Recess
University
RECESS REVIEWS MACHINAL PLAY
Q&A WITH GRADUATE STUDENT ON MEN’S FASHION STARTUP
RECESS PAGE 3
PAGE 2
The Chronicle T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y
XXXXXDAY, APRIL THURSDAY, MMMM3,XX, 2014 2013
DUhatch showcases student ideas
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
ONE ONEHUNDRED HUNDREDAND ANDEIGHTH NINTH YEAR, YEAR, ISSUE ISSUE XXX 107
Small Town attracts big crowd
by Kirby Wilson THE CHRONICLE
One on-campus organization is getting into the business of student-run businesses. DUhatch, Duke’s student business incubator, held its biannual company showcase Wednesday in Teer Hall. Five student groups presented their business ideas to an audience of undergraduate students, graduate students and local entrepreneurs before meeting with the audience individually over Korean food. “We don’t make companies. We make entrepreneurs,” said Jim Mundell, director of DUhatch and adjunct associate professor of engineering, as he opened the meeting. Members of the student businesses each gave short presentations about their concepts. The companies included a mobile phone app designed to help men dress better, an online marketplace for selling luxury goods to Chinese consumers and a custom storage unit website. “There are a lot of students here who have a lot of ideas,” said Pranav Deshpande, communications manager for DUhatch and a first-year master’s student in engineering management. “DUhatch is here as a resource if they want it.” Mundell added DUhatch was useful in providing students with a physical space to creatively think and develop their ideas. Aditya Murthy, manager of DUhatch and a first-year master’s student in mechanical engineering, said the organization has given him exposure to businesses at every stage of development. “[DUhatch] provides office space and a good work space for the student, [which] is hard to find and almost impossible to find in the real world without proof of concept,” Murthy said. DUhatch currently has nine “teams,” See DUHATCH, page 10
auStin Peer/the ChroniCle
Smallpools, and five other artists, performed at the Duke Coffeehouse Wednesday evening as part of Small Town Records’ Feature Festival.
dsg senate considers ePrint allocation adjustment by Hayley Trainer THE CHRONICLE
Senators were divided on issues of environmental sustainability and ePrint affordability at the Duke Student Government meeting Wednesday. Representatives from Students for Sustainable Living—sophomore David Clancy and Fareed Khan, a master of management candidate at the Fuqua School of Business—presented a proposal to reduce
the current print quota for undergraduate students. Clancy noted that under the current system, students use more than 2,100 trees’ worth of paper each year. “We shouldn’t take lightly charging students money,” junior Ellie Schaack, vice president for facilities and the environment, said. “With that said, we saw that 2,100 trees are used by undergraduates each year, and that’s not insignificant.” She noted that the Senate should consider
the issue carefully before supporting the plan. Junior Tristan Ballard, senator for services, presented a resolution supporting the proposal to the senate following the presentation. The senate responded with mixed opinions, especially concerning policies that would allow students to apply for exclusions to the quota. See DSG, page 10
2 | ThursDAY, April 3, 2014
The Chronicle
www.dukechronicle.com
Q &A
Pratt graduate student talks men’s fashion application Brad Rubin, a first-year Pratt graduate student, runs the mobile app “Stylehand,” an app designed to help young professionals and color blind men avoid fashion mishaps. He was spotted at the DUHatch showcase Wednesday and talked with The Chronicle’s Kirby Wilson about the app and entrepreneur resources available at Duke. The Chronicle: What do you hope to accomplish with your app? What is the end game? Brad Rubin: I want it to be the go-to app for people to use when getting ready
in the morning. I want people to use it and know that they look good...and walk out the door confident to rock the day. I also want to help people shop for clothes and make that whole experience easier and less stressful. TC: How did you get connected with DUHatch? BR: When I came to Duke, I was interested in entrepreneurship, and I knew that DUHatch was the entrepreneurship center, at least for the engineering school, so I came here the first week of school and got involved.
TC: How has your experience been with DUHatch? BR: It’s been great. They’ve been paired me with different coaches on call, different entrepreneurs and lawyers to give me advice. They’ve also hooked me up with some of my team members [and] they have given me space. They have been really helpful. TC: What did you hope to accomplish with today’s presentation? BR: I just wanted to let people know about it. I wanted to see if there was anybody in the audience who wants to con-
nect with me. I want to generate awareness—get more beta testers, get more feedback on the app. TC: Have you gotten a lot of feedback about the app? How many users does it have? BR: It has about 20 users right now. It has gotten some good feedback that has been really helpful. One of my friends used to dress up in all black because he thought he was so serious.... He started using the app and he noticed that his outfits were dark and bad so he started dressing with more color.
