<p>Perhaps I haven't searched far enough back into early January, but I am quite astonished that no one has even mentioned/raised questions about Caitlin Flanagan's essay in this month's The Atlantic-- "The Hazards of Duke." So much frothing drive to be admitted to Duke, reflected among CC posters, yet so little analysis of Duke's pluses and minuses. Has most of America divided itself into the DukeLovers and DukeHaters, without reflecting at length on the many contradictory forces apparent at this university that can't escape the glare of one scandal after another?
The</a> Hazards of Duke - Magazine - The Atlantic
None of the social problems featured in Flanagan's essay are unique to Duke-- not even remotely. But the ever-multiplying numbers of applications to Duke each year do raise questions about how closely applicants look beyond the red-hot, basketball-propelled, public-relations monolith of the admissions machine. Yes, Duke is filled with stellar, high-achieving students. I'm just curious why no one wants to discuss The Hazards of Duke... (see also the Duke site of CollegeACB!)</p>
<p>I like that Duke has a thriving social scene and Greek Life. I dont want to spend my college years studying the whole time. The “Hazards of Duke” did not deter me from applying at all. </p>
<p>And please, dont use CollegeACB as a source for information about Duke’s social scene. That website is a complete joke. Look on any schools board there and it will be no different from Duke’s. Its all garbage.</p>
<p>Maybe Caitlin Flanagan should examine how the culture of her alma mater caused one student to murder his girlfriend who also attended last year…(I don’t actually think that, but it’s just as plausible as that article). Garbage article.</p>
<p>Perhaps I wasn’t at all clear in framing my query. Certainly I didn’t post to suggest that students should be deterred from attending Duke, simply because of the article in The Atlantic. I am just very curious why there hasn’t been more discussion of the issues raised, as they pertain to Duke. It seems that prospective applicants would want to know whether Flanagan’s analysis and observations are valid or not.
It’s true that an article might have been written in a similar vein about the athletic/Greek culture at UVA, after the lacrosse murder last spring. But I’m really just wondering about the lack of conversation concerning this article in the Duke thread. As I recall, there was an enormous amount of discussion on the UVA page, following that incident.
I recently watched my younger daughter go through the experience of applying to colleges; she and I were both eager to read as much as we could, pro and con, about the schools on her list. If she had been considering Duke, I absolutely would’ve asked her to read the Flanagan article, and then I would’ve hoped she’d seek out the rebuttals as well.
As a parent of two college students, I guess I’m just very surprised that there isn’t more conversation-- everywhere-- about the kinds of sex-alcohol excesses that permeate top-tier college and university cultures. From what I observe, it’s really more pervasive and certainly more accepted than ever before. At Duke, at least, there is an active discussion about these cultural forces-- from the neuroscience researchers to the leaders in student womens’ groups.</p>
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<p>There was an extraordinary number of discussions about similar issues in the wake of the lacrosse case. It pretty much dominated campus discussion and has been analyzed ad nauseum. So, while perhaps this particular Atlantic article hasn’t been rehashed, certainly these issues have been a frequent topic of debate. </p>
<p>Some say there is a “toxic culture” in college that results from the Greek system, alcohol, sports, etc. while others refute those claims. In the end, if you want to get hammered and hook-up with a lot of people in your college days (at Duke or elsewhere), it’s fairly easy to do so and you will find some who have the same lifestyle. However, the vast majority of individuals at Duke choose not to do so and instead participate in largely responsible partying to augment their experience at an institution whose main mission is to educate and prepare its students for productive lives. The Duke student body is quite varied and the caricatures displayed by articles such as the linked one give further credence to a misconstrued perception that it’s the norm. It’s not the norm. Check out the Duke magazine article linked in the hookup vs. relationship thread. Less than 1/3 of Duke seniors actually participate in the hookup scene (defined simply as kissing somebody that you’re not in a committed relationship with).</p>
<p>Does Duke have some issues with alcohol abuse and other related issues? Yes. Is it unique to Duke? No. Is it more prevalent at Duke than similar institutions? Doesn’t seem likely. How do we rectify these issues? No easy solution as college students can make their own decisions, but education seems to be key. And having active counseling on campus once problems arise that individuals can go to for guidance and help along the recovery process.</p>
<p>Banning the Greek system or having harsher alcoholic laws don’t seem to help that much. A few irresponsible idiots always get all the attention but, by and large, Duke students are smart enough to not cross a dangerous line. However, some are unfortunately attracted to or mesmerized by that lifestyle and are brought into a world that is probably not the healthiest. It’s quite easy to avoid such a lifestyle. For the most dangerous types of activities, the student really has to actively seek them out. I think there needs to be personal accountability and responsibility by the individual to make his/her own choices and parents can also influence their child’s mindset. The institution as an entity can enforce larger encompassing rules and regulations, but trying to suppress such behaviors probably exacerbates it under certain scenarios as it simply pushes the behavior to underground levels or off campus, no longer under the enforcement of the university.</p>
<p>These are certainly issues that have plagued and will continue to plague universities for decades. It’s not a new concept, and personally I find Duke’s student body by and large quite responsible. Most at Duke not only are motivated academically and work extremely hard in the classroom, but they how to kick back and have a good time. It’s a perfect blend in my mind and what attracts many individuals to Duke, but with such a blend comes the risk of certain individuals abusing alcohol and partaking in seemingly irresponsible activities. It’s certainly no worse at Duke than UVa, UMich, Dartmouth, or any number of institutions. (In fact, having visited UVa, the Greek scene there seems MORE pervasive and influential. There’s an entire Greek row of fraternity houses).</p>
<p>I don’t think there is a sudden urgent need to explore such issues as they are continually dynamic and ongoing.</p>