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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 DUKECHRONICLE.COM

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 30

FARAD ALI

Total amount raised

$92,197

Number of Duke employees who donated in September

$800 Individuals affiliated with the Duke community have invested over $2,800 into Durham’s mayoral election in September alone. The Chronicle examined the political committee disclosure reports on the county board of elections website to understand how the candidates’ fundraising has been influenced by Dukeaffiliated employees. Such employees include donors listed on the disclosure as working on the University’s faculty, staff or medical center. In September, Farad Ali, a business consultant and former member of the Durham City Council, received three donations from

UNIVERSITY

STEVE SCHEWEL

By Claire Ballentine Towerview Editor

Amount of donations from Duke employees in September

$1,950

SHOW ME THE MONEY A breakdown of where Duke employees’ money went in the Durham mayoral race

individuals who listed their occupation as employees of Duke. Steve Schewel, Trinity ’73 and a current member of the city council, received nine. Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, donated $250 to Ali’s campaign in September. He noted that members of the University community are welcomed to get involved in the local race—on their own accord rather than as part of the entity of Duke. “I view my contributions as an individual,” Schoenfeld said.

By Sarah Kerman

See MONEY on Page 3

Senior News Reporter

Bre Bradham | Associate Photography Editor Farad Ali, former member of the Durham City Council, receive three donations in September from donors who reported Duke as their employer.

Bre Bradham | Associate Photography Editor Steve Schewel, Trinity ’73 and a current member of the city council, received nine donations in September from donors who reported Duke as their employer.

Lab reports or Labradors? A new canine center coming to campus study cognition and allow students to de-stress.

Spring Breakthrough increases to 12 courses in second year Interested in playing with puppies to learn about cognitive neuroscience? Building a bike from scratch? Talking about sex with a top Duke administrator? Spring Breakthrough might be the place for you. The program, now in its second year, offers an alternative option to partying over Spring Break and encourages students to explore their intellectual interests by offering short, seminar-style courses in a risk-free setting. Classes are offered for no credit, no grade and no cost, although they will appear on students’ transcripts. The program will run for five days during Spring Break in 2018 from March 11 to March 15. “The appeal is just to genuinely get a greater understanding in a subject matter with no risk whatsoever,” said Carolyn Mackman, special projects manager in the Office of the Provost, who is helping organize the program. “There’s absolutely no consequences other than learning.”

There is a trigger warning in my course description. If people are a little squeamish, they should know we will be talking about sex. STEVE NOWICKI

DEAN AND VICE PROVOST FOR UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

The idea for the program came from Provost Sally Kornbluth, who took a three-week, ungraded class outside of her major while attending Williams College that she said changed the course of her career. The program will be funded through the Office of the Provost. Spring Breakthrough is available for first-years and sophomores, and the courses generally run from the morning through the early evening, with possible field trips. Students stay in their residence halls, with all meals and materials provided. Registration will open Nov. 16. Courses offered this year include “Chopped! The Historical Edition,” which uses the Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library’s collection of cookbooks to explore the culture and politics of food, and “Presidential March Madness,” which evaluates the successes and failures of each presidency using NCAA brackets. In “Build a Bike,” students will work with the owner of Durham Cycles to construct bike in time to be ridden during the Spring Breakthrough closing ceremony. “Faculty members have a passion for teaching their course,” Mackman said. “They’re as excited to try something new and make a breakthrough as the students attending their courses.” There are currently 12 classes offered—an increase from the seven last year—that will have between eight and See SPRING on Page 3

Athletics and academics will

bring

puppies

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A former Duke football player was top school principal in the United States.

@dukechronicle @dukebasketball |

recently

selected

the

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2 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017

HEALTH AND SCIENCE

New collaboration brings puppies to Duke for stress relief By Ben Leonard Staff Reporter

To say the least, Duke students easily get stressed. But the Duke Canine Cognition Center thinks it has a solution—puppies. Beginning next semester, the Canine Cognition Center is teaming up with Canine Companions for Independence—a service-dog training group—to bring puppies to campus. At first, the puppies will be available upon request for groups, but eventually, the center will open walk-in visiting hours for students to play with the Labrador and Labrador-golden retriever mix puppies. “We want to spread joy,” said Brian Hare, co-director and founder of the Canine Cognition Center. “A lot of people on campus might enjoy interacting with these puppies as a break from whatever they’re working on.” The puppies will be living at the Biological Sciences building on campus, with student volunteers and staff taking care of them and playing with them during the day. But they won’t just be there for stress relief—they’re part of ongoing See PUPPIES on Page 8

Special to The Chronicle The Canine Companions for Independence puppies will be trained to become service dogs down the road.

