Issuu

Back in the water

Researchers design DART protein

Duke investigators hope the protein could one day cure HIV | Page 2

After surgery to remove her pancreas, Kiera Molloy is back in Duke’s lineup | Sports Page 4

The Chronicle T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015

WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM

ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 44

‘You never escape it’

ACIR advises

Panel discusses experiences with racism on campus

non-disclosure of Duke investments Neelesh Moorthy The Chronicle

Carolyn Chang | The Chronicle Several members of the Duke community gathered Tuesday to talk about the challenges faced by minorities at the University.

Kenrick Cai The Chronicle A panel of Duke community members illustrated the daunting day-to-day work and social environment navigated by black and Latino people on campus at an event Tuesday night. Lambda Upsilon Lambda and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternities jointly hosted “Salt of the Earth –A Conversation on Brown and Black Labor at Duke” at the Divinity School. Moderated by Sean Palmer, assistant director of the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture, the panel featured a group of six black and Latino individuals representing different areas of Duke. Participants emphasized the challenges they face on campus to a crowd of more than 50 people. “In terms of credibility being questioned and having to prove yourself, that happens every day,” said Adrienne StiffRoberts, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. “It never goes away. It never stops.” The panelists agreed that members of minority communities at feel a deep-

rooted stigma from their peers on and off campus. When Palmer asked the panel to address an old alumni quote that “going to Duke as a black person is like going to dinner at a plantation,” panelists admitted that the notion could not be dismissed. “I think there’s a lack of respect for each other all the way across the board,” said Wallace Burrows, lead food service worker at Marketplace. “You can’t change people, but you can change yourself.” Antonio Viego, associate professor of literature and and romance studies and director of undergraduate studies, suggested that some students are unknowingly influenced by underlying racial sense of racism exhibited by some students. “In my intro to Latino studies course, I’ve had four papers that I would describe as pretty racist,” he said. “It’s taken me two days just to write the comments for one paper because I’m trying to do it in such a way that you let the person know that this is really a mess and this is really dangerous and you can’t talk like this anymore.” Housekeeper specialist Rosa Varela explained that despite Duke being the best environment she has worked in, it is inevitable that “some students don’t like several

INSIDE — News 2 Sports 4 Classified 5 Puzzles 5 Opinion 6

people, like Hispanic people.” The main remedy to the unspoken discrimination, the panelists agreed, is to understand the present social climate and to pick the battles to fight. “If you confront every single slight, number one, you will find your progress impeded and number two, you will drive yourself crazy,” Stiff-Roberts said. “Sometimes you have to learn to just let it go.” Senior bus driver Jose Valencia expressed his positive experiences working at Duke. He alluded to the racial stereotypes Latinos face but felt that the University was a comparatively open environment. “As a Latino, it gives me the opportunity to express myself and prove them wrong to show that Latinos are really hard-working people,” he said. “When we get the opportunity, we want to take advantage of it.” Despite the underlying discrimination black and Latino communities feel on campus, panelist Morgan Ramsey, a senior, said that minority students need to check their own privilege. She argued See LABOR on Page 3

Serving the University since 1905

Duke’s Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility recently recommended that the University not disclose the contents of its endowment’s investment portfolio. In a Sept. 21 letter from James Cox, Brainerd Currie professor of law and ACIR chair, to President Richard Brodhead, the committee responded to the now-defunct student group DukeOpen’s request for greater endowment transparency. ACIR cautioned against the “broad disclosure of the endowment’s investment holdings” due to the potential adverse effects of “reducing competitive advantages and jeopardizing existing relations with advisors.” Students, however, are not convinced that the committee’s decision stands up to scrutiny. “We should be hugely suspicious of any efforts to stack the deck against the ability of the community to engage in its self-governance,” said Bobo BoseKolanu, the founder of DukeOpen and a fourth-year graduate student in literature. In 2004, the University’s Board of See INVESTMENTS on Page 3

Special to The Chronicle James Cox, chair of the Advisory Committee on Investment Responsiblity, explained in a letter why Duke should maintain nondisclosure.

@dukechronicle

The Chronicle

www.dukechronicle.com

2 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015

Researchers hope new DART protein eventually cures HIV Nidhila Masha The Chronicle Duke investigators are part of a team that has designed a protein that could someday cure HIV. The Dual-Affinity Re-Targeting protein is a bi-specific antibody, meaning it was engineered to bind to two types of molecules simultaneously—HIV-infected cells and T-cells, which are the body’s frontline defense system. By bringing HIV-infected cells close to T-cells, the DART protein would make it easier for the immune system to eliminate HIV from patients’ bodies. Although medical researchers have already developed treatments to prevent those who are HIV-positive from exhibiting symptoms, the scientific community has yet to come up with a cure for the disease. Early study results have been promising thus far, and Macrogenics—a biotech company with investigators working alongside researchers from Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill—has obtained a contract from the National Institutes of Health to begin human clinical trials in approximately one year. “We can’t cure AIDS because the virus inserts itself into the genetic material of the person that is infected and then goes into hiding. It’s invisible to the immune system and invisible to the otherwise effective drugs that control the disease,” explained Dr. Barton Haynes, senior author of the study describing the DART molecule in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and the director of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute. “So the goal is to figure out ways to find those invisible cells and to ferret them out and to kill them.” The DART protein is designed to do just

Chronicle File Photo The DART protein worked on in part by Duke investigators binds to HIV-infected cells and T-cells to help the body rid itself of the HIV virus.

that. Haynes explained that DART antibodies are shaped like the letter Y. One arm of this Y binds to HIV infected cells, while the other arm binds to killer T-cells, which destroy any cells they come into close contact with. By bringing killer T cells into contact with HIV-infected cells, the DART protein helps the body rid itself of the HIV virus. Despite the potential benefits of the protein in curing HIV, Haynes also noted that it poses risks. “Anytime you try to get the body’s immune system to turn on itself and to eliminate either a cancer cell or a virus infected cell, if that kind of activity goes too much, then it has a chance of harming the body,” he explained. “So the body tends to err on the side of turning down the immune system and preventing this kind

of thing from happening.” Although there are concerns regarding backlash from the immune system, the tests done on lymphocytes from human patients so far have demonstrated that the response does not significantly affect the treatment, explained Dr. Julia Sung, lead author of the study and clinical assistant professor of medicine at UNC. “In the paper we just published in September, we did not come across that in any of the patients we studied,” Sung said. “I am sure that in every patient there was a subset of T-cells that didn’t do what the DARTs were trying to make them do, but because there’s such a large number of T-cells present in the body, there still were enough to get the job done.”

