Former Chronicle sports editor Ben Cohen ’10 will talk informally with Coach Cutcliffe about the past and future of Duke football, qualifying for a bowl game, helping Peyton Manning return to form and many other topics. Afterwards, the Coach will take your questions.

The event will take place at Hogan Lovells, LLP:

• 555 Thirteenth St. NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC 20004 (Map)
• Metro:  Hogan Lovells is accessible via the Metro Center Station.  Exit at the 12th and F Street side; at the top of the escalator the entrance to the building will be on your left.
• Parking:  Garages are located on 13th Street (between F and E, across from Warner Theater, next to Chef Geoff’s) and on E Street (intersection of E and 13th)

We’ll meet at 6:30 p.m. for beer, wine, soft drinks and hors d’oeuvres. The program will run from 7 to 7:45, and we will have more time for refreshments and conversation before adjourning at 8:30 p.m.

The event is free of charge for Chronicle alumni. Please click on the link below to register.

REGISTER NOW

About our Conversationalists

David Cutcliffe, the 2012 ACC Coach of the Year, became Duke’s 21st football coach on December 15, 2007. In his first five seasons in Durham, he has led Duke to 21 wins – one fewer than the cumulative total for the previous 13 seasons. In 2009, Cutcliffe guided the Blue Devils to five victories overall (the most since 1994), including three ACC wins (the most since 1999). In 2011, Duke had a league-record 19 players named to the Academic All-ACC team which was surpassed in 2012 with 21 honorees. During the 2012 season, the program secured its first postseason berth since 1994 with the bowl eligibility win coming on a late fourth quarter touchdown in a 33-30 victory over the University of North Carolina. Before coming to Duke, Cutcliffe had a 44-29 record in six seasons as the head coach at Ole Miss. He also helped the University of Tennessee to a 173-54-7 record during 19 years as an assistant coach with the Volunteers. A native of Birmingham, Ala. and a graduate of the University of Alabama, Cutcliffe and his wife Karen have four children and two grandchildren.

Read Coach Cutcliffe’s full biography.

Ben Cohen is a sports reporter for The Wall Street Journal. He wrote the afterword to “An Illustrated History of Duke Basketball” and a Kindle Single about Mike Krzyzewski called “The Art of Winning.” He graduated in 2010 from Duke, where he wrote for The Chronicle for four years, and now lives in New York.

Read some of Ben’s work for The Chronicle.

Check out his writing for the Wall Street Journal.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Jackson at 703.556.0149 or Jackson@dcw.org or David Rice at 919.684.0377 or david.rice@duke.edu.

We’ll gather for a mini-reunion on April 13 from 3 to 5 p.m. in 301 Flowers. It’ll be a rare opportunity to see old friends, trade war stories, meet current staffers and learn about all the exciting things going on at today’s Chronicle (including, naturally, Twitter).

If you wrote or took photos for the paper, worked in the business or advertising office, or hung out there during your time at Duke, we’d love to see you.

Click here for more information and to register.

What positions did you hold at The Chronicle during your four years on staff?

I started out as a low-level sports guy, covering tennis and golf and other sports that weren’t basketball. Then I started writing some columns, which were just horrific, and senior year, I moved over to Recess, the weekly arts and entertainment section, and helped edit that.

How did your Chronicle experience color your Duke experience, and how did it help shape your professional aspirations?

Honestly, I didn’t spend that much time in the office until I took over Recess. I made some really good friends, but mostly, I was just looking to finish my stories, maybe sneak in a good line or two, and then get back to the dorm to study or binge-drink. That all changed senior year. Recess was a full-time, 40-hour a week job. And it was huge for me. I learned how to manage a staff; I learned how to put out a publication every week. And, along the way, something switched in my head—as much as I loved being a reporter, I realized that I liked running something just as much, if not more. I discovered that being an editor wasn’t so lousy after all.

What was your first job out of college?

I ended up getting an internship with Esquire. Did Chronicle connections help? No, they did not. Don’t believe for one second that I’ve forgotten about that…

How did your Duke and Chronicle connections contribute to subsequent career moves?

