the davidsonian
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Public education expert calls for racial equality in educational opportunities IL'JI@@IHH ',-".('/%#(&$0-(%& On Thursday evening, education veteran Jonathan Kozol came to Davidson College to speak on his life and work in activism on behalf of social justice causes, specifically educational opportunity. Mr. Kozol has been fighting for racial equality in the public school systems for the past 50 years and has received countless honors for his books on his experience as a teacher including the National Book Award for his first non-fiction book “Death at an Early Age.” Along his journey, Mr. Kozol has had many remarkable interactions that have influenced his work, such as becoming a long-time education mentee of Fred Rogers of the preschool television program “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and marching alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in a Boston parade. Unlike when guest lecturers usually visit Davidson, Mr. Kozol’s visit was not spearheaded by a department or organization but rather by a single student, Bridget Wack ‘16. Addressing a di-
verse crowd of local educators, fans, alumni, and students in the Lilly Gallery, Mr. Kozol explained that he normally receives hundreds of letters a week that are left unattended. However, there was something about Wack’s letter that stood out. “She seemed to know so much already about the work that I’ve been doing,” he said. Mr. Kozol did not hesitate to dive right into the issue of the blatant inequalities that continue to plague inner city public schools. “I don’t like to be gloomy, but I’m going to be honest with you. I wish I could say there has been dramatic progress since the days when I wrote those books, but it simply would not be the truth in terms of basic racial justice and elemental fair play for children of the poor.” Mr. Kozol began laying out his life’s journey, explaining the impetus for a lifetime of teaching after receiving a Rhodes Scholarship and graduating summa cum laude from Harvard. It was 1964, and the murders of three members of the Congress of Racial Equality, two white Northerners and one black man, by the Ku Klux Kan had just made national headlines. Although Mr. Ko-
zol had never been political or had any involvement with race issues, he was so affected by the tragedy that he got in his little Volkswagen, drove to a prominent black minister’s house in Roxbury, the black community of Boston, and asked: “May I be of use?” The minister’s response, that he would like Mr. Kozol to share his privileged education with the children, “changed [his] life forever,” Kozol reflected. Mr. Kozol added some humor to the room’s initially solemn tone. In describing his first teaching job for a kindergarten class he recounted, “I was terrified. I had no idea what to do with people that size. To me they were like gerbils.” He shared how he was fired from his first job teaching fourth grade on the charge of curriculum deviation because he introduced a Langston Hughes poem, the first black poetry that his students ever read. When crossing over into sensitive territory,
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Sustainability Week to engage campus in environmental responsibility E?>HHIJ>K'F""@ !"#$%&'!()**'+&$("& Sustainability Week will take place during the last week of October and is part of an international initiative known as Campus Sustainability Month. With a focus on food and sustainability, the week features Common Hour lectures from Environmental Studies faculty, behind-thescenes tours of Vail Commons, and initiatives from student groups, among other events. The Sustainability Office has worked to organize the week-long event since August at the recommendation of Dave Martin, interim Chair of the Environmental Studies Department. Sustainability Fellow Joe St. James Lopez ‘15 said, “I listened to a webinar to learn about what other schools were doing during Campus Sustainability Month, and many have done a sustainability week. Ours will cover issues of food and sustainability, including social sustainability, economic sustainability and environmental sustainability. I think people assume food is just an environmental issue, but it’s really an economic
and social issue as well.” Many other colleges and universities throughout the nation have created a sustainability week as part of Campus Sustainability Month, including University of Dayton, Villanova University, and University of Louisville. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) started the Campus Sustainability Month initiative as a result of the success of Campus Sustainability Day, generally held on October 4, that began in 2003. “The goal of [Campus Sustainability Month] is to raise the visibility of campus sustainability and provide campus sustainability advocates with a platform through which to deepen campus engagement around sustainability. It provides an excellent opportunity to recruit new leaders and set goals for the rest of the year,” published the AASHE on their website. The theme of the week, food and sustainability, ties in with the new app, Foodscape, recently
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Page 2 October 21, 2015
Q&A: Founding editor of “The Onion” on his career in comedy Scott Dikkers, founding editor of the satirical publication “The Onion,” is on campus tonight to speak in the Lilly Gallery. The Yowl, Davidson’s own satirical voice, caught up with Dikkers prior to his visit. The former editor spoke about getting into comedy, how “The Onion” became big, and why he loves when people take “Onion” stories seriously. He also talked zodiac signs and processed food. First, talk about how you got started in comedy, especially during college. Let’s see. During college, I was oddly enough focused on learning. I was focused on my academics. The comedy I saw as something totally separate, so I was trying to draw comic strips and get those published while I was in college. And it was just a totally different track for my mind –one was, how to get a solid liberal arts education, and the other was, how can I succeed in this entertainment medium. So as soon as I succeeded in comic strips, which I eventually did, I completely dropped the college, because I felt like I’d sort of gotten what I needed out of it. But I didn’t do improv – I mean, they didn’t have improv groups at every college then like they do now, and there were no comedy classes or anything. There was no comedy publication; I had to be a part of creating one. And I guess the only thing that I did was cartoons for the college newspaper, but the newspaper was pretty separate from the college and the classes I was taking had nothing to do with that. Do you still make comic strips? On occasion, yeah. The comic strip that I started back then and did daily for ten years is still on the website GoComics. The repeats are up there every day, and occasionally I’ll do a new one for it. And I do a lot of illustrating just for this and that. We noticed that you were in charge of “The Onion” when it decided to expand to video. What went behind that decision? That was a really fun process. We had gotten really famous, I guess, by doing the print and the website, and we had a couple of books that were bestsellers. And the time was right on the Internet to start doing video – the technology wasn’t really there before, and I had all these crazy ideas about how we should evolve what “The Onion” was. It should be less of sort of a “USA Today” parody and more of a “Fox News” parody, because that was kind of a thing in journalism at the time that everybody was talking about, how crazy that was. But by that time I had sold my stake in “The Onion” and I had these bosses, essentially, and when I proposed that we totally change what “The Onion” was, they were terrified of the idea. Because what “The Onion” was was working. And before I sold it to them, we could kind of do whatever we wanted. I was still the editor-inchief, but I was trying to be a team player and run things by them before I drastically changed everything we did. But what that allowed us to do, then, was when we created the videos, we were able to do a “Fox News” parody and tap into some of that stuff that was so ripe for satire at the time – the idea of news being this powerful, dangerous thing that would crush you, and just this onslaught of graphics and unsubstantiated opinion – and so we did a lot of cool stuff that was able to make fun of that. To do that, we created a whole new staff. We ran the videos by the existing writing staff, but they were pretty against them overall, so we had to hire a whole new staff to try to get a clean slate with them. And, as always with “The Onion,” we hired people who had no comedy experience whatsoever. We wanted totally malleable people who we could form into the ideal comedy writing team. How do you draw the line with where your satire can go? We’ve heard before that if satire is finger-pointing, point high, not low to those in power. Some people say, make fun of every-
one and it equalizes the playing field. Do you have a rule or motto for that? I do. In general it’s what you said – you want to punch up. Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. However, sometimes if you can blur that line and get perilously close to seeming like you’re going after the wrong targets, that can feel really edgy. You always have to make sure at the end of the day that you aren’t actually going after that target, but you kind of want to get perilously close to that. And, you know, sometimes you goof and you go over and people get really upset. But then over time that actually helps you, because people remember you as being fearless and as a satirical voice that’s not afraid to make fun of anything and everything. Another good rule of thumb is don’t go political. Go after just stupidity and human foibles and you’ll be fine, you’ll never run out of ideas. But if you try to go after a left opinion or a right opinion, that’s very limited.
