davidsonian.com
A graphic depicting the lives lost in the Turkey and Syria earthquakes
February 22, 2023
Volume 121,
Issue 14
Sarah Todd Hammer ‘24, reflects on her work with disability advocacyThe golf team begins a promising spring season and shows future promise
The Yowl exposes some of Davidson’s most embarrassing search histories
2 4 5 8
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.”
Marybeth Monaco-Vavrik ‘23, the president of Students Against Sexual Violence (SASV), believes this anonymity could make students feel more comfortable coming forward.
For 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
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.
“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
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.
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
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.
Former 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
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
7.7
The data from this figure was gathered from the National Oceanic
Turkey
by Ian Macel ‘24Turkey and Syria, 2023 Magnitude 7.8
Deaths 46,000+
7.6
Armenia, 1988
6.8
Deaths 25,000+
The earthquake has killed more than 41,000 people in Turkey. Over 1.6 million people, including many Syrian refugees living in Turkey, are now homeless and being housed in temporary shelters. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Turkey will begin building tens of thousands of new homes in March. Erdogan has been accused of letting builders skirt building codes in areas impacted by the Earthquake, and it remains to be seen if Turkey’s scheduled elections for May will take place.
The border between Syria and Turkey has recently become a hotbed for devastating earthquakes. With a combined damage consisting of 210 million tons of rubble, the earthquake has adversely affected the lives of people living in both countries. In Syria specifically, there have been a total of 6,000 deaths. However, due to Syria’s ongoing civil war, these numbers are unreliable at best. The area that is controlled by the insurgents estimates 4,525 deaths; the area controlled by President Bahar al-Assad estimates 1,414 deaths. .
Donate to these organizations: Syrian American Medical Society Foundation Center for Disaster Philanthropy Direct Relief
Do not stop the conversation: Just because a problem leaves the headlines, does not mean the problem is gone. The impacts of this disaster will last long, and more aid will be needed.
Check in with your surroundings: Although they may not advertise it, your friends and peers could have connections with people who were hurt in the earthquakes. Keep in consistent contact with them!
Stay Informed:
An article covering Davidson’s relationship with the earthquakes will be published in next week’s issue of the Davidsonian.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
and background information about her work. She answered candidly about her mission to use poetry to bring to light forgotten history and how writing has specifically aided her in grieving her mother. In particular, Trethewey illuminated how her experience being raised in the South among monuments celebrating the Confederacy has impacted her work.
“One of the contentious relationships that my poems try to examine is between personal memory and cultural memory and public history,” Trethewey said. “Here I am growing up in a place where everything is a monument to white supremacy, telling me to stay in my place. When I talk about the received knowledge that I’ve wanted to push back against, I’m attempting to rewrite both personal memory and — into our collective cultural memory — the histories that have been erased by the monumental landscape.”
The Conarroe Lectureship was established in 2002 to honor Dr. Joel O. Conarroe ‘56, who was the President Emeritus
of the PEN American Center and Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. The series has hosted myriad influential writers, such as Margret Atwood and George Saunders — the only other speaker to receive a standing ovation besides Tretheway, according to Chair and Professor of English Dr. Randy Ingram.
“We’re excited for the resumption of the Conarroe Lectureship. This is the first one for three years I believe during the pandemic,” Ingram said. “We want to register our immense gratitude to Joel Conarroe and to the donors who make it possible.”
When deciding what writer to bring in for this year’s lecture, Ingram said the English department was interested in Trethewey because of the diversity and accessibility of her writing, as well as her technical prowess.
“Her work shows up in introductory English classes and in anthologies; it cuts across levels,” Ingram said. “She uses things like sestinas, she uses really creative forms. She sees it as a way of holding, a kind of container for really raw emotions
and big questions. It’s also an aesthetic container as well, it makes her poems beautiful and heightens them. You feel them, experience them, hold onto them.”
Scarlett, too, finds that the clarity of Trethewey’s writing inspires a greater understanding and impact than other poetry.
“At least in the English classes I’ve been in, we’ve read lots of people from hundreds of years ago who write in rigid formats, use words we don’t understand and talk about abstract concepts that require a tenured professor to explain,” Scarlett said. “But Natasha Trethewey’s work told a really compelling and very vivid real story, especially when spoken out loud.”
The bravery and emotional intimacy of Trethewey’s storytelling resonated with Nessa Anguiano ‘26, who attended the talk after reading Memorial Drive.
“Everyone’s story is valid and there is reason to write about it. Regardless of what one may think it can help someone else,” Anguiano said. “I may not have the exact same lived experience as Tretheway, but her work had a profound effect on me.”
living behind Physical Plant,” Doughten said.
Spring in Davidson means warm weather, preparation for Frolics and trips to Lampus. However, as the season approaches this year, a number of students and community members hope to bring attention to an overlooked event of spring: feral cat breeding season.