Former Duke linebacker wins national ‘Best Principal of the Year’ award By Claire Ballentine Towerview Editor

Akil Ross came to Duke in 1998 with dreams of playing in the National Football League. Although he never made it pro, he recently rose to the top ranking in his current career field when he was named National Principal of the Year. Ross, Trinity ‘02, received the honor last month from the National Association of Secondary School Principals for his leadership of Chapin High School in Chapin, S.C. He learned of this news at an assembly held by his school, which involved a celebration with his family, other principals from the district and even the governor. “It was really, really amazing,” he said. “To think of the elaborate programming that they set up was just overwhelming. Everybody knew except for me.” Since Ross became principal of Chapin in 2010, the school’s graduation rate has risen from 82 to 96 percent. Under his leadership, Chapin has received numerous awards such as being named one of Palmetto’s Finest Schools—an annual selection of the best schools in South Carolina— in 2015, Athletic Program of the Year by The State Media Company and Most Outstanding Student Section in the nation from Varsity Brands. He noted that Chapin’s success comes from how the town and school are linked together, fostering top-tier student organizations such as band, dance and sports teams. Since he became principal, the school has not gone a year without a state championship in arts or athletics. Friday night football games are especially important to them. “It’s an opportunity where the community comes together, and we tell our story,” he said. Part of that is surely due to Ross’ influence, as he’s created the kind of environment that promotes student growth on both a personal and academic level. At Chapin, he began having school assemblies in which students gather on the floor of the arena and hug each other, joining arm in arm and singing the alma mater. Then, they make the sound of one heartbeat by clapping in sync, which Ross said sounds like a building coming alive. “They all come together as one, and it just reaffirms that we have an environment where excellence is sustained,” Ross said. In addition, Ross believes the school’s increased graduation rate is a byproduct of an evening acceleration program in which students receive individual tutoring on subjects they need additional help with. Although he acknowledged the importance of

Project Share

Special to The Chronicle Akil Ross, Trinity ‘02, was a linebacker at Duke. Now, he is the award-winning principal of a South Carolina high school.

graduation rates, he said he’s much more concerned with how well students are prepared for life after high school. He’s very proud of the fact that 90 percent of students who graduated last year went on to a two- or four-year college. “I believe that we are here to educate kids in mind, body and spirit,” he said. “It’s about making sure that we’ve created a well-rounded child who can solve problems and be leaders of change.” Ross noted that the process for achieving the ranking of National Principal of the Year was a long one. At the recommendation of his superintendent, his name was submitted to the South Carolina Association of School Principals, which selected him as state principal of the year out of 84 school districts. He then went through rounds of online questions from the national organization, and they chose three national finalists. These individuals were interviewed locally by staff, students, teachers and community members before giving a presentation in front of nine judges from the NASSP in Washington. Afterwards, the finalists were sent home and told there would be a surprise announcement at the winner’s school. See PRINCIPAL on Page 8

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MONEY

Ali in terms of Duke affiliated donations in September—his nine Duke-affiliated donations garnered $1,950. FROM PAGE 1 Although not receiving the same extent of financial support from the Duke community, Ali’s fundraising has “Individuals have the right, and I absolutely encourage people to exceeded Schewel’s. At the time of publication, Ali had get involved. Farad is an old friend of mine and a good friend of raised $158,095 compared to $92,197 of fundraising by the mine, and I wanted to make a contribution to his race.” Schewel campaign. Other Duke community members who donated in this election cycle highlighted the importance of the mayoral I view my contributions as election. Ruth Grant, professor of political science, explained an individual. that she supports Schewel because he has worked in Durham for over 40 years. She also cited his accomplishments in areas she cares about including police reform, education MICHAEL SCHOENFELD VICE PRESIDENT FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS and job creation. AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS “It’s pretty straightforward—I support his agenda and I think he can get things done,” she wrote in an email. The three donations Ali received in the period from late Whether this level of fundraising—particularly among August to late September from individuals listed as Duke Duke community members—is unprecedented for a recent employees totaled $850. mayoral election is uncertain. In current mayor Bill Bell’s Schewel, whose history within the Duke community disclosures at this point in his 2013 campaign, for example, includes being both a Duke student and professor, has outpaced it is difficult to find any mentions of Duke affiliations

SPRING FROM PAGE 1 15 students each. Steve Nowicki, dean and vice provost for undergraduate education, is teaching a course called “The Birds and the Bees” that aims to examine sex from the perspective of the natural sciences. Nowicki noted that most people think only about the ways mammals have sex but that there are many variations among different organisms. “There is a trigger warning in my course description,” Nowicki said. “If people are a little squeamish, they should know we will be talking about sex.” Although he hasn’t fully developed the curriculum yet, he said that a field trip to Raleigh’s natural history museum is likely and that they may venture into nature

depending on the weather. One of the most popular courses will surely be “Puppies!” taught by Brian Hare, associate professor in evolutionary anthropology and founder of the Duke Canine Cognition Center. Students will visit puppies in shelters and other baby animals in zoos to explore concepts in cognitive neuroscience, evolution and behavioral economics. Hare explained that how we think about puppies has an impact on how we think about ourselves. This can help answer questions about why certain people have certain talents and why we find some things more attractive than others. “How should we rear a puppy or child to maximize their potential in their lives?” he said. “What kind of experiences can I give this puppy to be the best it can be?” He noted that students will also explore why we love puppies so much, which is

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | 3

among the contributors. Additionally, it is difficult to determine whether Schewel and Ali have received additional support from the Duke community other than the listed donors. Donations totaling less than $100 are aggregated and not reported individually, so it is possible both candidates received additional support from members of the Duke community in smaller amounts. The search also only captured current employees, not alumni and retirees of the University. In terms of calculating potential results, Schewel has previously stated that Durham is an “endorsement town”—endorsements matter more than money. Thus far, Schewel has received endorsements from the People’s Alliance, Indy Week, Sierra Club, Equality North Carolina, City Workers’ Union, Muslim American Political Affairs Council and AFL-CIO. Ali has received endorsements from Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, Friends of Durham, North Carolina Sheriff Police Alliance, Revelution Blog and current mayor Bill Bell. Early voting continues until Saturday, with election day taking place on Nov. 7.

