Director JOHN MARKIS, Senior News Reporter planet Earth in the tried, true, ever-morally The Chronicle is published by the Duke Student Publishing Company, Inc., a non-profit corporation independent of Duke University. The opinions ambiguous implementation of “ghosting.” expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of Duke University, its students, faculty, staff, administration or trustees. Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board. Columns, letters and cartoons represent the views of the authors.

Potentially, you were stood up by a To reach the Editorial Office at 301 Flowers Building, call 684-2663 or fax 684-4696. To reach the Business Office at 1517 Hull Avenue call 684-3811. To guy at your favorite ice cream parlor and reach the Advertising Office at 2022 Campus Drive call 684-3811.

One copy per person; additional copies may be purchased for .25 at The Chronicle Business office at the address above. subsequently had to sit in a Target parking @ 2020 Duke Student Publishing Company lot for an hour with two heaping scoops of salted caramel because waiting any

adhere to the language of “if ”, only “when.”

So, what do we do with it all? Well, we do what we, as humans, were designed to do: use these experiences to inform how we see and navigate our world. If hurt, in this context, has been the rule rather the exception, you may have subconsciously (or consciously) closed yourself off to new experiences as a protective mechanism.

You may even seek out people who are uninterested, emotionally unavailable or malicious, because that is what is most familiar, and familiarity is comforting.

I know that it can feel maddening to want a healthy, monogamous relationship, but to be rendered further and further from that goal by your need to protect yourself.

Regardless, be gentle.

Your body is taking care of itself in the best way it knows how, and even if slightly misdirected, the value of this act of care is in no way diminished.

This relationship riddle doesn’t solely lie within, though. Just as we examine the self, so too must we examine our environment, starting with our institution.

We’re Duke students, and the culture in which we exist is not one that leans heavily into the traditional structure of two, monogamous partners over a sustained period of time. Rather, we lean heavily into hook-up culture, which involves less time investment—often perfectly suited to those stretched so thin by their work, that this quick, easy, gratifying pleasure is more attractive than the emotional labor requisite to a relationship.

So, even if you have reached a sense of wellbeing and security that has imbued you with the desire for a relationship, by and large, many of our peers don’t want the same.

Barring context, low self esteem, a general distrust of good things happening to you, or the classic it’s-unfamiliar-andI-don’t-like-it routine could be one of many reasons why you’re still single. And, unfortunately, a bit of work is needed; you must identify which reason is personally applicable and recruit the necessary support from others and yourself to heal.

In the meantime, though, take it from me: to be single is not a personal failing, and your single life is not a prequel to a “real” life of some sort. In this moment, relationship or not, there’s a whole lot of life to be had, and you’ll carry much less regret in the future if you seize it now.

et me set the scene: you’re a twenty year old Black girl who goes to Duke. And wait, there’s more: you have never seriously dated anyone, but

PASH LET’S TALK ABOUT ‘IT’ you’ve wanted to, and have sometimes even actively tried.

Hold on, that was a bit too self-

“

LETTERS POLICY

The Chronicle

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PASH is a student-run organization providing resources for sexual health and relationship-building. Their column, “Let’s talk about ‘it,’” runs on alternate Mondays. This column was written by Carly Jones, a Trinity junior and Vice President of PASH.

The Chronicle

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020 | 15

White liberals: Don’t put your feet up

I

Not long before this weekend’s celebration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s victory, many of us repeated some form of “I just need to make it past the election” or “I can’t wait for the year

and one in sixteen Black Americans were disenfranchised as felons.

Since we started taking governmentmandated standardized tests in elementary school, we’ve been trained in both Scantrons

Community Editorial Board COLUMN to be over.” After four years of a president that exploited the existing racism, sexism, xenophobia and other violent structures that this country operates under, we are justified in celebrating his removal. Black and Indigenous organizers in the South who made this win possible, undocumented individuals under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and all other Americans to whom this oust has an immediate material impact especially deserve a moment of communal relief. But acting like “these uncertain times” will be solved by a Democratic administration is harmful, just like blaming the year 2020 for the natural consequences of colonialism, institutional racism, capitalism and fascism.

