The Davidsonian 10/30/24

The

Davidsonian For a Better Davidson.

inside

davidsonian.news The Davidson College Democrats and Republicans give a final rallying cry before the election.

Volume 123, Issue 7

October 30, 2024

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Two Izzys reflect on what it was like to live in the superior dorm on campus.

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Colin Decker ‘27 sits down with Coach Matt McKillop.

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The Yowl looks into sports betting with your friends’ love lives on campus.

Unmarked Police Vehicles Raise Questions About Campus Security

ABBY SMETANA ‘27 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

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avidson College campus police have a new tool in their arsenal: unmarked cars. At the beginning of the year, a student posted an image of a white Ford Explorer on Yik Yak, claiming the car was being operated by campus police. Since then, more images of cars like this have surfaced, although when asked, many students expressed surprise at the suggestion of unmarked police car usage on campus.

Dean Dowling ‘25 was one of the many who was not aware of these vehicles. “It seems a little deceiving, [and] worries me a little bit,” he acknowledged when made aware of these cars. “I don’t know the reason for it obviously, but I think that the presence of police cars with labels provides more security. I don’t see any benefit to them being unmarked.”

Amaya Daniel ‘25 is one of the few students who has noticed the cars. “I think a lot of people just don’t know that there’s unmarked [campus police] cars. But also if I wasn’t

walking by that one time and noticed the car there, and [if] I was having a conversation and didn’t pay attention to the car, I wouldn’t have known that [they existed],” Daniel shared.

Daniel had been on her way to Armfield Courtyard with some friends when they saw cars parked where campus police typically reside to monitor weekend activities. “It was just interesting, because we were walking, and we [said to ourselves], ‘[campus police] is gonna be mad at whoever else is in their parking space. I hope they move their car.’ And then they [the police officers in the car] got out and it was campus police.”

Daniel claims she saw two of the unmarked cars. “There was the one car and there’s another car that joined the other unmarked one and they were all wearing campus police gear when they came out, so I just assumed [they were] police cars.”

The Davidsonian reached out to Campus Chief of Police Julian Coaxum for details on how the department utilizes these unmarked cars. While Chief Coaxum declined an in-person interview, he provided a brief email response.

Unmarked campus police vehicles have been spotted around Davidson, causing uncertainty about security on campus. Photo by Claire Kelly ‘25.

“An unmarked vehicle is a standard tool for police across the country. An unmarked vehicle can be an asset in specific situations, such as monitoring campus parking lots to prevent break-ins and thefts,” he shared. “It is also helpful when police conduct escorts for VIP dignitaries or students to off-campus legal proceedings where discretion is preferred or requested. Students frequently prefer to minimize visibility in those cases and an unmarked vehicle allows our officers to meet their needs.”

Chief Coaxum did not mention the use of any vehicle to monitor student conduct around Armfield or the Patterson Court Council organizations, the place where students have reported seeing the unmarked vehicles.

Center for Political Engagement President Sophia Ludt ‘25 is concerned about campus police’s lack of transparency and what the addition of unmarked vehicles to the police force will entail.

“I think this is just another part of the uptick in surveillance of students here. There are so many more cameras than I’ve ever seen here before,” Ludt said, in reference to the more prevalent cameras that have been added in recent years to the outsides of first- and second-year buildings along dorm row. “They’re also very visible, which is very much trying to show us that they’re watching us, but also that they want us to watch each other.”

Ludt has worked extensively with organizations championing police reform and accountability. Two summers ago, she worked with Youth Advocacy Group, a nonprofit that provides alternatives to youth in the juvenile court system. Last summer, she continued her advocacy work at Campaign Zero, another police reform organization.

“One of the projects I worked on was the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), [which is utilized] when citizens run into the police and they want to make a complaint about something that happened, like if [the police] used force on them, if they used offensive language, things like that. They make a complaint with the CCRB, and it [acts as] an oversight board that looks into it.”

Ludt’s experiences at these organizations led to her interest in police accountability. She is currently completing a sociology project about Davidson students’ perceptions about and connections with campus police.

“We need to have a record of what people’s experiences are with campus police, because we really don’t have that right now,” Ludt

expressed. “I just think it’s going to lead to a culture of surveillance and paranoia among students. I feel like it is a really safe campus, and I just think that it [recent police conduct] personally makes me uncomfortable, and I’ve heard other people say it makes them uncomfortable,” Ludt said.

These unrecognizable police cars not only represent a disconcerting change in campus culture, but also a potentially dangerous situation. “If you have an issue, you need to be able to locate the nearest officer,” Ludt said. “I understand that it’s not realistic to ask them not to have officers at Armfield, but they need to be in marked cars, because they need to identify themselves to students who are going to be asking them for help.”

Ludt also fears that this will lead to a dangerous campus environment. “People are going to try and do things in secret, and it will lead to people not feeling like they’re allowed to do what they want in public because they’re constantly being watched.”

Other students, such as Judah Silverman ‘27, welcome the more proactive approach Campus Police are taking. “I think that college campuses aren’t necessarily safe, and I think that what makes Davidson safe is the fact that it’s in the suburbs, but [...] it’s completely possible for somebody to come onto campus with the desire to do harm.”

He added that although he wasn’t sure about the utility of unmarked vehicles, more funding should be directed towards building the “relationship between campus police and [the] student body” and other security concerns such as “the blue light system being very recently operational, and certain trespassers [coming on campus].”

Instead, Silverman supports the increased presence of cameras around campus. “I think we need more cameras. [...] The Honor Code has been dead for years, and we need more cameras.”

Ludt emphasized that while police have a responsibility to prevent liabilities on campus, they should aim to make students in the Davidson community feel comfortable above all else. “While I am all for community—not community policing but communities helping each other—[...] I do understand that it’s a liability to not have police officers at parties,” she stated. “But [...] I feel like it’s pretty hypocritical to have these unmarked cars out there because it implies that they’re not associated with Davidson College, and I would probably avoid that car if I saw it.”

Town of Davidson Reveals Climate Action Plan AIDAN MARKS ‘27 (HE/HIM) POLITICS EDITOR SAVANNAH SORAGHAN ‘27 (SHE/HER) CO-NEWS EDITOR Last Wednesday, Davidson community members gathered at the Davidson College Presbyterian Church Congregation House to hear Sustainability Director Kayla Kovach explain the town’s recently released Climate Action Plan.

The plan, which aims to make municipal operations carbon neutral by 2037 and the entire town carbon neutral by 2050, focuses on six action areas: municipal operations, transportation and mobility, buildings and energy, resource conservation, green community, and climate resilience.

Mayor Rusty Knox says discussion about a sustainability plan originated eight years ago during his first term. “When I first got elected, I went and talked to the SGA (Student Government Association) and they said, ‘So what is the town doing for sustainability?’ I was like, ‘Well, we recycle, and I think we might have a hybrid truck at public works,’ but I didn’t really know.”

Over time, however, the goals of the Climate Action Plan have shifted to what many believe the Town of Davidson needs today.

“That was also eight years ago, and in that period of time, we crafted a new strategic and [comprehensive] plan that basically outlined what the guidelines are that we want to achieve and grow in our town, and one of those is sustainability,” Mayor

Knox said.

Kovach, who has a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from Clemson University, has been the town’s sustainability manager since November of 2023. The position was created to help the town pursue their sustainability goals.

“This position was new as of last year, [...] and I’m the first sustainability manager with the town,” Kovach stated.

Hiring a designated sustainability manager is rare, especially for a town of Davidson’s size. This has allowed Davidson to become a leader in sustainable practices. “We want to be that leader [in sustainability] because I think we also have a footprint that’s more manageable, number one, because we’re

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Sustainability Plan Progressing in Davidson CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 smaller; number two, the partnership that we have with the college and the influx of good ideas [...] goes a long way,” Mayor Knox said.

At the informational meeting, Kovach explained that the majority of the town’s progress has been concentrated in municipal operations. Bradley Passarella ‘25, a sustainability strategy intern with the Town of Davidson this past summer, saw first hand what the group aimed to accomplish. “The goal that I was looking at was developing the zero emission vehicle strategy, which essentially encompasses 72.3% of emission reductions,” Passarella said. “[The goal is to] ensure all newly acquired vehicles for town use are either EV hybrids or use clean fuels, and to have that fleet transition to 100% by 2037.”

