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New North Carolina guidelines on generative AI invite reflection in education

Volume 122, Issue 12

February 14, 2024

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A look in the archives: Susan Pearsall provides insight on the dating scene at Davidson

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Student radio Walt 1610 hosts fundraising events for student artists

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The Yowl investigates changes Davidsonian distribution practices

Davidson Alum Runs For House Seat NC 98

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A Conversation with Beth Helfrich ‘03

AIDAN MARKS ‘27 (HE/HIM) POLITICS EDITOR

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s North Carolinians begin to cast their ballots for state primary races on February 15, residents of N.C.’s 98th House district will have the opportunity to vote for third-generation Davidson resident Beth Helfrich ‘03. Helfrich is a Democrat, and she is running to represent District 98 in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

Helfrich, who studied Theater at Davidson College, is a former teacher and mother of five who never considered running for office until the leadup to the 2020 Presidential election.

“There was one really pivotal experience, which was that several Davidson friends who live cross-country reached out to me asking if [my husband] Tim and I would be willing to host a virtual fundraiser in the fall of 2020,” Helfrich said. “They called it ‘Wildcats for Biden’, and it was really pitched as […]

Davidson’s extended alumni network who really still embrace the qualities that Davidson holds paramount, so honesty, integrity, engaging politically, and a moral compass.”

This experience, coupled with seeing other alumni running for state office around the country, “kept reminding me of the importance of electing people and making sure voters have candidates that they can vote for who they can truly trust to be operating with integrity,” Helfrich said.

In April 2023, developments in the N.C. legislature resulted in a Republican supermajority intent on passing controversial legislation, including S.B. 20, a law meant to curtail abortions in the state. Seeing elected officials push through such a divisive agenda without opposition was a major factor in Helfrich’s decision to run.

But it was not until Democrat Christy Clark dropped out, who won N.C. 98 in 2018 and lost to Republican John Bradford in 2020 and 2020, that Helfrich decided to file for candidacy.

Now, Bradford, who has represented N.C. 98 since 2014 (with the exception of 2018-2020) intends to run for N.C.’s 8th Congressional District. This leaves an opening in N.C. 98.

“Now that it is a truly open seat, it makes it even more competitive,” Helfrich said.

“The demographics of North Mecklenburg are different than they were even in 2022. So all of that just means that there is less certainty, and in a time of less certainty, there’s even more reason to act in ways that can influence the outcome,” Helfrich

Alum Beth Helfrich is running in the Democratic primary for NC House district 98. Photo by Beth Helfrich ‘03. said.

Beyond combating a Republican supermajority, Helfrich is passionate about addressing an array of issues including but not limited to public education, health and reproductive care, climate resilience, and sustainable economic growth. As a mother and product of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public School System, Helfrich is closely attuned to education issues.

She attended North Mecklenburg High School, during what she recalls as a period of sustained investment in public schools.

“I am a proud product of North Carolina public schools. There was a time as I was growing up, where North Carolina was seen as a model of putting effort and energy and funding into our

public schools,” Helfrich said.

But, in her view, those days are long gone. “We are 50th overall in school funding effort, which I think is the most shocking and problematic statistic. That means we have the money in our state legislature, we are just not directing it to our public schools,” Helfrich said. “We have not been able to sort of rebuild or even just construct the basic, most necessary building blocks to ensure that we are meeting the needs of students across the state.”

North Carolina’s new congressional maps, which are likely to elect a Republican supermajority this November, is another area of concern for Helfrich.

“The maps themselves, especially right now, create just a sense of disillusionment and a notion with voters that it does not really matter if they vote or not,” Helfrich said.

But it seems that Republicans’ attempt to solidify political control have sparked resistance.

“North Carolina Democrats are contesting all but two seats in the House and Senate. Because even if the districts are weighed or drawn to benefit a certain party, voters deserve to have candidates that they feel represent their values, represent their priorities, that they could see as their voice in Raleigh and even if those candidates don’t win, it’s really important that voters still have a choice and feel like they can make that choice through their vote.”

To Helfrich, the biggest issue of them all is preserving accountable and democratic governance.

“It is a really urgent time that North Carolinians put some folks into government who are interested in preserving democracy itself…by making sure that people can vote, making sure that our maps are fair, making sure that it’s easier for people to run,” Helfrich said.

Helfrich sees her campaign as influential in the political makeup of the state.

“If I win this primary, and I win this general election, that makes a difference in the state of North Carolina,” Helfrich said.

Helfrich emphasized that her campaign is motivated by a sense of duty.

“This is not a line to add on my resume…it is really hard, but it is a sacrifice that my family is willing to make because it feels so important and necessary.”

Davidson Community Reflects on Race Relations in Davidson

NICOLE KAMMER ‘27 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

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n Tuesday, February 6th the Lambda Theta Phi, Latin Fraternity, Inc. (the Lambdas) and the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship co-hosted an event called, “Let’s Talk About It: Social Justice, Davidson College, and the Town Of Davidson.” Community members and leaders, along with students and faculty, met together in the 900 Room in the Alvarez Union to discuss the legacy of racial inequality in the town of Davidson. West Davidson residents Elizabeth Wilson, Marvin Brandon, and Ruby Houston were on the panel. President of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Chris-Ann Nelson ‘26, and the Lambdas’ Civic Engagement Chair, Matthew Skolar ‘24, emceed.

Skolar began by asking the panel what the concept of social justice meant to them.

“[Social justice] means [...] fairness in society,” Wilson said. “It is a process of equal opportunities for all.”

Likewise, Houston explained that it is important for all members of the community to “[have] access to resources.”

Davidson resident and audience member Cherie Spanner built off Houston’s point by acknowledging the importance of environmental justice. “Environmental justice is closely tied to social justice,” Spanner said.

“Air and water [...] travel between us, but [there] also things that are localized to certain places [like] environmental pollutants.”

Community members then shared their experiences living and growing up in West Davidson, the predominantly AfricanAmerican community on the west side of the train tracks. “It was such a close and tight knit community. [...] Everybody knew everybody,” Brandon said.

They also discussed the segregation in the town of Davidson. “Because I grew up during the Jim Crow era, there was a separation: separated water fountains, separated restauraunts,” Brandon continued.