ing program at The Second City [a school of improvisation in Chicago], where we teach people the fundamentals of writing prose comedy, and a good number of those students have gone on to work at “The Onion.” It’s an outstanding partnership between “The Onion” and Second City.
We read in another interview that you enjoy it when !"#$#%&'%()*+)%,)-$.-/0% people take your material seriously and they share the information as truth. You mentioned earlier that you try not to Very much so. hire writers with experience in comedy writing, but you have workshops with Second City. So Do you think it’s because it has a greater imwhat sort of things do you look for? pact when it’s shared as truth? Those people don’t have any professional I’m not sure why. I just know that it really comedy writing experience, usually. We look for entertains me greatly. I think it’s because part of a certain – I say ‘we look,’ I mean I’ve been with what “The Onion” is satirizing in any of our ar“The Onion” for so long it’s hard to not talk about ticles is the idea that what you read in journalism it like I’m still with it – they look for a certain is true. It’s an indictment not only of journalism mind. They want to know that the person thinks but also mostly of the people who read it, you creatively and thinks in a funny way and can know, people who trust what they read. And so express that, and that’s a raw ability that people it’s like an indictment of the reader. Satire is fun develop over their whole lives. It’s not something when you’re knocking down the powerful and that’s going to show up on a resume, so, you the rich and the “bad guys,” but it’s really powerknow, what they look at is submissions and samful when it knocks down you. And it can be done ple writing and stuff like that. And often, too, it’s in a funny way. how they fit into the culture. So we have a thing called the writing fellowship program, where we So just calling into attention the lack of fact- bring in people. Interns are a great way for the checking that goes on? staff to sort of assess whether somebody is good. Yeah exactly, exactly. Because readers might Having them around the office is just a great way think it’s not their responsibility, it’s the respon- to assess whether somebody’s mind is kind of the sibility of the journalists to fact-check their work. right mind to be working there. So that’s kind of But there are no laws. People can write whatever how it’s done. And also when somebody does not they want, and so you the reader are responsible, have any professional comedy experience, they and let the buyer beware, you know. So whenever don’t have any bad habits. A lot of comedy that’s we can expose that, it exposes not only that fal- produced usually is done poorly and a lot of bad libility to the people but also how stupid people habits become ingrained and people go work in are. You have to be pretty stupid to not get when that system over a long period. certain things are a joke, or to not know when to have your bullshit detector active, because It’s not hard to tell that “The Onion” is the there’s a lot of it and when people miss it it’s sad most successful satire publication out there. and pathetic, and that’s something that should be What do you think sets it apart from other satirized. publications? Well, it got famous I think because it was At “The Onion,” what’s the process of com- producing work at such a high level, and sorry ing up with material? if that sounds unduly boastful, but I mean that’s Well, “The Onion” has a long-standing pro- what we were hearing in the late nineties, early cess that we’ve used for years and years and years thousands when “The Onion” was really getting that can be boiled down to the formula, quantity well-known and becoming sort of a household equals quality. We feel like the more ideas we can name. And I do still believe in that. I believe that come up with and assess, the better our chances the entertainment business ultimately is a meriare of getting really good ones. So if somebody tocracy and the good stuff is going to rise to the wants to come up with a funny idea, they can top. Other than that, I think part of what makes come up with one idea and it might be okay, but it it work is that it was original. Before “The Onion” probably won’t be because 90% of what anybody there was no newspaper parody masquerading as creates is garbage. If you came up with twenty a satire magazine or humor magazine. ideas, you might have one or two that are pretty good. So at “The Onion” every week, we have alSo you were the first? ways generated hundreds and hundreds of ideas, Yeah, there had never been a parody newspaso that we know the ones that we’re picking and per before – you know, a humor newspaper. All liking are the absolute gems that wouldn’t have humor publications were magazines or books, so been uncovered unless you had come up with five it was a new thing and that’s always huge. Espehundred of them. cially in comedy, people want the new thing beWhat is your current relationship with “The cause the number one ingredient of all comedy is Onion”? surprise. So if you’re using clichés or if you’re usMy current relationship is I don’t work at ing a tired formula or borrowing anything from “The Onion” anymore. I do have a relationship, anybody else, it’s not going to work. It has to be though. I run the Writing With The Onion train- totally fresh. And the trick with “The Onion” now
is that there are so many imitators, like yourself, that it becomes a real challenge for “The Onion” to maintain its relevance. It always evolves and always changes because every day those writers are going in there trying to come up with a fresh new funny take on whatever. Coming up with Clickhole is a great example of that: nobody was really parodying that sort of Buzzfeed click-bait culture. So doing that felt really fresh. And other publications that aren’t “The Onion” are doing that. There’s Reductress, which is a great parody of women’s magazines online that feels very fresh, and those guys got really wellknown really quickly, and they started getting book deals and TV offers. Stuff like that comes to people in comedy who blaze new trails. And there’s another great comedy website called LiarTownUSA, a blog. It’s my favorite comedy website. It’s just strikingly original; every new post is like a crazy parody of something you’ve never seen parodied before, and that’s so exciting to see. You just always have to assess where things are at every day and say, “Ok, what needs to be made fun of today?” You know, just look at the whole world. And it’s easy to get trapped into formats and templates and molds, but ultimately that’s not going to be what succeeds with audiences. Rapid fire question section. Starting off, of course we need to know, what is your zodiac sign? Pisces. I wish I didn’t know that, I really do. What is your favorite processed food? That’s such an interesting question. I don’t eat any processed food. You didn’t have a favorite as a child? Well, if you want to go back in time. I would go with Keebler soft batch chocolate chip cookies in a bag. I used to microwave them and they were great. What is your favorite color? My son asks me that question all the time, and my answer to him is always that I like all the colors. It depends on what combination they’re in. What about your favorite section of “The Onion”? The editorial section. Is there a current song you’re jamming to lately? I guess Marty Sexton. I’ve been listening to his first album. What is your writing alias if you could have one? Your ghost writer name? I’ve used so many over the years. I mean, “The Onion” is a great one. No bylines ever go on “The Onion”; it comes from “The Onion.” So I’ll go with that one. And I obviously don’t use it anymore. Are you the one that came up with the name? No, I was part of the group that did, and my opinion was that I liked it. But I wasn’t the ultimate decision-maker on that. What is your relationship with your Wikipedia page? It is one of absolute ignorance and disconnect. And, finally, do you have a satirical headline that best describes your life? I’ve never thought about that. Give me a moment. How about “Area loner hates you”?