The Town of Davidson employed Blue Strike Environmental to create the plan. “It was a combination of what the consultant brought to us and what we said was important for our town,” Kovach described.

Over the past year, Andre Phillips ‘26 has been working with the Sustainability Board, which provides recommendations to the Town of Davidson regarding sustainability initiatives and implementation of the Climate Action Plan, as a student liaison.

“My role is trying to organize other students to put events together or figure out what initiatives they want to work on,” Phillips said. “[It] is useful for [the town] to have this student perspective, because there’s kind of a gap between the college and the town.”

Phillips’s main work with the town falls under sustainability and mobility. “Andre loves to help promote public transportation and help make it easier, so he partnered with [Mayor Knox] to get community members to take [bus] rides,” Kovach said.

“We’ve taken the express bus to Charlotte a couple times to show how easy it is to navigate,” Mayor Knox added.

Kovach intends to continue the partnership between students

Kayla Kovach has served as sustainability director for the Town of Davidson over the past year. Photo from LinkedIn.

and the town. “We’re going to have a Davidson College student on our Sustainability Board moving forward so that they’ll continue to have a direct impact on what’s going on with the town,” Kovach specified.

Collaboration between the college and the town extends beyond student involvement. “It is going to be very important to have a close relationship with Davidson College as we’re working on these goals, because our community-wide goal [...] [includes the college],” Kovach said.

“It might help drive more improvements, because we can work together to reach these goals. I work with the Sustainability Office over at Davidson College, and they’re amazing.

And so I just foresee that as we start to really focus on these community-wide goals, we’re gonna be a great team and work together,” Kovach added.

Mayor Knox recognizes that the task ahead will be difficult.

“It takes a cultural shift to [reduce our carbon footprint],” he described.

It seems that shift has already begun to take place within municipal operations. “The great thing about this plan is that it involves the entire town staff, so it’s not just me doing all of these things. Other departments have to take accountability for certain items because some of them fall more within their line of work. [...] Everybody here has really taken on their responsibilities for this plan and have incorporated it into what they’re doing,” Kovach said.

The Sustainability Board meets at Davidson’s town hall. Photo by the Town of Davidson.

Dr. Zachary Sell Unpacks the Role of U.S. Slavery in British Colonialism

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way.”

Lectures that the History department frequently host are commonplace and popular among students and faculty. “The History department lectures are a great opportunity to be exposed to new areas of history. As amazing as our department is, we’re never going to have an expert in everything, so it’s exciting to see what other kinds of historical stud[ies] are out there,” Haile stated.

Guest lecturers can also have an impact on how teachers instruct their classes. “Next time I teach my nineteenth century U.S. history course, I will definitely be incorporating Dr. Sell’s work in my class as either part of a lecture or as a reading,” Dr. Nguyen said.

Dr. Sell is currently working on his second book and striving to “work collaboratively on curriculum projects, documentary films, and writing regarding teaching the history of slavery.”

Regarding Davidson, he added that “Places where people are coming together, talking not just about history but also about justice, are places that I value being in and contributing to.”

COCO AUSTIN ‘27 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

everal students and faculty poured into Semans Lecture Hall in the Katherine and Tom Belk Visual Arts Center to hear Dr. Zachary Sell give a presentation titled: ‘Terrible Convergence: U.S. Settler Slavery and Colonial Rule in South Asia.’ This lecture discussed the colonial perspective of the free-produce movement, which was an international boycott of goods produced by slaves in the nineteenth century. This movement often looked to South Asia, particularly India, to meet the demands of metropolitan societies while touching on the broader implications of these colonial agricultural endeavors and their alignment with global societal needs.

Dr. Sell hails from the University of Notre Dame, where he specializes in Africana Studies and the history of slavery. Sell authored Trouble of the World: Slavery and Empire in the Age of Capital, a book that examined how U.S. slavery intersects with British colonies such as Australia, Belize, and India.

Dr. Sell focused on highlighting the role of U.S. slavery that fueled British industrial growth and the subsequent global economic impact. He also touched on the introduction of U.S. plantation methods, particularly Carolina rice cultivation, into colonial India. Dr. Sell emphasized the broader implications of these projects on global racial capitalism.

“Beyond the immediate context of my book, the way that the history of slavery is understood, taught, and discussed in the United States is currently deeply under attack,” Dr. Sell asserted in his discussion. “This is an era of significant insights into how deeply the history of slavery structured not only the past but also how the afterlives of slavery continue into the present.” Through his lecture, Dr. Sell aimed “to seek to contribute to deepening public knowledge about this history and reality.”

The full lecture hall had the opportunity to ask Dr. Sell questions after his lecture. Faculty members of the History department connected Dr. Sell’s teachings to their own specializations. Many of the students were assigned Dr. Sell’s book in their classes, so they asked him questions ranging from his presentation to how he carries out research.

Dr. Sell loves answering student questions, gushing that “Often, the questions that students ask are among the most difficult to answer.” He then added that “Students have an incredible

In his lecture, Dr. Zachary Sell discussed the relationship between U.S. slavery and British colonialism. Photo from choices. edu.

enthusiasm that is great to be around. The work students do and the commitments that students have to justice are inspiring.”

Students were impressed with Dr. Sell’s lecture. History major Claire Haile ‘25 found it very engaging. “I found Dr. Sell’s lecture impactful because he drew on a lot of topics we examine in Davidson history classes, including slavery, race, imperialism, and labor history, while using an approach I wasn’t as familiar with by not limiting his book topic to a single country or even region and instead using case studies from all around the world.”

The praise extended to faculty as well. Visiting Assistant Professor of History Dr. Anna Nguyen remarked that Dr. Sell’s lecture “offered a more global view of U.S. enslavement by looking at how the U.S. expansion of slavery in the mid-nineteenth century informed and transformed British colonial projects, namely in India.” Dr. Nguyen also stressed how open the faculty is to lecturers. “As scholars, we are always excited to have academics from other institutions visit our campus so that we can engage with their work in a meaningful and personal

Correction from 10/23/24 Issue: Illustrator George Butler was mistakenly referred to as an American. He is British.

Politics

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Days Before Election, Voter Engagement Efforts Ramp Up

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WILL CAPPS ‘27 (HE/HIM) STAFF WRITER

s Election Day fast approaches, political organizations on campus are ramping up efforts to encourage students to get involved at the polls and beyond.

Leading the charge is the Center for Political Engagement (CPE), a nonpartisan group dedicated to fostering political participation.

“We want students to be engaged on campus with politics, and we want them to vote in this election, because student participation is really important,” CPE Vice President Emre Guvenilir ‘25 said.

In a state decided by roughly 74,000 votes in 2020, and with an even tighter margin expected in 2024, the student population at Davidson College could play a pivotal role in shaping the outcome, especially as organizers nationwide zero in on Mecklenburg County as a deciding factor in North Carolina races.

CPE’s engagement efforts focus on two key areas: voter registration and transportation to Davidson’s early voting site. Through its voter registration drive, which has been running throughout the semester, CPE has registered nearly 200 students—more than 10% of Davidson’s student body. CPE has employed a variety of tactics to connect with students, including tabling events, club presentations, and social media outreach, according to Guvenilir.

CPE President Sophia Ludt ’25 added in an email that the organization has focused on “meeting students where they are at” and taking the stress out of political engagement. “CPE also works with many student groups to meet people where they already gather and spend their time, maximizing our reach across campus,” she added.

In recent weeks, CPE has shifted toward helping students cast their ballots, particularly through a free shuttle service that provides a patriotic escort to Davidson’s early voting site in a golf cart adorned with red, white, and blue celebratory flair.

According to Guvenilir, the shuttle service is part of a broader push to make political participation more convenient.

“That’s a fifteen-minute walk. It’s not tremendously bad, but it’s just so much easier when someone’s going to drive you there,” he said.

