The Davidsonian 2/25/26

Volume 126, Issue 4 • For a Better Davidson • The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914 • February 25, 2026

BridgeUSA chapter fosters student-led discussion COLIN DECKER ’27 (HE/HIM)

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ridgeUSA became the latest addition to Davidson’s political landscape following an event with CEO Manu Meel on Thursday. Davidson’s chapter of the youth movement is dedicated to fostering political dialogue, aiming to offer an alternative to partisan groups and the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative.

SAVANNAH SORAGHAN ’27 (SHE/HER)

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n a town like Davidson that celebrates its mom and pop shops and small town charm, the three desolate storefronts on downtown Main Street stand out like a sore thumb. At face value, the dark empty windows may seem like an inability to bring commerce to Davidson. In reality, they represent a milieu of complicated local politics.

In an effort to shed light on real-world sociopolitics happenings right outside campus, the Young People’s Alliance of Davidson brought four local representatives in the Morcott Room of the Alvarez Student Union on Feb. 19 for a panel and hour of open dialogu, introducing students to some of the faces behind politics in Davidson.

Students sat alongside Mayor Rusty Knox, Town Board members Connie Wessner and Steve Justus ’78 and YPA North Carolina Representative Park Inglefield in a round-table style discussion.

As the four answered questions, participants were able to engage directly with the politicians and gain a deeper understanding of the Town of Davidson’s political intricacies such as athe story behind Main Street’s vacant

storefronts.

YPA treasurer Shreyan Kancharla ’29 opened the long discussion about a current hot-topic in Davidson: housing affordability.

Wessner responded first, citing Davidson’s small size for their unique position towards housing affordability.

Her experience with the Housing Coalition has shown her the importance of community in enacting change, especially on the local level.

“We have an incredibly strong and experienced nonprofit community and many of the organizations in the community are locally driven,” Wessner said.

Justus echoed Wessner’s view and mentioned the town’s current affordable housing project, a project whose success he attributes to towns “long standing community care for this issue.”

Knox discussed the socio-economic factors, such as gentrification, that drive Davidson’s affordability issues and what his office is going to help negate them.

“We have bought seven or eight houses since I got elected mayor,” Knox said. “We’ve remodeled those and sold them back into the affordable housing program to keep them out of the hands of developers [...] But if we

can save those houses in those areas that are easy, easiest to gentrify, particularly the fragile west side, that’s so important.”

According to Knox, the town implemented a one cent tax increase dedicated to Affordable Housing in addition to requiring that 12.5% of new housing developments be affordable.

“You should be able to live here if you want to,” Knox said.

However, working in small politics also comes with its challenges, especially in North Carolina, which is a Dillon’s Rule State. Dillon’s Rule states that local governments powers only include those granted by the state, according to RaleighForward.

North Carolina banned local government-initiated-down-zoning in 2024, requiring local governments to obtain prior written consent from all affected landowners before adopting any zoning changes. In recent weeks, state lawmakers have started to consider new legislation that would limit local governments’ jurisdiction on property taxes, per WUNCNews.

Tension between state and town authority is frustrating to some officials.

“Municipalities don’t have full power over deciding what you can do in your

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CLARA OTATTI ’27 (SHE/HER)

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he Hurt Hub served as many Davidson students’ bedrooms this past weekend for Davidson College’s Hackathon.

Over 36 hours, students in teams of two to three participants scrambled to design, prototype and execute a working product that addresses specific

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he crescent moon sighting marked the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest month in Islam.

Without the crowded family tables and familiar rhythms of home, Ramadan on college campuses takes shape in quiet dorm rooms and early mornings.

From dawn (Fajr) to sunset (Maghrib), Muslim students abstain from food and drink including water while continuing to navigate classes, labs, athletics and campus responsibilities.

Fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam and a central component of Ramadan, entails more than simply abstaining from food and water. To Muslim students, fasting cultivates God-consciousness (taqwa), patience, self-discipline and empathy for those who experience hunger daily. Islamic law recognizes individual circumstances:

those who are ill, traveling, menstruating or breastfeeding are exempt from fasting.

Rather than a temporary challenge, students said Ramadan serves as a disruption of routine that invites reflection on habits, priorities and character.

It is not about achieving perfection for thirty days, but about forming sustainable practices of prayer, generosity and mindfulness.

Julia Watkins, college chaplain and director of religious and spiritual life, said the month carries particular significance for campus religious life.

“Muslim students who observe Ramadan on campus navigate a significantly different landscape than those they’ve typically shared with family back home,” Watkins said. “Fasting is a rigorous commitment, one that’s especially challenging to uphold as part of a small Muslim community amid the unyielding pressures of college

problems provided by the Hack@ Davidson team. The real challenge: everything teams build must be made from scratch.

“You cannot work on your project before the Hackathon starts or after [it ends],” said Murtaza Nikzad ’27, president of this year’s event. “You can make changes, but in order to be eligible for winning a prize, all of your

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Davidson’s US House Rep. Tim Moore Visits Campus

CASEY SCHEINER ’28 (HE/HIM)

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ep. Tim Moore (R-NC-14) touted Republican legislative victories and expressed hope for bipartisanship during an event with students on Friday in Hance Auditorium.

The event was organized by Oliver Genovese ’28, who is interning in Moore’s Cornelius District office. It was hosted by conservative student groups Turning Point USA, Young Americans for Freedom and College Republicans.

Moore touted the Republican House

Ramadan at Davidson: Faith, fasting on campus ZAINAB SAWANI ’28 (SHE/HER)

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Annual Hackathon promotes innovation

Town officials discuss their experiences with local politics in Davidson. (Left to right: Rusty Knox, Steve Justus ’78, Park Inglefield and Connie Wessner). Photo courtesy of Davidson Young People’s Alliance.

Young Peoples Alliance builds bridges between college and community

Unlike the DCI, Davidson’s flagship organization dedicated to bridging political divides through political discussions across communities, all 125 national BridgeUSA chapters are led by students. The Davidson offshoot reflects this re-orientation to student voices.

“This is just a space for students coming from different backgrounds,”

majority’s legislative achievements, including increased border security measures, bipartisan appropriation bills and sweeping tax cuts.

“The biggest accomplishments will be seen after taxes are filed in April, when folks realize that they’re not going to pay as much taxes, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on most seniors with their Social Security,” Moore said. “It’s going to allow people to keep more money.”

The way Moore described last year’s legislation implementing the tax cuts and a slew of other policy changes

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INSIDE

Auden White ’26 on the importance of voting Mason Maynard ’28 on intramural sports Felt and Shoemaker bring home gold at Swim & Dive A-10s Anna Farmer ’27 on John Ellis’ jazz residency and concert Anna Morrow ’28 on the Bird and the Bees

Students enjoy a meal in the Spencer-Weinstein Center last year. Photo courtesy of the Muslim Student Association.

life.”

Saja Alwan ’28, president of the Muslim Student Association, spoke about the personal shift Ramadan brings each year.

“Ramadan is a time that’s really grounding for me. It allows me to take

a step back, reflect, and grow spiritually. It reminds me of the futility of small anxieties and to truly look at the bigger picture,” Alwan said.

Rimsha Syed ’27, vice president of

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Check out our website!

News

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Deliberative Citizenship Initiative fellows participate in a BridgeUSA panel style debate. Left to right: Logan Jain ’26, Stephen Walker ’26, Katie Jung ’28, Saeren Dewar’28. Photo courtesy of Madeline O’Leary ’27.

BridgeUSA hosts first event with CEO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 President Madeline O’Leary ’27 said.

“There’s a lot of viewpoint diversity, so all different backgrounds bring their perspective to the table. We can just kind of go on a week by week basis, like what’s happening in the news now, give people opportunities to debrief, talk about it, understand where other sides are coming from.”

Meel emphasized that BridgeUSA

takes a bottom-up approach, focusing on student voices.

