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ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH YEAR, Issue 37

‘The worst thing ever’: Campus squirrels run amok Claire Ballentine The Chronicle Squirrels are normally known for running from people, but these days it seems that Duke students are the ones running from squirrels. Although professors assert that behavior exhibited by squirrels on Duke’s campus is not abnormal given their environment, many students have reported experiencing unusual interactions with them across campus. Several students noted how unnerving it is that the squirrels seem to have no fear of people. “I’m terrified of squirrels in general, so when a squirrel pops out of a trash can at me, it’s the worst thing ever,” sophomore Sam Rosso said. “I even avoid specific trash cans that squirrels have popped out of.” Fortunately, there is little chance of squirrels on campus spreading diseases like rabies, said V. Louise Roth, professor of biology. She noted that foxes, raccoons and bats are the primary carriers in the Durham area. “There’s a chance of getting bitten if you take for granted their tameness, but people usually don’t get that close,” she explained. Roth did note that although squirrels are not naturally aggressive animals, they do have remarkably strong teeth and sharp claws—this potential for injury is likely enough to deter many students from interacting too closely with squirrels. “They’re bold,” senior Crockett Stevenson noted. “You can get really near them and they won’t do a thing about it.”

Alex Deckey | The Chronicle Many students have had frightening interactions with campus squirrels, which biology professors say is due to squirrels’ repeated exposure to students.

John Mercer, associate professor of the practice of biology, explained that the squirrels on campus have become acclimated to students through repeated exposure to them. “There are just a lot of people around, and the squirrels are used to eating food left behind by students,” he said. “[The squirrels] have no reason to fear them.” The boldness of the squirrels on campus

has resulted in students experiencing incidents in which squirrels either run uncomfortably close to them or physically touch them. Junior Mark Cullen said that a squirrel jumped out of a trash can outside Brodie Gym and landed on his chest before scampering away. The squirrels do not seem at all intimidated by the presence of students

sitting or walking around campus, added freshman Griffin Haas. “One of my friends was sitting at an outdoor table and a squirrel literally ran across her,” he said. References to the small animals have even appeared on the anonymous social media outlet Yik Yak. One post last year See SQUIRRELS on Page 4

Bass Connections facing challenges despite lofty goals Likhitha Butchireddygari The Chronicle

Special to The Chronicle The goals for the interdisciplinary Bass Connections program include integrating graduate students and sustaining faculty engagement.

Bass Connections is working to better recruit graduate students and increase the program’s on-campus presence in its third year at Duke. Started two years ago, Bass Connections allows students and faculty to address complicated issues impacting society today through an interdisciplinary lens, explained Hallie Knuffman, director for administration and program development for Bass Connections. During the program’s initial rollout, administrators hoped the program would impact the structure and function of the University in significant ways. Although Knuffman said that Bass has been able to provide enriching experiences for students and faculty, administrators are focusing on several areas— including engagement

and outreach—where the program still faces challenges. Moving forward, Bass administrators are looking at ways of assessing and improving the program. “Duke has a mission of fostering excellent research, excellent teaching and really substantive engagement outreach to society,” said Edward Balleisen, vice provost for interdisciplinary studies. “Bass Connections is about integrating those three things and doing so in a way that pulls together insight and expertise and enthusiasm and commitment from the four corners of the University.” When the first Bass Connection projects were being started, administrators expressed high hopes for the program. In a 2013 interview with The Chronicle, Susan Roth, who was then vice provost for interdisciplinary studies, said that she hoped Bass Connections would influence how the University operates on a day-to-day basis.

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“What we hope for is that it’s not just going to be a program that sits apart in some way, like DukeEngage, that it really is going to influence how things routinely get done around the University,” Roth said. The Bass Connections program has seen moderate growth since its inception, but is still limited to a fairly small slice of the University. According to the program’s website, there are currently 333 participants in Bass Connections projects, including faculty, staff, graduate students and undergraduate students, up from 281 participants in 2014. Moving forward, the administration wants to see more graduate student involvement. Junior Tara Bansal, Duke Student Government vice president for academic affairs and student representative on the Bass Connections Student Advisory Council, noted that graduate students can

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DSG allocates $50,000 for Juniors creating robot to student campus projects minimize tick exposure Frances Beroset The Chronicle Duke Student Government voted to approve a new program that allows student teams to implement campus improvement projects with DSG funding at its meeting Wednesday. “Pitch-a-Project” will allow students to propose ideas they believe would improve the undergraduate experience at Duke, said Michael Norwalk, vice president for facilities and the environment, who presented the proposal for the program in open senate. The new program’s budget, which will only provide funding for this year under current legislation, allocates $50,000 from DSG’s current surplus of $151,331.73. Student proposals can receive up to $7,500 in funding each under the program, but the money allocated may not all be spent. Norwalk compared the idea to Fix My Campus, a DSG affiliate body, since both aim to implement projects that would make improvements to campus life. Fix My Campus works with the administration to implement changes, whereas the new program would fund student proposals directly. “We’re crowd-sourcing to get new innovative ideas from the student body and to increase our engagement beyond just the DSG Senate room and engage the whole student body more than we have in the past,” Norwalk said. “It should be a really cool opportunity for students to get together with their friends…and have an idea for something they think could be a beneficial thing to add to campus that we’ve overlooked.” DSG also discussed and voted on questions for the DSG Research Unit to investigate throughout the next year regarding life for students on campus. Possible questions included ones concerning sexual health, voting in elections, advising, social life and campus safety. The final three questions will be announced at next week’s meeting. Senior Operations Advisor Abhi Sanka, who leads the DSGRU, said in Senate that

the goal of the senators should be to come up with the questions most relevant to the student body, and the goal of DSGRU is to figure out the best methods of answering those questions. “The research unit functions as an independent team of investigators who are very quantitatively oriented and have really hard skills in data science,” Sanka said. “They’re going to take these questions that were commissioned today and for the remainder of semester develop methodologies and gather evidence surrounding some of the questions that, as student government representatives, we would like evidence behind as we think about how to approach some of these problems that we think exist on campus.” This is DSGRU’s second year in operation. Last year, Sanka created the research unit as then-Executive Vice President after realizing the ability of research to better identify and address the needs of the student body. “As data science becomes more popular, it’s something that’s catching on,” Sanka said. In other business: Executive Vice President John Guarco, a junior, and Senator for Academic Affairs Kushal Kadakia, a freshman, argued in favor of moving DSG to a plurality system to increase turnout by making voting easier. The proposal was introduced last meeting. Bryan Dinner, vice president for social culture, argued against the shift, saying DSG’s focus should not be on improving their own voter turnout numbers. Debate was tabled until next week’s meeting. The Student Organization Funding Committee presented two new groups— the National Organization of Business and Engineering and the Duke PrePhysical Therapy Association. DSG voted to approve $6,054 in funding for the Duke International Association’s fall festival, which is approximately $1000 less than what they had requested.

Lucy Zhang The Chronicle Researchers wanting to avoid ticktransmitted diseases may soon have a new tool at their disposal—a tickcollecting robot being developed by Duke undergraduates. The robot—created by juniors Andrew Buie, Austin McKee and Logan Rooper— was designed to mitigate the many health risks researchers face in working closely with ticks. Dr. Greg Gray, member of the One Health team in the Duke Global Health Institute and professor in the School of Medicine, worked closely with the student-run Duke Robotics club in the Pratt School of Engineering. He emphasized that projects such as the tickcollecting robot embody One Health’s primary initiative—to incorporate interdisciplinary fields of science in a collaborative effort. “Today we have these difficult

problems in public health that cannot be approached by just one discipline, so we need to work across disciplines in teams,” Gray said. Gray noted that the issue of ticks in research, although highly specific, is of immense concern. The study of ticks and their roles in infectious disease is critical as they carry viruses, bacteria and parasites, Gray explained. Research of ticks is crucial to public health, but as a result, there are many health risks associated with the arachnids. During the summer, Buie and Rooper, co-presidents of Duke Robotics, did field work with Gray in the Duke Forest to study the process of tick collection, which Rooper described as “very manual.” Buie and Rooper than came up with a proposal for a robot that would emulate what the researchers were doing while preventing exposure to ticks. McKee was later approached by Rooper and Buie to join the team. See TICK ROBOT on Page 4

Special to The Chronicle Three juniors involved with Duke Robotics are designing a robot to protect researchers from diseases transmitted by ticks.