A lot! The biggest act of Duke nepotism occurred when Hugo Lindgren (’90) brought me over to The New York Times Magazine. We’d known each other through the Duke Magazine board, and he took a chance on me.

You joined TNR last July. As executive editor, what was your role in making the makeover happen?

Helping to come up with a vision for the magazine—and trying to execute it, basically. That means bringing on new writers, developing new features, conceiving of and editing stories differently, and on and on. This isn’t the magazine’s first makeover, though it may be our most extreme. The hope is that it will feel more indispensable and more entertaining to more people, particularly young folks and those who live outside of Washington. Politics will remain at the heart of the magazine, always, but you’ll be seeing more stories about tech, crime, sports, Hollywood. There will also be a greater emphasis on narrative storytelling than commentary, since there’s no shortage of people spouting off on the Internet at all hours. For magazines to differentiate themselves now, they have to include more reporting; they have to explain things you don’t know; they have to tell you stories that rewire the circuitry of your brain.

The question then becomes what separates a New Republic story from stories in other magazines. I’d say that we make arguments more forcefully than our competitors do. Every piece has to have a strong perspective or make a broader point about the culture; it has to put a subject in context. And we’re not just wry observers. We care about outcomes, about policy.

Is the new look getting good reviews?

So far, so good. Normally, people freak out when there’s a redesign. But the reader reaction to the magazine, to the site, and to the iPad app has been remarkably positive. There’ve been little quibbles here and there, but that’s for the best, I think. We’re not delusional enough to believe The New Republic is some perfect, infallible object that descended from the heavens. The job is to keep making it better.

You have expressed your love of print and your belief that paper and ink still have an important role in this digital world. Why is print still important?

I’m much more bullish on the future of print magazines than I am on the future of print newspapers. And that has to do with how we read. When I read newspapers, I want information. I want to learn quickly and use that information to get me through the day. And I can do that on whatever platform that’s available to me—phone, tablet, smudgy paper, it doesn’t matter. Magazines are different. At the risk of sounding like an old coot, I feel as if they require a level of attentiveness that only ink on paper can provide. I read magazine stories to expand my view of the world, to open me up to the possibilities of language, and I just don’t read with that in mind when I’m scrolling my iPhone on the subway to work.  Also, the marriage of art and word matters. Most websites don’t give you the full experience. They’re more about utility than art. There’s still an artfulness to magazine-making that all the fancy gizmos in the world will never replace.

After the Masthead provides an opportunity for alumni Chronicle staffers to keep classmates and the greater Chronicle community informed of significant accomplishments.

The Sixties

Mike Self ’66 lives in Beavercreek, Ohio, and has fond memories of working on The Chronicle’s business side. “Something about the editorial side must have rubbed off,” he reports, “because I’ve been an automotive writer for several car magazines for 25 or so years.”

The Seventies

Charles Ebel ’73, senior manager in RTI International’s Research Computing Division, is a veteran writer and educator in the field of sexual and reproductive health. In his previous work as a vice president of the American Social Health Association, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and their consequences, he directed patient support and education programs on genital herpes, genital HPV, and other infections. He has also conducted survey research on attitudes and knowledge concerning viral STDs. He is the author of three books and dozens of articles for the lay press. His books include “Sexual Health: Questions You Have, Answers You Need” and “Managing Herpes: Living and Loving with HSV.”

Barry Bryant ’78 is managing director of Dahab Associates, a full-service investment consulting firm located just outside of New York City. Prior to joining Dahab Associates in the summer of 2004, he spent 16 years on Wall Street as a specialty retail analyst for Goldman Sachs, Drexel Burnham Lambert, Prudential Securities and Ladenberg Thalmann before becoming director of research at Rodman and Renshaw, Inc. Barry earned an AB degree in management science/accounting from Duke University and an MBA in finance from Vanderbilt University. He was editor of The Chronicle in 1977-78

Steven Petrow ’78 has become the go-to source on contemporary etiquette and modern manners. In addition to his three prize-winning etiquette books, he writes the “Civil Behavior” column for The New York Times and is a sought-after speaker on all matters of civilized living in the 21st century. Steven is the author of five books and is working on a sixth, “Mind Your Digital Manners: Navigating Life in an Age Without Rules.” His work has also appeared in Salon, the Daily Beast, the Huffington Post, Life magazine, the Los Angeles Times and dozens of other media outlets. A former president of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, he currently lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

The Eighties

Barton Pachino ’81 is executive director of Valley Beth Shalom (VBS) in Encino, Calif. VBS is a 1,500-family Conservative Temple, the largest in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, that also operates a K-6 day school, an early childhood center and supplemental adult and child religious education on site.

