1. TheFlawsandMeritsofCollegeRankings:NavigatingShifting ParadigminDavidsonAdmissions
ByMadelineRichard‘26(she/her)
● HowhasDavidsonfaredinthe U.S. News and World Report rankings?
DavidsonCollegecurrentlyranksasthe#15liberalartscollegeintheU.S. However,DavidsonhasdroppedsincetheClassof‘23applied,whenthecollege wasrankedinthetopten.
● Dotheserankingscaptureeverything?Notquite.The U.S. News and World Report rankingsdoencapsulateusefulacademicmetricslikestudent-to-faculty interaction.Yet,theycannotmeasurecorecampusvaluesandtraditions,likethe CakeRaceortheHonorCodehereatDavidson.
● HowdoesDavidson’sOfficeofAdmissionsshowbeyondtherankings?
AccordingtoDirectorofMediaRelationsJayPfeifer,theCollege’swebsite, on-campusprogramming,andnationwideadmissionsmeetingshelptoshowcase thestrengthofDavidson’scommunitytoprospectivehighschoolers.
2. GregDelawie:LifeandWork
ByBellaAndjelkovic‘26(she/her)
● WhoisGregDelawie?AmbassadorDelawieservedastheUSAmbassadorto Kosovofrom2015-2018.DuringhistimeinKosovo,hepromotedAmerican interestsandworkedtolimitethnicviolence.LastThursday,Ambassador DelawiespoketoDavidsonstudentsattheVisualArtsCenter.
● WhatdidAmbassadorDelawiespeakabout?Forthemostpart,hefocusedon thetopicsoffreedomandcorruption.HeproposedvarioussolutionstheU.S.can pursuetopromotedemocracyandbattlecorruptionintheBalkans.These includedsupportingindependentprosecutorsandcivilsocietyorganizationsinthe region.
● WhyshouldDavidsonstudentscare?AccordingtoProfessorofPolitical ScienceBesirCeka,itisvaluableforDavidsonstudentstolearnmoreaboutthe UnitedStates’promotionofdemocracyaroundtheworld.ParkerNunn‘26 appreciatedlearningabouttheBalkans,aregioncoveredlessinthemedia.
3. DavidsonCourseVisitsIsraelAmidUnsteadyTime
ByMiaRiffle‘24(she/her)
● WhatwasgoingoninIsraelipoliticswhenDavidsonstudentsvisitedover SpringBreak?Overthepastfewweeks,theIsraeligovernment,ledbyPrime MinisterBenjaminNetanyahu,haspushedajudicialoverhaul.Thischangewould allowthelegislaturetoappointSupremeCourtjudgesandvetoSupremeCourt rulingswithasimplemajority.Protestshaveemergedacrossthecountry,ledby Israelicitizensandsoldierswhoseethisproposalasundemocratic.
● WasitsafeforDavidsonstudentstotraveltoIsrael?Despitethepolitical tensioninIsrael,theOfficeofStudyAbroadconcludeditwouldbesafefor
Davidsonstudentstotravelthere.Theybasedtheirdecisiononthe recommendationsoftheU.S.StateDepartmentandprofessorslikeDr.Silvi Toska,anexpertonpoliticsintheMiddleEast.
● Whatdidstudentsdoduringtheirtrip?AspartofahistorycourseonThe CrusadestaughtbyDr.KabalaandDr.Berkey,studentsvisitedsitesinIsraellike Nazareth,Bethlehem,andJerusalem.TheyreflectedontheCrusadesofthepast whileaddressingthepoliticaltensionsoftoday.
4. PattersonCourtOrganizationsTeamUpforPCCWeek ByMillsJordan‘25(he/him)
● Whatis“PCCWeek”?ItisaDavidsontraditionwherePattersonCourtCouncil (PCC)hostsaseriesoffuneventsformembersofPCCorganizations.Thisyear, eventsincludedadayoflawngames,apopsicleeatingcontest,and“PCCGot Talent”.
● WhatisthepurposeofPCCWeek?Thegoalistofosterrelationshipsbetween membersofdifferentorganizationswhomightnototherwiseworktogether.To accomplishthisgoal,membersareorganizedintocross-organizationteams.For example,theBlueTeam(thisyear’swinners!)consistedofFiji,thePiChis,K Sig,andConnorEatingHouse.
● WillPCCWeekhappenagainnextyear?Yes!LeaderswithinPCChopeto revivethistraditionasanannualoccurrenceandtoseeparticipationgrow.Next year,PCCplanstobuildoffofsuccessfuleventsandbeginadvertisingearlier.