02-01-2017

the davidsonian

February 1, 2017 Vol. 112 Issue 11

The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914

Students Join National Movement

Inside NEWS Failure Fund offers new opportunities within Davidson I&E 2 Get It Poppin' founder Charlie Goldberg receives Avinger Scholarhsip 3 LIVING DAVIDSON Deanna Grayson examines the new art exhibition at the Visual Arts Center 4 PERSPECTIVES Sierra Ponthier '18 reflects on the value of her time in the Sustainability Co-Op 5

Davidson students traveled to Charlotte and Washington D.C. to protest Donald Trump's presidency. The marches themselves remain controversial as different groups have debated their inclusiveness and merit. Photo by Helen Mun agreed that the Women’s March did not go far enough in promoting the intersectional identities of modern feminism. sea of pink covered the National Mall in Although the event was organized by a diverse Washington, D.C. on Saturday, January national committee including Tamika D. Mallory, 21st for the highly anticipated Women’s Carmen Perez, and Linda Sarsour, as well as honMarch on Washington. About half a million peo- orary co-chairs Angela Davis, Gloria Steinem, ple joined the protest to express their solidarity and Dolores Huerta, many felt that the march in resistance to Donald Trump’s administration, did not live up to that intersectionality. The large specifically majority of targeting his marchers were misogynistic white women, remarks. That which, accordnumber far exing to some, ceeded the esrevealed the timated group privilege befor Trump’s inhind their outauguration the rage at Trump’s day before. m i s o g y ny, Messages of since women unified femiof color have nism resoundbeen experied in major encing racial cities across and gender the country, indiscriminacluding Chartion for years lotte, as multibefore the rise ple generations of Trump. Anstood together nie Sadler '17 carrying a voiced her range of signs frustration such as “Ikea with the binaMakes Betry language of ter Cabinets,” some of protest “Love Not Hate signs: equating Makes America the uterus with Great,” “You womanhood Can’t Comb reinforced a Over Misogyrigid image ny,” and “Shed of femininWalls Don’t ity instead of Build Them.” encompassing Globally, woma spectrum en showed of identities. their support Summer Abiad '17 and Elizabeth Hunter '17 at the Women's Davidson in England, March in Charlotte with handmade signs. Photo courtesy of Elizastudents who Poland, Ser- beth Hunter attended the bia, Nigeria, march and the and Hong Kong. This global message of proud talkback agreed it felt more like a parade than the resistance and solidarity was received with both protest they were hoping for. support and push-back. Some felt the Women’s Isabel Ballestor '18, although an activist, did March didn’t go far enough, while others felt it not go to the march for a number of reasons inwent too far. cluding her frustrations with it. She says, “The Davidson students came together in the fact that it’s called the ‘Women’s March’ is quite Union Atrium to respond to the march with a exclusive. Not to men necessarily, but to any nontalkback organized by Half the Sky on January cisgendered people, especially considering that 24th. Presidents Arden Simone '17 and Rachel people were marching about reproductive rights.

Ruback '17 emphasized having an open, hon- It’s important to remember that not just cis-womest conversation focused on intersectionality en need reproductive rights. Second, marching is and forming an action plan for the future. Many able-bodied privilege. There are many, many peo-

A

EMMA PETTIT Staff Writer

Srish Sharma '17, signs off as Honor Council Student Solicitor 5 YOWL

ple who wanted to be at the march, but for whom spending that much time on their feet, or trying to navigate a wheelchair or scooter or crutches, Fraudulent ballots uncovered was just not feasible.” during race for Union Board Going forward, Half the Sky and its allies President; Quillen claims "alterwant to raise awareness of Trump’s continued discrimination and how every issue is a women’s native" votes 6 issue. For example, Trump’s administration removed the Spanish option from the White House page. This affects everyone by prohibiting SpanYOWL holds moonlight vigil for ish-speaking women from understanding poliUnion's Caribbean Corner 6 cies relating to their health care, workers’ rights, and foreign policy. In reaction to this change of normative presidential behavior, faculty advisor SPORTS Dr. Rebecca Ruhlen of the Anthropology department says, “This isn’t just one president to the next; this is one regime to the next.”

Basketball superstar Steph On the other hand, some students feel that the Curry returns for dedication of Women’s March went too far. Caroline Yarbrough student section 7 '19, who supports Trump and did not attend the march, does “not think that is an effective way to bring about change.” This opinion is shared by Men's and Women's Swimming many Americans who say that the election was fair and free, and Americans who resist and still and Diving prepare for A-10 wield Hillary signs are protesting pointlessly. By Championships 7 protesting, they are disrespecting the democratic system.

Another argument is that those who resist are playing the victim and promoting an image of women as powerless and sensitive. This idea is shown in its most extreme form by conservative online personality Tomi Lahren who calls the protesters “snowflakes” to criticize their sensitivity and fear of Trump’s legitimate ad- The marches addressed a range of issues, including reproductive rights, ministration. LGBTQ+ rights, and immigration rights. Photo courtesy of Sarah Mayer She points goes too far by not recognizing and supporting out that the marchers exclude “any woman who doesn’t hold their diversity of opinion.

Overall, reactions were not satisfied, indicatfree abortion or birth control as priority one for the nation.” This is especially important with ing the necessity of an ongoing national converwomen whose faith supports both women’s rights sation about activism under the new presidency. and pro-choice opinions and feel that the march

news

Page 2 February 1, 2017

Davidson Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative Rewards Student Creativity through Unique Approach LAURA DUNNAGAN Senior Staff Writer

T

he Davidson Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative recently launched the Failure Fund, a no-strings-attached grant opportunity that allows students to experiment with creative and innovative ideas with no expectation of success.

The Failure Fund will award $150-1000 to selected applicants, who can apply on a rolling basis. Students, faculty, and staff can apply with any innovative idea. Additionally, the program has no set requirements outside of progress reports and collaboration with the I&E office. John-Michael Murphy, the Digital Learning and Innovation Fellow with Davidson I&E and coordinator of the Failure Fund, explains that the program should encourage students to leave their entrepreneurial comfort zones. “We ask students to try their best but we also ask them to take risks,” comments Murphy. “We know that in risk taking there is a large probability that even if you do everything right and you’re on top of your game, you still encounter unforeseen problems that could cause failure.”

Hannah Levinson, the Director of Davidson Innovation and Entrepreneurship, adds that this program is designed to include those who may have been previously unable to work with I&E. “We’ve structured the Failure Fund in a way that allows anyone on campus to participate — athletes, ATs, all the people with tricky schedules who haven’t been able to join other I&E programs in the past,” says Levinson. “We’re lowering the barrier to access as much as possible so that everyone feels comfortable and encouraged to test out their ideas.”