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Students help each other de-stress by teaching yoga Rachel Sereix The Chronicle Duke students are flocking to take yoga classes—and other students are stepping up to teach them. Several students teach classes at Wilson and Brodie Recreation Centers as a way to relax, with many also taking advantage of the work-study benefits that can come with such positions. Teaching yoga at Duke requires a number of certifications and a training course, but instructors say that they enjoy sharing their practice with other students on campus. “Sometimes students lose their balance, fall down and laugh at themselves—and I love that,” said Brittany Zick, Pratt ‘08 and a master’s student in global health, who teaches yoga classes at Wilson. “We have to learn to not take ourselves so seriously and embrace our talents and limitations. That is what yoga is about—understanding your own body and cultivating awareness.” Yoga offers benefits to both students and teachers in the classes, explained University Group Fitness Coordinator Lisa Jindra, Graduate School ‘10. She said that practicing yoga can improve one’s concentration, balance, flexibility and strength. “We often say that yoga helps connect the brain, body and breath,” she explained. Students wanting to become instructors must earn proper credentials before teaching classes at Duke. Jindra noted that each incoming yoga instructor must complete a 200-hour training program, preferably through an accredited Yoga Alliance School, and must also have cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillator and

first-aid certifications. Junior Kathryn Loftus, who regularly conducts her own yoga classes, explained that she completed her 200-hour certification in six weeks full of lectures, poses, reading and homework. “It became my life for the six weeks I was in training,” she said. Loftus did not practice yoga often in high school, but said she got more involved during her freshman year at Duke before training to become a yoga instructor as a sophomore. Like Zick, she explained that she enjoys helping students de-stress amid their packed day-to-day schedules. “The most rewarding part of the job is having people come up to me after class and say that my class was a great way to end their day, or that they have been feeling stressed and yoga helped them,” she said. Students in the classes also appreciate the opportunity to take their mind off of work and other worries of Duke life. “Yoga allows me to unwind from a long day and temporarily escape from an abundance of homework and continuous hours of studying,” freshman Iris Yang said. Practicing and teaching yoga is enjoyable for many on campus, but it can also become an integral part of students’ lives. After being diagnosed with prematurely aggravated genetic arthritis in her third and fourth lumbar vertebrae when she was 12, senior Allison Draper’s physical therapist recommended that she try yoga—a recommendation that has paid off. “Yoga allowed me to be able to manage my pain on my own, with my own body,” Draper said. “It was empowering, and I was hooked.” Draper teaches four different yoga classes—Power Yoga, Happy Hour Yoga,

Rachel Sereix | The Chronicle Yoga is a popular pastime for students trying to relax—many dedicated to the practice also teach classes at Wilson and Brodie Recreation Centers.

Yoga Sculpt and Yin Yoga. Even though the first three classes center on vinyasa flow—a style of yoga in which movements are synchronized with one’s breathing— Draper manages to teach a variety of classes, including some that involve free weight exercises and core workouts. For example, Yin Yoga is a slow meditative class in which students repeat 10 to 12 poses that are held for three to eight minutes each, while Happy Hour Yoga is an upbeat class set to music. There are definitely yoga novices at Duke, but Draper noted that most of the students who attend her classes are typically either wellversed in yoga or have prior experience. “Yoga definitely has a following, so people

who are into yoga seek classes out on their own,” she said. “People often get started with the hopes of becoming more flexible, but stick around for everything else that yoga has to offer.” Zick, who teaches vinyasa flow and hatha yoga—a style that often involves slow-paced classes with more stretching—noted that she became interested in teaching yoga after practicing for 12 years, but wanted more balance and personal interaction when working as a software engineer. “I like to make sure that everyone breaks a sweat in my class, but I also want to slip in some meditation and relaxation to the class so they truly get the benefits of the yoga practice for the mind as well,” she said.

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SQUIRRELS from page 1

BASS from page 1

read, “The squirrels here look at you like you’re the squirrel.” “I notice the squirrels through Yik Yak more than I notice them in real life,” freshman Lucas Carter said. Despite some students’ unease with the squirrels, Mercer noted that the animals’ acclimation to people does not pose any significant problems for either group. “Squirrels get along fine more or less with people as long as there’s a respectful relationship between the two species,” he said. Mercer explained that the Eastern gray squirrel—the common name of the species found on campus—is usually more skittish in its natural forest habitat away from human contact. For instance, the squirrels living near the running trail by the Washington Duke Inn are less comfortable with people, he said. Mercer also noted that he hopes students and squirrels have peaceful interactions in the future. “Let us hope it’s benign on both sides,” he said.

be a great resource and provide excellent guidance for undergraduate researchers. “[Graduates] provide crucial leadership within the teams,” Balleisen said. “They can play really crucial roles as project managers and mentors for aspects of the projects, which is great training for them and can really enrich the experience of the undergraduates, while also providing faculty with crucial assistance in making the teams work effectively.” Another issue facing Bass Connections is sustaining faculty engagement. Because faculty are not compensated for their work and the program does not currently count towards tenure, faculty sometimes lack the incentive to get involved, said David Toole, chair of the Bass faculty advisory committee. “It’s also going to be a really important challenge for us to keep understanding the range of faculty who are participating,” Balleisen said. “We certainly would like to see a balance from year to year of teams which are continuing

with ongoing collaborations amongst faculty and new ideas, new expertise, and new people who are offering a different experience for students.” Along with faculty engagement, Bass administrators are also concerned with student engagement and awareness. Students are not as aware of Bass as they are of programs like DukeEngage and FOCUS that also emphasize interdisciplinary studies, Bansal said. “We could be clearer in our outreach to students,” said Deborah Jenson, co-director of the Brain and Society theme at Bass and director of the Franklin Humanities Institute. “Over time, it could be helpful if there were a little more uniformity across the themes so that students would have a more concrete sense of what to expect in a Bass Connections team, course, or other experience.” Beyond alleviating these problems, Bass Connections is also trying to increase its involvement with all of the various academic communities at Duke, including undergraduates and professional schools, Jenson explained. Knuffman added that Bass is also looking to solidify its involvement with existing programs on campus, such as DukeEngage and the FOCUS program. The program is also looking to increase the number of themes in which it offers projects and in so doing open up more opportunities for research. Bansal, for example, said she would like to see a focus on economic development and finance. “One area that I would like to see developed more is humanities. The humanities are already very involved on the level of team topics within the existing themes, and the Franklin Humanities Institute contributes to humanities-related teams,” Jenson said. “Nevertheless, it would be great to have an actual humanities-based theme eventually.” Ultimately, what Bass administrators hope to do is help the program continue a long-standing Duke tradition of sponsoring interdisciplinary research, Toole said. “Among universities around the country, Duke really does stand out in the possibilities it creates for interdisciplinary work and that’s because of a long commitment on the part of the administration—the current one, but also previous administrations too—to institutionalize interdisciplinarity,” Toole said. “If [Bass] is truly successful, it becomes yet another way that Duke can organize itself around work across disciplines.”

TICK ROBOT from page 2 “It’s out of character for us to work on a project like this that has so much overlap with medicine and all these fields we never really get to touch on, so it’s a really interesting opportunity,” Rooper said. The robot itself will resemble a mini-cart with two front wheels and a swivel wheel in the back, utilizing a differential drive system such that movement is based on two separately driven wheels. The robot will feature high-power motors that enable the vehicle to travel in different conditions. Rooper explained that the vehicle structure was similar to those made in the engineering class, ECE 110. Other parts of the robot include a plastic box that holds the electronics and the “meat of the machine”, the tickcollection device which attempts to mimic the mannerisms of a human being. “Ticks are attracted to things that move and emit heat and carbon dioxide, so we built a robot that tries to emulate what a person would be like moving through a forest,” Rooper said. “[The robot] has a big piece of cloth that sweeps out the ground behind it. Coincidentally, this is how researchers [collect ticks] today.” McKee, a vice president of Duke Robotics who is in charge of the tick robot’s frame design, said he was confident in the group’s ability to carry out the project. “We do have some pretty detailed sketches with the exact frame and the exact dimensions drawn to scale,” McKee said. One of the major engineering challenges that the team faces is designing a robot that can effectively move about in the forest. Although the trio anticipates that the differential drive system should help the robot maneuver different terrains, they imagine more challenges will arise after testing. Another pending issue is creating a safe method to test the robot. Because of the impracticality and risk of bringing ticks into the lab, the trio is contemplating purchasing ladybugs to function in place of ticks. Rooper noted that his personal motivation for getting involved in the project was his personal experience with the detrimental effect ticks can have on humans. “I had a friend in high school who had Lyme disease and I really saw it affect him,” Rooper said. “He went from this really crazy, awesome and entertaining dude to someone who struggled in school and he was sick all the time. If we can have researchers be safer during their study of ticks and parasites, we can come up with solutions faster.”

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thursday, october 22, 2015 | 5

recess

Volume 17, issue 9

october 22, 2015

Rocky Horrorâ€™s 40th Anniversary Where to see the time warp again, page 8

Abdullah Ibrahimâ€™s spirit of jazz History and more, page 8

R recess editors

Which basketball player would you be?

