September 21, 2020

The Chronicle

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The independent news organization at Duke University

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

Students take time off for election work

ONLINE DAILY AT DUKECHRONICLE.COM

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 8

ACTIVISTS PUSH GREEK ABOLITION

By Ann Gehan Staff Reporter

Driving home from work last winter, Lindsay Morgenstein had an idea. “What if I just didn’t go to school next fall?” she remembers thinking.

Morgenstein, then a sophomore, started considering alternatives to a semester abroad after realizing that her junior fall would coincide with the 2020 election. For Morgenstein, who wasn’t old enough to vote in 2016, sitting on the sidelines of another presidential election was out of the question.

“I’m not going to be in another country for the 2020 election––that’s the most important election I’ll vote in, in probably forever,” she said. “The idea that I would be in another country frolicking around while the most important thing that I could think of was happening at home was not it for me.”

When she got home, Morgenstein emailed her dean to request a leave of absence for fall 2020. After talking to a friend who was working for the Kamala Harris presidential campaign in Iowa, she decided that organizing would be the most meaningful way to spend her time away from campus. Now that COVID-19 has dramatically changed the nature of this semester, as well as the presidential election, Morgenstein is confident that her work for Planned Parenthood Votes in North Carolina is making a difference.

“As soon as I found out that organizing was the thing that would actually win elections and create change then I was like, ‘Well, this is something that I need to do, since I’m able to and I have nothing that could be more important for me to do right now than organizing,’” she said.

Morgenstein is not the only Duke student who traded the classroom for the campaign trail this semester. Some, like her, had long had the fall of 2020 earmarked for a leave of absence from Duke for electionrelated work. For others, the decision came in response to COVID-19, after a spring and summer filled with Zoom meetings and a lack of clarity from Duke about what the fall semester would look like on campus.

See ELECTION on Page 2

By Rebecca Torrence Contributing Reporter

Shreyas Gupta had just started to doze off at 2:45 a.m when a glass bottle smashed through his bedroom window.

His first thought was that there had been an explosion. Glass littered his windowsill; shards scattered across his carpet, reflecting moonlight. A bottle of Hell’s Belle beer rolled across the floor, still intact. He heard tires screeching on the street.

It was the night of Sept. 4, a Friday. Five days earlier, Gupta, a senior, had appeared on local TV news station WRAL to represent Abolish Duke IFC & Panhel, the group he helped start that’s advocating for the abolition of 24 Duke fraternities and sororities. It was the first time he had spoken publicly about his involvement.

“I just never thought something like that could happen while I was at Duke,” he said of the act of vandalism.

Gupta can’t prove the incident was related to his role in Abolish Duke IFC & Panhel. Still, he and other members of the team have received some backlash since the group’s creation, but most antagonizers choose to wage their battles online, in Instagram DMs or on Facebook Messenger. After WRAL interviewed him, Gupta received a Facebook message from an older man he didn’t recognize. “Troublemaker!” the message read. “Why don’t you leave Duke!”

A few minutes after his window shattered, Gupta went outside to see egg yolks dripping

down the wood panelling of the house. More broken beer bottles and egg shells littered the front lawn. He’ll probably never know who vandalized his home or if they were retaliating against his calls for abolition, he said, but being physically threatened in his home “made everything feel a lot more real.”

An Instagram page and a movement

Although the idea of abolishing Greek life isn’t new, this iteration of the movement started with the creation of an Instagram page in midJuly, when criticisms fueled by the Black Lives Matter movement came to a head. The account, which was created before the Abolish Duke IFC & Panhel group, offers a space for students and alumni to share anonymous stories about their experiences in Duke Greek life. It now boasts more than 2,300 followers.

The students who began the Instagram page, who haven’t publicly revealed their identities, also started a petition calling for the formal abolition of all Duke chapters of the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association—historically white Greek organizations The petition has garnered more than 400 signatures.

Conversations sparked from the Instagram prompted Gupta and four other students to launch the Abolish Duke IFC & Panhel website about a month later. The same day, Aug. 12, their open letter was published in The Chronicle. The group has since amassed more than 40 members, Gupta said, and the open letter has more than 350 signatories.

The movement has prompted campus sororities and fraternities to internally evaluate their organizations. Panhellenic Association members Zeta Tau Alpha and Alpha Delta Pi have since voted to relinquish their charters.

The attempts were rejected by the organizations’ national councils, according to the chapters.

But although calls for abolition began two months ago, for the five student leaders of Abolish Duke IFC & Panhel, the movement has been a long time coming.

Four of the five members of the leadership team chose to speak with The Chronicle: Gupta, Christine Bergamini, Elena Gray and Carmela Guaglianone. Gupta said vandalization of his house dissuaded the fifth member from publicly attaching their name to the group.

Bergamini, a senior and former member of Kappa Alpha Theta, said she decided to disaffiliate when the Duke chapter was prevented from signing the list of demands issued by the Black Coalition Against Policing, which outlined a number of steps including the eventual abolition of the Duke University Police Department. To Bergamini, this proved the organization was only willing to engage in performative activism.

Senior Victoria Sorhegui, president of Duke’s Theta chapter, confirmed in an email to The Chronicle that Theta’s national policy prevents the chapter from attaching the sorority’s name to the list of demands because See ABOLITION on Page 3

INSIDE Athlete COVID-19 disparity Experts are unsure why athletes tested positive at a higher rate upon returning to campus.

PAGE 2

DukeCreate highlights local artist DukeCreate partnered with artist Candy Carver for a workshop where particpants created abstract self-portraits.

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Being low-income at Duke Rez Williamson on what it takes to get through Duke on a dime.

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Courtesy of Dora Pekec Junior Dora Pekec took the semester off school to work for Democrat Sara Gideon’s Senate campaign.

INSIDE — This paper’s worth taking time off school to read | Serving the University since 1905 |

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2 | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

Why did so many athletes test positive? Experts unsure

By Chloe Nguyen Contributing Reporter

Anna Zolotor Local and National News Editor

If the the entry tests Duke performed on the general student body had come back positive for COVID-19 at the same rate as July entry tests for student-athletes, Duke would have had around 340 positive cases as students returned to campus. But only 24 Duke students tested positive for COVID-19 upon entry after Aug. 2. What happened?

Duke announced at the end of July that 25 student-athletes had tested positive for the coronavirus, with the majority of those positive tests coming on arrival to campus. At least one additional athlete later tested positive, and President Vincent Price said in a livestreamed panel last month that the 26 cases were among

members of the football team.

About 4% of student-athletes had positive entry tests, wrote Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, in an email. All were cleared to leave isolation by the first week in August, he wrote.

Out of the 8,531 student entry tests that were administered to the general undergraduate and graduate student body between Aug. 2 and Aug. 30, 24 were positive, giving a positivity rate of 0.28%. That’s more than 14 times lower than rate for student-athletes in July.

Entry tests for all undergraduate Duke students living on campus or returning to the Durham area were carried out Aug. 2-16.

Entry tests for graduate and professional students returning to Durham were administered Aug. 17-30, so all student entry testing is now complete.

Peter Ubel, the Madge and Dennis T.

ON DUKECHRONICLE.COM VP for Finance Tim Walsh to leave Duke at beginning of October

BY CARTER FORINASH | 09/18/2020 Walsh, who oversees Duke’s accounting and finances and also serves as University treasurer, has served in the role since 2011. His departure was announced Sept. 18 by Executive Vice President Tallman Trask.

Lack of supervision may have led to large O-Week gatherings, students say.

BY AYRA CHARANIA | 09/18/2020 Students felt that a lack of adult supervision potentially caused large gatherings like the one that took place outside Gilbert-Addoms dorm Aug. 12.

McLawhorn university distinguished professor in the Fuqua School of Business, said that while he does not know the exact geographic or racial demographics of student athletes compared to the rest of the population, it is clear that certain communities are disproportionately impacted

by COVID-19 infections.

“If athletes disproportionately come from those communities, you’d expect a higher rate,” Ubel said.

Schoenfeld wrote that Duke does not release demographic information for athletes compared to the general student body.

“Given the low numbers and the fact that student-athletes, like all Duke students, come from around the country, every situation will have a different set of circumstances and a different cause,” he wrote.

Don Taylor, a professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy and a founding member of the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, wrote in an email that the Duke’s testing tracker makes it difficult to interpret student athlete data.

“You have to piece together press releases to Chronicle File Photo have the data on athletes, since the dashboard President Vincent Price said on a livestream last month that 26 members of the football team had begins [Aug. 2],” Taylor wrote. tested positive for COVID-19, with the majority positive upon return to campus.

