Shamelessly exploiting Asian stereotypes

19 Sep 2011, Posted by Minshu Deng in Backpages, 0 Comments

People-watching on the Bryan Center Plaza is a favorite pastime of mine. As I sit at a table near one of the misters inhaling my Great Hall grub, I take inventory of my surroundings: bright sunlight, clear skies, happy students, stressed students—a sea of students, and a metaphorical sea at that because you see there is no water here.

Special to The Chronicle

But then in the midst of this sea, I see two umbrellas moving along side by side. The stereotyping is done before I can stop myself: Asians, fresh off the boat.

Sophomore Shucao Mo, an undergraduate from China, eased my worries that I might be being a bit too self-discriminating: “Are there [even] students here who use umbrellas for non-rain purposes? I have never seen one; if I do, to doubt [they’re Chinese] is out of the question.”

Although Chinese myself, I have always been someone who cringes at the idea that I might be stereotyped in a similar fashion as well. It’s bad enough already that I always carry my camera around with me (and when I’m driving, that I’m an Asian female). Give me an umbrella in sunny weather and a cute cat-shaped pencil pouch with pens capped with miniature Snoopy figurines, and I’ll have the holy trifecta to reinforcing Asian stereotypes.

Sophomore Shikha Nayar, another international undergraduate from Hong Kong said that umbrellas are very prevalent in sunny weather in China.

“Basically, the culture in China for decades has been [beautiful skin equals porcelain skin],” Nayar said. “I think since it has been a tradition for so long, it’s pretty much accepted in China.”

Having used umbrellas in sunny weather while in China herself, Mo elaborated on the collective nature of cultural trends.

“No individuals are capable of autonomous formation,” Mo said. My sense of beauty has been challenged and molded since I came [to America]. Now I enjoy the tan, bizarre as it is.”

Although Asians using umbrellas for non-rain purposes on campus is quite the case study in people-watching, if you look hard enough (which frankly isn’t that hard), you’ll notice other trends in so-called “Duke culture” that are shaped by our self-reinforcing standards of beauty and standards of how to act. And if anything, they’re just as ridiculous as we make out umbrella-toting Asians to be. And inversely, just as valid.

DukeEthicist: your resume, your canvas

16 Sep 2011, Posted by Duke Ethicist in Backpages, DukeEthicist, 0 Comments

What is the distinction between making my accomplishments stand out and resume padding?

There is a sizeable difference between taking pride in your accomplishments and feigning pride in someone else’s accomplishments unjustly claimed as your own. It may seem too easy to add one more really impressive item to the resume, even if it isn’t exactly true. The scary part is that it is too easy! Unfortunately, resume padding is a disturbingly common practice. So, what’s the big deal? If everyone does it, you may ask why should you even consider not doing it?

Resume padding is wrong. Why? Well, why is plagiarism wrong? As students, we must have heard this information dozens of times—without citation, it is not okay to claim credit for another person’s work. So, unless you want to write on your resume that your friend Buck was actually founder and president of the cowboys and aliens club at school, I would suggest leaving “president of cowboys and aliens club” off your resume.

To compare resume padding to another well-known method to award credit, let’s examine the patent. The patent is a way to prevent people from stealing your idea for an extended period of time, so that you alone can reap the benefits from your efforts. We should institute this for resumes to keep people honest! In all seriousness, I should hope that drawing the parallels among plagiarism, patents and resume padding is enough evidence to convince you that resume padding is morally wrong. No? Okay, another ‘for instance’ coming your way—this time it’s personal!

Say you are a high school senior, Philip, about to apply to college—early decision to Duke, of course! You have tried out for your high school’s competitive curling team every year but failed to make the team until junior year. Although you have been practicing for years, your skill set is just not up to par with that of your teammates. Out of your determination, dedication to the team, ability to brush off insults and endless hours of practice, you become the captain of the team senior year. Under your guidance, the team has had a flawless winning record so far. For you, curling is a large part of your life and represents an emotionally meaningful story.

