The Davidsonian 4.03

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Claire Kelly ‘25 reports on ongoing discussions of free speech on campus

The

Independent Student Journalism Since 1914

Issue 18 Volume 122

Over half of women have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact in their lifetime, accoriding to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Davidson College is not immune to this statistic, and while the College has procedures in place to serve, protect and advocate for survivors, many find issues within the system. Maxine, whose name changed for privacy, is one such student. She sought help from the college soon after she was assaulted, but found administrative support unsatisfactory.

Maxine experienced assault in the form of intimate partner violence during the spring 2023 semester. During the summer, she scheduled a meeting with Davidson’s Title IX Coordinator Carly Dix.

“Ms. Dix and I started the meeting with an icebreaker that I suggested,” Maxine wrote in a statement to The Davidsonian. “I figured I was about to discuss one of the most traumatic experiences of my life to a total stranger, I might as well try to get to know her beforehand.

Icebreakers completed, we dove right in. I provided as much detail as I could remember, date, time, and location on campus. I did not know what information was useful to my case, so I shared everything.”

After recounting the story of her assault, Maxine found Dix’s response “jarring.”

“After I was extremely vulnerable and emotional, she began to discuss different reports and resolutions,” Maxine wrote. “Imagine watching a super sad dog movie then having someone walk in and try to sell you insurance policies. She made no empathetic connection with me or acknowledged my pain. Instead, we were all logistics and business. I was hurt and confused while also frantically taking notes on what she was saying.”

As Title IX Coordinator, Dix is legally responsible to meet the needs of students impacted by sexual violence. However, since her work serves all students, she is also legally prohibited from taking the side of one student over another.

“What is different about my position as opposed to an advocate is I have to have that same empathy and legal boundaries for all the students I serve on this campus, meaning I cannot be biased in favor of one student over the other,” Dix wrote over email.

Likewise, a Title IX Investigator Refresher Training from Georgia Institute of Technology stresses that investigators must remain unprejudiced throughout the Title IX process. According to the training manual, staying unbiased requires investigators to not make assumptions about a case based on sexual history, alcohol and drug use, gender stereotypes,

Sola Omonije ‘24 is the focus of this week’s senior spotlight with Cameron Krakowiak ‘24

Josie Swain ‘27 speaks with student performers and bands at Walt Woodstock

The Yowl investigate the struggles white men face at Davidson, raises DEI concern

3 5 6 8

Sexual Assault Surivors Take Issue with College Response

or other factors. Moreover, investigators should avoid conflicts of interest throughout the Title IX process, so developing a more personal relationship with either party might compromise their ability to do their job ethically.

While impartiality is part of Dix’s job, it can make students like Maxine feel like they lack allies — particularly since students do not receive an official advocate unless they file a formal complaint. In a second meeting with Dix in July, Maxine searched for sources of support from the Davidson administration and was disappointed by what she learned.

“My final follow up question was, ‘If you cannot be an advocate for me, who in Davidson’s administration can be my advocate?’ She told me unless I wanted to file a formal complaint then no one. Davidson partners with an off-campus

unheard, just as she had when she met with Dix that summer.

“I was definitely really frustrated with the Dean of Students Office and the administration,” Maxine said. “I haven’t heard anything from her since. ”

In response to a request for comment, Harris deferred to Dix.

“She oversees this process and it is most appropriate that she answers your questions,”

Harris wrote over email.

For the rest of her fall semester, Maxine leaned on her friends for support and found a coincidental ally in Assistant Professor of Psychology Alesha Bond. Bond was leaving an evening event on campus when she saw Maxine upset outside of Chambers.

“I saw her on the bench, just crying, you know,

survivor group if students want to have more support and advocacy, but no one on Davidson could provide those services because it would be a violation of Title IX.”

Maxine did not want to file a formal complaint and deeply internalized Dix’s lack of empathy, even though Dix is legally prohibited from sympathizing with one student over another.

In addition to her statement, Maxine spoke to The Davidsonian about her experience of seeking out support from the college administration. In addition to meeting with Dix over the summer, when she returned to Davidson for the fall semester and a professor submitted a CARE referral for her. CARE (which stands for “Connection, Advocacy, Resources, Education”) referrals can be submitted by any Davidson community member about a student and connect them with the College’s CARE team. The team is headed by Assistant Dean of Students Angela Harris, who Maxine met with. During their meeting, Maxine mentioned that she had not felt supported during her interactions with Dix.

“When I brought up my concerns about Title IX to the Dean of Students, she basically was like ‘Oh, I’m sorry, this happened to you, but this is not my jurisdiction or whatever. So I can’t do anything about it,’” Maxine said.

Maxine left her meeting with Harris feeling

just very intense, loud crying,” Bond said. “I just kind of sat down, I was like, ‘You don’t have to say anything but I do want to make sure that you’re okay.’ I remember asking her what do you plan to do after you leave and she was like ‘I’m going to sit on that bench and cry.’”

Bond and Maxine met again after this initial interaction. Bond said she wanted to ensure that Maxine felt a sense of validation.

“I’m a human you know, a human with many experiences and I think a student in her position was very vulnerable, and just looking to feel heard,” Bond said. “That was something that she felt she was missing.”

One obstacle Maxine faced in her search for validation was the fact that she did not want to file a formal complaint against her perpetrator. She was concerned about the impact the resulting procedure, which ranges from the student she accused accepting responsibility to a formal resolution involving an investigation and a hearing, would have on her life as a student at Davidson.

“Davidson’s a small school,” Maxine said. “Filing a formal complaint against another student at Davidson, I mean, there’s no way to stay anonymous in that. I just want to be a student, and I love all the courses I’m in, the classes, extracurriculars, that sort of thing. I

don’t want to be known as the person who is going through this. I just don’t want my story to be so public at a very small school.”

Filing a formal complaint with the Title IX Office would not make her case public knowledge, and Dix emphasized that in the majority of situation, she will only do what the student wants, “including taking no action or only engaging in actions that keep the identity of the student confidential.” Additionally, filing a formal complaint would result in Maxine being assigned an advisor, someone who could advocate on her behalf.

“When students are considering filing a formal complaint I will get them assigned to an advisor if they do not already have one,” Dix wrote. “The advisor can act as their advocate, which means they only center one student’s perspective in their advising work. I think an advisor is absolutely needed as part of the holistic support the college provides. This is why we match students with an advisor early in the process as opposed to after a complainant has filed a formal complaint.”

Dix also emphasized that many supportive measures are available to students, without them needing to file a formal complaint.

“The Title IX Office has a robust supportive measures program that allows students to receive assistance with issues before they become policy violating behaviors,” Dix wrote. “In addition, students are able to receive many of the resolutions they are seeking via the supportive measures process.”

However, because Maxine did not want to file a formal complaint, she did not receive that direct advisor support. Her desire to refrain from filing a complaint is not unique. Bond highlighted the many factors that can contribute to underreporting on college campuses and various barriers students may face.

“Literature suggests that [...] people [may not report sexual assault] because of what they perceive the [Title IX] process is going to be,” Bond said. “These are the sorts of dynamics specifically related to campus that [...] drive things like underreporting,”

Bond also discussed how, in her initial interaction with Maxine, some of Maxine’s first words to her were “please don’t report me.” As a professor, Bond is a mandated reporter, or “Responsible Employee” under Title IX, which means that she is required to report any violation of Title IX, including incidents of sex-based discrimination and sexual harassment. She noted that the concept of a mandated reporter can serve the opposite purpose of what it is intended to do.

“One of the institutional factors that comes up just in research is what can feel like institutional betrayal,” Bond said. “[...] There are circumstances where a survivor may feel like they are more at risk, or that more harm will come to them because of this role.”

Maxine’s experience epitomizes Bond’s

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Josh Stein Wins Democratic Party Governor Nomination

SAVANNAH SORAGHAN ‘27 (SHE/ HER) STAFF WRITER

Current North Carolina Attorney General

Josh Stein won the Democratic Party nomination for governor with 69.6

percent of the votes. According to the New York Times, Stein is now in a tight race with his Republican opponent, Mark Robinson. Stein was raised in North Carolina, where he attended Chapel Hill High School. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1988, and went on to teach English and economics

in Zimbabwe for two years. Following his stint in Zimbabwe, Stein returned to school and obtained a Master’s in Public Policy and Juris Doctorate from Harvard University. Before entering politics, Stein worked with the Self-Help Credit Union to transform abandoned drug houses in Durham into affordable family

homes and the North Carolina Minority Support Center to raise money for small businesses across the state.