Ludt highlighted recent initiatives like the “Sammies and Shuttles” event, which took place on October 16th, the first day of early voting in North Carolina. This event sought to

CPE gallantly transports students to the polls in their American flag-decorated golf cart. Photo by Claire Kelly ‘25.

destress voting with free food and transportation to the polls.

It was hosted in tandem with the Young People’s Alliance, a youth advocacy nonprofit with a presence on college campuses across the Southeast.

Ludt emphasized that CPE’s nonpartisan status helps build trust among the entire student body, which can be more challenging for Davidson’s partisan organizations. “I believe that our nonpartisan status makes it easier for us to create an accepting environment for all since we value students, not politicians,” she said.

Guvenilir agreed, noting that CPE’s neutrality fosters student engagement. “Our goal is to say, ‘Hey, regardless of your opinion, you are entitled to have your voice heard.’”

However, while partisanship can present certain challenges, the Davidson College Democrats and the Davidson College Republicans remain focused on mobilizing students to get involved. President of the Davidson College Republicans Stephen Walker ‘26 said that his organization has focused on face-to-face conversations that move beyond rhetoric to con-

Davidson Democrats

A common trope in movies involves a character dedicated to a cause because of the death of a family member. Even more common is the idea of a protagonist fighting against a villain who hurt them. Everyone loves a good revenge story. But have we ever stopped to ask ourselves what these characters’ lives were like beforehand?

Or who they would be instead? What would Mario have done if Bowser simply kidnapped a random Mushroom Kingdom denizen? What would Batman be doing if his parents were still alive? Who would Katniss Everdeen be if she hadn’t risked it all for her sister? The truth is rather obvious: their lives would be boring. That’s why the story starts the way it does. A good tale demands conflict.

But conflict is painful. This election season, too many people seem to be forgetting this pain. Fighting for your rights is not glorious!

It’s exhausting. What I am trying to make unbelievably clear is that many people may regret what they do during this upcoming week for the rest of their lives. Too many already hold guilt from not voting in 2016.

No one ever thought Trump would deny the 2020 election results. No one ever thought he would spread COVID-19 misinformation.

No one ever thought he would call to ban transgender people from the military. No one ever thought it would happen until it did— until it was already too late.

What Donald Trump represents in this election is the foundation of chaos. I understand that some people are unhappy with the current state of our country, but the question we should be asking ourselves is this: what exactly will Donald Trump do to fix it? Who will benefit from his win? Imposing tariffs could make inflation worse. Creating a nationwide hunt for undocumented immigrants will not make

anyone safer. Sending reproductive health “back to the states” will not end the national conversation on abortion. These plans, or concepts of plans, may look like shooting stars that carry the promise of an almost wish—granting power. In reality, however, they are meteors—giant balls of fire rolling through the air that we can only hope never touch the ground.

And before I get accused of fearmongering, I want you to know that I am genuinely excited. Kamala’s plan to grant $6,000 to parents of newborns in their first year, her $50,000 tax break for small businesses, and her providing up to $25,000 in down payment for first-time homeowners is revolutionary.

It won’t fix everything, but it is a step in the right direction. For too long, we have accepted that fighting for what we deserve can’t be done. For too long, we have accepted a deadlocked Congress. I ask you now not to put your faith in just one woman, but in a nation ready for change.

So vote. Canvass. Phone bank. Donate. Do whatever you can, whenever you can. This is it. The final hour has arrived. The election is less than a week away. I’m ready to give this fight my all. Are you?

- Kailliou Macon-Goudeau ‘25 On behalf of the Davidson College Democrats

nect with students on policy issues that resonate with them.

“It’s really just about getting past any sort of personality, any sort of drama, to direct policies, things that we know happened,” Walker said.

The Republicans have also “been working with various campaigns, canvassing for candidates, getting out into the community to make sure that the base and that local folks are all able to vote,” Walker emphasized.

Still, the College Democrats and Republicans both seem to have struggled to connect with voters outside of campus in recent weeks.

President of the Davidson College Democrats Kailliou Macon-Goudeau ‘25 conceded that it can be difficult to encourage students to devote time to political engagement outside of their already-packed schedules. “It’s really hard to get students to go out and canvas,” Macon-Goudeau acknowledged, even in a county where nearly 70% of voters in 2020 voted Democrat. Macon-Goudeau hopes to host a day of canvassing on Thursday, October 31st, but until then, his organization is concentrating their outreach on students. “Right now, we are mostly focused on getting the people who do want to vote, and can vote, out to vote,” he said.

At another recent event, “Votes and Goats,” on October 5th, the Davidson College Democrats connected with about sixty student voters in just two hours, helping them check their registration and make plans to vote.

The Davidson College Democrats’s next focus, according to Macon-Goudeau, “very much depends on the election.” A Harris victory would push them to pursue “more direct conversations about more complicated issues within the democratic framework.” But the bottom line is simple: “This is why I tell them to vote [...] the things we’re fighting for become a lot easier.”

Walker also hopes to maintain a high level of political engagement among Republican students on campus. Regardless of the outcome, “You still need to do work to get people behind you, to pass legislation, [and] keep pressure on your representatives to deliver on their promises,” Walker asserted. He is also working to connect students with Republican organizations outside of the college so that students can stay connected to the party long after the election.

Beyond the election, all three groups hope to continue to facilitate political engagement and connections with organizations outside of Davidson–no matter the outcome. Ludt said that CPE will shift “to educat[ing] students on the political system so that they feel equipped to engage with it in the future, even after they graduate.”

Davidson Republicans

Our first column in The Davidsonian this semester decried inept comparisons of President Trump to Adolf Hitler. In the final weeks of the election, as all other arguments fail, the Democratic Party and its surrogates once again cling to such irrational hyperbole. They have opted in the final days not to argue that Harris’s policies will improve life for Americans, solve international conflicts, or bridge divides, but that the other candidate—who already served as president for four years without turning the country into a dictatorship—will suddenly turn into a fascist dictator, citing the same rhetoric they have attacked him for since 2016. They really can’t help themselves, can they?

The reality is Trump’s stubborn “never back down” attitude, which motivates these ridiculous theories, is his greatest virtue. In an era when the bedrocks of civilization are under attack, America needs Donald Trump, the man who refuses to give up on our country and its citizens. Trump understands the perils of a “politically correct” culture in which gender ideology and critical race theorists destroy our marketplace of ideas and civilization along with it. Trump understands that America is a great nation made up of great people, and that labeling our country—the greatest prosperity generator in the history of mankind— as an evil oppressor is an act of destruction that cannot be tolerated.

The sanctity of religious liberties and free speech are under attack from radical left governance in America and abroad. American citizens have not received adequate protection at our open border as Democrats attempt to codify deadly open border policies into law. Even General Kelly, Trump’s regrettably pro-warmongering chief of staff who called Trump a fascist, admitted an open border is an existential threat to the United States before he embarrassed the military by slandering Trump.

Lastly, we must keep America out of the forever wars—potentially costing America trillions of dollars and countless soldiers’ lives—that are brewing in Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan (no wonder the Cheneys endorse Harris!). These vital issues mandate we all vote for Trump to ensure Americans retain their freedom, safety, and the stability of conditions around the globe. America is up against it. We need a leader who refuses to give in, even when his life and basic freedoms are literally on the line. We don’t need an awkward, political flip-flopper like Harris.

It is Donald Trump who has and will continue to stand up for the downtrodden as our president. As globalist billionaires donate countless millions of dollars a piece to Harris, who statistics say is the overwhelming favorite of the top .01%, President Trump has committed himself to reviving the American tradition of innovation at all levels, aligning himself with our greatest innovators to reinvigorate American industry. Enabling problem solvers to solve problems, rather than allowing them to ship their industries abroad or forcing them to play corrupt games with useless regulators, is essential to ensuring our prosperity.

Trump’s deregulation, strategic tariffs, and initiatives to revolutionize transportation, and the construction of needed beautiful space for our rapidly growing population, will force billionaires and government bureaucrats to serve the American people. Trump’s policies will support industries that create countless opportunities for all, right here in America. Trump supports opening increased avenues of wealth creation and will be the sworn enemy of the overregulation that stifles economic mobility. Trump is the friend of the American worker and innovator. Harris is the friend of billionaires like Bill Gates, who has offered no significant solutions to society’s problems in decades.

