Opinion Columns

The Duke Chronicle
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Moral dichotomy

The problems exposed by this case, sexism, classism and racism are structural and therefore not solvable by task force solutions.


The Duke Chronicle
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Apologies necessary

As an African American, an alumnus and a member of the 2005 Duke men's lacrosse program, I am revolted by my alma mater's handling of the rape allegations directed toward members of the lacrosse team.


The Duke Chronicle
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Being Miss Universe

TRANG, Thailand - I am Miss Universe. Not really, of course, but to several of my Thai students I am. While I was teaching a class of seventh-graders Tuesday, all of the little boys kept...


The Duke Chronicle
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Going Back

I love to travel, but I hate going backwards. So a few weeks ago when I road tripped down to the Mississippi Delta to return to the small town where I had spent nine weeks last summer managing a...


The Duke Chronicle
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Understanding Incongruities

TRANG, Thailand-Thailand is a puzzle. A very complicated puzzle. Everything fits together perfectly; every sight, sound and smell. Yet if you were to pull apart the puzzle and try to put it back...


The Duke Chronicle
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Courting decency

One of my sisters, a captain on the high school rowing team for which I'm a geriatric alum, got busted last week for hazing her young teammates. It was all in good fun, she says, while the girls...


The Duke Chronicle
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Letter from the President

On April 5, in the face of allegations arising from a party held by the men's lacrosse team, I wrote to outline steps the university would take in response to this complex situation. At term's end,...


The Duke Chronicle
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Sense and safety

LONDON -- I've lately been analyzing what it means to feel safe, an introspection I'm sure I'm not alone in indulging in as a Duke female these days. On campus, I can fully emphasize that I've...


The Duke Chronicle
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Language 101

My mother is fustian. She likes to use big words-flamboyent words, dramatic words. The truth is, however, that she sometimes gets her words wrong. Don't get me wrong, she is a brilliant woman....


The Duke Chronicle
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Home, but not far away

The setting sun was scolding the back of my neck as I approached my ball, a good distance from the tee box and well within range of the 18th green. A three iron, I decided, would suffice. After...


The Duke Chronicle
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The Duke Witch Hunt

Witch hunts go in stages. First frenzy, when everybody damns the souls of people they don't know. Then confusion, as the first wave of contradictory facts comes in. Then deafening silence, as...


The Duke Chronicle
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Give you names?

Could you give me the name of a few good black students on campus to talk to? You know, to get their perspective on this whole racial problem." Sitting with my office phone tucked between my cheek...


The Duke Chronicle
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Impale Yale

Suddenly, Duke isn't the baddest kid on the block anymore. It turns out Yale is harboring a terrorist on its campus. That's right, Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi is a former official in the Taliban...


The Duke Chronicle
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Graduation tips. Use them.

I had the pleasure of being a marshal during commencement events last weekend. In addition to being congratulated at least 50 times on earning my Duke degree (an understandable mistake on the part...


The Duke Chronicle
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Owning up

4. Knit top. A sparkly, seventies-style, Lurex-infused knit top a la Missoni. Wear with worn jeans and a bold necklace for a fresh-from-the-set-of-the-OC brand of date-worthy chic. -Recess, "Top...


The Duke Chronicle
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Remember

After writing countless papers and studying for numerous tests and pulling I don't know how many all-nighters, it's time to move on.


The Duke Chronicle
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The challenges we face

I may become a "better" person but less worthy as an individual. Is it a good thing to become an adult or insist on being a child? About to graduate, I am puzzled even more.


The Duke Chronicle
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Finding your passion

Dear freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors: "We can't be potential forever," a friend said to me a few weeks ago-and he was right. The hardest part about college, for many precocious...


The Duke Chronicle
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The keys to happiness at Duke

I don't profess to know exactly what it takes to have the perfect college experience. I don't have any step-by-step directions to help you make your time here worthwhile, and honestly, I don't...