Georgia Parke ................. Bugs Bunny elizabeth Djinis ...............Jon Scheyer Dillon Fernando ....... state fair skipper Gary Hoffman...............James Harden ian Jaffe......a surprising Grayson Allen Jesus Hidalgo ..............Scottie Pippen Amrith ramkumar.......Russell Westbrook ryan Hoerger................Draymond Green Gautam Hathi....................... Batman Abby Xie................................. Big Z

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66||thursday, THuRsday,october ocTobeR22, 22,2015 2015

It’s a little early in the year for nostalgic senior columns, and yet my last year of college has already brought nostalgia with nearly every experience. “It’s our last Homecoming... our last sorority semiformal... our last time to watch the leaves change color on Duke’s campus.” Saturday brought with it another last—Countdown to Craziness. Now, I probably shouldn’t reveal this anywhere on the Internet, but here goes: I am not a Cameron Crazie. I’ve only been to one basketball game during my Duke career, and that’s because I sang the national anthem there. I went to Countdown to Craziness freshman year, but the long lines alone made me swear I would never go again. (And to think I thought I was going to tent?) So when my friends said a) let’s go to Countdown and b) let’s wait in line in shifts six hours before countdown, I was skeptical. Me? A basketball fan my senior year? I hadn’t been before, so why would I change now? But in the spirit of trying new things and living Duke to the fullest, I went. I waited in line for a two hour-long shift, I danced to music outside Cameron and I watched junior Felix Kung, the yo-yo performer, with fascination. And when the actual basketball team came out, I freaked out. My heart was beating—my palms were sweaty—I even touched a player’s hand! Never before had I cared, but now I promised myself—and my friends—that I would go home, make flashcards and memorize all the players’ names. In realizing just how excited I was to see a team I had cared little about over the past few years, I finally understood how much Duke truly has to offer. Now that I’m a senior, people are always asking me whether I’m happy I chose Duke. I wish my answer was a resounding yes, but often

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it’s a tentative “I think so.” When I visited as a high school senior, Duke seemed like the perfect fit. I loved my freshman host and her tight-knit group of friends, and I even got to sit in on a Medieval Literature course—a true foreshadowing of my actual Duke experience. I distinctly remember eating a gooey grilled cheese sandwich from the old Divinity Refectory, sitting outside the Chapel on a warm spring day and chatting with my host’s friends. I thought to myself, this is it. This is where I want to be. Unfortunately, that memory is only part of the Duke I have lived. Many

editor’s note

nights have been spent feeling not good enough, not successful enough, not Duke enough. “Why did I pick this school?” I often thought. But many nights were also spent being so appreciative for everything Duke has given me. I understand now that Duke is not merely its often greekdominated social scene, its athletic pride or its rigorous academics. It’s not one of these things. It’s all of these things. And so for someone who is probably more academic than athletic or Panhellenic, this was a hard realization to come to at first. I struggled to figure out who I was within the context of Duke, and that led to a beautiful process— that thing called “finding yourself.” By sifting through the different personalities offered to me by Duke, I picked the one that fit me.

For a while, I tried to ignore the other parts of Duke. I said to myself, well, sure, some people are like that, but not me. But the truth is, the harder you try to ignore them, the more you realize they’re part of the experience. But this year, coming back from a semester abroad that made me think critically about my Duke life, I realized that the challenges are part of the University’s beauty. The struggle really does make you stronger. So when the lights came up on the basketball team, when the crowd cheered, when the Cameron Crazies danced on the big screen, I felt a pang of happiness and sadness all at once. I guess that’s what they call nostalgia. I sat there in Cameron, cheering on a basketball team I instinctively loved because it was part of something I held so dear. That is the beauty that is Duke. It has challenged me, it has hurt me, made me cry, made me smile, laugh and love more than I ever thought possible. But by being everything all at once, Duke has asked me not to figure it out, but to figure myself out. Thanks for that. —Elizabeth Djinis

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thursday, october 22, 2015 | 7 THuRsday, ocTobeR

Duke hosts second Arts and Humanities Open House Christy Kuesel The Chronicle This past weekend, high schoolers working on their college search had the opportunity to see Duke from a new perspective by looking through the lens of its arts and humanities programs. Last Saturday marked Duke’s second annual Arts and Humanities Open House. Modeled after the Pratt School of Engineering Open House, the program strives to showcase what Duke has to offer in the fields of the arts and humanities. “It did just a terrific job of highlighting the depth of the humanities and the creativity in the arts in a very compelling way,” said Christoph Guttentag, dean of undergraduate admissions. The day kicked off with a welcome address from Guttentag, followed by presentations from the various departments participating in the Open House. Various department were given an opportunity to showcase their specialties, whether in the form of a performance, a speech from a faculty member or a video. The departments involved in the program varied greatly, ranging from African and African American Studies to Philosophy and Theater Studies. Prospective students then broke off to attend sample classes. Janiya Miller, a prospective student participating in the program, said she enjoyed her sampled women’s studies class, revealing she had never heard of the subject until she attended the open house. “I didn’t even know it could be a major,”

Izzi Clark | The Chronicle File Photo The Duke University admissions department organizes the Arts and Humanities Open House Saturday.

Miller said. Four faculty panel discussions, where prospective students could choose from topics including humanities research, language programs, film and performing arts. Later broke off for lunch at Marketplace, the Student Activities Fair and an Admission and Financial Aid Session. The program concluded with optional tours of East or West Campus, which were tailored to focus more on arts opportunities at Duke. The Arts and Humanities Open House

was first hosted last year, after being gradually developed by the administration. As the role of humanities have become a more popular discussion topic in the public sphere over the past decade, the admissions office began to pay greater attention to these fields on a University-wide level. “There was a consensus that it was a good time to be explicit and proactive about informing people about the humanities and the arts at Duke,” said Guttentag. Guttentag described the program as having two main goals: to ensure that students

who already had a well developed interest in the arts and humanities understood what is offered at Duke; and to raise awareness of the importance of the arts and humanities at the University in general. He mentioned that he wanted to show students that they could find a home in the arts and humanities at Duke, but“also a very responsive faculty that will challenge the students as well.” Guttentag added that he believed the program was successful in achieving both of its goals. One new feature of the open house this year was the addition of a “Speed Dating” event held at the Duke Coffeehouse. duARTS, Hoof n’ Horn, the Arts Annex and the Nasher Museum of Art each hosted a table at the event. Students broke up into four groups, listening to each organization for ten minutes before rotating. Anshu Vipparla, a senior and chair of duARTS, participated in the event, speaking to the students and answering questions pertaining to arts programs. “The speed dating worked really well since we were in a small group setting,” Vipparla said, adding that she noticed parents stood back to let the prospective students ask the questions. “It’s important for people interested in the arts to know that we have a lot of arts things on campus.” Vipparla deemed the event a success, mentioning that she hoped the open house could be a stepping stone to more collaboration between the administration and the arts community on campus in an effort to draw more students interested in the arts to Duke.

Tony Waldron ‘Cliche’ exhibit showcased at Brown Gallery Georgia Parke The Chronicle

Special to The Chronicle

Art fans tired of the same old clichés should not be fooled by the titles like “Untitled” and “Self-Portrait” in Tony Waldron’s new exhibit. Waldron’s show, which opens today at the Louise Jones Brown Gallery in the Bryan Center and features 10 of his works through Nov. 14, offers a new twist on the standard pieces found at most art shows. Reversing the usual process of creating an artwork and then giving it a title, Waldron started his pieces with a common title and then created an unexpected interpretation of each cliche. The exhibit, titled “Cliché,” features mostly photographs as well as

sculpture work under the overarching theme of overused concepts in art exhibits. “In this particular case, I realize artists often have the same titles for their works, so I wanted to poke fun at that,” Waldron said. “Each one of these is not exactly as it sounds. You would have to see it in person—my ‘Flowers in a Field’ is actually in a parking lot.” Waldron’s style itself is unexpected, taking monotone photographs and manipulating their composition with colorful ink and permanent parker and spray-painted backgrounds on top. White shapes will also be incorporated into the photos to make the colors pop off the image. A self-portrait, for See WALDRON on Page 10

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Where can I track buses?

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Where’s the merchants-on-points link? What’s a quick way to access ACES and Sakai?

Where can I find the sports calendar? Make your homepage.

8 | THuRsday, thursday, ocTobeR october 22, 2015

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Special to The Chronicle Theaters across the nation offer shadow cast versions of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with live actors and props, including real food like popcorn and toast.

The live spot for There’s A Light (Over at the Rialto) : Rocky Horror in Raleigh Jessica Williams The Chronicle For anyone who’s seen “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” it’s obvious from the beginning scene that it’s unlike any other musical film. Featuring catchy tunes, plot twists and fishnets and science fiction abound, “Rocky Horror” has been a cult classic since its release in theaters in 1975. Written by Richard O’Brien and directed by Jim Sharman, Rocky Horror celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. Originally a play first produced in 1973, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is about a plain, mainstream couple that becomes stranded at the mansion of a crazy, transvestite scientist who proceeds to reveal his Frankenstein-like yet aesthetically perfect creature. While the film in itself is entertaining, many theaters show shadow cast versions, in which the characters on screen have live actor counterparts who add, but don’t mirror, those on the screen. The cast connects the audience to the film, making calls at the screen at specific parts and adding hilarious lines.

Due to its 40th anniversary, AMC Southpoint 17 has been screening the film on Friday and Saturday nights. One noteworthy place that presents a live cast in the Triangle area is The Rialto in Raleigh. Built in 1942, the single-screened Rialto has played “Rocky Horror” since 1989. The show starts at midnight every first, third and fifth Friday night. It becomes especially popular during Halloween season, and the Halloween show usually sells out. “Usually over 100 people come for each showing of ‘Rocky Horror,’” said Rialto co-owner and manager John Munson. “Around one-third of those are people who come every week, one-third come about every month, and one-third are coming to try it out for the first time.” Although “Rocky Horror” does bring people back to see it again and again, it’s an entertaining experience for “virgins,” or people who haven’t seen the film in person before, to experience it for the first time. The crowds get really into it, and it’s fun places like The Rialto that have kept Rocky Horror running for so long. “It’s an interactive film-going

experience you’re not going to experience anywhere else,” Munson said. With traditions such as dressing like characters from the film or writing on the foreheads of the “virgins”, it’s not surprising “Rocky Horror” is very different from going to a normal movie. Viewers throw toilet paper and rice at the screen and can leap out of their seats to do the “Time Warp.” “During the dinner party scene, Dr. Frank N. Furter says ‘a toast!’ and you throw toast at the screen,” said “Rocky Horror” fan Savannah Lynn, a sophomore. With antics like those, it’s hard not to get drawn into the film and the atmosphere. But even with all the excitement and camaraderie, it’s important to look at why the film was as impactful as it was. “It’s like stepping into another world where there are no rules about gender and sexual expression,” Lynn said. Written by a non-binary queer individual, “Rocky Horror” was revolutionary in its time due to its depictions of sexuality, as well as its presentation of a queer lead character. “It presents sexuality in a way most things don’t do—in a fluid way. That

can be comforting for people who feel like they’re somewhere different on the sexuality spectrum, but don’t necessarily want to label themselves as gay,” Lynn said. The film and the community around it have formed a sense of inclusion, highlighting people’s individualities and showing that it’s normal to be abnormal. This is especially true for the queer community, due to the history of the writer, the portrayals of sexuality by the characters and the fun, welcoming environment created by the cast as well as other fans. “The screenings and community have always been a place where people not accepted by mainstream society can find a home,” Lynn said. Whether it’s to feel a sense of community or to have a movie experience unlike any other, “Rocky Horror” is worth seeing live at least once. The film itself is engaging and unconventional, but the shadow cast connects it to the audience in a way few other films are able to do. Rocky Horror plays at The Rialto every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Friday nights at midnight for $6, cash only.