Since descending down his golden escalator to protect the American people, Donald Trump has been a tectonic force in American politics. He has united government bureaucrats, political radicals, warmongers, and globalist billionaires behind a sixty-year-old political grifter sold as a “changemaker” by twenty-year-old interns who call her “brat’’ on X. Trump has united the rest of America in resistance to continued neglect by these elites.

America is more than an “oppressive” idea, it is the birthplace of an inherited set of ideals and values that have bested every challenge they have faced, freeing and uplifting more people than the rest of civilization in its entirety. The elites won in 2020 by outspending Republicans thanks to dark money and instability fomented by corporatefunded BLM riots. But secret benefactors, politically-motivated prosecutors, and fringe ideologies never win in the end. That honor is reserved for “We the People.”

- Stephen Walker ‘26 On behalf of the Davidson College Republicans

What you see above is a recurring head-to-head column between the Davidson College Democrats and the Davidson College Republicans. This week, the organizations give their final statements before the election. On behalf of The Davidsonian staff, we would like to acknowledge that the views and opinions expressed in each piece are that of the writer and not of the editorial staff. Many of these claims are based on information found in alternate publications. If you are curious to learn more, please contact Claire Kelly (clkelly@davidson.edu) or Ben Peake (bepeake@davidson.edu).

Perspectives

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Inside the Honor Council PETER BECK ‘25 (HE/HIM), MARY GRAY SPEAKMAN ‘25 (SHE/HER), MILLS JORDAN ‘25 (HE/HIM), DANIEL PRESA ‘25 (HE/HIM)

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e are the leaders of the Honor Council, an elected body with dozens of members tasked with upholding and adjudicating cases under Davidson College’s Honor Code. The Honor Code is designed so that we, as members of the Davidson College community at-large, investigate, decide, and, if necessary, impose proper accountability in cases in which the community’s trust has been undermined. Our primary goal as leaders of the Honor Council is to educate and support every student who comes before us so that they are better equipped to contribute to the Davidson College community and beyond.

A core principle of the Honor Council process is confidentiality, a student’s right enshrined in Davidson’s handbook to ensure privacy. It also serves as a marker that we, as a Council, do not want a single instance to define who a student is or their capacity to contribute positively to the Davidson College community.

However, an unfortunate drawback of our strict confidentiality is that the details of our process, such as the way and frequency with which we operate, often happens in the dark.

We, as the Council’s leadership, have made it a priority to change that dynamic of secrecy over the Council’s process, both with students and faculty.

When a student is accused of violating the Honor Code, the process is almost entirely student-run. A report is submitted to the Dean of Students Office or directly to the student solicitors, and anyone can submit a report.

From there, the Student Solicitors investigate the circumstances around the report and gather information. This usually includes meeting with the student in question, any other students involved, and the professor. The student solicitors then decide whether or not to charge

the student with an alleged Honor Code violation. In some cases, the student solicitors decide that a case may lack sufficient evidence to charge or be resolved best through a conversation or a warning.

In cases where the student solicitors decide to press a charge, students receive a formal letter from the Dean of Students Office, notifying them that they have been charged with a potential violation and to meet with a staff member from the office. Defense advisors contact students almost immediately after the official notification of a charge. From this official notification, the Honor Council has ten business days to conduct a hearing. Before a hearing, defense advisors work with the student to learn their perspectives and advise them on the process. The student solicitors meticulously put together an evidence packet, ranging from twenty pages to one hundred pages, that details the case’s facts and provides documentation of the entire process.

When a student admits to an Honor Code violation, there are two tracks that the student can take. The first is a Mutual Resolution Agreement, implemented last semester in the spirit of the Davidson College community’s belief in restorative justice and due process.

A Mutual Resolution can only happen when a student takes responsibility for the alleged violation and the involved professor agrees to participate. If both agree to participate, the student, professor, one defense advisor, one student solicitor, and either the Honor Council’s chair or vice-chair sit down to discuss the violation and reach a consensus on an appropriate outcome. In the unlikely event that the student and the professor do not reach an agreement with the accountability plan, the case then moves to a full hearing.

The Honor Council conducts a formal hearing when a student admits to a violation and opts not to participate in the Mutual Resolution process or outright denies an allegation.

For cases in which students deny an allegation,

the defense advisors zealously prepare and defend the students. A full hearing includes all six members of leadership (the chair, the vice-chair, both pairs of student solicitors and defense advisors), six Honor Council representatives chosen at random who represent all class years, and the student. Before the formal hearing, Honor Council representatives take the time to read through the student solicitors’ evidence packet to understand the case.

The chair and vice-chair facilitate the hearing while the student solicitors and defense advisors present the case to the six Honor Council representatives. The Council, student solicitors, and defense advisors each ask the student questions. The student can present their own evidence and call witnesses. After all the evidence has been presented, the six Council representatives enter into deliberations to determine responsibility and, if necessary, the appropriate accountability plan. When a student admits to a violation, deliberations focus on understanding what led to their decision to cheat and determining an accountability plan that is both fair and supportive of their academic growth.

There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to the Council. The members, defense advisors, and student solicitors hear and cater to each student’s circumstances, and therefore work holistically. Our goal as a Council is to put students on the best path.

If a student needs help, we make every effort to accommodate them. Overwhelmingly, the students we see are incredibly remorseful and only come in front of the Council for a single incident. Suspension is rarely the first accountability outcome we seek.

Finally, the Honor Council is active. We often spend fifteen to twenty hours or more every week to resolve cases. Considering Davidson’s small campus, you likely know a student who was once involved in the process either as a member of the Honor Council or as a student who violated the Honor Code. Our leadership

team voluntarily dedicates our time to uphold the integrity of the Davidson College community. We hope to be a resource for questions about the Honor Code, so please do not hesitate to reach out and ask any of us questions.

We are proud of our work and wish to represent, hear, and ensure an atmosphere of trust for every member of the Davidson community. From Council members to first-year students, we all play a role in living out the Honor Code through our individual choices and our shared promotion of these values.

Peter Beck ‘25 is the primary contributor to this article. He is a Political Science major from Charleston, SC and can be reached for comment at pebeck@davidson.edu.

Other contributors to this piece include Tyler Puleo ‘25 and Jackson Morrice ‘25.

Third Little On Top IZZY PARIS ‘27 (SHE/HER) AND IZZY CEVALLOS ‘27 (SHE/HER)

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hen I, Izzy Paris, was thirteen years old, I started my first semester at boarding school. Upon arrival, I was scared, nervous, and overwhelmed, but I couldn’t deny my excitement, quickly finding my place in my dorm. I lived in a dorm full of love, community, and friendship, made up of thirty-eight close-knit girls who were all scared to be away from home for the first time. However, by my senior year, my dorm was my new home, filled with people that I will forever cherish. Memories were made that I’ll never forget; in those halls, I learned invaluable life lessons that I’ll always carry with me. After leaving, I was heartbroken and scared that my dorm at Davidson would not compare. But, looking back on my freshman year at Davidson, I’m happy to report just how wrong I was.

When I, Izzy Cevallos, was eleven years old, I began my first summer at sleepaway camp. I’m sure I was nervous, but all I can recall now is the sheer excitement that overtook me in the weeks before Opening Day. When I finally arrived, reality set in and I was absolutely petrified. A tiny cabin that I was about to share with seven other girls for a month with no electricity or running water was nothing like the one night sleepovers that I had experienced with my friends at home. All of a sudden, I felt like I couldn’t do it. But before I could even start to spiral, my counselor Aliya walked up to introduce herself, and from there I never looked back. This past summer was my eighth year at sleepaway camp and second year on the camp staff. After every summer, I came home unable to sleep because I was so used to having seven roommates there with me every night. The joy and chaos of sharing a space with other girls my age taught me many, MANY lessons, but when I think of my years in those cabins, the very first thing that comes to mind is the community it built. Going into college, the majority of my nerves centered around the uncertainty of forming another community.