Documentary producers explore Tibetan plight by Iris Kim
THE CHRONICLE
A screening of the documentary “The Sun Behind the Clouds” sparked a discussion on issues facing Tibetan independence in Griffith Theater Wednesday evening. The documentary’s directors—Tibetan filmmaker Tenzing Sonam and his partner, Ritu Sarin—led the discussion, which was hosted by the Duke East Asia Nexus. The film closely follows the plight of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet’s highest spiritual leader, and the Tibetan people as they struggle for freedom under Chinese occupation. Tibet lost its independence in 1959, when the Chinese government militarily occupied the Tibetan plateau—leading the Dalai Lama to escape to Dharamsala, India, where the current Tibetan government-in-exile is located. Tibetans living within the People’s Republic of China’s borders today are under strict surveillance from the Chinese government, unable to freely practice their religion, freely speak or own pictures of the Dalai Lama, the documentary shows. Through the film, Sonam and Sarin conveyed that not all Tibetans in exile are homogenous in their views on how
to resolve the issue and to what degree autonomy should be advocated for. The 14th Dalai Lama calls for the Middle Way Approach, which compromises the two extremes—complete Tibetan independence from China and the present situation, in which Tibet is under China’s complete control. The Middle Way Approach advocates for an agreement on the condition that Tibetans will live under the Chinese government, but will have greater autonomy and allow the return of the Dalai Lama to his homeland. The film highlighted that the Chinese government is afraid of the Middle Way compromise given that the Dalai Lama is such a powerful symbol of freedom. Allowing him back in Tibet may encourage the people to persist in achieving complete independence. Sonam said the younger generations tend to advocate for complete independence, as shown through Free Tibet and Students for Free Tibet campaigns, while older generations tend to support the Middle Way Approach. “It’s a Western narrative that all Tibetans are non-violent, that all Tibetans support the Middle Way,” said senior Tenzing Thabkhe, editor-in-chief of the Duke East Asia Nexus.
Sonam added that self-immolations— setting oneself on fire as a form of political protest against the occupation—are one of the most underreported news topics in Western media. Since 2011, 133 self-immolations have taken place, associate professor of cultural anthropology Ralph Litzinger said during the discussion. Litzinger added that it is difficult for Western media to fully report on the self-immolations. Reporters have limited access to information within Tibet as they cannot physically get to the sites of self-immolations or talk to the affected families. Litzinger added that the numbers of Chinese and Tibetan Duke students have changed since he began teaching at Duke in 1994, creating more opportunities for diverse dialogue on the subject. “Our college campus right now is in a sort of historical moment that we have not seen before,” he said. “When I came to Duke twenty years ago, there were hardly any students from Mainland China.” From 1994 to 2001, he said he would occasionally see undergraduate students from Mainland China, Taiwan and ex-
iled Tibetan communities. In the last six to seven years, he has seen an increase in Tibetan students from China. Litzinger emphasized the importance of engaging in dialogue as a community at Duke. “There’s a tendency to want to fall back into our camp and not appreciate the fact that we don’t have to be like governments,” he said. “We can actually talk to each other. We can have disagreements, real strong agreements, and we don’t have to turn to violence and anger.” Litzinger added that he was disappointed that there were not more Chinese students at the screening, referring to how some Chinese students had discouraged others from attending the screening on WeChat because doing so may be considered support for the Tibetan cause. Thabkhe similarly expressed dissatisfaction with the turnout of the screening, noting that he would have liked to see attendance from more students who are not Asian. The documentary has won a number of awards at film festivals, including at Palm Springs International Film Festival and Mumbai International Film Festival.
Looking for a summer job or extra spending money during summer school? The Offic e o f Un d e rgra d u a te Ad m is s io n s is hirin g tw o fu lltim e pa id s u m m e r in te rn s . The po s itio n is 40 ho u rs /w e e k M -F fro m M a y 12 – Au gu s t22. Prim a ry re s po n s ib ilitie s in c lu d e le a d in g to u rs o f W e s tC a m pu s , gre e tin g vis ito rs , a n d he lpin g w ith va rio u s a d m is s io n s e ve n ts thro u gho u t the s u m m e r.
C u rre n ts tu d e n ts o r re c e n tgra d u a te s a re b o th e n c o u ra ge d to a pply!
W e ’re a ls o hirin g pa rt-tim e pa id s u m m e r to u r gu id e s . G u id e s ha ve fle xib le s c he d u le s , s o this is a gre a to ppo rtu n ity to e a rn a little e xtra m o n e y if yo u ’re o n c a m pu s w ith c la s s e s o r re s e a rc h. Be in g a c tive o n c a m pu s , e n thu s ia s tic a b o u t Du ke , a n d a gre a t pu b lic s pe a ke r a re a ll he lpfu l. In te re s te d in d ivid u a ls s ho u ld c o n ta c tW ill Nive r, Ad m is s io n s Offic e r, a t919 684-0665 o r W ill.Nive r@ d u ke .e d u
The Chronicle
www.dukechronicle.com
DAYOU ZHUO/the ChroniCle
Duke’s Center for Multicultural Affairs hosted Dr. Jason Mendez on Wednesday for its 14th Annual Unity Through Diversity forum.