Abdullah Ibrahim talks jazz: themes, history and spirit Lucy Zhang The Chronicle How does one pass down knowledge that resists the deteriorating effects of time? With a soft spoken, low and wisened voice, Abdullah Ibrahim, a South African pianist and composer, responded to creative writing professor Nathaniel Mackey. In the “Talking Music: A Life in Jazz” talk on Oct. 15, Mackey and Ibrahim discussed the sources of Ibrahim’s influences and the overarching themes of his work. Abdullah Ibrahim grew up in the impoverished, predominantly black section of Cape Town, South Africa during the Apartheid. As Cape Town grew to be a whites-only region, many residents were forcibly removed. The increasingly strict apartheid laws resulted in a crackdown on music, particularly jazz, which symbolized resistance. Musicians were harassed

and clubs were closed, forcing many musicians, including Abdullah Ibrahim, into exile. In 1962, Ibrahim fled South Africa. Only six years later, he converted to Islam.

This transition in Ibrahim’s life marked the beginning of a search for harmony, self understanding and identity, themes that resound strongly throughout Ibrahim’s music, from traditional

African songs to contemporary Western jazz styles. Ibrahim gradually developed audiences in the United States, Europe and Japan, making him a sort of celebrity in Cape Town. He became known for creating peaceful, meditative and spiritual music. Despite growing up in a racially tense environment and his performances at historical events such as the presidential inauguration of Nelson Mandela, Abdullah Ibrahim cited Thelonious Monk as one of his most significant influences. “When I first met Monk, I thanked him for the inspiration he gave,” Ibrahim said. “He told me you’re the first one to tell me this. I then realized that he was not very accepted in the jazz community. But his music was so complex and yet simple.” Monk, the second most recorded jazz composer, whose work skillfully

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Lowenstein brings Chicago’s South Side to CDS Dillon Fernando The Chronicle The South Side of Chicago is a part of America that has infamously been in the news for a variety of social issues. From violence to mass public school closings, these news briefs shape people’s perceptions about the lower part of the Windy City. However, Jon Lowenstein’s newest exhibition “South Side” to be displayed in the Center for Documentary Studies aims to expose audiences to another side of the South Side—one about a community fighting to maintain order and dignity despite being systematically deconstructed through gentrification. Lowenstein’s “South Side” is the recipient of the 2014 Dorothea LangePaul Taylor prize awarded by CDS. The prize is given to documentary artists whose works exemplify the artistic styles embodied by renowned photographer Dorothea Lange and social scientist Paul Taylor, whose “extended fieldwork projects relied on the interplay of words and images,” according to CDS. “South Side” combines photography, prose, video and audio to create an immersive media experience that introduces the audience to a postindustrial Chicago over the course of the past 10 years. While Lowenstein notes the noticeable violence and economic issues in the South Side communities, he hopes that his immersive media piece creates a dialogue about how the South Side is still affected from the results

of segregation and socioeconomic disparities and contextualizes the personal narratives in the community beyond just what the popular media may say about the South Side. “I’m trying to give a whole visual and listening experience,” Lowenstein said. “I’ve lived in South Side for 20 years… and I’ve spent years photographing many people in the community and listened to oral history. When you walk into the exhibition space and feel the images, there’s also a strength and resiliency in the piece.” Through his time living there, Lowenstein has clearly grown invested in the social structure and culture of the area and has witnessed the its recent gentrification. Slowly but surely, wealthier and more artistic individuals and companies buy the cheaper land in these lower socioeconomic neighborhoods and move in, and cause the original social groups to leave the area. With its designated space in CDS, the Lange-Taylor Prize allows Lowenstein to reach broader audiences here in Durham. CDS Exhibitions Director Courtney Reid-Eaton is currently working with Lowenstein to build the final exhibition from his collective body of work on the South Side. Reid-Eaton praised the work for its ability to take these various themes and social issues found in the South Side and adroitly construct them through multimedia work. “I really appreciate how exciting, complicated and layered the images are and how Jon wants to use them to

support his community,” Reid-Eaton said. Lowenstein noted that many people still do not want to visit the South Side because of its violent reputation. However, in regard to the spirit of the area, he wants to bring attention to the “incredible people who are not served by the larger political structure of today’s society.” Primarily, he finds that his community has unequal opportunities to access health care and education compared to many other Americans,

hen you walk into the exhibition space and feel the images, there’s also a strength and resiliency in the piece. — Jon Lowenstein which has greatly engendered progress in the South Side. “The photography the story the video address these issues that are elemental to American society,” Lowenstein said. “Chicago is one of the most American of all cities, but how do we treat the places that are left behind and how does this truly affect the health of our country?” While Chicago and Durham are inherently two different communities, Lowenstein believes that there are always parts of every community that are “left behind” and that his piece deals with how we connect to each other in light of social issues.

“Durham will relate to the gentrification that happens in much of the United States,” Reid-Eaton said. “Some people see it as a positive thing that new business open and new people come to area. Others see it as driving out people who used to live there.” Lowenstein noted that many of his photos and narratives depict the lives of black Americans, and how they navigate their community in light of their social environment. Similarly, the “South Side” exhibit contributes to the conversations brought up by the social movements of today such as the Black Lives Matter movement and protests following instances of violence in Ferguson, Mo., New York and South Carolina. “There’s lots of ways to enter the conversation about the issues in this country… and how we connect to each other,” Lowenstein said. “Your community may not be their community, but what I’ve been blown away by are how these issues are affecting people all over the country such as in the Black Lives [Matter] movement… and how the ‘South Side’ exhibition has supported the work [of the movements].” Jon Lowenstein’s “South Side” opens Oct. 29 and runs until Feb. 27 at the Center for Documentary Studies. Lowenstein will give a talk about his exhibition followed by a reception at the opening Thursday at 6 p.m. “Come to an open heart and open mind and see what they see, and how they want to help and move our country forward,” Lowenstein said. “Everybody has to do their little part.”

Special to The Chronicle Jon Lowenstein’s exhibition”South Side” —including the above works—will be displayed at the Center for Documentary Studies starting next Thursday, Oct. 29.

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JAZZ from page 8 incorporates dissonance and melodies, created music that stood apart from mainstream jazz. While other jazz artists, including Ibrahim, looked up to his work, the complexity of Monk’s music was not fully accepted into society until years later. The music itself incorporated unique melodies, harmonies, rhythm and space. Characterized by almost jarring combinations of rhythm and tone that contrasted smooth 20th century jazz music, Monk’s music possessed a use of space that embodied, as Ibrahim put it, the “essence of music.” “There has been a severance between ancient tradition and now so we have to reestablish this connection,” Ibrahim said. In bridging this gap, Ibrahim has created works with Japanese philosophical influences. Ibrahim recently performed jazz in the Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto, Japan, a place that embodies his zen philosophy and belief in the concept of “budo.”

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The inherent nature of budo is not “martial arts,” which is the word’s straight-forward definition. Rather Ibrahim said the Japanese calligraphy “budo” means to stop fighting and encapsulates the “principle of challenging the self” to understand one’s self and one’s relation to others and the universe. Through his music, Ibrahim addresses repairing the human spirit, parallel to his own experiences of understanding himself after suffering the tumultuous social environment in Cape Town. To repair the human spirit, Ibrahim explained the idea of breaking down the ego. While detailing his performance and experiences in Japan, he specifically recalled an artist whose work comprised photos of garbage while riding a bike at night in Kyoto. He drew on finding meaning from something that society perceives as meaningless. Meaning is ultimately subjective, so does an individual’s life have a separate, distinct purpose? These existential implications and inherent emptiness of being are the foundation of Ibrahim’s music.

“The principal of budo is the way we play the music,” Ibrahim said. “We don’t see anything in separation with ourselves or the universe.” Ibrahim’s music, however, is not solely based on emptiness. He spoke of an energy that exists within budo, parallel to the Chinese concept of chi. “We find this energy no matter where we are,” Ibrahim said. “We do not realize how far and deep the music affects us.” According to Ibrahim, the theme of repairing the human spirit and soul closely follows the Zen doctrine of Buddha-nature, which claims that people have the ability to be awakened and to acquire an enlightened and awakened state. Only after reaching the state of emptiness in which ego and consciousness melt away can one reach a state of calm and awareness. The Zen concept of breath, tying back into in energy, is also prominent throughout the pieces. Ibrahim emphasized that the concept of his music was the “concept of breath” and that “breath is connected to memory.” Ibrahim’s music is unique in that it combines elements of East Asian buddhist philosophies, Western style jazz and his own life experiences, sufferings and inspiration in South Africa. But more than that, he evokes deeply rooted meaning that extends into history through an innately free and liberating voice that is jazz.