According to Levinson, the decision to call this grant opportunity the “Failure Fund” was very intentional. “We want to break down student misconceptions of failure as final,” comments Levinson. “In fact, we want to explode the myth of failure and encourage people to ‘fail forward’

— in other words, to view failure as an oppor- don’t go down in flames, but we’re comfortable tunity to learn, to grow, to apply all the valuable with growing pains.” Instead of focusing on the lessons that can be gleaned from ‘failing’ and, in success of the project, Murphy says the goal of the doing so, build better, sustainable solutions to Failure Fund is to encourage students to “become more creative, more comfortable with failure, and complex problems.”

Murphy agrees, adding that in his experience, more able to build off failure and bridge ideas.”

The Failure Fund is a new program under the Davidson students see failure as “something over which you cannot summit,” or as “some type of leadership of Davidson I&E and director Hannah defect.” According to Murphy, Davidson I&E is Levinson. As explained by Levinson, the Failure Fund is using this “an analog program for [I&E’s] to change broader this way of role at Dathinking v i d s o n .” and teach Levinson participants says that that “failI&E exists ure is im“to encourportant for age and l e a r n i n g .” support Murphy Davidson says that in broach“failure haping things pens when that are difyou’re beferently difing creative ficult and and taking uncomfortrisks, and able, but there’s nothtremening wrong dously imwith it as portant for long as you ever yone’s fail quickly, effectivelearn from ness in and the failure, ability to and recogimpact our nize it as world.” Acsomething cording to you can Levinson, build on “Being top of. Ul‘entrepret i m a t e l y The Failure Fund seeks to inspire a new form of innovation on Daneurial’ is, we hope vidson's campus through its efforts to financially support students' at its root, students’ projects. Photo courtesy by John-Michael Murphy becoming projects

and remaining a lifelong learner who’s willing to continue pushing the lien to get important things done. We’re here to create an inclusive and deep culture of innovation at Davidson.”

The Failure Fund is open to any type of project — for-profit, non-profit, individual-oriented or community-based. Tony Solis '19, the student leader for the Failure Fund, used the resources provided by I&E to start an organization to address inequity of opportunity in Chicago schools.

Solis approached Murphy and Levinson with his idea last semester and out of their collaboration came an experimental-phase for what would become the Failure Fund.

“The Failure Fund helped push me in the right direction,” says Solis. As he would send progress updates to Murphy, he would receive feedback about how to make his project as successful as possible. “The best thing was talking to JohnMichael and Hannah,” says Solis. “I found comfort in them telling me that their hope is that this works and that it doesn’t fail, but that they hope that the money makes me push myself to take these risks. If it fails, so be it, but that’s part of the Failure Fund. This is to get ideas off the ground, and if they fail that’s fine, but you at the very least know where you went wrong and what you can do better next time.”

Applications for the Failure Fund are open to all students, professors, and staff and are accepted on a rolling basis. Levinson highly encourages anyone and everyone to apply. “Don’t give up on anything that’s core to you or a problem that you’re passionate about solving,” says Levinson.

“Start working on it now, and believe me — your solutions will be more powerful in perpetuity for your trying and ‘failing’ early, often, and forward.

You are the solution. Start building today.”

Funding for the Failure Fund is provided in part by the Mellon Foundation. For more information, contact John-Michael Murphy at jmmurphy@davidson.edu or through the chat widget on innovation.davidson.edu.

Sophomore "Gets it Poppin" with Prestigious Grant for Clothing Co.

F

ETHAN EHRENHAFT Staff Writer

ounded in 2012, the Avinger Scholarship is awarded annually to Davidson students who seek to further develop a business project and pursue a future in entrepreneurship.

In order to receive the scholarship, which consists of $5,000 in funding and secured placement in the Venture Lab program, students must submit writing on their idea and go through an interview process. One of this year’s Avinger recipients was Charlie Goldberg ‘19, who runs his own clothing company, Get It Poppin, LLC. Many students may already notice Get It Poppin (GIP) merchandise sported by their classmates around campus. The name of the company stems from when Goldberg and his friends in Illinois would go to high school track meets.

One friend’s last name happened to be Corn, and the others would simply yell “get it poppin” as a joke during the meets. Little did they know they were in the process of creating a legendary brand name. Eventually the group began making custom jerseys and t-shirts for themselves, laying the foundation for what would one day become the company. In his senior year of high school, Goldberg made a website, which included videos as well as products. “It keeps me in touch with my friends from high school which is really fun,” says Goldberg regarding the company.

In the fall of 2015, Goldberg made fifty shirts which sold out rapidly to students on his freshman hall. Encouraged by how well the shirts did, his high school group met last spring during a camping trip and decided to make the company official. Over the summer of 2016 they got a lawyer and set up an LLC for Get It Poppin. Throughout the summer they worked on developing a clothing line, rebuilt the website, and put out advertising. Then, they connected with a real estate firm who helped them set up a pop-up

store in Chicago.

Setting up and running the pop-up store was an incredibly impactful experience for Goldberg.

From August 1st through the 6th Goldberg and his friends prepped the store and also had to insure the space themselves. They replaced the ceiling, redid the walls, and set up all of the store’s fixtures. The shop was then open from August 6th through the 14th. During that time they also met with other independent Chicago-based independent clothing designers and local entrepreneurs, including the founder of Chicago brand Leaders.

GIP is constantly working on developing new clothing items and ways to promote its brand through social media and word of mouth advertising. Photo courtesy of Charlie Goldberg “The pop-up shop was a risk but it ended up being really beneficial,” says Goldberg. Running a store in the middle of a major city meant having to interact with a variety of customers. For example, Goldberg had to discuss a sale with a woman

who spoke no English, “putting his Chinese 201 skills to the test.” After the pop-up’s time was up, GIP restocked on clothing and prepared for the fall. The Avinger Scholarship would soon follow.

In November and December, Goldberg and his business partners worked on designing new content, leading to GIP’s latest line’s release just two weeks ago. “The goal behind that was we wanted to do more quality and performance textiles,” according to Goldberg. This line meant selling items such as windbreakers, sweatshirts, and cold weather hats along with the more classic t-shirts.

More content is soon to follow, with the website being updated regularly. Goldberg says that looking into the future, the company is not meant to be solely clothing based. “In 2017 we’re trying to host some events, we’re trying to do Goldberg founded GIP with a group of his friends from more content for the sake of content,” high school and has promoted the brand at Davidson. he says.