In suburban communities like Davidson where people sometimes release pet cats into the wild, feral cat populations can grow rapidly. For the past few years, a local nonprofit, Cats of Davidson, has been working to humanely reduce the Town of Davidson’s growing feral cat population.
“Because of how prolific cats are with breeding, there are programs out in the United States called TNR, which stands for ‘Trap, Neuter, and Release,” said Amy Doughten, the Vice President of Cats of Davidson. “It is a humane way of reducing the cat population. As part of the TNR program, we give them a rabies shot, vaccination shots, and we ensure they’re healthy. Then, they’re returned out into the wild.”
In addition, volunteers with the Cats of Davidson oversee feral cat colonies after the TNR process and continue to provide food and warmth to the cats if necessary.
Doughten and Cats of Davidson founder Roni LaBarbera have successfully identified feral cat colonies throughout Davidson. They have employed the TNR technique to reduce future population growth while ensuring the cats can continue to live together healthily.
Explaining the importance of their work, Doughten said, “we reduce the risk of disease. We reduce the risk of a cat being hungry and biting someone. Frankly, at the end of the day, it’s the right thing to do. It’s the right thing to try to stop suffering where you can.”
Despite the organization’s success, Cats of Davidson has one particular colony they have yet to work with, and it’s here on Davidson College campus.
“We know that there’s a very large community on Davidson College grounds
A number of feral cats have died this year in the Physical Plant facility. David Holthouser, Director of Facilities and Engineering, confirmed that cats have died on warm engines and in the trash compactor during the 20222023 school year.
LaBarbera and Doughten believe these deaths could be prevented if Cats of Davidson was permitted to operate on campus.
“All of these things can be avoided,” LaBarbera said. “They’re in the garbage because they’re hungry, which we can avoid by feeding them. They’re in the engines of the heavy machinery because they’re cold, which we can fix by providing what we call feral dens, bins with styrofoam coolers inside.”
Earlier this year, LaBarbera and Doughten approached the school administration seeking to implement its TNR program in and around Physical Plant. In response, Director of Auxiliary Services Terry Richards investigated the campus’ feral cat situation. He consulted Holthouser, who oversees Physical Plant, as well as Julian Coaxum, the Campus Police Chief.
“We talked to David [Holthouser] because David’s shops are on the periphery of campus. Plus he has staff who work early morning and nighttime,” explained Richards. “They’re more likely to see this going on. We talked to Julian Coaxum because he has officers on campus all hours of the day and night.”
After speaking with Holthouser, Richards determined not to direct school resources towards the feral cat population.
“The observation was not that we don’t have any feral cats. That would be silly. But it really was not described as problem number one of all the problems that we’re dealing with on campus,” Richards said.“What we did talk about was to establish a memorandum of understanding (MOU).”
If established, such a document would express an agreement between Davidson College and Cats of Davidson that allows the organization to operate under certain conditions, such as liability insurance or safety precautions.
However, no MOU has been put in place
at this point, so Cats of Davidson cannot currently operate on campus.
For Holthouser, the safety and liability of Cats of Davidson operating around Physical Plant stand out as key concerns.
“This is an industrial shop complex with machinery, tools, big trucks, and big equipment moving in and out all day long,” he emphasized. “It’s a location that we certainly would have to arrange if they are approved by the college.”
While Cats of Davidson cannot currently work directly with feral cats in and around Physical Plant, LaBarbera hopes to lure the cats away from the industrial area in the future.
“We can move the cats. It will take us a while because we have to feed them. 10 feet to the left, 10 feet to the left and pull them out to the trail that runs alongside the facility,” she said.
According to Richards, the possibility of future operations around Physical Plant depend mainly upon two matters: liability and student demand.
“We’d need weigh-in from legal counsel to make sure that we’re not opening ourselves up
to something that would have legal insurance incidents we hadn’t anticipated,” he explained. If liability can be accounted for, then any further action will require student involvement.
“The reality is that the college administration doesn’t decide what matters,” Richards said. “The students decide.”
Joanna Schwartz ‘25 has begun efforts to mobilize students to demand support for the feral cat population.
“Right now, I’ve branded us as Cats of Davidson x Davidson College,” Schwartz said. “Grace Semrau and I have made posters and talked to friends about it. We have over 20 students now who said they’d be interested. Our next step is to get an official club and a faculty advisor.”
If Schwartz and other students are successful in chartering a new organization on campus, then Cats of Davidson, working with a student organization and an MOU, could potentially initiate its formal TNR and education programs. As put by Doughten, “not everybody’s going to care about this, but we need enough people that do care, that want to help make a difference.”