He emphasized that, “There were many misopportunities for many of us, but we made the best of the situation.”

The segregated school all the panelists attended was Ada Jenkins, whose original building burned down and was rebuilt into what is now the Ada Jenkins Center.

“Our new books came from the white school [...] so that sort of put us behind,” said Wilson Additionally, many African Americans at this time either worked at the college or in the Linden Mill Asbestos factory. “It was not good growing up on the West Side,” said Wilson. “It really was not because we were faced with asbestos.”

The Mill has since shut down but the threat

of asbestos remains. The site is designated as a Brownfield, meaning its redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence of hazardous substances. In this case, hazardous substances refers to the mound of asbestos that is contained in the ground behind the mill.

The history of Griffith Street is another key part of West Davidson’s story. For a long time, houses—mainly owned by Black families— lined Griffith Street heading into the college.

College trustee Howard Covington led the heed to “beautify” Griffith Street, starting in 1981.

“I just kept seeing these houses painted all kinds of wild colors and junk cars in the front[...] …and I didn’t think this was a good entryway to the beautiful college campus,” Covington told the Davidsonian in a 1984 interview.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

News

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State Releases New Guidance on Generative AI in School Professors, Students Discuss Implications

TIFFANY WEN ‘27 (SHE/HER) CHARLOTTE MAHMOUD ‘27 (SHE/ HER) STAFF WRITERS

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he North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) released a new guidebook regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in North Carolina public schools on Jan. 16. The guidebook contains information and recommendations specific to generative AI in the classroom.

Generative AI tools, as defined in the guidebook, “generate text, images, audio, video, and code based on what it has learned in its training data set.” Generative AI differs from more traditional forms of AI in that traditional AI seeks to perform a task intelligently, within a specific set of rules, according to Forbes. In contrast, generative AI tools can, put simply, create something new based on training data.

The NCDPI emphasized the increasing acceptance of AI in the workplace in their decision to release these guidelines.

“The decisions we make about the use of generative AI in our public schools will have significant consequences on our students’ futures as they enter institutions of higher education or the job market, as well as in their daily lives,” said the NCDPI in the introduction to the booklet.

Ellora Devulapally ‘26 is an intended digital studies major, and has exposure to the significant role AI has taken in the workforce.

“I recently talked to somebody who’s working in digital marketing,” Devulapally said. “He was like ‘We’re very open to using AI within our space, just because if we don’t move forward with this we’re just gonna get left behind.’”

The question about the role of AI in education and cultivating digital literacy centers on finding a happy medium that allows for AI use without compromising academic integrity.

“There is always the question of how developing minds are going to be impacted by this technology,” said Dr. Sara Copic, who’s areas of expertise include the philosophy of technology. “My biggest concern is that

North Carolina’s new guidelines on the use of generative AI in education. Photo by Aidan Marks we do the appropriate kinds of research in order to understand the impact on both child psychology and also learning outcomes in the classroom.”

Copic is currently teaching a Writing 101 class, “AI: Its Nature and Significance”, examining the nature of artificial intelligence from a philosophical and practical perspective.

Copic connected her concerns with research to questions about the true benefits of employing AI in educational settings.

“I think there is a question for us about whether and to what extent AI applications can actually increase learning outcomes, or whether they’re a new piece of ‘ed-tech’ that seems to have good results, but where we just don’t have enough data to know whether these technologies are good for the development of,

in particular, creativity and critical thinking,” Copic said. “Those are the things that we really want, and I think really what we should be doing is considering how to carefully pilot these systems rather than allowing broad use without a full understanding of their impact.”

Davidson does not have an official school wide policy on the usage of generative AI, so professors often include their own policies on their syllabi.

“I think it’s hard for the school to come up with some strong stance on it,” Devulapally said. “I’ve had some teachers who have been like, not even in digital studies, I’ve had some English teachers that say you can use it for generating ideas, and other teachers who are like absolutely not.”

Some professors have incorporated AI tools

into their classes.

“We could use programs like ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas for our [Writing 101] essays,” Emilia Goldwasser ‘27 said. “But we also had to include a 500-word paragraph explaining what we gained from using AI, why we chose to use ChatGPT, and differences between ChatGPT’s brainstorms and what we could’ve come up with ourselves.”

Assistant Professor of Educational Studies and Founding Director of the College Crisis Initiative (C2i) Chris Marsicano ‘10 believes that AI might encourage professors to improve their classes by challenging their own abilities.

“What [AI] is doing universally across professors is really helping us interrogate what our learning goals are,” Marsicano said.

“Effectively if AI can best your test, it is probably time for a different test.”

Marsicano emphasizes that AI can improve education, but its effects might not be visible for years.

“AI is an incredibly powerful tool that as it continues to get better will be used as a tool and helping students identify with paper ideas or helping students clean up their grammar,” Marsicano said. “It remains to be seen to what extent colleges and universities will support those changes are wiped down [...] we tend to move very slow in higher education.”

While generative AI poses challenges to traditional education, many see it as a crucial tool in entering the world post-graduation.

“I do think that from graduating school I understand why it’s important in a center, an institution where you’re prompting learning and creative engagement and critical thinking that it’s best to develop your own skills individually as much as possible, but I do think realistically going into the workforce, it’s going to be about how to best utilize these tools,” Devulapally said.

Community Members Reflect on Social Justice in Davidson NICOLE KAMMER ‘27 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 According to a 1999 Davidsonian article, Covington, John A. Tate, Lawrence Kimbrough, and Bob Currie — the college’s busin ess manager at the time — created Griffith Street Properties to “preserve, restore, renovate, upgrade, develop, and take all action necessary to improve and promote the revitalization of the Griffith Street area.”

West Davidson residents Evelyn Carr and Guydell Conner shared their thoughts on this “beautification” or gentrification and its potential segregating effect in an interview with the Davidsonian in 1999. “[Davidson] is already segregated — we [cannot] afford to live on the East side. The college should pay its employees enough for people to be able to afford to live over there,” said Carr.

“The Griffith Street beautification efforts destroyed what was once a vital, vibrant neighborhood,” Conner said. “In years to come, people will forget there ever was a Griffith Street community.”