ThursDAY, April 3, 2014 | 3
AUSTIN PEER/the ChroniCle
Musician Antje Lang performed on East Campus Wednesday evening as part of Small Town Records’ Feature Festival.
www.DashBoks.com
The Path of DashBoksTM: Real World Practical Experience for Duke Students by Zhuoyun Pu DashBoksTM may be a new word for most people. But for Duke’s Master of Engineering Management Program (MEMP) Practicum Team, DashBoksTM means first-hand experience in the product management field and fantastic growth with an innovative product solution. The DashBoksTM system (DashBoks.com) is a powerful tool that can be used to monitor location and speed and create geographic boundaries (geofences) around school, home, or other areas of travel. The goal is to achieve peace of mind by combating anxiety and concerns associated with vehicle usage by inexperienced drivers, elderly and/or memory-challenged parents, and unauthorized persons. After the user installs a miniature sensor into the OBD port of the car they intend to monitor, information is sent via an application to specified E-mail addresses and to mobile phone numbers via text. Alerts are sent when speed thresholds are exceeded and when specified geographical areas (geofences) are entered and exited. As innovators and engineers, we first witness how a great idea grows into a product solution. Our practicum team contributes to market research to find potential markets for this innovation. We then develop market launch campaigns in social media and contribute to smart phone app development to make it user-friendly. All this hard work over a GPS? The benefit of a parent having peace of mind and a sense of security from knowing the location of a young teen driver or a senior with Dementia and other cognitive issues makes all the difference.
www.dukechronicle.com
4 | ThursDAY, April 3, 2014
The Chronicle
VA office overlooks FDA warnings to tissue vendors Mike Coffman, R-Colo., chairman of a House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee, said during the hearing. The veterans agency ordered $241 million in cadaver tissue and other material derived from human and animal bodies in the past three years, some of which came from vendors warned by federal regulators about contamination in their supply chain, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The tissue is used to replace burned skin, restore broken bones and treat other conditions. The GAO, Congress’s investigative arm, reported in January that employees of one VA hospital system weren’t always recording serial numbers for implants, a lapse that might make it difficult to notify veterans of recalls. The veterans agency can “significantly improve� tracking and inventory of tissue and other biological implants, Philip Matkovsky, a VA assistant deputy un-
by Kathleen Miller BLOOMBERG NEWS
WASHINGTON — A Department of Veterans Affairs safety office isn’t tracking a health agency’s warnings on the potential for contaminated body tissue, a federal auditor’s review found. The VA office doesn’t keep tabs on the FDA’s warning letters to suppliers of human and animal tissue, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report released for a congressional hearing Wednesday. Lawmakers are asking questions about the VA’s ability to identify recalled products and notify affected patients, and possible conflicts of interest from agency doctors serving on a board of a vendor that received an FDA warning. “I am alarmed at the great risk of harm our veterans face when they receive biological implants,� Rep.
Duke Symphony Orchestra The Choral Society of Durham & The Duke Chorale The
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony Harry Davidson, conductor
Saturday, April 5 at 8 PM Baldwin Auditorium Students FREE, general admission $10 tickets.duke.edu
&
Empowering North Carolina Students to go to College and Succeed! Apply to become a 2014-2015 College Adviser with the Duke College Advising Corps.
(**###) ) ! ) !* * $* " + ! - 2//3043/1 ' , ! ) !
dersecretary for health, said in remarks prepared for the hearing. It plans to automate tracking for implants, much like it does for blood products, he said. VA officials told GAO auditors in today’s report that they found no evidence of patients being harmed by contaminated tissue products. They also told the auditor that they don’t track FDA warning letters because the notices are intended to give suppliers an opportunity to take voluntary corrective action, according to the report. The letters typically precede enforcement actions and recalls. The VA’s patient-safety office does monitor tissue recalls, according to the GAO report. The safety office has notified the agency’s hospitals of 13 tissue recalls from November 2008 through September 2013, according to the auditor’s review. Most of those recalls were due to the possibility of contamination, “for reasons such as compromise of product sterility, tissue recovered from donors with risk factors for communicable diseases, incomplete donor records, or manufacturers suspected to have deviated� from FDA manufacturing regulations, it said. In two cases, VA officials continued ordering tissue from suppliers after federal regulators admonished the vendors for safety deficiencies in FDA warning letters, Bloomberg News reported in January. One vendor, RTI Surgical Inc., was cited for contaminated products and processing facilities. Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was faulted for distributing tissue from tainted donor bodies. Both Alachua, Fla.-based RTI Surgical and the Edison, New Jersey-based foundation have said they addressed the FDA’s concerns. The deficiencies haven’t been tied to any patient injuries. The FDA letter at least temporarily hurt RTI’s relationship with some customers, Brian Hutchison, the company’s chief executive officer, said in an August 2013 call with analysts. Several VA doctors have served on a board of the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, Coffman said during the hearing. He questioned whether that violated federal conflict- of-interest statutes. VA employees are required to disclose conflicts of interest, the agency’s Matkovsky said during the hearing. Of the doctors who have served on a foundation board, none were found to have been involved in procurement decisions, he said. Cindy Gordon, of Issues Management/Insight Communication in Princeton, N.J., didn’t immediately provide comment. She is designated to speak for the foundation. The American Association of Tissue Banks, a McLean, Va.-based nonprofit group that accredits tissue banks, would support new legislation directing the VA to develop a standard identification system for tissue and other biological implants. It would ensure products can be “appropriately tracked from a human tissue donor all the way to recipient,� Frank Wilton, the group’s chief executive officer, said in written remarks prepared for the hearing.