Gina Dawn Presson ’81 reports that the weekly political show she has produced for three years, “Florida This Week,” was nominated for a Suncoast Regional Emmy. Her daughter Alanna graduated from Florida State University in April, Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in theatre and minors in anthropology and gender studies, and her son, Austin, is in the BFA acting program at the UNC School of the Arts. Gina is an alumni interviewer for potential Duke students in Tampa Bay, and she credits The Chronicle and Duke radio and TV with providing the basis for everything she has done in her chosen field.

David Bowser ’84 has overseen all communications and advertising for Louisiana’s largest medical malpractice company since 2007. A survivor of Hurricane Katrina, he stays connected to Duke by serving as the unofficial “president” of the Duke University Alumni Club of New Orleans.

Michelle Hiskey ’86 is senior editor, development communications in the development and alumni relations office at Emory University. Michelle recently returned to campus to take part in a Tifft Training Conference for the current staff of The Chronicle.

The Nineties

Beau Dure ‘91 has finished “The Ultimate Fighter” and is at work on his third book, this one about youth soccer. His website, SportsMyriad (http://www.sportsmyriad.com/) has been approved for a credential for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Devin Gordon ’98 and his wife, Yng-Ru Chen welcomed their son, Wesley Matthew Chen-Gordon, into the world on December 27, 2012.

The Aughts

Jon Schnaars ’05 is a YouTube Analyst with Google.

Matthew Sullivan ‘06 is deputy editor for The Atlantic Wire, a website that aggregates opinions from various type of media and summarizes positions in each debate. Previously he served as the web director for Esquire.

Michael Van Pelt ’07 is a consultant with Boston Consulting Group.

Adam Eaglin ’08 is a literary agent with The Wylie Agency.

Leslie Ann Griffith ’09 and David Andrew Graham ’09 were married March 16 in Durham, N.C. The Rev. Bruce B. Lawrence, an Episcopal priest, officiated at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens on the campus of Duke University, where Father Lawrence is a professor emeritus of Islamic studies.

The Tens

Caroline Fairchild ’12 is associate business editor at The Huffington Post.

In Memoriam

Diana Pinckley ’73, a public-relations executive and communications strategist who became active on many fronts after Hurricane Katrina as a community volunteer striving to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, died in September 2012 of cancer at her New Orleans home. She was 60. A native of Jamestown, Tenn., Ms. Pinckley was an honors graduate of Duke University who came to New Orleans in 1973 to be a staff writer in Tulane’s University Relations office. She became its news director and, from 1981 to 1993, its director. In this role, she was the spokeswoman for Tulane’s Uptown campus, and she founded Inside Tulane, a campus newsletter.  The office produced publications and news releases, winning national awards for its work, and it coordinated Tulane’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1984. She left Tulane in 1993 to form Pinckley Inc., which helped develop communications strategies for clients such as the Graduate Management Admissions Council, Ohio University, the University of the Pacific, the business schools at Columbia University and Dartmouth College, and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Ms. Pinckley grew up reading mysteries, and she reviewed nearly 350 of them over 23 years for The Times-Picayune in her column, “Get a Clue.” She also interviewed authors and was, most recently, Tulane Medicine’s editor.

Send Us Your News

There are four ways to submit notes for publication:

Fax: 919.668.1247

Email: chroniclealumni@duke.edu

Write: The Director of External Relations, The Chronicle, Box 90858, Durham, NC 27708-0858

Online: Fill out the form at the “Send Us Your News” site on the Chronicle Alumni Portal, www.dukechroniclealumni.com

Barrett joined the staff as a University writer his freshman year and became editor of the section the following year. As a junior, he served as news editor, completing his time at the Chronicle as a columnist senior year.