Test results for student-athletes, coaches

ELECTION FROM PAGE 1 Junior Dora Pekec had planned to study abroad this semester, but after Duke announced in June that all fall study abroad programs would be canceled, she began to consider other plans.

Pekec first considered campaign work when a friend working on a Senate campaign posted about job openings on Twitter this summer.

Duke’s announcement in late July that only first-years and sophomores would be permitted to live on campus made the decision even easier.

“That [announcement] really pushed me to go after it,” Pekec said.

Duke’s late-breaking announcement also made junior Allison Janowski’s decision to take time off much easier. Janowski worked as an organizer for the Democratic Party of Virginia while in high school and, like Morgenstein, had always considered taking time off from school to get involved politically.

“It was looking every day more and more like this semester wasn’t going to be great,” she said. “I figured this was sort of a natural next step for me and something that I’ve always been interested in and passionate about. This was the best time in my life to do it, which happens to coincide with a crucial election.”

After learning that they likely wouldn’t be able to return to campus in the fall, both Pekec and Janowski requested leaves of absence for the semester and dove into the interview process for campaigns.

On Aug. 15, Pekec moved to Portland, Maine to work as a field organizer for Sara Gideon, a Democrat challenging Susan Collins (R-Maine), a four-term senator who has been criticized for her support of the Trump administration despite her reputation as one of the most liberal Republicans in the Senate.

Janowski is organizing in Kentucky for Amy McGrath, who is challenging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), in one of the

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country’s most high-profile races.

While COVID-19 has changed what a typical day for a field organizer looks like, the goal of reaching as many potential voters as possible remains the same.

“I was expecting to mostly be knocking on doors and working in a campaign office, and instead I’m working out of my childhood bedroom, calling voters instead of knocking on their doors.” Morgenstein said.

Because of low COVID-19 case counts in Maine, Pekec is able to work from a field office sometimes, although the atmosphere has changed significantly from the typical frenzied final weeks of a close race. “Usually there would be interns and volunteers everywhere, with the field office always super packed, and now there’s a few desks spaced out 15 feet apart,” she said.

Like Pekec, Janowski was able to move to the area she is working in, though inperson opportunities are more limited due to COVID-19.

Much of Janowski’s work now deals with voter education and helping voters obtain correct information about how they can cast their ballot. Kentucky attracted national attention when it held its primary election in June after dramatically reducing the number of available polling locations due to COVID-19 concerns.

“There’s a lot of hurdles for people to actually make it to the polls this year, so it’s just so important that we’re making sure people actually know how they can physically go and vote, since there’s been so many changes on that end,” she said.

Although these students took the semester off entirely, other students are balancing campaign work with their class schedules.

Senior Jimmy Toscano is working as a fellow for the North Carolina Democratic Party and is also working for Matt Cartwright, a House Democrat running for reelection in Pennsylvania. Most days, Toscano spends almost three hours on the phone and makes at least 200

phone calls to voters.

Although adding in election work on top of part-time classwork is demanding, Toscano credits his coworkers with understanding the tricky balancing act of class, COVID-19 and the election.

“A lot of people are just doing this because they’re passionate about it,” he said. “That’s the attitude of volunteers too––just do your best–– and that’s all they can really ask.”

September and October are crunch time in election years. As Nov. 3 approaches, the pressure increases and hours get longer, but organizers still say they appreciate the change of pace from the nonstop grind of the academic calendar.

Morgenstein is currently working 50 hours a week and expects that number to rise to 80 or more as the election approaches. “I’m so much busier than I have ever been before, but it’s the good kind of busy where I’m actually doing things that matter,” she said. “I’m not sitting in the library moping—I’m talking to voters and building a plan for how they want to be engaged civically in the future.”

The student organizers say that working with voters and volunteers, even while stuck at home, remains the most rewarding part of the job.

Janowski has found it easier to connect with potential volunteers and encourage them to get involved.

“Being able to say you can literally change the outcome of this election from your living room, that’s a big sell for people,” she explained. “They don’t have to go out and do anything other than click the link on their computer. We’re really promoting the idea that especially now, you can make a difference from anywhere.”

After a spring and summer filled with virtual classes and Zoom meetings for her internship, Pekec is happy to have a chance for more interactive work. “It’s kind of weird to go from class and nothing else or a virtual internship to something that’s very hands-on and talking to

and staff will now only be included in overall weekly testing results, Schoenfeld wrote, citing federal health and education privacy laws.

He wrote that all student-athletes are tested at least once a week, while those in football, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball and field hockey are now tested daily.

Between Aug. 2 and Sept. 11, only 16 nonentry student entry tests came back positive, including both surveillance and contact traced tests. There have been 20,808 non-entry tests, for a positivity rate of 0.08%.

Ubel noted that “rules help establish norms,” citing the example that government-mandated mask laws tend to increase the percentage of people wearing masks even when there is initial backlash, because there rapidly becomes a social pressure to wear a mask.

“Duke has established social norms that are this really powerful influence on behavior on campus right now,” Ubel said. “It’s creating this culture of people wearing masks, and that’s probably the most important thing we can do in slowing the spread of the virus.”

Ubel speculated that these norms likely See ATHLETES on Page 2 people all the time,” she said.

“That was really important to me—to be able to meet other organizers in person, work with them in an office, and actually get to speak to people on the phone,” Pekec continued.

After Election Day comes and goes, organizers anticipate returning to school in the spring with new skills and a fresh perspective.

“It’s been a fun exercise in how good I can be at selling people on things on the phone,” Morgenstein said of her organizing work.

“Now I can convince anybody of pretty much anything in less than three minutes.”

As for her return to school?

“I think it’s going to be a tough transition, going from working insane hours for something that really matters to going back to like the mundane everyday life of school, which now just seems kind of boring,” she said.

ATHLETES FROM PAGE 2 have a particularly strong influence on athletic teams, because high infection rates could put their seasons at risk.

“Getting back to athletics, my guess is that you’re seeing quite strong social norms. Because their seasons are on the line,” Ubel said.

According to Schoenfeld, student-athletes are required to comply with additional rules and regulations that the rest of the student body may not be bound by.

“Their practices and team activities are closely regulated and student athletes have to observe their team rules in addition to the university policies,” he said.

This includes five fall sports teams labeled as high risk by the Atlantic Coast Conference Medical Advisory Group—the same teams that are tested daily—having to sequester following games, and all teams traveling only by charter bus or plane, President Vincent Price announced in an email to the Duke community Sept. 11.

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ABOLITION FROM PAGE 1

fraternity members,” Bergamini said. “It’s normalized. Why is that something we’re allowing?”

In a 2018 survey, 48% of female students reported having experienced sexual assault at Duke. But from May 2018 to May 2019, only 169 cases were reported to the Office of Student Conduct.

Gray said misogyny in the Greek system stems from the binary and heteronormative nature of Greek life, which creates a power imbalance between fraternities and sororities.

“If you break down a single fraternity party—they have the alcohol. They control the venue. They choose the clothes the mostly female participants are wearing, the theme, and how you get there and back,” she said. “You want to feel empowered as a woman, but that isn’t an option.”

Senior Rohan Singh, president of the Duke Interfraternity Council, wrote in an email that the members of the IFC executive board “absolutely condemn acts of sexual assault and are aware that it is an issue that plagues our community.”

“We are taking measures to be proactive about eliminating sexual assault within the IFC, and encourage students to report acts of assault to Duke Student Conduct,” he wrote.

of its “political undertones.” Representatives of the national organization did not respond to an email or phone call seeking comment in time for publication.

Gray, a senior previously in Kappa Kappa Gamma, said she had “overall positive experiences” in her sorority, but as a white woman, “eventually, I had to ask myself why I was able to benefit from it, what factors of my identity allowed me to be welcomed.”

“Once I started asking myself those questions, I couldn’t run from the problems of Greek life anymore,” she said.

Guaglianone, a senior, accepted a snap bid from Gamma Phi Beta her freshman year but dropped a few months later. Greek life controls much of Duke’s social culture, she said, and she has watched the “archaic” system place the burden of reform onto the members it disadvantages, often forcing victims of racism and sexual assault to advocate for necessary changes to their organizations.

Gupta had planned to drop his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, before the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, which he said allowed him to reflect on his own identity as an Indian man.

To make this system He and his friends wrote an open letter to the fraternity detailing racism within the Greek system. A mass exodus of the junior and equitable and fair, it would senior classes followed. have to turn into something In total, 31 members reported disaffiliating, according to that it’s not.