relevant to thinking about how humans interact with each other. This is Hare’s second year teaching the course, and he said he enjoys meeting new students and tackling fun topics—without the added work of grading assignments. “If you enjoy learning and thinking about difficult problems but in a fun, open environment, it’s basically like going to camp, it’s super fun,” he said. Deb Johnson, assistant vice provost of undergraduate education, who is also coordinating the program, explained that Spring Breakthrough gives students a stressfree way to explore a discipline they may not have previously considered. It also serves to connect students and faculty, providing instructors with the chance to get to know undergraduates in different fields. “All of these classes have wonderful amazing faculty that want to hang out with

students,” Johnson said. “They said the students [last year] were just so engaged, so energetic, so open minded.” The program is particularly appealing to first-years and sophomores because they haven’t yet chosen a major and are still exploring ideas, she noted. Johnson explained that some challenges of Spring Breakthrough include making sure enough faculty are interested in creating courses for the program. In addition, holding it during Spring Break means that some students with previously planned trips cannot attend. Despite these issues, the coordinators said they are optimistic that the program will expand in the coming years and include more faculty members. “Here at Duke, we are extremely interested in connecting students and faculty because that makes the overall experience better for students,” Johnson said.

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

‘WORK IN PROGRESS’

The Blue Devils will get one more chance to build team chemistry in final preseason exhibition By Michael Model Assistant Blue Zone Editor

Aaditya Jain | Contributing Photographer

Marvin Bagley III will be a virtually impossible matchup for a Bowie State team with no player taller than 6-foot-8.

With a week left until the start of the regular season, Duke will have one more tuneup before the games begin to count. Following an easy victory in their first exhibition contest last weekend, the Blue Devils will conclude their preseason slate against reigning CIAA champion Bowie State Saturday at 1 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devil freshmen Bowie State finally got to face vs. real competition after months of practice Duke last weekend against Northwest Missouri SATURDAY, 1 p.m. Cameron Indoor Stadium State. Although Duke showed its potential with massive size and athleticism, it was clear that the Blue Devils have a way to go to reach their ceiling. “We’re a work in progress,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said after the game. “A good work in progress.... The more they can see, the better, and they like it, and then See M. BASKETBALL on Page 5

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Duke looks to bring trophy home from Charleston By Meredith Cash Staff Reporter

Duke has been chasing perfection since its season began in August, accruing a recordbreaking 18-game winning streak, a flawless 10-0-0 ACC slate and a regular-season ACC championship along the way. Needless to say, 2017 has been kind to the Blue Devils. But from this point forward, merely chasing perfection will not suffice. Duke will need to achieve perfection, period. The Blue Devils will travel to Charleston, S.C., for the conclusion of the ACC tournament at MUSC Health Stadium this weekend. After beating Boston College at home in last week’s quarterfinals, Duke No. 4 Virginia will face fourth-seeded Virginia Friday at 5:30 vs. p.m in the semifinals. No. 1 Should they come Duke out on top in their FRIDAY, 5:30 p.m. second meeting with MUSC Health Stadium the Cavaliers in eight Charleston, S.C. days, the Blue Devils will move on to face the winner of No. 3 seed N.C. State and No. 2 seed North Carolina in the finals Sunday at 1 p.m. “A great quality about this team is that we’re not satisfied,” senior captain Imani Dorsey said. “We know that even though

we have 18 wins now, the next one isn’t a given. We have to work for it, and every single game we step on the field, we have to earn it.” Duke (18-1-0) brought this tenacity to the field Oct. 26 in its 1-0 nail-biter against Virginia to wrap up the regular season. Both sides had numerous promising opportunities in front of the goal throughout the game, but they remained scoreless as time ticked down. The Blue Devils finally broke through with just 3:41 left on the clock. Junior striker Kayla McCoy—who leads Duke with 28 points on the season—sent a hard pass into the six-yard box, where classmate Kat McDonald fell to her knees to hammer the ball into the back of the net. But given how close that last meeting was, the Blue Devils will be taking no chances in overlooking the Cavaliers. “There’s no looking ahead when you’re playing Virginia,” head coach Robbie Church said. “If you’re playing somebody else, maybe so, but if it’s Virginia, you just look at Virginia and worry about everything else later.” Duke swept most of the end-of-year ACC honors announced Thursday, nabbing the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and the first-

Sanjeev Dasgupta | Sports Photography Editor

Kat McDonald scored the game-winning goal in Duke’s regular-season matchup with Virginia and will slide into a starting role with Rebecca Quinn away from the team. team All-ACC goalkeeper. But one of those award-winners will not take the field this weekend. Redshirt senior Rebecca Quinn will not be with Duke for the rest of the ACC tournament or the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Toronto native—who helped lead Canada to a Bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro—will

be joining the Canadian National Team for its two exhibition matches against the U.S. National Team Nov. 9 and Nov. 12. McDonald will start in the midfield in her place Friday. The Blue Devils will certainly feel Quinn’s loss, as the ACC Midfielder of the Year’s See W. SOCCER on Page 5

