THE CHRONICLE
WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 17. 2003
Jew-B-Q and Viva Mexico —what's next? I’m not sure how many students remember the “Crocker Sack” newsletter that used to fill the halls of firstyear dorms. The title itself was especially hurtful since “crocker sacks” were the sacks that slaves used to carry as they picked cotton. It was a horribly offensive piece of literature that picked on women at Duke, people of color at Duke, etc.: The usual suspects.
Bridget Newman One especially vile issue (and fortunately the last one to be published) described the physical features of several Marketplace employees and used racial and gender slurs to degrade them. The Crocker Sack was posted in the Marketplace so that the workers featured in its pages could see for themselves just what Duke students think of the people who serve us. Disturbingly, the use of such offensive language and images has not been limited to ignorant freshman boys at Duke. This weekend was a sad reminder of the work that remains to be done to make Duke a true community. For those who think that a discussion of prejudiced language resigns us to the dark dungeons of the “PC Police,” I would remind you that our country was founded upon the words of our Constitution. I would remind you that language is the way we communicate and the way we create our realities. We
might have the freedom
to say whatever we want, but if we ignore the power of language we ignore it at our peril. On Friday afternoon, the Freeman Center held a Shabbat dinner entitled “Jew-B-Q.” Instantly when I saw this I thought of the cremation of Jews and other peoples during the Holocaust. I called theFreeman Center to discuss the use of this title for their dinner and while they were sensitive to my concerns, I am not sure they realized the significance of Jewish people holding aJew-BQ. While some might argue that any group may degrade itself however it may desire, I am not sure that say, Eli Weisel, would appreciate the humor of calling a Shabbat dinner a Jew-B-Q. Perhaps even more disturbing than the Freeman Center’s Jew-B-Q on Friday was Sigma Chi’s “Viva Mexico” party on Saturday. The flyers themselves were blatandy discriminatory. They had pictures of little green cards that said, “issued by Sigma Chi” and they had “EXPIRED” stamped over them. This obviously implies that all Latinos are undocumented immigrants. Or perhaps Sigma Chi merely meant to tell Latinos, especially workers, that they are not welcome members of our community. While the flyers alone were enough to disturb anyone, the party decorations were even more disgraceful. Members of Sigma Chi built a large “Border Control” station for the party. To many, “Border Control” signifies injury, rape and even death. Given that it is Latino Heritage Month and Mexican Independence Day is coming up, Sigma Chi could have chosen to truly celebrate Latino culture. Instead,
they held a racist party, complete with fly-
ers and decorations that belittle and humiliate all Latinos. For those of you who think anything should go at this University, I have a proposition for you. I’ve noticed that white ffat guys have been largely left out of the nonPC fun lately and I wouldn’t want them to feel excluded (even if that is a silly liberal concept). What if I threw a party called “Everything’s All White.” As you come in, you have to check all alcohol, coke, heroin and other substances at the door (don’t worry, white frat guys never go to prison for that kind of thing). We could do a background check of all party goers to see just how many women at Duke you have assaulted or attempted to assault during your undergraduate career. We will also be implementing “Legacy Control” so that only those who got into Duke because their
granddaddy gave lots of money will be let into the “Everything’s All White” party. The only dancing allowed will be bouncing completely devoid of rhythm. The only conversation permitted will be phrases like “whatever dude.” Of course, you have to act like you are The Man while you get down with your white legacy buds. If that party wouldn’t have been acceptable, why was the Viva Mexico party approved by the administration and attended by so many students? Why are Latinos being singled out for ridicule and humiliation? I challenge all members of the Duke community to ask these tough questions. Sticks and stones might be the only things that can break bones, but words break minds and hearts. Bridget Newman is a Trinity junior. Her colappears every other Wednesday.
umn
Forget file-sharing, turn up the radio
We’ve
been warned: Stop using KaZaA or any other peer-to-peer network to download music... or Else. And with “Else” entailing messy lawsuits and paying damages of up to $150,000 per music file illegally downloaded, Duke students have listened—or rather, stopped listening. Most students have either substantially curbed their downloading habits or have quit using Kazaa altogether. As seen on college campuses everywhere, the era of fast and free music is quickly approaching an end, and a lost generation of music-loving students has consequently emerged.