Abolish Duke IFC & Panhel’s disaffiliation tracker, a number confirmed by Gupta. Pikapp President Brian Hu, a senior, told christine bergamini The Chronicle that the number has risen to 35.

SENIOR AND FORMER MEMBER OF KAPPA Other than providing the number of members who have ALPHA THETA disaffiliated, Hu did not respond to requests for comment for this article.

Gupta clarified that the call for abolition does not apply to the No reform from the inside Those opposed to abolition have argued that reforming the Multicultural Greek Council or the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which, as Abolish Duke IFC & Panhel wrote in their open letter, Greek system at Duke is a more feasible and desirable response to the criticisms lodged against Greek life. But Gupta, Bergamini “provide community to BIPOC students on Duke’s campus.” and Gray said they’ve tried to reform their organizations from A power imbalance the inside. They said it can’t be done.

Bystander intervention trainings, a common reform strategy Gray and Bergamini said they recognize that their privilege as white women allowed them to benefit from and enjoy many aspects within fraternities and sororities to address the incidence of of their affiliations. Yet all three female leaders cited sexual assault by sexual assault, can only be so effective, said Gupta. He recalls fraternity members, which Bergamini labeled “innate to the Greek one session hosted by his fraternity, led by a brother “who is by system,” as a central motivation for their calls for abolition. no means an expert,” and although attendance was mandatory, “Pretty much every single one of my friends, including he said many members never showed up.

For trainings designed to combat implicit bias,“the session takes myself, has experienced sexual assault to some degree by

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 | 3

two hours max, one day a year” even when most members are in attendance, Bergamini said. “Those reforms can be implemented, but they don’t change the makeup of the organization.”

Reforming the rush process has its limits, too, she said.

Although dues can be lowered and sororities can make efforts to increase diversity, “dues are never going to cost zero dollars, and being in a sorority has other associated costs, like formal dresses and costumes,” she said. “You can never eliminate the selectivity issue of who’s allowed entrance into these organizations to begin with.”

The burden of reform

Bergamini also said Duke employs experts to tackle university reform while relying on unpaid student labor to address issues in Greek life like rampant racism without institutional support.

Gupta remembers feeling the burden of justifying the actions of members of his fraternity against students of color.

But “it’s not the responsibility of people of color to teach you how to not be racist,” he said.

Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president for student affairs, highlighted several structures at Duke that serve to address misogyny and racism in Greek life, including the Office of Student Conduct, the bias response group and University Center Activities and Events staff, but she acknowledged that student training also plays a role.

“It’s definitely my goal to not burden students who are most impacted to have to do the training and the work,” she said. “There’s plenty of work that we have to do to become a more inclusive and truly equitable campus.”

Yet the central issue with attempts at reform, said Gupta, is that the Greek system isn’t broken. The group wrote in their open letter that fraternities were created after the Civil War to separate wealthy white male college students from the rest of the increasingly diverse student body. Therefore, Gupta said, Greek life is functioning exactly as it was intended, to uphold power structures and reinforce white privilege.

“To make this system equitable and safe,” Bergamini said, “it would have to turn into something that it’s not.”

Read the rest of this story, including more perspectives from IFC, Panhel and Duke administration, online at chron.it/abolition.

Editor’s note: The author of this article was briefly a member of a Panhellenic Association sorority during her first year at Duke but disaffiliated because of the cost.

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4 | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

the chronicle

september 21, 2020

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self-abstractions

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DukeCreate partners with Candy Carver for abstract self-portraiture workshop, page 5

‘smile’

Katy Perry’s latest album does little to please fans, page 6

end of an era

‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ to end after 20 seasons, page 6

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recess And the emmy goes to...

Sarah Derris ....................... my cat

Stephen Atkinson ........ the davids

Sydny Long ...........................gaga

Skyler Graham ....... tucker carlson

Kerry Rork ........... not mrs. maisel

Jonathan Pertile .................. betty

Tessa Delgo .................. sandra oh

Derek Chen ...........kim kardashian

on the cover: “Mastermind” by Candy Carver

staff note July 11, 2021 This summer I haven’t gone outside much, which makes me sad, but only when I think about it. Growing up, I spent nearly every summer day at the pool. The walk was short but it was all uphill, and my ill-fitting flip flops threatened to slip away at any moment. I imagined that all the neighbors on my J-shaped street, upon hearing the slap of my sandals against the asphalt, would

peek outside to see the orange towel draped around my neck and the goggles swinging from my hand and remark to themselves that this boy was going to the pool for the ninth day in a row. Even children can be practiced egotists.

In high school, I would wake up at 6:30 in the morning, carpool to cross country practice, run along roads and through golf courses, lounge in the sun with popsicles, return home, change into my bathing suit, walk to morning swim practice, swim and later clock-in for my lifeguarding shift.

I’ve lived in the sun, I’ve felt the sun in every form: morning, half-shadowed, hazy, late afternoon and

evening, when its rays slant horizontally and skip over the surface of the pool water. I’ve sacrificed my body to the sun, eschewing sunscreen for years, as my nose took on a rosy complexion that I liked for its rawness, and my shoulders quickly shedded rusty burns to reveal bronzed blades.

I spent my life squinting and sweating, skintanned and hair-bleached. When I heard about skin cancer and aging and wrinkles; when I began to, every morning, scowl at the three stubborn lines running across my forehead; and when my mom remarked that I should wear sunglasses because wrinkles were forming at the edges of my eyes — that is when I realized the sun had not always been my friend.

Narratives make things easier to digest. They simplify the world and allow us to see it like the last book we read at the beach. I’ve just presented a narrative about my childhood, and it might not be true. Was I a child of the sun, a boy who ran barefoot through thick brush, who bounded through the woods hoping to get lost and nothing else? I also remember staying in my room, making up excuses to not play outside with the neighborhood kids so I could read books or write stories about stuffed animals.

I’m left with two competing, starry-eyed, false narratives of my childhood: I was either the freespirited nature-lover or the observant introvert who would one day spill his thoughts in a memoir.

I still want to be both.

Today, I went to a park to read. I haven’t been outside much because I’m not a lifeguard, I don’t live where I grew up and I hardly run or swim like I used to. I tried to think like a writer while I was there — like a romantic, like the person whose room I try to imitate when I dedicate corners to large leafy plants I have yet to buy. I thought about

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 | 5

the graffiti on the concrete walls that at points bordered the rectangle of land, I thought about the thousands of bugs crawling in the soil, I thought about the people who might see me, a shirtless boy lying in the sun in a large field by himself and I wondered what they thought. I went there to be a writer who, through thought, elevated the material into some ethereal realm, but in the end, after dutifully flipping through a few pages of an Annie Dillard essay collection, I sat back, soaked in the sun and hoped someone would see me without my knowing and silently admire me.

I want to start a garden, I think. Maybe, I just want to want to start a garden because it recalls the image of a sunsoaked childhood. It’s really quite hard to tell. All you can do, it seems, is squint despite the sun, brush the sweat off, close your eyes and hope that someday you’ll do or think or say something someone else hasn’t already done or thought or said. Or maybe, we join the culture, we lunge at the labels and narratives, we place them like candy into our bags on Halloween and what we come out with, stolen from others before us, captures, in its unique combination of borrowed origins, some different shade, some refraction of light that communicates we are special.

I thought I wanted to lay in the sun and read all day, but before long, I was bored, and my leg started to itch. The sticky note in my book, marking my page, had hardly changed positions when I walked back into my gray-walled home and shut the door behind me.

—Stephen Atkinson, culture editor

campus arts

DukeCreate workshop spotlights local artist Candy Carver

By Juanita Vargas Ibanez Contributing Writer

Midterm season is in full swing, and some students are in desperate need of a creative outlet. DukeCreate, a program that provides a series of free hands-on arts workshops, created one of these sought-after outlets with the “Self-Portraiture Using Watercolor and Oil Pastels” workshop on Sept. 16. Sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts (DukeArts) and University Center Activities and Events (UCAE), DukeCreate was able to provide free art supplies to on-campus students and those living in the Durham area.

Due to limited supplies for the workshop, space was limited to the first 20 participants. Students who signed up for the workshop were eligible to pick up art supplies in the Rubenstein Arts Center Lounge the day of and before the workshop. Ths supplies included a flat paint brush, a pencil, an eraser, oil pastels and watercolor paints.

“There is a lot more planning that goes into this distribution,” said DukeCreate director Kevin Erixson. “There is a lot of thought that goes into putting the packets together and making sure we are picking them up safely and socially distanced.”

