Davidsonian 11-2-2022

The

Davidsonian

Independent Student Journalism Since 1914

inside

davidsonian.com

Rookie Runners: NC midterm candidates with little previous political experience

Volume 121, Issue 7

November 2, 2022

2

Mattie Baird ‘25 pens follow-up to last week’s perspective on renaming Fagg field

4

Davidson alums talk creative careers at annual English Department event

7

The Yowl presents WebTree classes you might have missed

MENASA Spotlights Iran Protests

8

Students Call for Action and Support from Davidson Admin STELLA MACKLER ‘26 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

T

he death of Mahsa Amini in Iran has sparked some of the biggest protests the country has seen in years. A larger fight for women’s rights and the end of the current regime has emerged, spilling over Iran’s borders, across socioeconomic status and ethnic group.

Amini was detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating rules about women’s dress, and later died in custody. The Tehran Police Department has denied reports of brutality, and instead claims Amini died from a heart problem.

In an attempt to bring awareness to the Davidson community, the Middle Eastern and North African Students Association (MENASA) hosted an event on Wednesday, October 26, combining education and musical performance. Dr. Silvi Toska, assistant professor of political science at Davidson College, gave a presentation providing historical and political context to the protests. Her presentation was followed by a performance by Shahram Mazhari, a Persian music researcher at York Technical College.

Mazhari, along with some of his students, performed a musical number that simulated the feel of the protests in Iran.

“There are no leaders right now, inside Iran,” Mazhari said. “This is grassroots.

This is basically just all of it spilling to the streets. For our percussion number, we have deliberately chosen to have drumsticks, two by four wood pieces, to indicate that this is not an ensemble. When people are pouring onto the streets and in the neighborhoods in different cities, it’s not an ensemble, people just can’t take it anymore.”

Mazhari spoke against laws governing women’s dress in Iran, which includes a mandate that all women must wear a hijab.

“Women do not need guidance, especially for a religious choice,” Mazhari said. “My own experience has been that by looking at my

grandmother, my mother, my sister, my female colleagues, very educated people, they can do five things at the same time [...] Who gives the right to the government, to the religious entities, to say that women are second class citizens?”

Mazhari also touched on the intersectionality of the protests. The government’s violent suppression of protests in recent history has “disillusioned” the more conservative parts of Iranian society that do not traditionally participate in protests.

“This movement has sparked so much unity among Iranians that it really doesn’t matter if you’re Kurdish or if you’re Arabic,” Mazhari said. “Who you are, it doesn’t really doesn’t matter. The Iranian people are speaking in unity.”

MENASA co-president Nahi Nadra ‘23 was involved in the production and planning of the event.

“It’s really nice to hear the straight up academic reasons for what’s happening, and that it’s able to reach the Davidson student body, and then tie in the personal impact of these are people dying and these are people I know,” Nadra said.

As a Middle Eastern woman, Nadra has a personal connection to the protests in Iran.

“I know what it’s like to feel like a country where your family lives is not getting the attention it deserves,” Nahi said.

She feels a sense of responsibility to lift up the voices of Iranian women, and points to Davidson’s lack of support and action on this issue as a driving factor as well.

“This is a straight up human rights issue, no question,” Nahi said. “I want to help as much as I can, as if those things were literally impacting me as well, because women’s voices deserve to be amplified. Especially the student voices on campus, it was just upsetting that they weren’t getting the support they needed.”

In response, Jay Pfeifer, Director of Media

Photo of Protests in Iran. Photo credit PBS

The protests in Iran have reached the students of Davidson. Iranian student Shahin Ahmadi ‘24 posted the following message on his instagram page calling Davidson College’s administration to action. The photo below is a screenshot of his post.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

First Belk Women and Little-Watts Men Win Big in Flickerball AUDEN WHITE ‘26 (HE/HIM) STAFF WRITER

L

ast Tuesday, hordes of Davidson students made the trek across campus to IMAC, the intramural athletics complex, to watch freshman teams battle it out in the Flickerball Championship. Flickerball, a sport unique to Davidson College, is a touch football spinoff played by first-year students in their first semester on campus. Teams are organized by hall, with the goal to unite corridors, “form bonds and friendships” and encourage healthy competition throughout the freshman dormitories, according to the Davidson College Archive.

The first game was between two male

teams: Second Belk and Fourth Little-Watts.

According to Head Coach Jack Magner ‘23, Fourth Little-Watts was “the underdog” of the league. Manger and team members used that perception to their advantage, beating teams with better records to advance to the finals.

They cited experience in the coaching staff, as well as team culture as the two driving factors behind their success. The entire coaching staff, as well as both managers were dressed to impress.

Second Belk was considered the favorite by many on the sidelines, as they went undefeated in both regular and playoff games. Head Coach Shawn An ‘24 hoped their culture of success would bring them one more win.

The first score of the night was netted by Henry Russell ‘26, who luckily caught a tipped ball in the endzone. (0-6) Little-Watts

responded with a lofting pass that found James DiOrio ‘26 tying the score at six all. In Belk’s next possession, Little-Watts player Will Bacdayan ‘26 perfectly read the quarterback’s eyes and scooped an interception, giving his team the ball. However, Belk forced a short four and out, giving the ball back to them for a redo. However, to the horror of Belk’s coaches it was a redo of the previous possession. The ball was again being picked off by a LittleWatts player who then scored. That’s where the half ended: 12-6, in Little-Watts favor.

During halftime, Belk tried to implement changes. Down one score, they had to make every chance count. Belk’s coaches emphasized slowing the game down, trying to allow their players to make better decisions.

Little-Watts players, while snacking on orange slices brought by their coaches, also

emphasized controlling the tempo of the game.

The second half started with a booming kick by Belk, which set Little-Watts in an awful field position. A tipped ball by Belk player Ellis Sriram ‘26 fell into the arms of his teammate Alex Chudzik ‘26, giving Belk possesion. It was looking like the changes made at half-time were starting to take effect.

The excitement on the Belk sideline was palpable as they started to drive down the field. However, a Little-Watts player, Colby Johnson ‘26, changed that. In a leaping catch, he intercepted the ball, then spirited the length of the field, leading even a referee to remark “He’s pretty good.” Touchdown Little-Watts, 18-6. But Second Belk wasn’t done—not yet QB Chudzik used the ref as an impromptu blocker to get a touchdown, bringing the score to 12-18. However, Little-Watts player Garrett

News

2

NC Midterm Candidates Running with Little Political Experience

From left to right: Kenneth Harper Jr., Marjorie K. Eastman, and James Carr Jr. All photos credit Ballotpedia

BIANCA HASSAN ‘26 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

I

s a traditional route to politics necessary or favorable to lead? What value does an unconventional background hold regarding readiness for a major political tenure? Recent developments in both Democratic and Republican parties frame these questions in the context of U.S. politics.

