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Davidsonian
Independent Student Journalism Since 1914
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Student organizations host Black History Month events, open to all
Volume 121, Issue 14
February 15, 2023
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Coach Bob McKillop celebrates retirement surrounded by friends, family, current athletes
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A profile on the “Brick Painter,” or Mallory Kavanaugh ‘26
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The Yowl examines the humanity of the basketball team
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An Evaluation of Davidson’s Active Shooter Protocol Davidson’s Response to Increase in U.S. Gun Violence
BELLA ANDJELKOVIC ‘26 (SHE/HER) SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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n November, the University of Virginia lost three of its football players to an active shooter. Just this past Monday, three people were shot at Michigan State University. According to the Sandy Hook Promise, twelve children die from gun violence in America each day, and guns currently are the leading cause of death among teens. Davidson is not immune to the danger of gun violence, and recently the active shooter protocol was updated to increase the protection of students and professors. This past August, Chief Financial Officer Ann McCorvey emailed staff about the newly updated locks on classroom doors in Chambers. “Our facilities team worked for the past several months installing new hardware on doors, and modifications had to be made for every classroom. We struck a balance between the need to lock the doors in an emergency and preventing them from being locked in non-emergencies, such as students studying in a classroom late at night…” the email states. Chief Julian Coaxum, head of campus police, explains that the current Emergency Response Plan (ERP) at Davidson includes “police stopping the threat” while also establishing guidelines for “campus-wide communication, service coordination and safety procedures in the event of emergencies and dangerous situations such as fires, bomb threats, severe weather or any situation that could threaten lives or safety within the college community, including active shooters.” For communication, Davidson uses a program called SSAFER through Banner Self
Service, which notifies students and faculty of important safety information. According to Coaxum “recent mass shootings have not changed the ERP but they have reinforced the value of constant, consistent preparation.” For instance, last December, campus police organized a “crisis event exercise” intended to teach people from both the college and town of Davidson about how to respond in a situation with an active shooter. Staff members are offered optional training at multiple points throughout the year and students participate in emergency training during orientation. However, many current professors and students admit that they do not know much about the protocol. Gibby Heiser ’26 feels uninformed about what to do in the situation of an active shooter on campus. She does not remember receiving training during orientation on this topic. “I think I have seen it on my door before,” she states, referring to a poster with steps on how to respond to an active shooter. Heiser has not participated in mass shooting safety training, yet she feels safe on campus. “I think Campus Police has a pretty secure presence on campus,” Heiser said. “I have seen the cars and I have seen them in the halls before checking in on people. I think they improve safety, but I don’t think I personally know anything about education.” Professor of English Dr. Shireen Campbell began thinking about the possibility of an active shooter at Davidson after the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. It came to her attention that her classroom doors did not lock. “Very recently, within the last two years or even last year, the classroom doors were all changed so that they can lock from the inside,” Campbell said. “And here’s where this is disconcerting news for you, I know we got
Campus Police parked outside of Chambers. Photo by Anika Banerjee ‘24 elaborate instructions about how it works and I know that if I’m teaching, I’m supposed to lock the door but I’m unclear about how I’m supposed to.” Campbell has an office key, but she is unsure where she would find a key to lock a classroom she is teaching in. While Campbell remembers learning a protocol at some point, she admits that it was almost a “year and half ago,” and she has not been refreshed since. When discussing safety protocols and
training at Davidson, Coaxum emphasized the significance of the SSAFER system. “The most important step faculty, staff and students can take is to make sure their contact info is correct in Banner Self-Service so SSAFER messages reach them,” Coaxum said. “SSAFER messages convey the most critical information in fast-moving crises like active-shooter situations.”
Students Discuss Black History Month Celebrations on Campus MILLS JORDAN ‘25 (HE/HIM) SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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his February, a handful of students of color have been hard at work planning events to celebrate Black History Month in the Davidson community. So far, the Black Student Coalition (BSC), NPHC organizations, and the Black Femmes at Davidson have hosted a wide variety of events, ranging from a discussion on intersectionality to supporting dining workers at Commons. In the upcoming weeks, Davidson students will have the opportunity to enjoy a fashion show, reflect on key historical activists, and the month will culminate with the BSC Gala in Charlotte. All the while, the DuBoisian Scholars, a campus organization that mentors students at West Charlotte High School, will be guiding their high schoolers every Friday through activities in celebration of Black history. Reflecting on her time at Davidson, Kennedy Petties ‘23, the Black History Month Chair of the BSC, remembers February of her freshman year fondly. “This was the first time that
I’d seen a whole lot of unity, programming, and activities as a chance to get to know other people,” said Petties. “It was the first time I really got immersed in the BSC.” Now a senior, Petties and other members of the BSC have planned events every week of the month. With similar passion and energy, Ted Pasquette ‘24, President of the Tau Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc., has high hopes for his fraternity’s events this month. “We want to make sure that people are very aware of the things going on campus, the Black perspective on campus, as well as the Black perspective across the United States,” he said. Together, the Tau Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and the BSC will host a fashion show to highlight Black culture this Friday, February 17th, in Union. In hosting events like the fashion show, Petties emphasized that celebrating Black history includes much more than reflecting on the past. “It’s a time to celebrate us now instead of just what has happened. Being here is an active part of history for a lot of us because there are so few of us at this school, so having that
community allows us to share some degree of a collective experience,” she said. Morgan Henderson ‘23, President of the DuBoisian Scholars, also hopes to reinforce the value of building community to the students she mentors at West Charlotte, a predominantly Black high school. Last Friday, Henderson shared that, “we made blankets for a homeless shelter to get the kids involved in community service and to stress the importance of helping your local community.” Later this month, the DuBoisian Scholars will orient their lesson plans around Black history as the high schoolers they mentor prepare to transition to college. Henderson emphasized, “whether it’s the history of their life, the history of somebody else’s life, or the history of their family, we’re just opening up and allowing a range of discussions for each person to feel not only comfortable in the culture, but proud.” While these student organizations have created ample opportunities for the community to celebrate Black History Month, the events do not always see widespread attendance. “I feel like the issue is when we throw events out, it’s just our own circle of people that actually do
show up,” said Pasquette. “We just wish and hope that more Davidson students will come out to these events.” Frank Edong’a ‘25, co-President of the Davidson African Students Association (DASA), similarly explained that, “when we celebrate Halloween, across campus people are dressing differently, so you know something is really happening. Most people know that February is Black History Month, but I don’t really see that activity in the same way. It would be a good thing if we really took this event seriously.” While many of these student leaders wish for more turnout from the student body, Petties expressed gratitude for the administration. She said, “I appreciate that the school administration itself is super supportive. They do their best to make sure every event happens no matter what. Doug Hicks has also been personally invested in asking me questions about the month and what we’re up to.” Importantly, Black identities at Davidson include not only African-American students,
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