@dukechronicle
“
T h e i n d e p e n d e n T d a i ly aT d u k e u n i v e r s i T y
the Chronicle
The Chronicle 8 | thursDAY, April 3, 2014
the Chronicle
www.dukechronicle.com commentary
thursDAY, april 3, 2014 | 5
Labor standards at DKU Since 2010 Duke’s plans to partner with Wuhan University to build a campus in Kunshan, China have been fraught with controversy. Construction delays pushed back the opening date to Fall 2014. Faculty members have objected to opaque planning processes that excluded their input, and skeptics have questioned whether enrollment would meet the stated goals. These doubts were corroborated when Duke Kunshan University programs recently extended their application deadlines. At Duke and other institutions with international campuses, some have expressed concerns about the labor standards universities maintain at their foreign sites. New York University professor Andrew Ross recently published an Op-ed in the New York Times rebuking his employer for failing to ensure adequate labor protections for construction workers at NYU’s Abu Dhabi satellite campus. He detailed the abuses faced by many of the NYUAD employees – many of whom are migrant workers— including sub-par accommodations, low salaries and arduous work hours. Revelations like Ross’s should prompt us to think about how DKU treats its employees, in both construction and service positions. In an ideal world, Duke would regard its Chinese employees
with the same dignity and respect it affords employees in Durham. It seems almost impossible, however, for Duke to enforce American labor standards at DKU. Like Abu Dhabi, Kunshan has a huge migrant worker population, a particularly vulnerable group. The problem is not poor
Editorial legislation—China actually has a fairly robust labor code—but inadequate enforcement. Although Duke’s hands are tied to some extent, the University can do more to demonstrate its commitment to protecting workers in China. Duke has already shown that it cares about social responsibility and worker’s rights: Duke contracts dining services to Bon Appétit Management Company, which emphasizes farmworkers’ rights, and Duke University Stores require their factories to abide by certain safety standards. The University should not only prioritize workers’ rights at DKU, but it should also remain transparent about that commitment. NYU, for example, has published a “Statement of Labor Values” to govern its Shanghai Campus. Duke should consider crafting
Never again
onlinecomment The Editorial Board might be interested to know that it is not the job of “the administration” to change the curriculum. Any administrator who tried to do so would be censured by the Academic Council speaking for the Duke Faculty.
The Chronicle welcomes submissions in the form of letters to the editor or guest columns. Submissions must include the author’s name, signature, department or class, and for purposes of identification, phone number and local address. Letters should not exceed 325 words; contact the editorial department for information regarding guest columns. The Chronicle will not publish anonymous or form letters or letters that are promotional in nature. The Chronicle reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length, clarity and style and the right to withhold letters based on the discretion of the editorial page editor.
Est. 1905
wo. Crucial. Words. In the most common usage, a neologism is a term for a newly created word, term or phrase that has not necessarily been accepted into the common vernacular. A second, and more technical usage, comes from the mental health world and refers to the usage of a word or words that only have meaning to the person who uses them. While not uncommon or abnormal in children, it can be sometimes seen as a symptom of certain disorders in adults. Yet sometimes a neologism transcends those boundaries and takes on a meaning so potent that its very utterance has power. Raphael Lemkin, born Rafal Lemkin in occupied Poland, joined Duke’s law faculty in 1941. In 1944 he wrote “Axis Rule in Occupied
” edit pages
—“E. Roy Weintraub ” commenting on the editorial “Administrative transitions portend institutional”
Letters PoLicy
T
Direct submissions to: E-mail: chronicleletters@duke.edu Editorial Page Department The Chronicle Box 90858, Durham, NC 27708 Phone: (919) 684-2663 Fax: (919) 684-4696
the Chronicle
Inc. 1993
Danielle Muoio, Editor Sophia DuranD, Managing Editor raiSa chowDhury, News Editor Daniel carp, Sports Editor elySia Su, Photography Editor Scott briggS, Editorial Page Editor caSey williaMS, Editorial Board Chair jiM poSen, Director of Online Development kelly Scurry, Managing Editor for Online chriSSy beck, General Manager eMMa baccellieri, University Editor carleigh StiehM, University Editor elizabeth DjiniS, Local & National Editor georgia parke, Local & National Editor anthony hagouel, Health & Science Editor tony Shan, Health & Science Editor julia May, News Photography Editor eric lin, Sports Photography Editor kelSey hopkinS, Design Editor rita lo, Design Editor lauren feilich, Recess Editor jaMie keSSler, Recess Managing Editor eliza bray, Recess Photography Editor thanh-ha nguyen, Online Photo Editor MouSa alShanteer, Editorial Page Managing Editor Matt pun, Sports Managing Editor aShley Mooney, Towerview Editor caitlin MoyleS, Towerview Editor jennie Xu, Towerview Photography Editor Dillon patel, Towerview Creative Director kriStie kiM, Social Media Editor julian Spector, Special Projects Editor lauren carroll, Senior Editor Derek Saffe, Multimedia Editor anDrew luo, News Blog Editor anna koelSch, Special Projects Editor for Online glenn rivkeeS, Director of Online Operations yeShwanth kanDiMalla, Recruitment Chair julia May, Recruitment Chair Mary weaver, Operations Manager rebecca DickenSon, Advertising Director Megan Mcginity, Digital Sales Manager barbara Starbuck, Creative Director the chronicle is published by the Duke Student publishing company, inc., a non-profit corporation independent of Duke university. the opinions expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of Duke university, its students, faculty, staff, administration or trustees. unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board. columns, letters and cartoons represent the views of the authors. to reach the editorial office at 301 flowers building, call 684-2663 or fax 684-4696. to reach the business office at 2022 campus Drive call 684-3811. to reach the advertising office at 2022 campus Drive call 684-3811 @ 2014 Duke Student publishing company
