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October 8, 2015

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ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH YEAR, Issue 31

NOBEL IN DUKE’S DNA

Paul Modrich becomes second standing faculty member awarded the Nobel Prize

Quote and Image courtesy of Duke Today For the second time in four years, a Duke professor in biochemistry was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Abigail Xie The Chronicle Paul Modrich’s Nobel Prize win is a huge victory not only for him and for Duke, but also for all fields of basic research, administrators and colleagues said. Modrich—James B. Duke professor of biochemistry, member of the Duke Cancer Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator—was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Wednesday, along with Aziz Sancar of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Tomas Lindahl of the Francis Crick Institute in the U.K. The researchers were honored for their discoveries of three different fundamental mechanisms of DNA repair—a critical process in maintaining the integrity of many organisms’ DNA. The research has potential applications in fighting cancer and other diseases. Modrich is the second standing faculty member in Duke’s history to win a Nobel Prize and also the second professor from the department of biochemistry, after Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, James B. Duke professor

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of medicine and professor of biochemistry and immunology, received the same award in 2012 for his work on G-protein-coupled receptors. “I have to say this acknowledgment is shared by graduate students and others in my lab. I want to thank the biochemistry department at Duke for giving me a scientific home,” Modrich said during a press conference held Wednesday at UNC to honor the Nobel Prize winners. Modrich called into the conference while away on vacation in New Hampshire. Modrich has been a Duke faculty member since 1976 and has studied the molecular machinery of DNA for most of his career, prompting Richard Brennan, James B. Duke professor of biochemistry and chair of the biochemistry department, to describe him as “a homegrown Duke biochemist.” Modrich’s discovery of the mismatch repair mechanism demonstrated how errors made during DNA replication are corrected and paved the way for further understanding of cancer and many other diseases. “This is the most exciting kind of honor that any university can get,” said Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs

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and government relations. “The fact that Professor Modrich was elected for the most prestigious science prize in the world is a great honor for him, but also a great honor and reflected glory to Duke and to all of the faculty and students who have worked with him over the years.” Nancy Andrews, dean of the School of Medicine, noted that Modrich’s work “is of fundamental importance to understanding cancer and other serious diseases.” “This is an extremely proud moment for Paul and his laboratory and for all of Duke and shines a spotlight once again on the outstanding science here,” she wrote in an email. Although the applications of Modrich’s work to cancer medicine and many other fields of biomedical research are significant, Lefkowitz noted that Modrich’s win is also a boost for basic science, which is the pursuit of understanding essential scientific processes and phenomena without focusing on immediate applications or treatments for diseases. “It is simply driven by the curiosity of a See NOBEL on Page 16

Serving the University since 1905

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NOBEL NOTES

• Modrich won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry—just as Professor Robert Lefkowitz did in 2012. • 3 researchers, including a UNC professor, shared the award this year for findings on DNA repair. • This is the second Nobel Prize win for both Duke and UNC. UNC’s Oliver Smithies won the first for the schools in 2007. • Modrich was on vacation in New Hampshire Wednesday and is expected to be back on campus later this week.

STUDENT OPINION ONLINE

• See what students think of the win compared to Duke men’s basketball’s latest championship.

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First LGBTQ Center in N.C. primaries moved to Durham opens Wednesday March 15 for turnout, savings Caroline Maretz The Chronicle Wednesday marked the grand opening of the the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Center of Durham, the first center of its kind in the city. Wednesday’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony featured a keynote speech by Mandy Carter, a nationally recognized LGBTQ activist and co-founder of the National Black Justice Coalition and Southerners on New Ground, an advocacy group for immigrants, the working class, people of color and LGBTQ communities. The center aims to target needs specific to the LGBTQ community and provides information and a means to connect with a greater pool of sexually and gender diverse individuals. “I think the whole point of the center is to take care of one another. Places like this give us those opportunities

to be more visible together, as a community, and therefore be stronger as a community,” said Barbara Lau, director of the Pauli Murray Project, which aims to honor civil rights activist Pauli Murray through activism on race, class and sexual and gender diversity issues. Tyler Nelson, president of Blue Devils United, an LGBTQ student advocacy group, noted that Durham already has an established LGBTQ community, but often the main community hubs are bars such as The Pinhook and The Bar. Lau added that the new LGBTQ center aims to allow members of the LGBTQ community to connect without necessarily going to bars—especially for the under-21 LGBTQ members, those suffering from substance abuse or simply those looking for a more diverse exposure to the community. She explained that See LGBTQ CENTER on Page 4

Darbi Griffith | The Chronicle The first LGBTQ center in Durham held its grand opening Wednesday—it hopes to provide information for the city’s residents and address the LGBTQ community’s specific needs.

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Likhitha Butchireddygari The Chronicle North Carolina’s primary election date will move to March, thanks to a new bill signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory last week. House Bill 373 shifts the date of North Carolina state and local primaries two months earlier—to March 15 from May 15, which is the same day as presidential primaries. Republicans, who formed the majority of support for the bill, have cited economic efficiency and the potential for increased voter turnout in local elections as benefits. Critics say, however, that the legislation gives incumbents an advantage and makes it harder for new candidates to run. “Putting all of the other primaries on March 15 does save a lot of money,” John Aldrich, Pfizer-Pratt University professor of political science, said. “It

costs millions of dollars to run statewide elections, even if they are primaries.” He noted that the increased turnout supporters cite as a benefit may help some parties more than others, depending on which has a competitive presidential primary. Despite the money it saves, critics say the bill disadvantages new candidates, who might find it hard to get their message out with two months fewer to campaign. “Candidates have to decide very quickly now whether they have the means, the resources, the relationships, the organizational structure to run,” said George Eppsteiner, a staff attorney at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. “That may deter qualified candidates from running, which would dilute the quality of the elections pool.” Another concern is the difficulty new candidates may face with the increased See PRIMARIES on Page 4

Graphic by Lucy Zhang | The Chronicle

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Students, admins upset about false fire alarms Jake Parker The Chronicle Students on East Campus have recently voiced their displeasure about numerous false fire alarm activations. Although the Fire and Life Safety Division of the Occupational and Environmental Safety Office declined to provide the number of false activations by individuals on East Campus, Greg Andino, a safety and health specialist assigned to East Campus, said that the total number of fire alarm activations since move-in Aug. 18 was 17 as of Friday. Among the most vocal residents about false alarms on social media outlets such as Yik Yak have been students living in Randolph and Blackwell residence halls. Randolph alone has experienced four fire alarm activations—a drill, a false alarm, a legitimate alarm and an alarm accidentally set off in repairing the damage done by a smoking dryer, students said. Public knowledge of who activated the alarms remains speculative, as many of the residents in Randolph and Blackwell know little about the false alarms other than information gleaned from rumors among fellow freshmen and social media platforms. “All this stuff was on Yik Yak about people pulling the fire alarms in different dorms so we all just assumed that’s what happened,” freshman Hunter McGhee, a Randolph resident, said of the false alarm in his residence hall. The main concern among fire officials and administrators with the number of alarm activations is about the desensitizing effects unnecessary

Jessica Williams | The Chronicle There were 17 fire alarm activations on East Campus between Aug. 18 and last Friday, Oct. 2— four of which students say came in Randolph residence hall.

activations can have on students. Students in a residence hall like Randolph may feel inclined to disregard future alerts even though responsiveness to fire alarms is still vital, Lisa Beth Bergene, associate dean for East Campus, wrote in an email. “The greatest concern is that when a real fire happens and the alarm sounds, people will assume it is another false alarm and stay in the building,” Bergene wrote. “Although infrequent, we have real

emergencies every year that do require complete evacuation.” Several students in Randolph and Blackwell speculated that the perpetrator of the false alarms is a Giles resident. “I heard during when the fire drill was pulled [in Blackwell] that it was a group of kids from Giles... I don’t really know,” explained freshman Will Graham, a Blackwell resident. “I have no way of knowing and I think no one really knows except for the people who did it and the

people who saw it happen.” Giles residents expressed skepticism about the suggestion that students in their residence hall could be responsible. Carly Miner—a Giles resident—said controversy about past misbehavior in Giles has led people to blame her dorm for acts like the activation of false alarms around campus. She noted that she questions the validity of such claims. In addition to desensitizing students, false alarms also pose a risk to the fire department, Andino said. “You’re also placing the fire department at risk because they have to make another run, you know they have to come to the building as though it’s a real fire and they don’t know that until they get there,” he said. Attempts to tamper with fire alarms carry substantial penalties for students. Bergene explained that such a violation would result in a meeting with the Office of Student Conduct and could lead to a loss of housing license, additional sanctions and possibly even a citation—which could impede admission to medical school, law school and certain professions such as teaching. “[False activation] is a misdemeanor offense,” explained Edward Reid, assistant chief and fire marshal for the Durham Fire Department. “If I knew that somebody did it, I would deal with it on the criminal side.” Since some of the drills in Blackwell and Randolph occurred as late as 3 a.m., many students who were impacted said the drill was a waste of the University’s resources. “It was so annoying,” Graham said. “Everyone was really frustrated by it.”

