Campus in shambles

04 Oct 2011, Posted by Michael Lee in News, 0 Comments

Chelsea Pieroni/The Chronicle

Forget 2012—it seems that the doomsday has descended upon Duke University early.

Okay, so that might be some sensationalism. But there have been an eerie string of mildly apocalyptic events here on campus. It started with the earthquake that greeted freshmen before move-in day. A hurricane graced campus and a tornado warning shortly followed. Giles combusted last month, along with a C-2 bus. And most recently, a bomb threat was called in at the Bryan Center.

The use of a bomb-sniffing dog by the Raleigh Police Department quickly showed the threat to be baseless, but a suspect has not yet been found by the Duke University Police Department, which is currently conducting an active criminal investigation.

“We are optimistic about finding a suspect,” said Duke Police Chief John Dailey. “But it’s premature to really speculate for me [about the intentions of the caller].”

The bomb threat was largely put off as a hoax or prank by students, but Dailey maintained that the incident was still under investigation. He declined to comment directly on the DUPD’s progress due to the active nature of the investigation.

Bomb threats are not new to Duke’s campus, said Dailey. “I don’t know the exact statistics right off, but there have definitely been bomb threats over the history of Duke.”

In any case, the thoughts of the caller are difficult to gauge. Of all the places to threaten, under what conditions would the colossally underwhelming Bryan Center—the venerable, monochromatic home to McDonalds, ATM machines and introductory economics lectures—become an alluring target?

Although the frequency of these events struck some as strange, students were largely unfazed by these recent incidents and regarded them sardonically.

“I think it’s all blown out of proportion,” said Gaurav Albal, a freshman. “The bomb threat turned out to be nothing. The bus just started smoking, and I’m not sure the tornado did anything. And, the hurricane turned out to be more of a drizzle.”

Albal was not alone in his critically realistic outlook.

“I didn’t even know about the hurricane until it passed,” said Tiffany Dong, a freshman. “In regards to the whole bus explosion incident, I hope that means we’ll get new buses.”

Other students, however, seem to find the headliner events contributing factors to the overall thrilling nature of their lives. They seem willing to sacrifice safety in the name of fighting boredom and mundaneness.

“Danger is my middle name,” said Harrison Richard. “Since it’s my middle name, I live every day like I’m grabbing the bull by the horns. An imminent death is the spice on my pizza. Nothing to be too scared of, but every once in a while you might get the roof of your mouth burnt.”

Soundoff: sophomore slump

04 Oct 2011, Posted by Marianna Jordan in News, 0 Comments

Sophia Palenberg/The Chronicle

Three weeks ago, the Class of 2014 gathered in the Chapel for the first-ever Sophomore Convocation. The ceremony addressed the ‘sophomore slump,’ or the notion that a student’s second year in college will not be as good as his first. Now deep into the semester, The Chronicle’s Marianna Jordan checked in with sophomores to find out if they do feel this slump.

“I am not feeling a sophomore slump at all—if anything this is the best semester I’ve had so far. I’m way busier than I’ve ever been in terms of classwork. But since I know what I want to study, its more the type of work I want to do so I don’t mind as much. I know how Duke works so its easier to just have a good time. I’ve noticed that some of my friends who aren’t in a set social group are looking for things to do, but other than that, everyone seems to be pretty happy.”

—Daniel Strunk, sophomore

“I’ve definitely felt the sophomore slump with work. There’s so much to do, and I’m just not motivated to do it. Especially Fall semester freshman year, I was more motivated to stay on top of everything because I didn’t know what to expect in my classes. I basically thought I was going to fail everything freshmen year, which made me more on top of things. Now, I’m more confident that I’m not going to fail so I feel lazier.”

—Melissa Miller, sophomore

“Sophomore actually means ‘wise fool,’ and I think that’s especially true this year. I’ve entered this year thinking that, ‘I know it all after freshmen year,’ but I’m still learning more each day. That being said, I’ve really been enjoying this semester. I’m involved in a lot of things that I know that I’m passionate about, and I’m taking classes that are expanding upon the academic curiosity I had freshmen year. Having an experience over the summer working in Washington, D.C. really helped me approach all my classes and extracurriculars with a different insight because I have been in the professional world.”