Perhaps nothing can replace peer-to-peer in the hearts of Duke students; however, alternative music sources fortunately do exist. In fact, given the unsatisfied demand on campus for affordable music, now is the perfect time to revive 88.7FM WXDu, the Union sponsored radio station. Not only does WXDU have the potential to satisfy students’ demands for fresh music, but reinventing the station would also reap other substantial benefits for Duke. By creating a station that draws listeners at Duke and in Durham, not only would WXDU improve strained community relations, but it would also increase name recognition for the University and provide a convenient and long overdue forum for voicing student opinion. Unfortunately, WXDU is in no state to assume the prominence on campus that it should. WXDU has been and continues to be virtually unrecognized at Duke and by the surrounding community. According to Kelly Quirk, general manager at WXDU, only 20 to 50 people tune in daily to listen to WXDU’s webstream. With small, local community college stations, like WZIP of the University of Akron in Ohio, registering an average of 59,100 listeners a week, WXDU is essentially an embarrassment to Duke. Luckily, it is an embarrassment no one knows about since no one exactly knows what WXDU is or even that it
exists. Nevertheless, unless WXDU corrects two of its funrenewed. Instead, the station quietly accepted the decision damental flaws—a weak signal and unmarketable proand lost halfof its potential listening audience. It’s time for gramming—WXDU will never be the radio station that a the Union to exert the pressure that a prestigious university school of Duke’s caliber deserves. like Duke affords on the FCC and ensure that WXDU takes Although the Duke University Union funds WXDU, any advantage ofall possible resources. student on West campus who attempts to listen to 88.7 soon Second, the Union must reinvent WXDU’s image. By discovers that she pays for static. Because the station’s broadsimplifying 88.7’s program to one core music genre supcast tower is located in Hillsborough, none of West campus ported by supplemental programming blocks, the Union can receive a clear signal. Even if WXDU’s signal could reach can create a new, unified and marketable image of campus, I doubt any students would listen anyway. Put simply, WXDU. The decision of what genre of music 88.7 ultiWXDU’s programming offers little mainstream appeal. Its mately broadcasts, however, should not be made by schedule is far too complicated and eclectic with “Space,” WXDU alone. Instead, the Union should dictate, accord“Americana,” ‘World,” and jazz music haphazardly broadcasting to campus preferences, WXDU’s broadcast philosoed at different times each day. 88.7 phy. Since Duke students ulWXDU conveys no consistent radio persontimately fund The songs on WXDU's playlist are through Union fees, 88.7 ality and consequently cannot market itself to a base audience. Even should be representational not "underground"; rather, listenworse, WXDU further alienates lisof what the campus desires. ing to the station's "Space" or Fortunately, an expansion of teners by championing the extrem"World" broadcasts for merely WXDU’s playlist beyond inist end of a progressive music movement. The songs on WXDU’s five minutes readily demondependent labels should not incur playlist are not “underground”; any additional costs why strates WXDU and its music rather, listening to the station’s for the station. Since educaselections remain obscure. tional radio stations pay a “Space” or ‘World” broadcasts for merely five minutes readily demonlump sum for its records, playing independent labels strates why WXDU and its music selections remain obscure carries the same price tag as broadcasting Billboard hits. WXDU need not remain static in the ears of the Duke and Playing more mainstream music, however, does not transDurham community. The Union only needs to take two corlate into WXDU selling-out to pop-culture and becoming anrective steps to revive 88.7. First, because FCC regulations curother Top 40s Clear Channel station. Rather, by striking a balrently constrain the strength and extent of WXDU’s signal, ance between the well known and the obscure, WXDU has The Union and Duke Student Government need to mobilize the potential to create a distinct identity that students find apto lobby the FCC for a stronger or broader signal. If concertpealing. Indeed, Duke students should demand no less from ed efforts to generate a stronger signal fail, however, the itsradio station than it does from its daily newspaper. As many Union should at least aggressively pursue a contract for a campuses across the country demonstrate, college radio can translator to create a duplicate station for West Campus and and should play an integral and positive role in daily campus blackout spots in Durham. life. Clearly, no such parallel can currently be drawn at Duke. Seven years ago, 103.5FM served as 88.7’s twin station on Isn’t it about time for the static to stop? West. In 1996, however, the contract for the appropriate translator was revoked without explanation by the FCC. Tammy Tim is a Trinity sophomore. Her column appears every WXDU should have sought out why their contract was not third Wednesday.