a similar document to supplement its commendable but insufficient 2013 assessment, “DKU site conditions.” Public commitments send an important message, even if implementation poses problems. How the University stipulates its labor standards for DKU has wide implications. First, it tests Duke’s commitment to social responsibility in a place far away from student activists’ local microscopes and in an environment in which Duke will not confront legal pressure to raise standards. Moreover, attempting to align workers’ protections at DKU with labor standards in Durham would ensure ethical consistency in all of Duke’s ventures and partnerships. If Duke were to turn a blind eye to worker abuses at DKU, it would be holding DKU to a different ethical standard. The University already has a mixed record on the question of ethical consistency, exemplified by debates about academic freedom and journalistic integrity. When it comes to labor codes at DKU, we see an opportunity for the University to reaffirm its commitment to social responsibility and to demonstrate that its values remain consistent across continents. With DKU slated to open next semester, it is essential that Duke treats on-the-ground ethical questions in China with the same gravity that those questions carry in the United States.
with the determination to never again allow human beings to ignore the very humanity of others, to never again allow our fellow human beings to be denied their right to life, to never again accept that this is something that “happens.” Genocide does not “happen,” there are always human minds and hands behind it— which means that human minds and hands are required to stop it. While genocide is at its core unspeakably violent, violence is not the only response. Yes, evil must be fought, and at times that requires it be fought with all the force at our disposal. How much more preferable is it for all of us that we first reach a point where the use of force becomes unnecessary? That genocide
Jeremy Yoskowitz the duke rav Europe: Laws of Occupation – Analysis of Government – Proposals for Redress.” This work was published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and included a particularly famous, horrifying and powerful new word: genocide. While he certainly didn’t invent the concept, Lemkin did give it a name and presented it as an offense against international law. To give a name to something often gives the impression that it is something that can be understood and controlled. And to an extent, this is true. Giving a name to the concept of genocide allows for a common frame of reference when dealing with an utterly monstrous idea, the deliberate attempt to exterminate people because of whom they are. Yet as monstrous as this concept is, it’s far too easy to simply address it as something inhuman. Unfortunately, it is quite the opposite. Genocide is a concept that we have to recognize as being completely human. Expressions of such utter hatred and contempt for the humanity of people who are designated as “other” and therefore not deserving of the basic right to life is not something outside of the human experience. It is instead the ultimate expression of a very human evil. To designate people as not only deserving of but requiring extinction requires a conscious choice that only a human being can make. And it therefore requires a very human answer. That answers begins with two crucial words: never again. “Never again” is the foundation stone of the response to genocide, recognition of the fact that human evil requires a very active human response. This response begins
becomes something consigned to the dustbin of history? “Never again” is the first step to making that happen. This coming week we will be observing Genocide Awareness Week at Duke, including a 24-hour name reading of the victims of genocide from Sunday evening through Monday evening. Members of the Duke community will be coming together under the umbrella of the Coalition for Preserving Memory for the purpose of remembering humanity at its worst for the sake of inspiring humanity at its best. And “never again” begins that process. On Sunday evening, I will be reading the names of members of my family who were murdered in the Holocaust. If you have not yet signed up for a spot to read names, please join us in helping keep alive the memories of those whose murderers hoped would be forever destroyed. The simple act of preserving their names and memories is one more way of fighting the evil of those who would like to see others destroyed for no other reason than their own hatred. Never again. Not for the victims of the Holocaust, Rwanda, Cambodia, Armenia, Sudan or Bosnia. Please, take a moment to celebrate lives lived in defiance of death. Join us in starting to act, to educate, to plan, to ensure that genocide can never again occur. Never again, for anyone. Jeremy Yoskowitz is the campus rabbi and assistant director for Jewish life. His column runs every other Thursday. Send Rabbi Jeremy a message on Twitter @ TheDukeRav.
