Davidsonian 2016 04 27

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the davidsonian

April 27, 2016 Vol. 108 issue 19

The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914

Inside NEWS NPHC Fraternities and Sororities welcome new members through public presentations 2 LIVING DAVIDSON Jacob Hege and friends spend 24 hours in the library 4 Preview of Union Board Spring Concert 4 PERSPECTIVES

Pulitzer Prize-winner Jose Antonio Vargas speaks with students prior to his Thursday evening lecture. Photo by Bill Giduz.

Jose Antonio Vargas speaks about the plight of undocumented Americans AJ NADDAFF Senior Staff Writer

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ast Thursday’s lecture featured a gay, undocumented Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, Jose Antonio Vargas. His talk demonstrated an important step forward in the college’s history, addressing the intersectional nature of immigrants’ identities, documentation statuses, and the changing landscape of race in America. Vargas’ lecture, entitled “Define American,” was part of a series of conversations organized by undocumented students and allies that began last year. During the 2015 fall semester, a team of faculty, students, and staff began to research how Davidson could better support undocumented students, leading to a training for staff members in student life. This spring, the focus was campus education: three lectures highlighted different stories around immigration and the pressing need for

reform. The series included a panel on migrant and refugee ethics featuring Dr. Joseph Carens in February, a lecture and documentary on the border between Mexico and the United States presented by Dr. Miguel de la Torre in March, and finally Vargas’ lecture this past week. President Quillen, who has shown particular interest in the concerns of undocumented students, regarded the event as “one of the most important lectures of the year,” encouraging all students to attend in a prior email. In addition to his lecture, Vargas spent time with students and faculty for lunch. He then met with students, staff, and faculty for tea during the day for more personal conversations, even asking their opinions about his talk for that evening. John Michael Murphy ‘16, an event organizer, described Vargas as “warm and outgoing with lots of energy.” However, Vargas cancelled a meeting with Davidson’s undocumented students despite his rhetoric of commitment to them, explained Eliz-

abeth Welliver ‘16, another student organizer. On the morning of his arrival, Vargas spent time with Ric Elias, the successful business owner of Red Ventures and the founder of the Golden Door Scholarship, which benefits undocumented students. Thanks to Elias’ efforts in education and career access for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students, five current Davidson students are the beneficiaries of his scholarship. One of the recipients of the Golden Door Scholarship, Itziri Gonzalez-Barcenas ‘19, said that, as a direct result of Vargas’ lecture, she was able to “gather the courage to speak about [her] personal experiences as an undocumented student in America.” Vargas’s lecture began with his powerful personal anecdote. The journalist colored humor into his narrative by saying, “In the last five years what I realized is sometimes you have to risk your own life to free yourself from it. In college cam-

See VARGAS Page 2

New member of AKA shares her initial experience in the NPHC sorority 5 Jimmy Tabolsky argues for true gender-neutral housing 5 YOWL Professor questions absence excuses 6 What’s up with Nantucket? 6 Undercover investigation to find out what actually happens during course evaluation deliveries 6 SPORTS David Sargent leads golf team through individual success 7 Women’s tennis to A10 finals 6

Davidson community awarded for commitment to service COLLEEN KARLOVICH Staff Writer

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n Thursday, April 21, the Civic Engagement Council hosted their annual Celebration of Service. This year, there were a wide range of awards given to students, professors, and alumnae. As Kyle Goodfellow, the Program Coordinator for the Civic Engagement said, “Tonight’s event is a chance for us to celebrate the exemplary service and civic engagement work in our community.” Following Goodfellow’s opening, President Carol Quillen gave a heartwarming speech about living a life of courage and bravery in the face of adversity, connecting Davidson’s ideals with that of recent guest speaker Jose Antonio Vargas. She applauded the audience for all of their hard work and positive impacts on the community. Next, Dustin Atchley ‘16, the outgoing Civic Engagement Council Chair, and Patrick Spauster ‘17, the incoming Civic Engagement Chair, introduced a video that highlighted Davidson’s service programs and other Civic Engagement experiences. The video showed images from alternative break trips, Bonner Scholars programs, Service Odyssey, and the many other ways in which Davidson students give back to their community. Subsequently, Atchley and Spauster spoke about the Civic Engagement Council itself. The Council is a group of student leaders, and it

works tirelessly to inspire and communicate civic engagement efforts through direct service, advocacy, and community involvement. The Council functions as an umbrella organization for thirtyone other service and social action groups on campus with student coordinators who act as liaisons between community non-profits and student volunteers. This past year, the Center for Civic Engagement was honored for the 9th year in a row with the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which recognizes colleges and universities nationwide for exemplary, innovative, and effective community service programs. As the evening continued, Atchley and Spauster recognized the 25th anniversary of the Be the Match on Campus organization at Davidson. Be the Match on Campus supports the increasing need for delivering cures for blood cancers through fundraising and typing drives on campus. Following the recognition, Atchley and Spauster presented the “Leadership in Service” award, which is given to those who exemplify a commitment to service by inspiring others, integrating service into their daily lives, sustaining partnerships with community organizations, and/ or developing programs to benefit the community. The awardees were as follows: Amelia Anderson ‘18; Marlene Arellano ‘17; Will Byrd ‘17; Jonathan Campbell ‘17; Delta Sigma Theta;

Abigail Gray ‘16; Anmar Jeerjees ‘18; the John’s Island Service trip represented by Jasper Vaughn ‘16, Reese Schaffner ‘16, Jeremy Andreades ‘17, Victoria Frost ‘18; Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc.; Belle Raim ‘16; and Ashim Situala ‘18. The Civic Engagement Center then honored the students who work with the Ada Jenkins Center LEARN Works program and have exemplified what it means to be leaders in service. The awardees were Nathan Argueta ‘16, Esther Lherisson ‘19, Thomas McDonough ‘16, Alexandrea Moseley ‘17, Julie Park ‘17, and Lena Parker ‘17. The recipients were excited about and thankful for their awards and recognition. Parker commented, “It’s an honor being able to have served the Davidson Community for four years here. Not many universities or colleges emphasize civic engagement as much as Davidson.” Following the Leadership in Service award, Dr. Stacey Riemer presented the awards of distinction. First up was the Alumni Service award. Newly created this year, this award honors alumni who enact exemplary service efforts in their communities. This year, the Center honored a team of nine individuals who have dedicated the past two years to building an alumni service initiative from the ground up. During their 45th reunion, members of the Davidson College class of 1968 discussed what it means to enact a life of leadership and service. Following their discourse, the team met regularly over the course of a year

through conference calls where they collected and analyzed data, and raised funds to launch the Davidson Serves Alumni Service Initiative during National Volunteer Week in April 2015. This year, the team coordinated over thirty-five service projects engaging 300 alumni in service and civic engagement efforts. The team was represented by Tom Caldwell, Cecil Clifton, Julia Prosser, and George Shaw. Next, Dr. Riemer awarded the Outstanding Partnership Award which honors a community member, group, or organization who supports Davidson College students and their civic engagement efforts. First, the Center honored Dr. Bri Nigel who has worked to provide medical care to underinsured and uninsured individuals in the Lake Norman area and strives to include Davidson students in all facets of her work. She has recruited new clinic staff and specialists to expand interpretation services for the largely non-native English speakers. Her leadership has guided the Free Clinic of Our Towns at the Ada Jenkins Center and the Free Clinic of Our Towns student organization to new levels of high quality patient care. The second recipient was Lynn Hennighausen from Davidson LifeLine; she is the President of this non-profit, which was formed in 2012 when the town of Davidson grieved the

See SERVICE Page 3


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