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | 5

M. BASKETBALL

their shooting ability to create space down low—both big men converted from beyond the arc Friday. If they can hit jumpers with any consistency, defenders will be forced to come out of the paint, creating space for them to drive or set up in the post. Look for the Blue Devils to utilize their size in the paint Saturday, as the Bulldogs’ two tallest players are just 6-foot-8. This lack of size caused Bowie State difficulty last season, when it was outrebounded by more than five boards per contest. Instead, the Bulldogs will look to attack from the perimeter behind senior guards Ahmaad Wilson and Dayshawn Wells. Wilson carried Bowie State to the CIAA championship last season, earning the tournament MVP award after a 20-point performance in the clinching game. Both men took more than half of their shot attempts from beyond the arc, with Wilson and Wells making 39.6 and 34.5 percent of the time respectively. Duke is hoping to limit those attempts and improve on its perimeter defense from last week. Northwest Missouri State jacked up 33 attempts from downtown and converted at a 36.4 percent clip. Although a lot of these attempts were caused by the Blue Devils’ fearsome interior presence, some were wide open due to defensive lapses. “We expected to be playing as one group,” Bagley said. “That’s something coach always preaches to us, taking our individual talents and putting it into one team and taking what everyone else does individually and just making it work for the team. I think we still have a long way to go, but we’re definitely going in the right direction.”

FROM PAGE 4

they respond. They have a lot of learning to do, but they want to learn.” With eight freshmen—and four in the starting lineup—Duke will need time to find its chemistry and rhythm. The Blue Devils showed their inexperience Friday against Northwest Missouri State, when they coughed the ball up 15 times. But Duke also displayed unselfishness and a willingness to work for the best possible shot, racking up 18 assists on 40 made field goals. Another advantage the Blue Devils will continue to utilize is their size on the court. Duke has four players taller than 6-foot-9 in its rotation with sophomores Marques Bolden and Javin DeLaurier alongside freshmen starters Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. The Blue Devils haven’t had a strong interior presence offensively since Jahlil Okafor during the 2014-15 season, and with two top-10 recruits manning the middle, Duke is hoping it can be dominant inside the paint. Bagley—the nation’s top recruit— has been heralded as one of the best big men to grace the college game since Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Davis. The Phoenix native will likely see his share of double teams, and his ability to find the open man and kick the ball out of the post will be a key offensively. “We’re just coming along and we’re going to be all right,” Bagley said. “Everybody is happy for each other, scoring the ball. Everybody is getting involved, Theball Newand York Timesfun. Syndication sharing the having We comeSales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 out and play as one.” Sameer Pandhare and Andrew Donohue For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 Carter andFor Bagley will also try to use contributed November3,2,2017 2017 reporting. ForRelease ReleaseThursday, Friday, November

Charles York | Staff Photographer

Senior Imani Dorsey earned ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors after scoring 10 times in the regular season.

W. SOCCER FROM PAGE 4 veteran presence has anchored Duke all season. But Church expressed his confidence in McDonald’s ability to step into the starting role under the brightest lights his team has faced this season. “[McDonald] has been more than capable of doing that,” Church said. “There are no excuses—we play with whoever we have on the field. But as a coaching staff, we consider Kat a starter anyway. She’s been a very, very valuable player.” If the Blue Devils can earn their 19th consecutive win in what promises to be a tough grudge match against Virginia (11-4-4), they will move on to face one of their in-state rivals. The Wolfpack finished the regular season riding a five-game winning streak and dealt sixthseeded Notre Dame a decisive 4-1 loss in the

opening round of the ACC tournament. The Tar Heels, on the other hand, finished their regular season with backto-back draws against Louisville and the Fighting Irish, yielding the ACC regularseason crown to Duke and dropping them to the second seed for the conference tournament. The Blue Devils’ Tobacco Road rivals are the only team that has beat them all year in an overtime thriller to open the season, and Duke would welcome an opportunity for redemption on a much bigger stage. “It would be very sweet to win the ACC championship after losing to [the Tar Heels] in our first game, but they’re just another team in the way of our goal of getting an ACC championship,” Dorsey said. “That North Carolina rivalry is special, but if we play N.C. State in the final, that would be pretty crazy as well.”

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6 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017

Draining the chemical swamp

ast week, the Trump administration blocked a planned ban on a pesticide linked to numerous adverse health effects. The pesticide, chlorpyrifos, is manufactured by Dow Chemicals, which donated $1 million for Trump’s inauguration. Despite reports by the EPA that the chemical can lead to nerve and organ damage and developmental disorders in children, the president blocked the ban, enraging many public health experts. Moreover, this action follows a slew of actions by the Trump administration to roll back chemical regulations and stifle research on dangerous toxins. Time and time again, instead of informing and protecting the public, the Trump administration has been working with his financial backers—in this case the $54 million chemical industry lobby—to further the interests of big business at the expense of the American public. In March, we previously commented on the tragic lessons of Flint—an environmental disaster in which political corruption and public ignorance collided with disastrous consequences. After the tragedy gained widespread news coverage, policymakers promised “never again” to another public health catastrophe on the level of Flint. Yet, if the Trump administration continues on its current course, the country may be doomed to repeat another Flint, or perhaps an even worse disaster that could affect millions of Americans. The clash between politics and public health is

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“These organizations are juvenile and elitist, but stay away from measures to ban them. Freedom of association includes the right to be and look foolish..” —Don Dotson on Leah Abrams’ Oct. 27 column, “The last bastion of the boys’ club”

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hardly a new phenomenon. Since the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the 1970s, the debate over environmental toxins has become an extremely politically polarizing issue. On one side of the debate are conservatives who view environmental regulations as cumbersome and “anti-business” while the left is dominated by voices who argue that such laws are necessary to protect the health of the American public. Looming over these ideological disagreements are industry lobbyists, who exercise an unhealthy degree of influence within the current debate over environmental toxins.

