From Chalk to Calculators, The Analog Tools Duke Employees Swear By
Across campus, staff and faculty share everyday items that keep their work grounded and effective
The slow pace of writing equations by hand provides time to explain his thinking and for students to take notes.
Miller uses different types of chalk to suit slight variations between chalkboards. The white Crayola Anti-Dust chalk or Prang Hygieia chalk the department provides work well.
On certain chalkboards he uses Hagoromo chalk, a brand with a cult following among mathematicians for its smooth feel and deep, rich colors like sky blue, burnt orange and vibrant red.
“What mathematicians are trying to do in the classroom is to teach students how to think a certain way,” Miller said. “There are no substitutes for certain methods of teaching.”
No matter the job at Duke, odds are there is analog equipment – such as Miller’s chalk – that is indispensable.
Check out a few low-tech work essentials our Duke colleagues lean on each day.
Paper Mate pens for vibrant shades
Ilana Palmer, a Communication Consultant with the Pratt School of Engineering’s Career and Communication Program, keeps pens on her desk in vibrant shades of blue, green, red, orange and yellow.
A former elementary school teacher, Palmer wrote notes on students’ papers with colorful felt-tipped Paper Mate Flair Pens. Now at Duke, she’s still uses the pens to jot down plans or notes during meetings. In addition to the smooth feel of their writing and the ease with which she can find old notes, Palmer said the colors give her work a joyful vibe.
“It’s super important to embrace the things that put a smile on your face,” Palmer said. “These definitely serve that function for me.”
Multi-bit screwdrivers for versatility
In nearly 35 years with Duke Facilities Management, Senior General Maintenance Mechanic Kelvin Sanders has tracked his work with carbon copy paper forms, radios, pagers and now an iPad.
Through it all, his ultra-versatile multi-bit screwdrivers have been a trusty mainstay.
The handheld tools feature removable shafts and bits that Sanders can change on the fly. Depending on the configuration, the tool can be used as either a flathead or Phillips head screwdriver, an Allen wrench or a socket wrench. The tools help fix doors, lights and plumbing fixtures. He’ll often shut off water to malfunctioning toilets with the flathead screwdriver.
“On an average day, I use these at least once,” Sanders said.
Scratch paper for reassurance
After 25 years working in Duke labs, Center for Applied Therapeutics Research Analyst Karrie Comatas still double-checks her work. While setting up cell cultures in solutions requiring precise amounts and concentrations of various compounds, Comatas keeps scratch paper nearby so she can work out her formulas.
While she logs experiment data on her computer, crunching numbers by hand on the back of the receipts, packing slips or loose bits of paper provides valuable peace of mind.
“I have a little math anxiety, so once I figure out what I need, I want to understand it backwards and forwards,” Comatas said. “Once I do all that, I can feel confident I have it right.”
A timer for productivity
Professor of Pathology Dr. Sarah Bean navigates busy workdays that include teaching medical students and examining biopsies. That’s why she leans on the small, blue and white timer on her desk.
Bean uses the device to set blocks of time to complete tasks or provide a quick visual reference to help online meetings or presentations stay on schedule.
While she has alternatives on her phone and computer, Bean’s timer is easy to use and won’t derail her with notifications for emails or text messages.
“When I’m at work, I have to be productive because I wear so many hats and have so many responsibilities,” Bean said. “I have to squeeze out every second.”
A clipboard for a personal touch
As a Performance Excellence Coach at Duke Regional Hospital, Tony Schmidt visits different units to observe their work and take copious notes on a legal pad on his well-worn clipboard.
Understanding that an outside observer may unnerve team members, Schmidt uses his clipboard to put his colleagues at ease. And the stickers decorating the underside of his clipboard, which celebrate his home state of Minnesota and his alma mater Chattanooga, often serve as fun conversation starters.
“I am notoriously bad at small talk, so this is a bit of a talking point,” Schmidt said.
An At-A-Glance calendar as a roadmap
A few years ago, Arladean Arnson, a Staff Assistant for Research in the Duke Department of Emergency Medicine, tried out an online checklist.
While it had its merits, Arnson quickly realized it was no replacement for the reliable paper At-A-Glance calendar notebook she has used for most of her career.
While she maintains online Outlook calendars for herself and two doctors, Arnson’s day is shaped by the notes, events and to-do lists scribbled in her At-A-Glance calendar notebook that’s always nearby.
“I learned technology as it was coming through, but I still have those habits I learned in high school or college, back when we didn’t have computers so we had to write our notes out by hand,” Arnson said.
An old school calculator for quick crunching
Kelsey Stilley, Duke Pharmacy Coordinator for Education and Professional Development, isn’t sure how long she’s had her Texas Instruments TI-30XIIS calculator.
“Honestly, I don’t remember when I bought it,” said Stilley, who came to Duke in 2018. “It might have been the calculator I used when I was in undergrad.”
Stilley knows that the slim, plastic solar-powered calculator helps her with quick calculations each day. Whether in her purse while doing administrative work or in the pocket of her scrubs during clinical shifts, the calculator quickly helps her figure out dosages without having to unlock her phone.
“It’s also weirdly satisfying to use,” Stilley said. “I still enjoy pressing the buttons.”
A mechanical pencil to roll with changes
Liz Evans, the Exhibits and Events Manager with the Duke Clinical Research Institute’s Corporate Communications team, always keeps Paper Mate Clear Point mechanical pencils nearby, stashing them around her home workspace and in her laptop bag.
“It’s like a safety blanket kind of thing,” Evans said.
Evans has long appreciated the pencils’ comfortable rubber grip and how she can get fresh lead to pop out by clicking a small button.
While handling the oft-changing details for DCRI’s internal events and outreach efforts at meetings and trade shows, the pencils’ big eraser helps, too.
“Things are always changing,” Evans said. “That’s why I’ve got to write in pencil.”
A straw for voice therapy
Duke Voice Care Center Speech Pathologist Lauren Fay jokes that if her clinic ever ran low on plastic drinking straws, it would be an emergency.
Fay often has patients with breathing issues or damaged vocal cords exhale through straws, sometimes blowing bubbles in water, to open and relax their throats. She’ll also have patients make sounds, or speak through straws to help throat muscles work in a relaxed, balanced way.
“The same way a physical therapist might use a simple tool to help with rehabilitation, we use these straws,” Fay said. “It’s like physical therapy for the throat.”
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