The emergence of political candidates in the North Carolina midterms without a strong foothold in politics translates to a national trend. We have seen this with business tycoon and former president Donald Trump who made the sudden jump to become the 2016 Republican nominee.

This year Marjorie K. Eastman and Kenneth Harper Jr., finished 4th and 6th respectively in the Republican primary, two candidates with little prior political experience,

For Eastman, her 2022 campaign was a first in any election. While pursuing her studies, she spent ten years as a United States Army Intelligence Officer. Her military service included combat deployments in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and more recently she was responsible for commanding the withdrawal of one hundred soldiers from Afghanistan.

As a U.S. Army Veteran, national security was one of the top issues she campaigned for in the 2022 North Carolina midterm elections.

Sensing a lack of leadership, she saw the military withdrawal from Afghanistan as the decisive moment to run for election.

James Carr Jr. previously worked at a furniture factory, an ice cream company, retail store, US AF, fast food restaurants, convenience stores, a mailroom, property management and as an accounting tutor. Carr entered the political scene as a candidate for

the NC midterms with a range of professional experiences and career directions, though none in politics. He came second to Cheri Beasley in the Democratic primary receiving 3.5% of the votes.

Carr claims his unconventional route to politics aids his ability to problem solve effectively, especially when compared to traditional politicians. “I know how our economy works, where our economy is headed, how to interact with subordinates, peers, superiors, and both external and internal customers,” he said in an interview with Indy Week. Carr believes his experience is a positive quality as he feels closer to the concerns of the general American public.

Kenneth Harper Jr. also officially filed with the North Carolina State Board of Elections as a candidate in March of this year. He grew up surrounded by Democrats and later attended various events by the Democratic Party to slowly build connections. While working

as a board member for the international human and civil rights organization Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he realized there existed a fundamental divide between the values of the Democratic Party and his own.

Harper’s ideological turning point came during the Trump administration. As a small business owner and financial consultant, he was one of many who worried about keeping their livelihoods afloat. During the pandemic, he witnessed his business grow exponentially which he credited to Trump, a similarly inexperienced politician at the outset of his 2016 campaign. This combination of economic and situational factors led him to shift his political affiliation from Democratic to Republican.

According to NC Political News, Harper’s decision to run for the U.S. Senate came from a divine calling. His obedience to his faith and the voice of God has led him to the Republican ballot as a grassroots campaigner.

Midterm Elections Are November, 8: Remember to Vote!

Ongoing Protests in Iran after Mahsa Amini’s Death CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Relations for Davidson College stated “When the college offers support to students affected by events, small or large, local or international, we usually communicate directly and privately to the students, rather than an impersonal public statement that also could put them in an uncomfortable spotlight. This happened recently with the floods in Pakistan and the Halloween fatalities in Korea. Staff reached out to students from those countries. We offer a variety of resources, including counseling services and the assistance of the Chaplain’s office.”

On October 22, Iranian student Shahin Ahmadi ‘24 posted his own call to action, targeting Davidson, on Instagram.

“The entire international community has been standing in solidarity with the brave people of Iran,” Ahmadi wrote. “Yet, from you, not a single email. Not a single post. Not

a single word.”

In a later interview, Ahmadi touched on his initial uncertainty about his post.

“Before I posted that [call to action], I was very hesitant about saying something because I was like, ‘Okay, why is this relevant to Davidson, who cares if Davidson says something,’” Ahmadi said. “But if you know about what’s happening, the government has shut down the internet. There are no major news sources that are reporting on this. It’s all from social media.”

Ahmadi sees speaking out and posting on social media as a way to fight back against the internet shutdown in Iran.

“The reason they did that [shut down the internet] was to silence the people of Iran, and not let their voices be heard by the outside world, because you cannot hear their voices and not be absolutely outraged by what’s happening,” Ahmadi said.

Ahmadi thinks that Davidson as an

Ahmadi thinks that Davidson as an academic institution has a particular responsibility to speak out.

academic institution has a particular responsibility to speak out. He used a recent violent crackdown on protests at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran to explain.

“Sharif university students, a lot of them come to the U.S. and they contribute to American society because they’re brilliant,” Ahmadi said. “So even just for pure self interest, you would say, ‘These are my colleagues, and they’re being slaughtered.’

That’s the relevance to academic institutions in the U.S.. Forget about human rights, because apparently, those things are not enough for Davidson to say something.”

Ahmadi acknowledged that there isn’t much people outside of Iran can do, however he argues that should not be an excuse for ignorance or indifference.

“I know you can’t care about every country in the world, but you can at least care about them dying,” Ahmadi said. “Not that their aims are irrelevant, but if that’s too much for

News

3

Flickerball Season Wraps Up with Nail-Biting Games CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Walker ‘26 thundered back with a touchdown.

They also converted the extra point attempt to bring the score to 26-12. And that’s where the score would remain for the last three minutes.

As time expired, the rest of the Little-Watts team on the bench stormed the field, showering their coaches in gatorade and celebrating their win as the 2022 Men’s Flickerball World Champions.

But they had to quickly clear the field, as the next event was the Women’s Final, between First Belk and Fourth Richardson. Both teams had signature colors, Red for Fourth Rich and Blue for First Belk. First Belk was described as “electric” by their smartly dressed coaches.

Rich’s coaches gave their post-season success to the dedication and determination of their team, who trumped two others on their way to the final.

First Belk fielded the ball first and with a quick combination of plays, capped off by a run, complete with an ankle-breaking spinmove, by star QB Maia Ferreyra ‘26 left the score 6-0.

Blue gained the ball again after forcing a turnover on downs. With some dexterity from receiver Emma Thomas ‘26 they scored again, 12-0. Richardson finally managed to find the endzone and make their mark on the game, 6-12. However, Blue again loped into the endzone, quickly quelling the burgeoning hope amongst the Red team, 18-6.

Half-time came and went with both teams using the opportunity to change their game plan in hopes of securing the win. The second half saw larger plays, and a quicker style of pace compared to the relatively calm first half.

It was clear that both teams were fighting to be proclaimed champions.

Students competing in a Flickerball game. Photo by Eli Naughton ‘26

Crime Log

Time Reported

Description/Location

10/23/2022 at 1335 Misdemeanor Larceny Tomlinson, Further Investigation hrs 10/25/2022 at 0954 Misdemeanor Larceny Richardson Dorm hrs

Red got the opportunity first and with a quick play forced their way down the field for a touchdown, the ball seeing Mason Cline ‘26, Stella Davis ‘26, and Kat Andersen ‘26 on their way for a score, 12-18. However, Virginia Barber ‘26 responded and juked three defenders on her way to a touchdown, widening the gap to 25-12. Then Red narrowed First Belks lead to just 7, at 1825. This crucially made it a one score game, where Fourth Richardson would only need one more touchdown to win. The anticipation grew on the sides as Red’s offense took the field. But with 45 seconds left in the game, this was Fourth Richardson’s final opportunity for victory. Despite fierce resistance, Red methodically worked their way down the field. Stopping with 20 yards and 2 seconds to go, Red called a timeout to formulate a play, knowing it would make or break the game.