“BridgeUSA is trying to build a student movement and to actually demonstrate that the work of dialogue is not some like top down institutional elite initiative, but it’s actually something that students want, and it’s got to be grassroots,” Meel said.

BridgeUSA seeks to fill a gap unaddressed by Davidson’s partisan groups which rarely co-host events.

“We have really strong individual

political organizations on campus [...]

But there aren’t many opportunities, aside from every four years, the Phi and Eu debate, where they are in one space, kind of having these debates and discussions,” O’Leary said.

BridgeUSA will also work closely with the DCI. Graham Bullock, the DCI’s faculty director, is also BridgeUSA’s faculty advisor.

Vice President Jackson Strelo ’26 decided to start a chapter as part of his DCI fellowship. Though similar,

Students on Ramadan at Davidson CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the Muslim Student Association, said navigating Ramadan away from home forces her to be more intentional about her faith.

“Growing up in California, there was a large Muslim population, and participating in Ramadan with family and a larger community can keep you accountable,” Syed said.

“However, when you are in a minority, you have to seek out your own resources and be more intentional about your faith. I have to make sure I get up to eat the morning meal [Suhoor]

on my own, prepare enough food and make time to pray the five daily prayers,” Syed continued.

Rather than separating faith from the classroom, Syed said professors have supported her religious commitments.

“I’ve had wonderful support from professors during Ramadan,” Syed said. “My biology professors, Dr. [Karen] Bernd and Dr. [Karen] Hales, checked in about how fasting was affecting my routine and offered flexibility. Dr. Hales even let me pray in her office during lab breaks. Even though there are few Muslim students at Davidson, there’s strong awareness and a real willingness to meet students

where they are,” Syed said.

For Amber Simnani ’29, the month entails homesickness and resilience.

“This is my third Ramadan away from home, and there’s always a sense of homesickness that comes with spending what is usually a time of family and belonging without them,” Simnani said. “Here at Davidson, much like at my boarding school, being surrounded by Muslim friends to share iftar with, supported by non-Muslim friends and encouraged by the Chaplains’ Office and MSA iftars has helped ease that isolation.”

The MSA hosts open iftars throughout the month, welcoming the broad-

Strelo noted the two organizations’ distinctions.

“I think that something that distinguishes it from the DCI is that it’s so student run,” Strelo said. “You don’t have to have, like, a whole semester long training process like you have to do for the DCI, like I did. It’s really more of like a social, non-partisan space of people coming [...] from all sides.”

Bullock noted that Davidson briefly had a BridgeUSA chapter in 2018. It became defunct due to a lack of consistent leadership. Bullock established the DCI in 2020, taking some inspiration from BridgeUSA’s student-led approach.

Bullock encountered Meel at various national conferences following the DCI’s creation, including one hosted by a mutual donor: the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation. There, the two discussed plans for Meel to eventually speak at Davidson.

BridgeUSA’s student driven approach was on display at the chapter’s first event on Feb. 19. Meel debated with a panel of four Davidson students: DCI Fellows Saeran Dewar ’28 and Katie Jung ’28, and DCI Senior Fellows and Co-Convenors Stephen Walker ’26 and Logan Jain ’26.

The debate centered the question “Why Deliberate” and tackled topics ranging from the ethics of deplatforming political figures, how deliberation can impact relationships and how to navigate a contentious political environment.

Jung stepped away from the debate with an appreciation for the role BridgeUSA can play in facilitating conversation.

“I think that one of my biggest takeaways from this conversation was making sure that inclusivity is really important and taken into consideration with organizations at Davidson, because I feel that a lot of people feel that they aren’t represented or are being silenced,” Jung said. “I think that Bridge[USA] will do a really good job at making sure that all voices are included and embracing those differences.”

The event concluded by opening up the topic “Why Deliberate” to a discussion among attendees who sat at round tables throughout the 900 room, in the style of programming more typical of the organization.

“Hopefully we can try to have another event this spring, but we’re going to aim for bi-weekly discussions and then one or two events a year [or] semester kind of thing,” O’Leary said.

As the chapter looks towards hosting their first discussions, they welcome any students interested in attending and contributing to the practice of political bridge building.

“We believe one simple thing, and that is, you can’t have a democracy if you can’t talk to each other. If you believe that, the chapter is space for you,” Meel said.

er community to break fast together.

In partnership with Dining Services, Commons Iftar Night on March 4 will offer another space for collective gathering and greater campus awareness.

Students emphasized that Ramadan is neither a punishment nor a diet.

Muslims view fasting as a privilege, a disciplined act of worship rooted in intention rather than restriction. For many, fasting has been part of life since childhood, and they say peers should feel comfortable eating normally around them.

Observed by nearly two billion Muslims worldwide, including an estimated 130,000 in North Carolina, Ramadan began this year on Feb. 17 and spans 29-30 days.

The Islamic calendar follows the lu-

nar cycle, so the month shifts roughly ten days earlier each year. Its beginning and end are determined by moon cycles, linking the practice to a rhythm older than modern timekeeping.

After weeks of shared meals and reflection, the return of the crescent moon to signal Eid al-Fitr will mark far more than the end of a fast. ​​ For Davidson’s Muslim students, it will close a month shaped by discipline and sustained by community— defined not by what was given up, but by what was cultivated.

Hackathon invites all students to comepete, learn code CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 code must have been written during the Hackathon.”

“It’s basically a program in which a bunch of people gather over a weekend and build a project,” Nikzad said.

“A lot of participants will sign up, they form teams on the spot, and they choose what project to build.”

Participants could compete in 15 different categories including: Best AI Application track, Best No-Code track and Best Hardware application.

“We had a bunch of tracks and each of those kind of outlined what the project should be about,” Nikzad explained.

The tracks are administered by Major League Hacking, the official student hackathon league.“They basically support and recognize a lot of well-known Hackathons,” Nikzad said.

Gopesh Baheti ’27 was an advisor to the 2026 Hack@Davidson. He has participated in many Hackathons and feels they are great opportunities for students looking to a career in tech.

“Hackathon is an essential [event] for anybody who is studying computer science, generally any science or engi-

neering subject. [...] Hackathon is a really good, skill-building activity for them,” Gopesh said.

Alp Niksarli ’27 also served as an advisor to the Hackathon. “There is a big overlap between stuff like this engineering mindset and the concept of building something quick and sort of shipping that to production and presenting that to a group of judges,” Niksarli said. “There is a big overlap between computer science students and engineering mindset people.”

Still, Niksarli said, “anyone could participate from any major.”

Nikzad similarly stressed that computer science knowledge is not required to compete. “Hack at Davidson is a very beginner friendly Hackathon.

We have a No-Code Track [which] a lot of times does attract people who don’t know how to code. But besides that, with the rise of AI models and AI coding assistants, the barrier for entry has been lowered significantly,” Nikzad said.

Baheti also emphasized the academic diversity of the event. “As the years are going by, we are becoming much more inclusive. [...] our second prize winner, both of them had no computer science background,

they’re not CS majors at all. They are doing Econ and Poli-Sci or something. And they built a great app just through AI Agents,” Baheti said. “We try to be as inclusive as possible, that’s our marketing agenda.”

Once the 36 hours are up, participants present their product to a panel of judges. “[The judges] look at the product that the hackers have made and they look on the judging rubric that they have, and they basically decide the score they should be given,” Nikazd said. “And at the end [...] whichever tracks people have applied to, the highest scoring team will win that track.”

Niksarli noted that Davidson College’s size allowed for a “higher specialty to prize ratio.” Despite Hack@ Davidson having a smaller pool of participants than other national competitions, the organizers tried to include as many tracks as possible.

“Even if there’s twenty tracks [at bigger schools], we’ll try to have like fifteen tracks and award as many prizes as possible,” Niksarli said.