The panelists and community members discussed other changes that have unfolded

within Davidson. They reflected on how many Black families had been pushed out of their homes due to higher property taxes. “I mean, I’m retired myself,” said Houston. “There’s a disparity in the property tax. [...] We don’t have the money. [...] You know, we are an aging community.”

The conversation also explored the lack of representation of West Davidson residents and their families in the discussions of reckoning with the racial injustices in the college.

Many community members did not feel that the college’s plan to build a monument to recognize the involvement work of enslaved people in Davidson’s history was enough. “To do something about the historical significance of the area, there’s a group of us,” said Brandon “We’re in the process of getting historical markers and what we call historical estates.”

Students and community members alike highlighted the importance of college leaders actively participating in these conversations and reaching out to the community. “In order for us to stop history from repeating itself, we have to speak out on these things” said D’Mycal Foreman, a junior audience member.

“We have to show our intelligence and we have to move forward and change our minds.”

Davidson community members gather to discuss issues of justice. Photo by Nicole Kammer

Features

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Remembering Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education’s Impact and Legacy 53 Years Later Landmark Supreme Court Case in Davidson’s Backyard

SAVANNAH SORAGHAN ‘27 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

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fter the 1954 landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education declared it unconstitutional to segregate public schools based on race, the process of desegregation unfolded slowly across the country. Another milestone case for integration — Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education — occurred just minutes away from Davidson and informed national education policy for future generations Despite the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which deemed the principle of “separate but equal” unconstitutional, there was a lack of systematic progress towards desegregation in schools. The court debated how to best implement the decision and instructed states to begin plans for desegregation “with all deliberate speed.”

However, Brown v Board caused significant backlash and plans for desegregation were anything but speedy. In North Carolina specifically, there were many efforts made to delay and prevent desegregation, resulting in a Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system in which approximately 14,000 black students attended schools that were either totally black or more than 99 percent black, according to Oyez.

In 1964, a decade after the Brown v. Board of Education case, Reverend Dr. Darius and Vera Swann tried to enroll their son James at Seversville Elementary, an integrated school in Charlotte. Their request was denied and the family was told that James needed to attend an all-black school in a different neighborhood.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) took the case and sued on the Swann family’s behalf. The case was then taken to the federal district court, where in 1969, Judge James McMillan, ruled in favor of the Swann family and implemented a busing strategy that integrated the district’s schools.

In 1971, the case was appealed to the United States Supreme Court. According to Cornell’s Legal Information Institute, the court had to determine whether “federal courts [were] constitutionally authorized to oversee and produce remedies for state-imposed segregation,” in reference to McMillan’s busing plan. In a unanimous decision, the court upheld McMillan’s decision and decreed that federal courts had the responsibility to enforce

Students exit schoolbus from West Charlotte High School in 1972. Photo by Associated Press

The NAACP sued the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education on behalf of the Swann family. Photo by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education policies that would increase integration.

Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education was not only a case that covered desegregation — it also raised questions of judicial authority. Brown v. Board of Education delegated desegregation efforts to federal courts, and Swann reevaluated this

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decision.

“It’s mostly a case about judicial power and the power that courts have to remedy these conflicts [between school boards and federal courts]… Swann is more of an administrative decision,” said Associate Professor of Political Science Andrew O’Geen.

The Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education decision resulted in an evolution of McMillan’s busing program on the federal level. Education policy major Nina Worley ‘26 emphasized that this plan is part of what makes the case so memorable.

“This is a landmark case because it was the first busing case that the Supreme Court saw,” said Worley. “And it made CMS [CharlotteMecklenburg Schools] known for busing.”

Busing crossed district boundaries to try and promote desegregation in schools, and its widespread implementation played a distinct role in U.S. public school integration.

“Busing became commonplace and was approved by courts to combat segregation,” Worley said. “A plan was in place and it set a precedent.”

Despite its landmark implications, the case would later face criticism from multiple groups. This resistance manifested itself in the Concerned Parents Association (CPA), an anti-busing group located in CharlotteMecklenburg County. “[The CPA] organized a lot of boycotts and demonstrations… The CPA were large proponents of ‘choice schooling’ and they backed a lot of anti-busing candidates which is a reason why busing never really made it,” Worley said.

The busing program was enforced throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but in 1999, Judge Robert D. Potter effectively reversed the federal district court’s decision, ruling that the Charlotte school district “eliminated, to the extent practicable, the vestiges of past discrimination in the traditional areas of school operations.” However, according to a 1999 New York Times article, many schools remained segregated in practice. The Davidson community can still see those impacts.

“Davidson’s schools are overwhelmingly white although attended by students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. We have not reached a point where every school has a racial balance that reflects the demographic composition of greater Charlotte,” said Chair of the Africana Studies Department Dan Aldridge.

While busing was short-lived, Swann v.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education still had major effects on integration within the United States.

“The court and the country were on a path towards integrating schools and Swann was the final statement where the Supreme Court made integration a priority,” O’Geen said.

Perspectives

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A Hopeless Romantic Takes On the Marriage Pact

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MADELINE RICHARD ‘26 (SHE/HER)

aybe it was thousands of hours of Taylor Swift songs. Maybe it was the countless romantic comedies that I still watch and love. Maybe it was the fairytales I listened to while growing up. Or maybe I was born like this. I have no idea what the precise cause was, but I know the outcome — I became a hopeless romantic. I daydream about meet-cutes, idealize the people around me, and have a Pinterest board filled with pink and hearts and flowers. In short, I love the idea of love.

For years, I imagined that college would be the place where all of those dreams came true. I went to an all-girls school, so aside from a summer camp crush and a brief relationship with a boy from our brother school, my romantic prospects seemed pretty limited. But I envisioned that college would provide better options. After all, fictional characters had made it seem so easy. I knew that love was never seamless — the third-act breakups present throughout romance books and movies told me otherwise — but I trusted that it would always work out.

I still hold that belief, but throughout my past few semesters at Davidson, I have often felt doubtful that it can happen here. I have seen friends hurt by the reality of hookup culture, watched eating house crush parties go wrong, and grown increasingly shocked by the rumor that 40% of Davidson grads marry each other. Being a hopeless romantic often seems incompatible with college culture, yet I also see opportunities for optimism.