On the final play, Quarterback Cline took the snap, dropped back, hesitated, then stepped forward as the game clock hit zero heaving the ball towards a clump of Red shirted receivers in the Endzone. However, it was not a Red player who got hands on the ball that play, but a blue one, Sabrina Bonavita ‘26. With one fell swoop of her right arm, she batted down the ball and with it, Fourth Richardson’s chances at winning. The final score: 25-18 First Belk.

Never lacking from either game was the amount of respect and friendship that the players had for each other. After each game, players from opposing teams, shook hands, offered kind words, and bonded over their shared experiences. All teams, including the losers, had fun, which led observant fan Henry Wilcox ‘26 to remark, “Maybe the real Flickerball was the friends we made along the way.”

Perspectives

4

Conversation —> Action. Now. MATTIE BAIRD ‘25 (SHE/THEY)

L

ast Wednesday, October 26th, I published an article titled ‘Listening + Talking ≠ Action: We Must Rename Fagg Field!’ As a reminder, on March 28th, 2022, Davidson College announced the next step of its ‘Athletics Done Right – The Next Step project: Coach Dave Fagg Field, named for Coach David J. Fagg ’58. There has been resistance to embracing the new name among some on campus because of the similarity between Coach Fagg’s last name and the slur that is used to degrade queer people.

Last Thursday, the day after the publishing of the previous article on this topic, Athletic Director Chris Clunie ’06 (he/him) emailed the scholar-athlete community asking for their input on this issue. He briefly summarized the panel event that was held in the 900 Room during common hour on Thursday, October 20th, 2022, talked about the lack of scholarathlete attendance at the event, and put out a yes or no single-question survey: ‘Should Coach Dave Fagg Field be renamed?’

In an interview with The Davidsonian, Clunie accentuated how busy scholar-athletes are. For example, he said that the lacrosse team had planned to attend but couldn’t because they had a required lifting session during common hour. Further, he understands that Davidson is not perfect, but simultaneously believes that the athletic community is one that is inclusive and does the right thing. He is confident that the Davidson community can separate the name ‘Fagg’ from the slur while simultaneously honoring the legacy of Coach Fagg.

After hearing about Director Clunie’s communication to students, some students expressed feelings of hope. Josie Hovis ’23 (she/any) said, “I was pleasantly surprised to read what he was saying, because the impression I got at the discussion last week was that this was a done deal.” Bryce Anthony ’23 (he/him) shared similar sentiments: “I genuinely do think Chris cares… he is

there and will happily listen if students have concerns.”

Meanwhile, other students were frustrated

by Director Clunie’s email. Grant Hearne ’23 (he/him) noted that Clunie made excuses for poor athlete attendance at the panel and found it disheartening that the athletes who were not at the conversation were being asked for their input rather than the non-athletes who had voiced their discomfort. Vee Mellberg ’25 (they/them) was also upset that the survey was only administered to scholar-athletes; “Davidson cares more about their scholarathletes and pays more attention to them than the rest of the student body,” they said. When asked for comment about why the survey was only sent to scholar-athletes, Clunie said that the survey was meant for him to get a general idea about how the athletic community is feeling about this issue.

Dr. Melissa González, Acting Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, noted that she has not seen any evidence among faculty or senior leadership of putting scholarathlete needs above those of other students, though she does see an enduring cultural divide at the college—which she said should be addressed—between scholar-athletes and non-athletes. “More than renaming the field, I would like to see this controversy lead to a concrete plan for how to honor LGBTQ+ scholar-athletes with a prominent visual sign on the same field: one that brooks no debate about Davidson’s and Athletics’ respect for sexual and gender diversity, and one that co-exists with Honoring Coach Dave Fagg while making clear that the entire Davidson community condemns any use of slurs against queer and trans people. Every single student should feel that this slur is something every other single student would speak out against; clearly, we are not there, and we need to understand why and plan for change,” said González.

Moreover, many members of the queer community have noted that engaging in conversations is emotionally exhausting.

When asked to describe the gravity of the f-slur, Anthony said that “it’s one of the worst things that can be said towards a queer person.”

Mellberg reflected on how exhausting it’s been, having had to help non-LGBTQ+ people understand gender and sexual diversity their entire life. Hannah Kershner ’23 (she/her) expressed similar sentiments: “It’s exhausting.

This doesn’t seem like a conversation that we should have to have in 2022.”

When asked for her first reaction to the naming of the field, Noelle Baer ’25 (she/ her) said, “I am disappointed that Davidson College would care so much more about a donor and about money than its current students. And that they would ignore the fact that there’s a prominent LGBTQ+ population here.” Another student agreed with Baer: “It’s just so clear that [the administration] doesn’t care about the student body… they care about money,” said Mellberg.

Anthony agrees that money is a crucial factor in this conversation: “I feel like if [the field] was named something else, a lot of potential harm could be avoided. But as an athlete, I understand how crucial fundraising is for teams. I think the $5 million gift makes it kind of hard. I’m very in between about it.”

Many students support choosing an alternative name for the field. “Why don’t they just change the name to Coach Dave F. Field?” said Mellberg. “It’s the same level of respect, it still uses his name, and it’s still in his honor.”

When asked for comment on the matter, George Hunter ’23 (he/him) said, “I feel like there could have been an easy alternative… a last name that sounds like a slur as the name of the new field is offensive.”

If the field is going to keep its current name, “athletes need to be involved in critical conversation about why this name is harmful,” said Grant Hearne ’23 (he/him). “I understand that this is someone’s last name, that we should respect that person and that we should honor their legacy because they were such an important figure at Davidson…. But what’s necessary is that athletes are involved

i n

critical conversation about why that word is harmful in the first place, and why students are offended by that word.”

Going forward, in Hovis’s opinion, there must be coach-led conversations “about the seriousness of the issue and also team culture around queer identity in general, which would include encouragement and leading through example by showing up to discussions like the one that was held last week.” Dr. González summed up her view of a way forward: “We need to better understand both the existing cultural divides as well as areas of strong consensus and commitment, and to have more productive conversations with all stakeholders. I know AD Clunie very much wants to do right by everybody involved and has been talking with queer student groups since last year. I also see that the absence of scholar-athletes at the panel event last week was disheartening to a group of queer and trans students who went ready to have a conversation. I personally would advocate for making concrete plans to make LGBTQ+ students, especially including those who are also scholar-athletes and will play on this field, the center of future planning with Athletics on this matter and communicating a timeline for the decision-making about the name of the field, with a clear and explicit mechanism for gathering broad student, alum, and employee feedback and acting on it. We have all we need to find a solution by working together.” Well said, Melissa and Josie!

According to Pew Research Center, a wide range of policies that are generally considered to be progressive enjoy widespread support among the American population. Pew’s polling data shows that 62% of adults support a 15$ minimum wage, 63% of adults favor some level of government involvement in our healthcare system, 82% of adults support paid maternity leave, and 91% of adults believe that marijuana should be legal in some form.