“What tends to happen at bigger Hackathons is only maybe five to 10 percent of the teams win something, and some of them don’t even win

At the HurtHub, Students work collaboratively on their projects. Photo by Henry Royster ’27

proper prizes,” Niksarli continued.

In addition to the competition, Hackathon hosted a happy hour networking event with Davidson alumni working in technology and various workshops for students. “We had a total of five workshops that were tech related and profession-related workshops, in which all of the people who participated could attend and learn.”

The organizers felt the 2026 Hackathon was successful due to the high volume of submissions. “We had twenty three projects that were built in the Hackathon, at least ones that were

eligible for being judged, and I think that’s really cool,” Nikzad said.

“A lot of them were replacing technologies that are being used on campus. So we had one application that was like an alternative for Webtree,” Nikzad said. “We had projects about finding citations for any kind of text that you would use. And I think that those are just really cool projects and I’m really proud that we had that many projects submitted at the end.”

Features

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Town officials on politics in Davidson

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 own municipality,” Justus said. “We have to be smart operating in a town like this, to not call attention [...] from a state legislature that’s unfair to our agenda.”

The last question asked was in regards to three empty storefronts on downtown Main Street, whose mention elicited scattered laughter from the representatives, as they have been a point of tension for the past 10 years.

“What does it trace back to? A bad relationship,” Wessner said.

“Yeah, with my dad,” Knox responded. Knox’s father, Russell B. Knox (or Rusty Sr.), was mayor from 1984 to 1997.

The storefronts are owned by the estate beneficiaries of Tom Clarke ’49, a religious studies professor at Davidson from 1958 to 1985 and world-renowned gnome sculptor, who are looking to change Davidson’s town ordinances in order to carry out their development projects.

“I met with him [the beneficiaries attorney] the first time five or six years ago, and he basically came to town and said, ‘what parts of your ordinance do I need to change to make my plan work?’ And I just didn’t return his phone call, because that’s not how Davidson operates,” Knox said.

There is still a tentative plan, titled the Clark Row Conditional Map Agreement, that, according to the Town of Davidson website, seeks to “redevelop the existing storefront buildings at 121-129 N Main Street in Davidson, NC.” Their redevelopment plan includes preserving the building’s historic storefronts and building a four-story parking lot addition at the rear of the existing buildings. The plan is still in violation of town ordinances. Implementation would require new amendments and rezoning legislation.

“Because the proposal includes certain provisions that do not meet the Davidson Planning Ordinance (DPO), it must follow the Conditional Map Amendment process (i.e., rezoning) and requires approval by the Davidson Board of Commissioners,” reads the News of Davidson website.

In the same article, Trust architect Chuck Travis argued redeveloping the storefronts is crucial and a “gift” to the town. “Four stories give them a chance to add to the ground floor retail, have a restaurant or commercial on the second floor, with the third floor being more potential for commercial use, and the fourth floor being for residential. This combination of uses meshes perfectly with the town,” Travis said.

“All hell is going to break loose when that plan comes up for public comment because every single person in town is going to have their own view of what should and should not go there,” Wessner said.

As candidates continued to speak, they showed students that they are not only politicians, but community members who are also impacted by the policy they enact. Through answering questions and talking to students, the panelists instilled a deep sense of the importance of local and grassroot politics.

All four officials agreed on the importance of engagement with town representatives in giving meaning to community governance.

“Strengthening local politics first, and making sure that people walk away with a sense that there is meaning in the give and take of politics is [...] super critical always, but certainly right now,” Wessner said.

Knox himself emphasized the importance of the panel in humanizing politicians. As mayor, he aims to be as neighborly as possible. “It’s important to have local leadership be identifi-

Politics

able. I am not the mayor, I am Rusty.

I am no different from anyone else,” Knox said.

Knox prides himself on being a man of the people, and his path to mayor reflects the care he holds for Davidson citizens. A self-proclaimed “politics hater,” Knox, who is from Davidson, is a realtor by trade and also a touring musician.

He found his way to mayor through his social activism, citing his fights with the town board in 2015 against the Downtown Catalyst Project, and sees his position as one of a community servant. “I had no experience [in politics] other than my mom’s influence, saying that ‘you need to know, local, state, regional, national, international politics, period, you just need to know,’” Knox said.

The mayor also urged attending students to get involved in town politics.

“Sign up for the Town Crier so you get our email, come to the meetings, ask to volunteer. We normally have slots on some of our advisory boards that we hold back to try to get student representation, because it’s important,” Knox said.

Wessner, a 30-year resident, also found her way to politics through her community involvement. Previously, Wessner was the school administrator for the Community School of Davidson and is now the Executive Director for the Davidson Housing Coalition, which she urged students to join.

“The Housing Coalition is always on the lookout for interns [...] So get in touch with us if you’re interested, particularly in affordable housing,” Wessner said.

Like Wessner, Justus has been entrenched in Davidson life for many years. Originally from South Carolina, he first came to Davidson as a student, where he also sent his kids. He found his way to local politics through his lifelong passion for global health.

Three storefronts remain empty on Main Street. Photo by Aidan Marks ’27.

“The perspective I got later in my career of health is actually not that much different than being a town board person, because you have the responsibility for community and their well being,” Justus said.

Ingerfield, though not from Davidson, shared the other panel members’ dedication to local civic engagement.

Through her position as YPA representative and her experiences running for positions in her hometown of Hickory, North Carolina, she shared her deep-rooted interest in youth and community in politics.

“I think it’s really important to talk to the youth. And though I am young there’s still things that I don’t get about what you guys are facing,” Ingerfield said.

The roundtable was YPA’s first event of the semester. The club was officially formed last August by President Brianna Harmon ’26, who hopes this event will motivate students to be more politically engaged.

“A lot of young people don’t really know how to engage with politics and the easiest way to do that often is on the local level, and so I think bringing local politicians in to speak with students [...] showcases to students that it really is easy to get involved with local politics,” Harmon said.

Nevertheless, the students who did

attend felt empowered by the panel members’ testimony. Payten Jenrich ’29, who originally came with little idea of what the event was, walked away with a deeper appreciation for local politics.

“I really enjoyed the aftermath of talking to everyone on the board and everyone involved, afterwards Rusty came up to us and was chatting with us which was really nice,” Jenrich said.

Jenrich was also able to compare what was happening in Davidson to her home town in Colorado. “[Affordable Housing] is a big problem in my town also and throughout the U.S. and the ways that they talked about it were very reflective of how difficult it is when you have private owners of property and a city who is trying to work in conjunction with people who can’t quite afford the properties that are in the city,” Jenrich said.

Park concluded the panel by urging students to get involved in Davidson’s political community. “There are great ways to get involved,” Park emphasized. “And, yeah, it’ll make your resume look good, but also you’re going to learn from so many people and make those relationships and connections. So I would take advantage.”

Rep. Moore partipates in Q&A

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 marked a notable shift from the rhetoric used a year ago.

“We stopped calling it the One Big Beautiful Bill. It’s now the Working Families Tax Cut,” Moore said. “I don’t know how it got called the One Big Beautiful Bill, I think the President just kept saying it, but it’s really about what it does.”

In September, the White House directed Republican legislators to stop saying “One Big Beautiful Bill” and instead call the signature legislation the “Working Families Tax Cut” after the bill suffered low public opinion ratings.

There is no record of the law ever being legally titled the Working Families Tax Cut before its passage, but Moore posted on X on July 3 of last year, “The One Big Beautiful Bill is PASSED and headed to the President’s desk!”

Moore also endorsed President Trump’s tariff agenda, while acknowledging that his preferred tariff regime would be more “targeted” than the current administration’s broad-scale approach.

“I was glad that the President stood up and said that other countries could

not just dump cheap goods on us and engage in policies that were unfair in a way that really harmed the American economy,” Moore said.