Izzy and I can both confidently say that when we first got our random roommate pairing, we were confused. Why were there two Izzys together? Was RLO trying to prank us? But despite

our initial confusion, it quickly became clear that they knew what they were doing. More than that, they knew what they were doing placing the two of us on Third Little.

Basically, Third Little was lit as fuck and we had the time of our lives there. There was always food in the lounge, whether that was leftover homemade meals, cookies made by our resident baker, or random snacks from abandoned care packages.

Movie nights were a given, with highlights being our horror movie marathon and our binge watch of the 50 Shades of Grey franchise. Some sounds often heard echoing through the halls were shrieks of laughter, music blasting in the shower, constant chatter, and the occasional man’s voice (which was always met with optimistic suspicion).

During the second semester, when midterms rapidly became finals and stress was abundant, we began a new routine. Everyday around 8PM, the “Little Girls” (as our friends outside of our sacred dorm named us) would congregate in Room 310.

A few would be on Izzy C’s bed, two at the desk, one on the beanbag chair, and, more often than not, another lying on the floor. The occasion? Reading time. For about an hour each night, we would all read our books, silently enjoying each other’s company, occasionally commenting and/or giggling about the happenings within our books. Now, whenever we hang out with the Little Girls, “I miss reading time” can often be heard.

Initially, the Little Girls came together to celebrate the momentous occasion of a Friday night (and Saturday night. And sometimes Wednesday night). Congregations held in 310, 302, or the occasional 308 brought the floor together with loud music and red solo cup games. But when you see the same eighteen faces everyday in one short hall and too-small bathroom, a sort of camaraderie forms.

On Third Little, something was always happening. Most weeknights, we sat around computers doing our homework while movies played in the background. By the time Placement Day rolled around in the spring, our bond was unbreakable.

Congratulations and shrieks of joy filled the space when everyone received their eating house placements, and later in the day, the Little Girls filled the lounge couches for a much-needed nap. For every occasion, including that of the regular weekday, the spirit of the Third Little Girls filled the hall.

From Coco’s christmas party to the Grammy scoresheet that remained on the whiteboard for five months to surprise birthday parties, Third Little saw it all. The highs, the lows, the stresses of freshman year, and the newfound joys at Davidson could all be found on Third Little.

Boarding school and sleepaway camp laid a foundation of small dorm living that allowed us to build our own community within Third Little. Now that our time in Little has come to an end, we can look back on the small dorm experience as an unexpected success of our first year. While we recognize that our Third Little experience was unique, it is undeniable that it created special bonds throughout the hall. We created a small pocket of community to always come back to. Third Little supremacy forever.

Izzy Paris ‘27 is an Environmental Science and Political Science double major from Easton, MD and can be reached for comment at izparis@davidson.edu.

Izzy Cevallos ‘27 is a Political Science major from Boston, MA and can reached for comment at izcevallos@davidson.edu.

Sports

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“Fight to Win Every Possession” A One-on-One Interview with Coach McKillop

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COLIN DECKER ‘27 (HE/HIM) SPORTS WRITER

n November 4th, 2024, men’s basketball Head Coach Matt McKillop ‘06 and his ‘Cats will tip off against William Peace University in Belk Arena. Ahead of their first game, Coach McKillop sat down with The Davidsonian to recap the off-season and preview the 2024-25 season.

Q: Did you have a message for returning players at the end of last season?

McKillop: Yeah, and it was no different than what the message was for the last six weeks of [last] season: we were so close to feeling a lot different about how we played and performed. We believed we got better [...] [w]e’ve just got to be even better to win the games we believe we can and should win. We’re not far away.

Q: What was the biggest goal of the offseason?

McKillop: The goal is always to come out when practice begins without our players having to think, meaning they have a good enough understanding of our offensive and defensive concepts and the way we want to play. We wanted to get to where, once official practices began, we hit the ground running in terms of being able to compete and being able to refine the things that we know how to do. We also always want to make sure that we are conditioned and physical, and [that] we are playing with the level of toughness that will bring us momentum when we’re starting to play live. I think we thrived in our offseason the way our team attacked the weight room and the nutrition and conditioning work.

Q: What have you seen from the new players that has impressed you?

McKillop: They all really know how to play. Zach [Laput], who’s a fifth-year transfer, really knows how to play with and without the ball in his hands. Joe Hurlburg ‘26 from Colorado [Boulder] is a really skilled big man. He can really pass, and he’s a really good decision-maker. And then the three freshmen: we are very excited about Manie [Joses

‘28], who came from the NBA Academy in Australia; Robert Blums ‘28 played at the international level and at the pro level. His understanding [of] the game is strong; Nick Coval’s ‘28 dad is a college [basketball] coach of thirty years over at DeSales University, so he grew up in a basketball gym.

We’re talking about five guys who just know the game and who pick up things quickly and easily.

Q: Have you adopted a mantra for the season?

McKillop: Our development individually is critical, and that sounds so obvious, but that’s all we have to think about: let’s get better. So get better every day has been the mantra, if you will. Also, after last season our players have to hear that every single possession matters. When you play fifteen games that are decided by five points or less and you lose eleven of them, that’s a glaring example of every single possession mattering. [We have to] fight to win every possession.

Q: How did being ranked twelfth in the A-10 preseason rankings motivate you as a competitor, and did you use it to motivate your team?

McKillop: I don’t give it much thought. I kind of anticipated that would be where we could end up. If I’m thinking about where we are ranked then I’m getting away from the fact that my motivation should be to do everything I can every day–regardless of what a ranking says–to help our team get better. I don’t want to mention it [to the players] because I don’t want our guys to have that as motivation. I want them to love basketball and love winning and love competing to the level where a twelve doesn’t make a difference. I know it does but, thankfully, we have as competitive a group as I’ve had in [my] three years as head coach.

Q: What has the learning curve been like for you as head coach?

McKillop: It’s kind of broad in the sense that there’s a learning curve with how to coach or teach the players. The learning curve that is always at the top of my mind is [about] individual players: how can I show film to this [player] that doesn’t make him feel like a failure and helps motivate him to adopt the confidence to do better that next day? That’s

a constant learning process that every coach has. And then there’s managing things and how I work with our staff, how I work with the people across campus and across the athletic department. [How do] I find the right time to spend with my family when they’re going through ups and downs, just as much as we are as coaches? The learning curve is very steep, and it’s very constant, and I’m sure this year it will be totally different [from years past].

Q: Where is Davidson’s place in the new age of NIL [Name, Image, and Likeness] deals and the transfer portal in college basketball?

McKillop: I absolutely believe that we have a place in it, and we’re going to attack it as best we can, like Davidson College does with everything. The biggest challenge–whether they’re current student-athletes or they’re prospective student-athletes–is the things that [athletes] value are different now. What that really does is it then allows us to find guys that are still perfect for us. Obviously, they’re going to want to come here because they believe in the basketball program, but they’re going to value the environment of Davidson College. [Davidson is] very different because of the community that surrounds our college and how special that is. That’s the reason why people chose Davidson and have always chosen Davidson.

Q: How does the opportunity to play in the Battle 4 Atlantis at the beginning of this season excite you as a coach?

McKillop: This is the highest caliber of these [early-season tournaments], and it helps with recruiting; it helps prospects see that we’re not afraid to go play against the biggest and the best. Our fans obviously get excited, they’ve got those games circled on their calendars. [On the first-round matchup against Arizona] That’s why I wake up every morning, because we want to be able to show that we can be as good as any program in the country. We want to get better every day. When [we] get to compete against Arizona–whatever they may be ranked–it makes it easy for us to walk up those stairs every morning and think about what we could do to get better.

Isabella Brady ‘24 Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year

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ANNA MORROW ‘28 (SHE/HER) SPORTS WRITER

arlier this month, the Atlantic 10 Conference announced its nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. This award recognizes female studentathletes who have completed their undergraduate studies and “distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics, and in academics throughout their college careers,” according to the NCAA website. Two women from the A-10 received nominations: Davidson College volleyball’s former captain and standout libero, Isabella (Bella) Brady ‘24, as well as George Washington University’s Barbara Schaal.