While the fact that popular reforms largely supported by the electorate are not enacted is due to a plurality of factors, it is important to consider how electoralism—and by extension, partisan political clubs—can play into this phenomenon.

I want to be clear that I have nothing against the idea of a partisan political club. A political club is just like any other club, as it is composed of a group of students who share a similar interest. Political clubs do important work to register voters, inform them on the issues, and get them to vote on election day. However it is by design that they promote electoralism as a product of our two party system.

Partisan organizations on campus can also be prone to promoting groupthink, which is why I often choose to attend events hosted by the non-partisan Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI), which are generally designed to promote critical thinking and analysis of different viewpoints while minimizing the unpleasantries of partisan rhetoric. I would highly encourage anyone who is involved

with a partisan club to attend a DCI event.

Alternatively, I would also encourage voters belonging to either party to be more open to voting for an independent or thirdparty candidate who more accurately reflects their views. In today’s electoral landscape this suggestion naturally offends many, but America would inevitably benefit from a multi-party system for a variety of reasons.

Students should also consider voting in primary elections, which historically tend to have lower turnout, as a means of supporting a candidate within their party who better reflects their views. Voting in a primary election often requires more research and political engagement, but it may be necessary if you feel like your party is continually choosing the wrong candidate.

As we rapidly approach the 2022 midterm elections, it is important for voters to consider solutions to electoralism and apply them in their own political lives, as our increasingly polarized political sphere stands to benefit relatively no one.

Mattie Baird (she/they) is a Gender & Sexuality Studies and Hispanic Studies double major from Sudbury, MA and Greensboro, NC. Mattie can be reached for comment at mabaird@davidson.edu.

Problems with Electorialism BEN PATTE ‘26 (HE/HIM)

W

hen I came to Davidson College this fall, I had strongly considered joining a partisan political club or organization. However, upon further consideration, I came to realize that collegiate level political clubs are plagued with what I consider to be a dangerous problem: electoralism.

First let me be clear; my political views largely fall in line with those of the Democratic Party. However, the problems and examples that I am about to describe apply to both major political parties. Electoralism can essentially be described as a political philosophy that heavily emphasizes voting for candidates solely based on their party affiliation while usually focusing less on their specific policy platform.

Electoralism is a political phenomenon that is to blame for the Red-team vs. Blue-team mentality that has plagued American politics in recent years. When we focus more on wanting our specific ‘team’ to win an election, we ignore the fundamental purpose of politics: making decisions on how to organize and improve a society. When we continually consume partisan rhetoric designed to demonize the other side. we become increasingly polarized and less likely to think critically. As the line between politics and entertainment becomes blurrier, we become dumber and more prone

to groupthink.

Much of what I have just described may sound very abstract, so let’s examine specific examples of why electoralism is unappealing as it applies to each major political party.

Suppose that you are an anti-Trump Republican, who is dissatisfied with the current direction of the Republican party. Being an electoralist Republican would require that you vote for your party no matter what, even if many of the candidates are election deniers and have platforms similar to Trumps. This is precisely the dilemma that some Republican voters—those who do not believe that the 2020 election was stolen—face; voting for a generally conservative candidate at the price of electing undemocratic election-deniers.

Alternatively, suppose that you are a progressive Democrat in West Virginia, home of self-described ‘pro-life’ Senator Joe Manchin. Being an electoralist Democrat in West Virginia would also require that you vote for your party no matter what, even if you are pro-choice while your party’s candidate is pro-life. Voting for a pro-life candidate is very unattractive to many progressives, even if that is what it takes to elect a Democrat in a state like West Virginia.

Another important problem with electoralism is that it often promotes the status quo. When reforms that enjoy broad public support are not supported by the politician that belongs to the party of the voter, said voter is inevitably voting for the status quo.

Ben Patte (he/him) is an intended economics and political science double major from Milwaukee, WI. Ben can be reached for comment at bepatte@davidson.edu.

Sports

5

Men’s Tennis Finishes Fall Season on High Note

VICTOR TAYLOR ‘24 (HE/HIM) SPORTS WRITER

D

avidson men’s tennis officially concluded their fall season this weekend with their participation in the Wake Forest Invitational. With the team finding success in all four of their fall tournaments, the optimism about their season continues to increase. A squad of mostly holdovers from last year, they have shown that they have the ability to make noise in the A-10 this year.

The team opened their fall with up and down showings at the UNCG Fall Invite and their own Wildcat Invitational. Five doubles wins and 20 singles matches captured over the course of two weeks was not a stellar result, but still solid. The doubles team of Alejando Solares ‘24 and Udday Singh ‘25 captured multiple victories together, and Jerry Wang ‘24 picked up four wins and was the winner of his draw at the Wildcat Invitational. “We learned a lot from getting out there and playing even if our first tournaments weren’t so stellar,” said Luca Lovrich ‘25. He continued, “we all set goals for ourselves to get better at the start of the year and these were lessons and experiences we took to make ourselves better.”

Davidson then traveled to Cary, NC for the ITA Carolina Regional, where they faced extremely stiff competition from the likes of UNC, Duke, NC State, and Wake Forest, among other schools. Five different players participated in the tournament, and Solares had a big three set win in his consolation draw that highlighted the singles weekend. In

doubles, the team of Juancho Pérez Góngora ‘25 and Max Kachkarov ‘24 took home a three set victory against a team from Elon. While the ‘Cats may not have won many matches, they took a lot of lessons that seem to have translated over to their final tournament.

Their final tournament of the fall was the aforementioned Wake Forest Invitational, and the ‘Cats made a big splash. Sebastian Moran ‘26 made a big impression as he beat a rival VCU opponent in a tight three set contest to win his draw at the tournament, and Wang and Pérez Góngora continued their strong fall seasons, both making it to the finals where they faced each other. In doubles, Singh and Solares continued their hot streak by taking home a win over a VCU team, and Nico Pinzon ‘25 and Wang won their doubles draw together. Overall, the ‘Cats pulled in as many wins at Wake Forest as they did in their first two invitationals combined, making it a perfect way to end their fall.

The ‘Cats are now without competition until 2023, when they will open their spring season with a two match road swing in Chicago, taking on UIC and DePaul. From what they showed this fall, especially last weekend, there is much to be excited for. Lovrich was excited because “having a performance like that is huge for everyone’s confidence headed towards the spring. Now we can keep working and set more goals for us to reach by the season.” If their goals are to win an A-10 championship or finish near the top of the pile, then it looks like they are well on their way. .

Jerry Wang ‘24 (top) and Alejandro Solares ‘24 (bottom) practicing with the team this season. Photo courtesy Davidson Athletics

Athlete Spotlight: Ethan Hall ‘23 VARUN MAHESHWARI ‘23 (HE/HIM) SPORTS CO-EDITOR

C

oming off another top-10 tournament finish, Senior Golf Captain Ethan Hall looks toward the Spring season with confidence and hopes to bring back another A-10 championship to Davidson.