The researchers so far have seen promising results from testing the DART molecules in vitro, or in test tubes. They are preparing to start testing DART proteins in animals, Haynes said. If those tests also yield positive results, investigators will be able to move on to clinical trials and start testing the proteins in HIV-infected individuals. Haynes added that Scott Koenig, president and CEO of MacroGenics, has recently received a contract with the NIH to begin human trial testing soon. Although medications have already been developed to prevent those infected with HIV from developing AIDS, the treatments available today come with significant drawbacks, including their exceedingly high price. The Center for Disease Control estimates the lifetime cost of HIV medications to be $367,134 per patient, though different states have different policies on how this cost is distributed between the patients and insurance companies. Sung added that some strains of HIV are simply resistant to medication, and even the strains that do respond to treatment do not always respond fully. The virus, though suppressed, will still put the patient at increased risk of developing cancer or having heart attacks and strokes. In addition, patients taking HIV medication have to remember to take the drug every day, Sung said. This caveat poses a problem, especially with younger groups of patients, such as those infected in utero. Despite the obstacles, Sung said the investigators are looking forward to expanding on the initial research. “It’s a really exciting time to be in the HIV eradication field and in particular it’s been a great time to work in a productive collaboration between the industry with MacroGenics and between the two academic institutions of Duke and UNC,” she said.

NOTHING

Open 365 / 7 days every year.. All weekends and holidays

BETTER COSMIC LUNCH than

“Walk-in availability” for established patients: Monday-Friday mornings 7:15-8:00 am at both office locations; Saturday and Sunday appts/ walk-ins 8:45-2:00 in our Chapel Hill Office Complimentary “meet and greet” sessions International adoption care Accepting most insurance plans including BCBS, Duke Options, Duke Blue Care and Blue Value. Accepting Blue Local and Duke Select beginning Jan. 1, 2016.

Convenient parking Same-day appointments Comprehensive sports & camp physicals

everyday for

Menu Sampling

Old School Veggie Burrito Regular Chicken Burrito Cheese Quesadilla Chicken Quesadilla Veggie Nachos Chips & Salsa

Open until 4 am

$2.99 $6.29 $2.49 $4.99 $3.99 $2.49

1920 1/2 Perry St. at Ninth Street Just a block from East Campus

Now served at JB’s hot dog stand

The Chronicle

www.dukechronicle.com

LABOR from page 1

INVESTMENTS from page 1

that too many students were dismissing other members of the Duke community based on their socioeconomic status. A number of panelists took issue to a previous comment made by Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag that an increase in Latino students at Duke would make the University a more attractive option for students who would not have considered it before. Viego said the implication that the students were being brought in to serve as recruiters was “odd.” “I’ve always felt very strongly that if the school wants to increase the number of underrepresented minorities they should just do that,” Stiff-Roberts said. “Duke has the resources to do that. They don’t need to get students to do that for them.” Viego further criticized the administration for its neglect of the Latino studies program, explaining that while its peer institutions have well-established programs, Duke’s is based on the efforts of two core faculty whose primary focus is in the “Frankly, I think it’s scandalous how this University has responded to Latino studies and Latino students. I can’t believe more of us are not appalled by this,” he said. “The administration could care less about a more extensive program.” To the panelists, the issues at Duke are a microcosm to the racial inequality that continues to hamper society as a whole. “You never escape it. All you can do is learn how to deal with it,” Stiff-Roberts said. “Talking about the climate at Duke, that’s the climate of the world and of life. So think of this as a training ground.”

Trustees crafted the Guideline on Socially Responsible Investing, which instructed Duke to balance being a “good corporate citizen and a responsible and ethical investor” with maximizing financial returns for the University. After multiple protests by DukeOpen, the Board of Trustees modified Duke’s endowment policies at its October 2013 board meeting. Among the changes approved by the Board were regular ACIR meetings, a public forum and the creation of a social choice fund—an account within the endowment dedicated to socially responsible companies—which donors can opt into. ACIR’s next open forum will take place at 6 p.m next Monday in Rubenstein Library’s Holsti-Anderson Room. Would transparency really help? Instead of disclosing the endowment’s holdings, ACIR’s report recommended “periodic engagement of the Duke community”—offering the open forum as an example—as well as continued “productive dialogue around investment responsibility.” Cox said students and community members can make compelling arguments with regard to social responsibility without knowing the University’s exact investments, simply by being proactive. “If they know a company they don’t want to invest in, then they can offer reasons why they don’t want to,” he explained. “Why do they need to know whether we own it? Why do you need to know the company to identify the issue?” Bose-Kolanu, however, described this policy as “disingenuous” and said that it puts student groups at a distinct disadvantage. “Specific arguments are best,” he said. “If the person making the proposal is robbed of the specifics of the scenario, then

they cannot write their strongest proposal or produce their strongest research. That’s tailor-made to have this committee rubberstamp rejections.” Even if the University were to start disclosing investments, it could only disclose its direct holdings, which only make up approximately 1 percent of the investment portfolio, said Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations. The other 99 percent are indirect investments—often made through hedge funds—and would be difficult to disclose for legal reasons such as confidentiality. The frequently changing character of Duke’s investments means that disclosing the University’s holdings would not be of significant benefit to students, Cox said. “Unless you know every day what the energy holdings would be, you don’t know whether they’re low on the 30th and then they loaded up on July 1,” he explained. “Students are not going to be that nimble to go in everyday, even if it were available.” Financial risks of disclosure ACIR’s letter compared Duke’s disclosure practices to those of five other unnamed universities, and found that Duke’s practices were consistent with all but one with regards to “not releasing information regarding specific investments.” Revealing the University’s holdings would also diminish Duke’s financial returns by inspiring other universities to take advantage of the same investments, Cox said. “There are a lot of institutions that would love to be able to do as well as Duke does with its investments,” he noted. “We’re consistently in the top five, and so you worry about the copycat behavior. These are competitive institutions.” Bose-Kolanu said that this position is inconsistent with comments made by Neal

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015 | 3

Triplett, president of the Duke Management Company—which manages the endowment—in a Sept. 20, 2013 meeting with DukeOpen. “Do I think [other universities] could reverse engineer what we’re doing? Probably not. If you do that [disclosure] in a controlled environment, the chances are pretty low,” Triplett is quoted as saying in a 2014 Chronicle guest column Bose-Kolanu wrote. Triplett, however, wrote in an email that the quote “does not accurately reflect my views,” and Schoenfeld added that Duke’s policy of non-disclosure has remained consistent. The one university referenced in ACIR’s report that does disclose the names of companies in which it has direct investments follows a “fairly strict protocol,” which includes restrictions on note-taking, photography and viewing location when the records are accessed. Bose-Kolanu pointed to this example as a reason why Duke has failed to justify a blanket non-disclosure policy. “It’s really hard to make a compelling argument that after years of a comparable institution doing responsible disclosure and not experiencing negative results, that the sky will fall down if we do this,” he explained. “People should be a little more skeptical when hearing these arguments from the administration.” Ultimately, what Bose-Kolanu said he would like to see is compromise with the administration to protect both the community and the University’s interests, citing trailing disclosures and disclosure under limited reading conditions as possible examples. “There are ways to do disclosure that limit the possibility for damage to returns while allowing sufficient oversight for community involvement,” he said.

Dean’s awarD for InclusIve excellence In GraDuate eDucatIon

ominate a Duke department, program, or interdisciplinary initiative that has demonstrated a commitment to creating an environment of inclusive excellence within the Duke University Graduate School. Inclusive excellence is reflected not only in student or faculty demographics, but also in the departmental program and climate; curriculum; intellectual discourse; and the recruitment, retention, and graduation of individuals underrepresented in the discipline, field, or area.