WALDRON from page 7 example, features superimposed neon sunglasses with the lenses melting onto Waldron’s face. “In ‘Crucifixion,’ Jesus has some Facebook and Twitter tattoos surrounded by four words—’like,’ ‘favorite,’ ‘share’ and ‘follow,’” Waldron said. “It’s a sort of comment on our social media use today.” Waldron said that some of his past works have similarly revolved around social media, and it is

medium with which he likes to experiment.

ach one of these is not exactly as it sounds. You would have to see it in person. — Tony Waldron “It doesn’t take long to take a walk anywhere and take a look at people walking around looking at their phones,” he said. “Every now and then I like to put my phone in my pocket and just look around.” Another piece, a three-dimensional sculpture, involves a cubic foot of concrete with a secret chamber inside connected by a wire. Viewers can pull on the handle of the cord and hear clinking on the inside. Waldron has roots in West Virginia, but has lived in North Carolina for 17 years and in Durham for seven. Being in Durham for an extended time has helped to bring out his creative side, he said. “The great thing about Durham is that everyone is kind of crazy if they’re creative to express that and be rewarded for being unique on an individual level,” Waldron said. One of the pieces included in the gallery, the largest of the 10, is composed of photographs taken exclusively in Durham of various recognizable buildings, to create a skyline compressed together with a warped perspective. Waldron said that the photos for that piece were taken as recently as last Thursday, and that all but three of the pieces in the show were made in the last month including building frames. Despite the quick turnaround, Waldron said that he has had the idea for the show for over the past year before finally producing the entirety of the collection, and had kept ideas for the images in his head before creating the physical forms. “The problem with me is that I could have sat on it for another year and it will still come out differently than I originally intended,” he said. “You just have to roll with it.” The galler y opening will take place today, Thursday Oct. 22 at 5 p.m., at the Brown Galler y, which is curated by duARTs.

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BACK TO BLACKSBURG

Sam Turken The Chronicle This past weekend was a bit out of the ordinary for Duke. Having been away from their homes since the start of summer practice in early August, many Blue Devils went to see their families during the recent bye week, which followed a 44-3 win at Army and fall break. The break gave Duke a chance to rest and recuperate after facing a string of physical, run-first opponents during the past four weeks. “The time off was great,” senior linebacker Dwayne Norman said. “It was great to be home in Florida. We’re college No. 23 football players, but Duke we’re regular people, vs. Virginia too. So we like to go home…and relax for Tech a little bit.” SATURDAY, 3:30 p.m. But the No. 23 Lane Stadium Blue Devils will return to business Saturday at 3:30 p.m when they face Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. Like a year ago, Duke—which is tied for the lead in the ACC Coastal Division with Pittsburgh— enters its matchup with the Hokies in control of its own destiny. “Our team is excited about the challenge,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “Blacksburg is a special place because they’ve made it one. It’s always a measuring stick for us to play against Virginia Tech. We got some really good work over that break.”

Ian Jaffe | The Chronicle Redshirt junior DeVon Edwards and the Blue Devils will go up against a Virginia Tech offense more comfortable throwing the ball than any of Duke’s previous opponents so far this season.

The Blue Devils (5-1, 2-0 in the ACC) want to rid themselves of the sour taste in their mouths from last year’s 17-16 loss to the Hokies, which cost them a chance to repeat as Coastal champions. It was an ugly performance for Cutcliffe’s squad, which committed three turnovers, hurt itself with eight penalties and missed two field goals. As Duke moves into the heart of its ACC schedule, the Blue Devils will have to defend against more spread offenses. Although it ranks second in the nation, the Duke pass defense still has much to prove. Most of Duke’s opponents this season have featured offenses that rely mostly on the run. Virginia Tech’s spread offense has had its

FIELD HOCKEY

ups and downs this year. But after suffering a fractured collarbone in the Hokies’ season opener against Ohio State and missing the next five games, starting quarterback Michael Brewer will be back in command Saturday. The redshirt senior completed 3-of-4 passes with a touchdown late in the Hokies’ 30-20 loss to Miami last weekend. Duke defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ unit has been successful against the Hokies (3-4, 1-2) in the past. In 2013, Duke’s benddon’t-break defense held Virginia Tech to 10 points despite surrendering 387 total yards of offense. Last year, the Blue Devils did not allow Brewer and the offense to find a rhythm, stopping the Hokies on

13 of their 15 third down attempts and registering six sacks. “It will be fun. It’s just a chance to go out and make more plays,” redshirt junior ssafety DeVon Edwards said. “Now it’s kind of similar to going against our offense with things they do against the spread. That’s what we’ve practiced against all spring and all summer. We had to adjust that going into a couple games this season. [We look at] a lot of the things that they did against us…in the past year.” Offensively, the Blue Devils will try to feed off of their 44-3 win against Army two weeks ago. After completing just 50 percent of his See FOOTBALL on Page 12

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Unbeaten ‘Cuse calling Duke starts home stretch Jake Herb The Chronicle The Blue Devils will have a chance to do what the Duke men’s basketball team could not accomplish in 2014— knock off an unbeaten, top-ranked Syracuse squad. The No. 4 Blue Devils will welcome No. 1 Syracuse to Jack Katz Stadium Saturday at 1 p.m. for their final No. 1 ‘CUSE home game of the vs. season. It’s a game predestined for No. 4 greatness: Duke Duke head coach Pam SATURDAY, 1 p.m. Bustin’s aggressive Jack Katz Stadium defense pitted against an Orange offense that averages 4.2 goals per game. But it’s also much more than that. “As far as performance and approach are considered, [Saturday] is just

another game,” Bustin said. “But, as far as what the outcome could be? It’s a great opportunity for Duke field hockey. You’ve got the number one team coming in to play you at home in your match. It’s very exciting.” The game will have major implications in defining the storylines of each team’s season. Syracuse (15-0, 5-0 in the ACC) stands at the precipice of perfection. One game away from completing the first undefeated season in program history, the Orange will have eyes from around the field hockey world firmly fixed upon them as they prepare for the Blue Devils. Managing the magnitude of the moment will be key for the Syracuse players if they hope to survive the trip to Durham unscathed. On the other end of the field, the upset-minded Blue Devils (11-4, 2-3) have their minds set on rallying as a See FIELD HOCKEY on Page 13

Cassie Calvert The Chronicle The Blue Devils are playing with a chip on their shoulder. After ending a 10-year drought Friday by defeating then-No. 7 North Carolina, Duke has broken back into the rankings at No. 22. Pittsburgh But top 25 status is not enough to satisfy a team vs. anxious to make a deep No. 22 NCAA tournament run. Duke “I think we’re better THURSDAY, 7 p.m. than that,” Duke head Koskinen Stadium coach Robbie Church said. “I still think we No. 15 have a lot to prove.” Notre Dame With just three vs. games remaining in No. 22 the regular season, Duke the time for Church’s SUNDAY, 1 p.m. squad to strengthen Koskinen Stadium its postseason resume

is now. Seven games into ACC play, the Blue Devils (8-4-4, 2-2-3 in the ACC) have seen only two conference opponents at home and are ready to begin a three-game home stretch which begins Thursday at 7 p.m. against Pittsburgh, followed by a 1 p.m. start Sunday against No. 15 Notre Dame. The Panthers (10-4-1, 4-3-0) are much improved under fourth-year head coach Greg Miller’s leadership. Pittsburgh boasts a win against Louisville—a team Duke tied—on their conference resume but will need another big victory in order to be selected for the NCAA tournament. “Everybody thinks they’re going to lose, so they’re going to come out and play very, very hard and throw a lot of things at us,” Church said. “We’ve been that team before, so we know how hard you come out and play.” Pittsburgh is led by the duo of freshman Jarena Harmon and sophomore Taylor Pryce. The star forwards combine for 12 of the Panthers’ 25 goals. Church said Harmon and See W. SOCCER on Page 12