“[301 Flowers] was a fun location in the middle of campus, where we did long hours and sometimes even slept,” Barrett said. “It was amazing training, and a large number of people from that time have stayed in journalism, most of whom I’m still in touch with.”

Through Chronicle contacts, Barrett found a position as a staff writer for the News & Observer in Raleigh after graduation. Staying in the Triangle community gave him a new perspective on Duke’s state of North Carolina, Barrett said. He wrote stories on each of the 100 counties, covering race relations and education, and creating his own beat on homelessness in the state.

His experience writing about the Duke administration particularly prepared Barrett for his first job as a journalist.

“I’m glad I made my mistakes covering Duke administration before covering state legislature, because the administration is probably a lot more forgiving than a lot of public officials in North Carolina,” he said. “[The News & Observer] is a great training ground where they’ve really invested in younger people.”

During his time at the News & Observer, Barrett became fascinated by emerging technologies and the Internet phenomenon that was transforming the world of journalism. He had helped the Chronicle make the transition from pasting and organizing articles on paper to formatting layout designs on computers, and during his first job, Barrett was exposed to the News & Observer’s creation of the first major regional news website.

“I got into technology and Internet before there were websites because I was interested in databases and computer systems reporting,” Barrett said.

He pursued these interests by studying business and policy at Harvard Kennedy School and then working for the websites of major companies like abcnews.com, time.com and latimes.com as well as various startups.

“A college newspaper is kind of like a start-up,” he said. “We would write it, physically put it together, own it, worry about it and no one was going to get it done if we didn’t get it done. [The Chronicle] was great training because anyone can compete, but people who have the mentality of getting it done are the people who succeed.”

Now vice president of News and Finance at Yahoo!, where he oversees two of the biggest websites of their kind, Barrett focuses on the constant reinvention needed to help Yahoo! News and Yahoo! Finance grow.

“We’re working with companies like Facebook to be a media company that understands how to reach people and to be a part of people’s daily habits,” he said.

Even as he works in digital journalism, Barrett believes that print media will continue to exist in an increasingly digital world where newspapers compete for their audiences.

“Newspapers lost their gatekeeper function to get to the public,” he said. “They have to adjust to being less profitable and being smaller businesses – it’s more a labor of love than what business people do to make money.”

His advice to current Chronicle staffers? Have something to say and the energy to pursue ideas, he said.

“Those are the people who are prospering right now,” Barrett added. “These are very important jobs, and it’s a big deal that people still go into journalism in 2013 and still have that passion.”

This story was reported by Patton Callaway, the student employee of the Office of External Relations.

Named for Ashley B. Futrell, Sr. ‘33, the Futrell Award is presented to a Duke alumnus for achievement in the field of communications or journalism. The Melcher Award, named for Richard Melcher ’74, is given to an undergraduate student for the best journalistic piece written during the previous year.

Drescher and Tanaka accepted their awards on March 18 during a dinner at the Sanford School of Public Policy.

“The Futrell Award shows our appreciation for the work of Duke alumni in journalism, and the benefits of public affairs journalism are not always fully rewarded in the market,” said James Hamilton, chair of the selection committee and director of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy. “And the Melcher Award has been a wonderful signal to the student journalists at Duke, a way for people who are headed into this career to be recognized.”

Drescher is currently the executive editor of the News & Observer in Raleigh, a metro-regional newspaper. He served on the Chronicle’s board of directors while earning his masters of public policy at Duke from 1986 to 1988. Drescher received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was the editor-in-chief of The Daily Tarheel.

Hamilton, also the Charles S. Sydnor professor of public policy and professor of economics and political science, attributed the selection of Drescher for the Futrell Award to his focus on accountability journalism at the N&O, which has investigated the operation of the North Carolina governor’s office, state hospitals and the state parole system, especially after the murders of a Duke student and a UNC student.

“John Drescher exemplifies what it means to try to sustain and even increase accountability journalism, journalists looking to shine a light on the operation of institutions and seeing what their impact is on communities,” Hamilton said. “The N&O had to cut back in overall staffing, but he still maintained focus on investigative reporting.”

He noted that Drescher stands out from other Futrell Award recipients as the editor of a metro-regional newspaper as opposed to past recipients, who all worked at national or international news outlets.