Nomination Deadline: December 4, 2015 Details: gradschool.duke.edu/InclusiveAward

Sports 4 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015

www.dukechronicle.com

The Chronicle

THE BLUE ZONE

2015-16 PLAYER PREVIEW SERIES: CHASE JETER sports.chronicleblogs.com

www.dukechroniclesports.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015

SWIMMING AND DIVING

The Chronicle

BACK IN THE WATER

Senior Kiera Molloy overcomes pancreatitis, surgery with help from teammates, coaches, Cutcliffe Ali Wells The Chronicle As the exhibition heat of the women’s 200-yard freestyle stepped up to the block in Duke’s season opener Oct. 3, the Blue Devils lined the side of the pool and started yelling their team captain’s name. A little more than four months removed from major surgery, senior Kiera Molloy had not expected to be back at Taishoff Aquatic Pavilion racing with her teammates so soon—and her doctors had not known if she would ever swim again. Molloy underwent a total pancreatectomy with autologous islet cell transplantation (TP/ AIT) May 28, a surgical procedure that lasted more than 10 hours in which her pancreas was removed and its insulin-producing islet cells were transplanted into her liver. Her surgeon said her expected recovery time was six months. Molloy was back in the pool in six weeks. “I wasn’t even sure I was going to be swimming in that meet,” she said. “It was really cool having everyone there and they started a ‘Go Kiera’ chant. I didn’t think that was ever going to happen. It wasn’t even about the swim, just the fact that I was in a suit again and able to do it so soon after. It was indescribable.” Molloy was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis when she was four years old. Her pancreas could not produce all the necessary enzymes to break down her food, causing her disabling pain. With each episode of pancreatitis, the inflammation of her pancreas worsened and the risk of permanent damage to the organ increased. Her pain could be relieved by medication administered in the hospital, but the condition itself has no cure. The Raleigh, N.C., native went to Duke

Special to The Chronicle Senior Kiera Molloy underwent surgery to remove her pancreas May 28, but returned to the pool just six weeks later.

Hospital with each episode, and became a Blue Devil fan during the course of her treatment. “When I was younger, [Duke men’s basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski] would come around with his players and see the kids in the hospital,” Molloy said. “That and being around campus made me a huge Duke fan. Through all of that, because I was such a big Duke fan, I always wanted to come to Duke.” Molloy started swimming competitively when she was eight years old. Despite being in and out of the water throughout high

school as she battled each bout of pancreatitis, Molloy made swimming her priority, and her resume—state finalist in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles and 200-yard individual medley and two-time conference champion in the 200yard individual medley—impressed Duke head coach Dan Colella, who recruited her to join the Blue Devils. Once at Duke, Molloy’s bouts became longer and more severe, forcing her to drop classes and miss large portions of the swim season. Her doctors worried that she could end up in chronic pain as each episode irreparably damaged her pancreas.

Molloy suffered her worst bout shortly after Halloween last year. She was in and out of the hospital for nearly two months, constantly receiving pain medication and hardly able to eat. But it could not keep her out of the water and away from her team. She rallied to join the Blue Devils in Islamorada, Fla., for their training trip before Christmas. The squad logged extra hours of practice every day for a week, but Molloy kept pace. Two months later and despite hardly competing in the fall, Molloy made Duke’s ACC championship team, finishing 26th in the 200-yard butterfly and reaching the C final of the 500-yard freestyle, posting the Blue Devils’ all-time sixth-fastest swim. But the highlight of her meet came on the third day of competition, when she swam a personal-best in the 400-yard individual medley in the morning preliminaries to qualify for the B final, then came back in the evening to break the Duke record with a new mark of 4:17.41. “I think I probably made the ACC team by the skin of my teeth,” Molloy said. “But getting that personal best—one that I hadn’t broken since high school—and that team record, there was the defining moment of ‘Hell yeah, I did it.’” Molloy credits her teammates and coaches for their unwavering encouragement and support throughout her battle with her illness. Her teammates were at her bedside whenever she was hospitalized, and Colella and his coaching staff wisely kicked her out of practice if she pushed herself too much. The Blue Devils played a key role in her decision to take the next step in fighting her pancreatitis. See MOLLOY on Page 8

FOOTBALL

Tar Heels intent on keeping Victory Bell Seth Johnson The Chronicle When asked what was going to be the most difficult aspect of containing North Carolina’s offense this week, Duke head coach David Cutcliffe had just three words: “Explosive plays—period.” Considering the ending of the Blue Devils’ game against Miami, minimizing field-flipping plays will be key to shutting down a stout and newly-ranked No. 21 Tar Heel squad. Duke will get its chance to do so in Chapel Hill Saturday at noon, when the homecoming fans will pack a sold-out Kenan Memorial Stadium. After defeating then-No. 23 Pittsburgh 26-19 last Thursday to take the outright lead in the ACC Coastal Division race, North Carolina will look to extend its seven-game winning streak against its Tobacco Road rivals and keep the Victory Bell for the

second straight season. “This is the best North Carolina team that I’ve seen. They’re extremely balanced as a team,” Cutcliffe said. “The offense has playmakers everywhere…. To win seven games in a row, you’ve got to be doing a lot of things extremely well.” The Tar Heels’ offensive playmakers are looking to replicate their performance from a season ago against the Blue Devils, when they stormed Wallace Wade Stadium for a Thursday night, primetime dismantling that resulted in a 45-20 victory and a year’s worth of bragging rights. Although Duke has won two of three in the series and captured a 27-25 victory in its last visit to Chapel Hill, quarterback Marquise Williams is enjoying a standout year both with his arm and his legs. Williams’ dual-threat abilities have netted 1,623 yards passing, 528 rushing and 16 total touchdowns. With a slew

of receivers eager to find themselves on the other end of his passes, Williams is not lacking options through the air—four of his targets have 300 or more receiving yards with at least 15 catches this season, including speedster Ryan Switzer. Behind the senior signal-caller in the backfield, sophomore Elijah Hood has carved up opposing defenses. Through eight games, the running back has 744 yards on the ground with eight touchdowns on 6.2 yards per carry, bursting through seams and powering through contact. “He’s really strong [and] really fast—you usually don’t see that in a running back. You usually only have one of the two attributes, but he has both,” Duke linebacker Dwayne Norman said. “We’re definitely going to have to be sure tacklers this week because he can See SCOUTING on Page 8

Eric Lin | The Chronicle North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams was a thorn in Duke’s side in a 45-20 Tar Heel win in 2014.

The Chronicle

www.dukechroniclesports.com www.dukechronicle.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015 | 5

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Blue Devils host Blue Bears in final tune-up game Jack Dolgin

sending him to the foul line consistently. Four Blue Bears finished with four fouls and a fifth fouled out. Although Duke does not return Okafor, Livingstone lost all three of its centers to graduation, which should result in another physical contest for the Blue Devil bigs. The Blue Bears lost six seniors but return many upperclassmen, including senior guard Eric Dubose, who averaged 14.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game last season. Dubose and senior Ty Newman—who shot 48.6 percent from beyond the arc last year— were named to the Boxtorow Preseason AllCIAA team. Newman hopes to learn from his 12 minutes of action against Duke last year, when he committed four fouls, shot 3-of-4 from the field and tied the team-high with five rebounds. For the Blue Devil freshmen, Wednesday will be a final chance to acclimate to the Cameron confines, which several players admitted was a bit overwhelming at first. It will also be an opportunity for Allen to bounce back from a 3-of-9 shooting performance against Florida Southern. Allen has the athleticism to take advantage of the Blue Bears’ inexperienced interior, but he did not look himself in transition in the exhibition opener. “The only thing that’s slowing him up right now is the fact that he’s missed three weeks of conditioning, and he has to be careful as he comes back,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski during his team’s media day on Oct 6. “He plays so hard and so competitively that you want to make sure that there’s not an injury and that he’s not trying to get back to full speed too soon.”