Virginia
Airen
Sarah Baker
Olivia Howard ‘24
Anya
Kelsey Chase ‘24
Zuber Chawla ‘25
Greer Levy ‘26
Julia Siqueria ‘26
Catherine O’Connor ‘24
When I was 8 years old, I acquired a spinal cord injury that has left me with partial paralysis in my arms and hands. My disability impacts my ability to accomplish certain tasks on my own, such as brushing and doing my hair, putting on shoes, carrying things, opening food items and packages, etc. For a while, my family members wondered how I would be able to attend college; however, I was always confident I would find a way to make it work. I knew I would need help every day, but I knew I would find solutions.
Before my first semester at Davidson in August 2020, I met with the Academic Access and Disability Resources (AADR) office to go over the accommodations I would require for housing. I was so impressed with how willing they were to put my accommodations in place –especially since I have some unique needs, such as a different control for the shower and specially built platforms for me to rest my elbow on so I can reach my face and hair. Both my first and second years at Davidson, I had no trouble receiving the housing accommodations I needed. However, receiving the accommodations I needed for my current year was a challenge, and as I’ve started the process of requesting accommodations for next academic year, I am frustrated with how much advocating I am being forced to do.
Since I have been physically disabled for nearly 13 years of my life, advocating for
myself is second nature to me. Advocating for myself is empowering, as I know what my rights are and ensuring I receive what I deserve affirms my experience as a disabled individual. However, advocating for myself can also be exhausting at times. Because I received pushback regarding my accommodations for this year, I was a bit apprehensive going into my accommodations meeting for next academic year. After explaining in detail why I am requesting what I am requesting, I was told that a request to live in an apartment building with laundry is not reasonable. I was also assured that deeming this accommodation unreasonable is in legal compliance. Legal compliance aside, Davidson should care about their students’ needs beyond simply following the law, especially since the ADA only requires the bare minimum. As a result of this situation, I have had to spend time I should be spending focusing on academics emailing with AADR and meeting with the 504 Coordinator and even President Hicks to rectify this situation. As I told AADR in my email, it surprises me that the Residence Life Office would presume to know my needs better than myself, as I have been living with my disability for nearly 13 years now.
Beyond housing accommodations, I advocate for myself and other disabled students on this campus as well. As co-founder and President of Davidson Disability Alliance (DDA) and a disability
As a law intern, I occasionally accompany my boss, a criminal defense attorney, to sentencing hearings. I remember my first one, just this past summer, and the rush I got from sitting in the courtroom. Our client, an exmember of a motorcycle gang, was a little overconfident, even chirpy, heading into the hearing. Fortunately, from our perspective, everything went perfectly for our client. The prosecution agreed to drop a charge, contingent on a plea, and recommend time served. It was a Friday afternoon with temperate weather for South Carolina, putting the judge in a good mood. I walked out of the courtroom with our client’s mother and daughter, tears of relief in their eyes, as they talked about which of his favorite restaurants they would all go to that same night.
For my second sentencing hearing, I was just as eager to watch my boss in court as the first. This time we were representing another client, whom I will call Chris. The case involved murky circumstances, with no eyewitnesses and the alleged victim separately dying from COVID-19 before the hearing. The charges against Chris were for a violent crime allegedly committed during a drug-induced rage. Chris was a heroin addict. My boss was confident Chris would get time served and parole. He had already spent three years in jail awaiting trial before eventually being released because of concerns about the pandemic and overcrowding. Out of jail and with a second chance, Chris accomplished what the criminal justice system purportedly aims for: rehabilitation. In recovery from his addiction to heroin, he found a steady girlfriend and job, even rising to a supervisory role and turning the business’
profits around. He lived with his girlfriend, and their landlords trusted him–this supposed violent criminal–so much that he babysat their kids.
When my boss and I arrived at the
advocate outside of my Davidson bubble, I have students come up to me to ask who they should go to for accommodations or how they can solve a particular problem pertaining to their disability. While I love that others recognize my dedication to disability advocacy, I do not aim to be the sole representative of disability at Davidson, and I am not an expert in every disability issue. It is clear that students are not aware of the resources that are available to them. Myself, DDA, and AADR are expected to uphold the responsibility of representing and advocating for disabled students on campus. The Center for Diversity and Inclusion still has yet to integrate disability into their programming and fails to acknowledge that disability is a fundamental aspect of human diversity. Myself and other students who rely on the accessible door buttons to access buildings on campus carry the weight of reporting them as broken. Meanwhile, students who do not rely on them for access mistreat them, punching and/or kicking them, which causes them to break.
My disability has made me a problem
solver. I take in every space and situation through the lens of disability justice, thinking about access and inclusion. But I cannot fix everything, and I should not have to fix everything. Since so much responsibility is put on DDA and disabled students to advocate for the disability community, I worry what the state of disability inclusion at Davidson will look like once I graduate next year.