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choosing the presidential candidates for the general election. In the same year, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation that required photo ID for voting, shortened the early voting period by a week, removed same day registration during the early voting period and eliminated the ability for 16 and 17 years-olds to pre-register, among other provisions. This legislation has led to legal action against the state due to claims that these increased requirements are attempts to suppress turnout from African Americans and other minority voters. Aldrich noted that the primary law is among the changes Republicans in the state legislature have historically advocated for. “Really, [the Republicans in the Chronicle File Photo Voters interested in North Carolina’s state and local primaries will now vote two months earlier General Assembly] are just fulfilling in conjunction with presidential primaries. all the stuff they have wanted to do for the last 40 years,” Aldrich said. “It’s incumbents. happening now because of the build The change will also allow Duke up of desires over many years and from page 2 students, who leave in early May, to obviously, to try to implant themselves vote in person in the primary election. more firmly in power through the use amount of time between primaries and Previously, with state and local of electoral rules.” the general election. primaries in mid-May, students who left “[The increased time] can be a campus for summer break would have from page 2 problem to make decisions—how they had to request absentee ballots to vote are going to fill up this time and what in the state-wide primary. until this point, the nearest physical the nature of the campaign is going “May is busier and depending on LGBTQ center was in Raleigh to be,” Aldrich said. “This advantages exactly when the primary is, students and so what began as an effort incumbents compared to challengers may be away from campus,” Rohde by the Raleigh Center to address from outside of incumbency.” said. “I suppose that in that sense, it these needs in Durham ultimately David Rohde, Ernestine Friedl might be a little easier in March.” developed into an independent professor of political science, said, This legislation is part of a larger center. however, that he is not convinced the array of changes to voting policy Lau noted that the center aims to increased time between primaries in North Carolina. In 2013, the provide resources to a community and elections will have a significant presidential primaries were moved which has historically lacked negative impact on new candidates. He to March. Eppsteiner said that this support systems. explained that it is already very difficult move was an opportunity for North “Youth LGBTQ homelessness is for new candidates to challenge Carolinians to have a greater voice in

PRIMARIES

LGBTQ Center

a serious issue in Durham. There aren’t really a lot of resources for the LGBTQ youth who happen to be homeless or who find themselves in difficult situations,” Lau said. “The statistics tell us that almost 40 percent of homeless youth are LGBTQ, so it’s a particularly important resource that needs to be available.” The center’s website includes a community feedback survey in an effort to gather information to improve its programming, which currently includes a referral list for LGBTQ-friendly community services, a library of LGBTQ materials and a calendar of events for members of the LGBTQ community. Nelson noted that though Duke has a variety of resources to address LGBTQ needs through the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, the inauguration of a center in the wider Durham community still offers incredible potential to expand the pre-existing network to a more diverse group of individuals. “I think this will be really interesting and strategic to see how Duke partners with the center, because often Duke finds itself very insulated from Durham,” Nelson said. “But I think that a partnership between the LGBTQ center in Durham and Duke’s Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity could be very beneficial in widening the scope of how we perceive the LGBTQ community here at Duke.” Today the CSGD is sponsoring the National Coming-Out Day celebration at 11 a.m. in the Bryan Center Plaza, which will include free shirts, food and music.

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recess

Volume 17 issue 8

october 8, 2015

Inside Joke

Bigger and funnier every year, page 7

Student show superlatives The best of the Coffeehouse, page 8

Ana Tijoux Hip hop singer sells out Motorco, page 10

Story Lab

Humanities get experimental at Franklin Institute page 8


R recess editors What’s irrelevant?

Georgia Parke.......................not recess elizabeth Djinis.....................led zepplin Dillon Fernando......the world outside TV Gary Hoffman..............budget meetings Jesús Hidalgo.................the last minute ian Jaffe................................it’s a word Nat Huffman....................watchdogging mousa Alshanteer....debates over songs Grace Wang...........staring off into space stephenie Wu........the news department Amrith ramkumar.......................music

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When I was four years old, television was my best friend. As sad as that sounds now, my younger self found an esoteric solace in the small, flickering screen tucked away in the living room of our two-bedroom apartment. Throughout the early years of my childhood, my parents exhausted themselves trying to build their careers to a point where financial stability would not be an issue so that they could forge some form of the American Dream for our family. Don’t get me wrong, my parents were very proactive and present in my life. They always squeezed in a bedtime story or taught me the art of calculating and optimizing discounts at the grocery store, even though I was too preoccupied winning the Indy 500 in my trusty shopping cart. However, being an only child, I found myself passing a lot of my time in front of a television screen—much to my parents’ chagrin. But I couldn’t help myself. The stories—only six inches away from my face—captured my imagination in a way that toys and books simply couldn’t for more than a few minutes. I remember sitting in my kid-sized, blue plastic chair piecing together all of Blue’s Clues before Steve even laid a cheek in his Thinking Chair. I remember accidently rolling over the remote control and being mesmerized by a soap opera where an older, bougie woman gets wine thrown on her blouse and is slapped in the face by her daughter’s ex-boyfriend, with whom she was having an affair. I remember building forts with the couch cushions as the iconic tick of the “60 Minutes” opening heralded a night of compelling human interest stories whose significance I could barely grasp—all I knew is I liked that one time they talked

about Harry Potter. Television gave me my very first glimpse of American culture. It was this mediator for me between the bubble of my Sri Lankan-groomed household and the foreign world just inches beyond the front door. No, I wasn’t a reclusive toddler, but even when stepping out into the grocery store or interacting with kids at my pre-school, my parents and teachers sheltered me from nuances of popular culture and instead fostered a more disciplinary background. Watching my favorite television shows as a kid gave me a freedom that was not very accessible to me, and I think that’s why I have such a fascination with

editor’s note

ways I never realized before coming to Duke. Like most pre-med kids who drop pre-med, I chose Duke because of its reputation as a research university, and my mother’s hope that it would equip me with unique opportunities to put me on the right path for medical school—just like a good little brown boy should do. Coming here, however, I realized that one of my truer passions was to critique and engage with the realm of media that had been so influential to me growing up—hence, here I am at Recess. This is the part of the note where there is usually a take-home message or grander theme to explore, but for this editor’s note I can’t promise anything really— mostly because I’ve already written 667 words and I’m not really keen on b.s-ing a take-away. But there’s this. So often, as readers, we glean a few insights about the Recess team through the selection of the stories we pitch and the cadence of our articles. Understanding what inspires us as editors to make Recess contextualizes this publication and gives our words a more personal flavor. So that is my story for the all two of you who will read this editor’s note to completion. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to watch some TV. —Dillon Fernando

examining the popular culture of today. Sitcoms compelled me to empathize with strange people and zany cartoons from the most far off and alluring of places like London, a spaceship in outer fabrics of the universe and New York City. The evening news with Dan Rather first showed me that there is evil in the world with the sole image of the two burning towers the night of 9/11 that petrified my mother as she attempted to prepare dinner. Staying up with my father on the weekend to watch “Saturday Night Live” taught me the palliative power of comedy—the edgier and the more satirical, the better. It might be a bit of a stretch to say that TV shaped me into the person I am today, but certainly it influenced me in

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Recess online page for more great reads!

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Join us for a downtown Durham block party to celebrate the Nasher Museum’s first decade at Duke and in Durham. We will commemorate a new public art project, a mural by artist Odili Donald Odita, on the Foster Street wall of the Downtown Durham YMCA. Meet the artist, make art, enjoy performances, watch a new documentary film and sample local food trucks.

Odili Donald Odita, Desert Sun (detail), 2014. Acrylic on canvas. 72 x 90 inches. © Odili Donald Odita. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.


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The evolution of Duke’s sketch comedy group The Chronicle Founded in 2000, Inside Joke describes themselves as “Duke’s premiere (and only) sketch comedy group.” They started as an inspired group of undergraduate students and have continued to flourish since their inception, particularly in recent years. What makes Inside Joke unique is that it is a group focused primarily on sketch comedy—think scripted, rehearsed, SNL-variety fun. Because of this refreshing comedic style, Inside Joke has enjoyed an increasingly visible presence on campus and social media throughout the past few years. Kasper Kubica, a junior who has been in the group since he was a freshman, recalls that “three years ago, a crowd of fifty people would’ve been big” but now their shows “routinely sell out.” In the past four years alone, Inside Joke has grown from seven members to 20, allowing them to “put on much bigger shows and produce more content in general,” said Arjan Saraon, a senior and the current president of the group, who has been a member since 2012. Another factor that may have contributed to Inside Joke’s recent success is their new mentor David Smith, who was formerly involved in one of Chicago’s largest comedy theaters, The Second City. Saraon said Smith has been “a generally fantastic mentor” and helped them refine their style by “teaching

[them] some of the nuances of comedy.” Of course, it is the members of the group themselves who have had the most to do with their own success. Saraon cites the group’s propensity for “[trying] different methods to help foster creativity, increase production and keep meetings fun” as one of the main reasons for their rapid evolution. The group has had its fair share of hardships, however. A few years ago, Inside Joke almost disbanded after the tragic death of one of its members, Kubica said in an email. When Kubica came to Duke in 2013, even though it had had a 12-year legacy, the group was comprised solely of “a few passionate members trying to make something from nearly nothing.” In spite of such a major setback, however, the group’s members persevered and Inside Joke is now thriving. The addition of new members from the class of 2019 promises to add to the versatility and appeal of the group and its sketches. “We’ve heard a lot of new voices in the group with the new class that we just took,” said sophomore Madeline Taylor. “They have so much talent and drive, and they are pushing everyone in the group to step up their game.” This is especially evident in the group’s rehearsals, in which members typically create a “list of funny”—defined by Taylor as “a humongous list of funny things that [the members] think could potentially be turned into sketches.” The members then take ideas from the list and riff off of them to determine

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Special to The Chronicle Inside Joke has grown from only seven members to 20, and is now routinely selling out performances.

which possible directions a potential sketch could go. More generally, the rehearsals are a time for members to throw around ideas, a time for “just a bunch of slightly off folks [to be] themselves,” Kubica said. The group will be debuting the new and original sketches that were carefully thought out in their rehearsals during their Oct. 16 show in Reynolds Theater, “Inside Joke: Half Baked Noobies.” Their largest performance in three years, this

show will highlight the new recruits of Inside Joke and their unique talents and humors. “It has the biggest variety of humor types [Inside Joke] has ever put out… whether you’re a Will Ferrell, Tina Fey or David Sedaris type, you’re going to like this show,” Kubica said. So if you’re not doing anything on a Friday night at 8 p.m., come see the product of years of evolution, and maybe have a laugh while you’re at it.

