September 1, 2017

Something fishy

Battle for the Bull City

Using zebrafish, a study shows that cholesterol may be tied to risk of typhoid fever | Page 2

Bryon Fields, Daniel Jones and Duke football kick off their 2017 campaign | Sports Page 4

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

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 6

Kevin White Harvey leaves Houston students helpless signs contract extension through 2022 Sam Turken The Chronicle

Staff Reports The Chronicle In the same week he gave women’s basketball head coach Joanne P. McCallie a contract extension through 2021, Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White received an extension of his own.

Duke announced in a press release Thursday that White, 66, signed a one-year contract extension to stay in Durham through June 30, 2022. White took charge of the Blue Devils’ athletic program in 2008 after eight years as the athletic director at Notre Dame.

“Simply put, I am absolutely thrilled to serve this truly great university,” White said in the release. “While the world constantly changes around us, it is most comforting to know that Duke Athletics can adapt to those challenges without ever compromising who we are, which is a department in the constant pursuit of excellence in competition, in the classroom, and within the Durham community.”

See WHITE on Page 5

At 11 a.m. Sunday, Alex Cherches was on Facebook when he saw a new post from his mom.

“Water in house,” it read.

Cherches, a junior from Houston, quickly reached his family by phone and learned more details. Everyone was safe as Hurricane Harvey continued to barrage his hometown, but the first floor of the Cherches’ two-story home was flooded and their cars were destroyed from water damage.

His mom, dad and older brother were camped out on the second floor of their house, waiting for the intense storm to end.

Duke students from East Texas are beginning to learn more about the damage Harvey caused to their hometowns. Many students’ houses have been spared—others have not.

But of the six students The Chronicle spoke with, all of them said their families were safe.

The hurricane has devastated southeast Texas—turning streets into rivers and lakes, stranding thousands and leaving cities unsure of what the next several years of recovery will be like. As the rainstorm, which is the biggest to ever hit the continental United States, finally began to move out of Texas, officials have begun to take stock of the material damage and human casualties.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Southeastern Texas has been experiencing intense flooding from heavy rainfall—more than 51 inches of rain at Hurricane Harvey’s peak.

The Associated Press has reported that 23 people have been confirmed dead with dozens more injured, and more than 32,000 have packed into shelters around the state. In Houston, authorities and civilians are beginning to transition from focusing on rescues to managing the recovery.

In separate emails Monday, President Vincent Price and Larry Moneta, vice president of student affairs, offered the University’s support to students who have been affected by the storm.

“As we begin this academic year, our thoughts are with those members of

the Duke community who have family and friends living in communities affected by catastrophic flooding in Texas,” Price wrote.

He called on students to look out for each other. But for some students, that support did not end their feelings of helplessness from being in Durham as Hurricane Harvey continues to destroy parts of their hometowns.

Senior Shivam Dave said his home in Houston did not suffer any damage— drains around his house prevented See HARVEY on Page 8

CompSci becomes a top major, despite stagnant faculty size Brian Lin The Chronicle

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Jeremy Chen | The Chronicle

INSIDE — News 2 Sports 4 Crossword 5

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Opinion 6

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Duke’s computer science major has grown to be one of its largest programs, confirmed Owen Astrachan, associate director of undergraduate studies and professor of the practice of computer science, in May. “People outside of Duke think it’s a place where [students] major in public policy and economics. That’s kind of the word on the street,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be great if people come to Duke thinking it’s the place where people do policy, economics, computer science and the interplay between them?”

Within the last five years, annual enrollment in Computer Science 101L has grown from 250 to 609 students, noted Susan Rodger, director of undergraduate studies and professor of the practice of

Serving the University since 1905

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computer science. Going back further, only about 40 students each enrolled in Fall and Spring 2007. Likewise, the number of students registered for Computer Science 201 increased from 295 students five years ago to 610 students in Spring 2017.

In May, Astrachan said he compared enrollment and retention numbers by contacting other major departments at Duke, as well as the Office of the University Registrar. He found that the economics, public policy and computer science majors were the most popular for the Class of 2017.

However, designating a single major as “the biggest” wasn’t feasible due to how each department reports the number of graduates.

“The differences between the departments in terms of numbers are too small to measure accurately since

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See COMPSCI on Page 8 © 2017 The Chronicle

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2 | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

Typhoid fever risk is linked New Pratt study could be to cholesterol, study shows useful for progeria research Nathan Luzum

Shagun Vashisth

The Chronicle

The Chronicle

A new Duke study suggests that typhoid fever invades human cells with the help of cholesterol.

After analyzing the genomes of cells that were particularly susceptible to typhoid infection, the team centered their research around the protein VAC14. They ultimately found that cells producing less VAC14 had more cholesterol in their cell membranes and were also more likely to become infected by invading bacteria.

“This genetic difference affects the level of VAC14 in your cell,” said Dennis Ko, assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology and senior author of the paper. “VAC14 is involved in lipid signaling, but we didn’t know how that connected to salmonella [bacteria] invasion.”

He explained that the first part of the experiment was dedicated to pinpointing which genes were associated with an increase in infection of Salmonella typhi, the bacteria that causes typhoid fever.

By exposing cells taken from hundreds of volunteers to the bacteria, the group determined which genes may make cells more conducive to bacterial invasion. Ko compared this work to a “needle-in-thehaystack scenario,” since there are many possible genes that could play a role in the infection process.

After isolating VAC14 as a significant

Duke researchers have discovered a new way to model progeria syndrome—a rare genetic disease that accelerates aging in children—which could help lead the way for future treatments.