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Kozol talks inequality in schools crime log Continued from page 1 Mr. Kozol’s points were fervently delivered. He emphasized the loyalty black leaders have shared with him, explaining the misconception that some white people believe that if they were to teach and break the curriculum in a black school, they would be shunned by the black community. “Black parents aren’t stupid. If they think they’re fighting for your children they’ll fight for you,” he declared. In much of Mr. Kozol’s talk, he pointed to actual inequalities between suburban and inner city public schools: the disparities in funding, the lack of early education for most children, the business-oriented education models the Common Core sets, and the exam-driven system that boggles down teachers to test to a very limited slice of skills, thus thwarting child spontaneity and curiosity. The disparity in funding between inner and suburban districts is evident to anyone who compares affluent suburban schools with the schools that serve the black and brown, he explained. In highlighting how critical early age development for children is, he asked the audience, “how many of you have read about this importance in a psychology class?” He responded, “don’t believe anything the governors say about universal Pre-K”—pausing again with a sly smile before continuing… “even if they’re Democrats.” The affluent middle class an buy developmental education for their children, but inner city kids receive almost nothing. . He looked around somberly, sighed an exasperated sigh, and continued, “I don’t know quite how to say it, but it’s pretty evil to rob these children in their years of early innocence and then tell them that they’re failing when they’re taking the tests.”
Mr. Kozol went on to condemn the test-taking system, using censuring epithets like “evil,” “a mistake,” and “awful.” Discussing the nervous attitudes inner-school, test-driven teachers often adopt, he explained how shutting down a child can discourage them from speaking out again in a voice of authenticity, spontaneity, or curiousness. “It’s a good way of measuring the success of salesmanship at Walmart but it’s a terrible way to judge the capaciousness and intellect in children.” The address ended with a lofty vision of the steps Mr. Kozol would take toward equality if he had the power. “I’d pour that money into giving the poorest children in America a class size of no larger than 18…but I’m not the President.” In spite of the lack of progress in the 50 years Mr. Kozol has been fighting against racial inequality in the public school system, students appeared to come out galvanized by the size of the task. Pablo Zevallos ‘16 reflected on what achieving equality will look like: “Closing the achievement gap by race and class will take more than piecemeal, feel-good efforts. It’ll demand wholesale change that stems from a collective examination of conscience and a dialogue of reckoning about the wrongs inflected on our system and our citizens. That doesn’t mean we don’t have a path forward, and Kozol inspires me to keep taking steps down this path, appreciate the small victories, and keep my eyes on the prize.” Madi Driscoll ‘16 voiced her excitement for the future. “I think there’s room for more solutions than Mr. Kozol seemed to, but his dedication to bettering public education was inspiring and I can’t wait to get to work.” Bridget Lavender ‘18 suggested a way to stay optimistic: “Think of the fact that educators like Kozol and other teachers that he was talking about are literally making worlds of difference because if they can affect one child that is the child’s entire world.”
Writers discuss truth versus fact in literary arts MELANIE REIMER Staff Writer On Monday, four distinguished literary artists gathered to discuss the ethics of literature in an event titled The Good Writer: Literary Ethics & the Literary Artist. Located in Chambers Hance Auditorium and co-sponsored by the Vann Center for Ethics and the English Department, the panel discussion tackled issues regarding the role of truth in literary art. The forum began with an introduction of the panelists, which revealed the high degree of talent and insight that sat before the audience. The first introduction went to Amy Bagwell, a poet and mixed-media artist based in Charlotte. Bagwell is the founder of The Wall Poems of Charlotte, an organization that seeks to increase access to poetry by creating poetry murals in public spaces. The next artist, Jeff Jackson, is an author and playwright from Charlotte who has received numerous acclamations for his works. His latest novel, “Mira Corpora,” is a finalist for the “Los Angeles Times” Book Prize. Two of Davidson’s own professors participated in the discussion. L. Lamar Wilson, Visiting Assistant Professor of English, is the author of “Sacrilegion”, a collection of poetry that won the Carolina Wren Press Poetry Series award. He specializes in multi-ethnic American literature as well as queer theory and race and gender studies. The final panelist, Alan Michael Parker, is the Douglass C. Houchens Professor of English at Davidson. He is the author or editor of 15 books and has written over 200 poems and stories, and has recieved an extensive list of awards and acclamations, including three Pushcart Prizes and two inclusions in Best American Poetry. In his introduction, Parker admitted that he liked to tell stories as a child, which often got him into trouble. The time he spent in his room and the library as a consequence for his bad behavior ultimately led to his interest in books. This anecdote initiated discussion about the role of lying in
literary works and the degree to which it is considered ethical. Wilson pointed out that the word “lie” misrepresents the work of literary artists. Instead, they agreed that the obligation of an artist is to seek a “greater emotional truth” rather than stick to hard facts. Bagwell argued that “the truth is more interesting than facts because facts change with time.” She referenced the historical view of the earth as a flat surface in order to demonstrate the way in which facts change as human understanding develops. The panelists did not overtly define the term “greater emotional truth”; however, their discussion suggested that the truth they seek in their art is the accurate representation of an experience, identity, or narrative. “We are all existentially trapped in our own circumstances, and art is a way in which we can expand ourselves… and have empathy for different situations and people,” Jackson stated. Naturally, the conversation drifted to the ethical limits that artists face when representing an experience that they have not encountered themselves. Wilson offered a unique perspective, explaining that his cultural identity and literary interests motivate him to give voice to the African American community, rather than just to himself. “I try to speak back to history and give voice to that experience,” he remarked. Later in the discussion he added that he tries to “articulate the truth of what it feels like to be an outsider by looking at other narratives” other than his own. The artists agreed that the most important ethical component to a piece of writing is that it taps into a “genuine” and “authentic” feeling. Jackson posited that the boundary between authentic and artificial is located between “imaginatively entering someone’s identity and literally claiming someone’s history, race, or experience as your own.” Furthermore, Parker argued that the artist cannot “lay claim to a wisdom without investing time and wrestling with it.” The forum concluded with a question posed to the audience: “Why do we assume poetry is true, and should we hold it to that expectation?”