Editorial Board The symbiosis between politics and industry lobbying will no doubt be particularly pernicious under the Trump administration. Far from “draining the swamp,” Trump has set up deregulation teams composed of former industry employees. He has appointed a former chemical industry executive to lead the EPA’s toxic chemical unit while simultaneously banning scientists from serving on independent advisory boards. These moves have occurred under the guise of a “pro-business” platform centered on

cutting red tape to stimulate economic growth. Furthermore, amidst Trump’s other headline-grabbing policies and statements, it is unlikely that the unseen damaging effects of chemical deregulation will receive as much public attention. Because the consequences of environmental toxins often take years or decades to manifest themselves, Trump and his inner circle will most likely be shielded from the inevitable political backlash. Tragically, the most vulnerable victims of these inevitable environmental tragedies tend to be the least visible populations: poor communities of color, like the people of Flint. We have seen this tragedy play out far too many times; years of unseen casualties, buried evidence and widespread news coverage precede the inevitable public horror that ultimately comes in the aftermath of environmental tragedies. We call on political representatives to be accountable to their constituents and to take the lead on funding much-needed research, as well as instituting essential regulations on environmental toxins. Our public health should not be a partisan issue. Yet, under an administration that has shown itself time and time again to be against the interests of the average American, it is also incumbent on the public to stay informed, place pressure on local officials and advocate for those who cannot do so themselves.

Community beyond campus

or many undergraduates, the onset of summer recruiting marks the beginning of the season of student discontent on college campuses. The pay and prestige of internships exerts a gravity that pulls the student body into auditoriums for info sessions and Vondy for coffee chats. Networking is a kind of social Olympics— one where students suit up, smile and compress college experiences into bite size stories perfect for conversation starters or interview responses. Each answer we give ties back to a fundamental question that everyone at Duke is trying to answer—are we good enough?

Duke Honor Council That specter of self-doubt characterizes the cheating culture within the classroom. In many cases, academic misconduct at Duke occurs not at the margins of passing (e.g., from an “F” to a “C”) but at the thresholds of self-defined success (e.g., from a “B” to an “A”). The phenomenon is striking— when we cheat, it’s not to be good; it’s to be the best. Those kinds of actions don’t occur in isolation. Rather, they arise within a specific social context that’s created and perpetuated by the culture of our community. We’ve previously analyzed this culture by addressing the various elements of honor on campus, from describing the ideals underpinning our norms, to detailing the potential policy pitfalls that can lead to misconduct, and advocating for the importance of community self-regulation. Our discussions have primarily focused on ethics in the classroom—because after all, Duke is first and foremost a school. But the Community Standard isn’t just limited to the lecture hall. If anything, the first pillar, “I will not lie, cheat, or steal in my academic endeavors,” is intended to provide a foundation for the second tenet, which exhorts us to be honorable in all our endeavors. But one area where discussions of honor have been noticeably absent is the pursuit of our professional futures. This topic arose in an Honor Council discussion, during which we noted how recruitment was essentially the next iteration of the high achievers’ rat race. We asked whether this process triggers the same attitudes that characterize the “cheating culture.” According to the 2012 Report on Academic Integrity, it appears so. This student describes it best: “Exaggerating on your resume? My

mom TOLD me to do that!” In some ways, this isn’t surprising. Haven’t we always been taught to get ahead? To be the best? However, this kind of ends-justifies-the-means attitude is exactly the kind of slippery slope that puts students at risk of misconduct. After all, the story you’re selling when you interview is about yourself. Once we begin to rewrite the details of our own lives, we start to lose sight of our moral compass’ true north. Honor Council members are students too, and we get it. We feel the same pressure when curves make classrooms an experiment in “survival of the fittest.” We feel the same struggle to stay afloat in the sea of Duke students during recruiting. Most pressure is self-imposed, and the source of our stress is often the standards to which we believe we’re supposed to compare ourselves. But the purpose of this column isn’t to rag on recruitment (because getting a job is indeed tough) or to tell you not to stretch the truth on your resume (as Duke students, we know better). We hope to instill a recognition that the foundations in character we build at Duke aren’t limited to the lecture hall, but instead are intended to carry on throughout our careers. “Cheating”—whether copying answers or stretching the truth on resumes—is hard to resist because it “feels like everyone’s doing it.” But don’t listen to the devil on your shoulder. A report compiled by Duke includes data showing that Duke students are more moral than we think we are. We believe that cheating is unavoidable, but these perceptions far outpace reported incidences of it. This is not unlike how we believe that everyone’s drinking each Wednesday night and still effortlessly acing his or her midterm at 8:30 on Thursday morning. Changing these norms requires faith, and that belief in the importance of integrity starts with each of us. And if you believe that cheating is still far too accepted within the student body, the silver lining is that we can all take an active role in shifting our community’s culture. For breaking honor out of its silo necessitates that we think critically about how morality manifests across Duke’s different communities—and then take the steps to begin bridging them.

Duke Honor Council’s column runs on alternate Fridays.

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Contagious perceptions

was being so productive last Saturday morning I could hardly believe it was real. I woke up at 8:00 a.m. despite having been up since 1 a.m. the night before, and instead of laying in bed listening to music or going back to sleep, I decided to catch up on reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers for a literature class. I arrived at the part where a black family is gathered, and the grandfather is speaking about what he thinks it will be like when Jesus Christ returns.