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New Duke lab seeks to enhance storytelling and pe Sophia Ellingham The Chronicle Story Lab does not look much like a traditional lab. There are no test tubes, no telescopes, no experimenters in white coats taking exact measurements. Instead, it has long tables arranged seminar-style, a whiteboard and superhero posters on the walls. Story Lab is, in fact, not a traditional lab, but rather part of a new, collaborative approach to humanities research. Still in its first semester, Story Lab is the newest lab to be established by the Franklin Humanities Institute, funded by the Humanities Writ Large initiative, a five-year Mellon Foundation Grant. The idea for a humanitiesbased lab was first put into practice at Duke five years ago, with the creation of Haiti Lab. The humanities labs take inspiration for their structure from the familiar set-up of science labs. Labs are, by their very nature, both cooperative and temporary, two traits not often associated with scholarship in the humanities. “We’re borrowing from the sciences an emphasis on collaboration in order to rethink humanities scholarship,” said Story Lab Co-Director Carlos Rojas, associate professor of Chinese Cultural Studies, Women’s Studies and Arts of the Moving Image. The idea for Story Lab came when co-directors Eileen Chow, visiting associate professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, and Clare Woods, associate professor of classical studies, noticed that stories were everywhere

and being used in every discipline. “[We were] trying to develop a lab that could tap into the energy and excitement on the part of undergrads, who are often engaged in narrative activities as part of their spare time but don’t see it as part of their academic studies,” Rojas said. To address the idea of stories from a scholarly perspective, the lab has three research clusters: one on environmental narratives; one on language, stories, and migration; and one on fan communities and fan production. The cluster focusing on environmental narratives looks at how government policy and popular opinion can be affected by stories. It also examines the role of science fiction as one type of persuasive environmental narrative, and the cluster highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the Story Lab by bringing together environmental science, public policy and the study of literature. “How do you persuade people to save the environment? You use a story,” Chow said. The storytelling and migration cluster focuses on the ways in which stories move and translate into other languages, looking at issues such as language rights and global English. The lab is partnering with John Hope Franklin scholars to collaborate on a year-long project on the subject of storytelling and migration. The final cluster is based on the study of fan communities and fan production, especially fan fiction. Storytelling has rarely in history been a solitary activity; the nature of stories involves at least two parties: a storyteller and a listener or reader. The fan production

Darbi Griffith | The Chronicle The Story Lab addresses stories through three different research clusters, and provides a place for creative expression.

Student Acts Rock Show at the Coffeehouse: Rece Christy Kuesel The Chronicle Last Thursday, the Duke Coffeehouse hosted a student concert as part of the Duke Arts Festival. Six different acts performed at the event, which premiered last year in the annual festival. The campus organization advertised the event online and solicited submissions from individual students, but did not hold auditions. “There is a thread of spontaneity in all arts events by nature,” said Justin Sandulli, a senior and vice president of advocacy for duARTS. Although string instruments paired with vocals dominated the night’s performances, each of the seven acts brought something unique to the Coffeehouse stage. See below for our Student Show Superlatives:

Best Collaboration: Racemates Elizabeth Onstwedder and Julian Xie from the band Racemates opened the show, performing an original song entitled “Lights Out, Light Out.” Onstwedder and Xie, both graduates of the class of 2015, met in their freshman year music theory class. They eventually formed the band Racemates along with another mutual friend and one of Xie’s residents, who did not perform at the Coffeehouse.

Racemates play both on and off campus, though they hope to add more shows at different venues soon. “This is a good opportunity because everyone here cares about music and the arts,” Xie said. Xie primarily sang and played the guitar while Onstwedder harmonized with both vocals and her violin. Xie and Onstwedder gave a high-energy performance, and their instruments flowed together as seamlessly as their voices. Their song started the night of music off on a high note.

Best Cover: Nmelichukwu Anene Senior Nmelichukwu Anene followed Racemates with her cover of the song “You Make Me Brave,” originally by Bethel. Anene gave a calming performance, choosing to sit down and play her guitar. Her clear, pure voice carried throughout the Coffeehouse. One of the few cover songs played throughout the night, Anene’s take on the song both preserved its original feeling and added her own voice to the piece.

Most Meaningful Lyrics: Serges Himbaza and Mike DeVito Seniors Serges Himbaza and Mike DeVito took the stage next, with Himbaza performing vocals and lead guitar and DeVito playing backup guitar. Himbaza, who describes his musical style

as “folk R&B,” performed four original songs, all centering on different themes in his life. One of his songs, “Misty Mountains,” focuses on the iconic image of the misty mountains in Rwanda, his birthplace. Himbaza said he wrote the song to acknowledge his desire to return to Rwanda, but he added that the song can have different meanings for each member of the audience. Himbaza described “Pinocchio’s Song”—one of the pieces he performed—as one of those songs you write when you realize you’re growing up. The song’s chorus line declares: “It ain’t easy to be loved so much better than you love.” In songwriting, Himbaza tries to recreate “that moment when you’re feeling something,” while playing the acoustic guitar, and translate this feeling into song lyrics. Although Himbaza has not performed frequently in the past, he is hoping to perform more during his last year at Duke.

Most Relatable Lyrics: Mikayla Shatley Mikayla Shatley performed next, also singing four original songs. Shatley’s songs centered on feeling broken and not having it all together. Her songs, entitled “Broken,” “Make You Whole,” “Circus” and “Fallen Leaves” resounded with members of the audience. Shatley’s soft, haunting lyrics spoke out against the pressure that many Duke students feel to appear perfect to their peers. She comforted the audience by conveying the message

Christy Kuesel | The Chronicle Six different student acts performed at the Student Show at the Coffeehouse last Thursday, including (from left to right) Julian Xie, Elizabeth Onstwedder and Nmelichukwu Anene.


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ersonal narrative Dave Karger ‘95 interviews the stars cluster analyzes the ways in which the listeners influence the story. Chow described the mission of this cluster as studying “the larger ecology of a text.” The innovative nature of fan production—building new ideas out of existing stories—is a good analogy for the idea behind Story Lab, the synthesis of traditional thoughts on humanities and the model of a sciences lab and the stories we are all engaged in every day. Examining the effects of fan production, public policy and migration of stories on how scholars think and approach narratives is part of what the lab seeks to do, but it is not the entirety of its mission. The lab also seeks to provide a space for creative expression through story. As part of this, the lab hosts a weekly creative writing session Monday evenings at 7:00 pm. Rojas described the sessions as providing “a semistructured space to encourage people to write creatively.” Story Lab also has a variety of other events, including lunch talks given by famous authors. The lab will be hosting an event that will be part Halloween party, part cosplay competition Oct. 30. In November, the lab will be organizing writers participating in National Novel Writing Month— NaNoWriMo—a nation-wide initiative that encourages people to spend the month writing a 50,000 word novel. As a multifaceted humanities hub, Story Lab aims to be a space for looking at stories from all angles, including academically, creatively and personally. “The lab is a creative and investigative project built around the idea of story,” Rojas said.

ess’ Superlatives

Georgia Parke

Q & A

The Chronicle Dave Karger, a 1995 Trinity graduate, knows his way around a red carpet. As a writer for Entertainment Weekly for 17 years, he covered a wide range of entertainment news while keeping one foot in the broadcast world as a regular contributor on the Today Show. In 2012, Karger made the jump to be NBC’s Chief Correspondent for Fandango, where he now hosts two shows talking with entertainment stars and making a splash online. Karger, who is also involved with Duke Entertainment Media and Arts Network and the Duke in LA program, came back to Duke for the second time this year last week. The Chronicle’s Georgia Parke sat down with Karger to talk about the ins and outs of entertainment media.

The Chronicle: What are some of your best practices or must-dos when you’re interviewing someone? Dave Karger: In the broadcast world in general, you rarely have a lot of time to actually do an interview. When I worked at Entertainment Weekly I regularly had a half hour or an hour to interview someone. For on-camera sometimes it’s five minutes, sometimes it’s 15, sometimes it’s 30. So the challenge is to get to the point without being abrupt. My style of interviewing is very conversational. I have found that friendliness goes a long way—just smiling at your guest makes a big difference. You’d be surprised—a lot of people don’t project a friendly vibe, so I certainly try to do that. TC: In terms of red carpet and interview situations, what is something most people don’t know about interviews that take place in those kinds of contexts? DK: For a red carpet, it’s even more hectic than anyone would think, and you have to be prepared to talk to anyone at a moment’s notice. You don’t get a lot of advance word as to who’s coming up next, so preparation is key.