Time
Description / Location
10/14/15 at 1052-1059 hrs
Miscellaneous Suspicious Person in the Library. Inactive.
10/17/15 at 0128 hrs
Underage Consumption at Richardson. Dean Referral.
10/17/15 at 0150 hrs
Underage Consumption at Richardson. Dean Referral.
10/17/15 at 2036 hrs
Weapon on School Property/Poss. Of Marijuana/Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia/Poss of Spirituous Liquor Underage/Poss of Malt Beverage Underage/ Poss/Distribute Altered/Fictitious/ Recovered Drivers License at Chidsey Hall South. Further Investigation.
10/18/15 at 0302 hrs
Underage Consumption at Akers. Dean Referral.
10/17/15 at 2355 hrs
Underage Consumption at Fiji. Dean Referral.
College plans Sustainability Week Continued from page 1 developed by a team of students. In addition to creating increased awareness surrounding sustainable food practices in and around the school community, Sustainability Week and Foodscape provide interactive opportunities for the students and school community members to discover how their actions play into the overall sustainability of the campus. “The food system has become invisible now,” said Kaity Anstrom ‘15, who works in the Sustainability Office. “You just go to restaurants and the food is there. There’s no story anymore behind the food. There’s no connection to who grows it, who ships it, who prepares it, and especially what happens after the food has been eaten. We’re all aware of the pollution and effects of pesticides and herbicides but the connection [to the food system] isn’t actually made. People don’t think that they can contribute to the Sustainability Office, but in reality every single group has something that they can contribute that relates to sustainability.” To kick off the week, the Sustainability Office will hold an open house in its new location, formerly where Lula Bell self-service laundry facilities resided. This will be followed by an event at Vail Commons about the amount of water used to grow and prepare different foods available at
dinner. It is possible that the directors of the documentary film “Food Chains: The Effects of the Supermarket Industry on Farm Laborer Rights” will come to campus to give a talk as part of the week. However, this might not take place until the following week. The Environmental Action Coalition (EAC) has chosen to emphasize the water usage component of food and sustainability. Secretary Neesha Basnyat `18 said, “We usually have our energysaving competition ‘Do It in the Dark’ in the fall and our water awareness campaign in the spring, but almost all of North Carolina is in a drought right now, even after the hurricane. We decided that our efforts this fall would probably be better put to conserving water.” “We’ll be working with Commons to provide information about the different water usages of different foods and we’ll be constructing a visual representation of water usage daily activity, like showering or flushing the toilet,” said EAC President Laura George `16. DAWG (Davidson Animal Welfare Group), a student group, will sponsor two events. “First, we are encouraging students to take a 3, 5, or 7 day Veg Challenge to raise awareness about the devastating environmental effects of animal agriculture,” President Bridget Lavender ‘16 said. “We are also hosting a screening of Cowspiracy, a documentary that looks at those environmental effects and how our diets can save the world.”
Students compost food waste in Commons. Photo by Scott Cunningham.
living davidson Lady Gaga resurrects American Horror Story? *+,-%.+/+%01230%43%!"#$%&'() *+$$+$),-+$./)*+-#05%621%40%41% 7382/9:% !"#$%&'()( !"#$$%&'(")' For the avid American Horror Story (AHS) fan, each new season of the anthology series comes with a feeling of excitement and hesitation. Hesitation because with each new season of the series, it seems the quality only decreases. However unanimous this idea may be within the fandom, show creator and producer Ryan Murphy’s consistent use of the same character archetypes with each season and similar themes has not hurt the size of his audience. The first episode of the current Hotel season garnered the second highest rating with adults 18-49 for a primetime series on premiere night, reports Variety.com. The biggest difference (and possibly the reason for the high ratings) between this season and seasons past is that Lady Gaga has joined the cast to replace Jessica Lange in portraying the matriarchal role. For many, the addition of such a big star is the source of excitement and hesitation this season. There is great potential for the change to be astronomically successful, but one must worry. This is Gaga’s first big acting gig – will she pull it off? In the first two episodes that have aired, we seem to have gotten our answer. Hotel has started off very strong, largely due to the powerful presence that is Lady Gaga. Gaga plays the Countess, the owner of the ominous Hotel Cortez. In the first scene featuring Gaga, while she barely has any lines, her character’s power and influence is very clear.
