Living Davidson

Answer some questions about your ideal Big/Little Week and I’ll give a Davidson College Big!

We have once again reached the time of year where Nummit is absolutely OVERRUN by Big/Little coffee chats. You’ve seen them, you’ve struggled to find a seat because of them, you’ve unintentionally (or intentionally) eavesdropped on them and now know way more about random freshman/sophomore eating house members than you ever intended to, and I bet it has you wondering - what’s it like to have a Big? Well, my quiz-takers, I am here to tell you: If you had a Davidson College Big, who would it be?

Pick a favorite snack you want your big to get you a whole basket of...

A. Nerd Gummy Clusters (despite popular belief they actually do sell these outside of Davidson vending machines)

B. Cheez-Its/Goldfish

C. Fresh fruit (this is sort of unhinged but I support you!)

D. Chocolate!

Check Your Answers Below To See What You Got!

Mostly A’s: Doug Hicks

Congratulations - with the president of the school as your new big, you are the official Nepo Baby of Davidson college!

Mostly C’s: A Nummit barista (pick your favorite!)

This is sort of a choose-your-ownadventure option, but no matter who they are, you will definitely be showered with lots of free coffee and avocado toast - yay!

Pick a person you want your Big to contact to help them with Big/Little week!

A. Your partner.

B. Your best friend.

C. Your Davidson unicorn (don’t lie, we all have one.)

D. Your mom (What? She knows you best!)

Pick a random thing for your Big to treat you to during the week.

A. A fresh-brewed cup of your favorite coffee/tea waiting for you in your dorm every morning.

B. A super fun date night planned with your partner/best friends.

C. A fanpage of yourself.

D. An extension on that assignment you’ve been super worried about.

Mostly B’s: Steph Curry

You didn’t hear this from me, but everyone else is REALLY jealous of you now. Is it more because of Steph being your big or Ayesha being your big-in-law? We may never know.

Mostly D’s: Woodrow Wilson

Even though he transferred (and is unfortunately, no longer with us), Wilson came back to be YOUR big. Whether you love him, hate him, or need to google him to remember how you feel about him, that’s no longer my problem.

Pick a “favorites category” that you and your Big have in common.

A. Favorite movies/tv shows

B. Favorite sport/sport teams

C. Favorite songs/artists

D. Favorite books

And finally, how do you want to find out who your Big is?

A. By means of your own investigative skills.

B. Someone letting it slip.

C. Oh please - you requested them and knew who it’d be the whole time.

D. In a classic, dramatic reveal!!

Davidson Outdoors Interview With Ellie Heald And Wells Letson

I’M HERE WITH ELLIE HEALD ‘26 AND WELLS LETSON ‘26 AND WE DISCUSSED THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH DAVIDSON OUTDOORS AND HOW IT HAS ALLOWED THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH FELLOW DAVIDSON STUDENTS AND CONTINUE THEIR PASSIONS FOR BEING OUTDOORS.

HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN A DAVIDSON OUTDOORS TRIP BEFORE?

ELLIE: I DID OUTDOOR ODYSSEY OVER THE SUMMER AND LOVED THE GROUP OF PEOPLE I WAS WITH AND WAS SO GLAD I KNEW THEM GOING INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR. I ALSO DID JOSHUA TREE OVER WINTER BREAK AND IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE AND EPIC EXPERIENCES. IT DEFINITELY MADE ME WANT TO DO MORE WITH DO WHICH IS WHY I’M DOING TLT NOW!

WELLS: I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN OUTDOOR ODYSSEY WHEN I WENT BACKPACKING AND PADDLING. I LOVED BEING OUTSIDE BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY A LITTLE OVERWHELMING BEING IN THE WOODS WITH PEOPLE YOU DON’T KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN THE VULNERABLE PRE-COLLEGE TIME. I ALSO DID ROCK CLIMBING TRIP LEADER TRAINING (RTLT) THIS YEAR WHICH WAS AWESOME AND WHERE I MET TWO OF MY BEST FRIENDS.

WHAT IS TLT AND WHY DID YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TRAINING?

ELLIE: TLT STANDS FOR TRIP LEADER TRAINING AND IS A COURSE THAT STUDENTS CAN TAKE IF THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO LEAD DO TRIPS. YOU LEARN BOTH TECHNICAL SKILLS LIKE HOW TO DO A BEAR HANG OR USE A STOVE AS WELL AS PERSONAL SKILLS SUCH AS HOW TO CO-LEAD AND HOW TO GIVE FEEDBACK. I AM HOPING TO LEAD TRIPS IN THE FUTURE AFTER COMPLETING THIS COURSE!

WELLS: I DID RTLT BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN DO AND HEARD THAT TLT WAS FUN AND WANTED TO CONTINUE MY LOVE FOR ROCK CLIMBING. I LED MY FIRST TRIP RECENTLY AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! I HOPE TO HELP OUT WITH ROCK CLIMBING TRIP LEADER TRAINING IN THE FALL OF MY SOPHOMORE YEAR.

MAGGIE THRALL ‘26 (SHE/HER)

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. (Check out this week’s profile to the right!)

HOW DOES DAVIDSON OUTDOORS CONNECT YOU TO ACTIVITIES YOU DID BEFORE COLLEGE?

ELLIE: I DID A TON OF BACKPACKING BEFORE COLLEGE AND KNEW I WANTED TO CONTINUE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES WE HAVE ACCESS TO IN NORTH CAROLINA. DO HAS MOST DEFINITELY HELPED ME NOURISH MY LOVE FOR BEING OUTDOORS!

WELLS: I DID A LOT OF OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING LIKE CAMPING AND CLIMBING WITH MY JOB AT A CLIMBING PLACE WITH MY FRIENDS FROM HIGH SCHOOL. I LOVE THESE MOUNTAINS!