The workshop was conducted online via Zoom. Many DukeCreate offerings this semester provide students with supplies ahead of a virtual workshop, including the upcoming partnership with Duke VisArts, “Paint Like Bob Ross: Autumn Fantasy” on Sept. 28.

“DukeCreate was well positioned to pivot in virtual programming, it’s a flexible program by nature, and we have very talented and knowledgeable instructors,” said Erixson. “When the pandemic hit in March, we were among the first to adjust our offerings to online. We initially focused on arts-related software skills

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and we also had workshops like dance and contour line drawing.”

DukeCreate partnered for the first time with local abstract artist Candy Carver. The workshop combined the use of watercolors and pastels to create abstract self-portraits. Carver is known for expressing positivity through the vivid colors she uses on her art pieces. The artistic style of Carver encouraged students to mix contrasting and vivid colors, explore symmetry and draw geometrical patterns.

“John Brown, the new vice provost for the arts, is very committed to deepening the ways Duke engages in supporting local artists,” said Erixson. “Given the current limited ways artists can make money during COVID-[19], we are more committed to this than ever and have expanded to work with new local artists like Candy Carver.”

Since the workshop required no prior artistic experience, Carver was sure to clearly describe each step of the artistic process.

The workshop provided enough guidance for beginners to feel confident in creating self-portraits, and enough creative freedom for other students to add unique personal touches to their self-portraits. Carver also made sure to explain the mechanics of the medium, informing the class that pastels and watercolor repel, much like oil and vinegar.

Her focus on positivity transcended her art into her teaching style, as she sang words as part of her instruction and made sure she addressed every participant’s worries. Carver constantly reassured students that it is okay to make mistakes.

“We are focused on providing a space where you can fail, unlike a lot of places at Duke” said Erixson. “We are trying to spark some kind of interest and maybe from that interest get you involved in the arts in some capacity.”

Courtesy of DukeCreate

DukeCreate partnered with artitst Candy Carver for abstract self-portraiture workshop.

Increasingly, DukeCreate workshops have focused on collaborations with local artists, student groups and academic departments. These partnerships expand the possibilities of DukeCreate offerings each semester.

“I’ve put a huge emphasis on partnerships and collaborations so that DukeCreate can support entities with arts interests across the University,” Erixson said. “DukeCreate is working with DEMAN (the Duke Entertainment & Media Network), the CoLab Roots workshop series, the Cinematic Arts Filmcraft Series, student organizations and other departments and offices to provide programming that shines a spotlight on the

wonderful things that are happening in the arts at Duke and around Durham.”

Carver’s positivity throughout the workshop created a supportive and relaxed atmosphere. In the midst of a pandemic and strict social distancing guidelines, DukeCreate, like other campus organizations, is trying to build community and a feeling of togetherness.

“We want to encourage students and employees to explore techniques or concepts within the arts that they maybe haven’t had an opportunity to try before,” said Erixson. “I hope by creating together, we feel closer to each other and build community, especially during this unprecedented semester.”

6 | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

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The Chronicle

playground

‘Smile’ does very little to ease Katy Perry’s fall from grace

By Jonathan Pertile Social Media Editor

It has been a long day for Katy Perry. It is 4:30 in the afternoon, and she’s running late to the next virtual press conference scheduled for her media day. When she finally clicks on the appropriate link, she’s whisked into a Zoom room filled with nearly 350 college journalists, all eager to ask the living legend herself a battery of pre-screened questions.

Perry looks at the faces on her screens. To her delight, she somehow manages to recognize a few among the crowd. Had she clicked a few buttons and explored all seven pages of the Zoom room, she might have even seen my face. Recognizing me, however, would be a different story — the only time we’ve even been in the same state would be that time in 2009 when Perry performed in Myrtle Beach at a concert I didn’t even know about.

Why is Katy Perry herself in a Zoom room with a bunch of nobodies like me, you ask? To promote her new album, “Smile,” naturally. If you want to make waves in culture, the most effective thing to do is to target young people. (Note to any older readers: please don’t “try to be cool” to appeal to young people. It will 100% backfire.)

Did this marketing ploy work, though? Well, I’m writing this article, and you’re presumably reading it, so I guess so. And honestly, her album could use the help. On Sunday Sept. 6, Billboard unveiled that “Smile” debuted at a disappointing fifth on their flagship album chart after an underwhelming showing in sales and streaming numbers.

All of this makes her 2010 album “Teenage Dream” feel like a long, long time ago. That album, released almost exactly 10 years before “Smile,” was supported by an unbelievable run of five charttopping singles, a record that Perry shares with Michael Jackson.

The stark difference between these two albums begs a simple question: What happened to Katy Perry?

Perry’s fall from grace is both well-documented and headacheinducingly complex. Her problems can be traced all the way back to her fervent support for Hillary Clinton, a deeply unpopular presidential candidate among the general public, and her “purposeful pop” album, “Witness,” that followed in the wake of Clinton’s loss. Roll these elements up with Perry’s much-maligned pixie cut, and you have a recipe for disaster in a music industry that

punishes artists for deviating from their established brand, which for Perry, was her carefree attitude and effortless sex appeal.

Perry’s combined challenges during the “Witness” era and the Clinton candidacy left the pop star deeply depressed. It didn’t help that her struggle was widely mocked in the popular “You just have to say that you’re fine” meme format that pulled audio from one of her 2014 interviews and then overlaid the clip with fail videos.

Eventually, Perry managed to overcome her depression, and from this triumph, “Smile” was born. Yet despite its uplifting message, the album was unable to escape the legacy of its predecessor. Its most successful single, “Never Really Over,” was released as a droplet nearly 15 months before the album was released. The terrible droplet that followed, however, “Small Talk,” killed any and all momentum that “Never Really Over” might have generated. Fittingly, “Small Talk” was relegated to the Target deluxe edition of “Smile.”

After “Small Talk,” Perry was unable to get back on her feet commercially, though at least not for a lack of quality. “Harleys in Hawaii,” the trop-pop breeze that followed “Small Talk,” is a

recess

strong contender for Perry’s best song ever, and “Daisies,” the official lead single for the album, is an uplifting EDM-tinged ballad that felt appropriate during the May era of quarantine in which it was released.

Thankfully for Perry’s mental health, she has repeatedly professed that she no longer cares about the charts. Perhaps this mentality has created a feedback loop where Katy’s underpermance makes her care less, which makes her try less, in turn causing her to underperform even more. However, there are thousands of musicians that try really really hard and flop anyway. Instead, it would seem that her continued struggles are far more complex, with both large structural barriers, like a sexist and ageist music industry that refuses to give women over the age of 35 second chances and the smaller, more contingent missteps, like bad single choices. Regardless, even if things are not looking good for Katy Perry’s career, she will always have her iconic legacy to lean on, having defined an entire generation with her bottomless barrel of hits. That’s something to be proud of.

Photo by Jonathan Pertile

Katy Perry, pictured above, took part in a press conference with nearly 350 college journalists in late August to promote her new album.

The end of an era: ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ calls it quits where I am today,” Kardashian wrote. “I will be forever in debt to everyone who played a role in shaping our careers.”

Reactions were mixed. Piers Morgan, a British television host and frequent critic of the family, said that “This is a rare moment in a horrible year when we should come together as a country in a moment of national jubilation.” Others proposed that Kris Jenner, the family matriarch and momager, join the cast of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” But the most popular reaction among fans was that this was inevitable: that the Kardashian cable empire was destined to collapse.

So why was the show canceled, and why did we all see it coming?

Though members of the family have yet to provide any reasons, it’s clear that the show became a vestigial feature in the larger scope of the Kardashian industrial complex. From a numbers perspective, ratings were down: viewership peaked in the Season 4 finale in 2010 with 4.8 million total viewers, whereas the most recent episode had only 810,000 viewers.

In a broader context, the show’s demise corresponds to the changing dynamics of what it means to be a celebrity and cable Contributing Writer TV’s diminishing role in it. When “Keeping Up” first aired in 2007, cable TV was at its peak and social media platforms The only video game I have ever spent money on is like Instagram and Twitter had yet to gain relevancy. In an “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.” The 2014 role playing saga attempt to maximize Kim’s 15 minutes of fame following the was an enticing exploration into celebrity culture: players release of her sex tape, the show became a refreshing way to entered a fame-obsessed world of tabloid drama and invasive indulge in the personal dramas of a rich family. Without the photographers, navigating the E-list in hopes of ascending to facilitation of social media, the news cycle lagged behind, and the upper echelons of celebrity. For a 13 year-old me, spending “Keeping Up” was an entertaining way to keep in touch with real money on the game was a gateway into the Kardashian America’s most controversial family. reality — a reality that, with the impending cancellation of But streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ are “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” is now uncertain. monopolizing the entertainment industry, and cable TV is In an Instagram post shared Sept. 8, Kim Kardashian now an expensive burden. The popularization of social media announced that the reality show would be ending after its has provided the Kardashians with a separate platform to build 20th season. their brand, garner million dollar sponsorships and argue with “Without ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians,’ I wouldn’t be Taylor Swift. With their scandals immediately gaining traction over social media, the show became an outdated method of relaying drama six months after it happened.