Photo courtesy of Charlie Goldberg Knowing that the scholarship money the partners reflects how each one of them brings is on its way, GIP has been able to make investments with their own funds which would a unique skill set and outlook to the company. All not have been practical before. Stated goals for six also go to different colleges which means even the scholarship money also include online expan- more outreach. “Both Davidson students and sion, product improvement, and the possible ap- faculty members have been so willing to support pearance of another pop-up shop. “The product me beyond the funding,” says Goldberg about his quality is on the way up but the grant money will time running the company while at Davidson.

Be sure to check out Get It Poppin at GIalso help with manufacturing unique items,” says Goldberg. In place of a new pop-up shop, Gold- PUniversal.com and on all forms of social meberg also says they may just do several one day dia. From high school friendships and jokes to a full-fledged company with true entrepreneurial events in various locations.

GIP has been a creative outlet as much as a and creative spirit, GIP hopes to continue growbusiness for Goldberg and his five friends, who ing into the future. As the website states: “Really, all hold equal shares in the company. “It’s a fun- everybody can Get It Poppin by doing what they nel for any ideas my friends and I might have,” love and repping it proudly. Every purchase suphe says. They come up with all the designs for ports a brand built on friends, style and three imthe clothing lines, enlisting the help of a profes- portant letters.” sional artist when their drawing skills can’t keep up with their ideas. The equal share held by all

perspectives Not Just Any Small College

I

SAMUEL JOHNSON CLASS OF '69

think it would be hard to describe to someone who is not a part of the Davidson community how incredulous I was and how damaged I felt after hearing the news that a Davidson alumnus had cold bloodedly, publicly lied.

With regard to my incredulity, someone not from Davidson could not appreciate how deep the Davidson Honor Code lies in our marrow. I don't know if the culture at Davidson has changed since I graduated. I am an old man from the previous century, who graduated in the class of 1969. I very much hope that with respect to the Honor Code the culture has not changed, but the actions of Cameron Harris, class of 2016, suggest to me that it has. "In my day," as per the refrain of old men, it was inconceivable that a Davidson student would do something as dishonorable as what Mr. Harris has done.

We took our exams at our leisure in our dorm rooms with reference works at our elbows and, if the instructions told us not to use them, then those reference works would remain untouched. I don't believe any dorm room on campus even had a lock on the door. Can the current student body, or even some of the current faculty, know what it was like to live in such an ethical Eden, knowing that everyone else was trustworthy, and knowing that one was oneself trustworthy?

With regard to my feeling damaged, I have throughout my adult life always had a warm glow when a conversation happened to turn to people's college experiences, and I was able to say, as modestly as I could, "I went to Davidson." In the Southeast, the name "Davidson" is not only known but always elicits tremendous respect.

People either say, "Oh, Davidson!" or if they do not say it, one can see it in their eyes. How much Cameron Harris has taken away from me! At least in the immediate future I think I may say, "Oh, I went to a small college in North Carolina," and let people think I went to Guilford.

So, how should the Davidson community react? In part its reaction should be shaped by how Mr. Harris has handled his own behavior. I note that he did not have a guilty conscience and confess, but rather he was found out. I note also that he has shown no real remorse. Although his public statements include lip service to regret, most of his comments concern how widespread similar acts are, putting Mr. Harris in the sandbox with the other six year olds who might say: "Everyone else was doing it." Even more amazingly, Mr. Harris now seems to want to profit from his deceit by becoming a public speaker.

In Davidson's ethical tradition we should not be judgmental. "Judge not that ye be not judged."

Matt. 7:1. But I believe that one can, in a context such as this, judge without being judgmental.

The Honor Court of my time existed to judge and, where it was necessary, to punish. A student who too severely violated the Honor Code was permanently expelled from the Davidson community. That precedent suggests to me that the Honor Court, calmly, in no rush, and following its usual procedures, should consider the action of Mr. Harris and determine an appropriate sanction. What precedents may or may not exist for the Davidson community's sanctioning an alumnus, I don't know, but if necessary the Honor Court might set a precedent. Mr. Harris might be retroactively expelled from the student body. The Board of Trustees might also consider whether it should take some action, such as a formal condemnation. When I first heard of what happened, I immediately wanted the Board to revoke Mr. Harris' degree. The Board certainly could retroactively revoke a student's degree, if it was found out, even years later, that the student had plagiarized all his or her work, and Mr.

“

Harris appears to have put himself in the same ethical category as such a hypothetical student.

However, Mr. Harris apparently did the work associated with earning a degree, so as appealing as it might be, a simple condemnation might be the appropriate action for the Board. With regard to being expelled from the student body by the Honor Court, the action would be symbolic, but it would be a potent symbol. I, for one, am now reluctant to say, "I am a Davidsonian." I will be comfortable saying that again, if we have made it clear that a person who acts as Mr. Harris did may not say that he is a Davidsonian.

If either the Honor Court or the Board of Trustees considers taking any action, then Mr. Harris should, of course, be given an opportunity to be heard.

Before the Honor Court, at least, he should have the same treatment and the same opportunity for assistance as anyone else before that body. However, as a former lawyer, I would strongly warn both bodies not to allow Mr. Harris to turn any such meetings into the circus of a mock civil trial. I am sure he can find an unscrupulous lawyer who will try to do exactly that. In my experience as a lawyer, unscrupulous lawyers are thick on the ground. I would also strongly urge both the Honor Court and the Board of Trustees not to panic at the thought that, if they act, Mr. Harris might sue. Of course he might. Again, unscrupulous lawyers are easily found. But, assuming that both bodies proceeded openly and gave Mr. Harris an opportunity to be heard, he would not have a well-grounded legal complaint against either body. In any case I would much rather that Davidson run the risk of the expense of a lawsuit than do nothing. As attributed to Edmund Burke, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." I am very afraid that Davidson will deliberate and moan and make announcements and have public discussions and ‌ ultimately do nothing. And I will continue to say, "Oh, I went to a small college in North Carolina."

'In my day,' as per the refrain of old men, it was inconceivable that a Davidson student would do something as dishonorable as what Mr. Harris has done.

Samuel Johnson, '69, was a Mathematics and German double major who came to Davidson from Alexandria, Virginia. He has worked as a mathematician, lawyer, and most recently as a teacher. He currently lives in Greensboro, North Carolina. Contact him at sbjmath1@aol.com.

Page 3

Davidsonian.com

crime log Time Reported

Description / Location

01/15/17 at 1215 hrs

2nd Degree Forcible Sexual Offense at Duke.

Further Investigation.

Underage Consumption at Akers.

Dean Referral/Medic Transport.

01/16/17 at 0215 hrs 01/17/17 at 1600 hrs 01/17/17 at 1600 hrs 01/19/17 at 2129 hrs 01/21/17 at 0015 hrs 01/21/17 at 0058 hrs

Harrassment at Commons.

Prosecution Declined.

