Basketball overshadows real problems

Hey there, bummer about last Thursday, eh? Those refs sure did blow it--Carlos Boozer got hammered and nothing got called. We were sent packing prematurely, no bonfire celebration, no banner raising ceremony and worse, the possibility that Maryland might gain what should have belonged to us from the outset.

I must say, though, it was rather amusing watching people throw fits and discharge expletives, as well as hearing reports of campus-wide drinking to drown sorrows. I, too, was a bit disappointed, but then upon returning to my room, I sought solace on the Internet--no, I did not visit ESPN.com or even the Duke Basketball Report--I went to WorldNews.com. I skimmed through a few articles and found a rather interesting piece on a woman sentenced to death by stoning in Nigeria--she was acquitted Monday. Suddenly, I didn't care that we lost. Sure, I mentioned it to make conversation with depressed Dukies, but I realized, of all the places to be watching the basketball team lose in the Sweet 16, a Trent Drive Hall dorm room was far preferable to other places.

Thursday may have meant the death of Duke's championship dreams this year, but it was also the final day for countless malnourished children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Fighting continued in Angola, Congo, Columbia, Guinea and Liberia, and another day passed under martial law in Madagascar. As if that didn't make me feel any better about being here, even with the loss, I found out that only 27 percent of the people suffering from tuberculosis are currently treated. This 90 percent curable disease, which the United States eradicated, cannot be eliminated worldwide due to a $300-million treatment shortfall. The disease is on the rise, becoming a leading killer of AIDS-stricken people and young women in the developing world. That's another bonus of living at Duke: We really don't have to worry about seeing one-fourth of our classmates die off over the next 10 years, as we would if we lived in South Africa.

According to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, an African child dies of starvation, disease or conflict every three seconds. So as I watched those precious four seconds of mayhem following Jason Williams' missed free throw, a child died unnecessarily. Thursday was definitely a horrible day for Duke students and fans, but it was even worse for most people, including the Tibetans who are still horribly oppressed by the Chinese.

The real shock came Saturday, though, when the housing lottery destroyed hopes of West Campus living space for many independent rising juniors and seniors. Sure, a lot of people will not get what they wanted, but the only thing that will really get me upset is if Assistant Dean of Student Development Bill Burig's idea of guaranteed housing upon my return from study abroad is a shanty-town where my tin roof is held in place by cinder blocks and odd-shaped rocks styled after those dotting the hillsides outside Lima and Managua.

That probably won't happen, and we'll continue to have fun with basketball next year, even without a national championship. We'll still maintain our disinterest in the impoverished peoples who constitute the majority of the world's population, and we won't care that wars continue and people starve and suffer from curable diseases because the developed world does not want to fund necessary efforts to solve problems there. South Africa had to sponsor peace talks for the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Belgium and the United States--countries largely responsible for problems in Congo--opted not to foot the bill. Africa only interested the world during the Cold War, when it was a battleground, and once again, it may become a battleground for terrorism, causing our efforts there to be renewed. Unfortunately, they will not be enough. President George W. Bush pledged to increase aid less than the increase proposed by Canada and other leading economic powers.

Suffering will continue until massive ideology and value changes occur, no matter how much money we donate to the impoverished world. We'll still be here at Duke enjoying our basketball and possibly our housing. The ball won't always bounce our way, but it could be worse; it could be raining. By the way, can coach Mike Krzyzewski sign my book, now that the season is finally over, and Jason Williams will be back next year to go out with a championship, right?

Kevin Ogorzalek is a Trinity sophomore.