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The Davidsonian 2/22/2023

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The

Davidsonian

Independent Student Journalism Since 1914

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davidsonian.com

A graphic depicting the lives lost in the Turkey and Syria earthquakes

Volume 121, Issue 14

February 22, 2023

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Sarah Todd Hammer ‘24, reflects on her work with disability advocacy

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The golf team begins a promising spring season and shows future promise

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The Yowl exposes some of Davidson’s most embarrassing search histories

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Pro Bono Attorney Offers Support to Student Survivors

MADELINE RICHARD ‘25 (SHE/HER) SENIOR STAFF WRITER

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or several months, Val Silardi ‘25 has worked to recruit an attorney that will empower survivors of sexual assault at Davidson. After extensive research, she connected with attorney Melissa Hordichuk. Hordichuk is the executive director and managing attorney of the Access to Justice Project, a Charlotte-based law firm. She is also a pro bono attorney, meaning students will not have to pay for her services. Her partnership with Davidson will help support student survivors. Silardi has been interested in social justice since a young age, and was inspired by her older sister. “My sister served as an incredible role model to me because she had an incredible work ethic while simultaneously challenging gender barriers in her high school classroom and the workforce,” Silardi said. Silardi is particularly focused on supporting survivors of sexual assault and harassment. “[Sexual harassment is] all around [in subtle forms] — it’s how professors interact with their students, it’s how different genders interact with each other, it’s power dynamics at parties,” Silardi said. “When you or someone you know goes through something like that, you become hyperaware of the pervasiveness of it all.” Davidson provides institutional resources for student survivors; they can meet with Title IX coordinator Carley Dix or the Davidson College Police Department (DCPD). However, both Dix and the DCPD are mandated reporters, meaning they are legally required to report any observed or suspected abuse, including cases of sexual assault. Hordichuk is not a mandated reporter, so she can offer flexibility and anonymity. Silardi ensured that students could remain anonymous as they communicate with Hordichuk. Survivors can connect with Hordichuk through a Google form. Working

with Hordichuk “can be as anonymous as [a survivor wants],” Silardi said. She hoped to “empower students [by encouraging them that] coming forward is enough.” Rather than reporting sexual assault, Hordichuk will provide information about resources and legal choices. “I can share independently what resources Davidson has without them fearing any sort of repercussions,” Hordichuk said.

Marybeth Monaco-Vavrik ‘23, the president of Students Against Sexual Violence (SASV), believes this anonymity could make students feel more comfortable coming forward. “There’s a really big mental block for survivors to set up a meeting [with the Title IX office], so just having [...] so much anonymity feels safer,” Monaco-Vavrik said. Silardi’s project has required patience and

Pro bono attorney Melissa Hordichuk. Photo by Access to Justice Project. Dix also believes that the support of an attorney helps survivors learn about their options without having to take immediate action or report their experiences. “Students who may not be comfortable going to the Title IX office or the Davidson College Police Department to ask questions can receive needed information [from Hordichuk] to determine whether they would like to connect with campus or other community resources,” Dix said.

passion. She spent months communicating with attorneys across the nation and researcing the Title IX process in detail. Additionally, while her project began as an independent initiative, she started working with SASV last semester and is now their education and outreach chair. Silardi’s dedication has paid off, as Hordichuk is committed to working with students. “[Sexual assault is] an issue I care deeply

about,” Hordichuk said. “So when [Silardi] called me I was immediately interested. I’m particularly invested in on-campus or collegerelated sexual assault because it’s obviously a pervasive issue,” In addition to Hordichuck’s services, there are several ways for student survivors to get additional support. The college chaplains and the counselors at the Center for Student Health and Well-Being provide another anonymous setting. Their employees are are not mandated reporters. There are anonymous support groups at Davidson, and Counselor Anna Folkens hosts a support group for survivors in the surrounding area. Survivors can also attend off-campus therapy at SAFE Alliance and Brave aStep, and free transportation is available through the health portal. Student survivors can request accommodations through the Title IX office, including emergency housing, a class schedule check, and academic accommodations. Survivors have more formal options, too. They can place a no-communication order, meaning that they will not have to interact with their harm-doer. Another option is a shared expectations agreement, a voluntary decision about where each party is able to go on campus. Finally, survivors can organize an educational conversation between Carley Dix and the survivor’s harm-doer, where Dix will discuss the harm-doer’s behavioral concerns. As Silardi explained, “college is so hard already,” and feeling alone as a survivor can be “detrimental.” Hordichuk will help support these survivors, and, as Dix commented, act as an “avenue to receive information about their legal rights and resources.” Hordichuk emphasized the importance of believing survivors, regardless of whether they want to report their experience or take legal action. “That’s a huge part of [my work], having someone there that’s just going to listen and say ‘I hear you and I believe you,’” Hordichuk said.

Pulitzer Prize Winner Natasha Trethewey Visits Davidson VIOLET CALKIN ‘26 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

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ormer Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winning poet Natasha Trethewey visited Davidson to deliver the annual Conarroe Lecture on Feb. 13. The first lecturer after the series took a hiatus due to COVID-19, she delivered a reading to the college community that drew from her diverse body of work and discussed her background and experience with race and family, as well as injustices in American history. Trethewey is the author of five collections of poetry, including Native Guard, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Her most recent work is Memorial Drive, a memoir that discusses processing grief and trauma after her stepfather murdered her mother. Currently a Professor of English at Northwestern University, Trethewey served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2012-2014 and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2013. “She is not only a poet and memorist, but a teacher and mentor whose words transform and inspire,” President Doug Hicks said during his introduction to her reading. Punctuated by brief vignettes and snippets of historical

context, Trethewey read a selection of poems that spoke of her parents’ interracial marriage and her visit to the Monticello Plantation with her father. Her reading included commentary on Thomas Jefferson’s notes on the State of Virginia and ongoing voter suppression plaguing the United States, among other topics. Bailey Scarlett ‘25, who studied Trethewey’s work in his Literary Analysis class, found her style of narration particularly powerful. “Because it was all one fluid set of sentences, it was hard sometimes to tell where poetry stopped and background information began, which made it one coherent story that I really liked,” said Scarlett. “As someone who tries to write poetry for my classes and just for fun, it was really cool to see poetry written to be spoken.” Earlier in the day, Trethewey had a private Q and A session with students who had studied her work in their classes. Moderated by creative writing professor Sandra Beasley, the session provided young writers the chance to ask Tretheway about her process, her relationship to her writing

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Natasha Trethewey with her parents, who she has written about extensively. Photo by Chicago Magazine


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