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(12/02/11 11:00am)
I have done a lot of things in my time here at Duke. I have tried my hand as a DJ for WXDU, become an advocate for Real Food, helped to plan Global Health Week and celebrated a national championship for our men’s basketball team. I have met numerous people and developed some close friends that I hope to have for the rest of my life. The list of positive experiences goes on and on, so, at risk of making you gag with my sentimental recollections, I’ll stop here.
(11/18/11 11:00am)
One of the many factors considered when evaluating the quality of an institution of higher learning is the student-faculty ratio. Although simply a number, this ratio is meant to suggest many things. A large number of faculty, and thus a lower ratio, can provide students with a better opportunity to associate with the brightest minds in any given department. A large quantity of professors is also an indicator of a university with strong research and reputable graduate programs. For most prospective students, therefore, the more faculty, the better.
(11/04/11 9:00am)
Duke has never been known to be accommodating to the average commuting undergraduate. An annual Blue Zone parking pass will set you back $240, and the rate is higher for graduate and professional students. When I got my parking permit, I found that it was an almost useless expense. The Blue Zone is always almost full, with the very last lot being the only one with available spots for a 10:05 a.m. class. With the drive and the lengthy walk, my typical commute to my morning class in the Sociology Psychology building took at least 30 minutes. This is far too long, considering I live one mile off campus.
(10/21/11 9:00am)
America currently faces more challenges than it has ever faced before. We’ve got to put the jobless to work, find a way to repay the debt using Uncle Sam’s credit card, make sure illegal immigrants aren’t mowing our lawns, teach polar bears how to swim and make sure the elderly can obtain all the Cialis they need. Not even “The Most Interesting Man in the World” or the guy from the Old Spice commercial could accomplish those Herculean tasks. I mean, not even Hercules could do all that.
(10/07/11 9:00am)
Imagine my shock when, on Saturday afternoon, I checked my email to find a message from Dean Sue warning of a bomb threat in the Bryan Center. I can’t remember specifics, but I feel like this isn’t the first time there has been a bomb threat at a major North Carolina college campus. I am actually getting quite used to them. And I applaud the Duke administration’s response. Students actually got an email!
(09/23/11 9:00am)
It was my first semester at Duke, and needless to say, I was excited. When I first saw the gigantic, non-descript monstrosity known as Edens Quad, instead of adopting the looks of resignation from the other people I saw moving in, I displayed one of exhilaration. I couldn’t wait to begin my Duke experience.
(09/09/11 9:00am)
“Yes, and … ”
(04/20/11 9:00am)
Another year is coming to pass, ladies and gentleman, and as such, this will be my final column for the foreseeable future. Without getting nostalgic, I wonder where the last 25 percent of college went. There has been some heartbreak, a little triumph, but mostly just a lot of hazy nights spent partying or reading over lecture notes, groggy mornings and the comfort of relative irresponsibility. Yes, at the conclusion of my junior year, I feel that much of college thus far has been a blur, and I can hardly believe that at this time next year, it will be 2012, and I will be among the crop of imminent graduates, ready to reveal my talents to the waiting world.
(04/06/11 9:15am)
I was tired. My eyelids had developed a mind of their own, and seemed to be losing their fight against gravity. It was Thursday afternoon, and while I sat in Perkins with my MCAT notes in front of me, sleep was awfully tempting.
(03/23/11 9:00am)
I couldn’t concentrate. Here I was, staring down at my neurobiology exam, the one that I had stayed in on Saturday night to study for, a test that I needed to do well on, and of course, my brain had decided to go on vacation. What before were words with meaning now just looked like shapes with no purpose other than to befuddle me. I looked around at the other students bent over their papers, their eyes focused and alert. Returning to my exam, I gathered all of my remaining brainpower and focused it, like a laser beam, on the question at hand. It worked. The words on the page had started to make sense again. Microtubules. Axons. Yes! I was back, baby! Just as I was about to begin crafting my brilliant response to question 4c, something unexpected hit me like a freight train ...
(02/23/11 11:00am)
It used to be that word of mouth, newspapers and letters were the most efficient ways to communicate. People could spend days or weeks waiting for a postcard from a family member, and groups of people would need to plan months ahead of time for gatherings. Back then, information moved at a snail’s pace. By today’s standards, Paul Revere’s midnight ride would be unnecessary: An e-mail or text would have worked just fine. Technologies, like the Internet and cellphones, have transformed communication.
(02/09/11 11:05am)
The classic conception of college is of a place where young people come together to grow mentally and become learned, contributing members of society. They are encouraged to explore their interests and leave no thought or question unanswered. Students can find intellectual satisfaction by interacting with faculty members, but more often, they find it in engaging with each other. This is the classic notion of college—in reality, college is quite different.
(01/26/11 10:16am)
My curiosity got the better of me last weekend – I watched a movie about ballet. I saw the film “Black Swan.” I had been hesitant to see it, despite the favorable reviews and the categorization of the movie as a “psychosexual thriller.” I just didn’t see myself enjoying a movie with ballerinas and tutus, yet I ended up thoroughly enjoying it.
(01/12/11 11:00am)
When I discovered that my first column for The Chronicle was scheduled to appear on the First Day of Classes of the Spring Semester, or FDOCOSS, I was initially ecstatic. What better time for me to emphatically announce my arrival into the world of editorial writing than on a day that is associated with new beginnings? I imagined the glitz and the glamour, the bright lights, the screaming fans, the red carpet. People would climb all over each other just to catch a glimpse of “the guy who writes that column for The Chronicle.” I was going to be on the cover of Forbes magazine, standing next to Oprah and the Queen!
