The Davidsonian 9/25/24

The

Davidsonian For a Better Davidson.

inside

davidsonian.news

College Democrats and Republicans comment on the future of the U.S. economy.

Volume 123, Issue 2

September 25, 2024

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Kristie Kang ‘28 reflects on Davidson’s role in college rankings.

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Jayden Smith ‘25 gives an inside scoop on his achievements.

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The Yowl gives insight into the happenings of Mark Robinson.

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West Davidson Community Faces Historically Rooted Economic Challenges MADELINE RICHARD ‘26 (SHE/HER) FORMER CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

W

est Davidson is on the other side of the tracks. Though that phrase is often used euphemistically, it accurately describes the geographic breakdown of the town of Davidson. The train tracks that parallel Main Street separate West Davidson, a historically black and lower-income community​​, from the rest of the town, which is predominantly white and wealthy.

That train line is nearly dormant, yet it physically divides the Davidson community.

Many West Davidson residents are economically isolated from the rest of the town. According to a map from City Data, part of West Davidson has a poverty rate of about 17%, while some other neighborhoods in Davidson — like the Hopewell neighborhood — have poverty rates that are about 1% or less. Some residents are concerned that they are being pushed out of an area where many of their families have lived for generations.

“Some citizens’ challenge is that they feel priced out,” lifelong Davidson resident Ruby Houston said. “As the town grows more wealthy, its businesses and shopping are not affordable for lower and middle income people.”

Data from Neilsberg, a market research company, reveals that Davidson has grown wealthy at a rapid rate in recent years. The median Davidson household income rose by 41.86% between 2010 and 2021, whereas the median household income across the United States increased by only 6.51% during that same period. Likewise, according to Redfin, a real estate company, the average price of a home in Davidson has risen by 73.5% between March 2019 and March 2024 compared to the national average increase of 47.8%.

Those changes have multiple causes.

Former college archivist Jan Blodgett pointed out that individuals moving to Davidson from

pricier areas, like California and New York City, can drive up real estate prices.

“There are an awful lot of white people who are coming from around who have lots of money and they need to spend it because of the way the laws work and taxes work,” Blodgett said. “You’ve got to spend a lot of money on a house since you sold it for a lot of money in California or New York [...] you’re going to pay more than you should for the property [in Davidson]. They [...] just keep tipping the scale in the direction of a salary homogenous, rich community.”

James B. Duke Professor of Africana Studies Hilary Green explained that Davidson may also be becoming more expensive due to its geographic location and the expansion of the Charlotte metro area. “​​Charlotte’s coming here, Lake Norman’s coming here, [so] our real estate prices are through the roof,” Green said.

Davidson has a history of exploiting the Black community. According to a timeline published in the Davidson Journal, enslaved people built many of the first buildings on Davidson’s campus and the first several college presidents owned enslaved people.

Blodgett emphasized that these patterns of exploitation persisted even after the Civil War, largely since Davidson was so rural and had minimal industry in the past.

While neighboring Cornelius was a blue collar mill town and offered more economic opportunities, working there was not an option for many Black families.

“We’ve not had enough job opportunities in the town of Davidson outside of the college,” Blodgett said. “It’s forced [...] generations [of] African American families to work for the college for lower wages because transportation was an issue [...] I-77 didn’t exist until the seventies [...] [so] it was very expensive to have to try and work somewhere other than [Davidson].”

Not only did the town and college historically exploit Black individuals, they treated them as outsiders within their own town. According to Green, who studies race and campus history, town leadership often

The train line that runs through Davidson is a physical divider of the town. Photo by Madeline Richard.

did not consider the Black community in their decision-making processes.

“When the college/town and mayor [were] deciding on decisions, [...] [black residents were] not even a thought in their mind,” Green said. However, she emphasized that this exclusion was not unique to Davidson.

“Segregation was a way of life, it was instituted by law and Davidson was not doing anything different.”

The historical racial injustice in Davidson still impacts the geography of the town today. According to Green, many Black

Davidson residents were relegated to “the worst possible environmental landscape.”

For example, parts of West Davidson are vulnerable to flooding.

“The prime housing in Davidson has been around up on the upper land where it doesn’t flood,” Green said. “West Davidson [was developed] in the worst land that has poor drainage [and] poor infrastructure [...] when you have flooded areas like that, that means diseases, everything else, sewage, and

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Davidson’s Campus Grapples with Artificial Intelligence Changes COCO AUSTIN ‘27 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER AIDAN MARKS ‘27 (HE/HIM) POLITICS EDITOR

G

enerative artificial intelligence has been a prevalent topic across college campuses over the past year.

With different sources such as OpenAI, ChatGPT, Dall-E, and others on the rise, the question of how to use outside resources in an academic setting has culminated among students and professors alike. While AI continues to adapt for those using it, college professors, likewise, are learning to adjust to its ever-growing changes.

Honor Council President Mary Gray Speakman ‘25 explains that although the Honor Code prohibits cheating, the council has yet to release guidance on AI use. “The decision [on whether or not AI can be used for class assignments is] really up to professors. There’s no formal statement on AI from an Honor Council standpoint. I think some professors want there to be,” Speakman said.

Student Government Association Sophomore Senator Abigail Przynosch ‘27 wrote a policy brief about artificial intelligence for an education policy class. To her, Honor Code guidelines on AI use might be counterproductive.

“I don’t think AI should be banned in the Honor Code because I do see the positives of using it in the classroom.

Professors and students alike question the presence of artificial intelligence on Davidson’s campus. Photo by Aidan Marks.

I also think [adding AI regulations] will lower students’ commitment to the Honor Code. Students are going to use AI [regardless] so putting it in the Honor Code would be antithetical to its purpose,” Przynosch said.

One advantage to not including AI regulations in the Honor Code is that it gives professors the ability to tailor their policy to the demands of a particular course. History Chair Dr. Patricia Tilburg believes that professors should be wary of AI platforms.

“Given the relative novelty of generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, I am proceeding cautiously in my classes and, for the moment, not allowing the use of generative AI for written assignments,” Tilburg said.

Plagiarism is not the only thing professors are concerned about. “AI tends to replace the precise skills I hope students will develop in my courses, such as developing an argument, how to read critically, and how to write critically,” Tilburg said.

Alternatively, Psychology Professor Dr. Brian Eiler and Political Science Chair Dr. Besir Ceka see AI as a necessity for preparing students for the workforce. They are part of a group of professors that have been preparing for the use of AI in their classes.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

News

Davidson’s History Influences Current Economic Disparity

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 disaster [...] if you’re standing in six inches of water, and that’s your front yard, that’s not safe.”

One of the areas of West Davidson that was most susceptible to flooding eventually became Roosevelt Wilson Park, which lies alongside Griffith Street and contains a small pond. According to Stories (Yet) to be Told — a grant initiative that operated between 2020 and 2022 and encouraged Davidson students to explore the legacy of race on campus — many of the Black individuals who lived where the park now exists were “forcibly” bought out by alumni investors who wanted to make Griffith Street more visually appealing. When that process occurred, former residents were left with limited housing options.

“When people had to leave [...] they were given no other options [or] places to go,” Green said. “There’s no affordable housing that’s built, and at that point, it was more roughly constructed housing.”