Prompted by Genovese, who is also TPUSA chapter president, Moore addressed the candidacy of self-professed progressive Kate Barr who is running for the Republican nomination in NC-14 in the 2026 election to protest North Carolina gerrymandering.

“It is disingenuous at best for someone who has the views and vows that are completely antithetical to a party to run. It’s a fraudulent thing to do,” Moore said. “Republican voters aren’t stupid. They’re not going to fall for it.

We did some quick exit polls the other week, and we’re crushing it at about 90-10.”

Dylan Swick ’28 is the community outreach coordinator for the College Democrats. During the Q&A period, Swick questioned Moore’s reluctance to meet with his constituents.

“There have been peaceful constituents gathering outside of your Cornelius office every Friday since April of last year, who have also been calling your Washington and Gastonia offices asking for a direct meeting. Yet you have never actually met with them directly,” Swick said. “What’s stopping

you from meeting with these constituents who really just want to have a civil conversation with you?”

“In 20-something years of legislating, I’ve never done town halls,” Moore replied. “If you create an environment where people are going to go in and just be hostile, and you don’t accomplish anything. It’s just theater.

And I really want to see real conversations with folks who I disagree with.”

After Swick emphasized that the constituents were seeking a meeting, not a public town hall and that he thought they deserved such a meeting, Moore said he agreed before expressing hope “that we can all agree, Republicans and Democrats, that we have the greatest country on Earth.”

Genovese, who volunteers with Moore’s campaign in addition to his internship, took the lead on organizing the event. “He was available last second, since he’s in the House right now and busy with appropriations bill travel and whatnot, but he told me on Tuesday he could come and we put that together,” Genovese said.

“I wanted to bring Tim to campus because as our current representative [...] I think it is important to know how he’s advocating for our district in Washington,” Genovese said in a message to The Davidsonian.

Oliver Genovese ‘28 (left) stands with Representative Tim Moore (R-NC-14).

Photo courtesy of Oliver Genovese ‘28.

Moore expressed his support for recent Davidson Institute for Public Good initiatives on free expression like the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative and October’s event with US Senators Thom Tillis and Amy Klobuchar.

“Most of the time people are in an echo chamber talking to other people that they agree with, and there’s not a lot of discourse,” Moore said. “I’ll put a plug in for what you guys are doing here at Davidson—the program to have dialogue and discourse. I know Thom Tillis and Senator Klobuchar

were here a few months ago. That’s a great thing to have, where you can have a real conversation about what’s happening. I’m excited to see that kind of thing happen.”

Consistent with this support for bipartisan conversations, Moore concluded his address with hope for unity.

“We can view each other not as enemies, but as occasionally the opposition on some ideas,” Moore said.

“That will go a whole long way towards lowering the temperature on a lot of this stuff.”

Perspectives

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How Trump is Attacking Democracy Without Eliminating Elections DYLAN SWICK ’28 (HE/HIM) When I call Donald Trump authoritarian, I don’t mean a system like North Korea, with its violent suppression of dissent and pre-chosen candidates. Instead, I am referring to something subtler: competitive authoritarianism, in which the authoritarian operates within democratic institutions rather than outside of them.

A government can maintain its right to rule in two ways: through force or through legitimacy. Force demands obedience, but legitimacy is consent, where people accept and recognize the government’s authority. Without legitimacy, people are much more likely to engage in disobedience, political violence, or even straightup revolt.

For that reason, competitive authoritarians, such as Trump, like to maintain the facade of fair elections. However, they tilt the playing field in their favor. It’s akin to a sports match with a paid-off referee. The opposing team can still play, and maybe even win if they put on a truly incredible performance. However, it’s unlikely, and if you aren’t paying enough attention, you may not even notice that the game was unfair.

Take Hungary. Hungary used to be a democracy and a respected member of the European Union. However, in 2010, the conservative Fidesz party and its nationalist-populist leader Viktor Orbán won the election. After winning, Orbán gerrymandered Hungary, meaning his party would only need 45% of the popular vote to maintain a simple majority, while opposition parties would need 55%. He also used government resources to build an extensive voter database, providing detailed knowledge about

voters that is only available to his party. Perhaps most notably, he changed the media landscape entirely—not by banning dissent, but by manipulating regulatory and economic structures.

Orbán reallocated state funds from critical news outlets and pressured private advertisers that supported targeted media. He levied fines against certain news outlets. He even gave favorable outlets policy news ahead of time, which often let them break the story. With the government working against them, many outlets began to struggle, allowing Orbán’s wealthy friends to buy them for cheap and shift them to be in favor of the politician. Today, while media opposing Orbán can still be found, it must be sought out.

Ultimately, thanks to Orbán’s centralization of power, gerrymandering efforts, and changes to the media landscape, he now has a complete advantage over any potential challenger. Despite this, he still enjoys the legitimacy of being able to claim he won a free election, and that has allowed his party to dominate four straight elections.

Now, let’s talk about the United States.

Trump, who has openly expressed admiration for Orbán, has taken many similar actions.

Last July, he called Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, ordering him to redistrict and find five more seats for Republicans in 2026.

Similar to Orbán’s database, Trump’s Justice Department has also pressured states like Minnesota and even North Carolina to hand over extensive voter data, far beyond normal election oversight.

Trump has also attacked the media. He calls negative press “fake news” and “the enemy of the people,” reducing people’s trust in opposition media. Similar to the fines levied by Orbán,

Trump has sued media organizations for tens of billions of dollars with claims of defamation.

These lawsuits are routinely dismissed, yet nevertheless create a chilling effect for those who seek to speak out. He has also defunded government-run media in PBS and NPR. Most directly, media outlets that published coverage Trump considered unfavorable were denied office space in the Pentagon, with the space instead given to primarily conservative media outlets like Newsmax and The Daily Caller. Later on, Trump’s Pentagon announced that reporters would only be allowed in if they agreed to only publish government-approved news, leading media outlets to turn over their press passes in protest.

At the same time, Trump and Republicans are making voting harder. For instance, North Carolina A&T State University, the largest historically Black college in the country, has had its voting site removed, forcing thousands of Black students to find transport to far-away voting sites. Another example is the SAVE act’s proposed strict ID requirements designed to reduce the already-incredibly-rare instances of noncitizen voting. This would cause issues for the 20-million-plus American citizens who don’t have ready access to a passport or their birth certificate, including married women who now have a different last name from their birth certificate.

Ultimately, Trump is tilting the playing field in Republicans’ favor. For the American public, who is often focused on daily life, there won’t be many alarm bells ringing, especially if he ramps up his attacks on the media. Thus, Trump and his allies will enjoy the legitimacy that comes with winning an election, even if it wasn’t fair.

This is not an issue of right against left. This is an issue of the common people and the values of our founding fathers against the few billionaires and their cronies who think they’re entitled to power. Fortunately, we are not too far gone. There are protests every day that you can join and economic pressure that you can wield.

Vote in federal elections and primaries (including this primary on March 3rd!), because if you don’t vote, it won’t matter if the field was tilted or not. You can contact local representatives and tell them to not let our towns, counties, and states bow down to federal pressure.

You can also look to your local community, especially here in Davidson, where resources are abundant if you take a second to look (Indivisible Lake Norman, CPE, Meck Dems, Davidson College Dems, etc.). If you don’t know where to start, reach out to me—I can show you the various communities and help you find the best for you personally to get involved. Together, we can get through this—and I think we will.

Dylan Swick ’28 is a Political Sciene major from Tampa, Floida. He can be reached for comment at dyswick@davidson.edu.

Get out and vote!

AUDEN WHITE ’26 (HE/HIM) I have a confession. I am going to advocate for you to do something that I have never done myself. I want you to vote in next Tuesday’s primary election.

I didn’t vote in my first eligible election, the 2022 primary. I was bedridden with a fever.