Leigh Atchison, a doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering and contributor to the study, explained that progeria affects fewer than 200 children worldwide. This apparent rarity makes it difficult to test and develop possible therapies, she said.

“Because kids with progeria die on

Courtesy of Duke Photography Monica Alvarez, lead author, was a graduate student in the cellular and molecular biology program.

gene for Salmonella infection, Monica Alvarez, a graduate student and lead author of the study, identified that cells producing less VAC14 had more bacteria attached to their membranes.

In other words, the team’s findings showed that VAC14 was affecting the first step of bacterial invasion, as salmonella must first attach to the cell membrane and use a “molecular needle” to inject the viral molecules into the cell, Ko explained.

“That was important, because it told us that the initial binding was the step involved,” he said. “That’s when we remembered that salmonella had been previously shown to bind directly to cholesterol as part of this initial See TYPHOID on Page 8

Courtesy of Duke Photography George Truskey, R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson professor of biomedical engineering, was senior author of the study.

average between the ages of 10 and 15, passing on the genetic defect is unlikely,” Atchison said. “It’s been really hard to get patient samples to test treatments.”

The syndrome is caused by an accumulation of the mutant protein progerin outside of the cell nucleus, which creates an abnormal nucleus shape and prevents normal cell division.

Using a grant from the National Institutes of Health, Atchison and the rest of her team developed human blood vessels in their lab that could mimic several conditions associated with progeria, paving the way for more realistic drug testing.

In particular, the team’s engineered blood vessels mimicked the symptoms of individuals affected by progeria by recreating the smooth, deteriorated muscle cells which are responsible for the forms of cardiovascular disease that are dangerous to progeria patients.

The team found that smooth muscle cells derived from stem cells isolated from patients with progeria—along with healthy cells from their parents—could be used to create functional tissueengineered blood vessels that mimic the characteristics of progeria cells, explained George Truskey, R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson professor of biomedical engineering, in an email.

Truskey said he was surprised that the progeria patients’ cells they used ultimately gave rise to the engineered blood vessels, since cells from progeria See PROGERIA on Page 8

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 | 3

First-years explore their interests at Activities Fair

Sujal Manohar | The Chronicle The Activities Fair brought together more than 400 student organizations.

Sujal Manohar | The Chronicle University Center Activities and Events hosted the fair on a hot day.

Sujal Manohar | The Chronicle Hundreds of first-years gathered on East Campus Main Quad for the fair.

Sujal Manohar | The Chronicle Organizations gave out swag and information to recruit first-years.

Office of the Vice President for Institutional Equity

September 1, 2017 Dear Duke Students, As Vice President for Institutional Equity, I want to welcome each of you as a new or returning Duke University student. The new academic year brings with it great opportunities to carry out our mission and common values of excellence, respect and inclusion. The Office for Institutional Equity is committed to sustaining and encouraging a climate that fosters these values.

Howard Kallem, in the Office for Institutional Equity, is Duke’s Director for Title IX Compliance. He is responsible for the coordination and administration of Duke’s nondiscrimination and harassment policies. Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination. You should be aware that, consistent with Title IX and other federal requirements, the Duke Student Sexual Misconduct Policy prohibits all forms of sex/genderbased harassment, sexual violence, sexual exploitation, relationship violence (domestic violence and dating violence), and stalking.

My office serves as an important resource in ensuring our work and learning environments are respectful, inclusive and free from prohibited discrimination or harassment of any kind. Within our diverse community, it is important that we interact in a manner that permits each of us to perform at our very best.

It is my hope and expectation that you will never encounter conduct that is inappropriate, discriminatory or harassing. Should you ever feel you have been subjected to such conduct, do not hesitate to seek help. Students can contact Victoria Krebs, Associate Dean of Students, Title IX Outreach and Response, in the Office of Student Conduct at (919) 684-7336, or conduct@duke.edu. You can also contact my office at (919) 684-8222. We are located in Smith Warehouse, 114 S. Buchanan Blvd., Bay 8, on the first floor.

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THE BLUE ZONE

PREVIEWING DUKE’S KICKERS AND PUNTERS sports.chronicleblogs.com

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

FOOTBALL

BATTLE FOR BULL CITY

Blue Devils once again set for season opener against crosstown foe N.C. Central Michael Model The Chronicle Coming off a disappointing 4-8 campaign last season, the Blue Devils will start their quest to get back to a bowl game Saturday after failing to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2011.

Duke will look to get its season started with a win when it hosts crosstown foe N.C. Central at Wallace Wade N.C. Stadium in the Bull City Central Gridiron Classic. The vs. teams will battle Saturday Duke at 6 p.m., as the Blue Devils attempt to remain undefeated against the SATURDAY, 6 p.m.

Wallace Wade Stadium Eagles under head coach David Cutcliffe.

Although Duke has handily defeated the reigning MEAC champions in their five prior meetings—winning each contest by at least 35 points—Cutcliffe feels this game could be closer than the rest.

“N.C. Central is a championship football team,” Cutcliffe said. “They have a program.

They’ve quit trying to have good teams and they’ve developed and built an outstanding program. They’re good players, they’re wellcoached, they’re deep in some areas and they are outstanding in some areas.”

One of the question marks for Duke

Mitchell Gladstone | Chronicle File Photo Co-captain Bryon Fields will be the unquestioned leader of a secondary that has just 22 combined starts between his defensive backfield mates.

entering the season is its ability to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks and limit explosive plays from its opponents.