There have been some affordable housing initiatives in Davidson’s past, such as the construction of the Creekside Corner neighborhood in West Davidson. In 2001, longtime West Davidson resident Ralph Johnson donated his property to the Trustees of Davidson College on the condition that it would be used for affordable housing, according to News of Davidson. Many of the houses on this land were in irreparable condition, so the Davidson Housing Coalition (DHC), the local nonprofit that ultimately came into control over the land, rebuilt them in order to provide affordable housing options. DHC has continued to develop Creekside Corner over the past two decades, and according to its executive director Connie Wessner, now contains 23 rental units for individuals who make 80% or less of the median income. Despite these efforts, access to housing is still an issue within West Davidson.

“There is unequal access to housing in this community, and there has been for a very long time,” Wessner said. “The reasons that make it so continue to shift and evolve. But these are seeds that were planted generations and generations ago.”

Historical and contemporary factors have contributed to wealth disparities in modern Davidson, many of which are racial.

According to City Data, the median per capita income for white individuals living in Davidson is $84,889, while the median per capita income for Black Davidson residents is $40,646. That reality can create economic challenges across racial lines. “[If] the majority of residents have higher incomes, then the businesses are based on things for higher income citizens,” Houston said. “When I walk uptown and buy things, I see [that] people that are lower and middle income mainly don’t participate in purchasing uptown, because things are usually not

affordable.”

According to Houston, the increased cost of living in Davidson discourages many lowerincome individuals from moving into the town in the first place.

“You [must have] money to come to Davidson,” Houston said. “People that work with the town or even with the College have said they can’t afford to live here.”

Salaries posted on the employment website Indeed for entry-level positions at Davidson College include the average dishwasher making $13.50 per hour according to nine reported salaries and the average service associate making $15.50 per hour according to seven reported salaries. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator, the hourly rate that an individual in Davidson with no children must earn to support themselves working full-time, or 2080 hours per year, is $19.01.

Town Commissioner Tracy Mattison Brandon moved to West Davidson 15 years ago. Like Houston, she is concerned about lower-income individuals being priced out of Davidson, particularly considering the presence of investors within the community.

Several investors and developers, including Taylor Morrison and Crescent Communities, currently own land in West Davidson according to Mecklenburg County land records.

“We have ‘investors’ who literally send out postcards [and] call residents trying to badger them into selling their property,” Mattison Brandon said. These efforts have affected her family personally. “We get the phone calls, we get the mail and we get people actually driving in our neighborhood looking at property.”

According to the Town of Davidson website, the town mandates that at least 12.5% of the housing stock in new developments with two or more residential units is affordable.

Alternatively, they may pay fees to an affordable housing trust fund. That fee is currently $50,625 per unit.

Still, many feel that when investors purchase land in West Davidson, the neighborhood dynamics change both socially and economically.

“You kind of lose the feel for community because we have people in and out of those properties,” Mattison Brandon said.

Wessner elaborated on Mattison Brandon’s point, emphasizing that the presence of investors can decrease affordable housing and lead to what she calls “generational displacement.”

“An elder in the family passes on, and the family then sells the property to a developer [...] [that] can pay top dollar for that property,” Wessner said. “It then takes that piece of property, which has been an affordable home, and it takes it out of the inventory. If you’re going to offer top dollar for that piece of land, generally speaking, your goal there is not to keep that house as an

affordable home.”

In Wessner’s mind, that displacement jeopardizes the community and character of Davidson as a whole. “[Generational displacement] threatens to homogenize the neighborhood, it threatens to gentrify the neighborhood, it threatens the kind of open door accessibility that people in this town say they want,” Wessner said. “It eliminates a broader and broader and broader set of potential homeowners and renters, and it limits it to a very narrow group of people at one very limited end of the spectrum [...] that’s what then begins to transform [...] the character of this town and that’s that’s an enormous loss for all of us, no matter where you live.”

Several organizations exist to provide financial assistance in Davidson, which includes the West Davidson community.

These include the Ada Jenkins Center, affordable housing through the Davidson Housing Coalition, tax relief from the Davidson Community Foundation, and home repair support from organizations like Habitat for Humanity, She Built This City, and Rebuilding Together Charlotte. However, some lower-income individuals hesitate to seek this outside assistance.

“The trust level is improving some but has a long way to go,” Houston said. “Some people feel like they’ve never had anything and they may not be eligible to get things and we must encourage others to make the effort to [...] get the help that they deserve.”

Historically, many Black individuals were told that they did not belong in Davidson or on the college campus, creating another barrier to seeking assistance.

“There’s a lot of instances in our past [where] if you are African American, and you crossed [onto Davidson College’s campus] and you weren’t an employee, you are getting called upon by the police [or] escorted out [or] harassed by students as not belonging,” Green said.

While the college is working to reconcile its history through the Commission on Race and Slavery, the memory of discrimination still permeates race relations in the town today.

According to Green, Black employees had to go through specific entrances to their place of employment during the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras. This was true on Davidson’s campus as well, and some Black individuals still navigate through campus in that same way that they were once required to.

“Those who remember that wall [...] come in from Concord Road to the stadium, because they [used to have to come] in that way,” Green said.

“They’re not coming into Chambers from across our grass in the front, they’re coming in from the side [...] the Jim Crow era logics are still shaping how some people view your campus and where they feel they’re comfortable walking in without harassment.”

West Davidson grapples with intertwined

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historical, structural, and contemporary challenges, and according to Wessner, addressing these issues rather than ignoring them is crucial for the community.

“Systemically, there’s a lot [...] of advantage baked into the system for [white individuals] and a lot of disadvantage baked into the system for people that look like most of the residents of the West Side,” Wessner said. “If we don’t all acknowledge that and try to address that moving forward, then the problems we have here are going to be perpetuated.”

Wessner is aware of the difficulties facing West Davidson, and relies on community organizing to address these injustices.

“There’s [...] a long-standing history in this town of acknowledging those inequities and various efforts to try to address them, some successful some not, and the quality of those responses continues to develop over time,” Wessner said. “There is no question that we are fighting against the tide [of gentrification] [...] but the fact that at least we have been engaged on the issue has been what kept the door from slamming shut a long time ago.”

Like Wessner, Houston feels that collaboration is imperative for the town’s future.

“Some live day to day with missing resources in their family lives,” Houston said.

“We have to work together as a town and a community and churches to help people realize what help is available.”

Mattison Brandon also values this cooperation and tries to foster it through her role as Town Commissioner.

“We’re trying to restore that [sense of community], and one of the ways that we started to approach this is by having monthly [West Davidson] neighborhood meetings [starting in 2022],” Mattison Brandon said.

“It has caused us to grow closer in unity and to understand some of the issues in terms of what we can do about them as residents, and how we can collaborate with other organizations in the town to address some of these issues in the neighborhood.”

Houston reiterated her faith in the West Davidson community and believes that they can work together to overcome the difficulties they experience.

“We always rise above our circumstances.

We figure out how to make it work for our families,” Houston said. “In spite of our challenges, there’s a lot of very, very smart people in this community. However, we have to figure out more ways to provide the resources to help others. We band together [...] it’s like lessons from the geese — when one goose falls by the wayside, we must line up and get behind them and pick them up in this community.”

This article has been republished from our May 1, 2024 issue. Madeline Richard ‘26 is currently studying abroad in Vienna, Austria.

Discussions Around AI Continue on Davidson’s Campus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Most of us [professors] are spending a lot of time over the summer [learning about AI]. We have attended workshops and are part of an initiative of generative AI exploration where we are given access to professional tools to try to see what the possibilities and limits of this technology are,” Ceka said.

In some situations, using AI to check work can be more convenient for students and professors. For example, students who use programming languages must often debug their programs, which can be difficult when students struggle to identify errors in their code.