Some say that the Kardashians don’t need “Keeping Up.” In an age where Snapchat stock lost $1.3 billion after Kylie tweeted that she doesn’t use Snapchat anymore, the Kardashians wield tremendous power in redefining celebrity, beauty standards and entrepreneurship. Kim and Kylie each own multimillion dollar cosmetics companies; Khloe heads a denim brand, Good American; Kourtney hangs out with TikTok star Addison Rae for some reason; Kendall remains one of the highest paid supermodels; and Rob, of course, has a novelty sock company.

With “Keeping Up,” the Kardashians established a cultural stronghold on celebrity status. Through the show, they manipulated their narratives, garnered unanimous public attention and carefully carved out their brand. Now that this part of their legacy is over, they have translated their raunchy authenticity into lucrative businesses and brand deals.

“Their relevance is not on TV,” a partner at brand consultancy Prophet said. “They are absolute brand marketers, and that’s what they exist for. They don’t necessarily need television to do that.”

If there’s anything the Kardashians can do, it’s following trends. As cable TV becomes virtually obsolete, maybe their next venture will be Netflix. Remember: the Devil works hard, but Kris Courtesy of E! “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” the reality show that follows the controversial family, calls it quits after 20 seasons. Jenner works harder.

By Derek Deng

The Chronicle

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the chronicle

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 | 7

september 21, 2020

sportswrap sports

COURTESY OF THE ACC

CHASED OUT FOOTBALL: BLOWN OUT IN HOME-OPENER COLUMN: DON’T GIVE UP ON THE BLUE DEVILS

dukechronicle.com

8 | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

The Chronicle

FOOTBALL

Duke offense remains stagnant in blowout loss

By Evan Kolin Sports Editor

Explosive. With former Clemson Tiger Chase Brice transferring in and David Cutcliffe assuming play-calling duties, that was the word that was supposed to define Duke’s offense this season.

But it was Boston College’s aerial attack that provided the spark Saturday afternoon en route to a 26-6 Eagles win at Wallace Wade Stadium.

26 “One of the things that hit me BC throughout was not being able to 6 generate explosive plays to match DUKE theirs,” Cutcliffe said. “Explosive plays, big plays ignite players. So that’s in addition to obviously the turnovers and a couple of inopportune penalties that should be avoided—that’s how it all comes together for Boston College.”

The Eagles’ game-clinching run started late in the third quarter, with Boston College clinging onto a 10-6 lead and sitting at its own 20-yard-line.

On the first play of the drive, quarterback Phil Jurkovec found sophomore wide receiver Zay Flowers off play-action for a 27-yard gain. Then, he found tight end Hunter Long for a 17-yard connection down to the Duke 36-yard-line.

Another 27-yard pass to Flowers handed the Eagles first-and-goal, with Jurkovec finding Long once again for the nine-yard touchdown. Four plays, 80 yards and Boston College quickly shot out to a 16-6 advantage.

Duke’s offense handed the ball right back to the Eagles with one of the quickest three-and-outs you’ll ever see, and it didn’t take long for Jurkovec to take advantage.

The transfer from Notre Dame immediately threw deep over the middle to a completely wide open Flowers, who trotted in for the 61-yard score to hand Boston College a commanding 23-6 edge.

Within a mere 73 seconds, a four-point contest became a blowout. First-year head coach Jeff Hafley constantly let his

quarterback air it out down the field, a far cry from the runfirst offense Boston College has produced in years past. “[Jurkovec] was a good quarterback—we tried to get pressure on him, tried to get sacks on him,” senior defensive lineman Victor Dimukeje said. “But he did a great job avoiding [that] pressure.”

Jurkovec finished the day 17-of-23 passing for 300 yards, with Flowers hauling in five catches for 162 yards, the Eagles’ first 100-yard receiver in two years.

The Blue Devils’ offense, on the other hand, appeared stagnant—Chase Brice totaled 217 yards on 23-of-42 passing, a paltry average of 5.2 yards per attempt.

But it wasn’t the fear of trying the big play that was the issue for the Blue Devils this time around. Instead, it was Brice trying to force plays that weren’t there, leading to two interceptions and a lost fumble. “[I’ve] got to put [Brice] in a better position,” Cutcliffe said. “I think the temptation that he’s got to resist is trying to force the plays. You can make plays, and he’s a playmaker, but you can’t force plays.”

Furthermore, whenever Duke did find an opportunity for a spark downfield, the Blue Devils failed to execute.

Whether it was a Brice pass that sailed over the head of his intended target or a perfectly-placed over-the-shoulder lob that fell through the hands of the receiver, the home team’s offense just never seemed to be in rhythm.

One potential reason for that lack of execution was the quiet afternoon from Jalon Calhoun. The sophomore wideout entered the season as the Blue Devils’ No. 1 receiver, and was expected to be a big part of Duke’s aggressive offense. But Saturday, he finished with just a single catch for three yards. “[Boston College] played a lot more zone—played a little differently than what we anticipated,” Cutcliffe said. “You don’t have a game, going into this game, to study. So that’s hard on the players.”

Duke will look to rebound next Saturday when it takes on Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. But before then, the Blue

Devils will have to figure out exactly what went wrong in their home-opener.

“I’ve got to look at myself, I’ve got to look at what we’re calling, I’ve got to look at every little thing we’re doing there,” Cutcliffe said. “No time to punch a panic button, but you have to respond. Players expect some form of response to put our offense back on track to do things that we believe in. All of us, players, coaches—a belief system is critical in offensive football.”

sports

Courtesy of the ACC

Chase Brice turned the ball over three times Saturday, losing a fumble and tossing two interceptions.

FOOTBALL

Column: Don’t give up on the Blue Devils just yet Everyone needs to take a step back and relax before they hit the panic button on Duke football’s season.

Let’s be realistic. The Blue Devils’ opening matchup at Notre Dame went better than most predicted, and this loss to Boston College is not as big of a deal as many are making it out to be. The Eagles are way better than they have been given credit for, and the growing pains Duke is experiencing should have been exactly what was expected heading into this season.

Boston College’s new head coach, Jeff Hafley, has had a number of coaching jobs. But most recently, he was the co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State, and the improvements he was hired to bring to the Eagles Jake C. Piazza were apparent Saturday. Hafley’s defense was ball-hungry, schematically sound and flew around the football field all game, forcing five turnovers.

You can’t just chalk up the Blue Devils’ giveaways to careless mistakes on their behalf, although some were. Credit needs to be given to the clever coverages called by Hafley and the standout individual efforts from several Eagles.

Early in the second quarter, Boston College linebacker Isaiah McDuffie was brilliantly hidden in the hook and read Chase Brice’s eyes perfectly to jump the slant route for Brice’s first interception.

Just after halftime, Eagle cornerback Josh DeBerry made a flat-out exceptional play when he ripped the football out of Damond Philyaw-Johnson’s hands for the forced fumble.

Both of these two plays are avoidable, and Duke needs to spend extra time on ball security at practice this week, but all of the problems the team is having are exactly what should have been expected for a unit with this many new pieces and a shortened preseason.

Let’s recap the offseason.

Only a week before the Blue Devils’ season began, head coach David Cutcliffe named Brice the starting quarterback.

Brice didn’t even get to participate in the limited spring practice Duke had because he was finishing his degree at Clemson, so he really only got to start getting familiar with his teammates when the Blue Devils returned to campus in July. Zoom can be a great tool, but let’s face it, learning a playbook over Zoom is not the same as

Courtesy of the ACC

David Cutcliffe and Chase Brice will need to work on opening up the offense before next week’s game at Virginia. being on the field.

On top of that, it should be expected that it may have taken Brice a couple games to get acquainted with the starting quarterback role, as he has not started since high school. It’s clear that Brice is talented, and when he’s found his groove, he’s marched the offense down the field with ease.

Philyaw-Johnson, meanwhile, has posted eight career receptions over two seasons and is now being asked to step up and take a significant role in the passing game. While he is undoubtedly a gifted kick returner, it’s going to take him some time to get familiar with his additional duties as a receiver.