-Patrick Oathout, sophomore

“I really like sophomore year and I don’t think of it as being a ‘slump.’ This might be a virtue of my classes and my increased involvement on campus, but I feel like because I constantly have a lot to do that is not necessarily academic, when I do have to do my schoolwork I have more motivation to do it. As a sophomore, I think you have more confidence because you’ve been through everything before. You know who your friends are and there are familiar faces wherever you walk. Thus, there’s no overall sense of fear or nervousness that freshmen have. If socially you’re more comfortable, then you have less to worry about and academics aren’t as hard (depending on the class). Maybe the whole sophomore slump thing comes into play a little further down the road.”

—Isalyn Connell, sophomore

“I feel like working is easier for me this year because I’m more interested in my classes. I have better options and don’t have to take the mandatory Writing 20 and freshman seminar like I did last year. I enjoy my classes more, and I’m a lot more comfortable because I’m not in a new environment anymore.”

—Kelsey Allen, sophomore

“Because we’re out of the whole freshmen ‘new’ experience, everyone’s a bit more directed—in terms of figuring out what they want to do. This has motivated me. I can understand how people are more stressed by this expectation of having to figure everything out, but it has just made me take advantage of everything that Duke has to offer and figure out where I’m headed. I’ve enjoyed sophomore year more than freshman year because last year was all about adapting.”

—Lauren Gonzalez, sophomore

“Because there are so many sophomores on West Campus, I feel like another form of community has actually been created; I don’t feel forgotten at all. I think that we use the term ‘sophomore slump’ to encompass this feeling of needing to be a part of something meaningful that will carry us through the rest of our experience at Duke. We become extremely future-orientated. Otherwise, people are getting excited about what they’re doing because their classes are more aligned with their potential majors. So there’s a sense of excitement and a sense of fear that we sometimes term the ‘sophomore slump,’ but I don’t think it’s actually reflective of the sentiment. I love my classes and am very excited to continue delving into what I’m really interested in. I’ve made it a point not to feel dragged down by other people freaking out. I hate that we call it a slump! I feel like everyone is actually just hyper energized.”

—Lexy Lattimore, sophomore

“I feel like sophomore year is the opposite of freshman year. I got off to a rocky start at the beginning of last year because I wasn’t ready for the academics. This year I feel more goal-oriented. I think the sophomore slump is legitimate, because I’ve seen other people in our class experiencing it, although I’m not necessarily experiencing it. I’m actually feeling more motivated because I’m getting into my major courses and I realized how much I screwed up freshmen year. Last year was like a reality check, and now I’m more on track.”

-Keoni Kailimai, sophomore

“I don’t think there’s a sophomore slump. I know people, myself included, who are working much harder than they did freshmen year because we now have this idea of working toward doing well in our major. There’s a group going into sophomore year who know what they want to major in, and then there’s a group who go into this year not knowing what they want to do. It can be a lot of pressure being around the kids who know exactly what they’re doing. ‘Undecided’ is a dirty word sophomore year when it wasn’t freshmen year.”

-Daisygreen Stenhouse, sophomore

“I feel like my motivational level is kind of the same as freshman year; there’s not really a difference. It’s a little more daunting then freshmen year because you actually have to start getting serious about your major and your future. Academically though, my experience hasn’t really been different.”

—Andrew Klingner, sophomore

“It’s nice to have your choices now in terms of dorm life. Blocking has been fun. It’s sort of stressing me out that I haven’t declared a major yet, but it’s fine. The Sophomore Year Experience is there if you want it, although I haven’t taken advantage of it. There’s enough other stuff to do. Sophomore year is definitely a different experience than freshmen year, but neither is better. Freshmen year had a lot of excitement because everything was totally new.”

—Matthew Thiery, sophomore

“Sophomore year is better! I feel more a part of the school than I did freshmen year. Also, rather than just getting stuff handed to me, I have to make choices instead. I feel less stressed this year than I did last year because I’m more used to college life.”

—Sam Jolly, sophomore

N.C. high schools rank 8th in math and science

04 Oct 2011, Posted by Tiffany Lieu in News, 0 Comments

Sophia Palenberg/The Chronicle

North Carolina ranks amongst the top eight states in the nation for high school math and science education with seven of its schools making the list.

U.S. News and World Report released its first-ever list of the top math and science schools in the nation Sept. 29. Of the 207 high schools on the list, 15 were charter schools, 21 were magnet school and a quarter had formal application processes and determined admittance based on merit.

The rankings were determined by participation rates of schools in STEM—science, technology, engineering and math—courses and student performance in those courses as well as math and science AP exam results. Ranking methodology was based on the key principle that students attending these top math and science high schools must take and pass the rigorous, college-level STEM curriculum offered at their respective schools.