Many of my recent conversations have revolved around the Marriage Pact, a questionnaire that pairs participants with the most compatible partner at their school. According to the organization’s website, 86 colleges have brought the Marriage Pact to their campus and, as of last spring, Davidson is one of them. Students completed the questionnaire over the past week, and matches were distributed privately on February 12.

The Marriage Pact is all about numbers. It requires you to answer several questions on a scale of one to seven, then uses an algorithm to analyze each participant’s result. The program seems so calculated, but we trust it with such an emotional task — finding our perfect match.

The Marriage Pact feels like something out of a rom-com.

It plays on the concept of soulmates by suggesting that

there is a single ideal match for everyone. The algorithm also implies that the love of your life might have been here all along, another charming trope. It feels like perfect bait for a hopeless romantic like me, so over the past two years, I have eagerly filled out the questionnaire and awaited my results with excitement.

I love the idea that two people are meant to be together and am sure that there have been Marriage Pact romances, but even I can admit that putting too much stock in the Marriage Pact might be a mistake. People’s answers change over time, some participants might fill it out as a joke, and many of the students that fill it out might not be looking for relationships. Most of the people I know — myself included — have never spoken to their Marriage Pact from last year.

(The furthest I got was an Instagram follow, and even that was bold compared to some of my friends.)

Admittedly, the Marriage Pact is not meant to form immediate relationships. Rather, the questionnaire is meant to help you find a backup plan just in case the romances of your twenties fall through. Though I have not seen any successful results on campus yet, perhaps I will be a guest at a Marriage Pact wedding ten years from now — only time will tell.

The Marriage Pact is not serious and does not seem to catalyze college relationships, yet I still feel that it sparks love. Filling out the Marriage Pact reveals a desire to connect with other people on our campus, whether you believe wholeheartedly in its power, felt pressured by a Secret Admirer email, or completed it just for fun. We can find so much love and laughter in the moments when we sit with friends attempting to figure out what our initials might mean or debating whether to send Secret Admirer emails to a class crush. The Marriage Pact also creates common conversations across campus — it can be fun to chat about regardless of whether someone is a close friend, a lab partner, or even a near stranger. The algorithm is technically designed to bring two people together, but it helps the campus bond as well.

Maybe you matched with an ex-situationship. Maybe it was a best friend. Maybe it was a hallmate. Or maybe it was a complete stranger. Either way, I doubt that the outcome matters. We might feel differently about the Marriage Pact in fifteen years, but for now, we should appreciate it for what it is — a force that encourages our campus to connect.

The logo for the Davidson Marriage Pact. Photo by Davidson Marriage Pact.

From the Archives: Panel Focuses on Davidson Dating SUSAN PEARSALL MARCH 20, 1987

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s dating dead at Davidson? This question was the focus of a panel discussion, moderated by Housing Director Tom Jennings, which took place Tuesday, March 10 in the 900 Room. Panel members were Paul Kosmas, a senior, Caryn Coppedge, a junior, Chew Jones, sophomore, and Pete Halverstadt and Lucia Kendall, freshmen.

Twice as many females as males attended the panel discussion.

The factor which was most often discussed, as both a help to platonic malefemale relationships and a hindrance to casual dating, was Davidson’s student body. While its small student body fosters more and closer platonic relationships between the sexes, it also causes the feeling that everyone on campus knows whom one is seeing. Peer pressure of this nature, according to Coppedge, has caused a gap between the heaviness of an exclusive relationship and a strictly platonic friendship. Casual dating is frowned upon, said panelist Kosmas, because it carries the stigma of “whoredom.” The closeness of Davidson life also causes problems when one considers the risk involved in a breakup; one must come into contact with a former lover much too often for comfort, panelists said. Risk is another hindering factor to dating; the person who asks for the date may fear future embarrassment if the date goes badly.

A guide for anyone looking for a valentine this year. Photo by the Davidsonian.

Patterson Court date functions add an audience complained that those who choose additional aspect to the unique problems not to get a date for every party are viewed of potential daters. Some members of the negatively, and that this constitutes pressure

against dating. Others stated that the parties create an inordinate amount of interest in the private affairs of other students because they spawn gossipy speculation over potential “relationships.” Many agreed, however, that these parties generally aid the dating situation because they do encourage casual dates.

The female members of the audience also briefly considered reasons for dating problems here such as 1) males are intimidated by the intelligence of the females here, causing males to seek dates with “imported” girls from neighboring colleges. 2) males think that all the freshmen girls are “taken” by upperclassmen. 3) many males consider Davidson women to be too straightlaced. However, no agreement on any of these opinions could be reached.

So what is the state of dating at Davidson?

Freshman Mary Beale says, “I do not think the ‘dating situation’ is all that bad. A lot depends on expectations and how willing people are to take risks.” Halverstadt cited such problems as stereotyping and a lack of communication. Coppedge believes that “because Davidson students are trained to know as much as possible and to control many situations, we try to carry these traits over into dating. We urge each other to communicate, but we forget that it’s O.K. to communicate indecision or confusion… all but being ‘just friends’ or being involved in a ‘relationship’ is not possible.”

Sports

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Underachieving ‘Cats Wrestling Program Looking to Make Noise at So-Con Tournament RYAN HARRIS ‘26 (HE/HIM) SPORTS WRITER

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espite having a 1-11 team record on the season, the Davidson Wrestling program has high hopes to still place within the top 5 teams at the Southern Conference Championship, which is set to be held in Boone, North Carolina on March 9th.

Currently, the Wildcats sit in last in the Conference Standings, but the ‘Cats believe they have what it takes to move up multiple spots within the Conference at the tournament, and they have good reason to believe so. Top individuals Tanner Peake ‘26, who placed runner-up at the So-Con Tournament last year, and young sensation Tyler McKnight ’27, have had unconventional seasons, where they have had many weekends competing without the rest of their team.

This includes two weekends ago, when they went to the Appalachian Open along with Jaden Hardrick ‘24, who returned to action for the first time this season. These three Davidson wrestlers all placed in the top 4 against stiff competition from both the SoCon and the ACC. Meanwhile, that same weekend, the rest of the squad wrestled a dual meet against the #3 ranked team in the SoCon, Chattanooga. Despite a 28-13 loss in this dual, Davidson won 4 out of their last 5 matches on the day, while missing key points that could have potentially come out of some of their starters who were wrestling in Boone. So even in a loss, this builds great momentum and confidence for the team as a whole moving forward.