The Chronicle 6 | thursDAY, april 3, 2014
Interesting in reading more Opinion? Check out the Backpages blog at http://www.dukechronicle.com/blogs/backpageblogs/posts
The gridiron and the sandlot
O
n my first Halloween, my mom dressed me up as a cheerleader. She had no idea how wrong her idea would be. Soon enough, I very thankfully learned how to form words and thoughts, and when I was in kindergarten, I went trick-or-treating as Derek Jeter. I was, without a doubt, bound to be Daddy’s Little Girl when I vehemently agreed to chase down fly balls in the weedy grass at Brice Park after my dad tossed pitches to my brothers on sunny weekend days. We would put a soft-toss net in our front yard and practice fly balls on the grass while my mom cooked dinner. We had a
Ashley Camano going camando street hockey net placed directly in front of our wooden garage door that, in hindsight, was probably the reason we needed it replaced with a metal one. Most of my childhood memories come with a dress code of Umbro shorts, oversized t-shirts with local pizzerias and dentists as our team sponsors and a multitude of hand-me-down baseball pants, all with an inextricable orangey tint from the dirt when we slid smiling into second base. Not much has changed for me in my entrance to womanhood—I still frequent my gym clothes (read: I wear them everyday) and sports are a massive, massive part of my life. With so much of my childhood spent hopping from practice to practice, learning how to throw, how to swing a golf club and what onbase percentages meant, sports have been a part of my transition through high school and college, and I am thankful for that. For girls like me, sports have fallen gracefully and graciously in our laps as a means of fitting into our familial heritage. I am thankful and, more importantly, very lucky, to have been awarded the privilege of competing in sports through college. The ritual bi-weekly homerun derby held on our appropriately diamond-shaped front lawn fueled my competitive nature and ensured that I would be getting clothes grass-stained and busting knees into my twenties and playing Division I field hockey. Through the rec leagues, travel tournaments, high school state titles and an eventual Division I National Championship appearance, I don’t think of these things as isolated events. They are all part of a culture of continuous competition, a passion for rivalry and victory and valor in the form of a game—games that might not matter to anyone but the 11 people on the field or the five people on the court or the one hitter in the batter’s box. College athletes are different in that, to us, these games are our lives. They got us where we are—because leveraging athletic performance to further education is allowable and acceptable and is worth just as much on a transcript as other extracurricular activities or experiences.
The Chronicle
www.dukechronicle.com commentary
For most of us, as told so eloquently by the NCAA, we’re a bunch of student-athletes that are going to go pro in something other than sports. For many of us, it’s not about money or anything beyond the team result at the end of a rigorous, emotional season or career as a Division I athlete. For most athletes, we think of college sports as college sports. Not revenue vs. non-revenue. They’re sports. Just sports— the games we played growing up and spent hours in our backyards doing while our dads or moms supervised and checked our form. It’s about the time we spent taking shots on goal in our driveway or taking a hundred swings a night in the garage at 10 p.m. It’s the practice-makes-perfect mentality that kept us swinging and hitting and scoring and succeeding into our college careers. These games are important to us—and whether or not our sport makes money for our school, these games brought us our identities and have given us opportunities, both concrete and intangible, that have built our identity and character as young professionals. The case of the Northwestern football players is a poignant one. It is a discussion that has now become not just a suggested conversation, but a necessity, for the future of both revenue-generating and non-revenue sports at the collegiate level. Athletes in the revenue sports—basketball and football—are undoubtedly part of the money machine. The conversation at this point about compensation for student-athletes is an inevitable one, but it is one that will take an unbelievable amount of finessing and care to complete. The NCAA without a doubt needs to engage in a conversation and negotiation with its student-athletes—a task it has generally stayed away from in the past, particularly where dollar signs are involved. Right now, the debate is almost too big to tackle as one single entity. It is a daunting conversation, and must consider the standing of and impact on non-revenue sports that paying or not paying athletes will have. I don’t know the right answer, and I don’t know if there is one. But the pink elephant in the NCAA office is out and flailing its arms in waiting. Most of us aren’t going pro. We’re just kids that have been catching pop-ups and weaving soccer balls through cones in our backyards since we learned to walk. We understand the kids who want to get paid—but cannot imagine the shockwaves of impact that could occur if the money given to our teams was stripped because of our status as non-revenue programs. We need to keep an eye out for the little guys. The tennis teams. The track and field programs. Field hockey, lacrosse—even baseball. Because while we might not fill the stands with dollar signs, these games are part of our identity—and the identity of athletic departments nationwide. Sports are about passion and guts and valor. But for most of us competing at the amateur level, passion doesn’t pay. It won’t pay—and that’s fine. But it should never, ever go away.