Christy Kuesel | The Chronicle Weekend Shirt performs at the Student Show.

that it isn’t worth it to put on an act for others, and it is better to be honest with the world.

Best Technique: Roy Auh Freshman Roy Auh was the only act of the night without vocals. He instead chose to perform only on a double bass, playing the “War” portion of “War and Peace” and part of the piece “Ode to Spain,” both pieces by Francios Rabbath. Auh exhibited the best technical skills of the night, producing entrancing music that filled the entire space. He played “Ode to Spain” without a bow, producing a blues-inspired sound by plucking the strings of his bass. His pieces stood out from the rest of the acts of the night in their originality and deviation from the standard “sing and play guitar” acts.

Lyrics Most Likely to Get Stuck in Your Head: Weekend Shirt The last act of the night was Weekend Shirt, who described their style as being “singer-songwriter, but aspiring to be more rock n’ roll.” Sophomore Pascual Di Tella sang vocals while sophomore Quinn Scanlan accompanied him on the guitar. The duo performed five songs, three of which were original. The overall feeling of the act was happy and whimsical, with DiTella dancing around the stage and whistling in between lyrics. The two covers of the night, Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” provided a calmer break in between the more upbeat pieces. DiTella and Scarlan said the band formed during their freshman year, as they met each other during Orientation Week and started playing music together shortly thereafter. Weekend Shirt has not performed at many venues yet, since they are currently focused on creating and recording complete songs.

TC: If you have a guest who you’ve spoken to in the past, how do you play off of stuff that you learned in previous interviews? DK: My favorite thing is when I‘m interviewing someone that I have a great rapport with... Hugh Jackman, Hilary Swank, Reese Witherspoon, Matt Damon, George Clooney—that I’ve interviewed so many times that there’s just an ease already there. It’s definitely more difficult when you’re interviewing someone for the first time and they’re not sure what you’re about. I always try to go back—if we had a funny experience at another interview or something interesting, I try to remind them. That’s one of the most rewarding things about doing this for so long is that over 20 years it’s been a lot of the same people. It makes a world of difference. TC: A lot of celebrities criticize the media for misrepresenting them or taking things out of context. Do you think that some outlets do intentionally take things out of context? DK: I think a lot of times it’s accidental. The classic case of this is the Nicki Minaj comments about the Video Music Awards that Taylor Swift took offense to because she didn’t see the whole interview where Nicki was really talking about the Miley Cyrus video from last year, not Taylor Swift’s from this year. So I think that’s one of the biggest dangers of our social media age. Because on Twitter, until they raise the 140-character limit, taking things out of context is almost unavoidable. So that’s something when I was a print journalist, I was very cautious about. And I think Internet journalists should be extremely cautious about that because it’s very easy to omit things in order to keep your blog items short and sweet or your tweets short. That’s something people need to watch out for because as a member of the media, your reputation is everything. And these days as a journalist you are your own ambassador more than the publication you are working for. People are moving around so much… the publicists know individual journalists by name and reputation and you need to have a good reputation if you want access. TC: What are some of the stranger or more unexpected things to happen to you in an interview? DK: A couple years ago I was interviewing Tom Cruise. It was one of the first episodes of one of my Fandango shows and one of the cameras broke in the middle of the interview, and

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it was mortifying because you don’t want that to happen ever, but particularly if it’s Tom Cruise. And he was so nice about it and actually tried to help us fix the camera. The other crazy one I remember was one time I was interviewing George Clooney for Entertainment Weekly. I had to meet him at the photoshoot and we were going to drive to lunch and he said, “Oh, let’s go to lunch. Do you have a car?” And I thought to myself, “Why don’t you have a car?” And I said I do and I ended up driving George Clooney down Santa Monica Boulevard from the photo studio to lunch. And it was so scary driving George Clooney—what if we get in a wreck?! Crazy things like that happen all the time and that’s what’s so fun, you never know what’s going to happen and you just have to roll with it. TC: How do you put being starstruck aside when you have to do an interview? DK: Let me tell you. When I first started I got so nervous and excited every time I had to do a phone interview with any actor, even if it wasn’t someone that famous. But very quickly you learn that you have to get over it and you have to get a good interview out of these people. You can’t be distracted by who they are and you have to get the interview. So very quickly I learned how to not appear starstruck. But of course, there are times where if it’s Meryl Streep or Harrison Ford, you can’t help but be starstruck. You just have to behave. The more experience you get, the more you realize you have every right to be in that room with them. TC: In entertainment media do you feel like there is… a conscious drive to diversify reporting or is it still stuck because Hollywood is still very homogenous? DK: I think in the film world there’s still a lot of progress to be made. In the TV world, newer companies like Amazon and Netflix are doing such interesting things so we’re seeing more diversity on the screen. The movie world has a long way to go, and I think as far as traditional media is concerned, we still have a long way to go. Look at the late night hosts—there’s a couple men of color but it’s still all men. That Vanity Fair picture was very telling. So I do get the sense that particularly new media and younger media companies are definitely wanting to have diverse people on staff and in front of the camera. I should say not just people of different genders and races, but also sexualities and that’s very important too. TC: How or did a Duke education, a liberal arts education, help going into your career, and what helped the most? DK: Academically I can think back to a couple courses I took—like Hollywood Film Music. Overall though, I would not say my education per se was a huge factor, but my extracurricular activities did. I was the director of one of the a cappella groups here, Rhythm ‘n’ Blue, for two years. Managing that group of big personalities and creative people was a great training camp for me for dealing with and interviewing creative people in my job. I feel like I met so many fascinating people here at Duke and intimidating people and smart people that anyone I meet now, I’ve already met people who are just as impressive because I went to Duke. If I can survive four years here, I can survive anywhere. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.


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Ana Tijoux Comes To Motorco REVIEW: Mipso, ‘Old Time Reverie’ Elizabeth Djinis

Emma Baccellieri

The Chronicle

The Chronicle

French-Chilean hip-hop artist Ana Tijoux is coming to Motorco Thursday as part of Duke Performances’ semesterlong spotlight series on hip hop. Tijoux is known globally for her LatinAmerican hip hop style and political lyrics. She began her music career in the 1990’s as the lead of Chilean group Makiza only to branch out on her own in 2007. Now she specializes in a rappop combination that makes for catchy yet cerebral music that communicates across continents. “Every country has their own issue, but in the end I feel the music of protest repeats themes,” Tijoux said. Tijoux is excited to take the Duke community by storm. “It’s always interesting to open music in academic places,” Tijoux said. “It’s appealing to tear down the walls between academic words and music.” Duke Performances Executive Director Aaron Greenwald has known about Tijoux for a long time—and this year the stars finally aligned for him to book her. Late last year, Provost Sally Kornbluth asked Greenwald to bring more events to campus that would be popular with students. “The real challenge at Duke is programming something that is attractive to the students but still passes muster artistically and is affordable for us,” Greenwald said. Thus, an idea was born: increased hip-hop programming at Duke Performances. Tijoux will be the very first guest for Greenwald’s hip-hopthemed series. “She seemed like a really good person both because she could put on a great live show but also because she could engage around a lot of different subjects here on campus,” Greenwald said. Tijoux, however, said she prefers not to identify with any one genre. “I feel that we have been given

Mipso describes themselves as “renegade traditionalists,” a contradiction in terms that is understandably confusing for those who are unacquainted with the band. But for the initiated, there’s no better description—what else do you say about a group that refashions Drake in the style of classical bluegrass? The band’s new album, “Old Time Reverie,” picks up where this renegade tradition left off in their 2013 full-length debut. A little sharper, a little more grownup, the band kept the same concept: playing with the conventions of old-school bluegrass to end up with something that’s not at all oldfashioned. The most obvious change Mipso has made since their last album is the addition of Libby Rodenbough on the fiddle. Although Rodenbough has been involved with the band since its early days—she met the group’s three founding members when they were students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and recorded the violin part for their first EP—”Old Time Reverie” marks her introduction as a full-fledged member, and her addition is a most welcomed one. As the only woman in the band, Rodenbough takes a turn in the spotlight as the lead singer on two tracks—“Down in the Water” and “Everyone

JHF

100

Special to The Chronicle Hip-hop artist Ana Tijoux, known for her Latin-American style, will perform at Motorco on Thursday.

different labels between genres of music,” Tijoux said. “We are in the moment that I feel that everything is so mixed.” Motorco makes an excellent choice for Tijoux’s intellectually engaging music because it is a standing room venue, Greenwald added. The space allows for up to 420 people in the audience, and tickets to the upcoming concert have been sold out. “This is a community that responds really favorably to artists who are politically engaged, who are feminists and who are willing to stake that out as a political position,” Greenwald said. Greenwald said the event will be a combination of political discussion and musical entertainment, making it an “ideal night” for many. Wherever she is and whatever the theme, Tijoux is just happy to perform. “If they invite me anywhere, I will go,” Tijoux said. “I don’t like to stay in one place or in one type of crowd.”

Special to The Chronicle Mipso is a North Carolina bluegrass band with a new album out.

John Hope Franklin @100: Scholar, Activist, Citizen KEYNOTE:

John Hope Franklin and the Black Intellectuals of ‘The Greatest Generation’

Thomas C. Holt

James Westfall Thompson Distinguished Service Professor American and African American history University of Chicago Author of The Problem of Race in the 21st Century, and Major Problems in African American History.