ST Hammer ‘24 (she/her) is a Psychology and Communication Studies double major from Atlanta, Gerogia. She is a threetime published author, speaker, and disability advocate. She can be reached at sahammer@davidson.edu.
courthouse, everyone was there to support Chris: his girlfriend, his boss, his landlords, his addiction counselor Kim, and even Kim’s husband. I will never forget sitting outside the courtroom, watching Chris’ girlfriend try to calm his nerves and hers by clutching his hand. After we entered the courtroom, everything again seemed to go our way. The prosecutor did not make a recommendation for sentencing. The alleged victim’s mother was drunk and yelling physical threats at our client. Everyone there for Chris stood and spoke on his behalf, telling the court about the Chris they knew. The judge, an older gentleman, was reserved but attentive. Then, I watched a clerk pass a note to a Sheriff’s Deputy, who then moved closer to Chris. The Judge sentenced him to ten years in prison. I remember leaving the courtroom with my boss and the people who love Chris most–as their lives changed forever.
I have a strong sense of justice, fairness, and accountability, but I do not believe the criminal justice system should be unduly punitive. I do not know what Chris’ life is like now, but I struggle to think of ways
prison will benefit him–not to mention everyone he loves. It breaks my heart to think of his girlfriend going back alone to their house that night.
We have the luxury of living in a
parents or the news. It was easy then to misconstrue people who break the law as evil. The reality is that terrible acts do not always define a whole person. Today, while we pursue our liberal arts degrees and carefully plot professional paths, it is too convenient to forget another world exists, where people like Chris have to reckon with an unforgiving system in much need of reform.
community where going to prison is an abstract concept. Many of us had the fortune to grow up only hearing about crime through stories, whether from our
Peter Beck ‘25 (he/him) is from Charleston, South Carolina, majoring in Political Science and hopes to attend law school someday. He can be reached at pebeck@ davidson.edu.
ST HAMMER ‘24 (SHE/HER)
“My disability has made me a problem solver... But I cannot fix everything, and I should not have to fix everything.”
“I do not know what Chris’ life is like now, but I struggle to think of ways prison will benefit him—not to mention everyone he loves.”
He’s got a mean-looking squint that gazes about 150 yards past you while his lips move, and teeth don’t. His developed, coherent analysis of his mature playing style and athletics-academics balance make you feel like you’re wasting his time, and yours. His monotone responses to questions and split-second smile that might just crack at a snide remark turn the Union patio from a mid-afternoon social space into the press box at the next major championship. That the back of his neck is already sunburnt in early February gives you the impression: this guy doesn’t think about golf like you and me.
For sophomore Will Davis ‘25, this season isn’t about putting up low numbers and winning tournaments as an end. It’s a means for his very survival—it’s his sustenance. The beauty of the game, the competition, the mental torture that only exists in this most taxing of sports fills the veins and lungs of this young man like fresh air and clear water.
This mentality has brought the Davidson College Men’s Golf Team three A-10 championship victories in the last five years. It’s made Davis an A-10 rookie of the year and teammates like Alex Heffner ‘24, Ethan Hall ‘23, and Brian Garrett ‘23 excel beyond what any novice might think is possible to do with a little white ball and a stick with a funny-
shaped mallet at the end. Indeed, while many competitors in their own fields believe they can out-run and out-lift these steady-handed archers, the rampaging psychological stallion of the collegiate golfer’s mind could only be reined in by our most skilled players. Hell, they thrive off it. Davis says the pressure— the need to sink a sliding 15-footer, to get up and down, to hit that perfect baby cut 280 up against the wind that the team so desperately needs—is fun. Fun!
But of course, our young Buddhas do not learn the craft of managing their mental game on their own. Senior Brian Garrett, and many of his teammates, credit Assistant Coach L.D. Simmons and his work for their collective collectedness on the course.
Garrett went into the offseason a balanced player, but needed to dial in his driver to get it as sharp as the rest of his arrows in his quiver. Some amateur, immature players might fault their equipment for their missed shots and make a trip over to Dick’s Sporting Goods to solve the problem. But Garrett, the seasoned veteran, knew where to go instead. With Coach Simmons by his side throughout the long, dark winter, the two worked not on adjusting the shaft, grip, or head of his mighty rifle, but the worries, anxieties, and teachings that buzz around his head during the backswing, turn, and follow-through. That is, they ridded him of them. With a free swing and a clear head,
Garrett scored himself a solid two over-par for the 54-hole spring season-opener at Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Mobile, Alabama.
Coming off an unexpected finger injury this off-season, Davis proved he still has the right stuff and led the team with a score of even par for the tournament. The course played fair, said Davis, although the weather on the final day could have been better, with the wind whipping up towards the end. His putter, the same trusty Scottie Cameron he’s used since he was in middle school, was working for him especially well. All in, Davis didn’t have much to complain about, and he said that the team performed better at this tournament than when they played it last year.