The Blue Devils allowed 16.3 yards per catch last season and finished 10th in the ACC with just 29 sacks.

In order for Duke to cut down on those explosive plays from a year ago, the Blue Devils will rely on seniors Bryon Fields Jr. and Alonzo Saxton II to lead a young secondary with a total of just 48 career starts. The

two seniors did a solid job in coverage last season, combining for three interceptions— including one Fields returned 36 yards for a touchdown against Pittsburgh. Despite losing veterans Breon Borders and DeVon Edwards, Fields still believes his secondary has what it takes to be dominant.

“I feel like we’re in better coverage than we ever have been,” Fields said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys who are really talented in coverage, and if we can just keep communicating then

we’ll be fine. Also up front we’ve got guys that can get after the passer. We are going to be strong up front, so that always helps out in the back end to limit explosives.”

Perhaps the x-factor for the Blue Devil pass rush this season is redshirt senior Mike Ramsay. Following the departure of A.J. Wolf, who led Duke with 5.5 sacks last season, Ramsay will be relied on to step up and get to opposing quarterbacks. The Smyrna, Ga., native tallied 30 tackles in 2016, but he will need to improve on his 0.5 sacks from a year ago in order to apply enough pressure to help limit big plays.

On the offensive side, Duke is hoping to increase the frequency of its own explosive plays. The Blue Devils gained an average of just 10.4 yards per catch last season, but redshirt sophomore quarterback Daniel Jones will be looking to build on a strong finish to his 2016 campaign.

After emerging as the starter despite starting camp as a third-string quarterback in 2016, Jones posted a 62.8 completion percentage and a 10-to-1 touchdown-tointerception ratio in his last seven contests.

The Charlotte, N.C., native is looking to improve from last season by adding the deep ball to his repertoire.

“I feel like we’re hitting them at a higher rate,” Jones said. “We’re calling them more See FOOTBALL on Page 5

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Another double dip: Duke readies for Nike Classic Meredith Cash The Chronicle No. 13 Duke will compete in a pair of Friday-Sunday games for the third time in as many weeks, but this weekend stands out among the slew of grueling tests the Blue Devils have endured during the opening month of their 2017 UNCW campaign.

Duke will host UNC vs.

Wilmington Friday at 7:30 No. 13 p.m. before taking on Duke Auburn—which made an FRIDAY, 7:30 p.m.

Elite Eight appearance Koskinen Stadium in last year’s NCAA tournament—at Koskinen Stadium at 1:30 p.m.

Auburn Sunday in the Duke Nike vs.

Classic. The Blue Devils No. 13 can expect to play in front Duke of a sizable home crowd for both contests filled with SUNDAY, 1:30 p.m. familiar faces as Duke head Koskinen Stadium coach Robbie Church goes for his 200th win with the program.

“Our tournament is always one of the

highlights of our season,” Church said. “We get a lot of fans and a lot of family coming back…. We typically get a lot of alumni who come in for the weekend. We have our 2018 recruits coming in, so it’s a great game to have everybody there. It’s like the Duke soccer family all comes together.”

The Blue Devils (3-1-0) may be finding a rhythm at just the right time. After much of its core was sidelined with various injuries last year, Duke has spent much of its season thus far getting comfortable with each other and learning to play together as a unit.

Junior striker Kayla McCoy missed the bulk of last season with a torn Achilles tendon, midfielder Taylor Racioppi suffered a lowerleg injury midway through the season and former Olympian Rebecca Quinn battled turf toe for all but four games. The trio is playing together for the first time since the very beginning of the Blue Devils’ 2016 campaign, and Church finally sees them meshing.

“We’ve got everybody healthy now,” Church said. “We started to play more as a core group together. We’ve changed some positions with it. The more we play together, the better that we’re going to be. You could see that happening.”

Carolyn Chang | The Chronicle Taylor Racioppi will have a tougher task attacking on the right side of the field without Mia Gyau available to deliver passes to her.

Although Duke has seen many of its major role players return to the field to start this season, sophomore defender Mia Gyau— who stepped into a starting position with the Blue Devils during the past year—tore her ACL and MCL in Duke’s 2-0 win against Bucknell Aug. 25. She will be sidelined for

the remainder of the season and, after her surgery Sept. 7, Gyau will look to make a speedy recovery.

In the meantime, the Blue Devils will need to focus their efforts on finding See W. SOCCER on Page 5

The Chronicle

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FOOTBALL from page 4

W. SOCCER from page 4

and taking those shots. That’ll be big to be able to stretch the field more vertically and it’s something we’ve been focused on, attacking from all different angles of the pass game.”

If the Blue Devils do take long shots against the Eagles Saturday, they will have to keep the ball away from senior Reggie Hunter in the defensive backfield. Hunter was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks last season, when he snagged four of N.C. Central’s nine interceptions and returned one for a touchdown as well.

Despite Hunter’s success, N.C. Central has not been able to stop the Blue Devils in the past. Duke has scored at least 45 points in each of the previous five matchups between the teams, outscoring the Eagles 252-37 during that span.

Following Saturday’s matchup against N.C. Central, the Blue Devils will host Northwestern Sept. 9, facing the Wildcats for the third straight year. Duke is still searching for its first win in the series after dropping the first two contests.

a formation to accommodate for the Colesville, Md., native’s departure. Junior midfielder Kat McDonald—who played 45 minutes of Duke’s last two contests and started against Old Dominion Aug. 27— seems primed to get Church’s starting nod, though it will take a group effort to compensate for Gyau’s absence.