While I had an excuse in 2022, I did not for the 2024 primary. I simply did not vote.

This apathy was not unique. In North Carolina in 2024, more than three-fourths of eligible voters did not cast a ballot in the primary. Even more striking, and similar to this year, without a nationally recognized candidate to drive turnout, roughly four out of five eligible voters, an eye-watering 80 percent, did not vote in the 2022 primary. Those numbers are staggering.

They represent millions of people who forfeited their say in elections that often determine who will ultimately hold public office.

As the country becomes more partisan, primary elections become increasingly important.

Increasing numbers of voters now identify strongly with a single party, and ticket-splitting has become far less common than in previous decades. With North Carolina’s gerrymandered congressional districts, winning the primary

next week effectively decides the general election.

When we skip primaries, the primaries skip us, handing decision-making power to those who do show up. Who votes in primaries?

Overwhelmingly, it is not young people, but entrenched traditional party members. When only a small share of eligible voters participate in primaries, an even smaller and more ideologically committed subset of the electorate determines the outcome. This means that come November, a narrow slice of the population chooses candidates that do not fully represent us.

Here’s my second confession: I don’t like voting. It’s a silly system. It feels almost anticlimactic. After months of stump speeches, yard signs cluttering every available median, and incessant attack ads interrupting my Sunday afternoons, the actual process of casting a ballot is relatively banal. Last November, I cast my ballot in less than thirty seconds. I printed it, neatly slotted it into the machine, and was rewarded with a “I voted sticker” reminiscent of a good behavior reward in elementary school.

But as I was walking out of the building, two things hit me at the same time: one was the blisteringly cold autumn air, and the other was a real sense of connection.

In that moment, stuck behind a ballot box,

Crime Log Time Reported

Description/Location

02/19/26, 21:40 hrs

Drug Offenses: Possession of a Controlled Substance (X2); Possession of Drug Paraphenalia Spencer-Weinstein Center, Inactive

02/19/26, 01:40 hrs

Alcohol Offenses: Consume Liquor/Fortified Wine Under 21 Belk, Inactive

I am connected to the strangers beside me, and the people fifty miles away who I’ll never meet.

We are separated by a million things; we hold different worries and different hopes, but we were united for a brief moment by our participation in the same civic act. This collective action reminded me that I exist, not just in an apartment across from Nummit at Davidson College, but within a larger community that needs people who work together.

Early voting is ongoing at the Cornelius Town Hall & Community Center located at 21445 Catawba Ave, Cornelius, NC 28031.

Its hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m until Friday, February 27th, and Saturday, February 28th from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. On Election Day, Tuesday, March 3, students registered at

Davidson must vote at the Davidson Town Hall & Community Center located at 251 South St, Davidson, NC 28036. On election day, polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Remember to bring a valid voter ID. The Center for Political Engagement (CPE) is a nonpartisan student organization that prioritizes student political involvement. Its president, Auden White ‘26, is an Economics Major from Raleigh, NC. He can be reached for comment at auwhite@davidson.edu.

Sports

5

A t-shirt and bragging rights: A look into intramural sports

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MASON MAYNARD ‘28 (HE/HIM)

n the fall of Virginia Barber’s (’26) freshman year, she and the first floor of Belk Hall etched their names in the Davidson Intramural (IM) Sports history books as flickerball champions.

After earning the claim-to-fame of the “Intramural Champions” t-shirt, Barber unlocked a new opportunity that followed her until her senior year. From freshman flickerball leagues onward, IMs have enriched the Davidson experience for students like Barber.

IMs are recreational sport leagues open to all students, with each league reaching as high as 100 student participants.

For the past twelve years, Stephen Crespi, the Assistant Director of Physical Education & Campus Recreation, has managed IM sports at Davidson. Crespi–and his fleet of student referees–ensure a fun yet competitive IM experience for both participants and officials.

Davidson offers eight IM sports: flickerball, 5-on-5 flag football, 3-on-3 basketball, 5-on-5 small field soccer, 5-on-5 basketball, indoor volleyball, indoor soccer and softball.

For many students, IM participation begins freshman year when their dorm hall is encouraged to reg-

ister as a team for flickerball, a game where ultimate frisbee meets 5-on5-flag-football.

“When it comes to marketing towards participants, we’re able to connect with first year students when they play flickerball,” Crespi said.

As students register for their first IM sport (the majority being flickerball registration), Crespi funnels them into a larger IM portal after registration (imleagues.com) which advertises all other offered sports, ensuring an ongoing engagement with IMs. These leagues, however, cannot run under Crespi’s supervision alone.

Crespi receives help from numerous student referees.

“Our goal is to build confidence among student officials, and then make a confident call first, then be able to have the rules set in the back of their mind,” Crespi said.

For Will Stevens ’29, officiating low-stakes competition offers a valuable perspective on sportsmanship.

“Depending on who you’re reffing, people take it more or less seriously, which is good for the sport […] it’s competitive, but everyone’s also friends at the end of the day,” Stevens said.

Outside of his role as a referee, Stevens participates in flickerball, 5-on5 basketball, 3-on-3 basketball, and

5-on-5 soccer. His experience officiating gives him more patience as a player and develops presence of mind.

“I’ve been trying to be cool tempered on our team towards the referees,” Stevens said, recognizing the tendency among some IM participants to challenge decisions.

“It’s easy to get mad at 19-20 year olds for reffing poorly, but on the other side, you see that it’s actually legitimately hard,” Stevens said.

In the common case of the aggressive IM participant, Crespi shared a powerful anecdote. A few years ago, a participant in flag football played as if the game were tackle football, tackling players down rather than yanking a flag from their waist.

“I offered him an opportunity to just come work and see what it’s like [officiating]. And he embraced it and became one of our student leaders for two or three years,” Crespi said.

For this anonymous participant, violating the flag football rules led to a new perspective—all under Crespi and the Campus Recreation team’s guidance.

Outside of the referee’s perspective though, IM sports serve as a useful medium for many; they can act as a forum for releasing one’s competitive spirit while also crafting fun moments with friends.

Barber has bought into the intra-

Players huddle on the sideline during an IM basketball game in the Baker Sports Complex. Photo courtesy of Virginia Barber ’26.

mural program throughout her four years at Davidson; she’s participated in 5-on-5 basketball, indoor volleyball, softball, and frisbee (no longer offered). Barber takes pride in her trophy case of IM feats, including having beaten many friends on other teams.

“I love the slightly competitive place that it gets, but it’s also like a great way to spend time with your friends,” Barber said.

The sense of community IM sports create extends beyond the players and referees. They create fun for the entire Davidson community. Some participants create Instagram accounts for their teams, invite friends to coach in a suit, and even develop a team logo. Barber, who has been sidelined with an injury, still attends

most of her team’s IM games.

“I’m injured right now so I actually can’t play… but I’ve gone to pretty much every game and I wear a suit and act like I’m the coach, and that’s a lot of fun,” Barber said.

IMs provide an extracurricular opportunity for enjoyment—a time when you can put down school work and indulge in low-stakes recreation with friends. “It’s all super fun, being able to hang out with friends and meet new people,” Stevens said.

“We’re always smiling and remembering it’s an intramural game, and even when it gets competitive I’ve never not enjoyed my time playing IM.”

Swim & Dive: Felt and Shoemaker take home gold at A-10s HANNAH OLIVERA ’29 (SHE/THEY)

D

avidson Swimming and Diving competed in the Atlantic 10 Championships in Hampton, Virginia last week.

The men’s team finished fifth with 420 points, anchored by gold medals from Henry Shoemaker ’29 (1,650 freestyle, 15:09.61) and Dylan Felt ‘26 (200 freestyle, 1:33.46; 500 freestyle, 4:19.28). Fletcher Smith ‘26 also broke a school record in the 200 Butterfly (1:45.63).