Larceny Misdemeanor (Bicycle Tire) at Belk.

Further Investigation.

Miscellaneous Suspicious Person at Lake Campus.

Inactive.

Underage Consumption at Armfield.

Dean Referral/Medic Transport.

Underage Consumption at Ryburn.

Dean Referral/Medic Transport.

01/22/17 at 0010 hrs

Underage Consumption at Knobloch.

Dean Referral/Medic Transport.

01/22/17 at 0138 hrs

Underage Consumption at Belk.

Dean Referral/Medical Transport.

01/23/17 at 1700 hrs

2nd Degree Forcible Rape at South Side of Campus.

Prosecution Declined.

1/26/17 at 2330 hrs

Fondling at Armfield Prosecution Declined.

1/26/17 at 0039 hrs

Miscellaneous Suspicious Vehicle at the VAC Inactive.

1/27/17 at 2143 hrs

Underage Consumption / Use of Fraudulent ID at Knox Dean Referral / Medic Transport.

1/28/17 at 1700 hrs

Disorderly Conduct at Jamieson Inactive.

1/29/17 at 0130 hrs

Underage Consumption at Cannon Dean Referral.

1/29/17 at 0210 hrs

Unauthorized Use of Motor Propelled Conveyance (Golf Cart) at Greenhouse PVA Inactive.

living davidson

Page 4

February 1, 2017

A Look Inside the Balik Art Residency and Exhibition DEANNA GRAYSON STAFF WRITER

“

Is that a pink, puffy winter jacket?” I ask Restu Ratnaningtyas as I approach her latest artwork, which is currently being featured as part of the Balik Art Residency and Exhibition at the Van Every Gallery. The Gallery incorporates work from three contemporary Indonesian artists who are currently working in the gallery space and leaving it open to students who want to come and view the process of creation.

“Yes, it is,” she replies, while walking over to her bag and pulling out a green jacket that looks just like the pink one in the artwork (Image 1). This is Ratnaningtyas’s first time in the United States, and when I asked her what she finds the most striking, she replied that it is the cold weather. When I spoke to Ratnaningtyas about her work, she tells me about the struggle we all feel in certain climates to stay warm and the great lengths we will go to preserve our body heat, piling random things on top of us until we feel warm.

In her painting, Ratnaningtyas takes this concept to illogical extremes, where even

first half). This work is part of a series that Ratnaningtyas calls “Thread Vomit – Part 2,” likely referring to the boiling thoughts and emotions that the artist allows to spill onto her artwork. Ratnaningtyas and I talked about the idea of doing an activity (or, more generally, living your life), but not being totally present. I think that this lack of presence is something we can all relate to.

Many of us fail to live in the moment when we are caught up on social media, or in our own thoughts.

We can wonder if being lost in our own thoughts is as bad as it seems or whether it serves as a path to realization and maybe even survival. Perhaps the grueling monotony of reality, manifested in activities as simple as riding a bicycle, is too numbing to handle without activating drifting thoughts.

Furthermore, would we have any art to create if we never stepped outside of our immediate experiences? Artist Mella Jaarsma, whose work often takes the form of costumes worn by live models, encourages us to (literally) step into unfamiliar experiences and try them on, or at least encounter someone who has done so. The “costumes” (wear-

in that position before, stirs up the dark humor with which we can look at human greed and consumption. Why do we take so many things with us on our journeys? Why are we so afraid of being unprepared when nature seems to strip us of our ability to be perfectly prepared no matter what we pack? Jaarsma’s costumes remind me of a sculpture I encountered last March at the Armory Show

by American contemporary artist Nick van Woert. The work is called “Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains - Albert Bierstadt 1868” and features random household items and typical travel supplies like soap, laundry detergent, and Gatorade displayed in plastic cases (Image 4). When I spoke with Grimm Gallery director Sebastiaan Brandsen last March about possible conversations that could take place around this work, we discussed the human tendency to over prepare for journeys and road trips. The work is named after a traditional 19th century depiction of the sweeping landscapes of the American West, evoking themes of adventure, exploration and escape. Van Woert displays the unnecessary things that we take with us on the journeys we undertake. He

From left to right, top to bottom: Image 1, Image 3, Image 4, and Image 2 people are being piled on each other as part of the quest to remain warm. The artwork makes me think about the things that we do, and the extremes we go to, to find emotional warmth and pull it close, perhaps at the cost of hurting other people.

Ratnaningtyas brings me over to see some of her other work—small scenes featuring paper-made objects from daily life contained in glass boxes. Ratnaningtyas is both a mother and an artist, and she spoke to me about some of the struggles she feels in her two different roles. Each role comes with its own set of expectations. Her scenes feature objects associated with babies and femininity encourage us to confront whether the role of the mother is something we subscribe to optionally or forcefully, especially in light of perceived societal expectations.

The work that most caught my attention among Ratnaningtyas’s creations was a piece of cloth with a threaded figure of a person who seems to be riding a bicycle, or doing some similar activity, while also being cut in half or dissected (Image 2). One half of the person is centered on the activity, and the other half is floating in space (placed on the cloth slightly above and behind the

able sculptural constructions) that Jaarsma are creating in the Van Every Gallery feature bags (like purses and luggage bags) sewn onto fabric that models wear while moving around the space or standing still. Some of the works, like “The Carrier,” 2016 (which is being shipped over from Los Angeles for the exhibition opening at the Van Every Gallery on February 9, 2017) (Image 3), feature bags that look like expensive designer purses. A viewer can observe the physical and figurative oppression that these brand-name bags instigate or contribute to when looking at the figure in the costume.

Jaarsma, who was born in the Netherlands but has been working in Indonesia for over 30 years, explained to me how important humor is to her artwork. Humor can serve as an access point into difficult topics that might otherwise be too weighty or daunting to approach. The physical image of a figure overcome with bags is funny to us because it is not at all pragmatic, yet completely relatable. Many of us can think of situations where we have carried too many bags and felt overpowered by our luggage.

The appearance of a person with too many bags, and the idea that we have been

hometown: The Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora). He began asking the local Taiwanese people about the tree and soon realized that the tree was, in fact, a Camphor tree. Caniago believes that the tree got from Indonesia to Taiwan through sea trading, which has been happening throughout Southeast Asia for centuries. In fact, one of the local Taiwanese people that Caniago met was able to show him an 800-year-old Camphor tree in Taiwan. Caniago wondered if the tree had been in Taiwan for so long that some Taiwanese people may associate it with their hometown when really, for Caniago, the tree is an emblem of the Indonesian town of Barus.

