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(11/21/14 10:29am)
Tonight is the senior Pub Step, formerly known as Pub Crawl. The Class of 2015 will hit the town to revel in the near completion of their time here at Duke. A night of bar hopping and companionship, this senior year tradition is in its tenth year. The tradition has brought students together for ten years to explore the night life of Durham and reminisce on good times in their collegiate years; it is one of the few traditions that Duke students can look forward to.
(11/20/14 2:39pm)
President Barack Obama announced yesterday that he would issue an executive order on immigration tonight, halting deportations for up to 5 million undocumented persons who have illegally entered the country. This announcement has been widely anticipated since September when Obama decided to postpone unilateral action on immigration until after the November midterm elections. After suffering electoral defeat in both chambers of Congress and seeing the 2013 Senate immigration bill languish in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives, it is understandable that the President wishes to take unilateral action on immigration. However, we strongly believe that the only durable solution to the nation’s immigration problems is through collaboration with Congress rather than circumvention.
(11/19/14 10:54am)
Laurie Patton, dean of the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, recently accepted the position of president at Middlebury College. Today we consider Patton’s legacy at Duke and what her departure means for the University moving forward.
(11/18/14 11:05am)
Last week, N.T. Wright, one of the world’s leading Biblical scholars and historians of early Christianity, came to address the Duke community on a breadth of topics. His visit amounted to a truly impressive affair. In a panel discussion among elite scholars from the Divinity School, Wright addressed the theology and Christology of Saint Paul. Later, at a talk hosted by the Veritas Forum, he spoke to the masses about “the problem of evil” – how one would philosophically reconcile the existence of evil in a world with an omnipotent, benevolent God.
(11/17/14 10:01am)
Innovators from around the nation gathered for a sleepless event this past weekend for HackDuke. A 24-hour challenge to innovate, the hackathon, themed “Code for Good,” invited students to collaborate to create software or hardware relating to one of four tracks: inequality, energy and the environment, education and health and wellness. Bringing students together in an environment of collaboration rather than competition, the hackathon presents a laudable model of applied learning for social impact that can be leveraged in other disciplines.
(11/13/14 10:04am)
We’ve all had the conversation before. It starts with, “Hey, want to get something to eat?” and then transitions to trying to figure out where to go on campus. The choice of where to eat is oftentimes based on the next question in the conversation: “How many food points do you have?” As we near the end of the term, and as students are deciding whether to add more food points to their meal plans or funds to their Flex accounts, we should look at what value food points bring to campus. What are the issues with the system as it currently exists?
(11/12/14 10:18am)
Over the years, online learning has worked its way into a number of aspects of Duke academics. At the lowest level of online involvement, classes ranging from art history to biochemistry have recorded lectures posted to the University’s Panopto service. This summer, a Writing 270 seminar took this to the other end of the spectrum with a class of 18 taught entirely online to Duke students studying from around the world. Today, we look at the appropriateness and effectiveness of online resources at Duke with massive open online courses (MOOCs) and smaller online classes.
(11/11/14 11:30am)
Some students enrolled in Computer Science 201 found themselves especially anxious Wednesday evening. The cause wasn’t an upcoming midterm exam, but an email from the computer science department notifying students of an investigation into cheating in the class. It was especially noticeable on Yik Yak, where students took advantage of the application’s anonymity to comment on the news and express their concern. The investigation into cheating raises questions about the terms of acceptable collaboration and the ramifications for violating Duke’s community expectations.
(11/10/14 12:54pm)
As students living comfortably in an elite university, we often take our condition for granted. It is easy to forget the historical steps taken to bring about the world we know today. By building and tearing down a cardboard Berlin Wall for the 25th anniversary of the event, the Duke German Club brings alive our shared history and invites us to examine our ways of engaging with the past and present.
(11/07/14 10:04am)
The arts meet the professions November 7 and 8 for the annual DEMAN Weekend—Duke Entertainment, Media and the Arts Network. Alumni who launched their post-Duke careers as filmmakers, journalists and other media artists will return to campus to network with students and inspire exploration into these industries. Through speakers, workshops and panel discussions, these established artists show that a career in the arts is not so elusive. Whether you aspire to ambitions in the Arts, or are simply interested in nurturing your creativity and forging a unique, fulfilling Duke experience, this weekend rethinks and broadens our understanding of the arts.