The women’s team finished ninth with 169 points behind sixth place finishes for the 400 medley relay and podiums from Ann Thompson ‘27 (200 backstroke, 1:59.53) and McK-

enna Smith ‘29 (50 freestyle, 23.03).

Felt’s two golds brought his career A-10 title count to nine, including his fourth consecutive win in the 500 free and second consecutive win in the 200 free. His 200 free was fast enough to qualify for the NCAA Championships on Mar. 18-21. Felt is the first Wildcat to qualify since Elise Lankiewicz ’17 in 2017.

Francis Bohner ’29 said Felt’s performance was a personal highlight.

Illness leading into the meet made his results all the more energizing.

“When he was feeling under the weather before the meet, I lost some hope that he would perform to his high standards,” Bohner said. “But seeing him win the 200 while being

Dylan Felt ‘26 recieves his ticket to the NCAA Division I men’s swimming and diving championships. Photo courtesy of @dcfh wildcats on Instagram.

sick and qualifying for NCAA had me jumping for the entire race and made our coach fall to the ground.”

Felt’s contributions extend beyond the individual event. Alongside Zain Butt ‘27, Mitch McClain ‘28, Phelim Crowley ‘29, the ‘Cats set another school record in the men’s 200 freestyle relay.

Meanwhile, Henry Shoemaker ’29 won the 1,650-yard freestyle. Capturing a victory in a challenge of stamina and performance signals both the immediate impact to the team and long-term promise for the ‘Cats.

Shoemaker’s hard work does not go unnoticed. “[His event] is all about mental toughness,” Bohner said. “The way he stayed composed and finished strong was really impressive.”

Shoemaker said the team got off to a slow start and were “a little off their times” at the start of the spring season. Nevertheless, the team pulled through to perform “to their standards” at A-10s.

“I wouldn’t say one specific person performed better under pressure but the entire team. We all gave it 101% of our effort at the A10 championship,” Shoemaker said.

According to the freshmen on the teams, a lot of the upper classmen and coaches provided the confidence and support that they needed.

“I feel like our preparation from our coaches and teammates allowed that to happen, but I was also able to ex-

Coaches and swimmers cheer on their teammates. Photo courtesy of @dcfh wildcats on Instagram.

ecute my races better due to the excitement,” Bohner said.

Bohner and Shoemaker noted that the results sheet paints an incomplete picture.

“I think they’re missing the countless days, hours, and hard practices we have gone through,” Bohner said. “They’re missing the moments of everyone on the team celebrating together, the hardships we’ve worked through, and the fun we have behind the results.”

“We are swimming in a puddle and

seeing who is the fastest. Enjoy it and just have fun,” said Shoemaker, quoting a coach’s advice.

For some, the meet was bittersweet. “Although I am very sad that the senior class became swammers, I believe this freshman class is very talented and will continue to excel, as [will] the rest of the team,” Shoemaker said.

Up next, the Swim and Dive program will compete in the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, in March.

Arts & Entertainment

6

Striking a chord: Saxophonist John Ellis visits Davidson

T

ANNA FARMER ’27 (SHE/HER)

he first of this semester’s Davidson College Jazz Ensemble residencies came to a groovy end when renowned saxophonist John Ellis performed alongside the ensemble at the Duke Family Performance Hall on Saturday.

Twice each spring, the ensemble welcomes a professional musician to collaborate with students during a three day residency program, culminating in a public concert at DFPH. Directed by Patrick Brown and joined by two faculty and staff members and one community member, the Feb. 21 concert featured jazz standards and one of Ellis’ compositions, “Happy.”

Ellis, a tenor saxophonist born and raised in Moore County, N.C., honed his craft in two metropolitan Jazz hubs. After growing up in the South, Ellis spent his formative years in New Orleans for music training before moving to New York City almost 30 years ago.

He addresses duality in identity in his latest album, “Fireball,” released

by Sunnyside Records in January 2026. In addition to sideman credits on 150-plus albums, Ellis has released 16 albums as a band leader. Four of his albums feature his New-Orleans centered band Double-Wide.

As the grandson of a Davidson College alumnus, Reverend Albert Curry Winn ‘42, Ellis’ connection with Davidson College expands from a familial history with the school to time spent with Brown in the late 1990s.

“I moved to New York in 1997.

[Brown] came to a show I did there at the 55 Bar. I guess we had the North

Carolina connection and we spoke about that,” Ellis recalled. “He also came to a show I did with Charlie Hunter’s band around 2005 and we hung out then. He’s been in touch.”

Brown remembers connecting with Ellis in a similar way.

“I met John when I was in college, about 20-years-old. I saw him in New York and we struck up somewhat of a friendship and we have kept in touch over the years,” Brown said.

When it came time for Brown to decide this year’s residency artists for the Jazz Ensemble, Ellis was a clear choice.

“When I got this role at Davidson, I always envisioned bringing him in to get to meet the students, just like when I was his age, a full-circle moment,” Brown said. “It had been a couple years since we brought in a saxophone player, so I decided to bring him in this time.”

Ellis worked closely with students during his three days with the ensemble. He joined them in rehearsal, conducted an improv masterclass, a saxophone masterclass and performed alongside them at the final concert.

For flute player and pianist Jemma Lowi ’29, Ellis’ relaxed demeanor and excitement for the student’s abilities during rehearsal stood out.

“He is very thoughtful, easygoing and there for the vibes,” Lowi said.

“There is one piece where I play something in the beginning on flute and then I basically throw my flute down and run over to the piano and then start playing [...]he seemed to think it was cool.”

Ellis’ calm personality also stood out to saxophonist Nolan Elder ’27.

“He’s just so down to earth and [...] soft spoken and just like, like a joy to be around,” Elder said.

A staple of the residency program

includes a dinner out with the guest artist.

“It lends itself to really good conversations, especially as you get to know one another. I think that’s the benefit.

The students get to know more than just the music,” Brown described.

One moment from the dinner with Ellis stood out to saxophonist and clarinet player John Ramsey ’27.

“One thing I thought was really nice is that originally John Ellis was sitting with Dr. Brown and Rick [...] then near the end of the meal he moved over to sit with us, just because he wanted to talk to us and was interested in engaging with us,” Ramsey recalled.

In addition to connection with the musician, the opportunity for students to be exposed to a new way of thinking about their music is a valuable aspect of the residency.

“Ellis [sic] has sort of made me rethink the way I kind of approach jazz as a whole. He really emphasizes being able to listen to others and what they’re playing,” Elder said.

Ellis also offered a new way of thinking about jazz music for Ramsey based on a holistic awareness of the craft, including what goes into making the instruments.

“He emphasizes a very ground-up approach to how he thinks and approaches the saxophone. Like during our saxophone masterclass the other night, he started with, ‘Do you know what reeds are made out of? Where do they come from?’” Ramsey said. “He was talking about the latin name of the specific kind of grass that grows in the South of France and how they cut the reeds and how they shape it into what we end up purchasing.”

Thinking about where things come from and how ideas are shaped is

John Ellis (left) performs in the Duke Family Performance Hall on Saturday, Feb. 21. Photo by Ezra Pearson ’29.

foundational in Ellis’ overall approach to jazz music and the genre in particular.

“The term [jazz] is contested. Some people embrace it, some people don’t embrace it. I mean, it has a history that is complicated [...] the music grew out of black American struggles,” Ellis said. “Because of that experience, we have this music, and this music is one of the most important American contributions.”

The opportunity to connect and collaborate with knowledgeable and experienced musicians through the residency program is not lost on the ensemble members.

“I think that we have to acknowledge that we’re really lucky to get this opportunity. Every year we get to play with two well-known professional musicians and they do a concert with us,” Elder emphasized, humbled by the talent to which Davidson introduces students.

Lowi had similar thoughts about

working with a musician like Ellis.