Caniago was flooded with the realization that if stories, customs, and even native trees do not get written down and recorded, they can be easily erased from collective memory. In Caniago’s words, “History can so easily become accident.” With modernization hitting Indonesia and wrecking the environment including lakes that used to historically define the landscape, many people have come to define their identity solely based on current media. We can understand what

Photos courtesy of Deanna Grayson ‘18

shows us the things that we mindlessly pack into our bags until all our luggage becomes nothing more than a collection of individual capricious containers foaming with the grotesque clutter that we think will remedy our anxieties.

When we embark on a journey - no matter how many unnecessary things we take with us - we are almost always leaving some place we consider to be home. For artist Aliansyah Caniago (Alin), also participating in the Balik Art Residency and Exhibition, home is a small city in Indonesia known as Barus. Caniago has spent much of his artistic career creating works that reveal the environmental dangers of modernization, particularly in Barus and the surrounding areas.

When I spoke with Caniago, he relayed to me his deep belief in the power of art to bring about change by generating conversation around ignored or overlooked subjects.

He has invited the governor and mayor to his art exhibitions in a direct attempt to impact policy in his hometown.

This past November, Caniago traveled to the village of Miaoli in Taiwan and came across a tree that looked a lot like a tree that he believed to be native to his Indonesian

Caniago means by thinking about how often we view ourselves solely as products of our current system or the communities in which we are immersed. Instead, perhaps we can look more to the past to contextualize our being the same way that Caniago spent an hour with me contextualizing his current work by explaining all the work he has done in the past. The art project that Caniago is currently working on in the Van Every Gallery is called “The neighbor’s grass is always greener,” and features a collection of Camphor leaves from Taiwan that he has brought to North Carolina, each leaf in a small plastic bag, to share with us and remind us of the fragility of cultural and natural heritage (Image 5). Caniago also hopes to inspire viewers to become more aware of their past. We all exist on a timeline and in an interconnected web of beings, as tangled and environmentally-destroyed as that net may be.

I would like to thank the artists for allowing me to interview them for this article and sharing their stories with me. I would also like to thank Lia Newman and Katie St. Clair for their suggestions on how to communicate effectively with artists who are in the process of creation.

perspectives

page 5

February 1, 2017

Reflections from an Honor Council Student Solicitor

M

SRISH SHARMA

y name is Srish Sharma. Alongside my partner Christian Baker, I serve as a student solicitor for the Honor Council.

This is the opening email line at the start of most every case I’ve investigated in the last year. For those who aren’t familiar, the student solicitors do our best to represent the honor code, the faculty, and the student body in honor council hearings.

My and Christian’s term is quickly ending; in writing this article I am offering a few observations and thoughts for campus discussion. I hope this continues some discussions started

by Dr. David Perry in his Perspectives piece last year.

1. Cheating happens at Davidson. Let’s be fair about it.

I am surprised by how few cases the honor council receives. A 2002 survey reports that 74% of high school students report cheating. In college 68% of students self-report as having cheated. In schools with an honor code the rate is lower, 50% (Donald L. McCabe, 2002). The honor code seems to have woven peer to peer, and teacher to student trust into the fabric of the school. I see this trust violated far too often, yet judging by the numbers - I don’t see cases often enough.

I think it is remarkable that students are trusted to the extent that we are given the absence of research on the honor code’s effectiveness.

I echo David Perry’s call to conduct research on cheating as students leave the school.

In the absence of research, and given the national numbers, I worry that the take-home test environment actually punishes the most honest among us by making dishonesty easy.

In the absence of adequate checks, catching the student who gives themselves the unfair advantage of an open book or the luxury of unwarranted extra time on an exam is difficult. Even if a student is accused, proving

wrongdoing to the burden required in such a case, is difficult. I fear that in our trusting environment, the dishonest student is not likely to be caught. For the sake of fairness, I am urging tighter regulations on exams, particularly those that are take home. My thought is that the honor code is not about blindly trusting. It is about ensuring fairness and giving trust where trust is earned. Without research, who can say if we have earned the trust we have?

2. In reaction to a changing student body.

I am proud that Davidson is making efforts to be more diverse. Even in the three and a half years that I have been a student here I have felt a tangible shift in the makeup of the student body. It is my belief that the honor council and the honor code ought to reflect the growing diversity of the student body, so that it may best serve every member of our campus.

The honor council can rapidly grow more diverse via elections, specifically the category three elections which are coming up shortly.

The honor council, in the recent past, has specifically encouraged those who believe that they well represent a wide variety of students to run. Additionally, I encourage everyone to vote for candidates who not only display empathy for a range of positions and identities, but are also willing to strictly uphold the rules and procedure of the honor code. I’m willing to argue that the latter is the more difficult position for a council member. Rather than relating to the accused student as a peer, the council member willing to uphold procedure often becomes the disciplinarian. I know from experience that this is not an easy nor a popular task. However, this form of ideological diversity is critical to the council being able to perform its task well. Please keep it in mind when you vote.

3. What exactly are the rules?

I frequently encounter misconceptions of the honor code. Many times I find students unclear about what the rules actually state. A

frequent worry I hear is that a basic citation error will result a full honor council hearing.

While this has occasionally happened, I want to reassure everyone that such cases are few are far between. (To reiterate: I am far more worried about those cases that aren’t being brought forward). As an outgoing solicitor, I hope actually presenting the rules for the campus will be helpful. Here, in part, is the honor code.

“Each Davidson student is honor bound to refrain from stealing, lying about College business, and cheating on academic work.

Stealing is the intentional taking of any property without right or permission. Lying is intentional misrepresentation of any form.

Cheating is any practice, method, or assistance, whether explicitly forbidden or unmentioned, that involves any degree of dishonesty, fraud, or deceit. Cheating includes plagiarism, which is representing another's ideas or words as one's own. Additional guidelines for each class may be determined by its professor; each Davidson student is responsible for knowing and adhering to them.”

A piece of the honor code that I frequently hear concern about is the requirement that students turn each other in for violations of the code, failure to do so being, itself, a violation. During one conversation held by the council a student brought up concern that such a requirement is in conflict with other values related to honor for example, loyalty.

On a practical level, I have yet to encounter a case where this clause has been invoked.

That being said, there has been research that shows cheating behavior is significantly more sensitive to the perception of peer monitoring rather than faculty monitoring (Burrus 2013 & McCabe 2002). I also believe that this clause makes us all accountable of each other’s actions; it makes us part of the code. On that basis alone I believe the clause to be important enough to include.

4. In defense of the Honor Code There are without a doubt a host of issues that face the honor council. In spite of these

What the Sustainability Co-Op Means to Me SIERRA PONTHIER

“

Oh, you live in the Ecohouse. Do you use electricity? Or hot water? I hear people there don’t take showers.”