Hall, a native North Carolinian, came to Davidson a top recruit, ranked the state’s 12th best golfer and hasn’t slowed down since. His freshman year, he appeared in 5 tournaments

and played in one at the 2021 Irish Creek Intercollegiate during his COVID-shortened sophomore year. After qualifying in the US Amateur tournament and playing golf nonstop all summer, Hall came back post-COVID and appeared in a career-high 10 events as a junior. He finished the season with a career low stroke average of 74.67 with one top-15 finish at the Wolfpack Invitational and received the Most Improved Player Award from his coach after the season.

Starting this fall season off strong, Hall

finished T-3 at the ‘Cats’ home opener at Davidson’s course, River Run, and helped a comeback team finish first out of 17 teams, with a combined team score of 3 over. Unfortunately, that momentum did not carry into the second tournament of the fall season, with Davidson finishing last out of the twelve team pool and Hall finishing T-52 at +12 over. The ‘Cats bounced back at the Furman Intercollegiate finishing T-2, with Hall finishing T-56 at +10 for the tournament.

However, Hall bounced back right when the

Team Captain Ethan Hall ‘23 and the Wildcats hope to continue streak of recent A-10 success in the Spring. Photo courtesy Davidson Athletics

‘Cats needed him to, finishing T-8 out of 108 players at 5-under for the tournament, shooting a 69-70-72 in his final fall tournament of his senior season. The team finished T-3 this past weekend at Grandover Collegiate, with Hall and teammate Alex Heffner ‘24 leading the charge.

“Overall we’ve had a really strong fall season, we started off with a crazy comeback win at River Run but then stumbled a little at Wake. It was a stronger field [of teams] and our result didn’t reflect our play. We did well at Furman, got second and we feel good about [Grandover] too,” said Hall.

When asked about what it means to be a captain this year, he responded, “It’s been good, it’s been more of a responsibility, Brian [Garrett ‘23] and I have to approach the team a little differently, we’re good friends with the younger guys but I definitely view myself more of a leader to them than a friend [during golf]. I’ve really enjoyed it so far and I think Brian has too.”

The ‘Cats are obviously looking to threepeat as A-10 tournament champions this May, with Hall and Garrett at the helm. When asked about the spring and moving forward, Hall commented, “When we won in 2018, it was our first conference win in 50 years and we’ve obviously built off of that. Losing a few guys from last year hurts but guys like Will [Davis ‘25] and our new guys Price [Miller ‘26], Jackson [Bode ‘26], Mel [Deasy ‘26] and Josh [Stewart ‘25] have really great potential. We definitely have a really good shot at threepeating.”

The golf team has been one of the more successful teams at Davidson, finishing with three A-10 championships in the last 5 years, but the work isn’t done. Hall and the rest of the team look towards February where they will pick up their spring season at the Mobile Collegiate in Alabama and hope that come April 30th, 2023, they’ll be hoisting their third straight A-10 trophy.

Arts and Culture

6

Taylor Swift’s Midnights: An Album for Overthinkers Everywhere MAYA VERMEER‘26 (SHE/HER)

Lyricism: 9/10 Musicality: 7/10 Production: 7/10 Originality: 9/10 Overall: 8/10 In track three, Swift dives deep into her quirks and anxieties, spiraling into a hole of self-loathing that is incredibly evocative, and might have you reflecting on your own toxicity.

For fans of: “Only the Young”, “Afterglow” “Snow on the Beach (feat. Lana del Ray)” Lyricism: 8/10 Musicality: 6/10 Production: 7/10 Originality: 7/10 Overall: 7/10 “Snow on the Beach’’ is an almost hauntingly comforting tune, painting a beautiful image of what it feels like to fall in love when you’re least expecting it. A fair warning - don’t go into this one expecting more of del Ray than just some vague background vocals and harmonies or you will be disappointed.

For fans of: “exile”, “gold rush”

R

eleased at midnight on the 21, the very aptly named Midnights is Taylor Swift’s 10th studio album, excluding her rerecordings. Seeing as Swift’s latest releases have been all over the board in terms of genre, many fans didn’t know quite what to expect from the 13-track Midnights, predicting anything from another “indie”-esque record the likes of folklore and evermore to a long-awaited rock album. However, October 21 dawned with a reminder that Swift is first and foremost a pop artist, and that she is damn good at being one.

With this in mind, here are my thoughts on the individual tracks.

Track One: “Lavender Haze” Lyricism: 7/10 Musicality: 7/10 Production: 7/10 Originality: 7/10 Overall: 7/10 Returning to a synth-pop sound reminiscent of Lover, “Lavender Haze” lets us know that Swift is done with letting engagement rumors bother her.

For fans of: “I Think He Knows”, “King of my Heart” Track Two: “Maroon” Lyricism: 9/10 Musicality: 9/10 Production: 7/10 Originality: 8/10 Overall: 8.25/10 An almost reclamation of Swift’s previous work, “Red”, “Maroon” takes a more mature approach to the most wellknown color of her discography. Doing what she does best, Swift returns to storytelling in this track, bringing us a vivid plot line of an ill-advised but ever passionate love affair.

For fans of: “Dancing With Our Hands Tied”, “Red” Track Three: “Anti-Hero”

Originality: 7/10 Overall: 6.25/10 A boppy track that seems to be the antithesis to “Anti-Hero”’s self-hatred. At its core, “Bejeweled” is nothing less but nothing more than the perfect getting ready for a night out song.

For fans of: “Gorgeous”, “I Forgot That You Existed” Track Ten: “Labyrinth” 8.25/10 Lyricism: 9/10 Musicality: 8/10 Production: 8/10 Originality: 8/10 Overall: 8.25/10 Somehow perfectly capturing the nervousness that accompanies the start of a new relationship post-bad-breakup, “Labyrinth” is a gorgeous, light tune that reminds you to be optimistic about new love even when you’ve been burned before.

For fans of: “hoax”, “The Archer”

Track Five: “You’re On Your Own, Kid” Lyricism: 9/10 Musicality: 8/10 Production: 7/10 Originality: 8/10 Overall: 8/10 A mix of heart-breaking and hopeful, this track is a reflection on maturing and everything we do to grow, just to be left alone in the end, for better or for worse.

For fans of: “All You Had To Do Was Stay”, “Nothing New”

Track Eleven: “Karma” Lyricism: 6/10 Musicality: 7/10 Production: 6/10 Originality: 6/10 Overall: 6.25/10 “Karma” pays respect to one of Swift’s favorite themes in a post-Reputation world—what goes around, comes around. A track that Swift definitely had fun making, and that you will have fun listening to.