(11/06/14 11:18am)
Title IX prohibits gender discrimination in athletic programs at institutions that receive federal funds. While some see it as a necessary form of affirmative action for women in sports, others believe that it challenges the same equality that it purports to demand. Title IX comes into question with the announcement that Duke will be establishing a softball team in Spring 2018.
(11/04/14 11:33am)
This fall, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences debuted a new initiative featuring courses designed to confront students with the key and complex issues of our times—“signature courses.” This selection of specially designed classes seeks to engage students from all academic spheres and diverse niches on campus because, according to Trinity Dean Laurie Patton, “it’s focusing on a big question that can help [students] find a place in the world.” Beginning with two trial courses this semester—one on world history and the other on Italian art masterpieces—the program will expand to offer four new "signature courses" this upcoming spring term.
(11/03/14 10:25am)
What’s in a name? It’s a question worth asking after the DSG Senate approved a resolution to change the name of the women’s studies department to the department of gender, women’s and sexuality studies last week. Sophomore Tara Bansal, senator for academic affairs, proposed the change, arguing that it would combat the exclusionary, “angry feminism” stigma implicit in the department’s current name. While we support the outcome of this resolution, we find this line of reasoning problematic.
(10/31/14 11:46am)
Wipe the cobwebs off your eyes, stretch your skeletal arms to the sky and get ready to embrace the Halloween of your nightmares. For those who have yet to make plans beyond zombied studies, the Editorial Board has come up with a list of things to do at Duke and in Durham to break from the books and pick up the spirit of haunted lore.
(10/29/14 9:36am)
The fine line between cellphones as tool, accessory and added appendage has blurred and seemingly vanished in today’s world. On the bus, in meetings, at the dinner table, the small devices—smart or not—are as ubiquitous as they are ostensibly vital to day-to-day operation. In response to student complaints about unreliable cellular service across campus, Duke’s Office of Information Technology partnered with service providers to build new antennae systems and upgrade cellular networks. The 18-month, $14 million project is funded entirely by AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. We applaud this initiative, which will help to alleviate student frustration from one too many dropped calls. Yet the project raises questions about the ubiquity of cellphones and the impacts this portable technology has on our daily lives.
(10/28/14 9:41am)
Earlier this month, 28 Harvard Law School professors published an open letter in the Boston Globe criticizing Harvard’s sexual harassment policies, which are quite similar to Duke’s. The letter identifies as key issues the lack of due process for the accused, the deference of administrators to federal officials and stepping beyond the statutory requirements of Title IX. These questions were similar to those regarding sexual assault that we raised in our September editorial. Today, we would like to address larger issues raised by the Harvard letter and the ways in which they apply to Duke: a notable lack of transparency and communication regarding policies that do not reflect the interests of the community at large.
(10/27/14 9:18am)
For many Duke Students, the prospect of choosing classes and building schedules for the upcoming semester is a highlight of the academic year. Having access to a huge array of courses, bookbagging provides students the ability to explore and investigate the diversity of knowledge the Duke curriculum has to offer. Finding a way to construct a course bank that accounts for graduation requirements, post-graduation requirements, personal interest and work load is both thrilling and daunting.
(10/24/14 10:05am)
As you visit Duke for the first time, you decide to check out Perkins Library. “Why not?” you think; you’ll probably be spending lots of time there if you decide to come to the school. As you enter the Link, you’re impressed by the dynamic digital displays and streamlined surfaces which compose the technologically advanced space. The staff appears friendly and the atmosphere is calm and professional.
(10/23/14 9:53am)
The University of Chicago recently announced the funding of a new No Barriers program aimed at ending student loans for undergraduates. This announcement comes as part of a larger trend: leading universities opting to replace student loans with grants. Duke is now one of only two universities ranked in the U.S News and World Report top 10 that maintains a student loan policy. By including loans in financial aid packages, Duke is placing a costly burden on the shoulders of its students while also potentially harming its own long-term prospects.
(10/22/14 8:18am)
Duke Kunshan University opened its doors—the doors of a nearby five star Kunshan hotel—in late August, with students and faculty based in a hotel due to ongoing construction of its physical campus. Now, nearly halfway through the semester, DKU has opened another set of doors—this time its own—with its Conference Center. After this rocky start, what does Duke stand to gain from its partnership with Wuhan University in establishing DKU? We find that our collaboration is suffering from the rush to launch DKU as well as the outlook for DKU student experiences.