Thursday, Oct. 15

6:30 p.m., Room 04, Sanford School of Public Policy Free and Open to the Public For more information, visit jhf100.duke.edu

Knows”—and her gentle voice makes for a refreshing change of pace. She particularly shines on the latter track, a lush and haunting reflection on a “cold and dark” world. Among Mipso’s greatest strengths are their thoughtful lyrics. “Experimental laparoscopic cardiology” as a solution to a broken heart from “Dark Holler Pop”’s “Red Eye to Raleigh” is one of my all-time favorite lines—and “Old Time Reverie” certainly delivers on this count. More so than “Dark Holler Pop” did, “Old Time Reverie” experiments with storytelling. “Bad Penny” takes the cake for uniqueness, with a jaded Abraham Lincoln come to life from the surface of a coin chasing the singer through New York, offering life advice as he goes. The opening track “Marianne” is also daring, but in a different way—told from the perspective of an interracial couple deciding to leave the bigotry of their hometown. But the band isn’t always trying on other personas for size. The album’s most emotional song is one of the most personal. In “Momma,” mandolin player Jacob Sharp describes his mother’s death from ovarian cancer four years ago, naked grief apparent as his voice climbs into its upper register to ask “Am I still so lost?”. The record is just as earnest as “Dark Holler Pop,” but it’s more polished—a slight upgrade across the board. As Sharp told Recess this summer: “I don’t really think it’s a departure, but we are just naturally becoming more of our own with what we are involved with.”


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the blue zone

STEVENS PICKS UP PRESEASON HONORS

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THURSdAy, OCTObER 8, 2015

FOOTBALL

Blue DeVIlS ClASH WITH BlACK KNIGHTS Sam Turken The Chronicle The late New York Yankee Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once said, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.” Playing an hour away from the Bronx this weekend, Berra’s famous words will ring true for a Duke defense that has established itself as one of the elite run-stopping units in the country. For the second time this season, the Blue Devils will try to stop a triple-option offense when they face Army Saturday at noon at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y. Duke In Duke’s first test vs. against a triple option running attack, the Army Blue Devils defeated SATURDAY, Noon Georgia Tech 34-20, Michie Stadium holding the Yellow Jackets to 173 yards on the ground, well below their season average. But Saturday’s contest will also be another physical test. Duke’s last three games— including last week’s 9-7 win against Boston College—have featured battles in the trenches between aggressive offensive and defensive lines. “It’s a huge week again, where you’re playing an extremely physical football team,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “That’s kind of been the mode, and we knew that going into this stretch. And now you’ve got an Army team that’s extremely physical

Eric Lin | The Chronicle Redshirt senior Jeremy Cash and the Blue Devils will look to slow down another triple-option offense this weekend when Duke rounds out its nonconference slate at Army.

on both sides of the ball. Our team has to come off a physical game [against] Boston College, and we’ve got to get that mentality right back.” As they did against Georgia Tech, Duke defenders must stay disciplined and hold their gaps in order to slow down Army’s running game, which accumulates 287.8 yards per game. Although the Black Knights (1-4) use a dual-quarterback system, the Blue Devils (4-1) must especially look to contain

WOMEN’s sOCCER

sophomore Ahmad Bradshaw, who leads the team with 341 rushing yards. For redshirt senior safety Jeremy Cash and senior linebacker Dwayne Norman, the Black Knights’ triple option provides additional opportunities to collect tackles. Against the Yellow Jackets’ rushing attack, the duo wreaked havoc, combining for 21 stops. By playing mostly as a linebacker against the triple option, Cash—who ranks fourth in the nation with 9.5 tackles for

loss—can rely on his ability to read plays and quickly react to make tackles in the backfield. A former safety, Norman also uses his speed and athleticism to stop the pitch, which often spreads defenses out from sideline to sideline. But despite Army’s conventional tripleoption attack, the Black Knights also use a multitude of other schemes and formations to force opposing defenses to adjust. Unlike Georgia Tech, Army will line up in the shotgun and bring in a tight end or sometimes run the ball with an unbalanced offensive line. Duke’s secondary will have to be ready for the Black Knights’ occasional play-action passes to wide receivers like junior Edgar Allen Poe to catch defenses by surprise. “I get to put my nose in there more, especially having Dwayne on either side of me,” Cash said. “When both of us are blitzing off the edge, somebody better get down. It’s going to be a big explosion somewhere in the middle. Army has a more open playbook as far as their motions and shifts. They have many different formations that they can use and really just try to get you out of position. Once you’re out of position, they’re going to…build explosive plays. But our job here is to make sure we key our man so that won’t happen.” On the flip side of the ball, redshirt junior quarterback Thomas Sirk and company will try to establish a rhythm after being held to just 228 total yards against Boston College. Although Sirk completed 18-of-36 passes for See FOOTBALL on Page 12

VOLLEYBALL

Blue Devils hit the road Duke looks for consistency Mitchell Gladstone The Chronicle With just two losses in their nine nonconference games and a season-high No. 15 ranking to boot, the Blue Devils seemed ready for a bright ACC campaign. But after collecting only two points in its first four conference games, Duke must get back on track. The Blue Devils will head south to Coral Duke Gables, Fla., Thursday vs. as they look to fend off Miami at 7 p.m. Miami at Cobb Stadium and THURSDAY, 7 p.m. collect an elusive first Cobb Stadium ACC win. From there, Duke will remain on the road, working out in South Florida Duke Friday before heading vs. directly to Kentucky Louisville as it prepares for a 1 p.m. battle against SUNDAY, 1 p.m. Louisville Sunday at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium Dr. Mark and Cindy

Lynn Stadium. The Blue Devils saw their brilliant defensive numbers—just seven goals allowed through their first 12 games—inflate last weekend as they were defeated 4-2 by No. 9 Virginia Tech in a lopsided matchup at Koskinen Stadium. “This is an important weekend for us,” Duke head coach Robbie Church said. “We feel like any time you go on the road in the ACC, it’s going to be a challenge. But I think our kids are looking forward to it because I think there’s a lot of upset people about our performance on Sunday and the only way to get over that is to move on to the next game.” The Hurricanes (4-7-0, 1-3-0 in the ACC) have a deceiving conference record. They took No. 7 Clemson to double overtime before falling 2-1, but recovered to drop No. 16 Notre Dame 1-0 in South Florida in yet another double overtime battle last Friday. A pair of Hurricanes picked up ACC awards this week, as junior forward Gracie Lachowecki and redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Catalina Perez were named Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively. Lachowecki tallied the game-winner in the upset win and See W. SOCCER on Page 12

Taseen Haque The Chronicle After an up-and-down weekend, the Blue Devils will try to push their record back above .500 as they face a pair of challenging ACC teams from the Sunshine State. Duke will host No. 18 Florida State Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium No. 18 before taking on FSU Miami Sunday at vs. 1 p.m. After losing in straight sets to Duke North Carolina, FRIDAY, 6:30 p.m. and taking N.C. Cameron Indoor Stadium State to the full five sets to win the match last weekend on the Miami road, the Blue vs. Devils will search for the consistent Duke play they have SUNDAY, 1 p.m. been looking for Cameron Indoor Stadium all season.

“A team is always developing,” Duke head coach Jolene Nagel said. “We hope to get better every time we step on the court, at practice and also in matches.” The Blue Devils (7-7, 2-2 in the ACC) were ineffective on the attack against the Tar Heels. Duke posted a hitting percentage of .214 compared to the Tar Heels’ .386. North Carolina’s defense was suffocating, totaling 11.5 blocks in the three-set sweep. The Blue Devils did not do themselves any favors, committing more than twice as many errors as their Triangle opponents. All of this culminated in another loss that exposed some of the issues that have plagued Duke all season. But the match against N.C. State was a completely different story. Although there were concerns about how Duke would fare against the Wolfpack without its offensive anchor—senior outside hitter Emily Sklar—the Blue Devils stepped up to See VOLLEYBALL on Page 13


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FIELD HOCKEY

Blue Devils head to Boston for pair of road games Jake Herb The Chronicle After wrapping up a four-game homestand with a 4-0 record and two shutout victories, the Blue Devils have the chance to earn a pair of valuable road wins when they make a trip to the Northeast this weekend. No. 4 Duke will go for its second ACC win Friday at 6 p.m. when it faces No. 10 Boston College at the Newton No. 4 Field Hockey Complex Duke in Newton, Mass. The vs. Blue Devils will then No. 10 travel to neighboring Boston College Boston to take on No. 17 Boston University FRIDAY, 6 p.m. Newton Field Hockey Complex Sunday at 1 p.m. at New Balance Field. The road trip will No. 4 send Duke into a Duke vs. hostile environment for the first time since No. 17 Sept. 18, when the BU Blue Devils struggled SUNDAY, 1 p.m. to recover from an New Balance Field early deficit against then-No. 4 Virginia. Duke will look to avoid a similar result this weekend by being aggressive on offense and trusting in a defense that has not allowed a goal in the team’s last 195 minutes of play. “We need to make sure that we…are ready to come out on the attacking side of the game,” Duke head coach Pam Bustin said. “[We need to] really come out with the attacking mindset and be willing to play the game and put up the fight for the full 70 minutes.” The Blue Devil defense has not allowed a goal since Delaware knocked in a rebound in the 15th minute in Duke’s 5-1 rout of the

Carolyn Chang | The Chronicle Junior Heather Morris has emerged as a consistent offensive weapon for the Blue Devils and will look to add to her season totals this weekend in Boston.