Without giving too much away, the Countess’ introductory scene features a whole lot of nudity, sex, murder and piercing looks only Gaga could give. There is no denying Gaga’s ability to hold the viewer’s focus, making her a very good selection for Lange’s typical role. However, Gaga’s star power and talent alone cannot save AHS from going in a downward spiral. The current season, Hotel, feels eerily similar to the series’ first season, posthumously titled Murder House. Season One is hands down my personal favorite iteration of the anthology series, but the similarity worries me. In the same way that those who died in Murder House will always live on in the home, it seems that may be the case at the Hotel Cortez. Murphy is known for reusing old ideas, as is clear from the characters in each different season of AHS. Each new setting of AHS is accompanied by the same basic breakdown of characters. So, while Hotel has the great fearful, shocking, and sultry appeal that Murder House had, it worries me that this may mean the season will not be incredibly original as it continues on. All that being said, I am thoroughly enjoying this season thus far. Last season Murphy revealed that the seasons are actually in fact connected somehow. So maybe the themes present in both Hotel and Murder House will be purposeful – maybe the two seasons are connected in some way that has not yet been revealed to us. For now, if you’ve enjoyed previous seasons of AHS, I recommend you watch Hotel. While it may feel quite familiar, the season has started out very strongly. Lady Gaga has proved her ability to carry the matriarchal role, but will she be able to save the series from its continuous decline? Only time will tell. You can catch future episodes of American Horror Story: Hotel Wednesdays at 10pm on FX.
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perspectives
page 5 October 21, 2015
Davidson’s obligation to divest: A fight for our integrity !""#$%#&'(!
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ntegrity defines our school’s character. Unguarded computers, take-home tests and Facebook posts in class pages reporting lost $20 bills demonstrate a widespread adherence to the honor code. The needblind admission policy and foundation of the Davidson Trust exemplify our commitment to doing the right thing, regardless of the financial expense. Davidson celebrates a common respect for moral principles and maintains a dedication to providing an education infused with the development and examination of character. There exists a profoundly intimate relationship between any institution and its funding, and our current financial backing betrays our values. Few dispute the effect that the consumption of fossil fuels has on global climate change, and even fewer deny the damage that the collection of oil, coal, and natural gas has on the surrounding environment. The burning of fossil fuels contributes to warmer temperatures, higher ocean levels, habitat degradation and destruction, species extinction, and increases in frequency and severity of ‘natural’ disasters. Hydraulic fracturing (or
“fracking”) and mountaintop removal destroy habitats and contaminate water systems. These repercussions will continue to deprive communities around the world of habitable land, clean water, an adequate food supply, and access to basic resources. According to a 2014 report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an organization established by the United Nations Environment Progamme, “Risks are unevenly distributed and are generally greater for disadvantaged people and communities in countries at all levels of development,” showing that the fossil fuel industry not only robs the world of a secure future, but takes disproportionately from those who have the least and are least able to advocate for themselves. This injustice is not a side effect or an occasional byproduct of the industry, but rather the business model. Communities of people suffer and will continue to suffer the consequences of the decisions made by the fossil fuel industry, whose profits contribute to Davidson’s endowment. The endowment exists to protect the long term financial stability of our institution, but in preparing for the future, our endowment also funds its harm. About 2-3% of our endowment has been invested in the fossil fuels industry. Opponents of fossil fuel divestment cite feasibility as a grounds for their objections, but research sug-
gests that divestment would not reduce investment returns. RBC Asset Management, a private Canadian investment firm, used four comparisons, including those of indices (a measure of change in financial markets), mutual funds and hypothetical stock to determine the effects of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) on investment returns, both in the United States and in Canada. In a recent article titled “Does Socially Responsible Investing Hurt Investment Returns?”, RBC Asset Management published its conclusions, stating “The chief finding of this research is that socially responsible investing does not result in lower investment returns”. In a 2014 analysis, “How and Why Socially Responsible Investing Differs from Conventional Strategies,” Envestnet, a Chicago-based investment firm, shared the results of a study comparing the performance of SRI and non-SRI mutual funds, finding “that SRI and non-SRI fund performances are nearly identical at the mean” and that “on average, socially conscious investing does ‘no harm’ relative to unconstrained, conventional investing”. The funding from fossil fuel corporations taints the integrity of our institution. The claim that the school cannot afford to divest fails to resolve a question of morality with an unfounded financial argument. Critics argue that fossil fuel divestment would
have little impact on the environment, but this notion misrepresents divestment as an alternative to environmental advocacy or action. The two are not mutually exclusive; the fossil fuel divestment campaign functions independent, not instead of, sustainability advocacy. Opponents also argue that Davidson’s divestment will have little direct impact on fossil fuel corporations. This assertion does not form or contribute to an argument against divestment. I support divestment not because of what it means for the stock market, but for Davidson. An interest in defending the integrity of our school, above all else, motivates the fossil fuel divestment campaign. The fossil fuel divestment movement continues to grow. The more institutions that choose to divest, the stronger the social, political and economic impacts will be. If we as a community take our commitment to integrity seriously, and I firmly believe that we do, we owe it to ourselves to seize the opportunity to be leaders in a movement for climate justice. Emma Tayloe `19 is undeclared from Arlington, Virginia. Contact her at emtayloe@davidson.edu
“Overcommited”, or experiential learner?