“It’s a huge loss for us,” Church said. “[Gyau’s] athleticism and her ability to beat people on the dribble are very, very special. But we have a deep team, and the motto is just next person up. Taylor Racioppi will be one of those players who will step up. Also on that right side typically is Ashton [Miller] or Kat [McDonald] in the midfield, so that combination coming down with Morgan [Reid], Ashton, Kat or Taylor on that side. We’ll replace Mia with two or three people.”

The Blue Devils will face a hungry in-state opponent in their first matchup tinkering with this new lineup. The Seahawks (2-20) come to Durham fresh off of a 1-0 loss to Navy and two weeks after dropping a 2-0 decision against then-No. 11 Virginia. UNC Wilmington is 2-20-1 all-time against ACC teams and will look to avenge its loss to the Cavaliers with a win against one of its two ACC opponents in the tournament.

After his daughter, Ashley, played four seasons under Seahawk head coach Paul Cairney, Church has become very familiar with UNC Wilmington’s style of play and with Cairney’s approach leading up to Friday’s contest.

“I have an idea of how Paul is riling those girls up all week,” Church said. “UNCW is a hard team to play. They’re going to play hard. They always play hard for him. It’s an opportunity [for them] to play an ACC school and a nationally-ranked school. They don’t

Izzi Clark | Chronicle File Photo Daniel Jones is hoping to pick up where he left off at the end of last season.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 | 5

have a lot of those opportunities, so they’re going to give us their best shot.”

Duke will have to rally quickly to take on a historically strong program in Auburn.

Although the Tigers (2-1-1) fell out of the top 25 after tying Lipscomb 2-2 at home Aug. 20, they took then-No. 20 Clemson to double overtime before losing on a golden goal in the 102nd minute.

The Blue Devils will need to get all they can get out of this weekend’s contests before facing No. 6 West Virginia late next week.

The Mountaineers knocked Duke out of the NCAA tournament quarterfinals last season before falling to Southern California in the national championship.

“Year in and year out, [Auburn is] a topnotch team, one that’s always competing,” Church said. “That’s the type of teams we want to play at this time of the year to see where we are against some of the best teams in the country. We need their best shot to help us continue to get better and better.”

Carolyn Chang | The Chronicle Kat McDonald is likely to step into a regular starting role with Mia Gyau injured.

WHITE from page 1

Cutcliffe. White was also responsible for adding softball as the Blue Devils’ 27th varsity sport set to open competition White arrived at Duke months after this year. head football coach David Cutcliffe was In addition to his obligations at Duke, hired and still has not made a coaching White serves on the NCAA men’s basketball change in football, men’s basketball tournament selection committee and is or women’s basketball in an almost a member of the United States Olympic unparalleled stretch of continuity in Committee Board of Directors. college sports.

“Kevin truly cares about each of his He has overseen a recent overhaul student-athletes, and he has been a of the Blue Devils’ athletic facilities, valuable friend and partner to many including major renovations to Wallace of our coaches, faculty, and university Wade Stadium, the development of leaders,” new Duke President Vincent the plaza between Wallace Wade and Price said in the release. “I am delighted Cameron Indoor Stadium and the that he will continue to provide The New York Times Syndication Corporation construction of Morris Williams Track Sales leadership on campus, both during my 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 & Field Stadium coinciding with the first season as a Blue Devil and for many For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 football team’s resurgence under to come.”

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The Chronicle What we’re most excited for about Duke football: Daniel!:................................................................................... likhithabanana The incredible student section:................................................. kenricklamar The bowl game that’s going to happen: .....................................likeaVIRgin Duh, the band: ............................................................................... happyrock Sandman: ................................................................................... hankthetank Student Advertising Manager: ................................................Megan Bowen Student Marketing Manager: ......................................................... Lizzy Pott Account Representatives: .................. Brittany Amano, Griffin Carter, TJ Cole, Paul Dickinson, Jack Forlines, Matt Gendell, Francis L’Esperance, Jack Lubin, Gabriela Martinez-Moure, Jake Melnick, Lauren Pederson, Brendan Quinlan, Levi Rhoades, Rebecca Ross, Jake Schulman, Matt Zychowski Creative Services: .....................................................................Myla Swallow Student Business Manager .......................................................... Dylan Riley

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24 puppeteer Civil unrest 12 approaching Question from Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past anarchy the unwilling puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

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25 of 13 Expenditures Sriracha time and energy ingredients

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

“

Nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide A

s students finally settle back into the academic year, it seems that the Duke bubble—the seemingly impervious metaphysical barrier that prevents the many problems of the troubled outside world from disturbing the utopian tranquility of the Gothic Wonderland — has yet again set the mood of campus life. However, it would behoove us to remember that the lives of our fellow students do not begin or end within the walls of Duke. It is specifically pertinent to regard the experiences of students of color, who may be faced with assimilating back into campus life after a racially charged and emotionally taxing summer. The many concerning events that took place, throughout the Southeast and right here on our chapel steps, can understandably arouse particularly vulnerable and hostile feelings among black students especially.

Most notably, heightened racial tensions exploded into outright violence in Charlottesville this past August when white nationalists clashed with anti-fascist counter-protesters over the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue. This march closely followed a Ku Klux Klan rally, and preceded the controversial removal of a Confederate statue by activists here in Durham. Although the recurring theme of statue

onlinecomment “It is too easy to oversimplify the DukeEngage program and write a cute satire piece about it for clicks...My team in Lebanon grappled endlessly with ethical issues related to our program, including our program leaders’ mentality that DE is a ‘learning program with a service component,’ not the other way around.

