The shimmering Bostock Library has attracted the masses since its opening following fall break. Students study while seeing and being seen, perhaps making reading cool again. All this attention to books and academic fortitude is great. Yet Bostock's early magnetism has revealed a conspicuous shortcoming in one area: the menâ_sA,A's bathrooms.
Mad-scientists gone too far have invented water-free urinals! The environmentally conscientious library-planners must have been drawn to such a designâ_sA,Arthe water free function of the urinals probably saves gallons and gallons of water a year. However, open the door of these new restrooms, and the smell takes you back to another infamous campus-stinker, the single men's bathroom on the first floor outside of the old Perkins Library.
That bathroom's stench always mystified me (among other feelings), but I chalked its vile odor up to age, and to the potential weirdo-factor; since that bathroom is open all-night, every night, anything can happen. But for Bostock's shiny new restrooms, I can make no similar excuses. Simply put, the bathrooms stink because the urinals stink. And why? Maybe the new library has decided to forgo maintenance. More likely, however, these "state-of-the-art" devices are wildly, unforgivably flawed. Please Bostock, clean up this situation.
To summarize: Bostock is great, but the bathrooms don't rate. The smell leaves me nonplussed, because of the urinals non-flushed.
Ian Crouch
Trinity '06
Finding ways to prevent sexual assault
In his column, "No!," Emin Hadziosmanovic provides an interesting look at the problem of sexual assault and makes several good points about the role that stereotypes, gender roles, and alcohol play in the perpetuation of sexual assault (Oct. 18, 2005). I would like to propose a next step for Hadziosmanovic and any other man or woman on this campus who finds themselves thinking about this issue in a similar way.
Hadziosmanovic says that "to place blame on either gender would oversimplify a complex issue," and he is right. However, no one at Sexual Assault Support Services, Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention peer educators or the student group Men Acting for Change is making the assertion that all men are rapists or are to blame for sexual assault. We do believe that all men, and really all people, should be accountable for any actions they take that perpetuate a culture of sexual assault on campus. This includes everything from committing sexual assault to the less directly related propensity for calling Duke women "girls" (though I admittedly struggle to come up with a female equivalent to "guy") and the blatantly misogynistic titles of nearly all the parties on this campus.
Hadziosmanovic asks a good question: "why doesn't she scream, or push him off, or hit him?" He also provides an interesting answer for it. However, some questions Hadziosmanovic has yet to address are these: "Why did he choose to not listen? Why did he choose to ignore? Why did he choose to assault?"
The answer is complex, and it's not something a single Chronicle column can fully address. Every man on this campus should ask himself why some men choose to commit sexual assault and rape. Every man has the responsibility to communicate and be sensitive to what a potential partner wants, is comfortable with and is able to give consent for. While it may seem awkward at first, like anything, it gets easier with practice.
Geoff Lorenz
Trinity '06
Last Day of Classes
LDOC Committee seeks members
The Duke Last Day of Classes Committee is looking for motivated students to plan and execute the largest Duke social event of the year. In the past, the LDOC Committee has brought Kanye West, Collective Soul, Better than Ezra and The Roots to celebrate the end of the school year. This year, we are excited about bringing another big-name band. committee members are involved in handling a budget in the tens of thousands of dollars, selecting a major band and planning social events surrounding the concert. This is the biggest and most fun social event of the entire year, and being on the LDOC Committee will allow you to be a major part of it.
If you are interested in applying to be on the committee, please email LDOC Chair Mark Middaugh at mbm11@duke.edu expressing your interest and leaving him your name, e-mail address and phone number. The committee will be finalized by the beginning of next week, so please e-mail Mark soon. I encourage you to be a part of this great Duke tradition and awesome event.
Mark Middaugh
Chair LDOC
Trinity '06
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