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t a recent Davidson Perspectives dinner, a classmate made a comment that I have heard many times before: Davidson students are over-committed. An administrator gave this comment a standing ovation. I don’t disagree, but I also don’t think students are the problem. As a senior reflecting back on my years at Davidson, I’m realizing that much of my learning has taken place outside the parameters of my formal education - that is, in the experiences for which I do not receive course credit. Interestingly, these skills are also what I’m drawing upon most heavily as I write cover letters and prepare for job interviews. Is it just me, or is something off here? I am not saying this to discount the quality of my education. My English major has given me a strong basis in critical thinking, analysis, and communication, all skills that will serve me well going forward. That said, as I’m crafting cover letters, I’m talking about what leading a group of students to plan Dinner at Davidson and other SGA initiatives has taught me about people management. I’m talking about how working at the Writing Center has taught me to quickly analyze a client’s needs and teach him or her how to communicate more effectively. I’m talking about my experience studying abroad in Nicaragua - not the “studying” part, but the “abroad” part, and how living in a developing country developed my capacity to take risks, adapt to new challenges, and communicate with people from different life
experiences. So if these experiences constitute some of my most informative learning experiences, why didn’t I get credit for any of them? (Okay, I got credit in Nicaragua, but not, primarily, from the parts I’m talking about). I’m not the only person asking this question. In “Disrupting Ourselves: The Problem of Learning in Higher Education,” Randy Bass, Associate Provost at Georgetown University, draws attention to a list of “high-impact practices” that the National Survey of Student Engagement has shown to be highly correlated with powerful learning outcomes. The list includes experiences like learning communities, collaborative projects, community-based learning, study abroad, and internships. Bass notes that the majority of these experiences are located in the co-curriculum (things you do outside of class), or in exceptional courses, like first-year seminars, rather than at the core of the undergraduate academic experience. From my vantage point as a senior, Bass’s assessment seems to accurately reflect my academic experience. I’ve gotten plenty from my coursework, but my most transformative learning experiences have taken place at the margins of my schoolwork, or even completely outside of it. My activities outside the classroom are spaces where I learn how to work with others and explore new challenges, spaces where, as an educator friend recently put it, “you go to fill a need that isn’t being filled by the classroom.” At a school as work-intensive as Davidson, every opportunity I take outside of the classroom competes for time I otherwise spend on academics, not to mention the time I spend taking care
the davidsonian staff editors-in-chief news editors living davidson editor
:LOO 0F'XIÀH Michelle Wan Mary Click Kate McNaughton Sophia Guevara
perspectives editor
Will Weisgerber
yowl editor
Sophie McHugh
sports editors
Ethan Faust Jason Feldman
photo editors
Scott Cunningham Shea Parikh
web editors
graphic design editor
Sabrina Cheema Emily Kent Bridget Lavender Sophia Smith
of myself as a human. If we acknowledge co-curricular spaces as sites of learning, rather than academic distractions, the question becomes not “why are students so overcommitted?” but “why is our institution organized in a way where making the most of diverse learning opportunities requires students to take on so many commitments on top of their coursework?” If we acknowledge the inherent learning value in students’ experiences outside of their coursework, then addressing the problem of mental health on campus requires more than the counseling center and campus conversations - it requires addressing institutional structure and the disparate values placed on different aspects of our learning lives. If we think of co-curricular experiences as “texts,” like course readings, that can be analyzed to make meaning, then a re-centered course might ask students to integrate those texts with theory and reflection to maximize the learning outcomes of naturally skill-building activities. At least one course like this exists at Davidson. Stacy Riemer’s “Theoretical Explorations of Community Engagement” course asks students to take on community-based volunteer internships and reflect on their experiences in journals. There may be a few courses with similar methods, but they are anomalies in our curriculum. Adding more credit-granting courses like this one would both recognize the learning that students are doing outside the classroom and enhance the quality of that learning. This semester, on top of a few activities I have participated in consistently, I’m taking on two additional opportunities outside the classroom that will take up time and energy: Leadership
Davidson, where I’m working with classmates and a mentor to integrate my experiences in campus leadership, and openIDEO, where I’m learning design thinking methodology and collaborating with classmates to prototype new visions of college affordability. Each of these programs represents time I can’t spend preparing for class, which might, ultimately, impact my GPA - but I’ve done the calculations, and I can spare a few hundredths of a point. The skills I’m gaining through these two experiences are going to be more useful to me in the long run than some of the individual courses from which I’m getting the illusive credit. So maybe I’m the kid who makes Deans of Students everywhere weep, the prototypical overcommitted student on this campus. I would define myself differently. I’m an engaged learner, eager to challenge myself to acquire a variety of skills in diverse contexts and reflect on my learning at every step along the way. And sometimes, when I’m not doing that, I do my homework. Interested in talking to students, faculty, and staff about your own academic experience and helping us imagine alternative forms of scholarship? Join the Digital Learning Research and Design staff for the Alternative Scholarship Design Challenge on Thursday, November 6 from 4-7 pm in Studio D, with dinner provided. Twelve student spots are available. Sign up here: http:// goo.gl/forms/Ys9j5WbhKv. Emily Rapport `16 is an English major from Bexley, Ohio. Contact her at emrapport@davidson.edu
THE RADISH ISSUE Woodrow Wilson Emerges From The Davidson Well: “I Never Really Left”
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Union Board Makes Plans To Blow Entire Budget On Life-Sized BeyBlade Rink
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System Glitch Causes Party City To Bulk Order Sexy Cat Stevens Costumes In Lieu Of Sexy Cats
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Classics Professor Revealed To Be The Author Of Every Yak Ever
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Bronze Wildcat Statue Clenches Paw and Whispers “Soon”
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Davidson Fun Inflation Lowest In The Nation
Student Finds Photo of Self in 1972 Yearbook
In a recent report by “U.S. News and World Report,” Davidson College was rated the lowest in the nation for fun inflation. Davidson has finally beat out institutions such as West Point and the Eastern Piedmont Penitentiary for having the least amount of all-American fun. This new ranking is a monumental achievement for the college, as there is a trend among other colleges to have more cheery and relaxed attitudes. The college’s number one status really shows how much the administration cares about distinguishing Davidson from other learning institutions. This comes as no surprise to the administration nor to the student body. Overcommitted English major Jeremy Clarkson ‘17 said, “Yeah, I could totally see how ‘U.S. News would give us this ranking. I mean, I haven’t been to a party in over a year and a half.” In another testimony, Jenny Macbeth ‘16, seen studying at 3 a.m. in the basement of the library said, “It’s time like these when I’ve spent the past 30 hours
It’s been said that everything happens for a reason. In the case of Patrick Brennan ‘19, perhaps that’s true. If Brennan hadn’t been assigned an ungodly amount of philosophy homework, he wouldn’t have been hankering down in the Union. If he hadn’t been in the Union, he wouldn’t have become distracted by the arsenal of old yearbooks kept on the top floor. And if he hadn’t begun perusing these yearbooks, he wouldn’t have made a lifechanging discovery. “I was flipping through the 1972 yearbook because, I don’t know, I’ve always been drawn to that year for some reason,” Brennan explained. “I’d just finished mentally deciding which chicks were shagadelic on each page when something caught my eye. Me! I caught my eye!” It was right after Brennan decided that he would “definitely boogie down” on Chelsea Newcomb ‘72 that he saw his own portrait grinning back at him from page 42. “I seemed like a pretty cool dude back in the ‘70s. I was in Pizza Kappa Pizza before it was kicked off campus, and I “I seemed like a pretty cool had some far out hair.” The Yowl is not one to dude back in the ‘70s. I was in believe every time-travel rePizza Kappa Pizza Before it was lated tale we hear, so we sent a correspondant to discuss kicked off campus, and I had the matter with someone some far out hair” who could verify Brennan’s existance in 1972. “Wow, Patrick Brennan? That takes me back,” reminisced Professor Vanthony Echols, who had Brennan as a student in his philosophy class in 1971. “Good kid. Really hard worker, always willing to help out a friend in need. Tragedy what happened to him though. He was so young.” Brennan, meanwhile, was ecstatic. “I’ve had a really rough first year. I feel like everyone here ignores me, and I haven’t gotten any grades back so I don’t know how I’m doing in any of my classes. I know it hasn’t even been a semester yet, but for some reason I feel like I’ve been here for decades. Anyway, finding that picture of myself and seeing how happy I looked back in ‘72 cheered me up a bit.” Even more exciting is the sheer amount Brennan is featured in Quips & Cranks 1972. He not only has a stunning senior portrait, but also can be found in the club soccer team photo, the obituary section, and in a student life picture from the school dance. The Yowl can confirm: 1972 Patrick sure was happy! At press time, Brennan was seen trying to greet his roommate, who simply walked right through him and shivered.