Blue Hens Sept. 25. Duke’s goals against average has benefitted from steady rains associated with Hurricane Joaquin, which limited scoring chances in last weekend’s game against then-No. 9 Louisville. But the skies were mostly clear two days later when the Blue Devils (8-3, 1-2 in the ACC) posted a 7-0 shutout against Longwood. More impactful that any hurricane has been Duke’s continued focus on improving its defense, and the results are beginning to show. The Cardinals mustered only seven shots in their visit to Jack Katz Stadium. The Lancers got off three. Sophomore midfielder Alyssa Chillano made a splash on both sides of the ball against Longwood, posting a hat trick and helping the defense record its second straight shutout. For her efforts, the Phoenixville, Pa., native picked

FOOTBALL from page 11

W. SOCCER from page 11

195 yards with no interceptions, the offense struggled to sustain drives. All nine of the Blue Devils’ points against the Eagles came off the foot of senior kicker Ross Martin. Duke prides itself on its ability to run the football, but managed just 33 yards on 35 carries last weekend. Boston College loaded the box and left its cornerbacks in one-onone coverage. Although the offensive line struggled against Eagle linebackers who frequently shot the gaps, Cutcliffe said that running backs Shaquille Powell, Shaun Wilson and Jela Duncan missed holes that could have kept drives alive in the second half. Duke’s attack will face a gritty and experienced 3-4 defense. Led by linebackers Jeremy Timpf and Andrew King—who sits second in the country with 10 tackles for loss—the Black Knights have limited opponents to 146.8 rushing yards per game. “[Against Boston College], there were a lot of isolated one-on-one opportunities. They were committed to stopping the run. We still tried to keep a threat of running,” Cutcliffe said. “[Army’s] strong. They’re strong with their hands. Both linebackers are very relentless players. They’re aggressive. They diagnose well. They’ve got a lot of people playing at a high level.” A victory Saturday would send the Blue Devils into their bye week with a 5-1 record, one win shy of becoming bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season.

Perez maintained a clean sheet in 106 minutes in her second career collegiate start. Against a Miami back line that has allowed 1.8 goals per game in ACC play, a Blue Devil offensive attack that leads the conference in shots has the opportunity to take advantage and return to its old habits of putting the ball in the back of the net. “We haven’t done a good job of finishing balls, but we have created opportunities, whoever’s been in there, if it’s been [freshmen Taylor Racioppi and Kayla McCoy or redshirt sophomore Cassie Pecht] or if it’s been other players,” Church said. “We’re doing a good job of creating opportunities and chances, but we haven’t done a really great job of finishing those chances.” Although Church emphasized that his team was primarily focused on Thursday’s battle in Coral Gables, Sunday’s game at Louisville (6-5-1, 2-2-0) is another chance for Duke (6-4-3, 0-2-2) to regain its footing in a wide-open ACC. The Cardinals boast a pair of talented goalkeepers to go along with a balanced offense that has seen nine different players get on the scoresheet. They won 1-0 Sunday at Syracuse and will have their hands full with No. 1 North Carolina Thursday night in Chapel Hill. “I think our record is obviously very deceiving in ACC play because we have played the upper half of the ACC at this point,” Church said. “We got two draws out of playing the [then-No. 2] team in the country

up ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors. “Our individual defense has been really improved, and when your individual defense gets better, the confidence of your team defense improves,” Bustin said. “That’s what we’re seeing right now. The players have put a lot of time in focusing on their individual defense and really committing themselves to what the team needs in regards to defensive structure.” The Blue Devils enter the weekend outscoring their opponents by an average of 1.9 goals per game—the ninth-best mark in the nation. A versatile team with multiple offensive threats, Duke has used its depth to wear down opponents all season long, making opponents run across the field to defend different players. The Blue Devils’ recent success on offense is due in part to the emergence of junior Heather

Morris as one of the team’s most potent offensive weapons. The Pottstown, Pa., native has recorded seven goals and four assists on the season for a total of 18 points—the second most by a Duke player behind sophomore Ashley Kristen. Morris notched two assists in the Blue Devils’ 2-0 victory against the Cardinals last Friday and tallied a goal against Longwood two days later. This weekend, Duke will look to both Chillano and Morris to continue to make key plays at key times, particularly if the Blue Devils fall behind and need a spark. “Both [Chillano and Morris] are such skilled field hockey players,” Bustin said. “They both made a conscious decision to continue to improve their physical fitness, and I think we are seeing more of that as we get farther into this 2015 season…. If that’s the case, it’s a good thing for Duke field hockey because they are two of our smartest and more skillful players on the team.” Against the Eagles (6-5, 0-3), the Blue Devils run into a matchup nightmare in the form of junior Emily McCoy. The Lancaster, Pa., native leads Boston College in goals with seven and has notched three assists on the year. Bustin’s squad will need to lock down on defense around the circle to prevent McCoy from gaining a clear angle on goal. “[McCoy] is a great player,” Bustin said. “Fortunately we’ve been playing teams that have great players and we’re going to approach Boston College the same way. That means respecting her game, knowing where she is and being able to still trust our defensive structure.” The Terriers (8-3) will provide a challenge for Duke all their own. They average 3.5 goals per game and place 55.9 percent of their shots on target. Boston University hosted the Eagles Sept. 11 and lost 2-1 in overtime.

Jesús Hidalgo | The Chronicle Duke ended a long scoreless streak Sunday, but freshman Taylor Racioppi and the Blue Devils will look to break through for their first ACC win this season Thursday at Miami.

in Florida State and then we got a draw when we really played well against Boston College.” Duke dominated its opponents early on, led by the strong play of sophomore goalkeeper E.J. Proctor. Her 42 saves in 13 games—third-most in the ACC—have enabled the Blue Devils to maintain a solid back line up until last Sunday, when the Hokies scored four times, the highest total against Duke this season. Church admitted that some of the blame for his team’s recent defensive issues falls on him and his coaching staff’s tactics. “We were trying to go and add an extra player to the offensive side and that hurt us

against Virginia Tech in the way they played,” he said. “You’ve got to give Virginia Tech credit. We had the ball most of the game and we actually outshot them by about five or six shots, but [they] also finished three phenomenal goals.” After the Hokie onslaught, Duke has re-emphasized its team defense in practice this week. “Up until the Virginia Tech game, we had only given up six goals all year [in ACC competition],” Church said. “So we’re going back to where we were and can hang our hat on team defending as a whole group.”


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VOLLEYBALL from page 11 avoid a third straight loss. The trio of Leah Meyer, Jordan Tucker and Cadie Bates released an offensive flurry as they collected 14, 13 and 13 kills, respectively. Additionally, the Blue Devils played very aggressive defense, tallying 14 total blocks. “[The team was] in a good state of mind,” Nagel said. “That’s the kind of state of mind we need to have when we go out to compete every time.” Despite the victory, Duke’s test against N.C. State was not without its flaws that must be addressed if the Blue Devils hope to live up to their No. 25 preseason ranking. In the first set, which Duke won 25-12, the Blue Devils committed no errors. In the following two sets, both of which went to the Wolfpack, they committed a total of 11. Duke must find a way to limit the mental mistakes if they want to jump back into the race for the ACC crown. “Volleyball is very much a game of momentum,” Nagel said. “It’s also a game of errors and a team has to work very hard in order to not let that discourage them mentally and let that turn into a bunch more points.” Duke will have to limit those lapses against the Seminoles, the only ACC team currently ranked in the top 25. Florida State (11-4, 4-0) has taken eight games in straight sets, with sweeps in each of their last three wins. The Seminoles’ main offensive threat is outside hitter Nicole Walch.

The senior from Stuart, Fla., leads her team with 3.7 kills per set and has racked up almost 200 kills already this season. The Seminoles are a defensive wall because of their height. Sarah Burrington, the team’s leader in total blocks, stands 6-foot-5—taller than anyone on the Duke team. Burrington and fellow blocker Melanie Keil are each near 70 blocks for the season. As a team, Florida State averages 2.9 blocks per set—the Blue Devils only average 1.8. “They have played a tough schedule and they have a very large team,” Nagel said. “We need to be able to control the ball…so that we can do what we want to do offensively.” Although the task is daunting, Duke is up for the test. Last year, Florida State came to Durham ranked No. 3 in the country and the Blue Devils were able to pull off the upset in four sets. If the Blue Devils want to have a repeat of last year, they cannot concede easy points. This mainly comes from errors, whether they be attacking, setting or blocking. The second leg of Duke’s weekend is against the Hurricanes (9-5, 2-2). Miami is also coming off a strong weekend, dropping only one set against Georgia Tech and sweeping Clemson. The Hurricanes are led offensively by Greek product Olga Strantzali, who is averaging 3.4 kills per set. Duke will need to key in on her and do its best to limit the sophomore outside hitter’s productivity.

thursday, ThurSday,october oCTober 8, 2015 | 13

Ian Jaffe | The Chronicle After putting down 13 kills in a comeback win at N.C. State Sunday, junior middle blocker Jordan Tucker will look to power Duke to two more wins this weekend at home.