Victoria Preister ON THE RUN FROM MEDIOCRITY He says, “And this here the way I done planned it. I reason I will get to stand before Jesus with all my childrens and grandchildrens and greatgrandchildrens and kinfolks and friends and I say to him, ‘Jesus Christ, us is all sad colored peoples.’ And then He will place His holy hand upon our heads and straightway us will be white as cotton.” And that was when my heart tragically fell from its ledge in my chest, crashing into the bottom of my stomach with utter disappointment. Productivity session over. I know this is fiction. But Richard Wright praised this novel for its “ability to embrace white and black humanity.” If the black characters want above all else to be white, I felt that McCullers had to have misunderstood “black humanity.” I live in a completely different era than do the characters in McCullers’ novel. I grew up with my mother blasting James Brown’s “Say it loud! I’m black and I’m proud!” through our house from a large stereo on Saturday mornings. I have the luxury of exclusively following black models or celebrity accounts on Instagram, so the most glamorous photos I immerse myself in daily are of dark-skinned women with flawless skin and gorgeous curly hair. In that regard, my Instagram feed is healthy for me. Seeing those photos builds my own self-esteem, and while I could write an entire second column about how hard it was to reach this point, I’ve grown to be proud to be a black woman. But McCullers’ characters—assuming for the sake of opinion writing that they’re real—didn’t experience my upbringing. On the page before, the family’s father says that his mother had been born a slave. They were living at the beginning of the twentieth century when it was still much more difficult to be black than it is now. I know this. Why did reading this make me so fueled with rage that I got out of bed before 8:30 a.m. on a Saturday to open up my laptop and write out my thoughts? A study from University of Chicago found that while 57 percent of nonAfrican Americans rated African Americans as less intelligent than whites, 30 percent of African Americans said their own race is generally less intelligent than whites. The reason for my dismay, then, stems from an unrecognized anomaly in my childhood: while I have grown to become comfortable in my own skin, not all minority children grow up with parents who help instill pride of who they are. We place the blame on other races for believing

representations of black people in the media and expecting black people to fulfill those stereotypes as a result. Yet not all African Americans themselves understand that the representations of their own race, as portrayed in the media, do not represent the majority of black people in America. If you think less of your own race, then it’s not a shocking desire to want to be a different race. This is a troubling problem on both sides. I don’t often like to pinpoint blame for broad societal issues, but I do think a lot of how African American children perceive themselves begins with parents and teachers. When I was in fifth grade, I spoke on the phone with a friend about a test we had recently taken, and we both agreed that we probably hadn’t done as well as another girl in our class because we knew that she was really smart. After my phone conversation, my dad—who had overheard—called me into the living room and told me very seriously not to assume that anyone else was smarter than I was. He told me that I was just as smart and could have done just as well on the test as anyone else in my class. I haven’t thought about this incident for a while, but these critical interactions between parents and their kids instill a belief within children that they are smart in their own right, regardless of the people around them. And in case parents don’t teach self-confidence to their children, elementary school teachers should regularly teach their students about what it means to be confident in their academic abilities. There may not be a direct correlation between self-confidence and perception of one’s own race. However, for a race that already receives damaging coverage, low self-image in concert with negative perceptions of blackness as a whole can lead individuals to exemplify internalized racism, or to hold discriminatory attitudes toward members of their own race. If black people themselves see their race as inferior, then there won’t be a push to stop profiling, to stop police brutality and to stop the racial divide still present in some areas of America. They will allow this state of sort-ofequality to continue, because they don’t believe the portrayal of the black race they see to be deserving of full equality. We continue to hold onto the idea that children are born with no inherent prejudices. A large part of how we perceive the world and the groups of people surrounding us, then, is molded by parents and early experiences. We who have the opportunity to impact the minds of younger kids should think about how our perceptions of other people are being transferred to those who learn from our example. With all things considered, maybe McCullers and her characters should get a pass. Early 20th century American society ingrained the notion within people of all races that white people were superior. I like to think we’ve taken a few steps forward since then. To wish to be white when you’re not is to deny the beauty of diversity and the priceless value of the “other.” We must do more thinking about how our perceptions about groups of people carry over to those with whom we interact. Victoria Priester is a Trinity first-year. Her column, “On the run from mediocrity,” runs on alternate Fridays.

Interested in making your voice heard on campus? Submit a letter to the editor on www.dukechronicle.com or a guest column to jackson.prince@duke.edu.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | 7

N***** in Madrid

ithout even the slightest warning, My new Spanish friend hurled it into the air, forcing me to fumble around with the fragile pieces that rained down on me. With just two little syllables, the veil I had put up to block out American class and racial divisions came tumbling down. It was the last thing I had ever expected to hear in a Spanish café, 4,000 miles away from its place of origin. One bustling Madrid afternoon, all other sounds were drowned out as the reverberations of that word filled the air. N*****. While my distressed reactions were to be expected, my inability to respond promptly and assertively was not. How could I, a recent college graduate—and bleeding heart liberal at that—have nothing to say at a time like this? Not even six months ago, I probably could have written a dissertation on SpongeBob SquarePants