Stein has occupied many roles in North Carolina’s government, each involving a commitment to public safety.

STELLA MACKLER ‘26 (SHE/HER) MADELINE RICHARD ‘26 (SHE/HER) CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF

April highlights Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Photo from National Sexual Violence Reource Center.

Stein Faces Uphill Battle in Hotly Contested Governors Race

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

From 2001 to 2008, Stein was the Senior Deputy Attorney General for Consumer Protection in the North Carolina Department of Justice. In 2009, he began serving in the North Carolina Senate and held this position for seven years. During that time, he advocated for clean energy, public safety, and public education.

While serving as senator, Stein was also recognized for his advocacy on critical topics, especially regarding LGBTQ+ equality and environmental issues.

“He has one of the most progressive liberal voting records when he was in the North Carolina Senate,” said Quinn Dunlap ‘25, President of Davidson College Democrats.

Stein was elected to serve as Attorney General in 2015. According to the Department of Justice, his main goals are to prevent crime, protect the environment, stopMedicaid provider fraud and patient abuse, establish an open government, end the opioid crisis, and promote internet safety.

One of his main accomplishments as Attorney General was his work with the N.C. State Crime Lab to tackle the NC rape kit backlog, which aligned with his overarching goal of stopping crime.

“I’ve been fighting for survivors of sexual assault. North Carolina had more untested rape kits than any other state in the country, some 16,000 and we are methodically working

through that backlog. And within a matter of weeks, we’ll have completely eliminated that backlog,” Stein told a group of student reporters during a virtual press conference in March.

After spending eight years as attorney general, Stein announced his run for governor on January 18, 2023.He was endorsed by many well-known figures such as current NC governor Roy Cooper and the President of the North Carolina Association of Educators, Tamika Walker Kelly.

“With a record of results and a clear-eyed vision for our future, Josh is ready to do this job,” Cooper said in his endorsement.

In his campaign for governor, Stein has

continued to build on his goals he set as Attorney General while setting new ones. In his press conference with student journalists, Stein addressed some of his main campaign points as governor including education and public schools, the housing economy, protecting LGBTQ+ North Carolinians and gun violence.

“The money is sitting there. It needs to go to public education,” said Stein. “Leandro is a great opportunity for us to do right by the students.”

Stein also addressed how rapid economic growth in North Carolina drives up the living cost, especially in the Triangle Area. He argued that the housing supply needs to increase to remedy the issue and offered policy suggestions.

“What I want is for the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency to have a chunk of money that goes to local governments that incentivize the construction of more and varied types of housing so that we can address this issue of housing affordability,” said Stein.

Stein prioritizes abortion care as well. According to a press release, he filed a friendof-the-court brief — a strategy that allows him to assist in a case as an unrelated individual — last Friday to protect access to abortions during medical emergencies. His focus on reproductive health is not unique.

“Democrats all over the country are running on abortion rights,” said Associate Professor of Political Science Andrew O’Geen.

Stein’s stances are progressive in comparison

to the Republican counterpart, Robinson, who is better known for his more extremist views. Voters tend to be loyal to their political party, but with Robinson’s controversial statements gaining notability, there are questions arising about changing voter demographics, especially within the Republican party.

“The press around some of the comments that people brought up after he [Robinson] won the primary, was pretty bad,” O’Geen said. “I think that there is definitely a possibility that if…he comes out doubling down on some of that stuff…you [could] see Stein winning by a margin that’s a little bit bigger than he normally would.”

Although North Carolina is historically a purple state–Cooper won the 2020 Governors election with 49 percent of the vote compared to his Republican opponent Pat McRoy’s 48.8 percent–Stein faces an uphill battle.

“The NC state legislature has a very strong leaning toward the Republican party – not because the state is 2/3 Republican voters, but rather because they have drawn their own district lines to ensure that a majority or supermajority of the state legislative seats are ‘safe’ elections for Republicans,” said professor of Political Science Dr. Melody CrowderMeyer. “The NC governor’s race is of primary importance in 2024 because it offers one of the only real opportunities North Carolinians have to shape the outcome of the laws governing this state.”

Students Argue Lack of Empathy Towards Sexual Assault Survivors

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

characterization of students walking away with the feeling that the system is not working.

“I really love the school and the professors here and all of that,” Maxine said. “But I have never felt so small and so invisible to the administration who claims it is there for their students.”

Ongoing Efforts to Support Sexual Assault Survivors

Many students, such as Students Against Sexual Violence (SASV) president Valentina Silardi ‘25, have worked to combat sexual assault on campus and tried to make resources more available to students like Maxine. While they recognize the legal responsibilities the College must uphold, they are particularly attuned to areas where they see the administration lacking in empathy or support for students.

Last year, Silardi partnered with attorney Melissa Hordichuk to provide pro bono legal services to sexual assault survivors on Davidson’s campus. According to Silardi, “[Hordichuk] has all the information that [Dix] has,” but offers anonymity that Dix cannot provide. As Maxine emphasized, Davidson is a small campus, making this confidentiality particularly valuable.

“Survivors can go to [Hordichuk] and talk to her about, like what they want to do without the fear of anything being reported,” Silardi explained. “Even if nothing happens beyond [Hordichuk informing students of their legal options], having this confidentiality is so important for survivors as they navigate the process. Federally and legally, you don’t really get that autonomy unless you go through an outside source [as compared to Carley Dix].”

Silardi has also created a guide that links survivors to counseling resources, support groups and information about the Title IX process in order to demystify the Title IX process. She aimed to make other — and often hidden — resources more accessible to students who might not be aware of them.

“In my time at Davidson doing this work, I found a lot of really incredible resources on campus.

Silardi said. I think a lot of students don’t even know about, like, half of those resources [included in the guide], which they absolutely should. Because if you’re attending a school, you’re entitled to everything that the school has to offer.”

Other members of SASV, such as survivor support and administrative advocacy chairs Reina Sevintuna ‘25 and Chase Waldner ‘24, work as liaisons between the students and the administration. According to Waldner, he and Sevintuna serve as “kind of a bridge between the administration, the Title IX office, and the student body.”

As Maxine attests, working with the Title IX office can be challenging and hard to navigate, and Sevintuna and Waldner acknowledge this throughout their work. Their efforts are diverse, but center around a common goal: supporting sexual assault survivors and providing a resource beyond the Title IX office.

“We have a fund at the Counseling Center that can send people to special training counselors for free, we also can use that fund to pay for people to go to group therapy or anything that they need,” Sevintuna said. “We have a therapist coming to campus that is doing closed sessions to work with survivors in the counseling center. And then we have Community Survivors, which we run,

which is a community that is basically a safe space for survivors to come together.”

Sevintuna and Waldner have also advocated for changes within the Title IX office. As Maxine expressed, some survivors would like an advocate as they share their story and discuss possible steps forward, without having to file a formal complaint first.

“What we find is that most people [coming forward with their sexual assault experiences] really need someone to look at them and be like, ‘I believe you, and I’m here for you, and I want to help you,’” Sevintuna said.

Along with Waldner, she strives to fill this need by campaigning to provide allies for students in the Title IX office.

“We have advocated very strongly to have someone else in the office who can fill the role [of a student’s ally] because on campus, there is no official advocate for students,” Sevintuna said. “We are the closest thing to advocates and we are just students.”

Sevintuna and Waldner also want Dix to feel more supported in her role, as she is the only figure on campus who can officially assist students with Title IX issues.

“[Dix] has been in this role for three or four years now. She is the only one doing it. And with that comes a lot of empathy fatigue,” Waldner said. “If you are dealing with everyone’s worst day, every single day, and all of these horrible, brutal stories every single day, eventually you get desensitized to it. That is not [Dix’s] fault. That is just the human brain trying to survive all of this trauma that’s being absorbed.”

Dix herself believes that having another person in her office could have professional and personal benefits.

“My job can be emotionally depleting and some days I do a worse job than others about how much I let it impact me personally,” Dix wrote. “Overall, my focus is community change and transformation. So, on the days where I have a particularly rough day, I remind myself that all interactions I have, big or small, are in pursuit of positive change.”

Though Dix would like an assistant and students have advocated for her to receive one, campus administrators have not fulfilled these requests.