Brady boasted three titles as the A-10’s Libero of the Year, made the First Team All-Conference roster for three years, and earned team MVP three years in a row. Davidson volleyball Head Coach Chris Willis always recognized Brady’s incredible potential and excellent leadership, even before she started playing at Davidson. He spoke on what it was like to recruit Brady: “she takes up huge amounts of space physically, vocally, and emotionally and allows other people to be their best around her because they know that she is going to take up more than her area [...] And when watching her, that’s where we knew we had a next-level person coming into our program.”

Brady arrived at Davidson in the fall of 2020 alongside three teammates: Sola Omonije ‘24, Sophia Hritz ‘24, and

Jessie Doyal ‘24, when the team’s season was completely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. To add to the team’s woes, Davidson volleyball was stricken with various injuries amongst its players. That season, the team won two out of thirteen games. “[After the 2020 season] we sat down with Coach Willis and said, ‘We want to flip things around going into our sophomore, junior, and senior year. We really want to make a difference,’” Brady recalled. Without her teammates, Brady doesn’t think she would have been able to muster the courage to demand a culture shift.

From that point forward, Brady and her teammates dominated the court. During Brady’s following three years as Davidson’s standout player, she piled on the awards and brought her team to a higher standard. “She had this neverending hunger to get better. She had won Libero of the Year twice already, and she came to me and she said, ‘Coach, I need to get better,’” Coach Willis stated. “This is somebody who is not going to be satisfied with where she is. She has an ever-present growth mindset, she is always open to [finding ways to get better] so that [her] team is going to be more successful.”

Brady’s development throughout her years at Davidson was evident. “By the end of my senior year I would propose in-game changes to my coach. I would scout the teams [we were] playing. I would decide what defenses we wanted to run against certain players based on the film I was watching,” Brady said.

A-10 Women’s Volleyball Standings Team

Standings Update

Dayton VCU Davidson Loyola Chicago George Washington Duquesne George Mason Saint Louis Rhode Island Fordham

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STK PCT

11 9 7 6 5 4 4 4 3 2

0 2 4 5 6 7 7 7 8 9

W14 W7 W5 W2 L5 L2 L2 W1 L1 L3

1.000 .818 .636 .545 .455 .364 .364 .364 .273 .182

Coach Willis added to her sentiments. “There’s people who say they lead by example: they show up on time, they work hard, they do the basics. That’s what everyone is supposed to do. And she [Brady] took it to a higher level [...] She would set up a net in the middle of the day and she would serve fifty or sixty balls all by herself, nobody else in there. And she’s in there getting ‘lonely practice reps,’ where she’s just in there working on her craft [...] That’s what it takes to be great,” he emphasized.

Brady did not just stand out on the court. She graduated summa cum laude as a Psychology major from Davidson and, after finishing her program-altering career, continued to excel. Brady is currently studying for the Medical College Admission Test so that she can pursue a career in preventive medicine.

Coach Willis is not surprised by Brady’s post-grad accomplishments because he witnessed how Brady excelled both athletically and academically while at Davidson. He has also seen how Brady’s nomination for this award has affected current players. “They see that somebody from Davidson can do it. You don’t have to win a conference championship. You [can] just be great in your space and you’ll get recognized too,” Coach Willis said.

Coach Willis and his players have a deep admiration for Brady. “She just personified the word ‘arete’: a pursuit of excellence in all areas of your life,” he described.

Arts and Entertainment 6 Mipso Brings Folk Flair to Davidson

JOSIE SWAIN ‘27 SHE/HER ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT CO-EDITOR

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ith just a guitar and a fiddle, Libby Rodenbough and Joseph Terrell of the indie-folk quartet Mipso brought the sweet sound of Appalachian folk to Davidson. Mispo emerged in 2012 out of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a “group of friends who [liked to] get together to play music and sing harmonies between classes.” They released their debut album “Dark Holler Pop” in 2013 and have gone on to release six albums, adding a modern spin to the tradition of bluegrass and Appalachian folk.

Mipso members Libby Rodenbough and Joseph Terrell perform at Summit Outpost for Davidson community. Photo by Clara Ottati ‘27.

Visiting Assistant Professor of English Dr. Hudson Vincent organized the pair’s performance and opened up his Lyric: Sappho to Taylor Swift course so that the Davidson community could learn about folk music. The pair played the traditional murder ballad “Down in the Willow Garden,” “Wayside / Back in Time” by Gillian Welch, as well as “My Burden with Me” and “Moonlight,” two of Mipso’s own songs. During their performance of “Down in the Willow Garden,” Terrell’s and Rodenbough’s lyrics deviated from one another, displaying the fluidity of folk music and how it morphs from performance to performance. “Form comes after the enjoyment of it,” Terrell explained to the class.

The duo went on to share how the performance value of folk is something that makes it stand out from other forms of music.

It is constantly evolving and “happens in real time,” never occurring the same way twice.

That evening, Terrell and Rodenbough took to Summit Coffee

Outpost (Nummit) for a continuation of their class takeover.

They started off their performance with three songs from their work as Mipso: “Coming Down the Mountain,” “Carolina Rolling By,” and “Big Star.” They then invited Madeline Dierauf ‘25, of bluegrass group The Wilder Flower, to join them in performing an array of traditional Appalachian folk songs. The event had a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere, with the duo strumming their guitar and fiddle to the audience while Dierauf sang harmonies and played on her fiddle.

Mipso fan Evie Mount-Cors ‘27 was ecstatic when she heard two of its members were visiting campus and greatly enjoyed their Nummit performance. “Being from Carrboro [near Chapel Hill], it was so cool to see a local band being appreciated on my college campus. I felt very connected to my community at both Davidson and home through the celebration of North Carolinian music.”

At the same time, Mipso gained some new fans. Regan Harvey ‘27 had little experience with folk music before the event.

“It was a really cool introduction to the band and an opportunity to hear that kind of folk music on campus. I am now a Mipso fan,” Harvey remarked enthusiastically.

Terrell, Rodenbough, and Dierauf then brought members of Davidson’s Appalachian Ensemble to jam with them on stage.

The group performed the folk standard of “Cherokee Shuffle,” “Dust in a Baggie” by Billy Strings, and “Sittin’ on Top of the World” by Doc Watson.

Appalachian Ensemble member Olivia Norten ‘25 shared her experience of playing mandolin with Mipso. “Something I really adore about the folk and bluegrass community is this deep-rooted love of music that makes [the atmosphere] feel very inclusive to me. People like Libby and Joseph uphold this universal truth that anyone who can hold an instrument has something to contribute to the sound,” Norten stated.

She elaborated on how comfortable the duo made her and the other student performers feel during the experience. “It was wild to me how down-to-earth they both are. Mipso is a pretty significant folk project and they just came up to me and were like, ‘Hey! What’s your story?’ and we ate a meal together like old friends.”

As a member of Davidson’s Appalachian Ensemble, Norten expressed her desire for more bluegrass performances to appear on campus to highlight Appalachian music and culture. “I would love to see a student band come through the scene that plays some of the modern bluegrass and Americana artists that people know, or just host jams,” Norten mentioned. “I think Davidson really shines when it highlights its place in the Appalachian community and culture. I’d like to see more of that across the board.”

Rodenbough and Terrell see their music style as a product of the music scene they experienced when they were in Chapel Hill. “There’s a lot of really cool, old time and bluegrass musicians who [we] learned a lot from just being with them in a room [with them],” Terrell shared. The specific time and place the band formed greatly impacted the development of Mipso’s musical style. “My favorite music feels like it’s from a place,”

Terrell stated. “Human experience happens at a place.”

On the creation of their music, Rodenbough remarked on how she waits for something to inspire her. “Sometimes I will sit down with a guitar and just idly strum some chords and see if anything comes to me. A lot of times it’s while I’m driving or riding in a car or riding on a train or a subway, and sometimes it’s while I’m listening to other people play music,” Rodenbough explained. “I feel like while I’m at a show, I’ll almost be overlaying my own thing on top of what I’m hearing.”

Davidson students perform with Mipso and Madeline Dierauf in front of Summit Oupost crowd. Photo by Clara Ottati ‘27.