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SWIMMING & DIVING

Blue Devils look to flip script on Seminoles

top the scoreboard in more than one stroke specialty Friday. After earning ACC Swimmer of the Week honors following the Blue Devils’ dominant victory against Pittsburgh Oct. 3, freshman Mickayla Hinkle and junior Peter Kropp will look to repeat as double event winners. Hinkle bested the field in the 200-yard backstroke— touching the wall in 2:00.29—and set a new Taishoff record in the 100-yard event, clocking in at 54.55 seconds and claiming the thenfastest time in the nation. Kropp matched her performance with wins in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, stopping the clock at 52.13 seconds and 1:59.01—breaking his own pool record at the shorter distance and putting him at the top

of the national rankings in both events. Florida State’s Meg Brown will aim to give Hinkle a close race. Brown was named High Point Swimmer of the Meet last weekend at the Southern Methodist University Classic after posting career-best times in the 200-yard backstroke and 200-yard individual medley in 1:56.84 and 2:01.37, respectively. The freshman did not compete in the Seminoles’ recent dual meet loss to Minnesota Oct. 3—a 212-88 win for the reigning Big Ten champions—but could be a key scorer for the squad Friday. “Florida State is coming off a weekend at the SMU Classic where they have some really outstanding performances,” Colella said. “The whole atmosphere of that competition

has created a lot of great swimming, and they definitely had their share of it.” On the men’s side, the Seminoles are led by backstroker Connor Kalisz and sprinter Jason McCormick. Kalisz touched the wall first in 50.64 seconds in the 100-yard distance of his signature stroke and in 1:49.31 in the longer event at the Minnesota dual meet. McCormick also picked up two individual wins Oct. 3, clocking in at 20.47 seconds and 45.33 seconds in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, respectively. But Colella’s squad has more than one meet to win Friday. Duke last raced the Royals at the 2013 AllNorth Carolina Invitational, where both teams only competed in the second day of the two-day event. The Blue Devils placed fifth and Queens University eighth on both the men’s and women’s sides of the meet. The Duke squad did not attend this year’s All-North Carolina Invitational Oct. 2 and 3, but the Royal women amassed 867 points to place fourth and the men 918 points for fifth—again racing in just half the meet. N.C. State and East Carolina claimed the top two team spots with more than 1,300 points, and Queens would have threatened Davidson for third as the Wildcats produced two-day totals of 946 for the women and 977 for the men. Junior Deon Deesens provided the highlight performance of the meet in the 200-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 1:36.58—the thenfastest time in the event for any Division I or II athlete this season. “We have absolutely told the team not to take them for granted,” Colella said. “They definitely aren’t going to back down because they are swimming Division I schools. They are primed and excited to see what they can do against us and Florida State.”

When the Blue Devils upset the Hokies two years ago in Blacksburg, they became bowl-eligible for a second consecutive season. A win Saturday would stretch that streak to four straight years.

just 8.2 percent of their looks. “If there’s one area you could point to in [our] team about what do we have to do going into the NCAA tournament? We’ve got to finish opportunities,” Church said. “You can be the better team—which we’ve proven a lot this year—and still not win the game if you don’t finish your opportunities. That’s where a lot of focus will go in training.” Although freshmen Kayla McCoy and Taylor Racioppi have been the Blue Devils’ most successful weapons on the attack, Church said midfielders Imani Dorsey and Toni Payne add a dimension of aggression on the field and their movements on and toward the ball enable their teammates to find openings. In the win at North Carolina, Dorsey’s foresight allowed sophomore Ashton Miller to find her

for the game-wining score. The victory against the team’s biggest rival was not only satisfying but also solidified Duke as an NCAA tournament team. But with the three-game final stretch to come at home, Church’s squad seeks to make their case to begin the postseason in Durham as well. Church called the loss to the Hokies a turning point for the Blue Devils, not only in overall performance but also in the team’s focus. “I just see a whole new level of commitment from our group. I don’t know if it’s toward the end of the year and they realize ‘Hey, we have to do this to get to the tournament. We don’t want to be left out again,’” Church said. “But I just think there’s a whole new air around the program and hopefully that will continue to be there.”

Ali Wells The Chronicle The last time the Blue Devils and the Seminoles met for a dual meet, Florida State blew Duke out of the water. Three years and three recruiting classes later, the Blue Devils will look to flip the score in their favor. Florida Duke will host the State Seminoles along with vs. Queens University of Duke Charlotte at Taishoff Aquatic Pavilion Friday FRIDAY, 5 p.m. at 5 p.m. for its first Taishoff Aquatic Pavilion triple dual meet of the season. To remain Queens U undefeated at home, the Blue Devils will vs. have to outscore Florida State in a head-to-head Duke matchup for the first time in program history FRIDAY, 5 p.m. Taishoff Aquatic Pavilion and defeat the men’s and women’s Division II national champions. “The whole meet is going to be a really fierce competition,” Duke head coach Dan Colella said. “It’s a great opportunity to swim [against] a team that has traditionally been one of the top teams in the ACC. I think we have a great chance to upset. [Queens has] some spectacular athletes…. They are going to be right there in the hunt.” The Blue Devils fell to the Seminoles 203-91 on the women’s side and 186-112 on the men’s side in 2012 with a few standout performances from then-juniors Christine Wixted and Hunter Knight in the 100- and 200-yard breaststrokes. But Duke has a roster full of athletes poised to

FOOTBALL from page 11 passes against Boston College, redshirt junior quarterback Thomas Sirk found his groove against the Black Knights. The Glen St. Mary, Fla., native completed 17 of his 27 passes with a touchdown and rushed for 53 yards. Virginia Tech frequently loads the box to stop the run, leaving its talented secondary in one-on-one matchups on the outside. In order for Duke to score enough points to come out with a victory, its receivers must win their battles on the outside. Redshirt junior Anthony Nash has emerged as a consistent target for Sirk, reeling in a teamhigh five catches for 57 yards against Army. True freshman speedster T.J. Rahming sat out of the win against the Black Knights due to injury but is back practicing and should return Saturday. The Blue Devils will add another receiver to the roster in the form of redshirt sophomore Terrance Alls, who returns to game action following a game suspension imposed in March. Alls was named the Co-Offensive Most Improved Player during Duke’s spring camp and should contribute as another weapon for Sirk on the outside. “We’ve gotten better in every aspect,” Cutcliffe said. “Every position has worked hard. We were more consistent at Army. The bottom line of defense is keeping people out of your end zone. Virginia Tech does about as good a job as anybody I know. Hopefully we can create some big plays. Hopefully we can create some first downs.”

Khloe Kim | The Chronicle After an impressive season opener against Pittsburgh earlier this month, Duke will look to take down Florida State and Queens University of Charlotte Friday evening.

W. SOCCER from page 11 Pryce have impressed him with their ability to quickly charge the goal and be a dangerous combination on the counterattack. Perhaps an even bigger test will arrive Sunday in the form of Notre Dame (11-3-1, 4-3-0). However, the similarities between the two squads are eerie. The Fighting Irish have scored 27 goals to the Blue Devils’ 26. Duke has allowed four more goals, though that statistic includes the uncharacteristically highscoring loss at Virginia Tech in which the Blue Devils allowed four scores. “To me they look like almost a carbon copy of us,” Church said. “They possess the ball, they keep the ball, but they haven’t scored a lot of goals and they haven’t given up many goals…. What happens [when we meet]? That will be a huge game.” Forward Anna Maria Gilbertson has been dominant for the Fighting Irish, scoring eight goals already this season—double the number added by any other member of her team. Gilbertson has put 35 of her 82 shots on target this year, forcing opposing defenses to work to turn her attempts away. Efficiency has been an Achilles’ heel so far this season for Duke—the Blue Devils are converting

Han Kang | The Chronicle Freshman Taylor Racioppi will attempt to get back on track when the Blue Devils welcome Pittsburgh and No. 15 Notre Dame to Koskinen Stadium beginning Thursday.

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FIELD HOCKEY from page 11 team to capture the win on Senior Day. For five players—Aileen Johnson, Amanda Kim, Hannah Barreca, Lauren Blazing and Sarah Urdahl—Saturday’s contest will be a last hurrah in front of the home crowd. But before they can take their curtain call, they must guide their team through one last test—a test their teammates believe they are prepared to pass. “We aren’t looking for a tie,” junior Heather Morris said. “We aren’t looking to go into overtime. We believe that we can win and that’s what we’re looking for.” Duke will need to find a way to slow down the Orange’s high-powered offense, though, if it intends to pull off the upset. Syracuse boasts the thirdbest scoring offense in the country. The group is paced by redshirt freshman Roos Weers, who leads her team with 13 goals and 33 points. The Orange are especially skilled at earning penalty corners. Syracuse attackers have drawn 104 corners while only conceding 44 to opponents. By comparison, the Blue Devils hold a slim 77-72 edge in penalty corners earned. If the Orange are able to force the Duke defense into ceding penalty corners and capitalize on those opportunities, the Blue Devils will find themselves at a serious disadvantage. Although Syracuse edges Duke in most stats in the box score, the Blue Devils are confident they can deal the Orange their first loss of the year, provided that they set the tempo early. sudoku_499B

“The core focus is just playing Duke hockey,” Morris said. “That means coming out with a lot of energy from the start. From the first whistle, we are going to attack them, whether it is attacking them from defense or attacking them on the attack.” Perhaps the Blue Devils’ greatest advantage against the Orange is their experience against highly ranked teams this year. Duke owns a 4-3 record against top-10 teams and a 1-2 ledger against teams ranked fifth in the nation or higher. According to the NCAA, Bustin’s squad has played the toughest schedule in the country this year. The Blue Devils are battle-tested and have proven that they can go toe-totoe with some of the best teams in the nation. Syracuse’s strength of schedule is commendable—ranking eighth toughest in the nation—but not nearly as impressive as Duke’s top spot. Add to that the fact that the Orange are still clinging to a perfect record and the distraction that can cause. “The weakest thing about a team that is undefeated is exactly that—they haven’t played a team yet that could beat them,” Morris said. “A couple teams have given [Syracuse] a pretty good run, but they haven’t played Duke field hockey this year. They haven’t played our team.” With the stakes raised for each team, Saturday’s matchup promises an epic battle between two of the biggest heavyweights in the ACC. A win would move the Blue Devils back to .500 in conference play and put themselves in better position for the ACC tournament, which runs Nov. 5-8 in Charlottesville, Va.

sudoku_499B Created by Peter Ritmeester/Presented by Will Shortz

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.)