The prospect of being A-10 champions for a fourth time seems to add no more pressure to the team than they’ve already experienced. Talking with Head Coach Tim Straub, competing at this high caliber with these high expectations is merely business as usual. Of course, there are four new members of the team. This might handicap a lesser program, but the rock-steady Wildcats feel their new presence only adds depth and versatility to the roster. Any of the nine players could fill one of the five spots for a tournament. Those new guys—Jackson Bode ‘26, Price Miller ‘26, and Irishman Mel Deasy ‘26—will get to prove their stuff this weekend in a tournament at North Carolina State University. Sophomore
transfer Josh Stuart ‘25 already shows he fits right in, scoring an admirable three over-par at the tournament in Alabama. No one on this team shows any sign of angst or anxiety. The seniors fill their leadership roles like they were fitted for them at Golf Galaxy. The players lock in during practice and build their confidence throughout the season, continuously reassuring themselves with each shot that, yes, they do really have the right stuff.
The next tournament which will include a traditional starting five will be over spring break down at Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina. Then, it’s a quick turn-around as the boys head to beautiful St. Simon’s Island for a three-day event at Sea Palms Resort. Two more tournaments after that and then it’s down to Jack’s Reunion Course in Orlando for the A-10 championship. There’s a lot of golf to be played between now and then, and the Wildcats won’t be without competition. The Virginia Commonwealth University will be one to keep on the radar as the Wildcats make their march from one links to the other. But if the initial impression of the season from teammates and coaches is anything to go by, and I certainly think it is, we are going to be treated to some very special showings this spring.
On Feb. 9, 2023, Sandra Beasley hosted a reading for the Davidson community. Beasley is the McGee Visiting Professor in Creative Writing and is teaching in the English department this semester. She has also published several works, including her memoir, Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales From an Allergic Life, and her poetry collections: Made to Explode, Count the Waves, I Was the Jukebox, and Theories of Falling. She shared pieces from some of these publications at her reading, and, in doing so, she shared her experience with issues relating to memory, family, disability rights, and racism.
Beasley began by reading from I Was the Jukebox. She shared “Another Failed Poem About the Greeks,” a piece that presents a first date through the lens of Greek mythology. Much of the poem is humorous; it quirkily juxtaposes Greek myths with modern reality through lines like “We went on the Pirate Ship three times, / swooshing forward, back, upside down, / and he cried Aera! waving his sword, / until the operator asked him to please keep / all swords inside the car.” While the poem evokes laughter, it also reminds readers and listeners that having a “failed poem” is acceptable. Beasley calls for poets to celebrate the messy imperfection of life. Similarly, Beasley embraces uncertainty in “Vocation,” a poem that reflects her experience of quitting her job to write and acknowledges the complexity of finding a true calling. This reminder is reassuring for those who are unsure about their future path, whether that be their major, career, or other life decisions.
Much of Beasley’s work explores the ways in which memory, racism, and cultural narratives intersect with each other. Beasley read “Antietam,” another poem from I Was the Jukebox. Beasley reflects on her experience growing up in northern Virginia and comments on the conflicting myths of the northern and
southern regions of the United States. The poem tells the story of a young child visiting Antietam, a Civil War Battlefield; it examines the complex ways that northern and southern states share their history. For instance, the child wonders why the battlefield memorializes — or does not memorialize — certain Civil War figures, like Stonewall Jackson. “Jefferson, Midnight” — a poem from Made to Explode — also relates to our cultural memory. The poem discusses the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC, and it raises questions about how and why we choose to remember certain figures, such as Thomas Jefferson. Both poems are part of Beasley’s quest to grapple with racism as a white woman, and they call for readers and listeners to reflect on unjust cultural memories.
“Card Table” and “Heirloom,” both poems from Made to Explode, also discuss memory by exploring inheritance and family histories.
In “Heirloom,” Beasley shows how seemingly simple foods, like heirloom tomatoes and tater tots, can tell stories about family relationships and legacies. For instance, the speaker recalls how her grandmother would make her tater tots on snow days, a basic
tradition interwoven with love. Beasley also brings her family into “Card Table,” which tells the story of a card table gifted by her beloved grandparents. The poem portrays the table as a constant reminder of ancestry and familial love; in doing so, the poem reveals how memory can physically manifest itself. Beasley also shared “Say the Word,” a poem from Made to Explode. The piece encourages readers and listeners to celebrate the word “disabled” rather than avoiding the term. As Beasley explained, embracing the word “disabled” allows disabled individuals to connect with a proud community and offers a sense of belonging. Beasley also delved into her own experience with disability during the Q&A section of her presentation, adding greater depth to the poem. Beasley explained how she had to constantly mask the challenges of managing her complex allergies; she was also looking for a term that could encompass the frequent microaggressions she experienced, like probing questions about how she ordered at restaurants. She found a community by embracing the term “disability,” allowing her to finally feel understood. While Beasley appreciated this empathy and an opportunity for belonging, she also emphasized the responsibility woven within her disabled identity. She now advocates on behalf of all disabled individuals and strives for accessibility. For instance, as a professor, she avoids rewarding students for having a quick answer; instead, she tries to create an accessible classroom by acknowledging that students may process information at different paces.