“The frustrating thing [with coding] is that you don’t know exactly what you’re doing wrong. AI can really help with debugging [code]. You still need to know some coding, but as a student, you can debug without coming into my office hours,” Eiler emphasized.

Eiler also incorporates ChatGPT into his courses. “One of

the assignments was to make a study guide, so all the students made a study guide and I plugged it into ChatGPT and it created a set of Jeopardy-like questions that we could play in class to review,” Eiler said.

Ceka also uses ChatGPT in his own time, evaluating himself as a professor. “I knew that I already assigned too much work before. ChatGPT summarized it for me that I had assigned way too much work, which involved weekly quizzes in addition to homework assignments.”

One challenge is ensuring students use AI in a way that enhances students’ work, rather than relying on it completely.

“People in the professional world use it every day already.

I know many folks who are using it. This is sort of the world in which we will all inhabit. We are not going to be immune from it in academia,” Ceka said.

Przynosch echoes Ceka’s sentiment. “Davidson College is supposed to be preparing us for the modern day workforce.

And if the modern day workforce is going to be using AI, and

if we’re not trained to use it proficiently, morally, or ethically, then that’s not making us a good Davidson student or alum.”

What that looks like might vary by subject, even down to the specific class. To Przynosch, the best way to appropriately regulate AI and avoid confusion is to mandate syllabi statements.

“Add syllabi statements and require professors to have them to clarify how AI should be used in class. I’ve seen a lot of professors have them in the syllabi. But requiring all professors to do this would streamline the process and clarify stuff for students [about] how they should use AI in the classroom,” Pyzynosch said.

“It is incumbent upon us to think through [and] reflect with our students together on how we can [use AI],” Ceka said.

Ultimately, Ceka’s goal is to “use this generative intelligence to help you do your work better, more efficiently.”

Politics

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Young America’s Foundation Comes to Campus

AIDAN MARKS ‘27 (HE/HIM) POLITICS EDITOR

On August 1st, 2024, Davidson students noticed a new student political organization on their Instagram feeds. Young America’s Foundation (YAF) had made its way to campus.

The @davidsoncollegeyaf profile picture depicts Lady Liberty’s flame surrounded by the organization’s name, while the bio displays their mission: “Dedicated to spreading the truth and promoting conservative ideas.”

According to their website, YAF’s mission is to support young conservatives through conferences, speakers, educational materials, and a national network. They also claim to help students promote their values and take action on campus.

YAF president President Cynthia Huang ‘27 first learned about the organization during a summer internship. The organization’s commitment to conservative values and focus on college students resonated with her.

“I remember going to [a conference in Washington, D.C.] talking about [how politics] really does start off with younger generations, especially on college campuses,” Huang said.

According to Director of the Alvarez College Union and Student Activities Emily Eisenstadt, YAF has been approved as an official organization. The group had a chapter at Davidson in 2016 but was required to re-register due to prolonged inactivity.

“By being a registered student organization, you can reserve space in EMS [Event Management System], you have a WildcatSync portal, and you can hold events on campus. By being a registered student organization, we expect that all guidelines outlined in the Student Organization Handbook and the Code of Responsibility be followed,” Eisenstadt stated in an email response.

Huang’s interest in establishing a YAF chapter at Davidson stems from her perception, shared by many conservative students on campus, that Davidson has a liberal bias.

One complaint some conservative students have, including Huang, is that the Center for Political Engagement (CPE), which oversees College Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians, is not as impartial as it claims to be. CPE President Sophia Ludt ‘25 concedes that they might be right.

“I think that that could be a very fair statement, considering most students on this campus do identify as more liberal [...] That’s pretty standard for colleges and universities in the U.S.,” Ludt said.

Perhaps more pervasive than a liberal bias is a tendency towards apathy. “As students go through Davidson, they get increasingly busy, and they kind of let political things go to the back burner,” Ludt emphasized. “This campus is pretty apathetic to politics a lot of the time.”

Nevertheless, politically active students can still make their

voices heard. “There are small pockets of people, especially people that are involved in student groups on campus, who are very, very politically involved,” Ludt said.

Ludt asserts that YAF is part of a broader pendulum of political engagement on campus.

“I think that it makes sense that there are groups like [YAF] sprouting up, especially considering we’ve had a significant student push for Palestinian rights and we have groups like [Planned Parenthood Generation Action] on campus,” Ludt said. “I think they are a very small sect of students that are just looking to gain more support.”

YAF’s emergence on campus causes students to consider political discourse at Davidson. Photo from yaf.org.

This idea resonated with Huang, who believes YAF focuses on important issues: free expression, free market values, prolife values, and the pro-Israel movement.

“I’m not here to tell you ‘you’re wrong’ and ‘I’m right.’ I think [YAF is] just bringing a very real perspective that’s outside of this bubble, and hoping that people will just approach things with a more open mind,” Huang said.

One of Huang’s main concerns about Davidson’s political culture on campus is that professors often reveal their personal political views in class. She cited one example of a professor making a disparaging comment about former President Donald Trump.

“Even though they’re very small comments, [professors] make their political stance so obvious. And I think that makes it [uncomfortable] for students who are scared to give their actual opinion,” Huang said.

Ludt disagrees. “Personally, I do think that professors should be giving some insight into where their bias is. I think that at the high school level, students are more susceptible to stuff like that, but at a college level, I think we can all make our own decisions,” Ludt said.

Co-Presidents of Queers and Allies (Q&A) Lucy Skuker ‘25 and Uday ‘26—who has requested to be quoted using only their first name—also push back on Huang’s claim. To them,

Davidson Democrats The Biden-Harris Administration has helped navigate the American people out of one of the worst economic crises in decades. It’s no wonder that the United States, according to OECD Main Economic Indicators, has seen the fastest economic growth and recovery in the Group of Seven, an informal bloc of industrialized democracies, since the pandemic. News that benefits you even more is the August report of a 2.5% inflation rate—half a percentage point away from the 2% target. Subsequently, the Federal Reserve System (Fed) dropped the interest rate by half a percentage point. Although this may seem small, it is highly significant as the Fed has not cut interest rates since March 2020. So… what does that mean? According to Reuters, a news agency, everyday Americans—and you, Davidson College students—will see cheaper borrowing costs (interest on bank overdrafts and borrowings) on important loans, such as student loans, credit cards, and auto loans, while paychecks continue to increase. While inflation over the past four years has indeed hurt American wallets, the GOP is quick to blame it on the current administration. This is a cheap talking point not backed up by any sort of data. Inflation is a worldwide phenomenon, and the entire world is still recovering from the pandemic; it is not as if we are the only country recovering from unprecedented levels of inflation! More importantly, corporations have used inflation to squeeze more out of American workers through price gouging, which is when prices are raised beyond what is required to

make a substantial profit and beyond what is reasonable. Nonetheless, as the economy continues to improve, it’s important to look to the future. What do economists project about the economic policies of a Trump Administration versus a Harris Administration? The nonpartisan Peterson Institution for International Economics predicts that Trump’s proposed 10% tariff would cost the average household an extra $1,700 a year. Additionally, investment bank Goldman Sachs predicts that under a Trump Administration, economic growth will be lower, inflation will be higher, and the budget deficit will be larger. Conversely, under a Harris Administration, economic growth will be higher, inflation will be lower, and the budget deficit will be smaller. Have we forgotten that the Trump Administration approved $4.1 trillion dollars more than the Biden Administration did in ten-year borrowing? Based on the projections of economists and banks, and the state of the improving economy, Kamala Harris is the much better option for economic growth and stability.