“[Being editor of a local newspaper] is an incredibly hard job right now because of a decline of ad revenues, and [Drescher] is doing it in a media outlet that’s particularly under pressure,” Hamilton said.

Drescher said that in honoring him, the Futrell Award selection committee was recognizing the good work of the entire N&O.

“It’s been a really difficult five years for newspapers, but despite these difficulties, we’ve continued to do really great public service journalism,” he noted. “That’s our core mission, and I’m proud of the investigative work that we’ve done.”

He pointed to the N&O’s coverage of a UNC football program scandal as an example. What began as an agents and benefits controversy eventually proved to be an academic scandal, as discovered by the paper’s investigative reporting—the N&O found that a professor was teaching a phony class for football players so that they could easily pass. The exposure of the scandal by the N&O resulted in firing of the professor and reevaluation of the football program.

“Obviously there were a lot of UNC people who were unhappy with us … including threats of violence. In the end, I’m really proud of the work that we did,” Drescher said. “We exposed a problem, and our scrutiny ultimately will make UNC stronger and better.

Drescher cited another N&O investigation, of the state Industrial Commission, that resulted in a quantifiable difference. The Industrial Commission, which is charged with enforcing workers compensation laws, assessed $79,000 in fines in 2011. Then the N&O reported that 30,000 North Carolina businesses did not have workers compensation insurance for their employees, although they were required to by law. Since then, the commission has levied $6.5 million in fines.

“There is a public good there, showing that our stories can make a difference that you can measure.”

Recent grad Tanaka currently works for The Wall Street Journal’s new luxury real estate section after serving as the Chronicle’s editor-in-chief during the 2011-12 academic year. She received the Melcher Award for her three-part news analysis published in the Chronicle last April about the job market and trends in Duke students’ career paths (see below for links to each part of her analysis).

“It was outstanding because it really reflects what people are thinking about when you think about Duke students, and she also brought in data on the job market in general to put it in context,” Hamilton said. “Her article was very relevant and based on many interviews and data, and the topic was of real interest to students.”

She narrowed her focus for each section of the news analysis, beginning with an article about the new opportunities and career paths available to graduates, then discussing why the finance industry attracts so many recent graduates, and concluding with an analysis of the growing trend of underutilized degrees and how Duke students are affected.

Tanaka researched the topic using data from the Duke Career Center, specifically student exit surveys, talking to experts in the field, and speaking with students about their concerns as they began their professional careers.

“I was particularly curious about why the financial sector is attractive to Duke students, and I found a couple of reasons that go beyond the financial benefits of having such a job,” Tanaka said. “It appeals to many because it’s selective, providing prestige and success later in life, and the recruiting process is similar to applying to college and therefore familiar.”

Being a recent graduate, Tanaka recognizes the significance of the Melcher Award for undergraduate students.

“It’s motivating for students to question and spend their time investigating some topic that is interesting to them. It’s a great way to recognize journalism as an exciting, vibrant career and inspire students to continue pursing it,” she said. “[Receiving the award] is an incredible honor—it reaffirms my commitment to journalism, and I am glad to be a part of this legacy.”

Part 1: http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2012/04/23/duke-grads-face-volatile-job-market

Part 2: http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2012/04/24/duke-graduates-drawn-wall-street

Part 3: http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2012/04/25/holding-out-right-fit

This story was reported by Patton Callaway, the student employee of the Office of External Relations.

In an environment marked by changing readership habits, the proliferation of media outlets and user-generated content, and advertisers’ increasing options and declining budgets, this planning is crucial to The Chronicle’s future.  To thrive, tomorrow’s Chronicle must cultivate additional readers and revenue streams, master new ways to report and deliver the news, and impart a range of skills to students who want to build careers in journalism. It must also continue the paper’s long tradition of paying its own way.

Led by Peggy Krendl ’94, a former Chronicle editor and a senior executive with the consulting firm Accenture, the strategic planning team is developing a new business model with additional products, revenue opportunities and budget models. The Chronicle’s general manager, Chrissy Beck, and her business-side colleagues are gathering information about peer companies and about the changing needs of local and national advertisers.