A large component of folk music is the transmission of stories from others. The pair perceive this tradition as “hav[ing] more to do with listening than trying to say something.” To Rodenbough, it does not matter that some of the songs she sings have little to nothing to do with her own personal experiences. “If it is hitting and it is working, it’s because there’s something in there that’s real for you, even if it’s a story that [has] nothing to do with anything you ever witnessed,” she added.

Along with using their music to uphold their love for bluegrass and keep Appalachian styles alive, Mipso has used their music as a way to aid their community when Hurricane Helene struck and devastated Western North Carolina. Rodenbough worked on the compilation album “Cardinals out the Window,” which included cut songs from well-known artists such as R.E.M., Tyler Childers, and Fleet Foxes, to raise money for relief in Western North Carolina. “I think people felt really helpless at that moment and it was so nice to be able to contribute something that’s part of your work at no cost to yourself,” Rodenbough shared. Mipso included “Cornfields,” an outtake from their latest album “Book of Fools,” on the compilation, which can be bought on Bandcamp.

Josie Swain ‘27 is an English major from Atlanta, GA and can be reached for comment at joswain@davidson.edu.

Davidson College Theater Department Brings Intriguing New Take on Julius Caesar HARRIS HUBER ‘27 HE/HIM STAFF WRITER

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riends, Davidsonians, countrymen, lend me your ears. From October 23rd to the 27th, The Davidson College Theater department brought Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius Caesar, to life in the Duke Family Performance Hall.

Assistant Professor of Theatre Dr. James Webb directed the production and added a modern twist to the Shakespearean classic, aiming to warn audiences about the dangers of “fears and paranoia about [the other side]” during the United States presidential election season.

In his rendition, Dr. Webb transported ancient Rome to a not so distant future, inspired by the dangers of the January 6th riot in Washington D.C. and “a republic gone awry.”

A prominent change in the show was the characters’ outfits, which were transformed to a more futuristic style, with a few nods to their Roman roots.

“I thought the costuming was very intentionally revealing. I felt like what the actors wore showcased how they evolved over the play,” audience member Rose Cecchi ‘27 commented. “Caesar [played

by Jamey Davis ‘28] still sports a long robe, harkening back to clothes he likely would have worn, but his dress has notably more complex patterns. Cassius wears an assortment of sparkly clothing covered in glitter, and wears various shawls but notably maintains some amount of purple in every costume, helping to convey the character’s elevated social standing.”

Costumes were not the only physical change made. Some characters’ genders

were bent in the production, shifting the emotional narrative of the play. One key relationship in particular that changed was the previously male focused bond between Brutus, now played by Sahana Athreya ‘25, and Cassius, played by Walker Hansen ‘25. On the October 24th performance, as the two prepared to enter battle, they stood directly in front of the orchestra pit with a single spotlight on them as they said their emotional goodbye for what they believed to be the final time.

Suddenly, the two embraced in a kiss, just before they departed.

Jamey Davis ‘28 and Sahana Athreya ‘25 perform on Duke Stage as Julius Caesar and Brutus. Photo from Davidson College Theater department Instagram.

Some critiqued this moment. “I appreciate when gender swapping happens in an intentional way. [...] I think when you artificially supplement the official play with a romantic kiss between two characters, it does a disservice to other gender-bending performances,” Max Shackelford ‘25 stated. He added that this was not the performers’ fault, who

flourished throughout the play. “I thought it was an entertaining show and I thought that the Davidson students that acted in it were excellent.”

These shifts in the dynamics between characters were meant to stand out. Dr. Webb intended for them to be part of the world, focusing on the inappropriate nature that violence holds in any society. “Set in [...] a time when race, gender, sexuality, and abilities are fluid, [...] this production asks the question: what happens when good people—enlightened people— choose violence to settle their political differences,” Dr. Webb explained.

The play also utilized light in a unique way, captivating the audience in the drama of the plot through alternating light displays. The back of the set included tall palace columns, as well as two wallsconced candles with green flames.

During a battle scene toward the end of the play, a clip of Roman soldiers fighting was projected onto the stage and could be seen through the palace walls. Later, this background disappeared and the main stage served as a place for Brutus and Cassius to talk as they lay sprawled on their benches, plotting and scheming together.

This dramatic display even shocked the performers, who fully understood the impact of the lighting and staging once the performance came together during their technical week. “I don’t think I really understood what we were trying to do until we moved into the [Duke Family Performance Hall] during tech week,” Savannah Soraghan ‘27, the play’s Flavius, explained. “I got to see all the lighting and sound design.”

Another noteworthy component that added to the suspense of the show was the usage of blood, such as when Caesar was murdered. The senators circled Caesar

and took turns brutally stabbing him one by one. As his “blood” spurted out of him, the senators threw thin, long pieces of red paper into the air. As Brutus held Caesar’s body in her hands, and Caesar cried “Et tu, Brute?” Brutus made her final blow, throwing the paper in the air. This flair was once again emphasized by the array of flashing lights, as the actors reveled in the assassination.

The Julius Caesar cast performs on Duke Family Performance Hall stage. Photo from Davidson College Theater department Instagram.

By the end of the performance, audience members had received a one of a kind showing of Julius Caesar. Dr. Webb’s take may have deviated from the norm, but the positive feedback surrounding his production displayed its success. Whether it’s modern theater, new work, or classic work made new, Davidson’s Theater department remains an overwhelmingly positive avenue for student creativity.

Harris Huber ‘27 is a History major from New Orleans, LA and can be reached for comment at sthuber@davidson.edu.

Living Davidson

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Crossword Political Reality

Crosswords by Victor Fleming ‘73

Across 1Balboa of fiction films 6 Black, to poets 10 Big ___ 13 With 70-Across, source of the quotation 14 Gram leader?

15 “I think,” to texters 17 Bean’s support 18“Guided” vacation 19 Close at hand 20 Start of a quotation 23 Author Umberto 25 “Welcome” bearer 26 Rock salt 27 Beaut 29 Word with chin or head 32 Feature of a 7-Down 33 On fire in the kitchen 35 Country singer Hall 37 “Fantastic!”

38 Part 2 of the quotation 41 ___ Alai 44 Met moment 45 Like a fish’s main fin 49 ___ once (suddenly) 51 “Dateline” reporter Magnus 53 A, B, C, D, E, F, or G 54 Baseball gear 56 Admiral’s org.

58 Upper limit 59 End of the quotation 63 “... lived happily ___ after” 64 Vicinity 65 Apple communication software 68 Agnus ___ (religious figures) 69 Group of two 70 See 13-Across 71 I-85 or I-77, e.g.

72 Dispatched 73 Buzz Aldrin’s real first name

Down 1 Parts of apts.

2 Mudder’s morsel 3 Colorful brand name?

4 Gram leader?

5 Comics family name 6 Country home, perhaps 7 ___ or bust 8 “Come ___!”

9 “Don’t Know Why” singer Jones 10 Circulate at a party 11 Hotel pool or spa, e.g.

12 Drink flavored with cardamom, maybe 16 Stubborn 21 Lifetime occupation 22 “You are not!” retort 23 Will Farrell film 24 ___ -de-sac 28 Home worker?

30 Classic violin 31 Yo-yo or Slinky 34 One making a wake 36 “Frankly, ___, I don’t give a damn” 39 Black ___ optional 40 Sculpted vase 41 Uneven 42 “It’s ___ but the shouting” 43 Enthusiastic review 46 Against all odds 47 “One day ___ time” 48 Superman archvillain Luthor 50 Against, with “to” 52 To some extent 55 Breaks like a twig 57 Air, as one’s opinion 60 “Dies ___” (Latin hymn) 61 “Schindler’s List” turndown 62 Ballistic missile not known for its accuracy 66 Friend in France 67 2,000 pounds

Drug Offenses: Possession of a Controlled Substance & Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; Alcohol Offenses: Possess/Cousume Alcohol Under 21 Akers, Further Investigation

10/27/24, 02:41 hrs

Alcohol Offenses: Consume by Person Under 21 Belk, Inactive

$ 6 .