At the beginning of the year, I’d get this response often when I told someone I live in the Sustainability Co-Op – you know, that brick house on the corner of Main Street across from the Student Health Center. While it was frustrating to know the only images associated with the Sustainability Co-Op were of dirty, cold, tree-hugging hipsters, I had to refrain from getting defensive, because the next question would inevitably be “So what then is the ‘Sustainability Co-Op’?” And to be honest, at the time, I didn’t completely know myself.

I first lived in the house during fall of last year. In the spring, I was abroad, but I returned this year to a whole new set of housemates.

When I moved in last year, the name was still the Ecohouse. However, after a couple months of trying to figure out what it meant to live in this unique off-campus house and why we each applied to live there in the first place, we realized that the name “Ecohouse” was somewhat outdated. The Ecohouse was initially created in 2008 by a group of students who wanted to

lead an intentional life with minimal environmental impact. A lot of house efforts back then were centered around food – buying locally and organically and growing, cooking, and preserving their own food. The house had its ups and downs and was eventually shut down in 2013 for a variety of reasons including general lack of student interest and a tense relationship with campus administration.

Thanks to a revitalized student effort, the Ecohouse reopened in 2014 and ten students bravely began refurnishing the empty house – in creative ways, I might add, i.e. using an old door as a dining room table.

Last year, while my fellow housemates and I still paid attention to our environmental impact, it was no longer our primary focus. With the threat of the house being taken away for a second time still looming, we found ourselves reflecting on why this space was so valuable to students and to the college. Hence the name “Sustainability Cooperative.” The word sustainability was broad enough that it allowed us to include factors outside of strictly the natural environment such as social and environmental justice, but specific enough to not lose sight of the original house mission. It was also appropriate that part of the name relates to the sustainability of the house itself and likelihood that it could thrive in the future.

So now that brings us to this year where a whole new crop of nine students plus myself

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moved into the space that is called the Sustainability Co-op. Again, during the first few months we found ourselves asking the same questions, “What is the Sustainability Co-op?” and “Why am I living here?”

Finally, we came to a realization that these answers can be summed up into one word – community. The house itself is an incredibly unique space that is unlike anything else Davidson has to offer. It is an actual house – not a dorm room converted into a “house”; it has kitchens and hardwood floors and natural lighting and living rooms with comfortable couches. When you walk into the space, it feels like a home.

Part of the difference between the Sustainability Co-op and the Ecohouse is that the residents now come from diverse corners of campus whereas before, the ten students often were from a very similar social network. Having ten students from different parts of campus living in one communal home means bringing groups from each of those social spheres into one space to overlap with one another. Whether that’s during formally planned events like Open Air Open Mic and Sustainabili-Tea or during a casual weekday afternoon when two different groups of friends happen to both be relaxing on the couch at the same time, the intentional and meaningful conversation is a hallmark of the space. hat I’ve found to be just as valuable as building community with people outside of

issues it is my earnest belief that the honor code is an irreplaceable asset for the school.

I certainly think that it helps create a trusting and warm place that we should all be proud of. So I thank you, student body, for trusting me and Christian with the role of student solicitor(s). It has undeniably been the most formative experience and most meaningful responsibility I have ever had. We would love to speak to anyone who has interest in running for any of the honor council positions, especially those interested in being solicitors.

By trusting the council with the power normally reserved for professors, this school is providing a phenomenal opportunity for its students. When Christian and I were transitioning into our role we were thanked by a student that we accused of cheating. They told us that “everyone should see what happens inside an honor council hearing”. I agree. There is a difficulty and stress in an honor council case that creates a learning experience unreplicated anywhere else on this campus. I very much thank those professors and deans who have trusted the system enough to give the honor council the responsibility of handling academic violations.

In conclusion, I think we need further research on our behavior to justify the amount of trust we currently receive and in the absence of this research I believe that more checks should be in place to ensure fairness; I think the council needs diversity of both experience and ideology and this is quickly accomplished via elections; I fear that many don’t read and understand the rules as stated and I urge everyone to read the red book. In spite of these issues, I think the honor code is an irreplaceable opportunity for learning.

As students, we are challenged by the code to think ethically in everything we do.

Category two elections for student solicitors and defense advisors are February 13th.

Category three elections for members of the honor council will follow shortly after.

Srish Sharma, ‘17, is a Chemistry major and Philosophy minor from Denver, Colorado.

Contact him at srsharma@davidson.edu.

The Co-op, is the community I have with my nine housemates. When I initially applied to live in the Ecohouse two years ago, I saw it as a comfortable space that would allow me to cook to my heart’s content with people who shared similar interests and values. Now looking back, my experience in the Ecohouse/Sustainability Co-op/The Susty Coop/The Coop has been the opposite of comfortable. Though I live in a very comfortable space, my nine housemates, who have a variety of genders, class years, majors, social groups, etc. have each pushed me to challenge the way I experience Davidson and have taught me so much about my own pre-existing judgments by welcoming me into their lives. It’s not always easy or comfortable living with nine very different housemates, but it’s an experience that has truly shaped my time at Davidson. And I believe due to our intentional and sustainable mission, it will continue to serve this purpose for years to come.The Sustainability Co-op is now accepting applications for the 2017-2018 house.

Find the application on its Facebook page or contact a current house member: Sierra Ponthier, Justine Frerichs, Thomas Waddill, Jon White, Tony Solís, Evans Schmedtje, Hartlee Johnston, Maeve Hammond, and Natalie Skowlund.

Sierra Ponthier, ‘18, is an Environmental Studies Major and East Asian Studies Minor from Palos Verdes Estates, California. Contact her at siponthier@davidson.edu

The PremaTure Issue Things Just Keep Getting F*cking Worse

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Report: Penguins Only Animals Other Than Humans That Mate For Life; Eat Ass

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Denzel Curry Performs Racially Charged Set For 1,500 White Kids

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Man Yearns For Days When Nation’s Shame Tied to Something About Obesity Rates

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Hungover Student Compensates For Missing Women’s March By Liking Every Social Media Post

Breaking: ‘Tens of Thousands’ of Fraudulent Union Student Has Ability To Identify Where Juniors Were Abroad By What Pretentious Thing They Say Broad President Votes Found in Ohio Warehouse According to sources, “tens of thousands” of fraudulent Union Broad presidential election ballots have been found inside a Franklin County, Ohio warehouse. The numerous boxes of forged votes, each in favor of reform candidate Steve Hager '18, appear to be further evidence of a massive Union Board conspiracy that has dominated news cycles since The Yowl helped uncover the story in 2016.

David Price, a Columbus-area electrical worker, reportedly made the shocking discovery on Tuesday evening while performing a routine check of the warehouse’s wiring and electrical systems.