A team of senior student editors is working with DSPC board members Chelsea Allison ’10 and Lindsey Rupp ’12 on the editorial organization and processes that will allow us to provide high-quality content across platforms in ways that best meet readers’ needs and expectations. As recent former Chronicle editors and successful young professional journalists at Vogue and Bloomberg News, Chelsea and Lindsey understand both the operating constraints of a student media company and the demands of the multimedia environment.

We will adopt the plan in spring 2013, and it will guide The Chronicle’s growth through 2016. It will represent one of the biggest changes in The Chronicle’s 108 years, but it is also an historic opportunity to build a model nonprofit digital news company. Students, led by next year’s editor Danielle Muoio, will have to trailblaze new editorial content, formats and systems. Alumni will have additional opportunities to provide financial support through one-time contributions and to offer training, advice, and volunteer assistance.

With a solid plan and committed students and alumni, we’ll ensure that The Chronicle experience continues for a new generation.  We’ll be proud that students like current managing editor Lauren Carroll had the same opportunity we did to develop key skills and professional aspirations. Lauren started as a freshman reporter and found great mentors in the upperclassmen. Last summer, she interned for the Raleigh News & Observer, covering a wide swath of topics from jet ski safety to a front-page story on agricultural labor shortages in North Carolina. This summer, she’ll be an intern reporting for the metro desk at the Tampa Bay Times.

“I want to be a journalist, and working for The Chronicle has been better training than any journalism class would be,” Lauren said. “It’s given me a chance to hone my reporting, writing and editing skills, as well as show my dedication to the profession. Even if I wasn’t going into journalism, The Chronicle has helped me develop skills applicable to any field, skills that I would not have learned in the classroom. I know how to research, manage a team, manage my time, think critically, and how to act in professional situations. The Chronicle is also where I’ve developed most of my friendships at Duke, and I hope those will stay with me well into the future.”

My deepest thanks to all Chronicle staff, alumni, and friends who have participated in this effort so far. Please consider making a financial contribution to The Chronicle Experience Fund before June 30 to sustain our momentum.

Cordially,

Elizabeth Morgan ’90
DSPC Board Chair

Soni began his diverse career in 301 Flower as an op-ed writer and member of the Chronicle’s editorial board. He also immersed himself in various niches of Duke just as he has done in the business world, serving as vice president of Duke Student Government, chairman of the Honors Council and founder of the Duke Political Union.

Because a single disciplinary major would not satisfy his interdisciplinary interests, Soni created his own “Program II” major, with a focus on ethics.

“It offered me the flexibility to take courses with people I most enjoyed at Duke,” he said.

Following graduation, Soni continued his education abroad as one of 12 American students who received the Mitchell Scholarship from the US-Ireland Alliance, funding his graduate school education in Ireland.

Equipped with his Duke and graduate education, he began working as a consultant at McKinsey and Company.

“I wanted to learn about business and how to use data,” Soni said. “I figured I would probably end back up in media and politics long term, and I wanted to get a different perspective.”

His prediction was right, and Soni left McKinsey after two years to work for the Executive Office of the Mayor of D.C. He simultaneously wrote speeches for the mayor and worked in the CapStat Division, a technology program that allows civilians to report issues with public facilities.

“We focused on how you can use data to improve city government functions,” Soni said. “For example, the number one issue was parking meter failure, but through CapStat, we discovered that only 20 percent of meters accounted for 70 percent of calls because there was a small set of old meters.”

After transitioning from consulting to politics, Soni landed back in the publishing world as chief of staff at the Huffington Post. He became managing editor one year later, using many of the skills he acquired from the Chronicle and his ethics major to oversee the newsroom.

“Helping to manage and lead organizations utilizes a lot of the principles that I picked up when writing for the Chronicle, which applies long after the fact,” Soni said. “I learned how to set an agenda, get things done, balance competing responsibilities and values, and ultimately taking groups of people in organizations and moving them toward the goal.”

His ethics degree plays into his work almost daily as he manages a newsroom, Soni noted. The issues he faces when managing people and employee dynamics in the newsroom often concern employee ethics, Soni added.

“Duke taught me to look at every side of a problem and explore sides that other people might not have figured out,” he said. “Training at Duke gave me the ability to find the four other sides that I’m missing.