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Disappointed Squirrel Reincarnates As A Squirrel Yet Again
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Polls Show That The Small Mouse on Clinton’s Shoulder Swept Democratic Party Debates
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Overheard on Campus “Anyone got a snake?” “Please help me I’ve been stuck here for hours.” “Lucy, I didn’t know you felt that way. Honest.” “It would be cool if leg hair were velvet.” “At least bring me a glass of water maybe? I’m so thirsty.” “Eat my shorts, Aquaman.” “What are you writing? Help...”
Your Davidson Honor Section
Editor: Sophie “Saxophone” McHugh Writers: Peter “Not A Biscuit“ Bowman Scott “The Union” Dikkers Lawton “Peacoat” Kariher Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian. Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth. Though really, what is truth but a concept created by humans to cope with the reality of lies?
“It’s times like these when I’ve spent the past 30 hours working on homework that I feel like the school is doing a great job preparing us for the real world.” working on homework that I feel like the school is doing a great job preparing us for the real world.” In colleges across the United States, fun inflation rates have hit an all-time high to help make their colleges appear more competitive to prospective students. However, in recent years Davidson has fought back against this trend by instituting strict anti-play policies, citing ethical reasons behind the artificially raised fun levels. In an interview with President Quillen, she stated the following: “Davidson has traditionally been a very unenthusiastic and uptight community. We can’t in good faith allow the school to follow the carefree and fun-loving path that other learning institutions are taking.” President Quillen has not only talked about anti-fun policy but has implemented multiple programs to get levels of fun low. With the newest mandated policy of 60 hours of outside-of-class homework per week, the college plans to “really show these kids a thing or two about how life truly works.” Other proposed program initiatives include stress stations, where your parents are Skyped in to look over your grades, and abundant fliers reminding you of that upcoming test.
The Onion Founder Not Satirist; Actually Prophet Since its founding in 1989, “The Onion” has been touted as “America’s Finest News Source,” a tagline widely understood—at least until recently—to be a joke. Recently, however, mounting evidence has begun to suggest that the headlines of this fake news outlet may contain more truth than anyone had previously imagined. It began with an inconspicuous article buried in the Politics section in 2013 claiming that Vice President Joe Biden was building a high-end ice cream stand for the White House despite President Obama’s serious misgivings. Several months ago, however, leaked documents revealed that Biden began consulting aides and advisors about the feasibility of such a plan two weeks after the article debuted. This seeming coincidence was only the beginning. Throughout the past two years, “Onion” articles have been foretelling real events with uncanny precision. For instance, men purchasing sports cars recorded significant growth to their genitalia following a similar “Onion” article published in January of 2014. Examples of “The Onion’s” prophetic power abound: following an “Onion” article, scientists in Sweden discovered the inverse relationship between the length of a Starbucks order and the IQ of the consumer, major film studios have come forth
“Ben Carson has published a book of nursery rhymes for children entitled ‘God Sees You When You Dream’ — the same day ‘The Onion’ suggested its existence.”
with a resolution not to kill off minority characters first in horror flicks, and a local man has started blaming Millennials for his inability to get up from his own couch. More recently, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson has published a book of nursery rhymes for children entitled “God Sees You When You Dream”—the same day “The Onion” suggested its existence. Despite a growing body of evidence that “The Onion” is channeling some sort of supernatural ability to influence the world with the content of its articles, so far founding prophet Scott Dikkers has disregarded such claims as mere superstition. Asked about it during a recent lecture at Duke University, Dikkers said, “Sure, I took a few courses in tasseography and augury in college, but to say that ‘The Onion’ somehow influences the fabric of reality—now that’s just silly. Reality is absurd enough without our help.” Only totalitarian governments used to take “The Onion” seriously, but now the entire world is growing wary of Dikkers and his staff of unlikely clairvoyants. Rumors have been circulating that President Obama will hold closed-door meetings with Dikkers and that “The Onion” headquarters has been upgrading the security of its facilities.