“I think we work harder knowing that there’s a residency guest artist coming in because then it’s like okay we have a professional, they really know what we’re doing, we really gotta have our music locked and loaded and ready to go,” Lowi said.

The long-term significance of the opportunity was also clear to Lowi.

“It’s cool for the rest of us because get to say that like I comped [accompanied] behind John Ellis’ solo when I was in college,” Lowi said.

Collaborative work, especially with student musicians, is a foundational part of Ellis’s approach to jazz, and to music teaching overall.

“Jazz has always been contributed to by a lot of different groups making up a new identity in a new place,” Ellis said. “It’s very much a community-based thing. You do it in community and you do it by experiencing someone else.”

Student-led VAC basement collection tour highlights hidden gems SOPHIA REES ’27 (SHE/HER)

W

hile most Davidson students have spent some time in Davidson’s Visual Arts Center either taking classes or enjoying the gallery exhibitions, its basement remains rather concealed, hiding an exciting art collection.

The VAC recently hosted “Arts + Apps: Hidden Gems in Art Collection,” an opportunity for students to hear five Gallery interns speak about their favorite works hidden to the public eye and housed in the basement’s collection storage.

This unique event—distinct from the VAC’s curated exhibits showcasing national and internationally acclaimed artists, senior capstone presentations, and academic workshops—showcased pieces spanning centuries, media formats, and artists. These make up just a few of the VAC’s 4200 works of art. Located in the basement, students got to see behind-the-scenes of the academic building, including the back room which houses rows and rows of art.

Heidi McGannon ’26, an Art History major, began the event by introducing the VAC and its events before deeming John Singer Sargent’s 1898 watercolor piece “Portrait of a Young Girl” her favorite in storage.

According to McGannon, while Sargent often painted individuals from high society who appeared older and proud, his more rudimentary depiction of a young girl struck McGannon.

“The sitter appears rather uncertain,” she said, “but sits with her feet crossed and hands in her lap,” indicating a degree of poise for her age.

The ambiguity of the subject also interests McGannon, with Sargent addressing the piece to a mysterious “Lucy.” Director & Curator of Art Gallery Lia Newman chimed in with her theory that it was a depiction of a girl named Lucille, who is mentioned in a book that she read about Sargent.

Afroditi Godi ’29, an intended Art History major, introduced her two favorite pieces. Elin O’Hara Slavick’s “A-Bombed Bottle” and “A-Bombed Comb” are the two only cyanotypes in the gallery.

Godi learned about this unique artistic technique during a high school summer program at Oxford, and has been fascinated since. One begins by putting two chemicals on a piece of paper with an object on top. The artist leaves it out to dry in the sun, and the exposed paper slowly becomes dark brown. However, the part that is covered by the object remains white.

The title of these pieces reference the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with the artist

collecting objects from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to create these pieces.

Bella Rosenfeld ’27, also an Art History major, continued the presentation. She began by showing the audience the back of her selected piece, Romare Bearden’s “Evening 9:10PM, 461 Lennox Avenue,” displaying stickers of the different institutions in which the piece had previously been, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Rosenfeld’s choice was created by one of her favorite artists and, to her, one of the most important visual artists of the 20th century. This 1964 collage reflects his experience as a Black man, depicting individuals in a confined personal space, with some sitting around the table and another on a boxboard bed to the right.

A larger scanned version is on display at the Guggenheim Museum, but Davidson houses the original.

The piece depicts an important aspect of Black American life.

“Black life in America is not only one of protest and civil unrest. Harlem is not just about the artistic renaissance,” she said. “Their lives are also about being human and having a community and sitting down with people you love.”

Katie Davis ’29 then shared three photographs taken by Davidson alum and Grammy winner William Ferris ’64. Davis detailed her growing up

Students tour work collections from VAC basement storage. Photo courtesy of Lia Newman.

in Brandon, Miss., where her family would share stories about life in the 1960s and 70s. The selected photographs were all taken in Mississippi, with one showing a predominantly Black church congregation in 1974.

Davis was especially interested in the depiction of 1970s fashion trends, and this rural, low-income community staying up to date with the bell-bottoms and patterned tops that made up the style of the time.

The second photo shows a watermelon vendor and his son beaming with pride while holding a large watermelon. Davis finds the son’s smile to indicate a sense of pride in this market, which does not generate much money yet brings such satisfaction to locals.

Sabrina Bonavita ’26, an Art History major, shared Henry Gasser’s

20th-century piece “Venetian Afternoon” as an emblem of the calm and slow Italian lifestyle. This realist watercolor depicts a gondola with a gondolier rowing two unknown individuals. “It brings me back to my time abroad where I studied Spanish realist artists,” Bonavita said.

Although the majority of the piece is the background and only some depicts the action, Bonavita finds this composition to assist in curating a peaceful, serene Italian day.

While these pieces may be hidden to the public eye right now, students can head over to the VAC to view the Gallery’s newest exhibit “Alternative Medicine: Healing Remedies for Harmful Times” which will be on display until April 13. Senior art majors will begin displaying their capstone exhibits on March 2.

Living Davidson Across 1 Group denial 6 With 12-Down, author of “Dusk, Night, Dawn” 10 Actor Holbrook 13 Attractive smell 14 Means of entry 15 Stretch named for a president 16 Start of a quotation from “Dusk, Night, Dawn” 18 Kind of sleep during which dreams appear 19 HBO rival 20 ___ hall 21 Yoko of music and art 22 Orbital path 25 Davidson Village ___ (Depot Street boutique hotel) 27 Pick up the tab for 29 Arizona necktie 31 Drudge of yore 34 2nd banana 35 Caught a few winks 37 Means of entry 39 Part 2 of the quotation 43 Rage 44 Doesn’t spoil, as food 46 Reverberation 49 Executive Director of Career Development Jeanne-Marie 51 Rough file 52 Concise 54 Once possessed 56 Lie, ___, lain 57 Amorous murmur 58 ___ v. Wade 61 Dessert from an oven 63 Jean of Dadaist art 64 End of the quotation 69 Pay___ (e-commerce facilitator) 70 ___ David (presidential retreat) 71 Eyelashes 72 She, in Lisbon

73 Golf course hazard 74 “The Book of Songs” author Heinrich Down 1 “Count me out” 2 ___ pro nobis 3 “Up” side 4 “Ball!” callers 5 Greet 6 “Classified” listings 7 American-born Jordanian queen 8 ___ the wiser 9 Assemble 10 “Hogan’s ___” 11 Concert sites 12 See 6-Across 17 Accelerator particles 22 Six-pack units 23 Caramel candy brand 24 Bass or treble 26 Tot’s desire, often 28 Ameriquest Field ballplayer 30 Choose 32 Openly enthusiastic 33 “By the way,” in a text 36 Fri. preceder 38 Calligraphy need 40 Hit the wrong button, say 41 Close, as an envelope 42 Res ___ loquitur 45 Catch sight of 46 Avoid capture 47 Designed for group singing 48 Ado 50 Afternoon snoozes 53 Area of land 55 You can dig it 59 Poet Khayyám 60 “Harry Potter” actress Watson 62 Falco of the screen 65 Pos., to neg., e.g.

66 2001 Will Smith biopic 67 Yang’s opposite 68 It’s next to PDT, on Patterson Court

7

Not a Bad Goal Crossword by Victor Fleming ’73

Answers: Stretching the Obvious

“Bouncing” Bird Club members out observing (left), beekeepers in action (middle), bee hive (right). Courtesy of Camryn Friedman ’27 and Gibby Heiser ’26.

The birds and the bees get students outside ANNA MORROW ’28 (SHE/HER)

T

he Bird and Bee clubs on Davidson’s campus encourage students to get outside and explore the surrounding environment that supports both birds and bees. Bird Club began in 2025 at the start of the school year under co-presidents Rohan Doddovaram ’27 and Camryn Friedman ’27. Bee Club has existed at Davison for longer and now operates under the supervision of Gibby Heiser ’26.