—Andrew Bates, responding to “DukeEngage inspires gratitutde, not much else” published August 29, 2017

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removal has been critiqued by some to be trivial, parallels between this summer and other historical racially charged events such as the Red Summer of 1919 or the Long Hot Summer of 1967 cannot be ignored. Though we are not experiencing the bloody race riots witnessed 50 and 100 years ago, we find ourselves again facing the stirrings of racial violence all across the nation. People of color, black people especially, naturally have been reacting to such racially-charged events in a frustrated, irate, and defensive manner. These sentiments

Editorial have materialized in many settings, from direct conversations to organized movements and even within popular culture.

In particular, Taylor Swift has been strongly criticized as of late for what some see as culturally appropriating black culture in her “Look What You Made Me Do” music video. Critiques of Swift’s new video by the black community have centered around accusations that she plagiarized the audio-visuals of her song from “Formation,” the lead single out of Beyoncé’s Lemonade album. Not surprisingly,

tweets lambasting Swift through racially tinted lyrical parodies have widely been circulated throughout social media. In a time when white supremacists march the streets and the removal of Confederate statues is loyally protested, conversations about cultural appropriation and jokes about race can be heightened and seem hostile.

These feelings of vulnerability and defensiveness do not disappear once a student steps onto Abele Quad. While we may feel comfortable or isolated here on campus, it is important to understand that the issues of race that were underlined this summer remain relevant topics for classroom discussion. These events have concrete, emotional consequences for the students who are directly affected by them, and even when we return to the illusive sanctuary of campus life, these events continue to happen both inside and outside of Duke. Students may feel angry and vulnerable and may voice their opinions and frustrations in this way.

They are justified about feeling upset and angry with the current racial and political climate. If you cannot empathize with these feelings, first respond with compassion. Take time to acknowledge the impact of this racially charged summer both on our country and our classmates.

Letters to the editor

W

hat an unpleasant surprise to return to campus to find it even less bike-friendly than it was in the spring. For those unaware, bicyclists must now dismount in the Abele Quad and Bryan Center Plaza (mopeds and motorcycles are banned). As someone who walks, bicycles, and motorcycles, I consider myself an authority on the subject. I do not believe this will make Duke’s campus any safer.

The pedestrians I come closest to running over are those who are oblivious to their surroundings because they have their noses stuck to cell phones. If Duke wants to make campus safer for pedestrians, why not consider banning walking with cell phones?

As is, hungover undergrads will continue to bump into each other and trip on cracks in the sidewalk outside their dorms as they stumble around Snapchatting pictures of themselves in a bicycle-free quad.

The 10% of the Duke community that commutes by bike will continue to do so, but it will take us longer and our journey will become more dangerous. I have switched my route—now I must choose between riding among the dangerous traffic on Cameron Boulevard or passing through the hospital plaza that contains pedestrians, cars, AND wheelchairs. Banning bikes from the quad shifts the risk to other locations; it does not remove it.

Bikes/pedestrians/cars is not rock/ paper/scissors; cyclists almost always come out the loser in a collision. Furthermore, cyclists are unique in that there is no space intended specifically for them; pedestrians have sidewalks and cars have highways, but bike lanes are always shared with either pedestrians or cars. Cyclists already know how to share.

I will obey the ban, and I encourage other cyclists to do so as well. But I also expect that Duke will test to see if this reduces the number of incidents. If not, maybe it’s time to expect pedestrians to attend to their surroundings.

Brendan Hannon, Nicholas School of the Environment MEM 2018

C

lose on the heels of the university’s removal of the statue of R. E. Lee, and a year or so removed from the erasure of racist governor Charles B. Aycock’s name from one of the campus dormitories, the Iron Dukes organization, with consummate timing, has chosen to publish a list of “Naming Opportunities” for wealthy alumni and friends of Duke athletics. The list of properties available to name after oneself ranges from the Duke Golf Course ($15,000,000) to a “Dugout Helmet Cubby” (a steal at $5000).

Given Duke’s penchant for fund-raising, why not open the entire university to the enterprise? How much, for example, would it be worth for an individual of means to have his/her statue fill the niche where the General of the Army of Northern Virginia once stood? Surely, being ensconced in the portals of Duke Chapel beside the author of the Declaration of Independence would be worth at least as much as having one’s name on a golf course. Maybe more. And think about the myriad possibilities on the campus for “Naming Opportunities.” Dorm rooms.

Classrooms. Library carrels. Offices. Toilets.

The list is limited only by the imagination.

Or perhaps this might be a good time for Duke to revisit its mission and, more important, examine its soul. Should naming rights to buildings and other university properties be sold to the highest bidders, or should there be a loftier standard involved?

I don’t relish a scene in the near future in which the university is embarrassed by revelations that some building or helmet cubby has been named for a Nazi, a crook, or both. Duke has enough sins to live down without prostituting itself for funds – athletic or otherwise.

Bob Williams, Class of 1970

The Chronicle

dukechronicle.com commentary

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 | 7

Meloria silentio Putting the “engage” in

A

recent New York Times study found that Duke has more students whose family’s income lies in the top 1 percent, i.e. earning more than $630,000 per year, than it does students who align within the bottom 60 percent of the income scale. Furthermore, nearly 70 percent lay claim to residing within the upper fifth of the income bracket, with the entire undergraduate student body possessing a median family income of $187,000 compared to the national $56,516.