The point is, a loss to a seasoned Notre Dame team and a Boston College team that has been rejuvenated with a new coach and player talent are not reasons to freak out.

It’s not going to be a year where Duke flirts with close to 10 wins, but this season can absolutely result in a bowl.

Also, has it been forgotten that Cutcliffe has coached a couple quarterbacks that have gone on to have pretty successful NFL careers? Both his proteges, Peyton and Eli Manning, have spoken endlessly on how good Cutcliffe is at elevating his quarterback’s game. So as of now, I’m not concerned about Brice’s ability to lead Duke with Cutcliffe behind him.

Brice had a bad game. It wasn’t the first bad game he’s ever had and it won’t be his last. I expect him to get into the film room and do some extra throwing with his receivers this week to correct the passes he sailed moving forward. His chemistry with tight end Noah Gray is only getting better every week, and once he gets on the same page with speedster Jalon Calhoun, this offense is going to be much more dynamic.

This weekend was just a time for a tip of the cap to an opponent that outplayed you, and to move on to next week against Virginia.

The Chronicle

dukechronicle.com

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 | 9

FEATURE

Checking in with former starting QB Quentin Harris

By Derek Saul

at all, meaning Harris has migrated from the cushy confines of the Yoh Football Center weight room to his apartment complex’s gym.

What’s it like to go from being the big Not being around the team isn’t all bad for man on campus to a normal student in a Harris, with one notable benefit: getting to sleep matter of months? Quentin Harris can tell like other college students do. you all about it.

“It’s definitely different waking up a little After starting every game at quarterback for bit later and waking up at like 8:30, 9 a.m. now Duke in 2019, Harris is back in Durham taking as opposed to 5:45 or 6 a.m. And now I don’t classes this fall. Except for the first time since have any workouts or anything beforehand.

2014, you won’t see the Wilton, Conn., native So I definitely have a lot more time to get suited up on the Blue Devil sidelines this season, assignments done, that’s for sure,” Harris said as last year marked the end of his collegiate with a laugh. eligibility. Instead, Harris will be at Duke’s Another upside to not being on the Fuqua School of Business, set to complete his football field for the first time since he was MBA degree in May 2021. six years old is that Harris gets to sit back Though he did not sign with an NFL team and enjoy autumn Saturdays as a fan. this spring, Harris spent his summer training in “You do so much film study and film Charlotte with former Blue Devil quarterback work that watching other games almost feels turned private quarterback coach Anthony like [a job],” Harris said. “So I’m excited to Boone, participating in workouts that were not necessarily have the film study, to be also attended by the two most notable Duke able to just watch and enjoy games and do products currently in the NFL: Daniel Jones things on the weekend, go places. Maybe go and Jamison Crowder. But now Harris is back to a bar with some friends and have a drink on campus as just a student, meaning his biggest while watching some games and cheering worries are about group projects and future job on Duke.” prospects, not an opposing defensive end.

With no more film study or training on As for what Harris’ plans for after graduation Sundays, Harris also has more time to watch actually are, the answer isn’t simple. Maybe he’ll his beloved Dallas Cowboys. There’s just one accept an assistant coaching position waiting for problem with his Cowboy fandom: His close him with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. Or accept friend and predecessor at Duke, Daniel Jones, a return offer at JPMorgan Chase. Or pursue a is captain for the New York Giants, Dallas’ career in luxury real estate in Texas or Los Angeles. NFC East division rival.

Or attempt to play his way into a roster spot in an What happens when Harris’ favorite team faces NFL training camp. As you can tell, the former off against his friend twice a season? For Harris, Blue Devil signal caller has a lot to figure out over his love for the Cowboys supersedes his friendship the next few months. with Jones.

“Basically, I have to figure out what I want “I joke with him all the time. I’m like, ‘I hope to do and see how things shake out,” Harris told you have a great game, but I hope you guys will The Chronicle. “It’s still kind of weird having that lose,’” Harris chuckled. “But I’m obviously rooting uncertainty with football, too, where I’m pursuing for him and for him to have a good season this jobs, but I don’t know what might happen next year. I talked with him a little bit yesterday, actually. year. I might get a random call to at least go to a I showed him my newest [purchase]. I’ve been mini camp or something.” taking up golf a little bit more now to fill some Football may still be in the cards for Harris free time and my newest purchase on Amazon personally, but that does not mean he gets to enjoy was a Cowboys golf towel, so I made sure to show the same benefits that members ofYork the Times football him that. had some stuff to say about that The New Syndication SalesHe Corporation 620restrictions, Eighth Avenue, York, N.Y. team do. Due to COVID-related he New obviously.

But10018 I hope he does well and, honestly, if For Blue Information 1-800-972-3550 has actually not been around the 2020 DevilsCall:the Cowboys lose to anybody I’m cool with them For Release Monday, March 23, 2020 Sports Features Editor

losing to the Giants.”

Harris’ career prospects may seem all over the place, but that does not mean they are without thought. He has maintained contact with his agent, preparing for any NFL tryouts that may come his way. If playing does not work out, working in the NFL is still on the table, with an outstanding coaching offer from Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski waiting for Harris after graduation. Should he

Mary Helen Wood | Associate Photography Editor

Harris is on track to complete his MBA at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business in May 2021.

The Chronicle What would you abolish at Duke:

sports

Crossword ACROSS 1 Young dog or seal 4 Ire 9 Bakery fixtures 14 Communication system for the deaf, for short 15 Second-largest city in Oklahoma 16 High-quality black tea 17 Author of the memoir “Spoken From the Heart” (2010)

31 “Shogun” or “The Lord of the Rings” 33 Attend, as an event 35 Inits. in some church names 36 Author of the memoir “Becoming” (2018) 40 Sly animal 41 Internet forum overseers, informally

59 Author of the memoir “The Times of My Life” (1978) 61 Geico mascot 62 Wash 63 Mag. number 64 “What ___!” (“It’s so sloppy!”)

65 Symbol of Christianity 66 Actor Billy ___ Williams

DOWN 1 Buddies 19 Supreme Court 43 Kind of seat in a 2 Former justice Kagan fighter jet competitor of 20 In ___ (as found) 46 Sign of a B’way Southwest success 3 Demoted planet 21 Busy buzzer 47 Author of the 4 One day ___ time 22 Shape of a memoir “Living rainbow 5 Rough and History” (2003) textured, as 23 Author of the 52 Even a single one fabric memoir “First Lady From 6 Sticky 53 Bagel topper Plains” (1984) 7 German steel city 54 Egg cell 29 Attempt 8 “Go team!”

56 Gerontologist’s 30 “I apologize!” study 9 “La Traviata” and “Carmen” ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 10 Alternative to shoelaces S U C K D R Y A P P E A S E 11 Barely make, I N H E R E D C H A N T E R with “out” T H R E A D S T O R T O L A 12 Opposite of oui S E I S M S T A N L I N E S H A S H E E S H E O C E N E 13 Mediterranean or Adriatic I T S A D A T E S U E D E S 18 Suitable for the V E I N Y E S T E R S country A D E R E M A X T E A H E A D U P A W O L S 22 Sound before someone says S A L A M I R I P T I D E S “Gesundheit!”

A L E V E L F R E E L O V E 24 Prefix with angel L E V E R E T S L A D L E S or enemy O P I O I D S H A T P I N S 25 Jots down O P E N T A P E G O I S T E 26 Disney’s “Lady N O S E A T S L E N G T H S and the ___” 42 Swiss peaks

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39 Many 40 Sound of disgust 44 Chain-rattling sounds 45 Argentine partner dances 46 Generous portions of pie 48 Cloudless 49 Game of chance whose results are often televised 50 Egg-shaped 51 One taking vitals, perhaps

Crossword ACROSS

29 “What is Pyramus? a lover, ___ tyrant?”: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” 5 “Very,” en español 30 Mails 31 Prioritize in the 8 Soak up trauma center 14 Person who 34 Mandates cherishes high principles 36 Does a driving test task — or an 16 Ukrainian apt description peninsula seized of the five circled

by Russia in diagonals in this 2014 puzzle 17 Made the bed?

40 Guitarist May of Queen 18 It may be issued for a defective 41 Like zombies product 43 Not quite a C 19 Exchange new 46 Abbreviation in vows ancient dates 20 1-1, e.g.

48 “Your majesty” 21 Hasten 49 Part of many a woodwind 22 “Oh, now I get it!”