“We need another [counselor] Anna Folkens, we need another Carley Dix, we need probably 100 more staffers on this campus for various reasons,” Sevintuna said. “There would have to be some sort of reorientation of the way that we handle these things.”

What Still Needs to Be Done

The entire Davidson community must invest in preventing sexual assault in the first place in order to create meaningful change on campus, according to Bond.

“When communities and societies are [...] on board with interventions [against sexual assault], we eventually start to see reduced levels of sexual violence,” Bond said. “That is broader than just, ‘this is what this person needs to do.’ Individual-based prevention is kind of like saying, ‘Let me teach you what consent is.’ And that’s great [...] we have seen reduced levels of campusbased violence, but it can’t be the full picture.”

The consensus remains that the administration must prioritize the needs of survivors when sexual assault does occur. According to Assistant Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies Katie Horowitz, the Title IX process often fails to accomplish that goal. She suggested that system-wide change is necessary.

“Most of the time, people are very dissatisfied with the outcome of Title IX hearings, both parties involved end up being unhappy with the outcome,” Horowitz said. “I think it is important for us to try to investigate other possibilities there might be for handling this that center the needs of the person who has been harmed.”

In line with the call for systemic change, Dix recognized the potential for innovation, emphasizing her attentiveness to student feedback. The campus conducted a sexual violence survey in 2023; however, its results have not been made public.

“I think any process can be improved and am always seeking, receiving, and utilizing feedback from students about how to adjust or improve this process,” Dix wrote. “There are some aspects of sexual misconduct reporting and response that must follow a certain procedure under Title IX but there are also opportunities to be flexible and forward thinking in how the college responds to students based on how the needs of the student population change every year.”

While Dix is open to feedback from the campus community, many students remain frustrated by the way the college handles sexual misconduct.

Annabelle Ross ‘24 and Zayna Abuhakema ‘24 are Chair and Vice Chair of the Honor Council. While the Honor Council does not hear cases related to sexual misconduct, members of the council do sit in on Code of Responsibility hearings that do. They described what they observed as the general attitude of the college toward perpetrators as lacking in action and one where the needs of the survivor are not centered.

“I’ve heard the people haven’t reported because the narrative going around is that the administration doesn’t do anything about it, even for people that have had multiple cases that have been egregious, and no one does anything,” Ross said.

While reports of sexual misconduct must be kept confidential due to legal protections, there is a desire for the administration to take some sort of preventative measures and cultivate awareness.

“We know who to avoid because of word of mouth, not because the administration has done anything about it,” Abuhakema said.

In line with taking responsibility, Maxine interrogated the college’s priorities.

“[I want to] question Davidson, like, are you really here for your students? Or are you only here for your students when we’re scholar athletes, or we’re, you know, getting amazing grants and going on and doing amazing things?”

Maxine also pushed the College to recenter their focus on empathy for survivors.

“To the Title IX and Dean of Students Offices, the next time a student who shares a story like mine walks into your office- please remember my story,” Maxine wrote in her statement. “Imagine if this student was your child, niece/nephew, or another young person in your life. Phrases like, ‘Thank you for coming in to meet with me. I know it takes a lot of courage to come forward, and I am going to do everything in my power to help you feel seen and supported at Davidson.’ These phrases do not compromise your job title or office, but they do acknowledge the student’s courage and humanity. What would Davidson look like if we led with empathy, compassion, and humanity?”

Josh Stein, the Democratic Governor nominee for North Carolina. Photo by NCDOJ.

Where do Free Speech and DEI Overlap?

CLAIRE KELLY ‘25 (SHE/HER) NEWS EDITOR

Davidson’s Commitment to Freedom of Expression, which was affirmed in 2023, emphasizes the College’s “fundamental commitment” to debate, discussion, and deliberation. The Commitment was drafted by a bipartisan group of the college community, including professors, students and alumni from both sides of the aisle.

This statement has come into question in the past several weeks after some largely conservative alumni raised their concerns that students at Davidson cannot speak freely for fear of judgment or discrimination against their point of views. Some recent events on campus have revolved around these anxieties.

On Wednesday, March 27th, the Free Speech Alliance, a selfproclaimed nonpartisan student-run organization at Davidson, hosted a discussion between the former president of the American Civil Liberties Union and current law professor at New York Law School, Nadine Strosser, and former Davidson chemistry professor and Governor of North Carolina, Jim Martin ‘57, who was involved in the crafting of Davidson’s Commitment to Freedom of Expression.

The talk was sponsored by Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse (DFTD), a conservative alumni group independent of Davidson, as well as Voices for Liberty, a free speech initiative out of the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.

Martin, who sits on the board of DFTD, began by talking with Strossen about their different views. While the two differ politically based on their work experiences, their discussion emphasized the importance of keeping free speech nonpartisan.

“Imagine how thrilled I am to be able to share this program with the 17 year President of the American Civil Liberties Union, somewhat intimidating for Republicans to talk with her,” Martin joked.

As the conversation progressed, Strossen often brought attention to the fundamentals of free speech in America, and why it is important for college campuses.

“No matter who you are and no matter what you believe, you absolutely depend on the robust freedom of speech for the most individual and personal reasons—that is to explore and develop and express your own sense of who you are,” Strossen explained. “It’s also essential for your relationships, including your most intimate relationships with family and friends to communicate.”

Strossen described her passion for free speech advocacy as rooted in her family history. Her father, a Holocaust survivor, was an avid advocate against Nazism in his youth and survived a Jewish labor camp where he was put for outwardly expressing his political views.

“My father in particular, only my father was born in Germany in 1922 as what Hitler ultimately classified as a ‘half-Jew,’” Strossen said. “My father was staunchly opposed to and active against Hitler as a teenager on political grounds [...] and as a teenager, he was imprisoned in a forced labor camp [...] after being a political opponent.”

Eventually, the discussion transitioned to a larger dialogue about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). DEI work has recently come under fire across college campuses since many conservative groups, including the DFTD, argue that it restricts students’ freedom of expression and requires professors to subscribe to a particular worldview. In Martin’s perspective, DEI engages in “blaming and shaming” white students.

A Conversation with Nadine Strossen and Jim Martin ‘57 Crime Log

Time Reported

“We read about colleges that have been evaluating candidates for faculty, and perhaps even for students [...] based on how committed they stated to be toward diversity, equality and inclusion,” Martin said. “And on the one hand, you could say, well, they’re entitled to free speech to uphold the standards of the college; but also, you can argue that well, that’s requiring conformity of thought, and trying to protect students from hearing other ideas.”

Strossen pointed out that she believes there could be cases where DEI conflicts with free speech. In a recent article she wrote for the Foundation of Individual Rights and Freedoms (FIRE), where she is a senior fellow, Strossen highlighted examples where DEI and free speech overlap. Her main point appeared to be that faculty must appear favorable towards DEI work, prompting issues of free speech.

“University of California, Santa Cruz’s DEI statement requirement, which gives low scores to faculty applicants who, for example, suggest affinity groups for underrepresented students are counterproductive because they separate students by identity and make them feel less valued,” Strossen wrote in the article. “Another example is the California Community Colleges system’s proposal to modify evaluation and tenure criteria to compel all faculty to embed “anti-racist principles” in their curricula and to accept and apply ideas like “intersectionality” and “axes of oppression.”

Strossen reiterated these ideas throughout the talk.

“The devil is in the details,” Strossen replied. “If it were truly an open ended question, for my mind [...] what is your concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion?”

Strossen also argued that DEI work on campus has become too idealistic and abstract, separated from its original goals.

“Unfortunately, many DEI programs, no matter how well intended they might be, no matter how laudable those goals are, in the abstract, have really become a litmus test for a very narrow illogical view on matters of identity politics, and usually extend to the important kind of diversity that you’ve referred to,” Strossen explained. “That is crucial in the university and especially crucial in university and that is diversity of ideas, diversity of belief; and I think we have a new just a dominant orthodoxy on so many campuses in terms of political perspectives and [...] religious perspectives.”

When a student from the audience asked about her thoughts on the recent mandatory showing of a film called, I’m Not Racist…Am I? to student athletes, Strossen, who had not seen the film, questioned the logic behind it.

“The Athletic Department has autonomy in making their best judgment in selecting materials for their students to view or in this case for their teams to view [...] so they probably have the right to do that,” Strossen said. In her mind, the situation is analogous to “the way a faculty member can decide what books to include in a on a syllabus, or the department can decide what courses to include in the curriculum.”

