the davidsonian
OctOber 19, 2016 VOl. 112 Issue 6
The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914
Inside NEWS Davidson's own rap group releases new music video 2 LIVING DAVIDSON Staff spotlight: Eva Alvarez from Vail Commons 4 PERSPECTIVES Wells King '16 and Sarah Gustafson '14 accuse the Administration of abandoning political neutrality 3
Democratic nominee for Vice President Tim Kaine addressed the crowd outside Chambers. Photo by Abby Miller
College Dems Host Tim Kaine and Michelle Kwan as Election Nears ETHAN EHRENHAFT Staff Writer
I
t appears that no scrap of land in America is to be spared from the activities of this year’s presidential election. Last week Davidson College’s campus became an epicenter of the critical Democratic campaign in North Carolina. Students returning from Fall Break were greeted by the site of barriers and platforms being erected in front of Chambers. On Wednesday, October 12, The Democratic Party’s nominee for Vice President, Tim Kaine, and the North Carolina Democratic Party held an official campaign event at Davidson. The news generated a buzz on campus generally reserved for chicken parm at Commons or a Steph Curry visit. The rest of the week was also filled with political activity, and not all of it focused around Kaine. Numerous speakers preceded Kaine on Wednesday, including US Representative Alma Adams, North Carolina State Senator Jeff Jackson, North Carolina treasurer candidate Dan Blue III, and several members of the Davidson community. Retired Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan also made a visit to campus on Friday, as part of her role as the Surrogate Outreach
Coordinator for Hillary Clinton’s campaign. All speakers delivered powerful, direct messages, focusing on voter registration, North Carolina’s importance as a swing state, and of course, the presidential election. Volunteers moved across campus, seeking to register students who had failed to do so already. After months of watching on TV and reading about it in the papers, the Davidson community beheld the reality of the heated 2016 presidential race as it was brought literally onto the front lawn. At about 4:30 on Wednesday afternoon, video cameras from both local and national stations focused their lenses on the steps of Chambers, as the rally kicked off. American flags and Hillary campaign signs hung from Chamber’s columns. Students in the standing room section packed around a podium from which the speakers would deliver their addresses. The Nuances, one of Davidson’s acapella groups, kicked off the event with a rendition of the National Anthem, and SGA President Dara Ferguson ‘17 lead the Pledge of Allegiance. The first speaker was Sam Spencer ‘07, who has worked at every level of government over the past decade, including as a campaign manager for state and congressional elections. Spencer set the tone for the afternoon, relating Davidson’s mission to the Clinton campaign, saying that
Davidson has an obligation to keep opportunities open to all regardless of background. “Secretary Hillary Clinton’s campaign is about breaking down those barriers that separate us, that keep out opportunity out of reach for others.” Following Spencer came a string of North Carolinian politicians, all whom made clear the vital role the state plays in present day politics. Deborah Ross, Roy Cooper, and Jane Campbell were frequently mentioned as must-elect candidates. North Carolina has become one of the nation’s most important battleground states, both at the local and federal levels. It went blue for Obama in 2008, red for Romney in 2012, and prefers Clinton by several points in the current election based on the most recent polls. State Senator Jeff Jackson assured that North Carolina “will seal the deal” for Clinton’s election. Jackson, and later state treasurer Dan Blue III both praised Clinton and her record while denouncing Trump, whom Jackson called “a deeply ignorant madman.” Unity across barriers was a common theme. “[Clinton] knows as a nation we are stronger when we come together, she knows
Jules Franco '20 provides a first-year perspective on college transition 3 Emily Carrick '17 discusses activism and (dis)ability 5 Kenny Xu '19 says Davidson conservatives are a silenced minority 5 YOWL Researchers identify mysterious substance in apartment shower 6 Senior women long to return to their carefree abroad lives 6 Campus Police diffuse Samsung Galaxy Note 7 bomb 7 SPORTS Non-D1 athletes shine on campus 7
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Honor Council Speaker Series Features Coach Bob McKillop LAURA DUNNAGAN Staff Writer
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Tonight, we’re on the same team. This is our locker room, and we’ve got a game to play. And I hope in the next forty-five minutes, we are better prepared for the game of life than we are right now.” So began Mens’ Basketball Coach Bob McKillop in his lecture as part of the Honor Council Speaker Series. McKillop spoke about his experiences with honor and framed the discussion around what he established as the motto of the basketball team: trust, commitment, and care. McKillop spoke with raw honesty and intensity while discussing honor. He also spoke with religious conviction, including frequent references to his faith and the power of prayer. Instead of standing at the podium, he walked around the Lilly Gallery, interacted with students, and shared deeply personal experiences that forged a natural connection between himself and the audience. While McKillop is revered for his work with
the Davidson Men’s Basketball team, he commented that his lecture wasn’t merely “coach talk, but life talk” as he reflected on his experiences as a coach, a husband, and a father. His lecture began with a commentary about the Honor Code. “We’re all living parts of this Honor Code,” said McKillop. “We all decide whether it works or doesn’t work. And I wonder, is the Honor Code something that’s only about academics? Is the Honor Code only for you students? Does it apply to the professors? The administration? The coaches? If it applied to everyone, everyone would go home and bring the gift of the Honor Code to their family. They’d live the Honor Code amidst family, and the family would live it. And all of a sudden, it spreads like wildfire.” The focuses of the lecture were trust, commitment, and care. “TCC” has come to color not only McKillop’s personal values, but also the values he teaches to those he coaches. He commented that there is now a banner outside the locker room that his players frequently and reverently “slap,” and that TCC is so important to the culture of the basketball team that many players,
past and present, tattoo “TCC” on their bodies. Stephen Curry is one such player. To frame his speech, McKillop posed three questions to the audience: Can you be trusted to do your best? Are you committed to doing your best? Will you care and show that you care? McKillop acknowledged his own humility in regards to these values, saying, “It’s a tremendous, tremendous challenge to live [TCC] personally. Ain’t no way I’m getting a free pass to heaven, because I violate TCC more than anybody in creation. But I kept coming back to it- because of habit.” McKillop spoke of his early years at Davidson and the challenges he faced adapting to his new role. He spoke of the difficulty of putting aside ego, accepting blame and responsibility, and deciding to fully commit to the Davidson basketball program. Here, he referenced the importance of eliminating distractions, or as he refers to them, “demons,” that can destroy trust, commitment, and care. The star basketball coach frequently referenced the importance of family. He talked about his father, a New York City police officer who
lived his life with trust, commitment, and care. He spoke of his mother who taught him the importance of creating thoughtful habits. He spoke of his children, of playing basketball with and coaching his son and of regret of missed opportunities as he pursued his career at the expense of spending time with his daughter. McKillop spoke of the power of prayer, sharing an anecdote in which after hearing vile comments from another coach during a game, he prayed for the other coach, but he also prayed that his own heart to be changed. He spoke of honor in recruitment, of how important it was to practice personal honor and recognize the honor in others when building a team. When speaking of commitment, Coach McKillop discussed the importance of working through challenges instead of turning away. “Keep fighting,” advised McKillop. “Just keep fighting. Don’t try to take the easy way out.” McKillop closed his lecture with a request of
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