While at Duke, Soni became close friends with his debate partner Rob Goodman ‘05, with whom he co-authored his book “Rome’s Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar.” They began writing the biography four years ago after he tried to purchase a biography of Cato on Amazon and could not find one.

“He was an important figure in Roman history, and no one has written about him, so I decided to do it,” Soni said. “It’s been a totally thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience to step back and have a little more perspective about a person, as well as learning about how the publishing industry works.”

With his new insight into the publishing industry, Soni recognizes similarities between publishing and journalism.

“Both places are filled with people who love the written word. They are incredibly smart and could make a lot of money working in any other industry, but they love books or writing or covering the news,” Soni said.

But both industries also face similar challenges as print-based businesses in an increasingly digital world. Working for The Huffington Post, a news website, Soni is on the cutting edge of online media, constantly reevaluating ways to adapt the site to different technology devices, attract advertisers and utilize social media.

“Everyone has spent the past 10 years thinking that we should be organizing a funeral for journalism, and I don’t think that’s true,” he said. “People have more and more access to articles that they wouldn’t have had if it weren’t available on a digital screen. People still have that hunger for knowledge and information, but we have to figure out how to work in that environment.”

As Soni moves forward in his journalism career, he reflects back on his experience with the Chronicle.

“The Chronicle was one of the critical experiences of my life at Duke,” Soni said. “I would not be doing what I do now without it, and it’s an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

This story was reported by Patton Callaway, the student employee of the Office of External Relations.

Maybe it’s been a while since your Chronicle days, but the same student tradition continues. Thanks to all who have supported The Chronicle in 2012 through your donations of money, time and expertise. Enjoy this holiday chestnut, written in 1988 by Ed Boyle ’89. If you haven’t yet made a contribution, please consider a year-end gift to keep student journalism strong at Duke.

Twas the night after finals, and all through the week

Not a student would study, not even a geek.

But my computer was busy as I sat in my chair,

Hoping the paper fairies soon would be there.

The seniors had passed out all drunk in their beds,

While visions of porcelain danced in their heads.

And Betas wearing kerchiefs where ought to be caps

Had settled their brains for a long winter’s nap.

(But for me, the night would be one of sobriety:

I had 25 more pages to write about Sex and Society.)

When out on the quad there arose such a ruckus,

I sprang to the window to see who the loud schmuck was.

And what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a flock of young freshmen, their arms full of beer.

(You expected a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer?

Sounds like you’ve indulged in too much X-mas cheer!)

More vapid than the eggnog a-coursing through their veins,

These fools were out drinking and purging their brains.

“Hey Biffer! Hey Buster! Hey Muffy!” Hey Jerks!”

Could you please shut up? I’m trying to work!

You’re stupid, you’re blitzin’, and if you don’t stop

I’ll bring down your Christmas by calling the cops!”

Having said my peace, I threw down the shade,

Happy to have rained on someone else’s parade.

But my selfish pleasure brought a pain to my head

So I took a few Advils and lay down in bed.

Then, in a twinkling, I heard on the ceiling

A voice speaking low, but deep and with feeling.

(I knew I was dreaming, so I prepared to host

Either Kris Kringle or three Christmas ghosts.

Instead, just the voice, and it said, full of fear:

“You’d better change your attitude on Christmas this year.

With Bush in the White House, time’s running out fast;

Christmas present could wind up being Christmas last.”

Trembling, I awoke, bathed in a fine sweat.

I had to make this the best Christmas yet.

I went to my professor, and left a note on his seat,

Saying I’d decided to take an incomplete.

Because of a holiday season full of papers and tests

Only makes students unpleasant and depressed.

And I prefer a Christmas without profanity,

So I forsook my grades and kept my sanity.

My parents will freak out, but I didn’t care,

I turned off the computer and pushed in my chair;

And I thought to myself as I turned out the light:

“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”

With apologies to Clement Moore, The Chronicle editorial board wishes everyone a happy holiday season. See you in 1989.

Best wishes to all our Chronicle alumni and friends for a wonderful holiday season and a wonderful 2013!

Elizabeth Morgan ’90
DSPC Board Chair