Quite clearly, the average Duke student differs from the average American—more precisely, he or she differs by about a multiple of three.

It would not be incorrect to refer to this stark difference in wealth as “privilege”—undoubtedly, the experiences of an upper class individual vary from those with demonstrably lower incomes. However, it is important to note that privilege is an experience nonetheless. Privilege deserves to be treated with the same

privilege. Debate is limited because of privilege both by those who claim to possess it and by those who claim to be divorced from it.

It is not a stretch to claim that every Duke student encompasses privilege to a certain degree. After all, as students at a top-10 university where one has the option of dining on sushi and filet mignon from our cafeteria in a $2 million gaming suite that features eight flat screen monitors, four Xbox 1s, four Playstation 4s and a WiiU for good measure, we are not partaking in the average college experience.

If Duke students were to avoid speaking up about issues because of privilege, the campus would be dead silent.

A college experience underscored

by JB’s Bistro in the West Union is no less significant than one underscored by boxed ramen; however, at the same time, it is necessary to recognize the ways in which such experiences may morph one’s views.

Privilege deserves to be

L

ast fall, DukeEngage surpassed Duke Men’s Basketball as the most heavily-cited reason on Common App applications that prospective students yearn to come to Duke. With a budget of $30 million, the program aims to get students involved with civic leadership and cultural immersion in cities across the world.

The program offers Duke students the meaningful (and free) opportunity to serve in a new community and contribute, ideally, to some aggregate change.

On paper, this program seems perfect.

It affords all students, regardless of background, the chance to travel and learn in a new place, and encourages cross-cultural connections, engagement, and relationships.

Students even attend a two-day training academy on ethical voluntarism, and are given suggested readings by which to prepare for their respective locations.

But here’s the issue: these trainings don’t work.

I spent my summer participating in

Jacob Weiss

Leah Abrams

NOT JUMPING TO ANY CONCLUSIONS

CUT THE BULL

respect as its antithesis, lest the Duke community regard the perspective of the average student as only one-third as valuable as that of his or her peers.

Privilege certainly affects one’s views, and that effect must be acknowledged.

However, such experience should not preclude one from sharing said views.

Annual trips to Nantucket Island may shape the way in which one considers labor economics, but it does not make him or her less qualified to discuss it. Nor does it make him or her more qualified.

Despite this obvious truth, the term “privilege” has been used to stifle debate on topics implicating socio-economic status, gender, race and sexuality. This is especially true at Duke, where The Chronicle’s Editorial Board published a satire that labeled a privileged Duke character as philistine, misogynistic and racially insensitive simply because of his background—a background that the typical Duke student shares.

When the Editorial Board, which supposedly seeks to represent “every group and ideology at Duke [in its membership],” expressly condemned a sizeable portion of the student body last semester, it became clear that the group’s intention was not to serve as a voice for Duke, but rather to relay a specific political message on a daily basis. Judging from the limited sample of editorial board articles from this current semester, which includes a passionate defense of the felony vandalism of a Confederate monument in Durham, it is unlikely that this intention has changed.

While not representative of the student body, the stance of the Editorial Board is representative of a larger issue on college campuses whereby dialogue is hindered by an immediate disqualification of one’s views because of factors he or she cannot change and which, by no right, detract from the merit of one’s argument.

Not only do opposing viewpoints quiet the other side by invoking privilege, but individuals also neglect to speak because they feel unqualified to discuss certain topics due to their

acknowledged, but it does not deserve to censor. No topic should be off limits for anyone, especially at an institution of higher learning. As university students who pride ourselves on being knowledgeable as well as having an insatiable thirst for knowledge, we should seek to flex our intellectual muscles and to learn from each other.

A healthy exchange of knowledge cannot occur if we discount others’ opinions and fear to share our own because of a single detail that—while not immaterial—does not constitute the entirety of one’s view.

A wealth of experiences, privilege included, impact perspective and no perspective should be considered invalid because of a single factor. This semester, I hope that white people will be more comfortable talking about race, straight men will be more comfortable talking about gender and sexuality, and wealthy people will be more comfortable talking about economic issues like income inequality. More Duke students talking.

I also hope that each one of those aforementioned groups will weigh the effect that privilege has had on their beliefs, as all groups should consider how experience informs worldview.

Duke students, check your privilege— but do not silence yourselves.

Locquere meloria silentio. Say something better than silence.

Jacob Weiss is a Trinity senior. His column “not jumping to any conclusions” runs on alternate Fridays.

DukeEngage

DukeEngage Detroit, a program run through the department for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The program leaders, Katherine Black and Matt Nash, are spectacular—not only is Matt a Detroit native, but the pair also provided plenty of materials by which students could get to know the city and its history, political landscape, and population. This wealth of available knowledge, combined with the vast pools of the internet, made it easy for me to prepare for my time in Detroit. I read extensively about housing policy, white flight to the suburbs, and segregation within the education system.

When I arrived in Detroit, I fell in love with a city full of culture, diversity, and rapidly changing neighborhoods. There are pockets of hipsters, a thriving downtown, a newly-installed bike-share program, and a strong black community that has maintained its independence and vibrancy throughout decades of racial violence and political marginalization. Of course, there are still places where bullet casings line the streets, and myriad abandoned buildings pooled with broken glass. Yet, if anything, Detroit became a model American city for me—a city that is a microcosm of the American experience. It is the ideal place from which to learn and it embraced me with open arms.