Be bold
I
am afraid of a lot of stupid things. Unidentifiable noises in the dark. That unknown mushy thing in the back of my freezer. Anything that looks like blood. The insistent sound of my email inbox pinging. And of course, when Pitchfork Provisions runs out of chocolate cake. Yet when it comes to more weighty matters such as my impending life prospects, I usually am not so much afraid as gleefully oblivious. For what better adrenalin rush is there than taking a gamble on your unknown and tentative future? Spontaneous decisions, wee how fun! In any case, I am the person that blurts
Isabella Kwai truth or dare rather than filters the strange thoughts on my mind. I introduce myself to strangers on the person on the bus when I’m bored. On the spur of the moment, I ask romantic interests to coffee without thinking it through. When travelling, I book a bed and a plane ticket and hope the rest of it will somehow work out. I am bold, because somewhere inside, somewhere implicit in the fiber of my being, I trust that my subconscious knows what it is doing. I trust. At least I used to be that person. I don’t know if I still am. Because the girl who first walked through the archway of Pegram, fresh off a flight from Australia is not the same girl sitting in Bella Union and writing this article. I cannot deny that two years of Duke life have irrevocably changed the way I live my life. On one hand, it has opened up a beckoning Narnia of a doorway, and I ventured into the wardrobe to discover just how good it is to learn and love it. But on the other hand, it has closed me off in ways I never imagined. After two years I have found that Duke is a culture of moderation. Try in class, but not too hard or else people will brand you totally “unchill.” Be exuberant and friendly, but not too friendly or people call you strange. Date around, but don’t ask for too much commitment—what are you, desperate? Even the way we dress is carefully understated, and those hipster souls who dare to deviate are conspicuous on campus. And I too have adopted that mentality in my daily life. I am still friendly, but after too many awkward conversations I now fear introducing myself to strangers. My default
edit pages
Ashley Camano is a Trinity senior. Her column runs every other Thursday. Send Ashley a message on Twitter @smashleycamando.
ThursDAY, April 3, 2014 | 9
expression is no longer a smile but cool and polite neutrality. I am sometimes afraid to post Facebook statuses because it is better to say nothing than something controversial (and by controversial, I don’t mean liberal). When I meet a guy I’m interested in, I no longer ask him to coffee but feign indifference and see if he will take the lead. He doesn’t. Duke has damaged my boldness because deviating from the norm does not often seem to pay off. Certainly there is a mold at this school of the casual, cool social interaction that is lauded. It seems that diverging often leads to something even worse than rejection— pity and indifference. I am too weary to keep trying and too disheartened to be courageous. But I am also weary of carefully moderating my interactions with others to fit into this idea that some unknown person decided one day was acceptable. Why has social interaction become a game of who feigns indifference the best? It’s a game I don’t know how to play. It is difficult and frightening to be bold. The fear of rejection, something I’ve written about previously, is real and raw and can bite. Let it hurt. What distinguishes some of the most change-making people in the world is simply their refusal to let rejection wear down their boldness. In our incubated conformity, we have become comfortable with stigmatizing the person who first raises their hand in class. But having courage is not something to be ashamed of. Courage is the flame burning on the torches ahead. Courage is the indicator of passion and personal investment. Courage is what might transform the small idea in your head into a blazing reality. And even if it’s awkward and embarrassing at first, courage will pay off hugely in the long run. Recently, I struggled with the decision whether to re-run in an election or not. It would mean public declaration and being singled out for judgment. It would mean actively having to fight for a position I believed in. It would mean being more courageous than I had been in a long, long time. And then I thought about the girl who never visited Duke University but Google Mapped it and bought a plane ticket the very next day. I think about the girl who, against all odds, somehow ended up in an adventure ten thousand miles away from home. And I decided to be bold. Isabella Kwai is a Trinity sophomore. Her column runs every other Thursday. Send Bella a message on Twitter @tallbellarina.
Online Only Today: “Your chance to make an impact” by Anne Katharine Wales “How many of you want to lead an extraordinary life? Want to create something that drives change much bigger than yourself? Maybe you’re a chemistry major because you want to cure breast cancer. Or you’re studying public policy because you believe America’s education system needs serious reform. Or perhaps you’re studying economics because you believe more efficient markets could provide food to thousands of starving people around the world. What’s the point in living a life where you play it safe? Don’t you want to be part of something bigger?”
...
The Chronicle
dsg
www.dukechronicle.com
from page 1
Due to senators’ uncertainty, the vote on the resolution was postponed until next week’s meeting. “There’s a difference between passively valuing sustainability and actively sustaining it, and we want to make that transition,” Khan said. “We think this new system will be able to do that.” The current system allows students to use 1,600 sheets, or $32 at a cost of $0.02 per sheet, and allows students to apply for free refills in $10 increments. The proposal suggested a reduction from 1,600 sheets to 800 sheets as
a soft cap and establishes a hard cap of 1,000 sheets for annual student printing, as well as increasing the price per sheet to $0.04. Clancy presented a table of peer institutions’ student printing allocations and price charged per page from March 2014, noting that the University’s current quota and is significantly higher and the cost per sheet is significantly lower than those of other universities. “We’re currently not even in the same ballpark as other universities,” Clancy said. Khan noted financial and environmental benefits to the new system, explaining if students had stayed within the proposed cap
leighton durham/the Chronicle
Representatives from Students for Sustainable Living presented their proposal.