- Quinn Dunlap On behalf of the Davidson College Democrats

there is a difference between being censored and simply being in the minority.

“People tend to hesitate around speaking if they know that the majority of people around them don’t agree. So I think that if there’s any silencing, it’s happening internally,” Shuker said.

Just as Huang objects to professors sharing their political views in class, Shuker objects to ideologically aligned groups (such as YAF) trying to influence students.

“I don’t think that [ideologically aligned groups] should have a lot of influence over the culture here. I don’t think they should have any type of role that changes how people not involved feel, and if they feel able to voice their opinions, if they feel able to present a certain way,” Shuker emphasized. “I don’t think that the presence of those clubs should be intimidating.”

Some students are concerned whether or not YAF’s presence, especially on Instagram, aligns with college guidelines.

Before the semester began, the @davidsoncollegeyaf Instagram account repeatedly shared transphobic misinformation about Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif. The posts falsely claimed that Khelif, who was assigned female at birth, is a biological male.

“To criticize transgender people using an example of a person who’s not even transgender [...] I personally try not to speak on topics I don’t understand [...] and I feel curious that you wouldn’t believe in yourself as a student enough to really read up more about these things before you talk about them,” Uday said.

To Ludt, posting false information like this is outright threatening. “I think it’s really dangerous to push these really harmful beliefs, especially when we have a very strong gay and trans community on campus. I think it just leads to hate on campus,” she said.

Later, Davidson YAF reposted a video from the national organization’s account that suggests “radical leftist billionaires […] like George Soros” fund medical research universities that develop standards of care to profit off gender-affirming surgeries and the opioid crisis.

Despite YAF’s continual attempts to bring a more conservative presence to campus, students like Ludt are worried about the spread of hate and misinformation.

“I am concerned about [YAF’s] presence because I’ve seen their social media posts, and I don’t find them to be backed by evidence. [YAF’s posts] are often disproven after the fact, which I think can be really dangerous,” Ludt said. “Misinformation is not something that we want to be present on this campus.”

Still, many students feel strongly about whether this type of discourse has a place at Davidson.

“I think that there are multiple layers to this. It isn’t just ‘this is good’ or ‘this is bad,’ but to examine how this is unkind, to examine how this is irresponsible, to examine how this is, quite frankly, just not up to the academic standards that we set for ourselves at a college,” Uday said.

Davidson Republicans Pew Research Center surveys found that inflation is voters’ top problem heading into the election. We need a president who will lower costs, protect jobs and industry, and create growth for all Americans. Kamala Harris is not that president. Her economic advisors, who will play a central role in shaping policies due to her lack of expertise, are all lawyers lacking needed insights in the field. We doubt they will be capable of steering her away from “Bidenomics” policies, which she is “very proud of,” and that have been found in research from the Peterson Institute and Harvard University to have increased inflation, putting Americans in the position they are in right now. Proposed additions to this economic policy, like price controls, have been overwhelmingly found to create dangerous and “substantial economic distortions,” according to a poll of leading economists taken by the University of Chicago. The Tax Foundation estimates Harris’s plans to increase tax rates and handouts would slow economic growth, kill hundreds of thousands of jobs, and fail to solve the affordability challenges we all face.

All signs point to Harris failing to address, if not worsening, our current problems.

A second Trump presidency is the solution we need. The 2017 tax plan enacted by President Trump, which Harris criticized and promised we would not be “going back” to under her leadership, was found in studies published by the National Bureau of Economic Research to have increased domestic investment in American businesses

and workers by 20%. Looking to trade, Harris has both attacked tariffs as an unfair “sales tax” on American households and supported the Biden-Harris policy of extending President Trump’s past tariff policies. While the Biden Administration has acknowledged the necessity of tariffs for holding trade partners who take advantage of us accountable, Harris refuses to commit to a clear stance on tariffs and trade should she win. In contrast to this ambiguity, Trump has been an unapologetic supporter of the bipartisan need to impose strong tariffs to protect American jobs and industries (especially manufacturing) from anticompetitive rivals like China and Mexico, who show no signs of changing their hostile and uncooperative economic stances toward American workers and businesses.

Without a strong manufacturing capacity, we are running out of essential defense equipment for protecting ourselves and our allies. The Center for Strategic and International Studies found we lack the industrial capacity needed to support a major war as current and developing conflicts play out in the Middle East, Ukraine, and China. It is imperative we vote to reverse this decline while keeping Americans safe and successful.

- Stephen Walker & Gabriel Russ-Nachamie On behalf of the Davidson College Republicans

What you see above is a recurring head-to-head column between the Davidson College Democrats and the Davidson College Republicans. This week’s focus is on the economy. On behalf of The Davidsonian Staff, we would like to acknowledge that the information presented is accurate and reflects the values of each organization. Many of these claims are based on information found in alternate publications. If you are curious to learn more, please contact Claire Kelly (clkelly@davidson.edu) or Ben Peake (bepeake@davidson.edu).

Perspectives

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The Benefits of AT as a Participant and Leader

I

JULIA RICHARDS ‘27 (SHE/HER)

f you have taken the first few courses of any language program at Davidson, you will have spent time with an Apprentice Teacher (AT) in routine AT sessions. While an extra hour or two of structured language learning per week outside of class is a big commitment with our Davidson workloads and extracurriculars, it is also an incredible opportunity to speak, listen, and learn in your target language. I began learning this alternative teaching practice last fall in Spanish 260. I had an amazing AT who guided us through grammar and vocabulary using many different teaching methods. For instance, we had debates, played charades, and spoke about our own experiences and plans. Conversation and communication in the target language is the backbone of AT sessions, providing students more opportunities to practice real-world applications of the language they are learning.

As an Apprentice Teacher this semester, I’m grateful for the time I spent in AT last year.

Not only did this experience provide benefits for my own language learning, but I can also now better plan my lessons. I meet with the same six students in the Spanish 102 class twice a week for 50 minutes. We review what they recently learned in class, talk about new grammar and vocabulary, and practice fluency, listening, and speaking skills. Our activities vary, but I always try to include games and activities of interest to my students. Examples include Pictionary to practice vocabulary words, sentence-writing races using certain grammatical structures, and creating stories as a class.

AT is unique since it is a smaller group of students than normal class meetings, so students have more opportunities to talk. Students

may also feel less pressure than in class since the AT is always a Davidson student instead of a teacher, and they are only graded by attendance. These efforts create a class culture where language learning thrives.

Communication is at the forefront of language learning, as knowing a language is only important if you can use it in real-world situations. Because of this, we always practice ways to implement the content of the lesson.

For example, when practicing infinitives (unconjugated verbs), we create sentences about what we plan to do after AT. One student may say “Quiero ir a mi dormitorio” (“I want to go to my dorm room”) and I may say “Quiero pasar tiempo con mis amigas” (“I want to spend time with my friends”). Then we say “Adiós” (“Goodbye”) and “Hasta luego” (“See you later”) before leaving to do the things we previously explained we would do.

The repetition of these practices can help contextualize textbook material and incentivize students to practice their Spanish, since being able to communicate in Spanish is the ultimate motivator.

Along with AT, I also enjoy volunteering with the Spanish program at Davidson K-8 Elementary School (SK8S). The students do not learn a language other than English at school, so through short weekly lessons we hope to encourage students to approach language learning with enthusiasm when presented with the opportunity later on. The students’ enthusiasm for the lessons is apparent, and their pride is contagious when they learn a new phrase or gain the ability to express themselves. They love telling us the words they know in Spanish and the connections they have to the language.