Ranked first was High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey, followed by BASIS Tucson in Tucson, Arizona and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. With 40 schools on the list, California was the most highly represented state, followed by New York with 30 and Illinois with 15. North Carolina placed eighth with seven schools.

The new math and science rankings reflect a growing concern in the United States over education in the sciences, math, technology and engineering. Recent studies show that American students are falling behind students from other countries in the math and sciences. Of the 34 countries participating in international testing of math-science proficiency, American students ranked 25, behind countries including China, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong.

“STEM education is critical in the twenty-first century,” said Stephanie Knott, assistant superintendent for community relations for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.

Two schools in this district were ranked on the list.

Knott postulated that the reason for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro district’s success was its proximity to the vibrant research community centered around research triangle park, in conjunction with its challenging AP curriculum.

“Many of the children in our district are connected to faculty members or parents involved in research or at the hospital,” Knott said. “Accordingly, parents encourage students to pursue studies in the sciences, math, technology and engineering.”

Knott noted that these rankings reflect a national shift towards more STEM-focused curriculum. In the 2012-2013 school year, all states will be required to adopt a new curriculum called the “common core.”

“There will be a substantial curriculum change for the entire nation,” Knott said. “Common core brings about changes that focus on larger concepts and a different organization of the STEM courses. There will be more standardization across the country and we will see some testing that accompanies the changed focus in time.”

Rosh Hashanah

04 Oct 2011, Posted by Sheila Janardhan in News, 0 Comments

Sophia Palenberg/The Chronicle

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is an important holiday in the lives of Jews at Duke and around the world. The holiday, which began sundown on Wednesday and concluded Thursday evening, required much preparation.

It begins the ten days of repentance, which leads up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah is known for its food, celebration and sense of Jewish community.

“We do both conservative and reform services,” said Rabbi Jeremy Yoskowitz, the associate director of Jewish life at Duke.  “We are very blessed that as much as can be done by students is done by students. For example, all the Torah readings are done by students.”

An assortment of food is also prepared for the new year festivities. The Freeman Center laid out apples and honey, pomegranate, carrots, dates and the heads of fish.

“The idea is that the New Year should be as sweet as the apples and honey you eat,” Yoskowitz said.

The holiday is also known for the type of community drawn to it. Jewish students are often extremely supportive of Rosh Hashanah and do as much as they can to ensure they enjoy the best experience possible.

“Due to the pressure of midterms, it was difficult to practice the Jewish traditions,” said freshman Adam Abelson. “We did make Jewish food in our dorms, however.”

Another freshman, Nicole Savage, was able to attend the holiday dinner, but could not attend services because of academic pressures.

“They allow you to miss classes,” she said. “But I didn’t want to miss them because of midterms. It was kind of a bummer that you had to pay, but other than that, everything was great. It was really nice being surrounded by a fellow Jewish community and engaging in traditions I didn’t have to miss because I wasn’t home.”

Yoskowitz noted the strength of the community at Duke, despite the size.

“There’s a tremendous awareness here,” he said. “My father once said that in his 47 years in the pulpit, he has rarely seen a congregation as intense, focused and engaged as the students here, which I think is a testament to the remarkable intensity to which Duke students approach things. They take their work and their faith equally seriously, and it really shows.”

Soundoff: midterm week

04 Oct 2011, Posted by Kotoe Oshima in News, 0 Comments

Victoria Powers/The Chronicle

As most undergraduate students headed into their midterm week, the late night lines for The Perk in Von der Heyden grew longer with students buying study break snacks including sugar and caffeine. The Chronicle‘s Kotoe Oshima talked to students about how they were surviving crunch time. 

“I have three midterms and three essays this week—you guys have nothing to complain about.”
—sophomore Jack Wagner, during a class conversation about midterms

“I’m happy to be done with midterms. My graduate classes don’t have any midterms—we mostly have projects since we only have three students in our class.”
—Richard Wieber, third year Ph.D candidate 

“Everybody else seems really stressed, but my first midterm is not until October 18.”
—sophomore Amy Shanks

“We’re doing Chinese now, and there isn’t much to prepare for it—you either know Chinese or you don’t. We all have other priorities apart from midterms.”
—sophomore Yi Hong Poo

“I always get stressed out with midterms. I’ll try and get to sleep earlier the day before my exams, but I’ll stay up till really late if I have to cram.”

—junior Ryan Denkewicz

“There are more important things like graduate school applications that I’m more worried about than midterms.”
—senior TJ Young

“Midterms are ruining my life right now. They really are. I don’t remember being this overwhelmed last year!”

—junior Ashleigh McKinney