This theme was chosen by one of the students for a joint body of work — proposed by Isabel Callaway and voted on by the class. In Isabel’s words: “Blood runs in everyone. Its presence is inescapable – kids scrape their knees, teens break their hearts and families fight. Whether referring to physical blood, familial connections, passion or even just vampires, blood plays an inevitable role in everyone’s life.”
Who Do You Think You Are? by Olivia Linn
When one man sends his DNA away to a lab to be tested, he discovers he’s not who he thought he was. Hours on an ancestry website, some sneaky familial digging, and a phone call across the country leads him to two women and their mother, grappling with a family mystery of their own.
Gun Buy-back, by Sam Turken
There has been a recent surge in random shootings and murders in Liberty City in Miami. Here is a look at what the community and law enforcement are doing to combat that trend.
Runs in the Family, by Cassie Calvert
“It runs in the family” takes on a literal and metaphorical meaning in hers.
Dear Madison, by John Bechtold
After twelve years have passed, a soldier considers writing back to a young girl named Madison who wrote to him in Iraq.
A Contradictory Identity, by Alex Gonzalez
Cuban-Americans are a unique community. They emphatically identify themselves as Cubans, sometimes even neglecting their American ties. And yet, an overwhelming majority of the population has disavowed the country and refuses to return in light of the recent easing of tensions between the US and Cuba. We explore this ambivalence with Alfre Busutil.
The Other Villain of the Grim Sleeper Case, by Haley Amster
Seymour Amster is the lead defense attorney on the Grim Sleeper serial killer case. He’s also a father. His daughter followed him to court for two days during trial, and got a new and eye-opening perspective on her father’s job.
Sickle Cell, by Bella Onwumbiko
Lanre Adisa, an aspiring hematologist, shares some insight into his daily experiences and bloody inspirations.
Inside Outside, by Isabel Callaway
The Inside Outside Alliance, a local social justice group, publishes letters from inmates inside the Durham County Jail. Recently they’ve accused DCJ of medical neglect, systemic racism and inhumane conditions. Duke Students Frank Wang and Emma Caudle read letters from inmates to learn more about the jail only five minutes from campus.
Slap! by Rachel Gelfand
This piece follows a personal quest to learn more about the Jewish tradition of the period slap. What begins as blood stories quickly moves to coming of age stories and the relationships between mothers and daughters.
Bloody Witchcraft at Night, by Jazmynne Williams
Lara Haft, a Duke junior, discusses her background and thoughts in blood, religion, witchcraft, and the Overton window.
The Body and the Blood, by Jon Arp
Allen Jones is a pastor and a mortician. In his care for the sick, the dying, as well as the dead, he offers a unique perspective on the body and the blood.
Pass the Scalpel, by Daniel MacDonald
Ever wonder what working in a hospital is like? Medical students Andrea, Michael, and Maya discuss their experiences amputating legs, scrubbing into surgeries, and losing patients.