Preparing for AT and SK8S is similar: creating and putting together slideshows, activities, and games. However, the preparations are also unique in the sense that different topics are necessary to engage students of varying

levels. In both sessions, I try to talk primarily in Spanish to contextualize what I am saying. This context is crucial for the students’ comprehension of material. Visual aids are a great way to help students make connections, especially at SK8S. The students love seeing their favorite sport or animal on the screen and making the connection that “baloncesto” is basketball and “un tiburón” is a shark. These SK8S sessions give them the knowledge and the opportunity to tell others about their interests, make connections, and hopefully inspire their continued language learning in the future.

AT can be hard, both as a student and as a leader. The extra time commitment can be a lot for students, so I try to place an emphasis on the value of the opportunity to speak as much as possible in a small group. Also, I can customize the lessons to create individualized practice for topics my group shows interest in or identifies that they struggle with. These extra steps are taken so the lessons seem as worthwhile as possible. My biggest struggle as an AT has been gauging the language level of my students. For example, on the first day of AT this semester, my group blew through the materials I had prepared, as their language level was much higher than I anticipated. I was impressed, and made sure to plan extra activities and increase speaking time in the next session.

I hope to be a teacher in the future, and being an AT and working with SK8S have helped shape my Davidson experience. They have given me the opportunity to learn about the teaching process: creating lessons, gathering materials and information, and presenting it to a class. Most importantly, I have the opportunity to interact meaningfully with peers and elementary-age students, the age I hope to one day teach professionally.

Julia is an Educational Studies and Hispanic Studies double major from Charleston, South Carolina.

The Inherently Problematic Nature of Rankings

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KRISTIE KANG ‘28 (SHE/HER)

wo weeks ago, on September 5th, The Wall Street Journal published their “2025 Best Colleges in the U.S.” rankings. My Instagram was full of Davidson students posting this article on their stories: Davidson College ranked number ten on the list. The news was a celebratory moment, keeping me engaged in conversations about the rankings even during lunch at Commons.

From the start, a series of odd emotions traveled through me; one that resonated with me was skepticism. Well, I’ve always felt skeptical about college rankings. Coming from a competitive international school in Shanghai, rankings were the epitome of many students’ academic aspirations. The quantification of academia was extreme, and the obsession with sites such as U.S. News & World Report was unhealthy. As a freshman, I thought leaving high school and my competitive Asian environment meant leaving this topic behind. Yet the recent fixation on Davidson’s victory in the Wall Street Journal rankings resurfaced this conversation in my life.

The ironic thing about the fixation on college rankings is that most people who keep up with the game do not know what the rankings even consist of. Many only know that a certain college is labeled with a certain number, and that number decides how “good” it is.

But what is “good”?

The Wall Street Journal bases its rankings on student outcomes (70% of the score), learning environment (20%), and diversity (10%). U.S. News & World Report uses a variety of factors, ranging from graduation rate to student debt to publications published. Some other ranking sites focus on more specific aspects: QS (Quacquarelli Symonds company) rankings are based on published research papers and Princeton Review offers several branches of specific rankings such as top campus food (don’t bother searching… Davidson’s not on there).

My point is, you can’t quantify education. Rankings aren’t entirely the problem, though. The broader problem is people’s

fixation on these rankings. Rankings can be useful tools when judging colleges, but they are often misleading. It’s too easy for us to put a label on what’s “bad” and what’s “good” based on numbers.

Despite that fact, picking a college based on rankings isn’t a completely absurd or unreasonable move. After all, people who do not have the resources or the understanding of the American educational system, especially students from abroad, wouldn’t know that the complexities of academia can’t be represented by a single number.

But to many others, picking colleges based on rankings stems from a certain vanity and prestige that is unhealthy for a student’s future. Instead of picking a college that is a student’s best fit, I know too many classmates who picked certain colleges to satisfy their ego. My biggest argument against this system is that when you graduate college, nobody cares about where your school was ranked or how famous your university is among academia.

The more I think about it, the more I see rankings as a systematic issue. To begin with, the idea of using rankings to measure universities stems from the prestige in research academia.

According to research analytics firm Elsevier, published papers from more-esteemed universities are more likely to be read and believed. Hence, many graduate students reasonably focus on their university rank for research opportunities. This conceit could be illustrated in the 2023 boycott of U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings: in short, the entire list was published late because several Ivy League schools were arguing over the accuracy of data that skewed their rankings. While it’s important to strive for truth, this battle was a moment that presented academia as what it is: rank and stature. It’s unsettling that institutions that claim to promote diversity and inclusion are those that also promote and invest in these class ranks.

Again, I want to emphasize that most rankings aren’t inherently bad. Many are misleading, but many are also tools to help students decide what fits their needs the most. What I hope people stay away from is the sense of vanity that these rankings bring. In fact, I have a confession to make, and a hyp-

ocritical one at that: my choice of coming to Davidson College factored in rankings and prestige. I do not regret coming to Davidson, but I do regret my past attitude in picking a college and the unique aspects of other colleges that my attitude may have led me to overlook.

I do want to express my happiness for Davidson College in their recent Wall Street Journal ranking. I agree with many aspects of the rankings: Davidson has spent a lot of time and effort building an amazing alumni network, lovely professors, great academic resources, and diversity on such a small campus. But as students of a liberal arts college, let’s train ourselves to look past the numbers and focus on the story behind them, as well as the humanity behind prestige.

Kristie is an undecided major from Taipei, Taiwan.

Sports

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Davidson Soccer Looks to Keep Momentum into Atlantic 10 Play

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ANNA MORROW ‘28 (SHE/HER) SPORTS WRITER

ith both teams about halfway through the season, the Davidson men’s and women’s soccer teams have a collective record of 6-6-6. Atlantic 10 conference play has just begun, with the women’s team losing a hard fought game to VCU on Thursday, September 19th, and the men’s team grabbing a 2-0 win on the road at Saint Joseph’s on Saturday, September 21st. Although the start to Davidson’s season has been moderately successful, it hasn’t been without challenges. The men’s team has struggled to finish games, having ended four in ties so far. As ties are fairly unique to soccer, Assistant Men’s Head Coach Jesse DeLuzio discussed the lessons learned in the outcome of a draw. “I think the fine margins that you learn through tying is just how much can tip in one or two moments of composure, grit, or confidence, and I think it just shows how much parity there is and how much the small moments really do dictate results at the end of the day,” he stated. Women’s Head Coach Riley Piechneck also discussed the difficulty of the A-10 conference and Division I soccer as a whole. “The A-10 conference is highly competitive, and I think will be our biggest challenge yet, but we are up for it,” Piechneck stated. Coach DiLuzio is glad to experience these challenges early on. “Playing a tough schedule is learning a lot of important lessons early on rather than when it’s too late,” he added.

Men’s soccer senior defender and captain, Eamon Moylan ‘25, has imparted his wisdom on the team. “Staying the course when times get tough is an important thing to take advantage of,” Moylan said. In response to the many draws the team has ended in, Moylan relayed the importance of staying motivated. “I know people that have gone through this process and, you know, quit or kind of thrown in the towel, and then after they’re done playing, after the four years are up, they’re like, man, I wish I [...] went all in,” Moylan emphasized. Moylan and the two other captains, Vincent Bennage

Women’s team celebrates victory over Longwood. Photo by Davidson Athletics.