Now meet Susie. She is also trying to get into Duke early decision. She is reviewing her resume when she decides that she has too many bizarre things on it, like soccer, class president, peer leader, honor society. She decides that she needs a grounded and more mundane aspect to her resume. As a result, she turns to curling. She writes that she has been the varsity team captain for curling all four years of high school when she doesn’t even know how the sport is played.

Consider Philip: he has invested a lot of energy into furthering himself in the sport, while the only effort Susie has put into it is including it on her application. Duke will read Susie as the stronger candidate if only the facts are presented—she was captain for four years while Philip will only have been captain for one at the end of his high school experience. This is where the importance of making your accomplishments shine comes in.

Philip’s story will be much more meaningful than Susie’s because he is emotionally invested in curling while she is only pretending. Sincerity comes out on paper, especially when it comes to writing about emotional reactions. It is very difficult to maintain a lie. Somewhere along the line, perhaps in a writing sample, an interview, a phone call, etc., Susie may forget her lie and be inconsistent about her involvement in curling. People tend to remember truths better than fabricated stories.

Also, there is always the possibility that Duke finds out about the scam. What happens then? Very bad things: no consideration for admission, a blemish on the record so that all other colleges can see—clearly, it is not worth the risk. Colleges, graduate schools and companies pick applicants based on their resumes, and if you lie on a resume, you may end up with a job that does not suit you at all.

Who are you helping by padding your resume? Everyone will be unhappy, especially you when you are caught. There is absolutely nothing wrong with writing about every single detail of the activities you have done or about your accomplishments and how they formed your life. Honesty is key and appreciated in a world that is way too competitive already.

The Duke Ethicist is a project of the Honor Council which responds to ethical questions posed by the Duke community. Our purpose is to provide a medium through which students may anonymously seek advice or spark dialogue. Got a question? Send it to dukeethicist@gmail.com, and look out for a response on our blog.

Duke’s 7 most amusing gargoyles

14 Sep 2011, Posted by Hong Zhu in Backpages, 0 Comments

Whether you’ve realized it or not, they are watching you.

Etched onto buildings throughout West Campus, these gargoyles peer down at us every day, though most of us have hardly noticed them. Here’s a look at seven of the most amusing gargoyles on campus, along with an interpretive (and highly inaccurate) description.

All photos taken by Irina Danescu.

The Chapel baby

On the side of Duke’s iconic Gothic Chapel, there protrudes the head of a drooling infant. In contrast to the nearby statues of influential figures, this baby looks like it can do little more than cry, babble and drool. This baby manages to invoke angelic images while also reassuring passersby that unaccomplished people can have statues made of themselves too.

The multitasking elf

Located on the exterior of Perkins Library, this elf is appropriately writing on a scroll. Decked out in a Christopher Columbus-inspired hat and Santa-issued shoes, he is evidently a shrewd scribe who has learned to write with a pen the length of his head. Impressively, he has also learned to turn his head a full 180 degrees and has been recruited by a traveling circus.

The creeping scholar

This gargoyle is shamelessly checking you out. With a crooked, pedophilic smile, this gargoyle welcomes visitors to the West Union building. He also enjoys reading and collecting bifocals.

The grumpy knight

From his post in the Great Hall, this medieval warrior looks dejectedly forward in a perpetual state of self-pity. Ever since he was assigned to crest-holding duty instead of a more glamorous position, this knight has been wearing a frown and complaining about his overly constrictive helmet.

Contentment

Unlike his neighbor in the Great Hall, this guy looks completely at peace with the world. Looking relaxed in an oversized robe and a smile of genuine contentment, this gargoyle is clearly on top of his work.

The Mutant Cat

This gargoyle is part cat, part panther and part pure evil. It juts out from the West Union building and overlooks the plaza, looking excessively horrendous.

The baby saxophonist

From what I can tell, this is a baby wearing a cape while playing the saxophone. Although he could use less cheek-puffing and better embouchure, he has all the makings of a future Youtube sensation.  Random but hilarious, this gargoyle kneels in Kilgo Quad.