The Chronicle The Blue Devils may have just hung their banner, but once again they will have to take on another team that knows how to win. No. 5 Duke finishes exhibition play against two-time defending Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association champions Livingstone Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils enter their Livingstone final tune-up game a vs. little banged up after sophomore guard No. 5 Grayson Allen tweaked Duke his left ankle and junior WEDNESDAY, 7 p.m. Matt Jones suffered a Cameron Indoor Stadium groin injury in Friday’s exhibition opener against Florida Southern. In the 112-68 win against the Moccasins, freshman guard Derryck Thornton rebounded with a turnover-free, team-high 22 points after a sluggish debut at Countdown to Craziness Oct. 17. Thornton and fellow classmates Brandon Ingram and Luke Kennard combined for 52 points in their first game against outside competition. “Just playing with our guys is probably the best feeling in the world,” Ingram said after Friday’s win. “When we get in practice, we’re very physical, so we’re ready for games like that, we’re ready to be physical with those guys. When we come in, we’re ready for it.” In last year’s meeting between the Blue Devils and Blue Bears, the Livingstone frontcourt had no answer for Jahlil Okafor, other than sudoku_503A

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. (No number is repeated in any column, row or box.)

8 2 1

7 2 6 3 4 3 8 6 5 6 503A

Distributed by The New York Times syndicate

SolutionFind sudoku_503A the answers to the Sudoku puzzle above.

3 7 1 4 8 9 2 6 5 5 9 4 7 2 6 3 8 1 The Chronicle 8 2 6 5 3 1 4 7 9 things fall apart: 4 3 8 1 7 5 9 2 6 when i go to india: ��#amrithisnotimpressed top of the 9th (and also the 12th and 14th): �� zhangsta before i get here: ��thenealdeal 6 5 2 8 9 3 1 4 7 cfbb: ��vosburghler 30 alarms later: �� privateryan 9 1 7 2 6 4 5 3 8 third down: ��sophiesticated when the pen fails: ��pollackwannacracker 7 4 3 9 5 8 jackofalltrades 6 1 2 taking photos: �� Barb Starbuck: ��Barb 1 8��Alyssa 5 6 4 2 7Coughenour 9 3 Student Advertising Manager: Account Representatives: �� John Abram, Megan Bowen, TJ Cole, 6 Tyler9Deane-Krantz, 3 1 Davis7English, 8 Philip 5 Foo4 Maria 2 Alas Diaz,

503A

Jack Forlines, Beatriz Gorostiaga, Jackie Lin, Rachel Louie, Gabriela Martinez-Moure, John McIlavaine, Brian Paskas, Risa Pieters, Nick Philip, Maimuna Yussuf Creative Services: �� Judith Leng, Rita Lo, Ella Wigington Business Office ��Leta Hallowell

CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS DUKE EMPLOYEE SPECIAL TUITION RATE! Employees may enroll for academic credit in an undergraduate course valued at one course credit for $975 and/or enroll as an auditor in an undergraduate course valued at one course credit for $100� Application deadline December 1 for credit� Registration deadline January 12 for audit� Questions? http:// www�learnmore�duke�edu/academics/ or 684-5375�

sudoku_503A

sudoku_502B

Created by Peter Ritmeester/Presented by Will Shortz

1 7

6 5 4 2 TRAVEL/VACATION 1 8 2 4 9 1 5BREAK $189 BAHAMAS SPRING for 5-Days. All prices include: Round-trip 7 luxury 2 6 party cruise� 3 Accommodations on the island 4 3 at your choice of 8ten6 resorts� Appalachia 5 6Travel� www�BahamaSun�com 800-867-5018

7 classified advertising 5

www.dukechronicle.com/ 3 4 8 classifieds 7 8

503A

Solution sudoku_503A Answers to today’s

9 4

2 The Chronicle

Distributed by The New York Times syndicate

Solution sudoku_502B Answers to 11/3

3 7 1 4 8 9 2 6 5 5 9 4 7 2 6 3 8 1 8 2 6 5 3 1 4 7 9 4 3 8 1 7 5 9 2 6 6 5 2 8 9 3 1 4 7 9 1 7 2 6 4 5 3 8 7 4 3 9Sales 5 8Corporation 6 1 2 Advertise here for The New York Times Syndication the best results 8 York, 5 6 N.Y. 4 2 10018 7 9 3 620 Eighth Avenue,1New For Information Call: 2 6 1-800-972-3550 9 3 1 7 8 5 4

5 3 9 7 8 6 1 4 2

503A

502B

Distributed by The New York Times syndicate

puzzle:

For Release Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Created by Peter Ritmeester/Presented by Will Shortz

6 5 1 4 9

Sanjeev Dasgupta | The Chronicle Senior Amile Jefferson and No. 5 Duke will get one last tune-up in before the regular season.

2 6 4 5 3 1 7 9 8

1 7 8 2 9 4 3 6 5

7 1 3 9 6 2 5 8 4

puzzle:

6 4 5 8 1 3 9 2 7

9 8 2 4 7 5 6 1 3

4 9 7 1 5 8 2 3 6

8 5 6 3 2 9 4 7 1

3 2 1 6 4 7 8 5 9

502B

dukechronicle.com classifieds

Crossword 38 Taking after TGIF 68 Part of the Wyndham hotel 39 Driver’s ed group enrollee, e.g. 41 Deadeye’s asset 69 Like a shrinking violet 42 Great Sphinx locale Recess 44 Bottom of a ~ today! DOWN gym? 1 Players of 45s 46 Mineral suffix 2 “Cavalleria 48 Suffix with planet Rusticana,” for 49 Debut time for one many TV shows Sportswrap ~ wickerwork 3 Like 55 After the bell today! 4 Ending with 59 Flying nocturnal metal or malinsect 5 Start of a drill 60 Puts the kibosh sergeant’s count on 61 Greek goddess of 6 Phrase in some the earth: Var. biography titles 62 Extra-care items 7 Ronco Veg-o-___ for movers … 8 Smaller than or a hint to the small starts of 17-, 24-, 28-, 449 None of the and 49-Across above 64 Libidinous god 10 Vitamin 65 Classic game frequency, often consoles 11 Like many 66 Greek H mainstream 67 Mardi Gras economic follower theorists 12 Betel nut-yielding TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE tree A C R E S A T I T 13 Alpine call S H A D E L O G O 18 Fund, as a E H E N G E A R N O foundation R R D A E S P O 22 E.P.A.-banned I C E B R E A K E R S pesticide N O T R A D E R 24 Hardest-to-find L E S S E N O S S items for a collector R O N H O R S E U R G E O N O N E A 26 Kilmer who played Batman B I A N N A L S E N E E D L E M E S 28 Online gaming annoyance S E P I N U E V O B R O N Z E S T A R 29 “The Book of ___” (Denzel V I D E O M A T T Washington D E E R E A G E S movie)

ACROSS 1 “___ goes it?” 4 Pow! 10 Rubber-stamp 14 2013 Twitter event, briefly 15 Café specification 16 Mad stepson in “I, Claudius” 17 High excitement 19 Took a gander at 20 Memorable hurricane of 2011 21 Performance with torches 23 Cement mixer input 24 Desire of one submitting a demo CD 25 Fertility clinic eggs 27 Profs’ paper graders, often 28 Workout attire that became a 1980s fad 35 “Holy cow!”