McCall Wells DUKE, FORWARD as a metaphor for modern ethnic strife. And now? I was left dumbstruck by what is debatably one of my country’s most straightforward issues. In the aftermath of the event, I consoled myself with the notion that my inadequate response was a function of context more than anything else. My friend hadn’t intended for the word to cause harm. On the contrary, he had been attempting to connect with me by showing off his knowledge of a slang term he’d heard time and again in American songs. While an honest mistake, it was one that I felt compelled to address, especially as someone who still squirms at the use of the word in nearly any context. But first, I’d first have to face my crippling anxiety at the thought of doing so. In those tense moments, I wanted so badly to explain the weight of the notorious “n word,” but I feared ruining an otherwise lovely afternoon with a history lesson on centuries of racial strife in the U.S. Furthermore, I hadn’t the slightest idea of how I’d explain to a non-American how it was acceptable for certain artists and other communities to use the contentious word and others not. I convinced myself this was the reason I was slow to chastise and quick to forgive. Spaniards, while also the heirs of colonialism, slavery and their respective consequences, simply do not hold the same relationship with the word that we do in the U.S. I considered it unfair to expect my Spanish peer, whose primary exposure to the word had been through American music, to have fully grasped its weight. Days later, I realized the full extent of my distress. Sure, I was disturbed by the unwelcome intrusion of the word in question as both a descendent of slaves and a socially conscious individual. But beyond that, I was disconcerted by the harsh realization that the liberal bubble I had inhabited at Duke would no longer serve as my safe haven as I navigated through the so-called real world. In the wake of that afternoon, I shudder to think that my parents had been right along: it’s harder to find time to discuss, let alone combat, institutionalized systems of oppression when rent is due at the end of the month. And it’s even harder to do so in unfamiliar settings without the backup of my like-minded ICS classmates. If I wanted to maintain the relationship to social issues that had driven my academic path at Duke, I’d have to put forth some real effort—as in the kind that required more than uploading a thought-provoking profile picture. I now find it quite laughable that at one time I’d considered it impossible to engage in civil discourse with some of my university peers. The debates I took up with Duke administrators and ideologically different acquaintances now seem like child’s play in comparison to the labor of achieving mutual respect and understanding with complete strangers. Contesting the merits of identity politics with a conservative friend in Vondy was one thing, while it would be another to discuss it with new colleagues from around the world. I learned another lesson that day in empathy. I clearly was taken aback by my friend’s casual use of such a powerful word, but I was equally shocked by my own willingness to forgive him. I did so because it quickly became clear that he hadn’t realized the gravity of this word. This, I realized, was a direct consequence of where he had grown up: a rural region in the Spanish Northwest where his knowledge of Black people stemmed primarily from his encounters with street vendors of African origin. Admittedly, a lack of interracial interactions wouldn’t quite fly as an excuse for using such an abhorrent word in the U.S., but surely there are many more cases in which background and personal experience might at least partially account for offensive behavior. It’s fair to say that infrequent interaction with anyone outside of one’s in-group hinders the capacity to communicate with, and about, the outsider in question. This is a truth that Americans from across the political spectrum continue to grapple with on a daily basis. I’m embarrassed to acknowledge the number of times that I’ve opted to dismiss rather than to seek understanding when faced with conflict in my own country. Without holding someone to a lesser standard of decency, I think it is perfectly acceptable to parse through another’s offensive words and actions while accounting for his or her background. I can imagine much more productive conversations if I were to respond to all conflicts of opinion in the same way I had with my Spanish friend: as if my alleged rival had never been exposed to the same people, experiences and histories that I had. Upon graduating from Duke, I felt more or less prepared to enter the workplace as a competent professional. What I’m less convinced of, however, is my readiness to translate dozens of academic discussions into tangible actions beyond the lecture hall. Instead of jargon and case studies, I need guts, patience and thick skin. While it already feels like I’ve long left behind Duke’s ivory towers, it will take a bit of work before the ivory tower mentality leaves me. McCall Wells is Trinity ‘17. Her column with Annie Adair, “Duke, forward,” runs on alternate Fridays.

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8 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017

PRINCIPAL

Now it doesn’t have to stop at foot longs. Thanks to Daily Devil Deals, a new Duke Dining Program, there is now a lunch option at every food vendor on campus for $5 or less. The program was created in the hopes of addressing the unaffordability of food at Duke, especially on West Campus. Check out this list of the deals each vendor is offering so that you can use the extra bucks you saved on more important things like…Shooters, perhaps? Or maybe a new binder to organize your notes for class. Yea, let’s go with that one.