this year the University would have saved $34,500 on printing alone. He said that this change would inspire a culture of student involvement and responsibility for the University’s environmental impact. “We want to get to a system where people don’t view this as free printing,” Khan said. “We want people to understand that there are always costs and this is using resources.” He added that the proposal has already been review by Executive Vice President Tallman Trask and Provost Peter Lange. In other business: Junior Joyce Lau, chair of the Student Organization Funding Committee, presented first reading of 2014-15 annual budget. She noted that the total budget is approximately $406,000, with $59,000 allocated to The Chanticleer—Duke’s student yearbook. Several senators raised opposition to funding The Chanticleer, but Lau noted that 1,300 of the approximately 1,600 seniors signed up to receive a yearbook this year. SOFC determined this was sufficient reason to fund the organization, she said. Lau said new student organizations could be granted a maximum of $500. The Senate will view the budget for a second reading at the next meeting, at which time a vote can occur. The Senate approved the constitutional amendments presented by junior Nikolai Doychinov, executive vice president, after a second reading. The amendments include changing the name of the Student Organization Finance Committee to the Student Organization Funding Committee and allowing the executive board to issue executive orders as legislation when the Senate is not in session by a two-thirds vote. The amendments will appear on a referendum on the ballot for upperclassman senators on April 10.
thursDAY, april 3, 2014 | 7
DUhatch
from page 1
or fledgling student-run businesses at various stages of development. “Coaches on Call,” often local entrepreneurs or lawyers, help teams by giving them advice on various aspects of the business development process. “Being on campus gives you access to Duke’s [research and development] network,” Murthy said. Brad Rubin, a first-year master’s in engineering management student, runs the mobile application “Stylehand,” an app designed to help young professionals and colorblind men avoid fashion mishaps. He noted that his experience with DUhatch has helped him get his concept off of the ground. Spencer Ryals is a sophomore and cofounder of another team—Smartmove. He said DUhatch was instrumental in the company’s transition from an idea to a market-ready business. Murthy noted that the more the Duke community knows about DUhatch, the more opportunity there will be for everyone to develop business ideas. “We want to allow the community to become more tight-knit...so everyone is aware when an opportunity comes up,” he said. Deshpande said events such as the student showcase are important to getting the DUhatch name out there. “The primary purpose of DUhatch is education, and that is never going to change,” he said. “We just want to take that a step further and make it more engaging.” Murthy added there will be many more events like Wednesday’s in the near future. “There is a lot of DUhatch coming around the corner,” he said.
Did you realize that OVER 16% of the current US population identifies as Latino/Hispanic? Did you know that this category includes people who are: black, white, and brown; Spanishspeaking and English-speaking; new immigrants as well as long term citizens; linked to Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Chile, Mexico, Spain or any of 20+ other countries? Whether you are Latino/a or not, this is an important population to learn about, and Duke offers many options to do so! Check out our certificate, Latino/a Studies in the Global South, that you can combine with ANY major/minor, and consider the following FALL courses:
Intro to Latino/a Studies (CCI,ALP, SS), LSGS 101/ LIT 143/ SPANISH 160/ AAAS 104/ ICS 106 Immigrant Children &Youth (CCI,R,W,SS), LSGS 89S / CHILDPOL 89S / PUBPOL 89S / Health, Culture, Latino Community (CCI,FL), LSGS 306/ SPANISH 306 Latino/a Voices: Duke/Durham (CCI,FL,W,CZ,) LSGS 308S / SPANISH 308S History of US/Mexico Border 18th-20th Centuries (CCI, R,W,CZ,SS), LSGS 465S/HISTORY 465S Latino/a Autobiography and Memoir (CCI, ALP), LSGS 490S/ SPANISH 490S Immigrant Dreams/US Realities (CCI, EI, CZ, SS), HISTORY 352/ PUBPOL 220 Politics of Food (CCI, EI, R, ALP), DOCST 341S/ CULANTH 238S/ PUBPOL 380/ ICS 342S The Ever-Expanding Barrio: House Course
IMPACT LIVES THROUGH THE ART OF DE N T I S T RY A ND S TA R T OU T DE B T- F R E E .
With the Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program, get 100% of your dental school tuition paid for. Along with a generous monthly stipend of $2,088 to help cover living expenses as a dental student. Plus a sign-on bonus of up to $20,000.* And after taking advantage of all that? Look forward to stepping right into an established, thriving global practice – where the focus is all about your patients, not business. WANT TO LEARN MORE? CONTACT YOUR NAVY DENTAL OFFICER RECRUITER TODAY. JOBS_districtnametogohere@navy.mil | jobs_raleigh@navy.mil
XXX-XXX-XXXX (800) 662-7419
For additional courses and more info, visit
http://latinostudies.duke.edu/
Feel free to e-mail Program Exec Director, jennysw@duke.edu, with any questions.
501DADMOF11
*Contact a Navy Dental Officer Recruiter for details. ©2010. Paid for by the U.S. Navy. All rights reserved.