Near the reading’s conclusion, Beasley shared a creative nonfiction piece: “Big Break - A Multiple Choice Test.” As its title implies, the piece is written as a multiple-choice test, and, while its format is creative and fun, the piece also comments on the demands of both publicity and femininity. Beasley reflects on body image throughout the piece, illustrating the pressure that many women feel to be thin. For instance, she poses a multiple choice question wondering “Which of the following is least useful when trying on sample sizes
that don’t zip?” In doing so, she reveals that women are often expected to fit into a standardized body. She also explores the pain of being rejected from a position, showing the challenges of the literary world. Overall, the piece channels Beasley’s personal experiences into a powerful and productive narrative. Throughout her work and conversation, Beasley reminded listeners that writing is a personal, political, and cultural endeavor. For Beasley, the writing process is a form of power, and anyone who can write should wield it to help others. This attitude permeates throughout her pieces, and it encourages her readers and listeners to use their voices for good, a crucial step towards a more empathetic world.
At the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina on February 6, 2023, I saw Samia perform her new album Honey . Samia is a New York City-based indie pop artist who released her debut album, The Baby , in 2020 and has been gaining traction in the music world ever since. Opening for Samia was Tommy Lefroy, a duo consisting of Wynter Bethel and Tessa Mouzourakis. Despite never having heard them before this concert, I was drawn in by the way their stage presence and ability to play off of each other instantly caught the attention of the crowd. Their undeniable chemistry kept the crowd interested as they ran through some of their discography. They sang a song about male manipulators and then proceeded to cover Alex G’s “Runner.” The only reason I mention this is because the first time I ever heard the phrase “male manipulator” was in reference to Alex G’s fans. To me, Tommy Lefroy’s performance of new single “Worst Case Kid” and an electric performance of “Dog Eat Dog” were the highlights of the opening act. Both will be featured on their new EP Rivals coming out March 10th, 2023.
When Samia came onstage, she performed songs from her new album, Honey, which came out on January 27, 2023. This concert was in Asheville, but she recently added a show in Charlotte, and I would highly recommend going to see her on April 17th, 2023 at the Visulite Theatre. Musically, the album is great to begin with; her voice is absolutely beautiful, and her lyrics never fail to cut deep. She shines in telling personal stories concerning her life and relationships while also maintaining a catchy tune. “Kill her,” “Freak out,” and “Sea lions” were my personal favorites. “Breathing song” and
“Honey” were the most impactful to the audience as a whole. They tell a story of a traumatic experience from two different perspectives. “Honey” is upbeat and cheerful, displaying how Samia attempted to distract herself from her problems. In “Breathing song,” she recounts the events which brought a lot of emotion out of the crowd. She also performed hits from her 2020 record The Baby like “Triptych,” “Stellate,” and “Is there something in the movies?” I firmly recommend seeing this artist live. You are simply going to get more out of every song; the emotion she draws out of the crowd is incredibly moving. You also don’t need to know every word to enjoy the show; just hearing Samia’s voice is magical. In terms of the performance itself, Samia’s band played well and were very emotive, making
for a more interesting show. At various times, they all danced together which was just a sweet thing to see. Despite being in a venue with around 100 other people, it felt incredibly intimate, and this is an experience I would recommend to anybody, whether they know Samia’s stuff well or not.
Samia’s music can be found on all streaming platforms, and tickets for her upcoming show in Charlotte on April 19, 2023 are available now. Henry would like to thank Elias Henderson for making him aware of the show, and for his, Hollis Plexico’s, and Zoe Moseley’s company at the show.
Henry Wilcox ‘26 (he/him) is an undecided major from Greensboro, North Carolina. He can be reached for comment at hewilcox@davidson.edu.
Madeline Richard ‘26 (she/her) is an English major from Baltimore, MD. She can be reached for comment at marichard@davidson.edu.
MADELINE RICHARD ‘26 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER
Dr. Sandra Beasely. Photo by wikipedia.com
14
15
17
51 Add bubbles to
1 “___ Real” (Tennessee Williams play)
2 Like some patches
3 Be a snitch
4 Amazon product
5 “... ___ evil”
6 Buddy
7 Card game brand
8 Irate
9 Patronized the Vail Commons, say
10 Cry after an epiphany
11 Legendary 1920s-30s crime family head
12 Stuntman Knievel
13 Table tennis dividers
18 Call attention (to)
24 “A Little Bitty Tear” singer Burl
25 Tool used in tranquilizing
28
38
52 Helfer who played the Goddess of All Creation in “Lucifer”
53 Threw for a loss, as a quarterback
56 “Kama ___”
58 Commercial break
59 Alleviate
61 Gave rise to
63 What players try to break at River Run
64 “You are here” place
65 Assayer’s material
66 All of Davidson’s enrollment, in the early years
67 Homophone of Coach McKillop’s first
DAVID SOWINSKI (HE/THEY) ‘25 & ANAYA PATEL (ANY PRONOUNS) ‘25
Ronan Towell ‘24 (he/him), whose middle name is Christopher, is our newest and queerest student body president. From Hillsborough, NC, Towell is an Environmental Studies major on the natural science track, a Data Science minor, and a Swiftie.