For fans of: “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”, “Bad Blood”

Track Six: “Midnight Rain” Lyricism: 8/10 Musicality: 8/10 Production: 7/10 Originality: 7/10 Overall: 7.5/10 With heavier production than Swift’s typical sound “Midnight Rain” tells us why some relationships just will never work out and shares some insights into Swift’s own goals in life.

For fans of: “So it Goes…”, “my tears ricochet”

Track Twelve: “Sweet Nothing” Lyricism: 7/10 Musicality: 7/10 Production: 6/10 Originality: 8/10 Overall: 7/10 It wouldn’t be a true Taylor Swift album without one song to remind you of how very lonely you are. A love letter to a wonderful partner, “Sweet Nothing” is vulnerable and adorable.

For fans of: “It’s Nice To Have A Friend”, “invisible string”

Track Seven: “Question…?”

Lyricism: 7/10 Musicality: 7/10 Production: 6/10 Originality: 7/10 Overall: 6.75/10 With more heavy production and some choppy vocals, “Question…?” is a message to an ex, but from a more reflective and almost humorous point of view, rather than the sad one we may be used to.

For fans of: “Out of the Woods”, “Call It What You Want”

Track Thirteen: “Mastermind” Lyricism: 9/10 Musicality: 8/10 Production: 8/10 Originality: 9/10 Overall: 8.5/10 To close out the collection, “Mastermind” seems to reveal the storyline of Swift’s relationship with her current boyfriend: a confession of overplanning and situation manipulation that leaves Swift overexposed in a way only she can be.

For fans of: “mirrorball”, “Clean”

Track Eight: “Vigilante Shit” Lyricism: 7/10 Musicality: 6/10 Production: 8/10 Originality: 7/10 Overall: 7/10 Swift isn’t letting us forget about her vengeful alter-ego with this track. With a darker vibe, this is an entertaining listen that seems to be a warning to not mess with Swift unless you want your life ruined by one of the most powerful women on the planet.

For fans of: “Don’t Blame Me”, “no body, no crime”

Overall, Midnights is a great addition to Swift’s discography.

Swift’s strengths lie in her ability to make every person feel seen and in her poignant lyrics, both of which pull through extremely well on the majority of the tracks. If you are a strictly folklore/evermore Swiftie, I may stray away from some of this collection, but if you are a fan of Swift’s pop, get ready to rearrange your ever-changing album ranking!

Track Nine: “Bejeweled” Lyricism: 6/10 Musicality: 6/10

Production: 6/10

Maya Vermeer ‘26 (she/her) is a chemistry major from Durham, North Carolina. She can be reached for comment at mavermeer@davidson.edu.

Davidson Reads 2022: Alums Share Creative Careers

O

STEPHEN WALKER ‘26 (HE/HIM)

n Wednesday October 19th, Davidson alumna Laeta Kalogridis ’87 and Molly Sentell Haile ’94 returned to campus to headline the annual Davidson Reads event.

Sponsored by the English Department and Davidson Arts and Creative Engagement, the event took place at 7 PM in the C. Shaw Smith 900 Room of Union. Students and members of the greater Davidson community were treated to a reading and viewing of two notable works written by the speakers, along with the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session afterward.

Kalogridis has made a career of writing and producing films and television for over 20 years in Hollywood. Some of her writing credits include Alexander (directed by Oliver Stone), Shutter Island (directed by Martin Scorsese), Battle Angel Alita (directed by Robert Rodriguez). She is also an executive producer, uncredited writer, and creator of numerous other film and television titles. Notable examples of which include Avatar (directed by James Cameron) and the Netflix television show Altered Carbon. She is also known for her work with writers and producers to bring the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America Strike to an end. The New York Times described her as a “a pipeline to the guild members holding out for sizable gains, whose support would be needed if any deal was to be reached.” Her decades of work in Hollywood have helped mold the industry into what it is today.

Sentelle Haile has gone on from Davidson to have writing published in many journals/magazines, most notably, she has had work published in Oxford American, The North Carolina Literary Review, and Epiphany. Sentelle Haile won the 2020

Doris Betts Fiction Prize and has earned nominations for the Pushcart Prize, O. Henry Award, and a Notable designation in The Best American Nonrequired Reading. She is also a regular contributor to O. Henry magazine. Currently, she works as a creative writing teacher at the Hirsch Wellness Network in Greensboro where she works with cancer survivors and caregivers; also somehow finding the time to volunteer with the Greensboro Bound Literary Festival. If not exemplified by her resumé, the presentation would exhibit her incredible dedication to creative writing and teaching.

Before hearing from the speakers, their former teacher and current Davidson professor Cynthia Lewis introduced each with stories from their time as her students. The audience was treated to several anecdotes about the speakers as students and even quotes from their written work for Davidson classes.

Professor Lewis’ words highlighted just how motivated both were to make careers out of their passions for writing. This passion was only reinforced when each speaker took the stage.

Sentelle Haile began with a reading of her award winning short story, “Little Things,” which follows a day in the life of a Girl named Carol as she is slowly exposed to the harsh realities of growing up on a farm. From the beginning of the reading it was clear what a gifted, empathetic writer Davidson has produced in Sentelle Haile. The feelings behind Carol’s experiences were so poignantly expressed through the author’s words that the audience couldn’t help but experience emotions along with Carol throughout the story. The world Sentelle Haile created felt so real as she progressed through each passage. By the end, that world was as rounded out as entire novels.

After the reading, Kalogridis presented and discussed

selected scenes from one of her more notable films, Shutter Island. The film follows Teddy Daniels, a Federal Marshal investigating a disappearance from an insane asylum, as he and the audience learn more about the mysterious world the characters are placed in. She then spoke about the purpose of the scenes shown: all three show the audience new things, subverting their entire understanding of who the main character is as the movie approaches its tragic climax. The film itself is a unique experience; Kalogridis’ insights into the purpose behind the script conveyed exactly how creative and original she is as a writer.

The closing Q&A gave the audience the opportunity to learn more about the personal lives of the speakers, their industries, and all of the work both have put into perfecting their crafts. We learned from Kalogridis just how much the film and television industry has evolved since she started her career. What was most impressive about her was the fact that she had climbed to the top of an industry where women have only recently begun to be given opportunities to have their voices heard and talents acknowledged. Sentelle Haile ended the Q&A with advice for aspiring writers at Davidson. She emphasized the importance of embracing all of the lived experiences that come with attending college and of making the time to sit down and write whenever possible. It all begins, like it did for these two talents, right here at Davidson.

Stephen Walker ‘26 (he/him) is an English major from Haverford, Pennsylvania. He can be reached for comment at stwalker@davidson.edu

7 Living Davidson ANONYMOUS OFT-QUOTED REMARK

Across 1 Classic gaming developer 6 Ashtray item 10 ___-Caps (movie candy) 13 Popeye creator 14 “Come ___ my parlor ...”

15 ‘50s Mideast grp.