“I was just going through the standard motions, making sure everything was in order,” said Price in an interview this morning with Yowl affiliate ReligiousPoliticsLikeandShare.com. “Then, all of a sudden I stumbled across approximately one dozen black, sealed boxes marked ‘TOP-SECRET BALLOT BOXES FOR

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Jacket Buyer Cannot Believe It’s Already 50 F*cking Degrees Outside

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Patient Gives Sly Smirk Whilst Confirming to Doctor That He Is Sexually Active

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Weirdest Man in Room Purchases Hot Dog At Movie Theatre

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The Yowl Bonus Box Proudly Presents: Origami Instructions!

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This Issue Brought to You By: Headines That Were More Topical Last Week

“All of a sudden I stumbled across one dozen black, sealed boxes marked ‘TOP-SECRET BALLOT BOXES FOR RIGGING THE UNION BOARD ELECTION.’ When I read that, I just knew something was fishy.”

RIGGING THE UNION BOARD ELECTION.’ When I read that, I just knew something was fishy.”

Such blatant evidence of Union Board voter fraud is only the latest in a series of corruption scandals that have been attached to the Union Board name ever since the rigging of Summit trivia was discovered early in the Fall. Despite having their faith in the Union Board establishment shaken repeatedly, the majority of the polls continue to give Hager the lead. Analysts predict that this latest revelation may change the course of the election.

David Price has been hailed as a hero throughout the Franklin County area since making the discovery.

“I think I may just have a natural intuition about these things. I’m sure glad I decided to pop those boxes open to take a look,” commented Price, who intends to vote for alternative, anti-establishment candidate Kevin Galloway '18. “It sure looks like ol’ Crooked Hager was trying to pull the wool over the people’s eyes yet again.”

At press time, the Union Board declined to comment on the revelation, which is just f*cking typical.

The Yowl would like to make clear that it is a publication without any political affiliations. Our motivations are purely financial.

It’s a sunny day at Summit, and the cafe is teeming with students catching up after the long break from school.

I’m sitting down with Petra Donahue '18, a sociology major who has developed an uncanny ability to pinpoint exactly where returning Juniors studied abroad based on a number of linguistic and nonverbal markers.

“Keystone is like water to me,” we overhear one student whine, “I wouldn’t even call it beer.”

Petra nods knowingly.

“That one’s easy,” she says, “If someone says some pretentious sh*t about cheap beer, they probably studied in Germany.”

Donahue, a junior who stayed on campus during the fall semester, developed the algorithm in order to “know who the f*ck to avoid.” Her system works with nearly 100% accuracy.

“You always know you’re dealing with a cat from Copenhagen if they start talking about the health care tax in Denmark while you’re trying to enjoy a cheap cup of coffee. And the Italians like “‘Her findings prove that those to quote their own blog posts back at you.” who spent the semester in SenI ask Donahue if her theegal have likely already changed ory applies to non-European abroad destinations as well. their profile pictures, and a stu“Naturally. The Ecuador dent from the Madrid program kids will show you the gnarly scar they got from botfly rewill constantly be texting their moval surgery faster than you outsourced Spanish lover.” can ask ‘how was your semester?’ and you know you’re dealing with someone that studied in Hong Kong because they trash-talk Sabi as though they expected the next big Chinatown to be in North Carolina.”

Words aren’t the only way to spot a returning student, Petra notes. Her findings also prove that those who spent the semester in Senegal have likely already changed their profile pictures, and a student from the Madrid program will constantly be texting their outsourced Spanish lover.

“And of course, anyone from Cambridge will use the hard ‘h’ when saying herb, then ask you to call them on their mobile.”

There are a few wild-cards that Petra hasn’t quite figured out how to work into the equation. Apparently, it’s difficult to distinguish whether a student is lamenting Davidson’s distinct lack of majestic mountains because they spent the semester in New Zealand or Peru.

“I also don’t have any data on kids from the India program, because they haven’t come back yet, and they probably never will.”

Union’s Caribbean Corner, Titan of Mediocrity, Passes Away At Six Months

Your Davidson Honor Section

Editors: Paul Henderson McHugh!

Writers: Matt “Spam” Jennings Greg Cam Harris Becca JONES E to the J LeBeyyyy C. Macaulee Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian.

Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth. Word.

Davidson College has confirmed that the famed Caribbean Corner passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 17th at the Davis Cafe in the Alvarez Student Union following a courageous, semester-long battle with mediocrity. It is survived by its wife Vail; its daughter Noodle Station; its three siblings, Grill, Oven, and Deli; its estranged cousin Wildcat Den; and three or four (if that) loving customers.

In its early days, Caribbean Corner would assist young freshman in depleting their supply of dining dollars and disappoint jaded seniors holding out hope for a revolutionary new international station. From the time it was a child, the Corner showed an uncanny knack for luring the occasional student who was feeling either delusionally health-conscious or culinarily bold on a particular afternoon. It would harness this skill throughout its infancy and soon came to assert itself as a pillar of the Davis Cafe.

In time, Caribbean Corner founds its life vocation: chips and guac. Realizing that pollo con arroz was just as, if not even more, unexceptional

“It is survived by its wife, Vail; its daughter, Noodle Station; its three siblings, Grill, Oven, and Deli; its estranged cousin Wildcat Den; and three or four (if that) loving customers.”

every time it was ordered, students began to recognize the Corner for its only real purpose: providing hungry friends with leftover tortilla chips.

Forever an altruist, the Caribbean Corner lived to serve the masses. May we remember its generosity for all time.

The Corner leaves behind its famed family business. Motivated to succeed and possessing her parent’s work ethic, Corner’s daughter Noodle Station looks to raise the International Station’s profile from “meh” to “aight.” We all look forward to seeing her build upon her predecessor’s progress.

A service for Caribbean Corner will be held on 2/2/2017 in the Student Union. Family and friends are invited to a reception afterward in the 900 Room. Yes, there will be chips and guac.

In lieu of flowers, please deposit a single noodle into the compost in honor of a fallen hero and icon of Davidson’s most fantastically mediocre dining scene.

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February 1, 2017

Curry Honored at Belk Arena in Cats’ Victory WILL JONES

I

Staff Writer

n an event that captivated the undivided attention of nearly the entire Davidson campus, Stephen Curry made an appearance at the men’s basketball game last Tuesday night against the Duquesne Dukes, where the Student cheering section was named in his honor. The event brought a reported attendance of 5,300 and tremendous amounts of hype from the student body, who began lining up as early as 5:00 outside of Baker Sports Complex to claim premier seating and their free T-shirt. ESPN’s flagship program Sportscenter even ran a special 5-minute segment in their AM report that morning on the impending ceremony, featuring clips showcasing the town, college, and, of course, Steph Curry.