The demise of the CD

13 Sep 2011, Posted by Jack Wagner in Backpages, 0 Comments

When was the last time you went to a record store and bought a physical album? With the plastic case, the CD and the album sleeve with the lyrics inside?

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In today’s Internet-powered world, the album-downloading phenomenon has bled the record stores dry of business over the past decade and contributed to the dramatic restructuring of the entire music industry.

Since 2004, both HMV and Tower Records (two of the biggest music mega-store chains) have totally pulled out of the U.S. market. iTunes, on the other hand, has on average sold over 46 songs per second since April 2003, according to TG Daily.

“It’s just so much more convenient to buy music off of iTunes,” said sophomore Nathan Hsieh. “For every ten albums I buy, probably only one is an actual CD.”

This shift in consumer focus from CDs to downloads has had a run-off effect on the record labels to which the musicians are signed. As songwriter John Legend stated on BigThink.com, because the record labels are getting less revenue and have smaller budgets, artists now get less support from the label and have to perform many of the tasks a label used to do itself, such as finding management and booking tours.

Moreover, labels now are spending less money on developing artists, and are focusing most of their attention on acts that are guaranteed to instantly make money, such as Lady Gaga or Jason Derulo. An inevitable consequence of that approach is that most of the music today is focused more on being as commercially successful as possible rather than displaying personal artistic integrity. This is not necessarily the fault of artists—Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber are actually really great singers. In today’s industry, however, they have been used by labels as money-making machines (though I’m sure neither Gaga nor Bieber are complaining).

New musicians who are just now breaking out don’t actually need record labels to release their music—anyone can put their music up on the Internet or on iTunes to be downloaded. Musicians no longer need labels to put their albums in record stores because as it stands today, record stores are close to extinction.

The symbolic coup de grace was the closing of the last Virgin Megastore in North America in 2009, heralding a new age in music—an age where CDs are archaic and album covers become little more than flickering lights in a computer screen.

Journey of Hope

13 Sep 2011, Posted by Ashley Mooney in Backpages, 0 Comments

David Chou/The Chronicle

Think you’re fit for a challenge? Then try biking 4,000 miles cross-country for charity.

This summer, senior Mike Osorio is embarking on a trans-America bike trip with Journey of Hope, a part of Pi Kappa Phi’s philanthropic organization PUSH America. PUSH America, Osorio wrote in an email, is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness for, and serving, people with disabilities.

The Journey of Hope team is divided into three sub-teams of approximately 35 Pi Kappa Phi brothers. Each group embarks on one of three routes—North, South, and trans-America—beginning in San Francisco and finishing in Washington, D.C.

“Each route covers about 3,900 to 4,000 miles in 64 days,” Osorio wrote. Collectively they cover 32 different states, cycling an average of 75 miles each day.

Prior to the cycling trip, each participant must commit to raising a $5,000 minimum. Osorio has pledged to raise at least $7,000.

Raising funds and cycling is not all the Journey of Hope team will be doing this summer.

“The team will give dozens of presentations in communities across the nation, helping others to understand the issues facing those with disabilities,” he wrote. “As well, after cycling…each day, the team will be visiting local disability centers, often meeting with those for whom we are riding.”

He was inspired to sign up for Journey of Hope during the fall of 2010 when he participated in a Give-A-Push weekend, one of PUSH America’s national service projects. While working with other brothers to renovate the accessibility environment of Holy Angels, a disability community in Belmont, North Carolina, Osorio met a former Journey of Hope participant. Hearing about how the ride changed the man’s life inspired Osorio to sign up for the Journey himself.

Osorio is the first member of the Duke Pi Kapp chapter to participate in the Journey of Hope since it was rechartered on campus in September 2006. However, Osorio mentioned that Duke Pi Kapps have participated in similar events in the past—a few years ago, Brian Adams, Trinity ’09, participated in Gear Up Florida, a shorter version of the Journey of Hope.

“Even though biking across the country is a tremendous accomplishment in itself, the whole purpose of the journey is about being selfless,” Osorio wrote. “The Journey of Hope is about helping people with disabilities and raising awareness, and for that reason alone I’m excited, almost anxious to start this journey next June.”