Moreover, these individuals who wrestled competed at Appalachian State will benefit from wrestling in these singleday tournaments. Peake believes that wrestling these multiple matches in a day will “help better prepare our bodies for the SoCon Tournament,” which is a full, taxing day of tournament-

Jaden Hardrick ‘24 in action on the mat. Hardick finished with a 13-16 overall record last season. Photo by Tim Cowie style wrestling. Additionally, this opportunity to wrestle in a big tournament individually is a crucial one for some of the youngsters on Davidson’s roster, like McKnight.

The freshman stated that this opportunity allowed him to “gain some confidence” going into his first So-Con Tournament next month. Yet even with this successful tournament result and many others like it this season, McKnight says he feels that he is going into the conference tournament with “nothing to lose.” This confidence is shared seemingly by his teammate Peake, who has strong aspirations to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, which he was one match away from last season.

Peake says that “being so close to that ultimate goal has only fueled me even more.”

However with this strong, young core of wrestlers looking to

take over the Southern Conference, senior leadership from the likes of Hardick is crucial to this squad. Hardrick, known by his underclassmen teammates as “Unc”, had this to say about helping his younger guys get ready for the challenge ahead: “Although there’s some young guys that have a lot of energy and they’re really positive and they want to get after it, it’s important for me to help them get mentally squared away for the tournament.”

Thus, with youthful energy from some of Davidson’s underclassmen and the senior leadership necessary to tame them, the ‘Cats are looking to shock some people in Boone, and they expect to be in the thick of things come March.

Swimmer Felt Continues Record-Breaking Streak LOGAN JAIN ‘26 (HE/HIM) STAFF WRITER

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ophomore swimmer Dylan Felt ’26 seemed to be the only person surprised with his most recent outstanding result. Racing in the 200 Freestyle at GardnerWebb, Felt swam a time of 1:35.11, topping the previous conference record of 1:35.47 and beating his previous best time of 1:35.96 (a Davidson program record as well). This magnificent performance earned Felt his third A-10 Performer of the Week honor this year.

Smashing records is part of Felt’s DNA, but this one came at more of a shock than the rest.

He stated that he was very “surprised because [he] did not go into [the] meet expecting that [time].” Felt and his coaches, John Young and Chris Carter, claimed that the conditions at Gardner-Webb’s swimming complex were not the most conducive for record setting. Felt

said that the pool was in a “greenhouse type of building” and there was no place for the teams to warm up. Young mentioned that the pool is one of the “crummier pools [they] swim in,” so seeing the sophomore break the conference record came as a “pleasant surprise.” While this performance came as a surprise to Felt and the Swim and Dive staff, it is not out of the sophomore athlete’s realm of experience.

During his freshman year, Felt racked up an astonishing array of accomplishments. He was named the A-10 Most Outstanding Performer and Most Outstanding Rookie Performer of 2023, holds the school record for the 200, 500 and 1,000, and 1,650 Free (A-10 record), was a member of the school’s record setting 200 and 400 Free relay team, and is a 2024 U.S Olympic Trials Qualifier (200M, 800M, 1,500M free). Coach Young stated that Felt has “been remarkable all year” and he makes sure not to take the althete“for granted.” He claimed

that the swimmer’s “success is contagious” and performances like these spur excitement and inspiration in the rest of the team. His performances at each meet not only captivate those watching but fuel his teammates for their own races. His attitude outside of the pool is also one to emulate. Lukas Valley ‘26, member of the men’s Track and Field team and Felt’s roommate, stated that he is always “pretty humble” about his successes. He continued saying that he may have all his medals “hung up on the wall” but it “doesn’t really affect [him] that much.”

Given his early success, Felt and his coaches are very excited for the rest of the season. Coach Young stated that “the plan is not for him to have seen his peak performances this past weekend” which is making the “prospects of the way that he performs at the A-10 championship pretty exciting.” All the buzz around his ability creates

Women’s Basketball Standings

Standings Update

Team

St. Joe’s Richmond VCU George Mason Duquesne Davidson Rhode Island Loyola Chicago St. Louis La Salle Dayton Fordham

W

L

STK PCT

11 11 10 10 10 7 7 6 5 4 4 4

1 1 2 2 3 5 6 7 7 8 9 9

W9 W4 W4 W1 W3 W3 L3 L1 W1 L3 L2 W2

.917

.917 .833 .833 .769 .583 .538 .462 .417 .333 .308 .308

an immense sense of pressure for the talented swimmer. Although it may be daunting, Felt ‘says that he has “an open mind” about the future and has made a list of impressive goals for himself this season, one of which is making the A-10 championships. Felt’s early swimming career is immensely decorated, and, with his open mind and knack for success, the future only looks bright for such a stellar athlete.

Davidson Women’s Basketball Senior Spotlight Video

Arts and Entertainment 6 Walt Dayz Are Here to Stay

COLE ERICKSON ‘26 HE/HIM STAFF WRITER

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unxsutawney Phil prophesied not only the coming of warmer days but also the coming of Walt Dayz—a successful fundraising event hosted by Walt Radio on the first Friday of each month. Artists assembled their original works along the wooden tables of Nummit for students to peruse and purchase. Fifty percent of the profits return to the artist and the other fifty funds to Walt.

As an organization, Walt has always commissioned students.

Whether they be t-shirt designers, videographers, or live performers, students help make Walt the club infamously known on campus. But Walt was unable to pay these students.

Therefore, when the new E-Board returned to campus this semester, they worked with Student Activities Office to open a Davidson fundraising account for student commissions. Walt Dayz was the first event to garner funds for the account.

“We wanted to encourage more student artist activity on campus,” said co-president Annabel Semans ‘26. “We were blown away by how many people came and how many people bought art. It was amazing.”

Ten students signed up to display their works. Of those ten artists, Semans and fellow co-president Grace McGuire ‘25 returned one hundred percent of their profits to the Walt fund.

According to Semans, the entire event, which raised $875 dollars in total, went “so much better than we thought it would go!”

Although the club planned the event somewhat last-minute, many students showed up eager to purchase their peers’ artworks.