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56 Turkish title 57 “Columbia, the ___ of the Ocean” 58 What’s dispensed from the middle of many a soda dispenser 59 Network on the telly 60 “Affirmative”

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

decide to pivot away from football, he could return to JPMorgan Chase, where he interned on the Sales & Trading team in 2019, or join former Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk on the Texas real estate scene.

This fall is Harris’ first without football in what seems like forever, and there’s a chance that change becomes permanent.

“I have to prepare [for playing], but still move on with life in a way, too,” Harris said.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE P A L S

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55 Novelist McEwan 56 Jumped 58 Single things 60 Like baby shampoo 63 Coral rings 64 Dog guarding the gates of the underworld 65 Karate instructor 66 Young ___ (tots) 67 Plying the waves DOWN 1 Insurance giant on the N.Y.S.E. 2 Nutrient fig.

3 Glass showcases for small animals 4 Singer of “Smooth Operator” 5 Sal of “Rebel Without a Cause” 6 Once did 7 “So far,” on a quarterly pay stub: Abbr.

8 Biting 9 Village of the Prancing Pony inn in “The Lord of the Rings” 10 [not my mistake] 11 Resident of Nebraska’s largest city 12 Depended (on) 13 Machines on hay farms 15 Lascivious 20 Fall behind 22 Something a false person puts on 23 Relative of a zither 25 Fervor

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PUZZLE BY JOHN GUZZETTA

26 Shadows that 39 “Storms are have grown long? brewin’” in her eyes, in a 1986 28 Part of a listening #1 hit pair 42 Beads on the 30 Lee of Marvel morning grass Comics 32 Needlefish 33 Two-time Super Bowl M.V.P. Manning 35 PC core 37 Father of Rachel and Leah in Genesis 38 Backsides

43 Many hour-long TV shows

50 Low voices 51 Approaches 52 Dress 55 Kind of hands said to be the devil’s playthings

57 ___ bargain 44 Cactus known for 59 Lou Gehrig’s its psychoactive disease, for short effects 60 Horned Frogs’ 45 One of the sch.

Beatles 61 Take to court 47 ___ Fisher, women’s clothing 62 Government brand agcy. for retirees

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

10 | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

opinion dukechronicle.com

The Chronicle

Finessing Duke on a dime

A

s I traveled through the trenches of stamped-out passports and Insta-worthy the premed track and back, I studied photographs, all on the Duke Dime. hard, but never abroad.

I felt like I didn’t have enough time or

Rez Williamson FROM ‘FINE’ TO FINESSE

I moved nonstop on the pathway to claiming my bachelor’s degree, even as it changed from chemistry to mathematics to cultural anthropology. And I saw many of my peers travel to great places, from Australia to Kenya to Mexico and beyond. They cultivated

“

hot take of the week

money as I clung to the normative premed track, even though it was leading to a dead end. I had too much material to review and too many bills to pay, so my refund check vanished when it touched my bank account.

editorial

“Wait, we have a news section? Headlines and everything?”

—Mihir Bellamkonda, Opinion Editor, on September 20, 2020

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In higher education systems, class is not During my first year, I played a human rat by participating in paid research studies a protected group. And class discrimination because my scholarship misinformed us is one of many areas where Duke fails to be different. In a bureaucratic system like Duke’s, riddled with indifference and inaction, financial health remains an important, yet overlooked, aspect of self care. Our financial situations are influenced by our savings, retirement plans and the income that we use to pay expenses. While money is not a straight gateway to happiness, I believe about our ability to get jobs. I was fighting so money empowers us with more resources and hard to be a scientist that I let white scientists opportunities to take care of ourselves. The reduce me to an experiment. And I worked therapy sessions, face masks and yoga classes a fast food job in my hometown every break don’t pay for themselves: not everyone has enough surplus income to afford those selfuntil I quit from exhaustion.

As a sophomore, I tried to maximize my care treatments. Not everyone wants to work refund check by getting a smaller meal plan, a job on top of classes. Not everyone gets which led to food insecurity and insecurities reimbursement, nor do they want to take out around eating. I started skipping meals loans to cover these costs.

At Duke, I felt caught between prayer and and forgetting snacks. I was boo’d up with a Smart Water and Skinny Pop until I got pretending to be rich, so I kept my jobs and rationed my refund checks. I didn’t always referred for nutrition assistance.

As a junior, I tried to hop out my feelings have the cash, checks, credit, connections or and hop into a bag, but my financial counselor concerned parents to keep up with my peers. consistently delayed my refund checks. I lost But I did have the cornrows and the courage faith in it ever coming on time after being to put my best wig on and march through the disappointed time and time again. I wanted to Blue Devil circus, finessing my finances and secure myself in some way, without relying on cultivating my way out of debt.

My financial worries got so intrusive that I my family or my refund check, so I might have couldn’t focus on assignments until I started taken four different on-campus jobs.

My financial circumstances improved, but budgeting, cutting expenses and tracking the tale of my transcript got much worse. After my money moves. Building a budget made semesters of overloading, months of all-nighters my financial situation more tangible and and blowing my refund checks on books I was easier to understand. A budget consists of rarely brave enough to open, I finally waved my income sources, expenses and savings. (I often white flag on the premed track because I saw included a $20-50 monthly rainy day buffer to my last chance to do something I was actually account for emergencies.) As a college student, our scholarships, stipends and paychecks passionate about slipping away.

While Duke students pursue immense represent our income. Our expenses typically opportunities and study away on the Duke include car insurance, medication, streaming Dime, I had to navigate Duke On A Dime, like service and the variable costs of a social life other first generation, low-income students. (e.g. clothes, dates). And savings refers to I was humbled by peers who labelled me funds that have been set aside to cover a future as difficult in executive settings because I expense or build a safety net.

My budget served as a mini vision board wouldn’t call out of work for club emergencies and last-minute changes. I was met with an for my financial goals as I set aside money unsupportive family who thought I should for a parking pass, textbooks, new hairstyle just be grateful for the full ride. However, or self care treatments. I saved money by what good is free room and board without getting cheaper cell plans, sharing streaming basic freedoms, or dignity and respect? I went services and utilizing digital textbooks. head to head with an indifferent financial aid When I could not shake my financial counselor who “hoped their correspondence worries, I started scheduling times for my found me in good health and high spirits.” Yet financial freak outs. I also used Truebill, they would rarely disburse my refund check in which is a great free app that allows you to track expenses from multiple accounts. I a timely and reasonable manner.

Even amid the pandemic, I found myself was able to monitor monthly expenses and and countless other first-generation students recurring transactions from my phone, so I doing the exhausting gymnastics of taking felt a greater sense of control. When I needed classes, doing projects, working internships more advice on budgeting, building credit and getting jobs this past summer to take or maximizing my savings, I consulted a care of ourselves and our families. Some financial health counselor at Duke Personal of our peers were worried about gaps in Finance. Unlike the traditional financial their resumes and property left on campus, aid counselors, I believe these counselors whereas others of us were worried about empower students with more knowledge, deaths in our families and paying our rent. advice and resources to gain financial Yet we still were not able to take a break due autonomy and well-being.

The Duke Dime seems to work wonders for to financial distress. While Duke did make payments, policies and promises to take care Duke students. Yet it eludes some of us. Not of low-income students, their assumptions every Duke student is wealthy and rich. The and non-transparent decisions often assumption of wealth and adequate financial support creates an uphill bureaucratic battle negatively affected us.

Heck, I was even referred to Duke for students, first generation, low-income or Reach for explaining why my financial otherwise not-rich at Duke, fighting to finesse circumstances were so taut. They feigned Duke on a Dime. concern for my health, but they wouldn’t acknowledge that their inaction on cutting Rez Williamson is a Trinity senior. Their my checks was making the pandemic seem more like a purge where the rich eat and the column, “from ‘fine’ to finesse,” runs on alternate Mondays. poor are eliminated.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 | 11

Loving your body

A

s a homiletics professor at Duke Divinity School, a teacher of preaching, one of my favorite preachers is a woman.

Flesh that needs to be loved. Feet that need to rest and to dance; backs that need support; shoulders that need arms, strong arms I’m telling you … love your neck; put a hand on

of humanity that lack the recognition that everybody matters.

But bodies, and especially certain marginalized bodies, are sometimes

it, grace it, stroke it and hold it up. And all your inside parts … you got to love them.

The dark, dark liver—love it … and the beat and beating heart, love that too.”

Baby Suggs holy, not only talks about the body, she uses her body. When she finishes preaching with her words, she continues preaching with her body: “Saying no more, she stood up then and danced with her twisted hip the rest of what her heart had to say while others opened their mouths and gave her the music. Long notes held until the fourpart harmony was perfect enough for their deeply loved flesh.”