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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

“

Information lacking in contingent faculty issues

I

n mid-September, Duke United Students Against Sweatshops presented a petition to President Brodhead’s office asking that administration remain neutral as contingent faculty unionize for better salaries and job security. Contingent faculty members are those professors hired for non-tenure track positions, often on year-to-year contracts. At Duke, a contingent faculty member earns about $57,000 a year, many thousands of dollars more than the national median of $31,000 according to PayScale Human Capital. While we grant that these professors have lower salaries and job security than tenured and tenure track professors, we nonetheless believe the campaign has much more groundwork to lay before it can begin to make demands about the status quo. A first problem for the USAS campaign and faculty is organizational power. Given the large percentage of Duke faculty who are hired in nontenure track positions, we would expect many more minds working towards progress in the form of concrete ideas and research. The petition’s request for neutrality from administration seems toothless. A better launch would have presented administration with a clearly laid out and research-backed overview of problems with the status quo along with a request

”

“...The one-state solution is a fantasy at best and a racist fantasy at worst. Two-state is the only way, and it requires concessions on both sides, i.e. the cessation of Israeli settlements and Palestinian rockets.” —SashaDva commenting on the Oct. 7 column, “One state, one Israel.”

Letters PoLicy

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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.

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

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to support the union that these faculty members are purportedly looking to form. This is not to say that the salary and job security differences could not potentially be an issue down the road but that the movement has yet to coordinate on exactly what it wants. Unless specific policies are proposed or at least well-designed questions are asked, it is difficult to

Editorial see the movement ever becoming more than finger pointing. One point raised in our interview with USAS’s campaign chair and a contingent faculty member was that these professors have little to no formal representation on University committees and governing bodies. This barrier notwithstanding, presentations and requests can still be made to the deans of Trinity and Pratt, the Arts and Sciences Council and the Office of Faculty Affairs. If a seat at the table is an issue, there are administrators whose job it is to attend to faculty development and tenure processes. Moreover, if information is the campaign’s bottleneck, there are University offices that can

release or begin collecting the data required for a more informed movement. In this respect, we believe that administration should reach out and work with these contingent faculty members either individually or through some form of collective representation to identify if there is a systemic issue at hand. We see little downside to this transparency since the place of contingent faculty at Duke, while obviously not as comfortable as tenured and tenure-track professors, is still much better than it is nationally. The movement—should it first coalesce into something more organized—should be able to make its case but so far has little to bring to the table. It is hard to say how many contingent faculty members are involved in making requests of administration. We also raise the question of how a petition of roughly 400 signatures can expect waves at a university of 14,000 students and over 8,000 campus employees. Finally, it remains to be seen what exactly the demands of this movement are in terms of justified solutions and not simply problem identification. Non-tenure track faculty members account for 76 percent of instructional staff across the country according to the American Association of University Professors, and so if there is a case to be made on their behalf, we expect to it carry more force than what we have seen.

Baby steps

onlinecomment

Est. 1905

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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

I

have written about my personal experiences with depression before. In fact, I wrote about it in this very paper just last year. But then, this summer, I went through what felt very much like a relapse, and I realized that I had failed to fully understand my own experience. As a result, I had not been able to communicate it in its entirety. I think I was trying to separate my current self from my past experiences. I wanted to be the

ideas that I have in my head, but I know taking care of myself is the priority, so it will all happen in good time. Baby steps. I also said I was planning to eventually stop taking any medicine at all. I am not sure how I feel about that kind of a goal anymore. Why did I want to go off it? I felt a pressure to prove myself, a need to fulfill the ideals of success on my own without any anti-depressants as my crutches. At

Alena Sadiq doubt to believe poster child of “post-depression success.” I wanted to be the kid who beat depression, the kid whose story helped others fight through the tough times. Somewhere in between that, the rawness and complexity of my daily struggles was lost. Depression is like being at war with yourself. It makes you feel alone and purposeless. Couple that with anxiety, in the form of panic attacks, and you’re left feeling like you can’t breathe and as if the walls of even the vastest of rooms are closing in on you. It feels like there is no escape. I was reminded of this when I recently had a few weeks of persistent panic attacks. During that whole time, there was a fear in my head: will I hit rock bottom again? I didn’t. But I went deep enough to realize that things aren’t as black and white for me as I wanted to believe. Depression wasn’t a thing of the past; it is still very much a part of me. Last year, I said I was free from all the thoughts that disturbed me after a month of therapy and medicine. That was what I wanted to believe but was it true? I had been, more or less, on an upward trajectory. I was taking less pills. I was doing well. I still had a little blip now and then, and my OCD tendencies showed themselves in my actions but not to the extent that they interfered with my day-to-day life. At some level, I had become so used to some of my behaviors that I no longer recognized them as things that weren’t “normal.” I still have compulsive thoughts. I found a ring in my couch the other day and refused to touch it for a month because I thought doing so would cause something horrible to happen. That’s what living with OCD tendencies looks like. And I am learning to be okay with that. I am trying to challenge myself to go against these

times, I even thought if this person, this person on pills, was really me? I wanted to feel like my feelings and my successes were valid. My selfconfidence had turned into self-doubt. It is possible that I may need to take medicine for the rest of my life. And I am learning to be okay with that. It is a condition that I have, and I will not blame myself for it just like how I wouldn’t blame myself for having, say, diabetes. It will all happen in good time. Baby steps. I am not trying to say depression doesn’t get better. It does. It definitely did for me. But it is a constant struggle in which I grapple with both the illness itself and the ways in which society and the media perceives me and want me to perceive myself. I wrestle with how taking medication makes me feel. I wrestle with my OCD tendencies. I wrestle with all the painful experiences that are undeniably a part of me. But when I can, I try to take a moment to acknowledge my struggles and just let them be. I try not to fight them; I try to let them breathe. And when I can, I try to recognize my efforts; I try to let them breathe. And sometimes, that moment spent becoming self-aware brings me peace of mind. For now, self-acceptance is a beautiful place to be. Baby steps. Note: If you or somebody you know needs someone to talk to, please try CAPS, they are wonderful at what they do. Also look out for NAMI, a new platform brought to Duke by a group of students to further awareness about mental health. Alena Sadiq is a Trinity sophomore. Her column runs on alternate Thursdays.


The the Chronicle chronicle

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Duke in Durham

Pro-gun is not pro-killing

I

n the wake of the tragic shooting that claimed nine lives one week ago today, President Obama observed that our reactions to mass shootings have become routine, even numb. At least in my experience, he is not wrong. I will never forget where I was when I found out about the Sandy Hook shooting, headquartered in Perkins and stupidly consumed with anxiety about an impending calculus final. When I read that 20 children and multiple others had been murdered by someone with mental health issues and a mini-

shootings. Though collected data typically shows that heightened gun control limits firearm deaths, Republicans have reason to oppose even simple gun regulations. Many Americans look at gun ownership as more than just a right. For hunters, farmers and recreational carriers, gun ownership offers a way of life. To take away their guns because of the malignant actions of criminals would be no different than removing knives from every American household because of the opportunities they offer murderers. In principle though clearly not in scale, gun and

thursday, thursday, october october 8, 8, 2015 2015 || 15 15

D

uke in the fall is my favorite time of the year. The temperature has finally cooled down, the leaves are turning and there’s Duke football every Saturday. When I look back on it, many of my best college memories happened first semester. Freshman fall I was meeting new friends, and sophomore fall I was reuniting with friends. However, junior year I find myself sitting alone at lunch checking Facebook. I see my friends adorned in dirndls for Oktoberfest, going shirtless in the Whitsunday Islands

Brendan McCartney

Eddie Hanlon

a pinch of ginger

peer for you series

arsenal of guns, I spent the next few hours in tears, learning about the victims and listening to the pain of families forced to accept that their children would never come home from school again. Every mass shooting since then has felt like a punch to the gut, but each comes with a little less force. No longer do I read the names of victims or watch the interviews of families; now I stop with the headlines. Though it is natural to grow emotionally numb in the face of endless shootings, debate on gun control seems unshaken in both intensity and divisiveness. Liberals are frustrated that the government seems incapable or unwilling to solve the nation’s gun problems, while conservatives worry that government overreach will trample on gun rights or, even worse, leave Americans defenseless against armed criminals. No wonder the debate hits home for so many of us—policy stances offer a sense of control over tragedies that are by their nature difficult to predict or prevent. But data does not reveal that one side is entirely correct. Surprisingly, mass shootings, which generate the majority of debate about gun control, constitute a small share of gun deaths in the United States each year. The majority of gun deaths are the result of suicide, with two times as many Americans dying from suicide by firearm than homicide by firearm in 2013. A 2013 report from the Congressional Research Service revealed that 547 Americans died from mass shootings between 1983 and 2012. To put this number in perspective, the number of mass shooting deaths over this 30-year period represent a fortieth of the number of firearm suicides in 2013 alone. Though most Americans believe otherwise, gun violence in the United States has been declining in recent decades, with the number of mass shootings hovering at consistent levels. Despite recent declines in gun violence, the United States leads most other developed countries both in numbers of guns and shooting fatalities per capita, hosting over 310 million civilian guns and .15 deaths by mass shootings per 100,000 deaths. Across the nation, states with the loosest gun control policies also host the highest rates of firearm deaths — Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alaska round out the five most dangerous. Research shows that living in a house with a gun increases one’s odds of death, that areas with stricter gun control generate lower rates of suicide and that children aged between 5 and 14 are eleven times more likely to die by a gunshot in the United States than in other developed nations. These findings help to illustrate why a majority of Americans, both among gun owners and not, support background checks. Yet Congress, led by pro-gun Republicans and an immensely powerful lobbying group, has consistently shot down gun control bills as quickly as they have been proposed. Contrary to what partisan talking points would suggest, Republicans do not oppose gun control measures because they are apathetic about