game. The day after he was named National Principal of the Year, he was on campus with FROM PAGE 2 a group of kids. Brad Berndt, senior associate director That day came Oct. 20 when Ross was of athletics and student services, noted that called into an assembly under the guise Ross came up with the idea for the trips on that the school was receiving a small award. his own and has been committed to them for The superintendent began to give a speech the past 10 years. and then revealed the truth—they were there because Ross was National Principal It’s about making sure of the Year. As confetti cannons went off and the pep band and cheerleaders led the that we’ve created a wellcelebration, Ross said his first thought was rounded child who can how they managed to pull of the surprise solve problems and be without him noticing. “I realized a lot can go on in my school leaders of change. that I have no clue is going on,” he said. This is not Ross’ first accolade. He was AKIL ROSS TRINITY ‘02 AND PRINICIPAL OF chosen as one of the state high school CHAPIN HIGH SCHOOL principals of the year in 2016 and as a member of the Columbia, S.C., newspaper The State’s “The football game is part of it, but the 20 Under 40 class for 2017. He was also the leader of the Chapin Rotary Club. bigger part is to expose them to a college Ross’ interest in teaching began when he campus and get them excited about education took an introduction to education class at beyond high school,” he said. Berndt has known Ross since Ross was a Duke, where he realized that he shouldn’t bank his future on football. He was mostly interested first-year at Duke and served as his academic in coaching a school’s football team after counselor when he was playing football. He graduation, until a professor took him under noted that he thinks Ross’ work ethic and her wing and showed him the importance of strong morality has led to his success. “He was always a student and player who making an impact in the classroom. He had the opportunity to work at a was of the highest integrity and character,” mentoring program in a local high school Berndt said. “He’s got leadership qualities where he assisted in coaching the football that showcase that.” team but also tutored players who were In addition, he said Ross has tremendous struggling in their studies. He conducted empathy for his students since he once a project to see if he could improve the struggled academically. athletes’ grades so they would be eligible to “He is a tireless worker when it comes to play. Ross later won a fellowship from the supporting the teachers that work for him Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which accelerated and the students,” Berndt said. “What he’s doing will have residual effects for years and his postgraduate studies. The support of the Duke family has been years to come.” critical to Ross’ success, he said, noting that For Ross, the joy in his job comes from he still uses the lessons he learned in “student being around the kids. Sometimes, he even teaching and mentoring” in his daily work. moves his desk into the hallway so he can “I am very fortunate that I was part of be around the students and hear what they Duke’s program in education,” he said. “I have to say. wouldn’t be here where I am now if I did not However, the best part for Ross is watching have that program.” his students graduate, prepared to take on life Ross is attempting to give students the after high school. “When they’re going across that stage and same opportunities he had. At least every other year, he brings students to Duke you know they’re ready for the world, that’s to tour the campus and attend a football when it all comes together,” he said.

In Other News

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The Chronicle | November 2nd, 2017

What You Need to Know Will The Court Vote for Pedro?

Sara Pedro, a Catholic nurse at Duke just filed a lawsuit against Duke and Duke’s Health System for violating anti-discrimination laws after they allegedly “failed to accommodate her religious objections to abortion, birth control, and vaccines.” Pedro is seeking back pay as well as other damages. Pedro was exempt from receiving vaccines at Duke’s hospital and later told them she was able unable to administer abortions or provide contraceptives and vaccines to patients. Pedro was apparently later put on administrative leave for “pretextual reasons,” which lawyers allege is violating the anti-discrimination section of the Civil Rights Act of 196.

5 Dolla Foot Long

Pulisic Still Pullin’

Freshman goalie for the Duke men’s soccer team came out as the MVP again at Friday night’s game, when he had seven saves, including two in the last minute. The Devils and the Fighting Irish ended up tying, with neither team scoring a point in all 110 minutes of the game.

What You Want To Know Is The Pope Catholic?

Pretty sure. A Duke Divinity School professor got to meet Pope Francis for himself last week, when he traveled to Italy to present him with a gift. Back up…how?! Well, Professor Colón-Emeric was invited by the World Methodist Council to take part in a series of conversations with other Catholic leaders about reconciliation. Mhm, we know—very elite. The whole ordeal could be called a “spiritual cocktail party,” where Colón-Emeric presented the Pope with his gift: a bilateral statement about Christian unity and reconciliation.

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FROM PAGE 2 research for the Canine Cognition Center and are being trained to become service dogs down the road. “The idea is to have puppies on campus, and we’re going to take care of them and do some research on how dogs develop,” Hare said. “But in the meantime, we’ve got take them all over campus and have them socialize and learn about the world.”

We want to spread joy. BRIAN HARE

CO-DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF THE CANINE CONGNITION CENTER

Canine Companions for Independence is a non-profit that has partnered with the center since 2009 and provides service dogs to those in need for free. The dogs on Duke’s campus will be trained to help those with physical and mental impairments as therapy and facility dogs, Hare said. He added that some will even be trained as hearing dogs, which can alert their hearing-impaired owner if the doorbell rings or the fire alarm sounds. “It’s everything from a dog sitting with a kid while they’re reading, to help somebody with a really serious physical disability,” Hare said. “It’s a range of skills these dogs learn.” As for the dogs themselves, they have been bred for generations for the purpose of helping people, which makes them much more

successful in being trained to help those with disabilities compared to other breeds. “While they look like Labradors and look like they might have some golden retriever in them, behaviorally and psychologically, they’re their own breed of dog,” Hare said. Traditionally, CCI researchers had travelled to Orlando and Santa Rosa, Calif., to perform research on dogs and their development. But now they’ll have dogs right in their own backyard to work with, an exciting new research opportunity for the center. For the past few years, the Canine Cognition Center has worked on building a method to predict which dogs will be suited for which service job since not all of them make it through the training, Hare noted. Identifying the traits that qualify dogs for specific jobs would help increase the supply of service dogs CCI could provide by allowing for more targeted training earlier in the process. Another intended topic of research is determining why dogs bring so much joy to humans, in addition to examining dog developmental psychology—a topic that has received relatively little attention. Hare explained that there are lots of studies about child development and specific teaching or rearing techniques for children, but very little research on the equivalent for dogs. “Dogs have become such an important part of people’s family life and have more jobs than ever,” Hare said. “We want to study how dog psychology develops and how different rearing techniques might affect their growth so we can do a better job with dog rearing.”