We cannot divorce this moment from the lineages of struggle to dismantle structures of oppression or delude ourselves into thinking the work is over.

From early abolition movements to women’s suffrage and anti-war protests, our country’s progress has long relied on the efforts of those excluded from the polling booths. Spending all our time and energy solely on electoral politics distracts from ongoing movements to uproot the very infrastructures that lead to voter suppression. This year, Black voters’ mailin ballots were rejected four times more than white voters in North Carolina,

T

he United States is the divided states. The tight presidential election confirmed this if we didn’t already know. Some are blue. Others are red. And often, political differences lead to political divisions and those divisions sow seeds of hatred across the chasm,

and the myth of American democratic exceptionalism. Filling in a bubble affords just the right amount of governmental agency to stave off more sustained, autonomous efforts that present a threat to the neoliberal, capitalist order. Each election, we are retrained to choose from these limited options and then blindly celebrate if the bubble we filled in wins. What we do once we’ve voted matters much more. This includes acting against racial capitalism and neocolonialism, and personally committing to a lifelong process of unlearning the structures of whiteness, power and capital we are taught to take for granted.

White people must leverage their whiteness to support—not take over—BIPOC-led movements. We have to remember the Duke alums armed with white supremacist beliefs and upholding white supremacist power structures, who went on to incite substantial harm in positions of power. As current Duke students, we have an obligation to use our power in the name of justice and racial healing, not in further perpetuating harm, which is the default of our existence unless we actively work against it.

We need to get involved and stay involved, which rests heavily on recognizing our unique position of power as Duke students and being intentional in the ways we support efforts led

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If you have access to wealth, plug into the work of Resource Generation to learn how you can use your class privilege to advance the equitable distribution of wealth, land, and power.

As settlers on colonized land, we can join in solidarity with Indigenous people and the fight for land reparations. Learn about and donate to support the work of Southerners on New Ground, #FreeBlackMamas National Bail Out and Survived and Punished. These action items are by no means exhaustive, but they are good places to start. Much of the work is as simple as listening to individuals in your community and supporting their needs, including keeping cash on you to help people experiencing homelessness when you can and supporting mutual aid efforts.

Voting for more palatable politicians like Biden can be like taking an opiate that breeds inaction and complacency. But it doesn’t have to. Unlike some of our colleagues, we don’t think the answer this year was to vote for Trump or, on the liberal end of the spectrum, exceptionalize him. We must refuse the sedation and mobilize with more energy to subvert the infrastructures that suppress revolution out of us every year. We have to take direct action against the institutional forces that limit the control we presume to have as voting members of our so-called democracy.

Even after Donald Trump leaves office next year, people will continue to organize on the ground as they have been for centuries. It is our duty to join them.

Community Editorial Board Member Ezra Loeb (T’22) abstained from voting on this editorial.

The Community Editorial Board is independent from the editorial staff of the Chronicle. Their column usually runs on alternate Mondays.

A vote for love Let me be clear. Love is a noun, agape, but it is also a verb. It isn’t a feeling. It is an ethic. It is action. As philosopher Cornel West has said, “Justice is what love looks like in public.” That means love is active and more than saying, ‘I love you.’

Love “does no wrong to a neighbor.” It’s not

Luke A. Powery DEAN OF THE DUKE CHAPEL creating enemies. Does it have to be that way? So bitter, so hateful?

I believe there’s another way, though it’s not easy nor cheap. But it is the one thing we owe each other as human beings. And yes, we have a lot of debt. I’m not talking about our national debt which is in the trillions. Nor am I speaking about credit card debt due to high spending and high interest rates that you just can’t seem to pay it off. Nor am I speaking of college loans.

I’m talking about another kind of debt that we owe.

We owe each other love. This is not a new idea. Writing two thousand years ago the Apostle Paul tells the church in Rome, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.” This is not a sentimental feeling.