5 ( / , & 6 / ( , $ ) 2 ( ( 9 ( 1 8 3 , 5 2 1 : $ ) ) / ( $ % 2 8 7 / 8 9 , 1 7 2 $ & 5 2 6 6 $ 6 , 7 5 8 ( & $ 1 , 1 ( 6 % 9 ' 6 0 8 6 7 0 % $ & / ( ) ( 0 $ , / 7 + $ , ( $ 5 7 + ( . ( 6 5 $ & ( 9 , 6 ( 5 ( 1 2 $ 5 2 6 ( 6 . , 7 5 , & $ 0 ( 1 6 4 , 1 1 ( & . 7 , ( % , * $ 2 1 $ + 2 7 7 8 % $ $ 5 ( * * 3 ( 2 3 / ( 2 1 6 / , & ( 6 6 , 1 $ 5 , $ ' ( ) 7 + 2 3 ( 6 2 7 ' 6

Description/Location

10/24/24, 01:23 hrs

Crime Log Time Reported

ANSWERS TO PREVIOUS CROSSWORD: BREAKFAST FOOD

SGA Updates Charters and Bylaws: A Cappella Constitution was approved (Davidson A Cappella is now a Charter II organization). Charters approved: Davidson Undergraduate Immunology Society (Provisional Charter), Davidson Entrepreneurship Development Club (Charter I) Food and Housing: Met with the Community Committee to continue planning required events to keep community access on campus. Finalized a list of questions for a FAQ video with Dining and Auxiliary Services.

Accessibility and Student Affairs: Reached out regarding adding a stairmaster in the Chidsey Gym. Ariana Molina ‘26 reached out to Dr. Stacey Riemer to connect over student and faculty relations regarding student affairs. Met with Harrison Grooms ‘25 to discuss DDA/Accessibility Sign-Making Event.

Community Committee: Sponsoring an event on Thursday, November 8th from 6:00PM-6:30PM in the 900 Room focused on the Code of Responsibility. Food will be served. Reached out to all mental health and well-being organizations for interest in collaborating with SGA. Other Updates: The SGA wants to hear from students about their thoughts regarding on-campus resources for mental health. If you would be interested in taking part in one of these conversations, email sga@davidson.edu.

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Voting is so Easy and Fun! I Plan to do it Three More Times This Week Page Create a Fake ID

October 30, 2024

Lovecraftian Eldritch Horror Party Slated for this Weekend Page Normally Just Called a FIJI Host

Help! I Inhaled Too Hard and Swallowed a Whole Dental Dam While at the 900 Condoms Event!

Page Dangerous Sex

Betting Sites to Allow Students to Gamble on which Davidson Couples Stay Together

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n an effort to attract a new crowd to their sites, FanDuel and DraftKings have announced a new betting arena: the long-term stability of your friends’ relationships. Futures bets, which are wagers on games, statlines, or awards that will finish or be determined in the future, have gotten increasingly popular among college-aged students, despite their relatively long odds. Desperate to get further market penetration after the Sportsbook and Casino in the old Turner House Initiative was shot down, the oddsmakers are now allowing you to personally bet on your friends.

Think that the relationship all your friends whisper about is ultimately doomed to fail? Get that prediction in writing and you could be cashing out a lucrative bet. You can even combine multiple bets on which relationships will or will not work out in the form of a parlay. And unlike sports betting, there are no rules against interfering to make sure it hits! Whether this entails breaking up your friends or forcing them to continue to stay together, despite the fact that they clearly no longer hold any of the initial spark or excitement that they once did, meaning that they clearly only stay together because of the sense of familiarity and obligation instead of actual joy, it’s all fair game as long as you get that money back!

The oddsmakers have also announced that you can bet specific over/under totals on the number of months left in a relationship. You can bet on if your friends will get married and get paid the money on either their wedding date or breakup date, respectively. If you bet the over/under, you can get paid depending on if that couple you vaguely know manages to stay together longer than others thought possible.

Finally, the oddsmakers have announced the ability to bet on the outcome of a single person’s love life. Much like people who are way too into niche fantasy football players (please talk to me about Tank Bigsby and the Jaguars backfield sometime), you can now get similarly overly invested in the outcome of your single friends’ dating lives with your money now on the line. Odds range on the likelihood of individuals to end up alone longterm, with increasing tiers of payout if the most desperate cases manage to succeed. Bad news for you: your odds are +650 to ever find lasting joy. Yikes! Always cheer for the underdog, I guess.

The Real Perspectives PLEASE COMMIT MORE HONOR CODE VIOLATIONS - HONOR COUNCIL

I WILL NOT LET MY HALL DETERMINE MY ENTIRE PERSONALITY

Recently, we have heard lots of discussions surrounding the Honor Council. Let me be clear: you all should be committing more Honor Code violations.

It’ll only motivate us further. If we really do need to justify the existence of this group, we need to be able to blame and solve lots of problems. Frankly, there isn’t nearly enough ongoing open cheating for us to find and scapegoat. Have you heard someone on the Honor Council complaining about their workload recently? That means they have too much free time if they can dilly-dally and talk instead of locking in on trying to lock away a fellow student. We need not only a stricter Honor Code tradition, but an even greater workload to legitimize us. Please do your part: commit honor code violations to justify our existence.

I acknowledge that my hall was randomly assigned to me and I had no control over the matter. The metrics used to determine my hall, especially the personality test, have no scientific basis and RLO does not personally know me. I acknowledge all of this and realize that the hall I have found myself on is entirely arbitrary, and the people I have met here are a result of randomness.

If I were placed on a different hall, I would feel the same way about that hall and the people placed around me, it just so happens that I randomly ended up in this specific situation. These friends and this identity I have currently found will surely not follow me through the next four years. Surely, there are no seniors that still interact primarily with only the people that lived around them their first year.

To be clear, I don’t even mean that you should commit plagiarism or use ChatGPT more than is traditionally allowed. I want to see strange and outlandish Honor Code violations. Steal an entire table from Commons.

Burn down Chambers again. We’re trying to expand the range of our control over the Honor Code, so we need you to expand the amount of odd violations that you see and commit. If we want people to take the Honor Code seriously, we need you to innovate and look for new ways to commit violations.

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Think more about how you’ve either changed (or failed to change) at all over your time here. Perhaps think of more ways you can violate the Honor Code in a way no one else has done before.

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WRITERS

Plea to the Party Throwers this Week Please please (pretty please) play any Editor wrote this music that is not generic pop music in a single sitting. from between 2008 and 2015. Please refrain from playing “No Hands” for the twelfth time this month. I am actively begging you to play a different playlist.

The Halloween

Notorious Cougher in Your Class at it Again

Parents Weekend Really Helps Explain Why Your Friend is Like That

Page Cough Cough

Page So That’s Where You Get It From Huh?

Things Your Dad Likely Said This Weekend

1. Tubular!

2. Newsflash, buddy.

3. Aww, fiddlesticks!

4. Listen here, pal.

5. I’m proud of you.

6. Getta loada this guy!

7. Uh oh spaghetti-o.

8. Just gonna squeeze right past ya.

9. Your mom and I have decided we just need to take some time apart.

10. Are we ready to rock ‘n roll?

11. It is your fault that we have decided this.

12. How do you like them apples?

13. What in tarnation?

14. Groovy.

15. I’m gonna give them a piece of my mind.

16. H-E double hockey sticks!

17. Hang on, buckaroo!

18. What a chump.

19. Okay, wise guy.

20. Oh, for Pete’s sake!

21. Oh, brother.

22. It appears that The Yowl has once again run out of content.

23. Every week it used to be a new and amusing article. Now, half the time it is clearly just cheap attempts at filling space. It’s as though the heart and soul of the operation has left them and not been able to be replaced. The people who once loved this institution now must grovel weekly for people to send them articles and then it doesn’t even happen. What happened to them?

24. Ahoy there, old sport!

25. This here article passes for the finest in satire these days? Really?

When I was here there was a real energy and enthusiasm to this section and now it’s just repeating the same old jokes without the actual underlying amusement to make them creative. Try harder next week, folks.

26. Let’s get this show on the road!

Wildcat Weekend Bingo

Wildcat Weekend Setlist: Co-Worker Music Sweet Caroline Hotel California A Thousand Miles Come on Eileen The entire ABBA discography

Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian.

Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.