However, I began to realize that most of the students accompanying me on my program had not done the same amount of research. Even among those who had, many were still woefully uneducated on cultural norms and current issues. Some described neighborhoods as “ghetto” or “ratchet,” or made other racially charged remarks.

None of these missteps were intentional, but they unfortunately had not been privy to appropriate required training.

This lack of training apparently was not unique to my experience. In fact, I believe the Detroit program is among the best-run DukeEngage options. It is led by qualified Duke faculty, takes place domestically and therefore theoretically provokes less culture shock, and its community partners are all wellestablished Detroit non-profits with significant needs. That being said, many students who were selected to for this opportunity to work in Detroit were culturally unprepared for their experience, and this unpreparedness is significantly more prevalent in various other DukeEngage programs.

Reading students’ blog posts gave me the impression that students participating in international DukeEngage programs could also benefit from more training. I prefer not to mention specific programs or specific students, but I read countless blog posts that made it clear that the student had not come in with sufficient knowledge of their summer destination. Some students were “surprised” to see so many cars in the “developing” countries in which they were working. Some wrote about feeling like an American celebrity while playing with kids. Some taught English for two weeks at a time without any training in teaching.

Many posted pictures with smiling brown and black children, feeling proud of their accomplishments that summer.

None of these students were illintentioned. In fact, I imagine that most of them truly aimed to make a difference and engage with the communities in which they were living. The fault at hand then is not in the mal intent of students, but rather

their inexperience with the nebulous and unique histories, cultures, and norms of their DukeEngage sites—not to mention their lack of exposure to thorough training on ethical voluntarism.

DukeEngage has the budget and resources to continue serving as a voice for change and empowerment at Duke. As it stands, DukeEngage certainly makes a lasting impact on many students, allowing them to experience immersion into a new culture and community, and to learn from the perspectives of others. Does it actually influence communities for the better? This depends on the student and his or her aggregate training. And this discrepancy should not be acceptable, especially as we send students to represent Duke University as an institution in communities across the globe. How do we want our university, our student body and our values to be represented?

A two-day training academy does not suffice in providing students with a comprehensive understanding of how unique cultures operate. Instead, students interested in participating in DukeEngage should be required to take a graded, semesterlong course that delves into the political and social history of their program, introduces them to the work they will be carrying out and conditions they will be experiencing throughout the summer. This course should aim to sensitize them to avoid an attitude of white saviorism, to engage meaningfully with community members, and to respect the humanity and perspectives of every person they encounter. This course should be taught by faculty well-versed in these issues and the geographic sites, and it should be graded to ensure satisfactory student engagement.

I understand that a program of this size and rigor would be costly. But if DukeEngage is unwilling to invest in appropriately training student volunteers, perhaps it needs to rethink its espoused values.

“Challenge yourself, Change your world” is just words thrown together as long as students lack the tools to do so.

Leah Abrams is a Trinity sophomore. Her column, “cut the bull” runs on alternate Fridays.

dukechronicle.com

8 | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

component of CS 101—which featured small group sessions with 20 students—as part of her inspiration to eventually teach computer science in the K-12 environment.

“You don’t know about CS until you get into college,” she said.

Asked what additional resources might mean for the department and its growing number of interested students, Astrachan said, “It’d make a good major even better.”

At the same time, Astrachan warned about the potential consequences of Duke not providing the department with more resources.

Courtesy of Duke Photography “We have a lot of world-class Owen Astrachan, professor of the practice faculty,” he said. “At some point, of computer science, said that computer they’re going to say ‘Why am I staying science was a top major at Duke. here if I could go to all of the other schools Duke compares itself to, and from page 1 they’re going to be providing many more resources?’” some students might not graduate depending on final exams, for example,” Editor’s Note: The Chronicle spoke he wrote in an email. with Astrachan both over the phone and Former students described several via email. reasons for joining the computer science department, including career from page 2 prospects and an interest in the field’s broader applications.

“Since tech has gained so much attachment process.” popularity, it’s almost become sort of To further test this theory, the a default for people that don’t know researchers turned to Sarah Dunstan, what they actually want to do,” said who studies typhoid fever susceptibility in Vietnam. Compiling the DNA Kevin He, Trinity ‘17.

Jeremy Fox, Trinity ‘17, echoed the information for about 1,000 Vietnamese sentiment, describing the class size patients, Ko and the team again found growth as “a pretty rational response that the VAC14 gene was tied to the risk to a growing tech industry.” Fox, who of Salmonella infection. began as a Pratt student, later realized After confirming VAC14’s he “could do more with computer importance, the team next looked at science—data science, software, how this process played out in a zebrafish relating computer science to policy.” model. They centered their tests around Computer science has numerous the hypothesis that decreasing the applications in other fields—such levels of cholesterol would lead to less as economics, physics, statistics, Salmonella invasion. biology—and many students who “Zebrafish are a phenomenal take a few courses ultimately decide animal model system because they are to complete the major or minor, optically transparent making them Astrachan said. ideal for imaging studies,” Alvarez “A lot of my friends from high school wrote in an email. who were originally studying economics The zebrafish were first treated or math are all now interested in with ezetimibe—a drug that lowers computer science,” He said. cholesterol levels—and then exposed Despite the growth in demand, the to the typhoid fever bacteria. Alvarez size of Duke’s computer science faculty found that the fish treated with has not kept up. Astrachan noted that the cholesterol-lowering drug had in May, 27 professors were members improved survival rates and also of the department, marking a slight cleared the bacteria from their system increase from 25 professors in 2007. with more efficiency.