Sitting down with Towell over a coffeestained counter, we asked the important questions. His favorite form of potato is the Gnocchi (a hard question for the son of an Irish immigrant); favorite queer person is Janelle Monáe; and least favorite queer person is George Santos (valid). Towell’s appreciation for life is manifested in his photobooks—one for each year of college—and his ability to curate “Spotify playlists like it’s no one’s business.”
After spending time abroad, Towell wanted to re-engage with Davidson. With previous SGA experience, the post of president presented a good opportunity: “if there was a Venn diagram of people who had skills to do the job, were interested in running, and could actually do the
time commitment, I felt like I was in the middle of all three.” Towell’s decision to run was affirmed by that of running mate Emma Melton ‘24 and an understanding of areas in which Davidson can grow—particularly the queer arena.
At Davidson, Towell cited spaces that are “organized independently and inter-generational” as most open and empowering. Identifying the sense of exhaustion that comes with a lack of respite from a hetero-dominant social fabric, Towell aims to take advantage of underutilized spaces on campus. The Davidson Farm, the VAC, and literary magazines are areas where Towell hopes to foster a more organic and stress-free queer network. Such development, Towell hopes, will secure Davidson queers’ place at the table so we can participate in the discussion of things like the football stadium’s controversial naming.
Amid sustained tensions with administration, Towell’s election is exciting news for the queer and trans population of Davidson! Yay us.
On Raeford’s official page on yelp. com, they call themselves “a traditional, multicultural barber shop specializing in all hair textures.”
I thought this was an odd choice of description at first. Then, I went down a bit of a research rabbit hole, discovering the historical significance of Raeford’s and the reasoning behind their emphasis on multiculturality. Raefford’s has operated as a barber shop since the early 1900s when Davidson was a segregated community. Back then, there was a shop for Black folks on the west side of the train tracks and a shop for whites on the east — Raeford’s current location. Raeford’s has always been under Black ownership and has always done an exceptional job at cleaning up the appearance of young Wildcats. Stop by
Raeffords (appointments preferred), sit down, relax, look at the historical photos, and chat it up with the friendly and highly skilled Ron Raefford. Chances are, Ron, who inherited ownership after his dad in the 90s, will remember your face even after just one cut. It is a folksy kind of place, whole families come in, and little kids make drawings for the barbers which they promptly hang up on their mirrors. Raeffords is also a great value cut at 18-dollars per full haircut, and they keep things moving fast. Even on a busy morning the traffic flows and even when things are at their slowest, it is honestly a pleasure to just hang around and appreciate the shop for all it is. Its places with character like Raeford’s which make Davidson one hell of a college town. 9/10.
yowl.com/sorryaboutmyemail The Computer Reset Issue
21 Year-Old Finally Accepts that She Is Not Blonde: An Essay on Accepting My Roots and Ending the Cycle of Highlighting
Page Flonde
SGA Election Fraud Accusations Ruled
False: “No One Actually Voted,” Reveal Investigators
Page What is SGA
February 22, 2023
Union Gym to Be Converted to Abortion
Clinic By Davidson
Planned Parenthood Association
Page More Than a Vending Machine
The Yowl teamed up with the library this month to help best serve our students with their researching efforts. We went through the browser history of all the desktops on the campus to see what students were frequently researching in order to maybe provide them some answers they couldn’t find on the internet. Here are some search histories:
• How to do the worm
• Make sure Mac volume is on silent
• Pornhub
• Can my college see what I search on my account
• Is a 60 passing
• Davidson average GPA
• A 60 kg box is placed on an inclined plane with an angle of 20 degrees from the horizontal. If the box is placed 20 meters up the slope (neglecting friction), how long will it take to reach the ground? Now add friction. If it takes the box 20 seconds, what is the coefficient of kinetic friction?
