Body Rock a disappointment

I left the Body Rock concert extremely upset and disturbed. I was expecting a benefit performance to raise awareness about sexual assault and dating violence. Instead, from the performance I repeatedly endured racial slurs. The Pitchforks performed a rap song by Trick Daddy and Lil' Jon titled "Let's Go." I had heard this song before and was aware of the profanity in the song.

A lot of the words where edited out in the Pitchfork's performance, but one they failed to omit was the term "nigger." Not only was I appalled that this acapella group used a benefit performance as their venue to exclaim racial slurs, but the member of the group to repeatedly use the n-word was white.

I am extremely offended by the lack of respect the Pitchforks had for the audience, as well as the concert itself.

They picked a song that not only degrades women, but they chose to selectively edit the song to their liking.

I hold responsible the Pitchforks and the event's sponsor, Sexual Assault Support Services, for not screening the performances previously.

From what I understand, this was not the first and only time this song has been performed.

It is simply appalling and surprising to me that this issue has not come up sooner, especially because the Pitchforks have more than one minority member, one of which is black.

This epithet was once used in this country to degrade and to humiliate African Americans. It is a term that many activists in the past worked hard to overcome. The term nigger is no different from cracker, spic, chink or any other racial slur. It is a disparaging term for a black person. The n-word is a paradigmatic racial slur that I find offensive and hurtful.

DSG committed to evals

Last Thursday's editorial "Better than the Grapevine" did an excellent job of capturing students' frustration toward the lack of course evaluation data available on ACES.

Students need to make intelligent choices regarding their academic careers and in order to do that, they need the most complete and accurate information available.

DSG has recognized the problems with course evaluations for years and has taken steps to address these concerns. While it would be great (and easy) to simply establish a new DSG-sponsored course evaluation website, experience has shown it is extremely difficult and ineffective to try to operate a system completely independent of the University's evaluation process.

Seven years ago, in October 1998, DSG launched an independent online database called Duke Undergraduates Evaluate Teaching (DUET), which allowed students to answer numerical and free-response questions, and to view other ratings posted by fellow students.

However, less than a year later, the site was taken down due to protest by faculty members.

In the early 1990s, the Undergraduate Publications Board attempted to synthesize evaluations in the Teacher-Course Evaluation Book (TCEB).

However, that project also folded due to inadequate staffing and a lack of participation by many professors and departments.

Given the sensitive nature of course evaluations and concerns of many faculty members, it is imperative that we first seek faculty buy-in. Without their (at least tacit) support, new initiatives are likely to go the way of DUET and TCEB.

DSG has worked to improve the faculty opt-in rate, which, although still woefully low, is increasing. Last week, the Academic Affairs Committee sent letters to every faculty member on campus encouraging them to go online and opt-in. We will continue push for an opt-out system through the Arts and Sciences Council, which, if ratified, would substantially increase the amount of data available on ACES.

We are also pursuing with the faculty and administration ways to make qualitative comments available.

Course evaluations are an essential resource, and DSG is committed to ensuring that students have access to the most helpful and accurate information possible.

Joe Fore

Trinity '07

Vice President of Academic Affairs,

Duke Student Government