“It was nice to see my work and other people’s work get recognized and bought by other students,” said Josie Swain ‘27.

“There aren’t many events like this for visual arts so it’s nice to have something for students who put a lot of time and effort into what they love doing—and get something out of it.”

Art has always been something Swain enjoys doing. In high school and later during the Covid-19 pandemic, her distinct, multi-medium style of colored pencils and paint took off. In the

Parker McNamara ‘24 DJs at Walt Dayz. Photo by Courtney Lassiter

Student art lines the tables at Nummit. Photo by Courtney Lassiter

past year, she’s begun to experiment with alternative textures by adding beads, glitter, and embroidery thread to different pieces.

At Walt Dayz, just as many of these other artists had done, Swain sold prints of her artwork—standard 4x6 inch photographs of her works. These were, as many students noted, perfect for decorating a dorm room.

Each student’s art had a distinct style represented through a range of mediums. Just among some of the first years the diversity of their work spanned from colorful abstract acrylic paintings by Finny Roach ‘27, to hand sewn fabric fish by Delaney Cook ‘27 and colorful self portraits by Courtney Lassiter ‘27.

“I loved being able to meet the artists in person,” Savannah Sorigahn ‘27 said. “Everyone seemed to be chatting with the artists while they were purchasing their works. It was nice to hear about what inspired them too.”

In addition to the buzz inside Nummit, many students gathered to bask in the sun on the patio while Cali Koerner ‘24, the former co-president of Walt, DJ’d for the crowd.“Everybody already gathers at Nummit for [drinks] on Friday,” Semans said. “So

we thought that the first Friday of each month would be the perfect time to have Walt Dayz—plus it’s a consistent date we can advertise and plan for.”

Semans hinted at other fundraising events such as a Walt Flea Market. Events like these would work in conjunction with Walt Dayz to continue to promote student activity within the community. This way, both students and Walt benefit from their events.

So, regardless of if you like art, love art, or hate art, Nummit’s atmosphere during Walt Dayz is unmatched and certainly the place to find yourself—and new decor (?)—on the next first Friday of the month.

Cole Erickson ‘26 (he/him) is an English major and Digital Studies minor from Freeland, Maryland. He can be reached for comment at coerickson@davidson.edu

New Music Davidson: Student Composers Share Semester Work HARRIS HUBER ‘27 HE/HIM STAFF WRITER

F

or those who have class on the right side of Wall and pass through the third floor, you may have seen a sign reading “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” comically hung in front of a lab room. The quote originates from The Wizard of Oz, referring to the scene where Dorothy peeks behind the wizard’s curtain and all the allure and magic of a show is lost. The idea that mystique or technical skill is something that can be lost by seeing how it operates is a concept that the New Music performance at Davidson directly challenges.

When arriving at the New Music presentation, visitors heard relaxing music in the background as they saw a display of ranging colors on the projector mounted in the 900 room of Union. As the event began, Professor Stasack of the General Music Department revealed that the relaxing audio was something composed by one of her students, Lindsay Cody ‘25. This reveal begins the show, made up of eight students from Stasack’s MUS265, or Intro to Digital Music Composition, class.

One of the presenters of the night, Jacob Kim ‘26, described the class as helpful for those “looking to go into music, as in creating your own original music,” although admits that it might be difficult for those starting out in their composing journey.

Each student presented an original music composition they’d created for class. The compositions were rendered and created in Logic Pro, a music composition software created by Apple, and using this format the students were able to project the sheet music they’d created for the audience to see.

For those adept at reading music, this acted

similar to having subtitles on when watching a movie.

Some pieces had dozens of layers, others hundreds, with every detail laid out for the audience from beginning to end as the songs played. Each piece represented a semester of work for a student and the differing compositions reflected changes realized over the course of the process. Malik Ramadanovic ‘25, for example, presented his piece “Nevreme,” which uses a seven-beat metronome, a pattern more commonly found in Middle Eastern and Asian music. Most other pieces throughout the night used the more Western-standard four beat metronome.

Audience member Ben Kremer ‘27 called the change in metronome “Fresh and revitalizing,” adding “The shift…was not what I was used to.” The positive reception among the audience for the song was not something that had to be investigated as, glancing around the room, students were seen swaying their heads and bumping their legs.

Kim’s songs, “Purple” and “Red,” had equally positive reactions. Both pieces were based on synesthesia, a condition where the brain routes unrelated signals causing people to experience more than one sense simultaneously. Famous artists such as Billie Eilish, Frank Ocean, and Lorde all have the condition, many attributing the uniqueness of their music to this different way of viewing sound. However, taking into account the pleased reception of those listening to Kim’s work, it was clear one didn’t need to have synesthesia to appreciate his musical achievement.

For those looking to go into music, the night was a promising glimpse into what a semester of work may bring.

Harris Huber‘27 (he/him) is an undecided major from New Orleans, LA. He can be reached for comment at sthuber@davidson.

New Music Davidson highlighted the work of student composers. Poster by Davidson College Music Department

Living Davidson

7

Which New York Times Mini Game You Should Play in Class Today Based on Your Involvements on Campus

I know I know…you can’t even believe your luck. I have finally returned! I know you missed me so dearly (you probably didn’t notice I was gone). How else are you supposed to make such important decisions, like which New York Times mini game to play while you’re not listening to your lecture, without my all-knowing advice? Never fear though, just give me a little information about your life and you don’t have to make ANY choice on your own.

How many extracurriculars would you say you’re involved in on campus?

A - Like, two, tops. How are you people having free time outside of homework?

B - Three, but you’re super invested in all of them. People on E-Board FEAR your dedication.

C - Probably like 5 or 6…you have issues telling people no.

D - Wait, y’all are doing extracurriculars?

You thought that was a high school thing?

ANSWERS BELOW!

What about sports clubs?

A- Not really your thing.

B - Oh for sure. Not being at D1 level won’t stop you from absolutely demolishing IM’s.

C - You prefer to just play sports with your friends when you have the time.

D - You’re a spike-ball supremacist, if that counts.

What are your thoughts on PCC organizations?

A - You’re a member of a frat/sorority.

B - You’re in an eating house (and you take it very seriously)!