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Carolyn Chang | The Chronicle 6 Junior Heather Morris and the Blue Devils will look to deal Syracuse its first loss of8the season 7 3 4 6 Saturday in their final regular-season ACC contest. 3

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For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Thursday, October 22, 2015

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27 Pink elephant, e.g.

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29 Exhibit extreme exhaustion

10 Spanish getaway locale

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33 Subterranean toiler 34 When many verge on adolescence

15 Clued in

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thursday, oCTober THurSday, october 22, 2015 | 13

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Solution Find sudoku_499B the answers to the Sudoku puzzle above.

9 6 8 2 3 7 5 4 1 4 1 2 6 8 5 7 3 9 The Chronicle 3 7 5 4 1 9 8 2 6 When the force awakens: 2 8 9 3 7 6 4 1 5 5 a.m.: ��#amrithisnotimpressed when you can’t name presidents: �� gautamcity when i wd: �� 6 5 1 9 4 2 3 8big z7 the shooters mirror: ��vosburghler #perfectbracket: �� privateryan 3 4 1 5 8 6 9zeus2 when barcelona wins: 7 �� listening to the joe-bros:��djinisinabottle at the last minute: �� 1 9 7 8 6 3 nationalparke 2 5 4 Barb Starbuck is an immovable force: ��Barb 8 2��Alyssa 6 5 9 4 1Coughenour 7 3 Student Advertising Manager: Account Representatives: �� John Abram, Megan Bowen, TJ Cole, 4 Tyler3Deane-Krantz, 7 2 Davis1English, 9 Philip 6 Foo8 Maria 5 Alas Diaz, Jack Forlines, Beatriz Gorostiaga, Jackie Lin, Rachel Louie, Gabriela Martinez-Moure, John McIlavaine, Brian Paskas, Risa Pieters, Nick Philip, Maimuna Yussuf

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16 TV tavern named after its proprietor

36 Duty on gasoline or tobacco

17 Charles Lamb collection first published in 1823

39 Annual gala usually held in September 40 Lump in the throat

19 Question persistently

41 Back

20 Dispel the doubts 42 Highway caution of 43 One-named 21 They’re never German singer free of charge who was a 23 New school? one-hit wonder 24 First letter in “Thanatos”

44 Remote chance, informally

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE B E N Z C R O W C A R E M I E T A S U B W T R A M A R T D T E E E T S Y E A P P L K O A L O P T E N E E D

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47 Prince and Journey output 49 Gas regulator 53 Novelist Santha Rama ___ 54 Tip jar deposits 55 Cried “Uncle!” 56 Upscale hotel chain 58 Informal group that includes the Universities of California, Michigan and Virginia 60 Easily walked over 61 Opposite of dystopian 62 Son of Agrippina 63 Oxford bottom 64 Ceaselessly 65 Sombre DOWN 1 Goes after, as a task 2 Leave red-faced 3 Charter 4 Mexican rolled tortilla dish 5 Untagged? 6 Put off paying 7 Worth noting 8 Melodious 9 School heads 10 Small, playful sort 11 Bad things to hit 12 Yellow garnish 13 Resort near Snowmass 18 Viva voce 22 Bit of swamp flora

Edited by Will Shortz 1

25 27

33 37

41 43

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PUZZLE BY TIMOTHY POLIN

25 Bit of black magic

37 “___ that special?”

26 City west of Provo Peak

38 Words from an Italian lover

28 False divinity

39 All-___ (fourwheel-drive system on old Toyotas)

30 No. on a business card 31 Whipper snapper?

41 Flying saucer

32 Makes minuscule 44 Phony modifications in 45 Emergency rescue, briefly 34 “Land ___!” 35 Natal opening?

46 Unhinged, say

47 Something a bakery produces 48 Detach, in a way 50 Wrench, essentially 51 Opposite of “mourir” 52 Diplomat 55 Impart a false brilliance to 57 Adopted “South Park” sibling 59 Device-linking system, for short

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

“

It’s your data

wo weeks ago, the European Court of Justice ruled on the case Maximilian Schrems v. Data Protection Commissioner. The case dealt with safe harbor treaties that allowed companies like Facebook and Google to easily transfer users’ digital information across the Atlantic despite legal frameworks differing between the US and European countries. The decision gave Facebook and other American companies an ultimatum: adhere to privacy laws in individual European countries or stop operating in the European Union. Europe has long taken a different approach to privacy than the US with several constitutions including a right to be forgotten with laws defending the real and digital privacy rights of citizens. In light of this decision, Americans ought to take a look at our own views on privacy and how they have become complacent or indifferent at best. When the infamous news that the NSA had been running a massive data collection program broke, Americans were alarmed and angry: their personal data had been collected with an egregious lack of consent and they had little control over how it had been used. Considering that ire, it is curious that we—especially younger generations—raise little to no ruckus over data collection and retention by private companies like Facebook. A part of our idleness with regards to privacy seems

to come from a feeling of helplessness. As far as many of us are concerned, going online already means ceding ownership of our behavioral information. It is a little disconcerting to see an obviously targeted ad on Amazon after doing a search for the company’s page but not altogether objectionable. In these small uses of our data, we have become used to and resigned to our personal data being traded online to create advertising profiles. “What does it matter?” we ask. “I’m just a user.”

Editorial The error in that attitude and why we ought to change how we view privacy is that there are potentially problems down the road with not having control over our online data. Companies collecting data are governed by the interests of the market, not the interests of keeping your data private and away from others. Further, your online data will never be fully secure: if a company is holding information on you, that data can be stolen and misused. Numerous tech companies also have policies in place to give consumer data to intelligence agencies upon request. Finally, it is a matter of autonomy to consider that our actions should be generally safe from the eyes of others unless there is due cause for surveillance. Big Brother should

”

“Maybe a religion’s values should speak for itself and millennials will look into it when they feel like or feel the need for it.” — “James Sergi” commenting on the Oct. 21 column “Nothing in particular”

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

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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

never be the norm. Looking at the European court decision, it is evident that we do not have to live in a world where we do not control our data online. We can and should make privacy start as a universal right instead of something ceded with so little as a Terms and Conditions agreement link. America already has a patchwork of regulation in place with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Gramm-Leach-Billey Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 to ensure that our government, financial and health records are guaranteed to remain private, but this is a laws-against-violations versus laws-for-protection approach to the right. Like so many other rights, we should consider them inherent until stripped, not the other way around. In the internet age, our notion of privacy needs to extend past financial and health records to our increasingly digitized lives. It is not just the president who will be scrutinized for their digital footprint in twenty or even ten years. Just as we can give a banker or doctor personal details and trust they will remain private, we ought to be able to use the internet with the knowledge that our personal information will remain under our control. Only with a radical shift with regards to privacy from the American perspective to the European tilt will we have the chance of seeing regulation like the laws in Europe.

Force-awakening

onlinecomment

Est. 1905

The Chronicle chronicle

www.dukechronicle.com commentary

14 | thursday, THursday, october ocTober 22, 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

t’s been a busy fortnight for American politics. Now it’s official, Joe Biden will not run in 2016. If you listened closely enough during his announcement, you should have been able to make out Hillary Clinton weeping tears of ecstasy. Jim Webb dropped out of the Democratic primary on Tuesday, after spending roughly 72 percent of his speaking time in the first debate complaining about his speaking time. His press conference lasted for multiple minutes. On the other side of the political aisle, Donald Trump

battles from the movies—I, the Padawan, and he, the Jedi Master, I readied myself every afternoon as I went to the closet to hang up my coat after school, always half-expecting the “vmmmmm” activation sound of his lightsaber from beyond the door. Whenever he caught me off-guard, he would joke: “Concentration, son! Who trained you anyway?” Toward the end of elementary school, my parents asked me to bring in the mail. I walked down the driveway, opened up the mailbox, and

Brendan McCartney a pinch of ginger informed Americans that the Sept. 11 attacks did in fact occur while President George W. Bush occupied the White House, much to the apparent shock of his base of supporters, who continue to claim that even our worst day with President Bush rivaled our best with President Obama. As usual, blind partisanship, violently deployed by Republicans and Democrats alike, inhibits any semblance of... It obstructs even the basic idea of… Oh, f*** it. I can’t focus. The Star Wars trailer was just too good. “Do, or do not. There is no try.” Such is the philosophy that will guide me as I attempt to write a column about the wondrous mythos of our favorite galaxy far, far away. Yes, I am writing a reflection column. I apologize, but come on—it’s Star Wars themed. I will never forget the first time I stepped foot in a movie theater. One damp summer night in the humid heat of Hilton Head Island, my parents decided to expose my sister and me to the world of Jedi and Sith. On the screen played the first prequel to the critically acclaimed trilogy that started it all. Luckily, I absorbed the universe portrayed by “The Phantom Menace”through the eyes of a child, at that golden age when every movie seems intricate and magical despite its faults. Writer-Director George Lucas had me, capturing my interest with futuristic lightsabers and holding my attention with heartfelt battles. That I loved even the ridiculous Jar Jar Binks makes me grateful that I watched the admittedly flawed prequel before my critical faculties had developed. In the next year, I went full-geek, sinking my teeth into anything and everything touched by the Force. The original trilogy, books, video games; you name it. My parents bought me toy lightsabers, one always by my side and one typically wielded by my father as we simulated

found inside a sealed letter addressed from the Jedi Academy. Still young enough to believe that one day I could wake up a midi-chlorian enhanced Jedi (or a wizard or a Super Saiyan for that matter), I rushed back to the house and threw the letter in front of my parents. They read the letter, which I now believe was forged by my sister, and asked me whether I would follow its instruction and enroll to become a Jedi. Troubled by the idea of leaving my family and friends, I thought for a moment before answering: “I’m not ready.” And so my chances of learning the ways of the Force crumbled, but my love of the universe remained strong as ever. When “Revenge of the Sith,” the latest movie in the series, was released, I went to school in a daze, unable to focus on anything assigned by my teacher. After lunch, I thought that I had been granted a brief reprieve when I heard my name called over the school intercom. When I arrived at the front office, I found my dad, who had excused my absence so that we could see the symbolic birth of Darth Vader on opening day. The stories of Star Wars have done more than provide the basis for fond family memories; to this day, they instill an indescribable sense of nostalgia and help me view the world with a considerable amount of empathy, balance and hope. At Duke, it may be intimidating to interact with fantastical fiction of galactic proportions, especially around others who would rather talk about literally anything else, but don’t give up hope on the value of discovering new universes. Whether Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, a night in with a book or a movie might just be Force-awakening. Brendan McCartney is a Trinity senior. His column runs on alternate Thursdays.