‘25 and Alonzo Clarke ‘26, have seen their teammates take in this message, especially after their first victory over Mercer on September 17th. Moylan also expressed the challenge of relaying a message to the whole team. “Trying to reemphasize messages in specific ways so that we get the biggest or the deepest range of understanding among the entire group.

So it’s sort of figuring out which [...]avenues of communication work best for different guys has probably been the biggest challenge.”

Along with strong leadership and play among the Davidson seniors, Coach DiLuzio discussed how first-year students play an important role on the team. “Because of some injuries early on, we’ve had to lean on some first-years, maybe more than we anticipated, but they’ve responded well.” The men’s team is looking ahead to the second half of their season, which includes the A-10 tournament in mid-November

and the possibility of an NCAA tournament run. Both Coach DiLuzio and Moylan aim to win the conference. “[Davidson Men’s Soccer is] trying to reestablish that winning tradition,” Moylan declared.

On the women’s side of the ball, Coach Piechnick highlighted the team’s drive. “For this season, we decided to break each week down and focus on short-term results. We emphasize winning the week, which means chipping away one game at a time and focusing on what the week brings,” Piechnick said. Piechnick also reiterated how the players apply this philosophy to both sides of competition. “We take a challenge from a game, address it head on and make adjustments, and the team has done a great job overcoming them for the next game.” Piechnick is looking forward to the backend of the season. “We continue to develop each day and get better with more and more game experience.”

Piechnick pointed out three players that have been key to achieving this goal: senior forward and captain Maddie Moody ‘25, junior forward Dakota Lyons ‘26, and senior goalkeeper and captain Emily Smith ‘25. Unfortunately, injury has plagued some players, including senior Aleia Gisolfi-McCready ‘25. “[Gisolfi-McCready’s] goal coming into this season was to be DCWS top goal scorer.” Two weeks ago she suffered a broken finger that resulted in a surgery and difficult recovery. “I want to continue to believe I will have a season after I get the pins out of my finger, so my goal is to continue to stay positive and be the biggest supporter on the sidelines that I can be,” said Gisolfi-McCready. These stand-out players are role models for their work ethic as well.

“We have shown the team what working hard looks like and changed the culture and expectation of what it means to be on DCWS,” Gisolfi-McCready stated.

Both teams are greatly looking forward to the second half of the season. Coach DiLuzio described conference play as “where all the magic happens.” “We have the opportunity to start conference play off on the right foot, and if you do that, you can build a lot of momentum in the back end of the year,” DiLuzio asserted.

Senior Spotlight: Interview with Jayden Smith ’25

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NATHAN STEWART ‘25 (HE/HIM) SPORTS CO-EDITOR

: I’m Nathan Stewart, here with NCAA second team All-American, Olympic Trials semifinalist, and the best athlete at Davidson College. Any other pieces of information I’m missing or that you’d like to add?

A: I be drawing sometimes, you know, art, in my spare time.

I’m an environmental studies major. Many people don’t know that I do environment stuff.

Q: What’s going on in your world outside of track right now?

A: Right now, I’m trying to finish up a literature review for my capstone. Capstones are kind of hard when you spend a good portion of your summer doing running. So trying to figure that out right now. And I also had an acting class this semester, which has been going pretty good, so I gotta pick a monologue for Thursday.

Q: What are your weaknesses as an athlete?

A: My weaknesses as an athlete? I compare myself to other people so much. It’s kind of bad, when it comes time for a meet, I’m quick to look at multiple times and I compare myself. And I think my time here has helped me stop doing that, because I just go out there.

Q: What fictional character do you most see yourself in?

A: Miles Morales, easily. Easily, easily I am. […] In my mind, Spider-Man is me, and I am Spider-Man. That’s a no-brainer.

Q: Thoughts on the new locker room?

Jayden Smith seen smiling, per usual. Photo by Davidson Wildcats.

A: Super tough, like, super duper tough. I remember when they broke everything down, as soon as the year ended last year, and so to see it so newly refurbished, it’s super duper cool. I kind of feel bad for alumni, because [they] saw the video and were like, ‘there’s no way we missed out.’ But it’s really nice.

Q: Do you have any irrational fears?

A: Irrational fears? I don’t like spiders, I don’t like roaches, I don’t like most bugs. There have been a couple of times where I’ve been asked by people to kill a bug for them, and I gotta really muster up the courage to do it, because they’ve

Women’s Volleyball Standings Team

Standings Update

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

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STK PCT

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W3 W3 W1 W2 W1 W1 L1 L2 L3 W1

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given me a task, and I gotta follow through, but I really don’t like bugs.

Q: What is something that probably shouldn’t make you laugh but does?

A: I was talking to somebody about this the other day. My favorite genre of video is old people going to the chiropractor.

Because it’s very clearly helping them, but the noises they make are so insane. It’s probably not good to say, but yeah.

Q: Through what means do you best express yourself?

A: I like to express myself through humor. [...] I enjoy being around people that make me laugh heartily. That’s peak happiness to me, if I can laugh fully around you. That’s the sign of a good conversation.

Q: On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate your skills as an ice hockey player?

A: One, easily. I have no hand-eye coordination, and I think the last time I went ice skating I was with my friend—we were trying to see who failed the most.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?

A: Well, as a senior in the environmental studies major, probably some type of environmental scientist, maybe environmental engineer. If you would ask sixth grade me, I probably would say an animator or cartoonist. That was a long-time dream of mine, and lowkey still is.

Q: What are you hoping to accomplish this year on the track?

A: I want to win NCAA’s. I think the past few years I have been getting closer and closer to my goal. I want to bring back that first place trophy for Davidson College.

Arts and Entertainment 6 Fashion Club Finds its Fit on Campus

ROSE CECCHI ‘27 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

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f you take a look into a Davidson classroom, you’ll notice the diverse array of fashion among the student population.

You’ll see jorts that go past the knee, long floral skirts, and baby tees galore. Style is a crucial form of self-expression for most, especially on college campuses.

Fashion Club was founded in 2021 by Ted Pasquette ‘24 to create a space where “self confidence is our best outfit.” According to Club President Jaliel King ‘26, the club aims to “provide enriching, creative opportunities for students while fostering a vibrant community that celebrates diversity, sustainability, and self-expression through fashion.” The group celebrates this underappreciated art form by creating a space on campus for students to feel free to be fashion forward. Fashion Club is a growing organization focused on being “an inclusive, creative space to express their individual styles while learning about fashion sustainability, design, and cultural wear,” according to King.

Club members’ reasons for joining the Fashion Club vary greatly. Kiera Sanders ‘28 is a new member of the club and

for self-expression. “It’s a fun space to express myself and hang out with other creative individuals.” Inacio De Souza ‘27, another new member of the club, wanted to have an outlet to express himself on campus. “[I] decided to sign up because I care about the way I dress and fashion in general,” he commented.

meet others passionate about fashion. “Everyone in the Fashion Club is super welcoming,” said Duarte. “The photo shoot event felt like we were models for our own brands.” Kitcher felt that the photoshoot was a great success. As the social chair for the club, she hopes to plan more photoshoot events like this in the future to give Davidson students the opportunity to express themselves freely.

In addition to being a fun outlet on campus, the fashion club also promotes different opportunities around Davidson, such as the Charlotte Vintage Market pop-up in Optimist Hall on September 21st. “It was fun,” said De Souza. “We got to shop and meet other like-minded people, people from Davidson too.”