In a halftime ceremony that included video highlight reels and messages of inspiration and gratitude from Head Coach Bob McKillop and President Carol Quillen, the West Stands of Belk Arena, formerly known as Section 30, was christened with redesigned wall padding emblazoned with Curry’s signature SC/30 logo. Curry expressed from a microphone at center court during the ceremony that he was deeply honored to “leave a lasting legacy in [Belk] Arena”, and sent the crowd into a frenzy when he proclaimed, in what was perhaps the quote of the evening: “I will continue representing you to the best of my abilities and my blood runs red for you guys”.

Steph made sure to leave time to high five and greet the student fans and some of his former teammates in the VIP seats after the ceremony.

While it was rumored that some of Curry’s Gold-

Students cheered on the Wildcats in the newly designated Section 30 to honor Stephen Curry and his athletic achievements while at Davidson. Photo by Abby Miller

en State teammates were in clandestine attendance at the game, we cannot confirm this to be true at this time.

The game itself was a rollercoaster affair that ultimately ended in a Davidson win. The ‘Cats jumped out to a massive 22-5 lead in the early going, thanks to some 3-point sharpshooting from freshman phenom Jon Axel Gudmundsson.

The Dukes were plagued from the beginning with turnovers and foul trouble, putting the Wildcats in the double bonus 12 minutes into the first half, and inconsistent shooting saw Duquesne finish the half just 6-27 from the field. The ‘Cats went into halftime with a convincing 39-16 lead, led by scoring efforts from Jack Gibbs ‘17, Will Magarity ‘17, and Gudmundsson and an impressive 48.4 team field goal percentage.

However, the Wildcats gave the crowd a bit of a scare at the beginning of the second half, allowing Duquesne to go on a 20-6 scoring tear that cut the Davidson lead down to just 6 with 8 minutes to play. The run saw Peyton Aldridge ‘18, Andrew McAuliffe ‘17, and Magarity land in foul trouble with 11 minutes to go. Over the next 4 minutes or so, Jack Gibbs almost single-handedly dueled the Dukes offense, scoring bucket after bucket to keep the lead at 6. Finally, with less than 4 minutes to go, Gibbs pulled up in front of Curry’s court-side seat and drained a three that put the ‘Cats up by 9. Gibbs finished the game with 32 points and 7 rebounds as Davidson held on to win, 74-60.

The early second half run from Duquesne marked a somewhat disturbing trend for the ‘Cats in conference play this season of allowing teams to go on long scoring streaks in the second half. While the ‘Cats held on for the win against Duquesne, early second half scoring spurts from teams like Richmond, George Washington, and La Salle put the Wildcats in deficits that they just could not make up. All of those games resulted in losses. In a game earlier this season against Fordham, Davidson gave up a 15-4 run in the final minutes to lose the game by 6 points. While the 20-6 run by Duquesne did not have as much

power this time, due to a large Wildcat lead after the first half, it is still one of the largest runs the ‘Cats have given up all season. Perhaps the key from here on out is to prevent other teams from gaining sufficient momentum after halftime to make those runs happen.

Note: Since the penning of this article, Davidson has won a road game against Fordham (84-66) and will next take on the St. Joseph’s Hawks in Philadelphia on January 31st.

Curry spoke to students at halftime of the Cats’ game against Duquesne. Photo by Abby Miller

Swim Teams Ready for Strong A-10 Championships WES KERR

A

Sports Co-Editor

fter several weeks of grueling practice and tough competition, the moment of truth is coming for the Davidson Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams. The Atlantic 10 Championships loom in Geneva, Ohio in just a couple of weeks. In their final tuneup meet before the main event, head coach John Young’s squad scored three out of four victories against Gardner-Webb, Georgia Southern, and Liberty. “I though we performed very well. We are fortunate to have such a hard working team.”

It was quite the dominating meet for the senior Elise Lankiewicz, who holds a whopping ten school records and four Atlantic 10 bests.

She captured wins in both the 500 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. Breast-stroker extraordinaire Katy Williams reached the finish line three full seconds ahead of her closest rival in the 200 breast. “I was very impressed with the two seniors, the performance leaders of our female team”. Not to be outdone, the Wildcat men’s swimmers also showed up in a big way this past weekend. “Chris Cardwell really set the tone for our team”.

Cardwell tied for first in an individual event, and was also part of a relay team who pulled out a thrilling come from behind victory over Gardner Webb. Meanwhile, a new Davidson talent, Crossan Cooper, continued to emerge with a big win in the 400 individual medley.

This former A-10 Rookie of the Week has become “quite dependable,” according to Coach Young.

“The whole makeup of our team is improving.

I’ve also been impressed with the improvement of Lea Hubert in distance freestyle events, and I have been seeing the rhythm of Chris Cardwell getting stronger. Our team continues to be hitting strides.”

Now, the countdown to the conference meet is on, which, in itself, makes or breaks the swimming season in one week. There are always expectations for teams to perform, and Young has set the bar high going into February. “We can

measure success or failure of our expectations by swimmers improving their relative position and their time. As a team our women finished 3rd last year in the meet. We had so much success because of our exceptional relay performances.”

Last year the 400 freestyle relay set a standard of excellence at the A-10s, clocking in at 3:19:65 and setting new school and conference records.

Three of the four from that outstanding team, including Kassie Shannon, Maggie Farrell, and Lankiewicz, will be back this time around.

Lankiewicz was one of the primary reasons for the success of the team last year, responsible for winning an amazing six events in 2016. “On the women’s side, we are really competing for a championship now.” The large obstacle standing in their way? The Richmond Spiders. They have achieved victory every season in the last 12 years except for 2010. “They win the metal most every year, are the defending champs, and the gold standard in our conference.” Coach Young is also looking forward to see how the men will fare in this crucial meet, after a 7th place effort a season ago. “This year we were picked to finish last in the poll, but we’re hoping that some of our men’s relays will surprise some folks”.

Young could take some notes from Bob McKillop’s 2015 basketball team, who was picked to finish last but then went on to win the regular season title in the conference. Who can prove these A-10 writers wrong? The always reliable Cardwell, the rookie Cooper and the veteran freestyler Clay Resweber will have a large say in the outcome. “Let’s try to maximize our potential this year, and hopefully we will over-perform against our competition.”

The A-10 Championships for both the Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams will be February 15 - 18 in Geneva, Ohio.

The NCAA Championships will be held in late March in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Luke Boliek '17 prepares for his time in the pool. Boliek and eight other seniors were honored at the Saturday meet before the start. Photo by Luke Boliek

THE DAVIDSONIAN

Will Magarity '17 Photo by Abby Miller

January 31, 2017