ANSWER C A S H I E R

E N T I T L E

D O O R O N E

E N N E I F I

A K A M E S A S P A C T R E P O U T M U L E S T E N

Edited by Will Shortz 1

24 25 29

43 46

No. 0930

35 40

41 45

48 51

63 66

PUZZLE BY FREDDIE CHENG

30 Huge amount, slangily

40 N.Y. sch. whose team is the Engineers 31 Backwoods 43 “Maybe even parent more” 32 Bard’s 45 Ditch the script preposition 47 Guinness suffix 33 Genetic 49 1993 Economics messenger co-Nobelist Robert 34 Determined to achieve 50 In the know 36 Word before boss 51 Confine to jail or bull 52 Line from the heart 37 Ambulance letters

53 Early car powerer 54 U.S. women’s soccer star Kelley 56 Trucker’s toll factor 57 Elephants’ tusks, essentially 58 Op-ed piece 60 Probe-launching org. 63 Not be serious

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/studentcrosswords.

T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y

The Chronicle

“

A warning from UNC

n the United States, North Carolina’s public university system is a flagship of state school systems. Last month, its Board of Governors named former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings as the successor of Tom Ross, the current system president who was forced to resign in January. Many have speculated the removal of Ross, whose tenure has been widely regarded as successful, is a political move by a Board of Governors controlled by Republican members. His resignation in January was followed closely by the similarly suspect closing of three major system research centers, including the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at UNCChapel Hill. And again, the Board of Governors is being put on the stand for naming Spellings. The selection process lacked transparency and sufficient engagement of relevant stakeholders—including faculty, students and the residents of North Carolina— and her qualifications and beliefs have been called into question. Most disconcerting is the pattern that emerged over the last year, one where process failures seemed to be ignored and compounded rather than remedied. Given the shifting political composition of the Board of Governors and state and without compelling evidence to suggest otherwise, it is hard to see this process as anything but political.

There are many questions to be raised about the appointment of Spellings. Her legacy as secretary of education is closely associated with the No Child Left Behind Act, an overhaul she has previously suggested as a model for higher education reform. She has since served on the Board of Directors for the Apollo Group, parent company for the University of Phoenix, a private higher-education institution criticized often for placing profit motives over student interests. There are further questions to ask about

Editorial

the efficacy of a policy maker without previous ties to the consortium serving as system president. These qualms are important and better left to public debate about the former secretary’s merits. We are fundamentally concerned with the process that unfolded behind closed doors for the Board’s decision-making and what it says about the influence of politics in higher education. The shutting out of relevant stakeholders within the university system and broader North Carolina in this major decision reveals a broad set of concerns of which this is one example. Earlier this year, Wisconsin’s state legislature attempted to change their university system’s

“Nowadays there are a number of schools out there which will earn their graduates nothing more than debt slavery, especially if compounded by poor grades or choice of major.” — “Jimbo” commenting on the Nov. 3 column “Is Duke worth it?”

LETTERS POLICY The Chronicle welcomes submissions in the form of letters to the editor or guest columns. Submissions must include the author’s name, signature, department or class, and for purposes of identification, phone number and local address. Letters should not exceed 325 words; contact the editorial department for information regarding guest columns. The Chronicle will not publish anonymous or form letters or letters that are promotional in nature. The Chronicle reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length, clarity and style and the right to withhold letters based on the discretion of the editorial page editor.

”

Direct submissions to: E-mail: chronicleletters@duke.edu Editorial Page Department The Chronicle Box 90858, Durham, NC 27708 Phone: (919) 684-2663 Fax: (919) 684-4696

The Chronicle

Inc. 1993

AMRITH RAMKUMAR, Editor RYAN HOERGER, Sports Editor RACHEL CHASON, Co-News Editor RYAN ZHANG, Co-News Editor GAUTAM HATHI, Digital Content Director STEPHANIE WU, Office Manager CAROLYN CHANG, Photography Editor JONATHAN ZHAO, Editorial Page Editor LEONARD GIARRANO, Editorial Board Chair MICHAEL LAI, Director Of Online Development

CHRISSY BECK, General Manager CLAIRE BALLENTINE, University Editor SARAH KERMAN, Local & National Editor ABIGAIL XIE, Health & Science Editor LILY COAD, Sports Photography Editor ELIZABETH DJINIS, Recess Managing Editor TOM VOSBURGH, Editorial Page Managing Editor EMMA BACCELLIERI, Towerview Editor MATTHEW ROCK, Towerview Photography Editor ALEENA KAREDIYA, Special Projects Editor SOPHIE TURNER, Special Projects Photography Editor MICHELLE MENCHACA, Recruitment Chair SAMANTHA NEAL, Senior News Reporter MEGAN HAVEN, Advertising Director MARY WEAVER, Operations Manager

mission statement as part of a political maneuver. The proposal eliminated the characterization of the “search for truth” as “basic to every purpose of the system” and asserted the “mission” of the system as the development of “human resources to meet the state’s workforce needs.” The Board of Governors’ tactics seem yet another attempt at the instrumentalization of public higher education to craft a workforce for economic purpose rather than the pursuit of broader societal and public good. This is a fundamental and inescapable debate about the future of higher education and its role in society and one that should not simply be outsourced to a few politicians or political appointees. The process should not just draw our ire, but it also should trigger introspection at Duke. We should not think ourselves immune from the broader trends in higher education as a private institution. There is, and has been, a division between the financial and intellectual management of the University. When the lines blur—as with the Board of Governors for UNC— the intellectual mission of a university is vulnerable to the imposition of politicians and businessmen. The many parts of administration should not and cannot be totally mutually exclusive, but the University cannot afford to have one side overpower the other as it steers itself into the future.

