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Prominent constitutional scholar speaks at Davidson.
Volume 124, Issue 11
April 30, 2025
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Michael Allen ‘27 contemplates a different Frolics format.
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The Arts and Entertainment coeditors recap the biggest weekend of the semester.
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The Yowl investigates KYLE’s involvement with the super duper deep state.
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President Hicks ‘90 hosts webinar, addresses the state of higher education
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AIDAN MARKS ‘27 (HE/HIM) POLITICS EDITOR
avidson College President Doug Hicks ‘90 hosted a webinar for students, faculty and staff on Monday, April 28 to address community concerns about uncertainty surrounding freedom of expression, federal funding, the status of international students and the state of higher education. Hicks began by rearticulating Davidson’s Statement of Purpose and the College’s commitment to “assist students in developing humane instincts and disciplined and creative minds for lives of leadership and service.” Speaking to Davidson’s dual commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and freedom of expression on campus, Hicks explained that the College is uniquely positioned to discuss controversial topics in a productive manner. “Our focus on the public good, our focus on mutual respect, our focus on having multiple perspectives has served us well,” Hicks said. “We are not a perfect campus. We are not a perfect group of individuals, and yet we have helped students to have meaningful demonstrations, to have meaningful political and social engagement and to do so, for the large part, in a very mutually respectful way.” Hicks then turned to the effects of recent federal policy changes at Davidson, discussing disruptions to student and faculty research and potential impacts of a raise to the federal endowment excise tax. The Davidsonian has covered both topics in recent issues. As part of his efforts to address uncertainty about the future of higher education nationwide, Hicks has met directly with college and university administrators as well as state and federal legislators. “There’s a concern about the cost of higher education. There’s a concern about indebtedness of students coming out [of college]. There’s a concern that students are graduating from their programs that may be expensive, and [...] they’re concerned about the political balance on campuses,” Hicks said. Davidson aspires to be a counter example. “We want to be a model of what education should be,” Hicks said. Most recently, Hicks joined a group of college and university
President Doug Hicks ‘90 addressed the campus community this week via a webinar. Photo from the Davidson College Website.
presidents in writing a public statement titled “A Call for Constructive Engagement” published April 22, which was sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The open letter has “a pretty straightforward message, which says we [as colleges and universities] participate in the public good,” Hicks said. “We all care about educating people for lives of leadership and service. We all believe in the power of research and we believe in the power of higher education to change lives, to give people opportunity and access to a better life,” Hicks continued.
Leaders of colleges, universities and scholarly societies continue to sign the letter in an act of resistance to the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against higher education institutions. As of April 29, the statement has 562 signatures. Following his brief statement, Hicks turned to audience questions. Attendees pre-submitted about two-dozen questions, according to Q&A moderator and Interim Vice President for Student Life & Dean of Students Dr. Stacey Riemer. In one of his answers, Hicks reiterated Davidson’s support for international students, noting that the College continues to monitor their status and that campus police are trained to respond in the
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DCI organizes free speech discussion, spotlights college campuses
CLAIRE KELLY ‘25 (SHE/HER) BEN PEAKE ‘25 (HE/HIM) CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
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s the academic year draws to a close, the Lilly Family Gallery hosted one final deliberative forum, put on by the Deliberate Citizenship Initiative (DCI), titled “Free Expression at Davidson: Rights and Responsibilities during an Uncertain Time.” This event was the final program held in the Gallery before upcoming library renovations and comes at a time when free speech on college campuses is under fire. The forum was sparked by recent events, including Davidson’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom disseminating proIsraeli pamphlets on campus and a number of moves made by the Trump administration, such as the arrest of a Tufts University student after their op-ed was published in The Tufts Daily. The event was designed as both a speaker series and group discussion, focused on freedom of expression on Davidson’s campus and the national stage. The organizers hoped to foster productive conversations that both sides of the political divide could contribute to. Associate Professor of Political Science and faculty director of the DCI Dr. Graham Bullock co-hosted the event, which took
The above flyer features the panelists from last week’s DCI event. Photo from DCI’s website.
place on April 23, and gave introductions for each of the six speakers. In his initial remarks, Bullock’s stance on freedom of expression was clear: “For us at the DCI in particular, we see free expression as a necessary condition for robust democracies and healthy institutions of higher learning.” However, he claimed that more needed to be done. “It’s not just people freely making speeches in the public square, but also respectfully engaging with each other [...] we need deliberative citizens.” After Bullock’s comments, speakers were
invited up one at a time. Each was allotted roughly six minutes to express their own thoughts on the topic, and all six speakers brought their own unique perspective. Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and Core Faculty in Gender & Sexuality Studies Dr. Melissa González went first, emphasizing that her motivation for accepting freedom of expression stems from the innate value of every single human being. “The reason that I value freedom of expression is because one of my core values is respecting the bodily
and intellectual autonomy of all other people,” she stated. “Feelings are not facts, but feelings absolutely impact and shape how we perceive and understand facts and information.” It is important to contextualize González’s words within Davidson’s own Statement of Purpose, which includes a section that reads, “As a college that welcomes students, faculty, and staff from a variety of nationalities, ethnic groups, and traditions, Davidson values diversity, recognizing the dignity and worth of every person. Therefore, Davidson provides a range of opportunities for worship, civil debate, and teaching that enrich mind and spirit.” González commented that, as of now, these statements are not indicative of real life. “Unfortunately, the more you study and learn about the world, the more you see how very far we are from living [the Statement of Purpose].” Shortly after, Associate Professor of Philosophy Dr. Daniel Layman took the stage to argue that campuses should opt for a “classical liberal position,” meaning that universities should never censor the expression of any moral, political, scientific or theological idea. “Accepting [the classical liberal position] means accepting that speech
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