16 Start of a phrase on a concrete block outside a juvenile court building 18 Afternoon hrs.

19 Sale of a forged painting, say 20 Blender option 22 Uncooked 23 Component of a chem. class, say 25 “... ___ they say” 27 Arden of fiction 30 Acrylic container 33 Legal tender in Tokyo 35 TV sked abbr.

36 Affirmative actions 37 Part 2 of the phrase 41 Mama’s boy 42 Harris and Gore, for short 43 “King ___” (1978 novelty hit for Steve Martin) 44 Exception to a “no pets” rule 47 Flipping burgers, say 51 “Star Trek” counselor 52 Unhappy 54 Mo. when Shakespeare was born 55 Prefix with structure 58 French explorer Jean-Baptiste Bénard de ___ 61 Tripper’s drug 62 End of the phrase 64 “Lord, is ___?”

65 Animal shelter

Crosswords by Victor Fleming ‘73

66 “Walk the Line” Oscar winner Witherspoon 67 Clairvoyance, for short 68 Able to act at will 69 “Unsafe at Any Speed” author Ralph Down 1 Glaring 2 Ayatollah’s capital 3 Start of a “terrible” phase for a kid 4 Beams 5 Camaro named for a race acronym 6 Computer image 7 Granite State sch.

8 ‘Vette roof option 9 Health-food buy 10 1992 film starring Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh 11 Elizabeth II, to Elizabeth I 12 “Choice” words 17 Delta rival (abbr.)

21 Go bad, as fruit 24 Shower alternative 26 Add-___ (extras) 28 “Brigadoon” dancer Charisse 29 Breathe hard 31 “A likely story!”

32 Book between Micah and Habakkuk 34 “___ Blue” 37 Sightseers 38 Chip garnish 39 General ___ chicken 40 Exchange letters 41 Alvin C. York was one 45 “What’s the ___?”

46 In plentiful amounts

^POETIC

1

2

3

4

We Are Wildcats is a human-interest column that aims to share the extraordinary within the ordinary at Davidson College and to showcase the inspiring things that make each and every Wildcat unique. If you wish to be featured or know someone whose story needs to be heard, please feel free to contact saathreya@davidson.edu! Stay tuned for future stories! This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Sahana: It is a rainy Monday evening, and I am joined today by the lovely Nevaeh, who is keeping me company in Union while we wait for the skies to clear. So Nevaeh, tell us a bit about yourself.

Nevaeh: My name is Nevaeh Angarita. I’m a first year, my pronouns are she/her, and my intended majors are Sociology and English.

Sahana: So I hear that you’re working with the English department.

6

7

8

9

10

14

13 16

20 23

27

28 33 37

34

38

25 31

35

36 40

42

43

45

46

47

52

51 55

56

57

58

59

64

65

66

67

68

69

Nevaeh: It’s an event they do annually. It’s sponsored by the Arts department and the English department. They have two writers come in every year, and they talk to faculty, talk to students, and give advice. I got to interview them both for the first 30 minutes, and talked about their work. I also had to transcribe everything they were saying. Then I went to their honors class and got their lunch. When I went to the honors class, I talked to Professor Randy Ingram, students, and with the two writers. I kind of just gave my input on certain things on campus. And they actually like, listened to me, which was a really, really cool. I’m first gen, so we talked about what it was like being first gen here. The two of them, actually, during the event, and afterwards, talked to me about my work. They gave me a lot of advice. It’s a good connection to the English department as an English major, but it’s also a good connection because I’m interested in pursuing poetry.

Sahana: I’d love to hear more about how you got into poetry.

Nevaeh: I started writing when I was like four or five because my parents weren’t around. The only way I could communicate with them was by writing letters. When my parents were incarcerated, I only had one means of communication with them. Then when I got older, I got into short story writing, but then I found out my mom was a poet, and my mom wanted to be a journalist. So it became kind of a way of connecting to

49

50

54

62

Nevaeh: Yes! I got hired by Kathy Barton. She’s the coordinator of the entire department. I’m the assistant. I pretty much do the small tasks that every professor needs, but also any extra tasks that she gives me. So when they have an event, I send out the emails, update the calendars, and send out the event details. Sometimes Professor Randy Ingram needs me to do things like research. And then we just had to plan the Davidson Reads event. I love working with them.

48

53

61

48 Disagreeably affected 49 Act against 50 Busch or Coors 53 Hoover ___ 56 Apply deep massage therapy 57 A long way off 59 Honker 60 Domain 61 Tell a whopper 63 1-1 game, say

26

32

39

41 44

21

24 30

29

12

18

19 22

11

15

17

Sahana: Could you tell me more about the Davidson Reads program?

SAHANA ATHREYA (SHE/HER) ‘25

5

60

63

Prepositional Solution:

Crossword

G A B E

A M E N

S T A B

A T O N E

O B O E

C E L L

S U P S A Z E I H I N D T L S I Z B I N B O V E T O L E V I S O T A B E T S I D E T A R G A L A S L O W T H I O A N P E S E

A C H E H E A T H H E N S

S H S E E T E S C E S A R A B E E C L O R D E A C G S G R E P O I E F T E R O S U R F S I O O T E

T O N I

A G E S

R O S E

U N I O N

D E B U T

S T E P

L A W S

S C A T

D E N Y

her because I couldn’t see her. I couldn’t speak with her. So I started writing poetry, and I would write poetry to them. I started writing a lot more when I was 14 years old, just to cope with not having them in my life and to write about the struggle that I was having at the time. I never really considered myself a poet until I came to Davidson. And then I met my roommate, who is also a poet, made some other friends who are into poetry. And then we heard about Freeword. Then we started writing a lot. Like, I was already reading a lot, but I started writing more and pursuing it. I started my Intro to Poetry class with Professor Jung at the same time. So it’s a lot of poetry all the time. And he pushes me a lot to pursue my craft and just find myself through my work.

Sahana: For someone who’s interested in pursuing poetry, do you have some words of advice?

Nevaeh: I would literally just say find a community of writers. That was definitely something that pushed me. Like, I think when you’re starting off writing, you don’t really know what your voice is gonna sound like yet, you don’t know what you really want to say. I think finding people that understood my experiences, or people who also write, really helped me find my voice and kind of led me into the position that I’m in now.

And I always say, advocate for yourself. 1,000%.

Talk to people.

Personally, I also tried to write at least every week.

Always go outside of what you’re comfortable doing.