What a sermon for such a time as this.

Love your Black flesh because “yonder” they don’t love it. Love your body even if and when others do not. Love your flesh.

Love your body.

Did Baby Suggs holy, see how we treat bodies today in the streets of America? Did she know that the vicious violence of her time would continue into our time? The anti-Black violence against bodies and the virulence of COVID-19 against any bodies are rearing their heads during these dual pandemics. These are wounds in the heart

deemed to be unimportant for flourishing in life. In fact, the influence of Neo-Platonic philosophy has caused many to set the goal of escaping from the body and material reality as the ideal. And when this happens, anything can be done to bodies, especially othered bodies.

This is what led to the brutal context of slavery in Beloved and its associated corporeal terrorism. When bodies don’t matter, we can torture them, shoot them, behead them, objectify them, brand them, hang them, make fun of them, ignore them and abuse them. The love we should have for bodies is turned to hate against fellow human beings’ bodies, revealing that to be anti-body is to be anti-human and to me, anti-God, because within the Christian tradition, God became a human body in Jesus to embrace all bodies and claim them as vital for the spiritual life.

Bodies matter. Your body matters and it needs to be loved. So, every time we hurt a body, we destroy the beautiful image of God found in the collective body of humanity. I am minding bodies these days because I’m seeing a disturbing trend to disregard them, discard them and ultimately destroy them, as

Luke A. Powery DEAN OF DUKE UNIVERSITY CHAPEL

She’s actually an “unchurched preacher.”

No letters behind her name for seminary degrees—no degrees at all, actually. Not even a GED. Though she doesn’t have any school degrees, she seems to possess a Ph.D. in wisdom and love. There’s one particular sermon of hers that is in the words of Nat King Cole, “unforgettable.”

Her name is Baby Suggs holy, a preacher in Toni Morrison’s 1988, Pulitzer Prizewinning novel, Beloved. This novel is a fictional narrative account of a former slave’s memories of post-Civil War Ohio.

Baby Suggs holy, despite having “busted her legs, back, head, eyes, hands, kidneys, womb and tongue” through the furnace of slavery, preaches about the corporeal body to a corporate body in what was known as the Clearing in the woods. Morrison writes that she preaches from her “heart.” Is there any other way to preach?

This is some of what Baby Suggs holy, proclaims: “In this here place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it ...Yonder they do not love your flesh…. Love your hands! Raise them up and kiss them… You got to love it…! …

editorial

if they don’t matter. But they do. And Baby Suggs holy, preached, “You got to love it.”

Love your flesh. Love your body even in the face of the threats of pandemics. Your body is a temple of the Spirit as the Apostle Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 6:19). That means your life is sacred, including your body, and you are a cathedral of clay. We sometimes overlook this even at our universities when we think education is only about our neck up when it is really about our whole selves, including the bodies we don’t always love.

What are you doing these days to care for your own body? Is it resting when your body tells you it’s time to stop the allnighters? Is it exercising when you feel like sending one more email from your laptop?

Is it stretching after long days sitting and staring at the computer screen after another class on Zoom? Is it dancing to your favorite salsa music bare feet on grass? Is it eating healthier? Is it combing your hair, brushing your teeth, doing your nails or getting out of your pajamas after a few days and finally dressing up even if no one will see you in person? You can care for your body in so many ways. Don’t rely on those out “yonder” to do it. Love yourself. You are somebody and deserve so much love. Engage in selflove because if you don’t love yourself, your own body, you won’t be able to truly love any body else.

“You got to love it.” Love your flesh. Love your body.

Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery is the Dean of Duke University Chapel. His column runs on alternate Mondays.

Il Forno cuts ties with Duke:

P

ack it up. Duke is no longer a top 10 college.

If you dare risk ego death and steal a glimpse of the official rankings online,

‘We only serve top 10’

performed all year. People are walking around with their faces covered to avoid the embarrassment of being associated with such a low ranking school. Even Keith and

leave the establishment. Clearly Il Forno’s goodwill for sickly students only extends as far as the first page of U.S. News and World Report’s National University Rankings. They

Nugget are distancing themselves from Duke’s campus, socially. The place is a ghost town.

It’s excruciatingly clear that this is all because we aren’t top 10 anymore.

We’re on a dark path. It’s only a matter of time before Coach K retires in disgrace, or the women of “Business Oriented Women” can no longer orient themselves towards business, or Big Mike ends his contract with the C1 and takes his talents to Stanford’s Marguerite Shuttle, or the Chapel is taken down over allegations of inappropriate acoustics, or the Divinity School releases a statement saying that there is officially no god.

Even with all of this macabre forecasting, I clocked perhaps the most glaring example of our downward trajectory when I visited the Italian restaurant Il Forno in West Union this week. I walked up to the counter to order a large chicken basil pesto like I always do, but the employee working the pasta station seemed horrified simply by the sight of my bare, exposed face. What’s more, my obvious ailment with the common cold was met not with empathy, but disgust. I coughed, sneezed and loudly exhaled into my hands, but when I reached behind the counter for a complimentary breadstick from the complimentary breadstick receptacle, my hand was slapped away and I was told to

didn’t say it outright, but their message was clear: “Our breadsticks are for smart children. Not you.”

The writing is on the wall. Il Forno will soon part ways with Duke. Too good for us, It will lift off and ascend far, far away, like E.T. at the end of the film E.T. (spoilers for the 1982 Stephen Spielberg film E.T.). And maybe we deserve it. After all, the number of chairs and tables in West Union has reduced significantly since last year, likely a byproduct of budget cuts due to our new ranking. But what is Duke without Il Forno? I know that’s the most pressing question on everyone’s mind right now. It’s certainly keeping Duke’s president up at night.

Vincent Price is coming apart at the seams. He’s been spiraling ever since the publication of my exposé, and this news could be the thing to finally send him over the edge. He bursts into my private study with blind, frenetic terror in his eyes. His clothes are tattered, his hair’s a mess and he appears not to have shaved in days.

He grabs me by the shoulders and begins violently shaking me.

“Monday! Monday! You’ve gotta help me! The people—they—they’ll listen to you!

You’ve gotta tell ‘em to have mercy on me!

Wait...what’s that?”

Monday Monday SATIRE

you will suffer the crippling indignity of scrolling down from the top of the list for six whole seconds and then clicking “load more” before you uncover the fossilized remains of the once-mighty Blue Devils, clocking in at an agonizingly humiliating 12th place.

How did this happen? We used to be gods. How do we find ourselves relegated to the second page, stranded on this island of misfits which is home only to vagabonds like Dartmouth, Brown, Vanderbilt and Cornell?

“Oh yeah! Duke! I remember you guys.

Y’all really suck now, huh? Oof.” says an anonymous representative from World Report, the organization responsible for our new, lower rank. I was only able to secure this interview with them by lying and saying that I attend Northwestern.

“This is the first year we’ve considered student debt as a ranking factor. Naturally, you guys tanked.”

And tanked we have. A cursory visit to campus is all it takes to realize how rapidly that falling out of the top 10 has damaged our community’s morale. Sports attendance is at an all-time low. Employers have canceled appearances at our in-person job fairs left and right. Performance groups are apparently so saddened by the news that they haven’t

He starts hissing, his eyes laser-focused on a single point. I trace his gaze to the number “12” on my wall calendar. I quickly conceal the triggering number, and I try to calm him down. I ask him what the heck he’s talking about.

“These parents, Monday Monday! These Duke parents in their Facebook groups!

They’re planning a coup! They want me out! I haven’t seen them this angry since 2017 when we spent half the year’s budget on Me-Palooza!”

He takes his glasses off and snaps them in half. “These aren’t even real! I just wear them to look smart! I’m in way over my head!”

He begins uncontrollably sobbing as he crumples into my arms.

We’re all going through a lot. And clearly our falling from ninth to 12th is a gigantic deal, and the thing we absolutely need to be most concerned with right now. But instead of, like, worrying about it, I present an alternative: cosmic nihilism.

Students were barely holding on back when they still thought the institution they attended was elite. Now there’s no reason to put on such airs. It’s okay! You can finally give up! You’re never going to be a wunderkind. I promise. Slip under the sweet sweet weighted blanket of mediocrity, and leave the stressing to those snobs in the top 10.

Editor’s Note: Wall Street Journal ranked us 5th. So... nevermind! Back to work!

Monday Monday dedicates this week’s column to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who, among a plethora of achievements, was the first tenured female professor at Columbia Law (solidly in the top 10).

12 | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

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