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A case for going off the grid

‘Fitting in’ as an international student

ecently for a class, I made an audio documentary piece titled “Being Pakistani in the United States.” I interviewed two Duke women, a freshman from Pakistan and a sophomore who is a Pakistani-American. They helped me see that, although no one story is the same, we all—at different levels—are struggling to “fit in.”

unison, “WHAT?! You haven’t lived!” Well, actually, I have. Have you seen every Bollywood movie from the 1990s? Do you know what gol gappay are? No?! Well, you haven’t lived! Moving on to less trivial things, as an international student, you may also have concepts thrown at you that you have never come across before in your life. And you

really, really love airplane mode. I know it’s weird; I know it’s random, but when my phone is on airplane mode it means either one of two things. One, I am traveling internationally, meandering through new and exciting places armed with not much more than the ability to communicate through charades and

Alena Sadiq

Debbie Shim

doubt to believe

peer for you series

A lot of people at Duke try to fit in. We try to align ourselves with the popular narrative—or the one we, correctly or incorrectly, are convinced is the one lived by the majority. The narrative often features alcohol, parties, extroversion and involvement in a dozen extra-curricular activities. We are all trying to fit in to what we are made to believe is the mainstream trajectory and trying to counter our insecurities, particularly the one popularly known as FOMO (fear of missing out). For international students, there are additional nuances to fitting in. One of them is suddenly becoming aware of your “accented English.” This can feel particularly absurd to students from countries like Pakistan where English is the official language (not so much in reality for the majority of the Pakistani population, but most students who come to Duke are part of the demographic that has a strong command over the language). You’ve spoken English all your life; you communicate in it to your family and friends, and suddenly people don’t get what you’re saying? It is a bit of a disappointment. In Pakistani circles, we often make fun of people who somehow manage to get a thick American accent after just a semester of college. But should we really be blaming them? At this point, I am tempted myself to try to fake one because every time I order a hot tea, the response I get is “What?” Because, you know, it’s hawwt tea, not hot tea. We are constantly trying to fit in with the majority, and we often feel apologetic about not being able to pronounce things “right,” but are these efforts and sentiments reciprocated? Frankly, it is kind of irritating when some people don’t even try to pronounce the name of my country correctly—or any country that is not in the developed world for that matter (it is Iraq, people, not I-rack). As an international, you are also expected to know, and love, all things that are part of the American life. You must know all American cult movies, TV shows, etc. In today’s globalized world, it is likely that you do know at least some of them but if you don’t, then it is advised that you pretend that you do. Never say you’ve never heard of it, or there will be deafening silence, jaws will drop and a dozen people will say in

are usually expected to be aware of them and know what they mean. There are a lot of political ideas that most international students have just not encountered at home. Different socio-political environments lead to different societal emphases and different stages of development often lead to very different national discourses. For example, race is not really an issue discussed in Pakistan in the way it is discussed here. This is not to say we do not have have many forms of systematic discrimination. We do. But they are often based on religion, castes, socio-economic status and less obviously on race (there is discrimination based on different provincial ethnicities). Once you come here, you are really experiencing, and hearing about, race in a very different way. Many people I have talked to, for example, had never heard of cultural appropriation before coming to Duke. So when international students come here, people may see their skin color and automatically assume that race is a big part of their identity, but for many, it just really hasn’t been so while they were growing up. So sometimes it is taken for granted that you will be well-versed in these political issues, and I personally often become apologetic when I ask people to explain something that I haven’t encountered before. This is not to say that all internationals face these problems of “fitting in” or that all domestic students have the same approach to interacting with international students. They don’t. Assuming that would be defeating the purpose of this column: learning to be conscious, and appreciative, of differences. Although assimilating to a culture is arguably a big part of the experience of studying abroad, in order to truly build a community, especially in a place where one in every 10 students is not from the United States, the effort needs to be made both ways. We must create an environment where international students do not feel the need to be apologetic for being different, and the efforts they make to “fit in” are reciprocated through efforts to learn more, and be more mindful of, their cultures and identities. Alena Sadiq is a Trinity sophomore. Her column runs on alternate Thursdays.

thursday, ocTober THursday, october 22, 2015 | 15

pre-loaded Google Maps. Or two, I am disconnecting from the world and giving myself a way to be totally and completely alone. The latter is a habit I picked up from this summer, specifically a weekend when I suddenly found myself in more solitude than I even knew existed. I was deep in the Guatemalan jungle at a backpackers’ hostel in what was otherwise a totally indigenous village. The first morning I spent there, I woke up to the smell of damp grass and the resinous wood of my hut. The patio overlooked the milky turquoise river flowing right below the hostel, and a crisp breeze would occasionally relieve me from that sticky Central American humidity. As far as I knew, no one else was around or awake. Like a reflex, I pulled out my phone to Snapchat the beauty before me to friends back home. But the top left corner had a little silhouette of a plane, and I was reminded that, for the moment, it was just me, myself and I sitting by the river. As I sat there watching the early morning rays of light landing with a careless splatter onto the water, I felt crumpled-up worries, doubts and past pains expanding into the unfamiliar silence. And that is how I spent the next hour or so, just sitting by the river and making up for months and months of emotional procrastination. I’ve learned through my time at Duke that my extroverted nature can have a second motivation. I sometimes use social interaction as an emotional Band-Aid. Consciously and subconsciously, I choose to distract myself from facing my personal problems by being with other people and therefore being outside of my own head. I prefer conversations with friends where we are discussing their lives rather than my own, and even with my closest friends, I have a hard time not freezing up when someone happens upon one of those bruises and unwittingly presses. I’ve allowed other people to take up so much of the emotional space in my life that there is little room for me to process my own thoughts and experiences. I see social interaction being used as a crutch even in the way that we are

sort of tragically glued to our devices. When we wait at the West bus stop, rather than just stand in silence and think about our day, we pull out our phones with an alarming automaticity and scroll through the same news feed stories we just scrolled through three minutes earlier in the Au Bon Pain line. There’s nothing new there, but

it fills the void. When we are at dinner with friends and there’s a lull in conversation, we reach for our phones. The first thing we do when arriving at a place is inquire about the WiFi password. It’s like we are so externally wired that we are losing touch with the ability to handle silence—and in turn, the ability to handle solitude. It speaks to the trend that we can’t tolerate any sense of disconnect because in such an interconnected world, just yourself too often feels insufficient. During the transition from a 25 mph summer to the familiar 100 mph life at Duke, I longed for the comfortable weight of solitude that I had embraced in Guatemala. As a result, airplane mode is no longer something I just use when traveling outside of the country but also a means to literally disconnect from all the tugs of the world. It’s my way of traveling to a place in my mind with fewer to no distractions, a place where things I’ve pushed aside now have to take the stage. Off the grid alone time is important. How can we understand ourselves as individuals if everything we know about ourselves is in relation to what we do to stay busy? How could we possibly be able to figure out who we are, what we want and where we’ve been without granting ourselves the emotional space and time to just deal with all of these questions? Why do we expend so much effort into finding community that make us feel understood and so little thought to finding comfort, fulfillment and understanding within ourselves? For me, I find emotional space through closing my laptop, putting my phone on airplane mode and, for just a little while at least, being totally off the grid. It is my hope that each of us can find our own venue for processing what it feels like to be alone and take that step towards better self-care. Debbie Shim is a Trinity senior. This column is the fifth installment in a semester-long series of biweekly Thursday columns written by members of Peer for You. Message a peer responder anytime and receive a response within 24 hours.

16 | thursday, october 22, 2015

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The Fannie Mitchell Expert in Residence Program

ONE DAY. TWO EVENTS.

Tonya Armstrong,

M.T.S.â€™03, Ph.D., Founder, CEO & Mental Health Professional Group Brunch and Conversation on Friday, October 23 at 10:15-11:30 AM Smith Warehouse Classroom 177 1:1 appointments starting at 11:45 Spots are limited! Register today at http://careerconnections.duke.edu

Careers in Foreign Policy & International Diplomacy with Minh-Thu Pham â€˜98 Group Lunch and Conversation on Friday, October 23 at 11:30 AM, Social Sciences 311 Lunch will be provided. Spots are limited! Register today at http://careerconnections.duke.edu

The Fannie Mitchell Expert in Residence Program features accomplished professionals sharing specialized knowledge and providing career advice to Duke students.