Though Strossen acknowledges that the Athletic Department technically had the right to show the film, she wondered if it was an appropriate decision.

“But there’s another question: Is it right to do that? Is it pedagogically justified? Is it justified in terms of the spirit of diversity of ideas we’re trying to encourage?”

Strossen reiterated that even though she had not seen the film, she felt as though there are plenty of examples in other colleges that demonstrate what she views as the failures of DEI. While she did not name specific studies, she emphasized her belief that DEI does not always intended positive outcomes.

“I’m not familiar with the particular film, but there have been negative studies of training materials that are used for

DEI programs, anti racism programs, on both campuses and in corporations,” Strossen said. “The studies show that these materials actually end up increasing people’s discomfort and hostility and undermining racial and other intergroup harmony, so I can’t comment on the particular film, but I would say no matter how positive [...] that doesn’t mean that anything that is touted under that banner [DEI]] is necessarily going to be positive.”

Assistant Professor of the Practice of Communication Studies Isaac Bailey ‘95, who was also involved in crafting the Commitment to Freedom of Expression, attended the talk on Wednesday. He objected to much of what was said during the discussion, and emphasized the work he has put into establishing attitudes toward diversity and inclusion on campus.

“It [the creation of DEI standard across campus] has been really really really really difficult; [...] I had to actually get real coalitions built,” Bailey told the panelist.

Martin, who got to know Bailey through the creation of the Freedom of Expression, commented on both his relationship with Bailey and their differing viewpoints.

“We disagree on a lot of things but there are things we agree on,” Martin said.

Ultimately, Martin emphasized that Davidson is imperfect, but that it is the differences that make it valuable.

“I love Davidson. I love Davidson College. There are things I don’t love. And I’m not unique.”

In a later interview with The Davidsonian, Bailey built on the difficulties of implementing DEI, expressing that the Commitment to Freedom of Expression required extensive bipartisan effort.

“We actually were able to [...] craft it at least among folks like who actually have sort very, very different ideas when it comes to politics and social issues [...] that is also sort of vital as well [...] for people to be able to reach across minds.”

After the discussion, Bailey further reflected on some of what was said between Strossen and Martin. He emphasized that Davidson’s Commitment to Freedom of Expression lays a strong foundation for the school.

“At least the topic of free expression is really, really important and so I like the fact that they actually went deep,” Bailey said. “I am still really, really happy, about the statement itself [Davidson’s Commitment to Freedom of Expression]; it’s a clear marker, which says that Davidson College absolutely stands for free expression.”

However, Bailey pointed out that the event did not sufficiently contextualize the DEI efforts unfolding on Davidson’s campus.

“The thing that I actually did not like about the event was the way that they talked about that video which was mandated for the scholar athletes to see,” Bailey said. “Anytime that you sort of take things out of context actually makes it harder [...] it actually makes it harder to actually build, like long term coalitions at least across differences just to reinforce free speech protection.”

Bailey thought that the negative attitude towards DEI in combination with freedom of expression overshadowed the message of the importance of free speech.

“That is where the event was at its weakest,” Bailey said. “Any time that you put DEI and free speech into competition with each other, it is going to make it much, much harder, for you to grow more support; so what happened on Wednesday night, as soon as it’s actually got to DEI, instead of sort of, like free speech, I think that is when it puts a damper on it.”

Perspectives

A Cultural Reconnection Through the Baking of Hot Cross Buns

(SHE/HER)

Living in America sometimes makes me forget my English roots. Last week, I caught myself saying “pants” instead of “trousers” and quite literally scolded myself.

During freshman year at my international student orientation, I was asked to think of some cultural differences between my home country and the United States. Somewhat ignorantly, I believed there were hardly any – I spoke the same language, enjoyed similar music and movies, read American literature, and understood many cultural references. I remember even having some banter with my group members that my culture wasn’t even disparate.

I was wrong. After three years of living in the States, I will staunchly argue with anyone that English culture, while sharing some similarities, is distinct. I won’t pretend that my culture shock was as significant or challenging as that of many other international students, but I certainly experienced my share of it.

Every semester, normally around nine weeks in, I become acutely aware of my alien status and begin to feel a little like a fish out of water. Whether it’s spring or fall, I find myself missing London—the familiar faces, the comfort of family, and the simple joy of spotting recognisable treats like chocolate bourbons or pink and white squashies in a supermarket.

In daily conversations, I increasingly notice my lack of familiarity with U.S. culture. My schooling experience was markedly different, and I’m just beginning to understand the grade school system here. When it comes to the history of U.S. presidents, I’m surprised by how much is deemed common knowledge. Our level of familiarity with prime ministers

in England is certainly not the same.

I spell words differently – ‘colour’ with a ‘u’, and it pains me to use a ‘z’ instead of ‘s’ in words like ‘recognise’. The TV shows I grew up watching were ‘Outnumbered’, ‘Miranda’, or CBBC classics like ‘Horrible Histories’, and I often find myself at a loss in nostalgic conversations when people pinpoint specific cultural references.

Another point of divergence is my holiday season traditions. This semester, I sadly forgot Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday. Across England, an exorbitant volume of pancakes are consumed, and schools host pancakeflipping relay races.

And right about now, it all catches up to me. I remember that at my core, I am not American, but English through and through. It especially doesn’t help when people attempt their “best” English accent for me, reminding me yet again of our linguistic differences. It was and sometimes is charming, but once it happens one too many times, it’s hard to restrain frustration.

Over the years, I’ve developed tactics to combat my cultural homesickness. BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme is a daily essential, playing most mornings in the bathroom, as my roommates can attest. I find hearing English voices very soothing and the show keeps me updated on what’s happening back home.

My most recent discovery is making English food. Now, I know people have a lot of gripes with English cuisine, and I can understand it. Dishes like fish fingers with chips and mushy peas may sound a little unappetizing, and even our “haute cuisine” of baked beans on toast may not appeal to everyone. However, I can assure you that beans on toast are one of the ultimate scran options.

I drink a lot of tea, most of which I have smuggled with me from England – PG tips

with a splash of milk in the afternoons, and a Clipper herbal brew every night. When the temperatures get a little warmer I make dishes like Eton Mess, which, if you haven’t tried, you should. It is unbelievably simple – berries, whipped cream, crushed meringues all mixed and served in sizable dollops – scrummy. I like to accompany it with a glass of Pimm’s, a lethal but heavenly concoction of Pimm’s spirit, lemonade, cucumbers, mint, strawberries, and oranges served in a giant pitcher.

This semester, I cultivated a sourdough starter and, inspired by some Easter spirit, transitioned from baking loaves to making hot cross buns. These palm-sized treats bear a symbolic white cross atop, representing Christ’s crucifixion. Infused with just the right mild sweetness from cinnamon, allspice, and raisins, or a medley of dried fruit, they have a doughy, spongy interior and a dark brown, slightly crisp exterior.

The English celebrate Easter in some ways similar to Americans: an Easter egg hunt, plenty of chocolate, and family meals. However, some traditions, such as hot cross buns, differ.

Hot cross buns are ubiquitous in U.K. supermarkets, from Sainsbury’s to Tesco’s to your local bakeries. We always have a pack on hand in my household; they are delicious for breakfast when toasted and slathered with butter.

In North Carolina, the only potential source I found was Publix, but I didn’t like my chances, so I instead opted to try baking them myself. Consulting my bible, BBC Good Food, I found a recipe for sourdough hot cross buns.

I can confidently confirm that the final product was delicious. As I took a bite of a steaming bun fresh out of the oven, my roommate asked what it tasted like. I replied, ‘Home,’ and I meant it sincerely. It just felt right; the

On Another Neurodivergence Spectrum: Examining the Differences of Our Brains

(SHE/HER)

My brain is atypical, my mind’s eye blind. Roughly 2-7% of the population has aphantasia, an episodic system condition entailing impairments in producing voluntary and involuntary imagery, and in recalling and generating details of episodic memory for both atemporal and future events. I fail to fathom how people can actually conjure images because my mind is visually blank. Moreover, when I try (normal) mental tasks like visualizing prompts, faces, memories, picturing and rotating shapes, et cetera, the output is barely structured, barely colorful, and fuzzy and fleeting at best. Trying harder sometimes even physically hurts.