Both Ko and Alvarez noted that “It’s concerning [that] we are [one of the] most popular [majors] their success in zebrafish may not be and we’re by far the smallest of entirely predictive for humans but were departments [with similar interest] in optimistic about the initial results. They terms of faculty,” Astrachan said. “You said they hoped to move to a different have to be careful because one person animal to show that the treatment may could say ‘Well gee, if you could do it be more broadly useful.

“The reason we still have to be with so few, then I guess we can give cautious is because it’s a zebrafish—not you even fewer.’

It’s not just faculty that have been a person, not a mouse, it’s a zebrafish,” spread thin—the department faces Ko said. “And we were delivering the a “dilemma” due to a shortage of bacteria through an injection, so teaching assistants, said Ellen Yuan, people usually get salmonella infection Trinity ‘17, who was a CS 101L teaching because they eat something that’s assistant for six semesters. tainted—so the route of delivery isn’t Despite limited departmental quite the same.”

He explained that the exact resources, the recent graduates said they gained a lot from the what the mechanism behind VAC14’s ability to affect the amount of cholesterol in department had to offer.

For example, He credited Computer the cell is still unknown. There is also Science 308, Software Design and a potential to apply these findings to Implementation, for its “very valuable other diseases and examine whether lessons on how to communicate and do other pathogens are similarly affected group work effectively,” noting that this by cholesterol. was just as important as programming “The ultimate goal in terms of a ability in the tech industry. utility standpoint would be to be able Classes listed as 500-level are typically to say, ‘yeah, we started these initial geared towards graduate students, but observations based on cell biology, and Fox said he wished undergraduates we were able to take it to animal models would be more aware of the 500-level and then eventually, we wanted to see whether or not they had any usefulness computer science courses.

Yuan cited teaching the lab in people,’” Ko said.

COMPSCI

TYPHOID

PROGERIA from page 2 patients have been described to divide inefficiently and are often prone to early death.

Prior to the development of new technology for modeling progeria cells, Atchison said there were three primary ways to study the disease and its treatment—mouse models, twodimensional cell cultures taken from autopsy samples and the relatively small number of cells sampled directly from patients.

Since very few patients have historically enrolled in trials that test treatments—usually about three patients—demonstrating the efficacy of any regiment has always been difficult.

The group’s new model could help increase the efficiency of new endeavors, Atchison noted “Our model is supposed to supplement those [models] currently used in clinical studies,” she said. “In addition to there not being many patients to take cell samples from, both mouse models and two-dimensional cell cultures have not been able to show the exact phenotype that occurs in humans.”

The researchers are now gearing up to use their blood vessel model to identify which of the existing 16 approaches for progeria treatment are the most promising and could be best improved.

So far, the greatest progeria drug success has been increasing lifespans by an average of three months, leaving researchers and patients eager for more advances.

The team piloted the drug Everolimus, which is currently under clinical trials for progeria treatment, using the blood vessels. Atchison explained that while the drug was able to improve vascular function, it ultimately did not remedy all of the Progeria symptoms.

Still, since the underlying technology of their engineered vessels is adaptable to other models, Atchison said she remains hopeful of advancing their research.

“Since the cells used in this technology are stem cells, they can be used to model any genetic disease, no matter how rare,” she said. “We are working towards validating the model as an effective screening method for progeria treatments and will be trying to model other diseases.”

HARVEY from page 1 any major flooding and his parents are fine. But seeing pictures of the floodwaters around Houston was shocking for him.

He left Houston to travel back to

The Chronicle Durham on Friday—a day earlier than he had originally planned because of the storm. But he never expected Harvey to cause the destruction that he has seen on the internet and on television.

“I’m just seeing these pictures of highways that I drive on, routes that I take to get school or to get to my friends houses, and they’re completely submerged. You can basically see waves of water,” Dave said. “I’m seeing all these pictures that are really beyond anything I could have imagined.”

Dave, whose high school has been turned into a shelter for displaced residents, explained that it was hard for him to understand how his house was spared after seeing so much destruction.

He felt powerless knowing that there was little he could do help those affected by the storm.

“Here, all I can do is talk about it,” he said, referring to campus. “If I was there, I could potentially be more helpful because I know my friends and I know the people are out there and doing the work that you need to recover.”

The damage has also been jarring for senior Maria Luisa Frasson-Nori.

Her family and home escaped the destruction, but one of her close friends and the friend’s family had to be rescued on a boat after the first floor of their home flooded.

Like Dave, Frasson-Norri thought the storm would just be an inconvenience.

In fact, as she was leaving Houston for the start of school, she was most concerned about just avoiding flight delays and making it to Durham.

“No one realized that it was going to be a storm of this magnitude,” she said.

“No one was prepared for this… Now I feel a worry and concern every time somebody talks about it, which is pretty much every half hour.”

For Cherches, the junior whose house flooded, his mom’s Facebook update came after an already tense few days. He had initially planned to split the drive from Houston to Durham with his father because he was nervous about driving his manual transmission car so far. But then his dad decided to stay behind, leaving Cherches to drive the entire 19 hours himself.

Two days later, his house was filling with water. “[I’m] grateful that my dad did make that decision to stay with my family instead of coming with me,” he said. “[Seeing the pictures]—it was crazy.”

Cherches said the flooding has since receded, and his family has been updating him about the water damage at their home. But he said the stress has persisted. He wants to do more to help.

“I wish I was at home,” he said.

Courtesy of Department of Defense The Associated Press has reported that more than 20 people have been killed in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and thousands have been moved to shelters.