Tin can telephone

onlinecomment

Est. 1905

The Chronicle

www.dukechronicle.com commentary

6 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015

ALEX GRIFFITH, University Editor NEELESH MOORTHY, Local & National Editor SANJEEV DASGUPTA, News Photography Editor GEORGIA PARKE, Recess Editor JESÚS HIDALGO, Recess Photography Editor BRIAN POLLACK, Sports Managing Editor NICK MARTIN, Towerview Editor THU NGUYEN, Towerview Creative Director CARLEIGH STIEHM, Senior Editor RITA LO, Graphic Design Editor DANI LAZARUS, Recruitment Chair ADAM BEYER, Senior News Reporter GRACE WANG, Senior News Reporter JULIE MOORE, Creative Director

The Chronicle is published by the Duke Student Publishing Company, Inc., a non-profit corporation independent of Duke University. The opinions expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of Duke University, its students, faculty, staff, administration or trustees. Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board. Columns, letters and cartoons represent the views of the authors. To reach the Editorial Office at 301 Flowers Building, call 684-2663 or fax 684-4696. To reach the Business Office at 2022 Campus Drive call 684-3811. To reach the Advertising Office at 2022 Campus Drive call 684-3811. One copy per person; additional copies may be purchased for .25 at The Chronicle Business office at the address above. @ 2015 Duke Student Publishing Company

hroughout its history, the Duke University endowment has faced scrutiny and been a target for advocacy. The movement to divest from apartheid in the 1980s, the more recent call for the endowment to be free of conflict minerals, the effort by Duke Open to increase investment transparency and the current campaign to divest from fossil fuels are all examples of advocacy with varying degrees of success. As Duke students and faculty raise concerns about what makes a responsible and ethical endowment, I argue that the difficulty in acquiring information about Duke University’s

referring to the calls for increased endowment transparency that ACIR has plainly and repeatedly asserted is not needed to address social responsibility concerns. Even without full disclosures, I believe the community has a right to both procedural and substantive transparency. First, the advisory process must be clearly documented and accessible in a single, centralized, digital location. This includes meeting minutes that detail not only the committee’s process in making decisions (for example, whether they make decisions by unanimous consensus or majority vote) but also their detailed rationale for decisions issued—extending to,

Rachel Weber TREE SAP advisory processes is a major hurdle in reaching community contentment about what goes on behind Duke’s black curtain of investments. The Responsible Endowments Coalition defines a responsible endowment as one that represents the community’s values and institutional beliefs and demonstrates intergenerational equity. In other words, upholding fiduciary duty is not solely acting in the endowment’s financial interest—though that’s part of it—but that it also means acting in a way that is socially and environmentally sustainable. As students, faculty and staff who receive resources and paychecks from the university, we all have an investment—pun intended—in the decisions that the Board of Trustees and DUMAC (Duke Management Company) make about our endowment. If a student or faculty member did care about Duke’s investments, what is the best way for her to constructively enter the conversation about endowment issues? The structures for education and engagement are passive at best and obstructive at worst. Quite frankly, the Duke website for ACIR (Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility) and the PSC (President’s Special Committee) has embarrassingly little information about ACIR and the PSC’s functioning activities. For example, the website now contains updated information on the current members of ACIR, but it contains no contact details for the mysterious PSC (including the committee’s chair) or information about its meeting structure or frequency, even though the PSC apparently has the power to refer issues to ACIR. As of this column’s run date, the website contains two outdated public forum announcements from 2012 and 2014 but no mention of the public forum happening next week. The incomplete list of documents that includes some resolutions, letters and proposals is a start, but if these committees “consider proposals from the University community regarding specific investment responsibility concerns,” why are we not privy to meeting minutes and notes from the previous public forums and committee sessions? It is not so radical to demand transparency from the administration and its advisors; and no, I’m not even

if outside references or expertise is required, the processes of choosing those sources or individuals. Objectively, if there is nothing to hide, then it should not be that difficult. There should also be a simple, navigable structure and contact information for directing concerns, questions and proposals. If this is our main conduit between the community and Duke’s investment practices, let’s remove the static from the communication lines. Right now, it seems like we’re working with two tin cans and a string. Students become alumni, faculty and administration take offers at different universities and the members of committees like ACIR and the PSC rotate. The only way for us to preserve institutional memory is to properly archive and make not only the end results public but also the meeting minutes and the reasoning that goes into dismissing or moving along with a proposal. This is not only productive for student organizers at Duke who want to bring attention to particular issues with Duke’s investment decisions but also for members of these advisory committees who want to back up their track records and decision-making processes. As members of the Duke community, we all have a stake in the implications of the university’s investments— ethical, financial and otherwise. This is a call to action to be an informed and active member of the Duke community and hold ACIR and the administration to a high standard when it comes to providing us with adequate information— whether that be ultimately process-driven or actual increased transparency regarding our disclosures. I have an easy starting place for you. This coming Monday at 6:00 p.m., ACIR will hold a public forum in the Holsti-Anderson Room of the Rubenstein Library. Come ready to listen and come with questions; but most importantly, come with the expectation that this should not be a checked box for annual public input and that we have the right to expect follow-ups to unanswered questions and concerns from Monday’s meeting. Rachel Weber is a Trinity senior and the President of the Duke Climate Coalition. Her column runs on alternate Wednesdays.

The Chronicle

www.dukechronicle.com commentary

When in doubt ...

uke is a competitive environment where success is measured in tangible results and where high ambitions and finite opportunities produce rivalry. We have been taught our whole lives that achievement matters greatly. And many have, understandably, come to believe that their self-worth depends on achievement, whether academic, social or professional. That pressure to excel in all things, and without displaying great effort, breeds doubt.

or an eight-lateral kickoff return by the opponent on the last play of the game: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? / You are far from plea and the cry of my distress / O my God, I call by day and you give no reply; / I call by night and I find no peace.” How do we rise from the depths of doubt? By daring to believe, to believe in the transcendent as a reality as accessible and real as the reality of the laboratory. Those same Psalms tell us that one who believes is “like a tree that is planted /

Nothing wrong with cultural costumes

ith Halloween still fresh in our minds, anyone who dressed up as a Native American or an Indian belly dancer most likely did not go unnoticed. Recently, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding certain Halloween costumes. One of the most common contentions is the idea that certain Halloween costumes exemplify the problem of cultural appropriation. However, this criticism is misplaced. Sure, dressing up as a half-naked Native American or an Indian belly

William Rooney

Kelly Cheng

IMAGO DEI

GUEST COLUMN

Doubting starts early at Duke. Freshmen wonder whether they belong here, whether they’re smart enough, cool enough, whether their firstsemester friendships will persist or will have just been placeholders until rush shakes out. Sophomores ponder major declaration, unsure about the return-on-investment of the program they must soon select and the options it might open or close. And the doubts just increase as we progress. Juniors worry about the internship search, seeking the perfect job to set them up for life yet afraid of whether they might be falling behind when compared to their peers’ success. Seniors are uneasy about graduation and beyond, from career plans or graduate school to just finishing that thesis on time. But we also have deeper doubts. Am I the person I thought I was in high school? Is my life coming together as I always dreamed it would? Have I gotten the “life bearings” that my high school teachers said mark the real purpose of college? Or am I lost—full of doubt— and afraid to tell anyone? These doubts are exacerbated by the ambient culture at Duke. Conventions are attacked. Confidence is deflated. Conformity is encouraged. More gravely, the University as an institution, which seems daunting and opaque, is entirely agnostic to values and beliefs. From Duke, we learn that we can define the content of right and wrong only subjectively, for ourselves, and, once defined, that we must keep those values to ourselves lest we offend others. We also learn in many classes that the only reliable—or legitimate—truths are empirical truths, ones that can be verified with data. And so when we ask ourselves the Life Questions—what do I believe, what can I believe in a legitimate way, am I more than my biological composition— we are left to our own devices. We can try to dismiss or ignore those questions, even suppress them. But they keep resurfacing, often at the most inopportune times. Perhaps not the most widely read book on campus, the Book of Psalms, though written thousands of years ago, has an impressive way of illuminating the timeless depth and significance of human experience. Consider Psalm 6, which describes the sentiments of an overcommitted, under-rested Duke student: “I am exhausted with my groaning; / every night I drench my pillow with tears; / I bedew my bed with weeping.” Or Psalm 22, which echoes the cries of one whose life plan has come crashing down through a failed orgo test, a job rejection, a breakup