We may never fully understand the marvels of the human mind, and we could forever debate about whether or not there exists an inherent limit in our pursuit of knowledge in this vast universe. Instead, I invite you to really consider your position on the spectrum of visual vividness. Most research on aphantasia and its antithesis hyperphantasia (ultra-clear mental images with photo-like quality, like “real seeing”) is based on anecdotal evidence. These two conditions are extremes, and I assume most readers probably lie in the middle ground. Additionally, varying mental imagination abilities to an extent also concern our prospective careers.

The majority of aphantasics are reported to have scientific, mathematical and computational professions while hyperphantasia is heavily associated with art. Visual imagery plays a role not only in memory and daydreaming, but also in creativity. Last fall semester, I took Art 103 (Basic Painting) and particularly struggled with the abstract unit. I wrote about this challenge in my artist’s statement, excerpted below.

I struggled most with the cold-wax medium painting. Exploring numerous techniques (scouring, palette knife, paintbrush, taping. layering, rolling, leaf printing) on one panel was uncomfortable because I could not imagine a coherent final outcome, literally (aphantasia) and metaphorically (I constantly felt stuck). Despite how the still-life took much longer, the vision was set up in front of me

In this statement, I expressed how still-life however time-

consuming was easier because it required making a setup, and then translating it directly to the panel as opposed to visualizing an end-result goal in my head. I believe my poor visual imagery explains why artistic creation is unnatural for me. The exception is more emotional arts such as poetry and literature, both of which I am passionate about. Writing and reading move me, and my poems noticeably lack physical descriptions with a more sensational focus.

I suppose in a similar fashion to which blind people have sharpened hearing, and deaf people are more visual, aphantasia may be the reason I am good at science through having to rely on really getting to the root of concepts to remember them. I endlessly dig deep into topics, and in this sense I have developed my logical thinking. This is why chemistry, a popular torturous subject, makes sense to me. Okay, it seldom makes sense right away (especially true for Analytical Chemistry this semester), but after investigating why one thing leads to another, it eventually clicks. For revision, I cannot rely on visual but rather conceptual tools to understand everything until concepts amalgamate in my long-term memory. Science is more complex and interlinked than it is linear, and the cyclical nature of topics resonates with how I learn by making sense of what I have got, and webbing content together as needed. There is so much diversity and individual difference that philosophical, psychological and neurological questions about mental imagery do not have clear answers (yet?). For instance, how can one possibly explain the varying manifestations of dreams among people with aphantasia? Most aphantasics ironically have visual dreams. The fact that I have wild and lifelike dreams yet I cannot picture my friends’ faces denotes a lack of voluntary imagery generation. My ability to visualize only whilst asleep stems from a presence of involuntary imagery. On the flip side, it is truly fascinating that some aphantasics like my little sister (anecdote paraphrased below) seldom dream visually, but rather auditorily or even just emotionally.

I can’t really visualize things in my mind. Like I know what the thing I’m supposed to be envisioning is supposed to look like but I can’t quite see it. I can’t say I totally see nothing, but it’s very faint and not vivid at all. When I was younger I used to have very vivid dreams but I now rarely dream, and they are

cinnamon-infused warm flavour was just as I remembered.

Food has a healing power, whether it’s lifting you up from an exhausting day of work or, in my case, reconnecting me to my roots. All this to say, if you encounter any of your international compatriots at Davidson College, remember that some of us are very far from home, living in an unfamiliar culture. We likely haven’t seen family or friends for a long time and might be forgetting a little slice of who we are. Go steady, be kind, and perhaps ask them about their favourite foods back home, because maybe, like me, it will give them a warm, comforting feeling inside.

almost only auditory. I’ll remember only sounds; what I said and heard but no images at all.

Aphantasia is neither an illness nor a disorder, but a condition of clustered impairments that also include poor recall of sound and smell. There appear to be no serious implications, but there is a positive correlation with aphantasia and autistic traits. The difference in our human experiences also span into how we interact with time. I struggle to plan ahead because I tend to feel more absorbed in the present. Even my most cherished memories are fleeting, with only few details left for me to hold onto. This does not mean immunity to past events, as studies have shown that those with aphantasia feel trauma just as much. So, what we are really looking at here is a qualitative variance. The next time you are prompted to picture something in class or a meeting, be curious about whether this translates literally for everybody in the space or if imagination could be only a figurative tool for some. We all experience the world slightly differently, and there are many more complexities than what is exposed on the surface. Education under a multifaceted liberal arts model emphasizes how critical it is to question notions of normalcy in our overlapping consciousness.

GEORGIA HALL ‘25

LAKER ESTHER CLARE ‘27

Baking hot cross buns helped Hall feel closer to home. Photo by Georgia Hall.

Sports 5 Senior Spotlight: Two-Sport Athlete Sola Omonije

CAMERON KRAKOWIAK ‘24 (HE/HIM) FORMER SPORTS EDITOR

After accruing over 370 sets played on Belk Arena’s volleyball court, all conference middle blocker Sola Omonije ‘24 has decided to take on a new sport for the spring of 2024, Track and Field. Omonije was a two sport star in high school; making the leap at a Division One level, however, is quite the challenge. Omonije spoke with the Davidsonian about how what was once a joke about her joining the team turned out to be a reality.

“It honestly started a couple of years back with one of my friends on the track team, Sophia Hood. We would joke around and talk about how I ran track in high school, and I jumped in high school and maybe, after I was done with volleyball senior fall, I can join in the spring,” Omonije said.

However, she had not really thought about the opportunity of joining the track team until senior year. Sprinter and Mid distance runner Hood ‘24 reached back out to Omonije and offered to set up a meeting between her and one of the track and field coaches. Once volleyball ended, Omonije started training over the offseason and joined the team in January. Omonije was going to partake in the high jump competition for the ‘Cats. She spoke about the mindset she had going into joining the team: “I honestly like doing it with an open mind. I wasn’t expecting immediate results, because I obviously was new to high jump. [...] And I was like, let’s just go out there and just try my best and see what happens.”

At Davidson’s first track and field event of the semester, and the final one of the indoor season before conference championships, Omonije participated in the high jump for the first time in her collegiate career. She also had never competed indoors until this event as she had only competed in outdoor track in high school.

Omonije noted how the track event just differed so much from competing on the volleyball court: “It was kind of crazy to see like all the things that were going on, which is totally different than volleyball, because volleyball, it’s like you have the court and like, that’s all you’re looking at. But with track,

The Davidson baseball season is well underway. The ‘Cats officially began A-10 play this past weekend when they took on Saint Joseph’s in a three game series. Using the momentum of a series sweep over Siena the previous weekend, they were able to take two of three from the Hawks, setting a good tone moving forward with the conference schedule. A-10 play represents a new challenge of the season for the team and Coach Rucker Taylor, after Davidson struggled through non-conference play to the tune of an 11-13 record going into the matchup with Saint Joseph’s.

When asked if conference play changes anything about the team or its mindset, Coach Taylor said, “nothing changes relative to how we go about things. There might be some more familiarity with the opponents, but I don’t think we’re approaching conference games differently. Our hope is to get some of our key people healthy, which we’ve started to do in the last week or so. Some of the opportunities others have gotten will help us down the stretch and in future seasons.” The team certainly hopes that its opening series win is

there’s so many different events going on at once [...] I was really nervous going into it.”

Omonije was successful on her third attempt at 1.67 meters to win the USC Indoor Champion in the high jump competition. She felt “shock” after clearing the rail and even after going to the bench. Her teammates and coaches congratulated her on her win, and Omonije described the situation coming back after winning as being “still in shock” and that she is “still trying to understand” how it happened.

While Omonije may have gone into the season with low expectations, her performances have stood out across the A-10. The jump at the USC Indoor champion earned her the honor of Atlantic 10 Conference Field Performer of the Week.

Omonije ‘mentioned how support has come from not just her current coaches on the Track and Field team, but also from her

indicative of future conference play success, as Saint Joseph’s won the conference regular season last year and was projected to finish third in the conference by the A-10 preseason poll this year. Davidson was projected to finish fourth by the same poll.

The series was highlighted by a walkoff single by first baseman Eli Putnam ‘25 in game one, giving the ‘Cats a 9-8 victory. This walkoff was one of many highlights for Putnam ‘25 this season, as he currently leads the team in several offensive categories, including his 37 hits, 14 of which have

former coaches on the volleyball team and her professors. She spoke about the Davidson faculty and coaches that have supported her: “Coach Willis is super, like, excited about it [...] He is like, ‘I’m so glad that you’re enjoying it’ [...]he’s been very supportive of me and other staff on the volleyball team. [...] Dr. Campbell texted me after the meet [saying], ‘good luck,’ like, ‘good job,’ ‘You did amazing.’ And I got emails from some of my professors to congratulate me.”