The

Yowl

Irreverent student journalism since 2004. Castigat Ridendo Mores.

inside

yowl.com/davidsonian.com

Trustees’ Morning Routine Includes Asking Worst Way to Serve Student Body Page 4.9% tuition increase

November 2, 2022

College to Close Satellite, Massive Multi-Purpose Dirt Patch to Take Its Place

How to Repurpose Your Slutty Halloween Costume for Christian Girl Autumn

Page 34

Page Still an Angel

WebTree Courses You Might Have Missed

A

lthough I myself did not fully fill out my own WebTree heading into my senior spring, I somehow still feel justified in encouraging all of you, my fellow peers, to really Davidson Student this one and go above and beyond, color-coding your class choices and dutifully plugging them into Davidson’s most infamous software platform (beating out DuoPush by 3 percentage points in a poll simulation I just ran in my head). In case you missed these prime pickings buried deep on the second page of classes displayed in sets of 10 (when would I ever just want to see the numerically first 10 classes in a department on the course schedule, c’mon), we’ve pulled out a few that you should make sure to pick up in Add/Drop: MAT 099: Measuring. You might wonder, why is this class listed as 099? This class, which is a seminar focused on “measuring things” (quoted from the course description), is not considered rigorous enough to denote even a 100-level designation. However, it can get you your Mathematical and Quantitative Thought (MQRQ) Ways of Knowing requirement. Weekly assignments will involve the measurement of common campus objects in the imperial (think inches) system, because ‘Merica. The final exam is titled “Can I Measure That?” in which students must determine whether or not you can in fact measure the things presented.

that isn’t weight-bearing, and when to recognize their limits and just call the fire department in order to get down.

ECO-102: Dressing the Part. Situated between Econ 101 and Econ 105, this required class helps Econ majors tailor their wardrobe to the department. This class is considered foundational in establishing the professional aesthetics of the department, and a major donation from an Econ alum has bankrolled the purchasing of a down puffer vest for all students enrolled in this class during the 2022-2023 school year.

POL-303: Lying. This is a higher-level political science class for students in the major who have taken enough classes to realize that political science as a field is morally bankrupt, but are in too deep to do anything else. This course will help students figure out how to “spin” the realities of capitalist exploitation and imperial oppression to themselves, parents, and some future employers (no need to attempt to lie to any branch of the U.S. government–they already know).

ENV-204: Tree Climbing. Soon to be a new requirement in the environmental studies department, this class was invented by professors wanting to dispel the claims that their department was just a bunch of armchair academics engaging in ivory tower debates about ecological issues as the rest of the world burns. In an attempt to “get back to nature,” students will participate in several hands-on activities, namely, climbing lots of trees. Students will identify which trees have smooth bark that makes scaling them harder, how to pick out a dead limb

The Truth Flourishing Issue

River of Keystone Mixes with Glitter and Fake Blood, Ecological Disaster Decimates Raccoon and Squirrel Population Page Halloweekend

Professors to Implement Exciting Classroom Activities You Won’t Enjoy Doing Page Chair Yoga

CPE Shuttle Driver A Little Too Zealous

W

ith early voting in full swing, the Center for Political Engagement has been sending out the bat signal and also many emails in an attempt to get as many Davidson students voting as possible. The voter shuttle system has allowed for many students who do not have cars on campus to get free transportation to the polling place in Cornelius. However, in order to run the shuttle system, volunteers were needed, and not everyone has their large vehicle license with the college. One intrepid volunteer, Horatio Ballotsen, ‘23, stepped up to the challenge and agreed to drive shuttles for multiple shifts every day throughout early voting.

ting in there waiting for people to hurry up and vote already. I’d much rather go in and at least get a sticker for my time.”

Apparently, students really appreciated the extra support. With Ballotsen signed up to drive several shuttle shifts each day, his performance became a multiple-times-aday extravaganza. “I’m kind of a rockstar at voting,” Ballotsen said. “Not to be egotistical, but I run that place.”

When asked if any of the polling place volunteers noticed that he was always there, voting repeatedly, Ballotsen said, “Nope!

But at least one older lady would say to me every single time, ‘Thank you for voting, young man!’”

“I thought, what better way to contribute to this ‘great experiment’ that we call American democracy than driving college kids to the polls while they Google the Dems endorsement list on the way,” Ballotsen said when asked what first motivated him to volunteer. Ballotsen recounted that his first trip was largely a group of first years who had not ever voted before. “I wanted to show them how things are done, walk them through real easy, you know?”

Ballotsen said. “It can be intimidating walking into that busy room with all of those machines and stuff.

Anyway, I still needed to vote, so I said, hey, you know what, just come watch me do it and I can show you how it’s done.”

We here at The Yowl sympathize with the aging community of the greater Davidson area, which must think that young folks have a revitalized interest in electoral politics like they’ve never seen before. To be fair, one singular young folk really does.

Ballotsen proceeded to vote every single time he drove a new group to the polls. “Every group kept asking me to walk them through it. I just want to make the people happy,” Ballotsin said when asked about what kept him going back. “Plus, the van gets hot and stuffy just sit-

Last-Minute Thanksgiving Break Plans

I

f there’s anything college does to you, it morphs time into oblivion. FDOC was two weeks ago, midterms have been happening for the last three weeks (and will continue for another three), and, uh, holdup, your dad is already sending you photos from his KSig days in preparation for Wildcat Weekend. All this hubbub can be so overwhelming, but the one thing you actually need to prepare for is Thanksgiving Break. Thanksgiving is America’s most American holiday, after the Super Bowl, Christmas, Fourth of July, and twelve other more holidays, so it’s important to celebrate it properly. Here are some of the col-

The

Yowl

lege-sponsored Thanksgiving trips you can still sign up for.

Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte was just ranked as North Carolina’s Most Diverse City, so visiting it will be a great way to escape the Davidson Bubble in a way that will leave your thumbs twiddle-less. Some people are scared of Charlotte because it seems to be eradicating its indigenious white population, but there are other things to be scared of, too. For instance, every single building in Downtown Charlotte is actually a bank and money isn’t real which means neither are the buildings, it’s all a fa-

WRITERS Two Eds Are Better Than One Red Herring

cade. Thankfully, though, according to a local Redditor, there are enough “breweries, biscuits, and basic bitches” in Charlotte to make up for the bogusness of our reality.

My house. Why go home for Thanksgiving and have your mom lecture you about your meaningless, uneventful life when you can go to my house and experience the same thing but from a stranger you just met? Kathy is very nice, though. So nice you might not even realize she’s unabashedly bashing you every second she can get through an endless series of backhanded compliments. Anyways, spon-

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Quiet Hours will be enforced from the first occurance of 2:00 A.M. on the 6th.”

--RLO email, proving time is not real

sored by The Yowl, this trip is full-price since we unfortunately have a zero-dollar budget.

We’ll make up for it though by providing you with beautiful sleeping arrangements (a tent in my backyard), a wonderful entertainment system (seeing how long my parents can go without fighting in front of you), and a thirty-six hour round-trip road trip. Was this too personal? Probably, but what’s Thanksgiving without close connections?

Jozee Houghbis’ house. I actually don’t know where Jozee’s from, but you should show up there anyways.

Halloweekend Report by School Western Carolina University: What’re the moves Davidson College: One night only Vanderbilt University: I thought I hit the masc lesbian jackpot then I realized it was a bunch of straight sorority girls dressed as “frat boys” for Halloween Clemson: Night 1 of Halloweek (corset on a Tuesday) Vassar College: Artsy fartsy outfit

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

Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.