knife control would both necessarily reduce violence, limit suicides and prevent accidents. Counterintuitively, both types of weapon control would also result in instances of violence. Concealed carriers have prevented shootings, and as a result, there are concealed carriers who are alive today precisely because they were able to carry a gun. It is true that such instances are rare and that concealed carriers can pose a risk themselves, but the narrative remains that eliminating concealed carry and restricting gun ownership will lead to deaths, even if these deaths are fewer than the number of lives saved in the end. I support gun control as a utilitarian, but I refuse to demonize those who oppose gun control as heartless, apathetic or ignorant. The United States can save lives by enacting stricter gun control, but this is not to say that gun control comes only with benefits. Gun owners lose to varying degrees, whether in principle, lifestyle or safety. Democrats may argue that Republicans are ridiculous to oppose even “common sense” background checks, but the Democratic platform will certainly change with every step toward complete gun control, given that conversations about gun control occur in tandem with mass shootings. Background checks will not stop mass shootings. In fact, of the 14 most recent public mass shootings, eight have featured a perpetrator who attained guns after passing a federal background check. If required background checks are followed by more mass shootings, ask yourself what regulatory policies you would begin to advocate for—ask yourself how much gun control a Republican would have to support to not be heartless, apathetic or ignorant. Last week, #StuffHappens flooded social media, typically featuring posts by Democrats lambasting Governor Jeb Bush for what they perceived to be a heartless response to tragedy. His comments: “It’s very sad to see, but I resist the notion—and I had this challenge as Governor—because, look, stuff happens, there’s always a crisis, and the impulse is always to do something, and it’s not necessarily the right thing to do.” Perhaps his response exemplifies apathy, or maybe—just maybe—he is a decent human being, trying to describe something that is very difficult to process and understand, who disagrees with reflexive policies proposed after every mass shooting. Grief and empathy are not dependent on one’s identification as a Democrat. To advocate for gun control, Democrats should consider the arguments of gun-rights proponents at face value before claiming the moral high ground. Restrictions on gun ownership come with a normative judgment about which liberties can and should be sacrificed for the greater good. Both sides of the debate have merit, but neither side can hope to actualize gun policy compromises until the moralistic missiles are replaced by values-based debate. Brendan McCarthy is a Trinity senior. His column runs on alternate Thursdays.

and cheering on F.C. Barcelona in an enormous stadium in Spain. For a “Duke in Durham” junior, it’s sometimes hard to recognize this school with 523 of my classmates missing. The reality is it’s a much different place. The decision to go abroad or stay in Durham is easy for many juniors (of the 547 undergraduates away this semester, 523 of them are juniors). Going to an exotic location to attend an often times easier school with your best friends is not a hard sell to most 20-year-olds. Not to mention the benefits of an international education. The semester away will lead you on a journey of personal growth, assimilation into another culture and, obviously, a hell of a time. Students often cite their abroad experience as one of the most influential time periods of their lives. But nobody really talks about the experiences of those students who choose to stay behind. The “Duke in Durham” juniors have a story to tell, too. My experience so far has been one of personal growth, adventure and also having a hell of a time just like my classmates abroad. I’ve discovered a different Duke. I used to walk around campus saying hi to people left and right eating lunch with different people everyday. Now, I feel like the new kid at school. Luckily, there are upsides to being the new kid. One being that there are so many people to meet. Staying in Durham has brought me closer to people I never would have hung out with when the rest of the Class of 2017 was here. It has forced me to approach people I don’t know and engage them in conversation. Having to push myself socially has been something I haven’t done since freshman year when no one knew anyone and we were all looking for friends. In a lot of ways, junior year is similar to that experience. If my friends were on campus, I would not be nearly as outgoing and willing to enter into these new friendships. I now know a solid number of students in the sophomore and senior classes and that’s because I’ve been forced to become a

more open person. Junior fall also is a time to try new things. Because I have fewer social obligations to my 2017 friends, I’ve found that this is a time for many to expand extra-curricular commitments on campus. One friend is volunteering at an elementary school, another joined Inside Joke and another is now doing research in a lab. Without the stark change from last semester, there would not be the time, and therefore freedom, for people to expand their Duke horizons.

However, the old things are still good. Staying in Durham allows you to enjoy the activities you have always loved about Duke. For example, this year I have been able to attend every home football game and religiously follow the team. Also, I can continue to enjoy the luxury of having Monuts, Bull City Burger and Dame’s a quick bike ride away (last time I checked, they don’t have those in Italy). Better yet, I get to wake up every morning and walk by the beautiful Chapel, a place I know I’ll miss when I leave Duke, construction or not. Friends abroad always comment about how much they miss the little things that we, “Duke in Durham” students, take for granted: Quenchers after the gym, Wednesday night Shooters, the swingy benches and a beautiful, southern fall day. Often times, the reasons Duke students stay on campus junior fall are because of grades, finances or major requirements. I stayed because I truly love being at Duke. We get eight semesters to be American college students, and these eight semesters are going by way faster than I ever could have imagined. Why would I give up a semester? As I sit here stressing about my upcoming week of three midterms, I enviously think of my friends on a white beach in Australia, mojitos in hand, and I wonder why I opted out of an incredible abroad experience. However, when I think about it, I didn’t opt out of an abroad experience at all. I opted into Duke in Durham and, in it’s own way, Duke in Durham is an abroad experience. I’m meeting new people, trying new things and learning a lot about myself, just like my classmates in another country. Junior fall has been one of my best semesters at Duke so far, and it is just getting started. Eddie Hanlon is a Trinity junior. This column is the fourth 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.

Want to write a guest column? Contact Amrith Ramkumar at ar299@duke.edu.


The Chronicle

www.dukechronicle.com

16 | thursday, october 8, 2015

NOBEL from page 1 scientist to understand a basic process,” he said.

Jesús Hidalgo | The Chronicle Duke’s Dr. Michael Kastan (left) and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Aziz Sancar of UNC spoke at a Wednesday press conference.

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Second win Robert Lefkowitz said that becoming the first Nobel laureate at Duke was a “remarkable experience that changed [his] life.” As Modrich is the second Duke faculty member to win the award in four years, Lefkowitz expressed his hope that the number of Nobel Laureates coming out of Duke might start to catch up to that of the older top-10 universities. “It’s impressive—we’ve never had anybody and now we have two,” he said. Despite the close proximity of two of this year’s Nobel Prize winners and the academic collaboration between Duke and UNC, Dr. Michael Kastan, executive director of the Duke Cancer Institute, noted at the press conference that having two researchers from Duke and UNC in the same field win the same award is a coincidence. Modrich’s and Sancar’s work with different DNA repair mechanisms was independent, though Sancar, Sarah Graham Kenan professor of biochemistry and biophysics at UNC, said at the press conference that they have published three papers together and are friends. Sancar also noted that he has nominated Modrich for the Nobel Prize in each of the past 10 years. “Even though we all hate Duke, I was expecting Paul [Modrich] to get it,” Sancar joked. Schoenfeld said the awards reflect not only the strength of research at Duke, but the strength of research in the Triangle area. “It’s a very exciting day for Duke, and it’s equally exciting because one of the other recipients is a professor at UNC,” Schoenfeld said. The importance of basic science Modrich has been an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute—a nonprofit organization with an endowment of $19 billion dedicated to funding scientists—since 1994. HHMI Senior Scientific Officer Bodo Stern explained that the mission of the HHMI is to provide long-term support to scientists, rather than focus on specific projects. “We supported his work in studying the basics of mismatch repair, and nobody could’ve guessed that it would have had anything to do with cancer, but it laid the foundation to find later that these proteins are important in colon cancer,” he said. Kastan described the implications of Modrich’s work in colon cancer at the press conference Wednesday. Given the essential role mismatch repair plays in correcting DNA errors, defects in this mechanism are the cause of the most common form of hereditary colon cancer and may also lead to certain neurodegenerative diseases and other cancers. The other researchers who received the prize discovered related mechanisms for DNA repair. Lindahl’s research provided the initial insight that DNA requires more complex repair mechanisms than were previously known. He also discovered a type of repair mechanism known as base excision—in which pieces of DNA are removed during the repair process. Sancar’s research focused on DNA repair in response to ultraviolet radiation damage. Stern added that Modrich is the type of scientist the HHMI wants to support, given his decades of work delving into a specific biological problem and the impact of his discovery. Modrich’s success also exemplifies the importance of basic science, or discovery science, in a scientific community that increasingly focuses on research that can have near-term applications, Stern said. “It’s definitely a notion that’s a little bit in retreat, but we are really emphasizing to others that support for basic science is really the foundation for any translational science,” Stern said. “Mainly because we don’t really know where the breakthroughs will happen or where new therapies will come from, so it really is important to fund basic science broadly.” Brennan emphasized that all three Nobel Prize wins demonstrate the enormous impact that discovery science can have on later outcomes and human health. “That should be a major wake-up call to the rest of the research community in the U.S.—the fact that they won the Nobel Prize working on basic science,” he said. “I hope the NIH and our senators from North Carolina understand how important it is to fund basic research, because you never know what’s going to come out of it.” In addition to potentially influencing colleagues and politicians, Modrich’s win will serve to highlight the importance of basic science to young scientists and companies looking to invest in research, Brennan explained. He hopes adding another Nobel laureate to Duke’s faculty will attract more scientists to the University. “It was the reason why we came here to Duke,” he said. “We saw these great people and now it’s even better.”


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October 8, 2015 by Duke Chronicle - Issuu