When asked about her success and whether or not she would have wanted to compete for more than just her senior spring, she stated, “I am happy that I was able to try something new. But I don’t think I could have done track for four years.”

Omonije did say that training and preparing for her field events have been less “physically tiring” than volleyball: “it just takes a lot more time to work on technical things (in volleyball) because you’re working with like sixteen other people versus like five or two.”

In just the third event of her career on March 22nd, Omonije picked up her second career win at the Weems Baskin Invitational hosted by the University of South Carolina. She was the lone individual to clear the 1.67 meter height that won her her first event as well.

As the Wildcats Track and Field team has four more meets before Atlantic-10 conference championships, Omonije spoke about how she wants to keep pushing herself even after her successful start to her career and continue to have fun:

“I kind of want a mix of both [...] I definitely just want to keep having fun. [...] I just love all the new friends and connections I’m making on the track team. But I also am like, at this point, might as well see how high I can go.”

She left the conversation discussing the overall feeling of the success: “It’s kind of crazy, because I wasn’t expecting any of this. But it’s just happening. And it’s been really awesome.”

gone for extra bases. When asked about his performance and keys to his success, Coach Taylor said, “Put[nam] has been awesome. He’s a great athlete. He earned some playing time as a freshman and then an injury last year was a setback. He’s done a lot to get healthy this season and it’s been vastly important to our team. His success is not a surprise; getting healthy, his experience from prior seasons and him finding consistency are probably some of the bigger factors in his breakout.”

The offense is a lot more than just Putnam, however, as the team currently boasts four other players with at least 20 hits on the season. On the pitching side, the rotation has remained consistent throughout the season, with 3 pitchers–Wilson Perkins ‘26, Cooper Cavanaugh ‘27, and Ryan Feczko ‘25–making almost every single weekend start thus far. They will need to continue to pitch well in order for the ‘Cats to replicate their in-conference success of the past two seasons, in which they finished first and third, respectively. The team will follow their series win over Saint Joseph’s with a trip to Richmond to take on VCU this weekend, followed by another road series against A-10 preseason favorite St. Louis. Their next home weekend series will begin on April 19th, when they host Richmond.

Eli Putnam ‘25 makes a big hit during a Davidson home game. Photo by Jeff Sochko.

Volleyball player Sola Omonije decided to join the track and field team her senior year. Photo by Davidson Athletics.

Arts and Entertainment

The Sun Came Out for Walt Woodstock 2024

SHE/HER STAFF WRITER

Far out! At Walt Woodstock students traveled back in time to 1969 for an afternoon of peace, love, and music. This event, hosted by WALT 1610 and the Kappa Sigma fraternity on March 23rd, showcased four groovy student-led bands: Kenny Outlaw and Associates, The Sustainability Cooperative, Fool’s Errand, and Casual Attire. Colorful ribbons, sparkling beaded garlands, an abundance of silver CD’s reflecting the sun, and giant flower cut-outs transformed the Kappa Sigma porch into a hippie paradise for the afternoon. Students packed into the venue donning their best tie-dye and fringe, eager to watch their classmates and friends perform classic hits.

Woodstock has been a long standing campus tradition run by WALT 1610. Annabel Semans ‘26 is the current co-president of WALT 1610 alongside Grace McGuire ‘25. On preparations for Woodstock, Semans states “there are a million little details that are all essential toward the greater picture. I swear that more to-do’s would come to me in dreams each night! Promotion, decorations, technology, contracts, permissions, scheduling, setup… the list goes on and on.” Teamwork and commitment was the key to making Woodstock and Semans is ”so grateful for the assistance of others on the WALT team. Many hands make light(er) work.” She also gives “special shoutout to Joe Claire for running tech at Woodstock! The band performances literally could not have happened without him.” The group effort from WALT organizers culminated into a successful showcase of student talent which was “the best Woodstock yet,” according to Semans, making her feel ”so proud, and so fulfilled.”

Along with contributing to the organization of the event, Semans performed as the lead singer in Fool’s Errand.

Performing at Woodstock was “such a rush” for Semans as she believes “there really isn’t anything more fun for me than to perform at an event like this. I’m doing what I love, and music contributes to other people’s joy, too.” Performing and organizing “took a lot of hard work,” but Semans thanked her band for making even the most stressful parts of the process “so much fun” as they “can rely on each other to come prepared, which makes all the difference as far as time commitment and enjoyment of practice goes.”

Jayson Rivera ‘27 also plays in Fool’s Errand as a guitarist. For Rivera, Woodstock brought a new performing environment and

experience with a new instrument. For his band’s performance of Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” Rivera was tasked with performing a harmonica solo, an instrument he has never played before: “I learned the harmonica the night before and thought it was going to sound terrible… but then it worked!”. Peers and bandmakes alike met the solo with excitement and cheers as the performance definitely became a Woodstock highlight.

For Emma Goldfarb ‘24, preparation for Woodstock included juggling practices between two bands. Goldfarb played as the bassist for The Sustainability Cooperative and the drummer for Casual Attire. She has been involved in the Davidson band scene throughout her college experience and has performed in past Woodstocks as well as this one. To Goldfarb, Woodstock is “a really, really exciting event with a great energy” for performers and spectators alike. Since she is a member of two groups that performed, Goldfarb described the practice process as extremely busy. “I was pretty much rehearsing all the time last week.” she recalled. “It was pretty intense, but we love doing it so it’s so worth the time it takes.” The Sustainability Cooperative is a new group on campus as of this semester, so the practice process was slightly different for them as they had to “learn how we worked together, what songs worked best for us, and what genre and vibe we wanted,” along with mastering their chosen setlist.

With Casual Attire, it was a bit different as a band which had been working together since the fall. Goldfarb found the most challenges with the performance of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.” She described it as “an absolute classic, but challenging for all instruments,” which is especially difficult as it was the

last song on their setlist. Despite the long solos and strain of the song, Goldfarb found it rewarding and ultimately worth the challenge as “the crowd loves it consistently.” With being in both Sustainability Cooperative and Casual Attire, Goldfarb found herself fulfilled with her ability to manage all the rehearsals and the opportunity it gave her to expand her artistic interests as both a drummer and a bassist, an instrumental role she rarely has been able to step into during her time at Davidson.

The 1960s inspired event was a hit with students. Rose Cecchi ‘27 described the atmosphere of the event as “electric” with ”decorations, activities, and music that made the event super memorable.” She remarked that “it was so fun to see the talent that we have in our student body. I knew a bunch of the performers, and it was a joy to see them in their element.” Savannah Soraghan ‘27 was also impressed by the student talent at the event, stating “it was awesome to see how many talented students we have here at Davidson. It’s so cool getting to see your friends perform and support them.” The supportive atmosphere of the event was evident to all spectators as Soraghan recalls, “I loved anytime when the bands would play a super popular song and everyone would get really excited, singing and dancing the whole time… it was really sweet to see.” Walt Woodstock remains a time honored tradition of music, creativity, and comradery.

Josie Swain ‘27 is from Atlanta, GA and can be reached for comment at joswain@davidson.edu.

Cartoonist Gabrielle Bell Visits Davidson

Davidson has officially entered the season where academic departments bring in a stream of spring lecturers. These outside resources combine career advice and inspiration, enriching the traditional curriculum. This year, the English department–in collaboration with many other departments–brought cartoonist Gabrielle Bell to discuss her comics. Bell’s work covers a variety of topics and styles, but they are often autobiographical and, according to Mattie Baird ‘25, “transcend societal norms in comic form, which is a form that is already dissident of society.”

Before Bell’s visit, Libertas Literary Magazine hosted a Zoom interview with Bell and, though the meeting was short, the staff was allowed a sneak peek into Bell’s artistic process. Libertas’s staff was able to ask questions and preview sketches from stages of the multi-step process that Bell goes through with each of her comics. (If you are interested in seeing some of her answers to Libertas’ staff questions, keep a look out for the Garden edition.) Even through the computer screen, Bell’s love of the craft showed throughout the interview. Bell’s one week residency at Davidson included “Voyeurism: A Staged Reading of the Cartoons of Gabrielle Bell” where students from the Douglas Houchens Professor of English Allan Michael Parker’s

Creativity seminar acted out comics from her collection, Voyeurs . I had the chance to talk with Professor Michael Allen Parker on how he found Bell for the visit. “I found her through Instagram, where, as an aspiring cartoonist myself, I was very impressed with her work.”