beside the flowing waters, / that yields its fruit in due season, / and whose leaves shall never fade.” And Psalm 84: “They are happy, whose strength is in you, / in whose hearts are the roads to Zion. / As they go through the Bitter Valley / they make it a place of springs, / the autumn rain covers it with blessings.” The Psalms descend into the deepest abyss of the darkest human experiences—the pain of loss, suffering and loneliness. But they also lead us out of that abyss to the wellsprings of unending nourishment from the truth, beauty and goodness of the Absolute. Many skeptics might say I am suggesting only a hallucinogenic drug, an addictive painkiller that reflects no reality whatsoever and operates only to numb one from the hard truth of empiricism. For now, I put aside the powerful philosophical rebuttals to that skepticism and invite your personal experience to be the judge: is your love for your family real or illusory? Is the beauty that you see in nature genuine or imagined? Is the joy that you feel when you do something truly for the sake of another authentic or phony? Are you hallucinating when you feel, deep down in your conscience, that nagging pull for what is true and good? Generations of both the sophisticated and the simple have answered those questions by assenting to the reality of a transcendent and personal God. People in all cultures in all times have found that their lives have been immeasurably enriched and that their tribulations have become manageable, indeed meaningful, when they answer favorably to the call of their hearts. Saint Augustine captured that human phenomenon and philosophical truth best when he wrote in the Confessions a summary of his own tumultuous, doubtridden spiritual journey: “You made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Believing, hoping and loving are called “theological” virtues because they lead us to, and increase our participation in, the goodness that is God. Cultivating those virtues will not eliminate the challenges and trials that we will face for the rest of our lives. But those virtues will allow us to see ourselves as we really are—the imago Dei—and, as a result, to overcome our challenges by keeping our eyes fixed on what durably matters. When in doubt, dare to believe, dare to hope, dare to love. The “Bitter Valley” will become a place of springs, and the autumn rain will cover it with blessings. William Rooney is a Trinity senior. His column runs on alternate Wednesdays.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015 | 7

dancer isn’t an accurate portrayal of a given culture and isn’t necessarily politically correct, but these costumes are not specifically meant to insult or demean a specific ethnic group. These costumes are not negative representations of a specific group of people but are rather just modified versions of a specific group’s way of dress. In fact, for someone to dress up as a specific culture or ethnicity, he or she must find that way of dress aesthetically pleasing or unique in some way. Why else would he or she want to imitate it? On Wednesday Oct. 28, Duke Coffeehouse hosted a “Very Haunted House Party” where students were encouraged to attend in their Halloween costumes. In the comments section of this Facebook event, it was specified that costumes portraying other cultures were deemed inappropriate and would not be allowed inside. These posters titled “We are a culture, not a costume” depicting examples of cultural costumes have been widely circulated among social media platforms. In a university with such a socially liberal atmosphere—where political activist groups can freely propagate their opinions, where there are multiple media platforms for students, where students can start new clubs on campus at their discretion—a small action such as a particular culture being depicted through a costume should be considered free expression instead of verboten. Just earlier last week, Walmart’s Israeli army Halloween costume had sparked some controversy as well. Many argued that this costume should not be for sale at a time when there is still a high level of tension between Israel and Palestine. However, this children’s costume does not seem to magnify the violence between the two nations or even provide a biased understanding of the situation. It simply

provides a child with an opportunity to dress up as someone he may wish to emulate. Although in the past there have been controversial costumes like the “Anna Rexia” costume in 2013 depicting a skeleton with a matching measuring belt around the waist, it seems that this year’s costume market has sparked significantly more discussion than previous years. In fact, the controversy over the Anna Rexia costume has started up again in the past week with posts from Yahoo Health, Teen

Vogue and People as the costume is not only still on the market but is actually sold out this season. For years, people have been dressing up as other cultures during Halloween, but why has this issue just been brought to light recently? These controversies over costumes have definitely raised awareness on the topic of cultural appropriation as well as potentially offensive costumes. But, this awareness, which was originally intended to place a negative connotation on certain costumes, may in fact increase the popularity of said costumes. After 26-year-old Jessi Davin, who had previously struggled with anorexia, drafted a petition to take the Anna Rexia costume off the market and was recognized by the media, it seemed that the costume had in fact become more popular, resulting in it being sold out this season. This recent talk over Halloween costumes has definitely increased awareness about what costumes might be potentially offensive, but this process may not necessarily reduce the sales of these costumes. Moreover, with the basic right of freedom of expression, people choose to express themselves in different ways, some of which may be interpreted as offensive. As a pluralistic society, we must live with expression that we may find offensive. What makes America so great is that people freely express their opinions all the time, whether through parades, boycotts or any other medium. In a country where freedom of expression is so encouraged, how is it that these costumes have caused so much controversy? Given that Halloween is a day of dressing up, it should be the day that freedom of expression should be at its peak. After all, isn’t Halloween the one day of the year you could be as whatever you want? Kelly Cheng is a Trinity freshman.

Letter to the Editor I read with great interest last Thursday’s editorial, “From gentrification to revitalization: what Duke can do,” regarding the recent growth in property values for some downtown neighborhoods. In the Durham County tax office, we, too, have recognized that growth, and we understand the concern that the prospect of higher taxes may pose for many of our residents in these areas. I can appreciate the position of the editorial board, but my purpose in writing is to make a couple of observations in response. The editorial mentions that “Durham currently does not offer [the] taxation relief” of freezing property taxes for vulnerable homeowners. While it’s true that neither the city nor the county offers such relief, it is also true that neither one even has that option in North Carolina. With the exception of the actual tax rate, property taxes for both counties and municipalities are entirely governed by the General Assembly. No local government has the authority to enact a variation of the controlling statutes, and even the State legislature is bound

by the N.C. Constitution to make property tax relief programs applicable statewide, rather than in specific localities. The current income-related property tax relief programs that are available in N.C. are designed for elderly and disabled homeowners. It is our goal to inform every Durham County resident of the availability of these homestead programs, and our office has consistently worked to inform our citizens of them, through press releases, mailings, brochures, public speaking engagements and through the county website. Finally, I would like to mention that the actual purpose of the reappraisal, which is required by state law, is to restore tax equity to all property owners across the county. The property tax in N.C. is based on market value, and reappraisal is simply the method used to help ensure that no property owner, anywhere in the county, pays any more than his or her share of the overall tax burden. Kimberly H. Simpson Durham County Tax Administration