sports
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Golf team opens new state-of-the-art practice facility !"#$"%&'" !"#$$%&'(")'
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avidson’s golf team celebrated the opening ceremony of its new facility at River Run Country Club this past weekend. The new facility, made possible by generous donations, has large implications for the golf program. On Saturday present and former golfers gathered together at River Run for a ceremonial dinner. “It’s special when you are able to have an alumni dinner like Saturday and connect with generations of Davidson golfers,” David Sargent ’16 said. “It was an unforgettable night, and a celebration of the history of this program.” An opening statement by Davidson College’s President Quillen spoke of the new facility as supporting the mission of Davidson College to integrate high-level academics and athletics. Two Davidson golf team alums, Ben Vernon ‘50 and Graham Keith ‘54—who have made the dream of this facility a reality—received Lifetime Achievement Awards for their extensive support. “The opening of the Davidson College Golf House at River Run on Saturday night was a huge success” reflected head coach Tim Straub, who has been in his position for 16 years. “This facility will greatly enhance our player development and our recruiting efforts. We can’t thank our supporters enough for making this facility a reality.” Davidson’s golf team has long been utilizing River Run’s courses for training; however, the new facility makes this space more beneficial to the golfers for practice and competition. The facility includes three new state of the art heated hitting bays with the necessary technological equipment to analyze swings, an indoor putting green, a locker room and a player lounge. Senior Alex Nianouris ’16 excitedly remarked, “it is as good— if not better—than any facility in the country.” Before the opening of this facility harsh weather conditions impacted the players’ abilities to practice; now the players can hit indoors and keep up their muscle memory, especially during winter months. In the past if players wanted to hit somewhere other than River Run’s range, they would use the Covington course on campus. However, the conditions of the course weren’t as good as those at the high-level tournaments the team competes in. The new facility can therefore better simulate tournament-like conditions. The facility grants the team the freedom to practice on its own time. River Run has been generous in letting the team use its practice area and course, but the players were still limited as to
what they could do. Now that they have a space that is entirely theirs, it means that if they want to hit balls for a few hours, they can do it without taking up space from River Run’s members. Having a space which they don’t feel as obligated to share or limit their use of is essential for their ability to practice and improve. Looking forward for the program, the new facility should aid in the recruiting process and make the team more competitive. A recruit in the past who was considering Davidson might have chosen a larger school with a similar facility, but now will get a similar, if not better, type of facili-
ty at Davidson. Davidson’s new facility will allow the golf program to compete on par with most high-level programs in the country. This year four freshmen were recruited for the class of 2019 who can make an impact on the program and give the team the building blocks it needs for the years to come. One of those newcomers, Mike Blasey ’19, was selected Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for his play at Georgia State’s tournament. He currently leads the team with a 73.4 stroke average. Players remark that the team is a cohesive and tight-nit group. Regarding the team’s dynamic
this season and the development of this new facility, Sargent said, “the facility will bring us even closer together.” Davidson’s Golf team returns to competition on Oct. 25-26, at the Bridgestone Golf Collegiate hosted by UNCG, before taking a competitive hiatus until the Atlantic 10 Match Play Championship in February. The team has played two matches so far this fall, at Duke and Wake Forest. The Tar Heel Intercollegiate at UNC was cancelled due to weather.
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Morris approaches Davidson receiving records in senior season '&('#)*%+*% !)*(+'%!"#$$%&'(")'
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illiam Morris ’16 lives football. The senior wide receiver has been playing the game since he was in middle school. He is from a football high school in a football town in a football state. He even comes from a football family. His older brother, Chris, played football at Yale. Two of his cousins played at Southern Methodist University and yet another suited up for Rice. Even his uncle played football at Penn. But perhaps most importantly, William’s father, Jim, has coached him in the game since he was a kid. “My dad was and always will be my coach,” Morris said. With football running in his blood and his father’s advice ringing in his ears, Morris took on the exciting and challenging task of playing bigtime Texas high school football at the very successful Highland Park High School. In the region of “Friday Night Lights,” everyone plays or watches football. The storied program at Highland Park has produced NFL players such as the Lions’ Matthew Stafford and is coached by Texas football legend Randy Allen. Pressures abounded but Morris and the Fighting Scots went 24-2 in his two years on varsity. From primetime high school football to Davidson was a tough transition for Morris, but he believes it worked out for both him and the Wildcats. “I think I brought a lot to the team coming from a high school that had won a lot,” Morris
explained. “Yes, it’s been a process but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’ve really enjoyed it.” His stats reflect an enjoyable transition, too. After appearing in all 11 games and catching 10 passes in his freshman season in 2012, Morris broke out in his sophomore year, leading the Pioneer Football League with 1,090 yards receiving and being named Honorable Mention All-Conference. That total was also good for 16th in the nation and third all time for a Davidson wide receiver. After that breakout season, Morris began to receive more attention from opposing defenses as a junior. Still, he had another record year, totaling 1,224 yards, with five games over the century mark including 208 yards against Virginia Military Institute and three touchdowns in a thrilling loss to Dayton. But his focus this year in his final season remains getting the team wins instead of piling up personal stats. After totaling just over 100 yards in his first three games combined, Morris broke out for 114 yards and two touchdowns in a home loss to Valparaiso. Still not happy about that game, Morris says he got much greater satisfaction from catching the winning touchdown pass against Kentucky Wesleyan in the Wildcats first win of the season just a week later. “It was a completely different feeling [from the Valparaiso game],” Morris said. “You take the win every single time.” “It was really special for the team,” he added. “I don’t care about catching the touchdown but it was just so great to celebrate with the guys afterward. Getting to feel that win just motivates and
drives us to want more of those.” The senior chalks much of his improvement up to his coaches. “I came in with some raw talent but had a bunch of great coaches that have taught me a lot,” Morris said. “Route running has gotten better, strength has improved, and timing has been huge for my four years here. It happens in the summer and the spring, preparing has transformed my game.” That preparation is how Morris has been able to stay productive despite a revolving door at quarterback over the last few years. “With Taylor [Mitchell, this year’s starting QB] and other guys before him, we put in a lot of work both during practice and after, getting some routes in to make sure everything hits,” Morris said. And that’s advice that Morris, as a senior leader of the receiving corps, has been trying to pass on to his younger wide outs. “For the receivers, making sure we get our work in during practice to prepare and get our timing right is key,” Morris said. “We try to get the young guys staying after practice catching balls and it definitely showed off this weekend.” Indeed, Morris and company hauled in 16 passes for over 200 yards in the losing effort at Butler this past weekend. But the senior won’t be satisfied with a solid outing that still results in an L on the schedule. “We want to win every game we play and we take it one week at a time,” he said. “Every Saturday is a great opportunity for us.” Morris believes that if his Wildcat receiving corps can keep the offense ticking, the team will be in a great position to add more wins in its five
remaining games. “Our biggest focus now is being consistent,” he explained. “Putting points on the board will be huge for our defense to keep us in games and give us momentum.” “We want to send the senior class out with some wins to reward the guys who have stuck it out for four years, and build some momentum for the future,” Morris said. With that momentum, he believes the Davidson football program can turn the corner and become a PFL power. “This is going to be a fun place to play, especially when we start winning, since we’re right about to turn the corner,” he explained. “It’s a great time to be a part of the Davidson football program. The future is really bright for us.” And the future appears bright for Morris himself. The economics major plans to hang up his football cleats after an historic career catching passes for the Wildcats to join the investment banking world. But for for the senior out of Highland Park, Texas, Davidson football has been more than an experience. “I just love playing the game,” he said. “Playing a sport that you love and getting to be at a place like Davidson is pretty special.”
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THE DAVIDSONIAN
William Morris continues to impress on the gridiron See Page 7
William Morris ’16 Photo by Shea Parikh
October 21, 2015