A goal of these talks is to bring in lecturers that aren’t the typical Davidson professor so that students can see more perspectives on the world and what it means to be successful as an artist. Parker explained he had “been working for about fourteen months on getting her to come and the residency was in conjunction with BACA, DACE, GSS, Digital Studies, Art, and Humes.”

Along with her lecture, “Inappropriate:

An Evening with Gabrielle Bell,” Bell participated in many class visits and hosted a comic workshop. At “Inappropriate,” Bell showcased her love for the connection between words and images, as she told stories about her life, career, successes, and failures. The screen behind Bell flashed images depicting the characters, pieces of art, and places that made up her story. Each moment was a surprise as the story wound through her life and we, the audience, were given a little window into Bell’s life and artwork.

As described by Evie Mulhern ’25, Bell “had a unique style of storytelling, through hand drawn pictures and anecdotes, that made her talk exciting and relatable as

an aspiring artist. It was one of the most engaging talks I’ve been to while at Davidson.” With hilarious stories of finding her voice, tumultuous relationships, and facing failure with admirable tenacity or just a love of proving people wrong, the lecture was incredibly engaging, informational, and showed exactly what you would expect from an artist.

Baird met with Bell during Parker’s seminar and expressed her love for seeing Bell “be successful while being her authentic self” and showcase the value of writing about the central themes in one’s life in a voice that feels as true as possible. Bell’s latest project is a book of comics on lucid dreaming. The comics involve creating and interacting with the cartoons as she dreams before bringing them to life with pen and paper once she’s awake. And who knows, maybe Davidson students will be featured in her next cartoons.

Audrey Bohlin ‘25 is an English Major from Santa Fe, NM and can be reached for comment at aubohlin@davidson.edu

JOSIE SWAIN ‘27

AUDREY BOHLIN ‘25

SHE/HER STAFF WRITER

Students dance to student-bands at Woodstock. Photo by Joe Claire Fools Errand performs popular covers. Photo by Joe Claire.

Gabrielle Bell’s work has been selected for “Best American Comics”. Photo from Bell’s Instagram

Living Davidson

Tell Me About Your Break and Get a Random Way to Study for Your Finals!

Readers, I hope you are all truly well rested after that wonderful one (1) day break we were treated to! Maybe you used your day off to study for finals, which are coming up much sooner than expected. You most likely didn’t, but never fear! Just take this quick quiz and I will give you some (obviously well-vetted, catered specifically to you) advice on how you should get studying!

It may seem unrelated, but I promise this is pertinent information - did you take any naps over break?

A - Yes, at least once a day. Who doesn’t love a good nap?

B - No, and you didn’t go to bed terribly early either.

C - Just one.

D - No, but you don’t nap normally either. Why would you start now?

ANSWERS BELOW!

At what locale did you spend your break?

A - You stayed on campus! Davidson is much more peaceful without 80% of the student population here, who would’ve thought?

B - You traveled ~7 hours for a frat formal, but it was a really good time, you promise!

C - You went home and took full advantage of your rest day.

D - You traveled somewhere else - visited friends, went sight-seeing, etc.

Were you excited for things to start back up on Monday?

A - You missed having a schedule, so yes, but you had forgotten how terrible your schedule was.

B - You would’ve done anything to have one more day off.

C - Eh. You weren’t terribly bothered one way or another.

A question that may actually help me give you advice for your finals: did you get absolutely any work done over break?

A - Yes, lots honestly.

B - You did not open your computer once.

C - I mean, you got the homework that was due Monday done at least?

D - Only when the “Sunday Scaries” hit did you get anything done…and it still wasn’t much!

Mostly A’s:

Pomodoro Technique - You seem like you’re relatively well prepared, to be honest. The Pomodoro Technique (studying for 25 minutes, taking a 5 minute break, then repeating) should help you stay sane while still letting you get your studying in.

Mostly C’s:

Flashcards - Buy some actual, physical flashcards (no Quizlet cheating), and get on that repetitive studying. You may have a good amount of information to cover, but I believe in the power of flashcards to get you memorizing a whole semester’s worth of content you didn’t learn the first time

Mostly B’s:

Base Libs Study Session - On the other side of the coin, you seem like you may need to lock in. So grab your least-likely-to-be-leaky headphones and head to the dungeon that is base libs to get on that grind.

Mostly D’s:

Study Group - It’s time to text that class group chat that hasn’t been used since the first week of the semester and plan a group study session with your classmates. It will be beneficial for everyone involved, and also force you to actually study. No backing out now!

AFOOD REVIEW - OSITO’S TACOS & TORTAS

BY: BEN PEAKE ‘25 (HE/HIM)

re you craving Mexican food? Are you tired of the Commons taco bar? Are you looking for something other than Carrburritos? Have your parents taken you to Mestizo one too many times? A little south of Davidson lies Osito’s Tacos & Tortas on North Main Street to fill the burrito-sized hole in your stomach. I’ve frequented the establishment for over a year now, and I am never disappointed.

Osito’s is inspired by its Southern roots and, obviously, a love of Mexican food. The food is not traditional Mexican though, and it’s not trying to be. I’ve consumed a great deal of their menu, from their tacos to their quesadillas to their fry-chos (nachos, but with fries!), but my most recent adventure had me finally trying their fried bear-rito (get it?), which includes rice, black beans, pico, pickled red onions, cheese, osito sauce, and your choice of protein. The exterior is drizzled with their red sauce and queso. I went with the grilled shrimp, took off the pickled red onions, and sat down in one of their booths after a quick stay in their ordering line. Osito’s has a bright and cheery vibe, and their seating area is filled with artwork of their mascot, Osito, which is Spanish for “little bear.” Even though the place is always busy, the fast-casual nature of Osito’s means that food comes out quickly. The first piece of my table’s meal to arrive was the pimento queso and chips that we group-ordered. Their queso is excellent, with a great consistency and flavor that quite literally melts in your mouth. Next up were their house nachos, a smattering of ingredients and protein piled high over a layer of chips. If you aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty, their nachos are an easy and cheap choice that I recommend.

After the warm-up, it was time for the main course. My fried bear-rito looked incredible as it landed at my table, and I was very excited to get munching. I wouldn’t suggest eating the bear-rito with your hands, although I suppose it’s possible, so cutting it open is the best option. The fried exterior really compliments the inside of the package, and the grilled shrimp is delicious, giving you a chewy bite that ties everything together. The bear-rito is really saucy, and I found myself mopping up the excess with the fried tortilla. It wasn’t a problem for me, but it is definitely something to keep in mind. I couldn’t even down all of it, so I swallowed my pride instead and boxed up the rest to take home. At least there’s leftovers for later!

Osito’s is a gem. While Mexican food around Davidson is definitely oversaturated, the restaurant has a unique spin that differentiates it from the rest. Next time, I’ll have to try one of their tortas, which is a sort of sub sandwich served with ranch fries. Oh, and if you’re getting the churros, don’t accidentally dip them in barbecue sauce like I did. That’s one combo that Osito’s has yet to master. 9/10.

Osito’s offers a variety of options for hungry Davidsonians. Photo by Ben Peake.

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New Webtree Class

Announced: PHI 269: Ethics of NYT Games in Class Page No Attention Span

First Davidson Snow of 2024, Except It’s Green and Makes You Sneeze

Page Health Center Shut Down

April 3, 2024

PPGA gives away a gimp and a 9ft dragon dildo at community night

Page What is the community state- ment again?