C - You would consider yourself adjacent - you may not be a member, but you’re at all of the events.

D - Eh, you were never huge on joining.

Mostly A’s: Mini Crossword - Is it the best time to play this when you can’t actually give your full attention to it? Probably not. But you just need to send that score to the groupchat ASAP.

Mostly B’s: Wordle - Even if you’re not paying attention to the class you’re in, you’re going to get your brain working nonetheless.

Mostly C’s: Connections - A risky play considering that it could make or break your day depending on how difficult the purple category is (birds with a C???? You have GOT to be kidding).

Mostly D’s: Spelling Bee - All I’m gonna say is that if you regularly play this, you are much smarter than me. I applaud you, and also fear you.

Are you involved with any religious groups on campus?

A - No, you’ve never been super religious.

B - Yes! You’re part of some affinity groups.

C - I mean you’re on the email lists…?

D - Yeah, you regularly attend church.

You have an assignment for your class AND some work to do for your extracurricular.

They’re both due tonight…Which one is going to take priority?

A - Oh, homework for sure. You’re not being graded on your extracurricular involvement.

B - Extracurriculars. They’re really counting on you!

C - You will probably try to do both, who needs sleep?

D - You would like to say you would never get caught in this situation, thank you very much.

FERNANDO ORTEGA CONCERT - AN UNEXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE TALK SHOW BY: CHARLOTTE LI ‘27 ew things are better than that Friday night feeling, but a live piano concert ON a Friday night? Fernando Ortega, well-known among the elderly community of Davidson, is an singer-songwriter of contemporary Christian music. Recently, Ortega paid his first visit to Davidson for a concert in the sanctuary of the Davidson United Methodist Church. While his musical talents are extremely impressive, it’s clear after attending that his real skill is being able to tell a story and connect with his audience. In other words, he could double as a fantastic talk show host and orator. Under the elegant dim blue light of the church, the audience was simply expecting a piano concert. Ortega truly made the space his own and completely changed my expectations for what a concert should be, engaging with the audience in a unique and immersive way. Giving us a glimpse into his life, Ortega defined himself as a father, a son, a literature lover, and a multilingual. Alongside his best friend and extraordinary cellist, Ortega reasons with his spirituality and regaled us with stories about his past. We never knew what to expect next: one second he’s being chased by dogs as a boy, the next he’s trading two pianos for his most precious and expensive one. He later found out the piano was made in the town he was born in. Ortega was able to expertly bring us into his life, with his music acting as a fantastic scene setter. Whether he places us in his shoes as a teenager or whisks us away to his mature years, Ortega kept his audience engaged. His voice matched the music well and carried powerfully all over the concert hall. Sometimes it felt like a gentle daffodil waking up in the warm weather; other times the music sounded like an enthusiastic family welcoming guests with the greatest hospitality. Even though Ortega’s music is religious in nature, it is accessible and inclusive to all people. No matter your language or identity, music is something that everyone can understand and enjoy. While Ortega originally wrote these songs in a religious context, referring to biblical stories, his piano acts as a conduit, translating the material to make it accessible for any audience. Even without understanding the full context of Ortega’s life, people were enjoying the music and having a great Friday night. One amazing thing about living in Davidson, especially as a Davidson student, is that we are rich in the arts and culture without having to pay a large monetary price. We should always be grateful for what we have and what surrounds us. I did not expect this concert to move me in the way that it did, but I felt great heading into the weekend as the last piano notes were played.

F

The

Yowl

Irreverent student journalism since 2004. Castigat Ridendo Mores.

inside

yowl.com/superlonely

Native Amer- Matt Mckillop Continues ican Tribe Davidson Tradition: Being Leaders beat a Legacy Admission and the 7^2ers in Then Underwhelming in Super Bowl First 2 Years Page Epic Plate Page Need Steph Back

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New Survey Finds Warner Throws Clothespin Short- BREAKING: Marage at Local Stores riage Pact Paird Your that White People Bernie Madoff as Seniors Run Boyfriend with His Ex Sympathize with Themed Party to Around Pinning for the Second Year in Invasive Species Recoup Budget Page Common Carp Losses Each Other a Row PageThey’re Starving Page No Hang Dry Page Meant to Be

Why We Aren’t Delivered to Your Door Anymore: Davidsonian Proves to be Tripping Hazard in Horrific Accident

he Davidsonian, the only studentrun newspaper and more importantly where the Yowl is published, is becoming increasingly difficult to come across. While the newspapers used to be delivered to dorm rooms, apartments, and professor’s offices, Davidson’s Residence Life Office has deemed the newspaper a tripping hazard, therefore halting all deliveries of the newspaper. If one doesn’t open the digital newsletter in their crowded Outlook inbox, the only way to grab a copy of the paper now is finding it in the laundry room, the Student Union, Nummit, or in one of the three lounges left on campus that haven’t been converted to overflow housing quadruple rooms.

Originally upset with the decision to limit our readers, the Yowl decided to get to the bottom of this decision, and actually found a plethora of dangers associated with papers being outside of people’s doors.

The assistant dean of students (ADS)

told us that at the end of the spring 2022 semester, Sarah Xem ‘23, the top gender and sexuality studies major in her class, slipped on the Davidsonian newspaper outside her apartment, falling and hitting her head on the floor. She woke up from a 2 day coma in the hospital insisting that there were only two genders.

“Tragic, really. She had been a prodigy in her field,” ADS told us. Xem now works in D.C. for a Republican senator, gives wedgies to homeless people, and has even started attending a megachurch. Out of fear of another tragedy like this, ADS banned all deliveries of the paper to doors. “We couldn’t have another loss like this occur.”

Tripping wasn’t the only hazard that the papers brought on. A Yowl reporter spoke with the resident area coordinator. He told us that after someone caught the Chidsey dorm on fire putting tinfoil in the microwave trying to reheat a Cat Club, a student became distracted by the Davidsonian newspaper outside their

door during the evacuation.

“The student was so enthralled by the paper that he didn’t leave the building; he just stood there and read the news.” Firefighters had to drag the student out through the smoke, and when they brought him outside, what they thought was coughing from smoke was actually the student choking on his own laughter because the Yowl was too funny and witty for him to handle.