8 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015

MOLLOY from page 4 During her sophomore year, Molloy and her family learned about the TP/AIT procedure. The removal of her pancreas would relieve her chronic pain, but the recovery process would be grueling. The surgery would also leave her with type I diabetes without the cells to produce insulin. Managing blood sugar is a challenge for any new diabetic but would be even more so for Molloy as an athlete training four hours per day. The procedure is only performed at a handful of institutions across the country, and Molloy and her family began visiting hospitals to decide not only where she would have the surgery, but also where she would be recovering for a month and a half afterward. They eventually chose the Medical University of South Carolina at Charleston, but did not initially set a date for the procedure as Molloy was still unsure whether she wanted to wait until after college. At the same time she was considering the procedure in Charleston, Molloy found another mentor, friend and confidant: Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe. In his first months as head coach at Ole Miss in Dec. 1998, Cutcliffe was hospitalized for bouts of pancreatitis. Two months later at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi, he had his gallbladder removed because its chronic dysfunction was the cause of his pancreatic inflammation. Molloy’s mother reached out to Cutcliffe, asking him to send her daughter a quick email in hopes that his encouragement would make her feel better. But Cutcliffe had another idea. He went to visit Molloy while she was in the hospital. “I said I’d love to come over there and say hi. That’s literally what I was going to do. But the honest truth is she inspired me way more than I did anything for her,” Cutcliffe said. “Unless you have dealt with pancreatitis, you don’t understand pain. She was so strong, and

The Chronicle

www.dukechronicle.com

her spirit was so good. I think back to what I was like, and I was blown away by her strength.” Cutcliffe became one of Molloy’s regular visitors when she was in the hospital and kept frequent contact with her family. Given their shared experience, Molloy relied on him as a source of support as she was deciding whether or not to go through with the surgery. “As she was facing this very difficult decision—and it had to be her decision—to go to Charleston, most of my role there was to encourage her by cell [phone], by email and by prayer,” Cutcliffe said. “She’s got a great will. A big part of being an athlete is your competitiveness and she feeds off that. For her to be able to get back out there and compete—that’s everything.” Molloy underwent the TP/AIT procedure May 28. She was in the intensive care unit for seven days and remained in the hospital for another two weeks after that. She stayed in Charleston for three weeks for constant check-ups with her healthcare team. When she returned home, she could not resist coming back to campus. Molloy started working with Cutcliffe and the football team as soon as she got back to Duke. Cutcliffe gave her a desk on the fourth floor of the Yoh Football Center, where she works with his administrative assistants and organizes the team’s recruiting databases. And as soon she was cleared to swim, she was back in the water at Taishoff doing what she loves. She started with a few hundred yards and built her endurance until she could return to practice, much to her doctors’ surprise. “Kiera is an extraordinarily tenacious young lady. Her doctors think she is the wonder-child,” Colella said. “To have that surgery and to be able to come back and do what she does on a daily basis is absolutely remarkable. She has an absolute love for swimming and this university, and she can’t think of not having it in her life.” Molloy’s dedication to swimming and her team made her an obvious choice for team

captain for the 2015-16 campaign. “I take the job very seriously, but there’s something to be said about swimming for the love and enjoyment of the sport,” Molloy said. “My experience has taught me to appreciate the journey and never take it for granted. That’s what I try to convey as a leader of the team. As we like to say, “’For the Team, From the Heart.’” Ryan Hoerger contributed reporting.

SCOUTING from page 4 break tackles and hit you big with his speed.” Although the offensive firepower will be on display for the Tar Heels, the biggest turnaround from a year ago is their newfound defensive edge. Last season, North Carolina allowed 497.8 yards per game—worst in the ACC—which contributed to its 6-7 record, despite scoring 33.2 points per game. This season, though, new defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has injected new life into his unit. The Tar Heels are allowing 358.0 yards per game and have three players with at least 50 tackles. Sophomore safety Donnie Miles leads the way with 66 tackles, and junior defensive end Junior Gnonkonde paces the front line with 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, seven quarterback hits and two fumble recoveries—all of which are team-highs. “It’s still a really, really good defense,” Duke tight end Braxton Deaver said. “They’re playing a little different [from last season]. They’re a little more confident in what they’re doing, and when you have a confident defense you have a good defense—a strong defense—and we need to meet that with fire and playmaking.” On the other side of the ball, North Carolina has to deal with a Blue Devil defense that is ranked ninth in yards allowed per game. Tar Heel head coach Larry Fedora identified the heart and soul of the stout

OUR FUNDS HAVE A RECORD LIKE A BROKEN RECORD.

TIAA-CREF: Lipper’s Best Overall Large Fund Company three years in a row. For the first time ever. How? Our disciplined investment strategy aims to produce competitive risk-adjusted returns that create long-term value for you. Just what you’d expect from a company that’s created to serve and built to perform. 1

Learn more about our unprecedented, award-winning performance at TIAA.org/Perform BUILT TO PERFORM. CREATED TO SERVE.

defense as redshirt senior safety Jeremy Cash, who has been all over the field this season. In 35 career games for Duke, Cash has registered 302 tackles and is currently the ACC leader in tackles for loss with 15.5—good for 1.94 per game, which ranks third nationally. “I feel like this week we might have something a little special because Jeremy Cash is particularly a special player when it comes to blitzing and getting tackles for a loss and being disruptive in the pass game,” Hood told reporters at North Carolina’s Monday press conference. “There might be something that we put in just in case.” Although Hood and the rest of the offense may be watching out for Cash on the field, Williams may have his eyes focused a little closer to the line of scrimmage on defensive tackle Carlos Wray—his first cousin. Wray has been instrumental to the Blue Devils’ success on the defensive front this season with 31 total tackles, 1.0 sacks and three quarterback hits, but Williams is determined to keep the Victory Bell on his side of the rivalry. Instead, the quarterback would prefer to replicate his four-touchdown performance from last season, when the entire Duke defense had trouble putting a hand on him. “It’s going to be exciting just to go against your family member, just to have bragging rights,” Williams told reporters Monday. “Last year, I had the bragging rights. Leading up to that he was talking [about] how he was going to sack me five times, he was going to get his draft stock off me, he’s going to be big-time off me…and then we end up winning and that was it. He had nothing else to say.” If Williams and North Carolina come out firing on all cylinders like they did in Durham a year ago, Duke will not have the chance to ponder the whatifs of a final, eight-lateral play or claim bragging rights of any kind. Instead, the Blue Devils might have a 10-mile ride back down Tobacco Road 75004 without a bell in tow and with nothing else to say for the second year in a row.

The Lipper Awards are based on a review of 36 companies’ 2012 and 48 companies’ 2013 and 2014 risk-adjusted performance.

The Lipper Award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years’ Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12, 11/30/13, and 11/30/14 respectively. TIAA-CREF was ranked among 36 fund companies in 2012 and 48 fund companies in 2013 and 2014 with at least five equity, five bond, or three mixed-asset portfolios. Past performance does not guarantee future results. For current performance and rankings, please visit the Research and Performance section on tiaa-cref.org. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., and Nuveen Securities, LLC, members FINRA and SIPC, distribute securities products. ©2015 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America–College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. C24849B 1

Consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Go to tiaa-cref.org for product and fund prospectuses that contain this and other information. Read carefully before investing. TIAA-CREF funds are subject to market and other risk factors.