The struggles I’ve faced as a straight white man at Davidson College I

Davidson loves to give people a platform to voice their opinions, but what I’ve noticed over my four years here is that they often give this platform to people who are not of the majority, meaning their experiences are uncommon and difficult to relate to. While this is great for providing insight into lives that I cannot relate to, I think the average Davidson experience is as valuable to share — that of a straight white male. Honestly, the fact that there are so few profiles on our group of strong men shows that we are truly a minority in a sense, which is only the beginning of the struggles that I, and all straight white men, I presume, have faced at Davidson College. To be entirely candid, I was ashamed when I stepped on campus and I didn’t get the same privileges I experience in the outside world. To begin, our relationship with the police has been eviscerated. Usually, I could have a chat with my good boys (and girls) in blue, but that is not the case anymore. Having been a lifelong fan of Cops, DVRing every episode in my childhood and watching with a big glass of chocolate milk when I returned from school, I naturally look up to these heroes. I mean, who wouldn’t? However, when I approached a cop looking to ask him about his experiences (and thank him for his service, obviously), I experienced hostility that I don’t think anyone in this country has ever faced. He yelled at me. Yes, I was carrying a Bud Light (which I don’t drink anymore for obvious reasons), and I was a 19 year-old in college on a Tuesday at noon, but I thought as a white man I could have a friendly conversation with my brother in arms. We’ve lost that relationship and united sense between my kind and police at Davidson College. Much like Bethany Hamilton lost an arm in a tragic accident, we’ve lost an arm of our culture.

Beyond my deteriorating relationships with the men (and, yes, women) who protect this country, I have had to change who I am at my core. Early freshman year, I was berated for having an American flag that covered the entire wall of my dorm room. People would whisper when I came around, but they always seemed to be whispering compliments. Multiple times, I heard them refer to me as a “proud boy,” which seems like an endearing thing to say about someone when they are bragging about getting a 97% on an American history test. Then, after I was forced to take down my American flag because it “covered the smoke detector,” I had to remove all hats from my wardrobe. I wore one specific bright red trucker hat to a Turner party, and faced exclusion that I don’t think anyone in this country could relate to. I get emotional just thinking about it, and I was just trying to fit in at a party, not trying to stand out.

There have been some positives in my time at Davidson. For obvious reasons, we feel represented again with Doug Hicks in power. He reminds me of my Uncle Cletus. Our men’s basketball team represents not only myself, and not only the Davidson community, but also our entire community across the country. And lastly, Qdoba has taught me that the two Ls in quesadilla are silent, which has taught me a very valuable life lesson central to Davidson’s core. Real Ls should be taken in silence like Quesadilla, because if I complain aloud about the system that created my loss then I will be called offensive names like “meanie,” “male Karen,” or worst of all “democrat.” Everyone’s voice deserves to be heard, mine more than others, though, and I hope to have provided valuable insight into the lives of the people who make this school run.

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Exit Thirty: Lover’s Interchange

t was a cold rainy day made even colder and rainier because of the warm and sunny weather the day before. I was already as sad as a junior coming home from abroad to be placed in a converted lounge. I had eaten lunch alone at a large table. Not looking closely enough at the common menu beforehand caused me to eat tilapia. The commons worker laughed at me as he dusted off the white flakey mass. I just know everyone was looking at me and saying “Look at that person eating tilapia alone at a big table in commons”. I sulked away to hopefully find peace at nummit not before falling my way down the hill.

I entered the sanctuary of Nummit only to be met by full tables and ops everywhere. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the floor after overtipping the Nummit barista with dining dollars because they were looking at me as I was paying. The pain of the day weighed me down to my dry and unkempt core, as the pressure began to take hold a voice cracked through the air and my stress: “Do you want to sit at my booth?”. I looked over and in an instant, my brain filled with so many delusions that I could be admitted to a hospital and my body was consumed by a fire that turned my bones into tingling embers. Who had called to me but the musky, the strapping, the gentle, the fierce, the vulnerable, the voracious, and the hairy, Lux the Mascot.

Before I knew it the clouds in the sky over my heart had parted. I had never felt quite like this. I gave him my ideas for the Yowl and he chuckled saying how attractive the Yowl was. He ordered me a matcha and said I looked tired and scared. My hands

and body trembled like an earthquake as Nummit Goers glared at me with envy. Lux held my hands tight and told me not to mind the world outside of the booth. His hands were powerful but I could feel the care he took in easing his muscles to be delicate so as not to crush my small wrists. “Let’s leave this place” he commanded. My heart was in my throat. I couldn’t refuse even if I tried. I was swept up the hill like a plastic in a roaring ocean current. His fur was glossy and thick like an expensive dorm rug. My legs were so weak I had to hold on to him. We stopped by the flag pole with the sun shimmering through the cherry blossoms making the light pink. “The blossoms bloom not for the sun but for the brightness of your face. Tuition is NOT the only thing that is about to rise” Lux growled out in nearly one breath. My heart palpitated in shock. Lux was a captain, I was a ship. Lux was the commons worker, I was the vail doghouse. Lux was powerplant, I was a small flower about to be unpotted. I was at his mercy, I was not complaining. Like a DUFF boy throwing a frisbee, he threw me into a chamber’s lawn hammock. Each word and sweet nothing tantalized my skin. I thought I was being flayed alive. Then our eyes became celestial magnets as we locked into each other’s gaze. We neared the event horizon, if I looked any closer I knew I would fall into Lux forever. We were quiet as if the world had ended, and to me it had. Everything beyond Lux was gone to me. His next words erupted like a bomb in my heart, tearing up everything I thought I knew, and reducing me to dust. “I am going to rename your chambers. The safe word is Curry”.

Walt E-board returns from trip to Ashville horrified to find that they are mainstream at any art school

his past three-day weekend provided an opportunity for all sorts of student groups to burst out of the bubble that is Davidson. One such pilgrimage was the Walt trip to the capital of Quirk, the University of Asheville, and the surrounding area. We were lucky enough that Yowl reporters have nothing to do over break, so we sent out a correspondent on the ground. The journey through the mountains and over rivers started with high hopes, the group stopped for lunch at a rundown gas station with a sanitation rating of C that serves BBQ out of an old Jeep Wrangler. “I just feel like others don’t understand the story of food when they go to a Bojangles or McDonald’s on a road trip. It shows others’ ignorance and affluence really, we’re just trying to break down those walls.” stated one Walt pilgrim. The group then proceeded to spend half an hour taking selfies and smolder portrait pictures for Instagram in front of a slightly rusted gas pump. They only moved on when a local scared them off by asking for spare change.

Upon arrival at the mecca of alt, they felt at home. No longer were the squares of Davidson in their vineyard vines and daddy’s money (Editor’s note: I think I saw a Walt member use a Black Card to buy a jade necklace) there to stop their self-expression. As the Subaru came to a halt and the mass of

tie-dye and jeans exited onto the campus green the pilgrims could not set up their tapestry blanket due to the sheer amount of hackey sac games. The group attempted to join a game and were shocked when the Asheville students started playing a different style entry, leaving them in the dust. To their horror, Walt was playing the standardized rules of play and not the 1980s Hungarian rules made popular by indie-folk-rock-edm musician László Da Pummpin Stah in his hit song “The Blue Wall Kisses Me Like I’m Red”.

The Walt members tensed as people gave them side eyes they were unfamiliar with at home. No, this was no longer the side-eye given to those with the phony ‘forced to be cool’ style, this was the side-eye reserved for people with the ‘cool because I want to be cool’ style. This tense situation came to a head as the UNC Asheville radio group approached our brave and increasingly basic appearing Davidson radio lovers. Not wanting to seem slow, Walt’s own Bea O’Problem commented “I see your hair is bleached. That’s very in right now” to which the response from the Asheville student was “My hair is actually bleached a color only Mantis shrimp can see.” Bea then quietly cried and walked away. She has not been seen since. It was clear our Walt team was outmatched in every way. The UNCA group had so many piercings that they could never

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

get a CAT scan without 6 months prior notice or take a shower without rusting. “Their tattoos covered their entire body. They had tattoos of things I never thought of, like a bushel of mung beans with sunglasses. My fern tattoo was called basic, BASIC” cried one Walt member in an interview after being told their tattoo of a common and popular plant was basic. Walt’s spirits were broken, students taking Asheville’s astral projection with the aliens that live in the pyramids class made sure of their spiritual ass-kicking. They returned to peaceful Davidson where just one tattoo was enough to scare away the boarding school kids and they could begrudgingly, but secretly adore, being at the top.

Walt’s journey was not an entire loss: they learned the secret of throwing a truly fringe and killer party after shortly attending a UNCA rager at a factory’s truck docking bay that served only Molly before they were accused of “killing the vibe” and causing everyone to leave. This is why the next Walt party will be hosted in the retention pool tunnels. The theme is neo-victorian dystopian decadence, which was popular about one year ago at any art school. The party is from 9:21 pm to 9:37 pm next Tuesday and peyote will be provided. Once you get shamed by Walt for not knowing their now favorite artist László Da Pummpin Stah you will be asked to leave.

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Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth. WRITERS Been There Done

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