• Is Davidson honor code legal document
• What is the average age to lose virginity
• How to tell if your friends actually like you
• Sore inside mouth
• Herpes symptoms
• How to know if you have herpes
• Is there a cure for herpes
• Is herpes common
• Black mold growing in dorm
• How many shots to black out
• Can you unsend an email
• How long does alcohol citation last on record
• Jobs you can get with a liberal arts degree (no search results)
• Who is doug hicks
• Why do I have a headache
• Pregnancy symptoms
• Am I pregnant
• Is a headache really a common side effect of pregnancy
• Modle
• Moodle
• Davidson moodle
• Banner web
• Banner web davidson
• How to talk to girls
• How to ask for an extension
• Does Brickhouse accept fake IDs
• How to find a library book
• What is the dewey decimal system
• John locke
• How to tell your roommate you don’t want to room with him next year
• Is it normal to not have any friends after sophomore year of college
• Is it toward or towards
• How to cite in APA format
• Easybib
• Is it actually illegal to plagiarize
• Effect vs affect
• Chegg
• Is a chegg subscription worth it
• Is chegg cheating
• What is a cover letter
• Is instagram tracking my google searches
• Therapists in Davidson NC
• How to make your ex jealous
• How to get someone to write an article for the Yowl
• Can I still get pregnant if he pulls out
• How long does it take to read 544 pages
• Summary of the Count of Monte Cristo
• Synonyms for justifies
• Can my parents see what I’m buying on their credit card
• How to clear search history
Is Hydration Getting Out of Hand? An Investigation into the Rapidly Increasing Size of Water Bottles
Page 64 oz Hydroflask
School Feeling Suspiciously Easy: Student Learns of 6 Assignments They Didn’t Know Existed Page Due March 2nd
Another year, and another influx of first-years. However, these first-years were hit by COVID when they were wee baby 10th graders. They don’t know that Davidson was in an authoritarian prison for 2 years, and they also don’t know how to act in public. Here’s a few lessons on how to not be a first-year:
1. If you’re working on Chambers Lawn, we all know you’re a firstyear doing easy, first-year work (same thing goes for Nummit).
2. Don’t show up to an event hosted by an upperclassman, you’ll surely be sniffed out as a first-year for your positive energy and rosy outlook on life.
3. When you walk between classes, there should be no joyful loud conversations. You should have earphones in, hunched soldiers and be running slightly late.
4. In addition, if you’re in class more than 5 minutes early, you either are failing the class and need brownie points or you’re a first-year.
5. When there’s an assignment due, don’t ask a million questions about every exact detail. You’re not in Kansas anymore, and you’re no longer some unique overachiever–the campus has agreed that ignorance is bliss–the less a professor says, the better.
6. If you find yourself ever considering creating an Instagram account about gossip, drama hookup or any of that shit, you’re a first-year.
7. If you base any opinion on Yik Yak, you are a first-year and also don’t put together how easy it is to manipulate the Yik Yak narrative with like 3 phones.
8. If you make jokes about Doug Hicks, you are definitely a firstyear.
9. If you signed the Save the Coop petition, you’re absolutely a firstyear whose cliquey friend group will last all four years
10. And finally, if you are not stressed about doing 100 different things for jobs/internships/independent studies/labs/major requirements/ doctors appointments/interviews/ office hours and your course schedule next year–you are definitely a first-year.
Stay classy class of 2027, you’ll understand the weight of Davidson when you’re older. We drink out of necessity, not for fun.
Local first-year Fratrick Maloney told us that his frat, Alpha Sigma Sigma (ASS), is not like the other fraternities on campus. “Yeah I know there’s these stereotypes about frats but I swear we’re the one outlier, it’s totally chill man.” We were then informed of his new pledging schedule, which forced him to forgo his school, extracurriculars, friendships, and any time spent on any outside activities. “There isn’t any power imbalance, I think it’s just me getting to know the guys and be more comfortable with them” said the man forced to carry the books and fanny pack of supplies for the upperclassmen. When asked about how he feels about the idea that his colleagues had to have had a meeting about if they liked him
WRITERS
enough to invite him to be forced to wear a suit weekly for their “tradition,” we were told he didn’t have time to answer as he had to go to bed immediately to get enough sleep before his mandatory 5 am workout the next morning.
Sophomore Tad Brodick told us how it’s empowering to be the one in charge of (not technically legally) hazing–sorry, we mean “new member development”—now. He emphasized that he’s not obligated to do so at all, it’s just really enjoyable to do so.
“Not even in a being forced to have leverage over someone way, just in an ability to force them to do wacky 60s era Joker-esque hijinx way. It’s just super fun to be able to
You all failed your midterm
dictate someone else’s attempts to recapture the joy of my previous experiences.” Some on campus have objected to Brodick’s attempts to rebrand himself as a “Girlboss” for attempting to find empowerment in a leadership role.
Perks of joining the unconditional support and brotherhood (available as long as dues are paid on time) include: being able to eat lunches of the same quality as Commons but with less friends around you, the ability to clean up parties after a weekend while getting invit-
- Campo (At Middle School Biker Gang)
ed to exclusive parties (that are always open to the entire campus), constant GroupMe notifications from the same five people, and getting to sleep on the floor of a shitty AirBnB while other people have more fun than you at a frat formal.
Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.