I’m not referring to erotic love (eros) or friendship love (philia) but God’s love (agape), unconditional, unmerited, and to some, rationally incomprehensible love.

Gospel artist, Kirk Franklin says it this way when he sings, “Love, a word that comes and goes but few people really know what it means to really love somebody.”

by BIPOC, striving to take up less space, listen and support. This requires building trust over time and dedicating oneself to forging the intimate relationships necessary to establish networks of accountability.

As Duke students, we have access to countless resources to spur education and action. We have many opportunities to take advantage of classes on race, gender and cultural studies. You can follow Black, Latinx and Indigenous activists on Twitter and check it as part of your routine (including, but definitely not limited to: @blkwomenradical, @the_red_nation, @ClaudiaJonesEdu, @ studyabolition, @BlackSocialists). If you haven’t already, sign to support the demands of the Black Coalition Against Policing presented to Duke administration and encourage your professors and other faculty to do so as well. Take the time to sit down and read, watch, or listen to the many resources that have been made widely available by BIPOC. Listen to the Groundings podcast, Millennials are Killing Capitalism, and the “Seeing White” series produced by Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies professor John Biewen.

This learning should not be constrained to academic spheres or be overly intellectualized.

Critical study must be coupled with deep internal reflection on the ways we fuel these systems in our daily lives. We should reflect on the communities we support, where we spend our money, what we watch and read in order to help build accountability to social justice movements in our daily lives. With an understanding of the ways our identity may glean privileges at the expense of others, we must couple intellectual engagement with direct action in solidarity with those we otherwise inherently exploit even if we do not explicitly choose to.

an idea only to discuss, but something to embody, to live, to enact in community.

This ethic of love (agape), includes loving your enemies, even those you consider political enemies. This is tough.

But again, ancient wisdom, this time from a sermon of Jesus, says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

This difficult calling has been echoed closer to our time by the theologian Howard Thurman, a spiritual mentor for many of the civil rights leaders. Thurman wrote in the early twentieth century during a time of seething racism and segregation between whites and Blacks, the privileged and the underprivileged. He saw and experienced the great chasm between human beings as one on the underside of society. Even in this context, he wrote in his book, Jesus and the Disinherited: “The religion of Jesus says to the disinherited: ‘Love your enemy.

Take the initiative in seeking ways by which you can have the experience of a common sharing of mutual worth and value. It may be hazardous. But you must do it.’”

In articulating this command to love,

Thurman emphasized the importance of the “reverence of personality” in which every person, even the oppressor, even an enemy, is viewed as a human being created in the image of God. Of course, this isn’t

against each other but why can’t we be for each other even across our differences?

Differences don’t have to create divisions and make humans into demons.

We’ve cast our votes already for a

“We owe each other love. This is not a new idea. Writing two thousand years ago the Apostle Paul tells the church in Rome, ‘Owe no one anything, except to love one another.’”

easy but he knows that “hatred is death to the spirit and disintegration of ethical and moral values.”

When we lose sight of the personality of others and act as if we own everything and owe nothing, we turn from love to hate and violence. Any type of violence—albeit physical, verbal, emotional, psychological— is proof of the moral and spiritual hole in the heart of humanity. Violence is a denial of otherness and vicious opposition to the love of God. Bitterness and hate not only does damage to the hated but to the hater. It divides but love binds. It is what we owe each other now and every day, rooted in the fact that we are all human beings of value and worth. We can make lots of noise

presidential candidate but I hope postelection, you will still cast your vote for and charge your life with love. Love your neighbor as yourself. Love is for the other.

It isn’t defined according to what it is against. It is defined by what it is for and it is for you, me, all of humanity. To play off the words of Thurman, love is a crown placed over our heads which for the rest of our lives we should keep trying to grow tall enough to wear. It is the power we need in the days ahead.

Love one another. We owe it to each other.

Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery is the Dean of Duke University Chapel. His column runs on alternate Mondays.

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16 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020

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