Fashion Club members in photoshoot. Photo from Fashion Club Instagram.

Fashion Club at First Fashion Friday. Photo from Fashion Club Instagram. shared excitement for finding a community on campus that shares her love for clothing: “I love fashion and wanted to find a group of people that were just as excited about clothes.” Club Social Chair Tehinnah Kitcher ‘27 also appreciates the space that Fashion Club offers its members and the opportunities

The club encourages its members to express their true selves without fear through their clothing. “I think it’s important forstudents to have a space to express themselves authentically,” said club member Courtney Lassiter ‘27. “Personally, one of the ways I do that is through the clothes that I wear.” Fashion Club also serves as a point of inspiration for their members, as Jeremiah Duarte ‘27 said, “I joined fashion club to really improve on my own style and to make connections with my peers”.

On September 13th, Fashion Club held their first “Fashion Friday” in the Dana-Watson Courtyard. Fashion Fridays happen twice a month around campus. The event varies in activity, but focuses on building community around style. For the first Fashion Friday, members had the opportunity to participate in a photoshoot showcasing their unique personal style. “It was casual but still high quality,” Sanders said. “You didn’t feel forced to take individual photos if you didn’t want to but everyone made me feel comfortable taking the group photos.” This event also acted as a meet and greet, giving students an opportunity to

Fashion Club members in photoshoot. Photo from Fashion Club Instagram.

Looking forward, the club is excited to expand in the future with unique events and fashion opportunities, including a fashion show, design workshops, trips to the Charlotte Vintage Market and annual ThiftCon Charlotte, clothing sustainability talks, and clothing drives. The popularity of this new club goes to show the importance of creative spaces within an academic environment. Clubs like Fashion Club allow students to escape the everyday stresses of campus life and embrace their love for artistic expression.

Rose Cecchi is a biology major from McLean, VI and can be reached for comment at rocecchi@davidson.edu.

A Cappella Groups Prepare for Another Harmonious Year HENRY RENDLE ‘27 (HE/HIM) STAFF WRITER

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cappella occupies a special place in Davidson campus life. With four groups on campus, Davidson’s small but mighty a cappella scene never fails to bring students together to enjoy what Davidson’s finest voices have to offer.

Nuance member Will Lowance 27’ describes a capella as “a group of people coming together to create a complex piece of music without the usage of any external instrumental inputs.” A cappella transforms songs of everyday genres into music that solely accentuates the vocal cords through the beat, background, and chorus.

The Nuances, Delilahs, Generals, and Androgyny fill life at Davidson with music.

The Nuances are one of two co-ed a cappella groups on campus. The president of the Nuances, Emma Bazemore ‘25, discussed the Nuances schedule for this upcoming semester, and their excitement towards performing. “Some of our usual fall performances are Warner’s HART charity fundraiser, Wildcat Weekend, and the Reading Day Eve Holiday Concert,” she said. The Nuances are excited to get back on the stage just as audiences are early anticipating their return.

Lowance ‘27 sees being part of an a capella group as a rewarding experience. “[It’s] fun and satisfying to see the things we’ve been working on all year come to fruition.”

Live performances are not all that’s in store for the Nuances; for the past two years, they

have been recording their own album. The group finished recording the project in the spring of 2024 and recently announced its release to the student body. This is a crucial step for them, not only because it provides extra publicity for the organization, but also because it honors their senior members. Bazemore stated that they “plan on continuing to record every year so that in the future, every senior solo will be on an album.” Recording this album both serves as a means to grow popularity for the Nuances, and also to highlight solo skills of the seniors who have dedicated years of time and effort into the group.

The Delilahs take the stage. Photo from Delilah’s Instagram.

The Delilahs, Generals, and Androgyny are also planning on showing off their vocal

skills this semester. Georgia Fairbanks ‘27 of the Delilahs detailed the impressive practice schedule sustained by the group. They practice multiple days a week, for two hours

The Nuances pose for their annual photoshoot. Photo from Nuances Instagram. or more each time. As a new member, Fairbanks reflected on the practices. “Two hours can be a long time to sing […] but everyone genuinely enjoys it, and the bond we create as a group is special,” she said. This sentiment is shared across the other a cappella organizations. Bazemore spoke on how these relationships have positively affected her time and sense of community at Davidson, sharing that “we have the chance to [...] create some truly incredible relationships with each other […] We’re really lucky to have such a supportive [...] community.”

With several different performances coming up throughout the year, students will have the opportunity to enjoy all four groups perform their greatest hits and get the true Davidson a cappella experience. While these

performers are in different groups, they still come together often to share their passion for music. Fairbanks praised how the Delilahs and Generals will often join together for social events and bonding activities. Bazemore also works with the social chairs of the four groups to plan mixers and kickball to strengthen the bonds between them.

A cappella is a unique way for students to expand their community outreach, and connect with others through their passion for music and the arts. All four groups have a wide array of unique events in store this semester for the Davidson community to enjoy, which they encourage Davidson students to attend.

Henry Rendle ‘27 is an undecided major from Philadelphia, PA and can be reached for comment at herendle@davidson.edu.

Living Davidson

Crossword Freedom Principle

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Crosswords by Victor Fleming ‘73

Across 1 Toupees, e.g.

5 Business fraud 9 Davidson ___ Shop 13 Grandson of 37-Down 15 “A ___ of Two Cities” 16 “Once ___ a time ... “ 17 With 57-Across, noteworthy principle 20 Something conveyed as a gift 21 “Dutch” tree 22 NYSE wheeler-dealers 23 Middle of Q.E.D. 25 Evil spirit 29 Alejandro or Fernando 30 Apartment no-no, often 31 Ctrl-___-Del 33 Tulsa sch.

34 “Close, ___ no cigar” 35 Feats of dexterity 37 Source of the principle 39 “Alas” alternative 41 ___ Moines 42 “Hometown Proud” supermarket letters 43 I-85 or I-77, e.g.

44 Cameroon’s cont.

45 Some investments 48 Itinerant 50 Gram leader?

52 Botanist’s wings 53 Some TV sets 55 Fast-growing community 57 See 17-Across 61 Anemic one’s concern 62 English actress Nell ___ 63 “Rolling in the Deep” singer 64 Bog product 65 “___ of Eden” 66 “___ Tu” (1974 song)

Down 1 Fixture for home mixologists 2 “Where are you?” reply 3 Is called 4 Hightails it 5 “___ Little” (1999 movie) 6 “Cheers” character 7 Mun. official 8 Ancient Iranian 9 “I lied. So ___!”

10 Chances to get photos 11 Put on, as clothing 12 “A Bug’s Life” character 14 Succession network 18 Most sugary 19 Vet 24 .1 on the 26-Down scale 26 See 24-Across 27 Bit of food 28 News homophone 30 Chips, some dip and a beer, e.g.

32 Fast driver’s body part, figuratively 34 “Triple Decker” sandwich on Davidson 9-Across Shop’s menu 35 Squalid digs 36 “Hope on the bus, ___” 37 Eve’s mate 38 Actress Charlotte and Explorer John 39 Anger or lust 40 In times past 44 Apply holy oil to 45 Worker with DNA, at times 46 Dilly-dally 47 Feels 49 Performer’s promoter 51 Bends to the will of 52 “There is ___ in the affairs of men ...”: Shakespeare 54 “Scarborough Fair” spice 56 CEO’s degree, possibly 57 Back talk 58 Fury 59 Showgirl’s wrap 60 PanAm rival until 2001

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD: PRE-LAW

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THIS WEEK FROM UNION BOARD:

Fifth Weekly Union Board Trivia Co-Hosted by Dean Rusk Global Corps: 9/25/24, 8:30 PM Live Thursday: 9/26/24, 10-11 PM Free Froc Friday: 9/27/24, 5-7 PM Fall Fling: Under the Stars: 9/28/24, 10 PM-1 AM, Old Tennis Court Lawn

Crime Log There are no crimes logged this week. For more information visit https://www.davidson.edu/offices-and-services/public-safety/dailycrime-fire-logs.