The Yowl also spoke with thedirector of sustainability, who doesn’t turn off the faucet and lets the water run when she brushes her teeth, told us that not delivering the printed newspapers was also a sustainability move, limiting the amount of paper waste students are producing. “It’s also why we make the PawPrint campus printing system so difficult to use. If it’s nearly impossible to print anything, people aren’t going to print anything, and we’re going to save the trees.”

We interviewed a couple students about the issue as well.

Fiji Finds Itself With New Responsibilities as it Holds Davidson’s Social Scene in it’s Hands

A

fter the Residence Life Office shut down SAE and KSig apartments because police dont’ like “Take it Off” by Fisher being played twice in one day, there was worry about where everyone on campus would go to party. With SAE and KSig no longer able to open their apartment doors for 50 people to shove themselves into a 150 square foot space where most people are just trying to get in and out, Davidson students are desperately in search of another place to party. Heads have turned to the usually sparsely populated Ryburn apartment, where the brothers of Fiji spend their afternoons and evenings playing Vietnam and disco music.

“We’re a bit nervous about it. Usually it’s just my brothers and myself, and maybe a couple of their girlfriends and some friends dancing around inside, but now there’s pressure to play the music people want instead of just letting my friends play around with the air horn button on the DJ board,” Fiji president told a Yowl reporter. The frat had managed to avoid being shut down on any weekend because Campus Police judged their parties “too small to be relevant” and “looking like they still had social distancing rules in place” and refused to intervene. Perhaps this was the plan all along; Fiji’s plan of never having anyone attend their parties has ultimately allowed them to fly under the radar and collect a monopoly on parties at the school.

“I’m nervous it’s going to change up the vibe. I mean, I can bust it down with the homies no problem, but now that all these girls are here, I’m a little more self-conscious,” a brother said, who hasn’t spoken to a woman that’s not his professor or a lesbian in two years.

New members could potentially feel betrayed by this new development; sources tell us one of the main selling points of joining Fiji was not having to talk to girls.

“I’m terrified of talking to women so I was guaranteed a Fiji bid as soon as I attended a party at Ryburn and immediately went non-verbal” an unnamed new pledge

The

Yowl

The Valentine’s Day Issue

February 14, 2024

WRITERS Anti Fiji Editor Close Call

tells us, “Having to potentially see new people is scary, how else am I supposed to play exactly two games of stack cup and then go home in peace now?”

Some new attendees of a Friday evening at Ryburn reported to the Yowl that despite their initial doubts if Fiji could live up to SAE or KSig’s F apartments, Fiji “outperformed any of the other frats,” with many attendees feeling “safe and respected” with “no one groping [them].” Party attendees were also shocked to find that the email list consisted of friends and not just women that the Fiji brothers wanted to try to sleep with.

“At one point I eavesdropped on a ‘brothers only meeting’ and they were just talking passionately about their favorite films from Women in Quebec Cinema? It was like an unnervingly safe environment” a sophomore said.

One of the women’s soccer players attended a Fiji event for the first time last week, and said she wished she’d been hanging at Ryburn all along.

“This guy was talking to me for like an hour, and yeah, he was pretty wasted, but we had such a good conversation about his favorite WNBA team and women’s sports. I was hoping he’d come home with me, but he went off the shotgun beers with his brothers instead.”

Despite their current success of being the only possible place to party on campus, the achilles heels of the brothers may still eventually take them down. The hangover from another round of their beloved “Sidewalk Slammers,” as well as the embarrassment of adding to their internal leaderboard of times thrown up, had led no less than 4 brothers to swear off drinking for next weekend. At publication time all 4 brothers had reportedly broken their promises and opened yet another Loko. Current members had reportedly been spotted on hands and knees begging people for cigarettes outside of parties. For now we’ll have to stay tuned to see how Fiji adjusts to an unknown new reality: Having people show up to their parties.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Because I said so.”

- Administration when we asked why we can’t have parties anymore

“Honestly, I’m not really bothered. I don’t actually read the Davidsonian; I get all my news from Twitter, because that’s where I can find the most accurate information. If I want to know Davidson-specific information, I turn to YikYak. Print is dead; we just have to face it,” the guy who plays devils advocate in your ethics class every morning told us.

“I’m pretty bummed. I used to read the Yowl every week when it came to my dorm,” a senior told us. “I also wouldn’t know about all the crimes going on around me without the crime long. Underage drinking, possession of marijuana, you’ve got to stay informed about the unbelievable crimes these college students are committing!”

So if you do happen to come across the newspaper, maybe while you wait for an empty drier with the wet clothes someone took out of your washer and put on the floor, make sure to take one home for your roommates.

More Frat Pledge Ideas

• • •

Prohibition Pledge: sober for the semester Zodiac Pledge: has to inform everyone their horoscopes each week Best dressed pledge: has to wear something super stylish every day (would probably end up getting mad bitches) Parents Pledge: has to call their parents once a day Seven Dwarfs Pledges: each takes on the role of one of the seven dwarfs Activist Pledge: Has to post Instagram infographics on their story Civic Engagement Pledge: Has to go to every Town of Davidson meeting and be involved in local government Language Pledge: Learn an endangered language and only speak in it at frat events Friendship Bracelet Pledge: Make a bracelet for every member of the frat Feminist Film Pledge: Must watch one female directed film a week and provide thoughtful analysis Spoon Pledge: Must always carry around an excessive number of spoons and hand them out Charlie Chaplin Pledge: Must do at least one slapstick silent film routine a week while wearing a tiny mustache New Frat Pledge: Must join a different frat (but undercover) and become a full member

• • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • •

Things My Family Members Said During the Super Bowl

Why does Taylor Swift have to hug everyone? *my mom looking at my dad and point to Travis Kelce yelling at Andy Reid* If you ever talk to me like that I’ll kill you.

Who is that? (asking about Usher) [racist expletive] Wow, he can roller skate!

An improvement over others. Only because there were no women to speak of in indecent clothing!! (an actual text from my grandmother about the halftime show) Little John? Lily John? Leel Jon? He’s got my vote (relating to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign commercial) Who is that? (again, asking about Usher) Honk shoo mimimimimi

Valentines Day Ideas - rage room - 30 min phone call with you ex - sidewalk slammer

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

Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.