SGA Updates

Charters and Bylaws: The Charters and Bylaws Committee has already processed numerous club charter applications. Organizations that will be considered by the Senate on 9/24 include the Ping Pong Club, Vietnamese Student Association, Spikeball Club, and Moot Court.

Food and Housing: Connor Hines ‘26 and Abiagil Przynosh ‘27 announced to the student body that Chickfil-A is coming to campus in Fall 2025. Fixed an issue with lagging community access, and SGA voices will be involved in the search process for the new director of RLO. Lampus Shuttles: The Senate passed S.B. 8, sponsored by Maureen Cavanaugh ‘27, to fund a test run of shuttles to Lake Campus for Saturday 9/28. DIA will be hosting an event at Lampus for students who use the service.

Elections: Six new Senators from the first-year class will be joining the Senate. The students include Harry Carter (President), Mary Devine, Katie Jung, Vi Nguyen, Chidindu Ohaegbulam, and Ezra Steinman.

Community Committee: The Community Values Promotional Video was shared with students on 9/24 via Instagram, highlighting the themes of the changes to the Code of Responsibility.

The

Yowl

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Irreverent student journalism since 2004. Castigat Ridendo Mores.

inside

yowl.com/mentallycheckedout

Career Center Fall Break Trip: Your Local Walmart Page L

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Poli-Sci Student Wakes Up to Find Out They Drunkenly Signed Up to Run for State Office Page “Let’s Get It!”

Relatable? Popular Guy Asks Parties to be Moved up to 9PM, Too Many Events From 10-12 Page Nein

Rival Improv Groups to Stage Debate in Phi and Eu Halls

ontinuing Davidson’s long storied tradition of their important debate stages, the dawn of election season brings about another edition of the historic debates on campus. In an effort to cool down the increasing political temperature on campus, a historic move has taken place: the debate between the two oldest buildings on campus will take place only via improv. The longest running rivalry between staunchly opposed parties on campus will still be featured at the debate.

That’s right: The Oops improv group and that one other theater improv group are going to hold their own debate between the halls.

While some are saying the Democrats and Republicans are meant to occupy these spots, the improv groups really have the same odds of convincing undecided voters to care about the election. Frankly, if you still haven’t decided who to vote for at this point, you’re a lost cause. If hearing from ten more Poli-Sci majors thinking they’re doing a community service by condescendingly explaining well-known famous candidates to you is what it’s going to take to convince you to have an opinion, maybe you shouldn’t even vote at all. The odds of anyone being convinced to change their opinions based off of a debate between old buildings is unchanged now that we’ve swapped out the political groups for improv groups (the odds still remain zero).

Just think of the scene at the new inaugural historic improv debate: two organizations debating why their group with a similar brand of comedy is superior. One of them talked to two alums with an IMDb page one time and the other group saw “The Second City” for an extra 30 minutes one time! What qualifications! The comedy stalwarts will be facing off to decide the state of comedy on this campus once and for all (or at least until the next presidential election). Hundreds of jokes will be told! Maybe three will actually be funny! They’ll really make

The

Yowl

The Political Issue

September 25, 2024

Rorschach Test Yowl Article: Several Very Upset Couples Think Last Week’s Article Was About Them Page “This was for Y’all”

you think and contemplate a lot about the political state of campus, perhaps with thoughts like “My friends were turned away from the group for this?” and “Where did that short guy go? Did he graduate?

Why come now?”

Despite rumors to the contrary, these debates did not originally take place between the debate societies. These societies in fact do nothing other than meet in their respective halls and give their members a reason to feel superior to everyone else. Good thing their membership logs aren’t accidentally left just laying out in unlocked tables in their respective buildings (which you can reserve through EMS if you feel so moved) at any time. A wise man once said, “we already have goofy fake made up organizations that don’t do anything productive here in the form of frats, why join these societies too?” As a result of their apathy, their responsibility of being a master debater has been handed to the political groups, who have now had their responsibility taken by improv. Oops is basically a semi-secret society: you can’t seem to get in no matter what you do, you don’t really know who is ever in the organization at a single time, and it’s sort of unclear what it is they do other than spend lots of money and time at Taco Bell and get together once a week in a fancy room you aren’t allowed in because you got cut.

That one theater improv group is also like a semisecret debate society: we honestly could not really recall their name but we knew vaguely they existed.

They’re socially a secret. Much like improv comedy, this article has sort of lost focus and gone off the rails almost immediately and really lost the plot.

To that end, we must cease our debate report here and wish you all a lovely Improv Riff-Off Debate between Phi and Eu. Happy Arguing!

WRITERS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Why not?

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College Republicans Endorse Robinson for Governor

M

ark Robinson, the Republican candidate for North Carolina governor, is adding kinkster and adulterer to his already strong resume of being a self-proclaimed “Black Nazi.” CNN uncovered comments Robinson made across several pornographic websites containing racial slurs, misogynistic remarks, and references to slavery. Robinson has denied these allegations, even though the report found he used the same password for every site: password123. Despite the negative media coverage, the Davidson College Republicans have stood their ground and are continuing to endorse Robinson for governor.

Jeremy Birdham ‘26, President of the College Republicans, defended Robinson’s posts. “Frankly, it’s nice to have a candidate who embodies the values of a sexually frustrated male college student. I feel like that’s a voice that isn’t really heard enough in government,” he said. One College Republican, Mickey Kooner ‘27, had a similar perspective on the matter, relating Robinson’s comments to those of a typical Davidson student. “It’s concerning to hear, but honestly we’ve all been there. I mean, take Yik Yak. It’s a place for voicing your problems, and sometimes that means sharing extremely personal and identifiable details of your love life. No shame, man.” The Yowl also tried speaking with the faculty adviser of the College Republicans, Dr. Don ReSanctimonious, but he could not hear us with the performative white patch over his ear.

Despite full support from the College Republicans, conservative groups on campus are not in total agreement with each other. The Young Americans for Freedom, or more accurately, The Young American for Freedom, as they only have one member, President Lupus Woffenstein IV ‘25 spoke against Robinson for denying the allegations. Woffenstein IV shared that “this is clearly a devilish attack by the liberal news media. I have always made my intentions clear: whenever I disparage women, I do it publicly. Robinson should do the same.”

Members of the Free Speech Alliance had similar concerns. Randy Radical ‘28 has dismissed the allegations of the bombshell report altogether due to what he called an “extreme invasion of privacy” by CNN. He went on to say that “what Mark does in his free time is none of our concern. We’re only interested in policing the business of women, non-whites, gays, and anyone else who we feel bad expressing our ideas around.”

Since the news broke, Robinson has faced calls to drop out of the race, but the College Republicans implore Davidson College students, especially the wokest ones, to see past politics and find the common humanity between themselves and a self-proclaimed Black Nazi.

Things to do to Make Fall Fling More Fun: - Overeat free food - Steal - Hog the photobooth - Sidewalk slammer - Read the newspaper and look uninterested

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

Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.