Doddovaram and Friedman began the club because of their mutual interest in ornithology. Doddovaram was introduced to birding at a young age.

“I grew up spending summers in Singapore with my aunt, uncle and their family. My aunt has always been into it. When she was a kid, her dad got her into it,” Doddovaram said.

Friedman developed a passion for birds at a similar time in her life. “I’ve always been interested in birds, but I became more interested in them when I did a science project on them in middle school. And then I started volunteering on some different bird projects. So I’ve just been really interested in ornithology since then,” Friedman said.

Heiser has been involved in Bee Club since her first year at Davidson.

“I had always been fascinated by bees,” Heiser said. “I ran a “Bee Hospital” for those little guys and I have carried that love with me to Davidson, so naturally, I jumped on the chance to go to Bee School and became major events planner right off the bat.”

These groups provide a great community for hobbies of birding and beekeeping that are typically thought of as individual.

“I think unlike soccer or some other sport, you can do it [birding] alone and it doesn’t necessarily diminish the experience. But I also think it’s exciting to be able to do it with these other people, especially if you’re just getting into the hobby,” Doddovaram said. “Community adds an element to it that I’ve been grateful for. It also meant that people are more willing to come back, engage with it as an organization.”

Bird club also plans to extend its reach beyond Davidson’s campus.

“We’re going to start collaborating with the Davidson Town Bird Club, [...]that’ll be fun to bring together the College and the town and go on birding trips as a wider community,” Friedman said.

The club is also in the process of starting a chapter of the National Audubon Society. Once

the Bird Club is affiliated with the society, Doddovaram and Freidman look forward to connecting with experts and hosting educational events.

Bee club is a way for members to pollinate campus with their appreciation for bees.

“Bees operate in a way that seems almost magic. They’re the only superorganism we get hands on with, and certainly the only one that makes something as delicious as honey. Watching their complete devotion to the hive is enchanting,” Heiser said.

“You should join Bee Club to learn about these magnificent creatures- I feel so lucky every time I get to pause and watch them bumble around.

Bees do so much for us, and it is so rewarding to be a steward for a hive,” Heiser continued.

Both clubs essentialize time spent outdoors.

Bird Club utilizes the Cross Country Trails on campus to observe birds while Bee Club typically travels to Lake Campus to complete hive inspections.

These organizations also offer opportunities like bird related board games and honey jar decorating for students to engage.

These two clubs not only offer a wonderful story title, but also an opportunity to observe animals and their habitats in our surrounding environment.

“Party animals”

Comics by Harris Huber ’27

The

Yowl

Irreverent student journalism since Just Now. Castigat Ridendo Mores.

inside

yowl.com/inflation

I

“Cataract Wagon,” “Clanker Jockey,” SGA-approved insults for students who ride scooters Page: Traffic

“(Insert State)’s Weather Is So Biopolar” And Other Unique Things About Your Home State

Yowl Newsie, Timmy Rickets, Interviewed About High Sales Quotas

Indie Boy Has All His Clothes Bought At Walt Days. Has His Identity Stolen

Page 2: Clone

Page 3: DOL

Page 4: Identity Theft

n today’s episode of Undercover Boss, Student Activities administrator Landon Brokey goes undercover as a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at Davidson College. A complete transcript of the episode can be found below.

Brokey: I’m Landon Brokey, and today I’m going undercover at the most fraternity fraternity at Davidson. I’m here to infiltrate and bust them for their constant hazing and underage alcohol consumption.

It’s lunchtime at SAE. Members filter in and out, suspiciously discussing unproblematic things such as “classes,” “intramural sports,” and “Catan at Nummit”.

Brokey: Hey guys, I’m Cody. I just transferred in from SAE at Tennessee State. I’m, like, super down to get re-hazed.

SAE Bro 1: Omg! Let’s give him a tour.

SAE Bro 2: Here’s our iced latte bar, our lunch with vegan and vegetarian options, and our quarter-zip vending machine.

Brokey: This is not what I was imagining.

SAE Bro 2: You’re right. I’m sure Tennessee State is way ahead of us. We sincerely apologize for not yet being 100% compostable. We have all of our ENV majors working on it. That’s most of the fraternity, so we should get there soon enough.

Brokey: Who’s that in the corner by himself?

SAE Bro 1: That’s Brian, our Republican. We have to have at least one to please the higher-ups. The rest of us are die-hard Bernie stans.

SAE Bro 2: Want an ice cream sandwich? Our chef makes them completely homemade.

Brokey abruptly leaves, feeling confused but enlightened. He is now empathetic towards this strange group of Boston natives who have proven him wrong. In fact, he feels connected to them in a way that makes him wish he was really Cody from Tennessee State.

SAE Bro 1: Where did Cody go? We didn’t finish the tour!

SAE Bro 1 leads the camera crew into the basement, where the experiments are currently in session. Makeshift hospital beds built out of wooden risers are filled with freshman pledges attached to IVs and heart monitors. An upperclassman in a lab coat walks around observing and writing things on a clipboard.

SAE Bro 1: We are working hard day and night to find the most potent combination of alcohol and drugs to mass-produce for all of our events, especially the ones on campus. These pledges have graciously volunteered to act as test subjects.

SAE Bro 2: I wish Cody was still here. I feel like this is impressive enough to make up for the lack of sustainability initiatives.

Oh well.

Yowl

Can One Editor With A Cold And Spelling Issues Make A Good Layout? Our Sources Say No Page 5 : #MissFinny

College Adopts Baby For New Experiential Education Program

Undercover Boss: Student Activities Edition

The

The Sniffles Issue

February 25, 2026

I

n an effort to better prepare future-parents, Davidson has officially signed the papers to legally adopt a newborn for students to learn how to care for a baby. This is the beginning of a new program in which students sign up either as pairs or individuals to spend a week cleaning, feeding, and sheltering a baby to gain on-the-job experience with childcare– a subject that no school has ever taught before.

The program will consist of a short training period during which students will learn basic skills like how to hold the baby, change its diaper, and communicate with it. After this training, students will enter a lottery to be given the baby for seven days, in which they must care for it twenty-four hours a day. Notably, no one will be told what week they are assigned the baby ahead of time; it

will be a surprise.

“Most people are surprised when they suddenly have a baby on the way,” the program director wrote, unprompted.

“It’s important to us that we simulate every part of the parental experience– excepting, of course, the pregnancy process.”

Some have raised ethical concerns about this program, using harsh phrases like “child abuse,” and “traumatizing.” It is important to note that a number of precautions are in place to protect the baby.

For example, critics have claimed that the baby will be confused, not knowing who their parents are. To mitigate this emotional stress, all students will be required to wear masks with President Doug Hicks’ face on them, to provide the illusion of only one parent. Another concern is over what could happen if a stu-

RLO Embezels Money

M

ayhem ensued this week as the RLO embezzlement scandal finally broke.

Emotions were running high–who knew the campus’ most trusted organization couldn’t be trusted? Here’s what we’ve heard so far. As everyone knows, Davidson grants RLO a yearly stipend, intended to be used on the Ryburn Roaches and “experimental” personality tests. As it turns out, RLO has embezzled the money in a highly illegal Davidson sports betting ring. Unfortunately for RLO, it soon became clear that DUFF and Davidson football might not have been worth betting millions of dollars on.

Teleporter Cut Following Lux Splinching Incident

F

lowers line the partially-melted walls of the Dana Science Laboratory as students pay their respects to the remains of subject #005, the ‘Lux the Wildcat’ plushie who bravely gave his life this past Thursday in service of resident physics super-senior, Adom Neutron, and his most recent capstone.

“Ya it was lit. I mean, like literally,” Neutron said. “At first we weren’t really sure what would happen if we turned the Commons soda machine into a particle accelerator, but apparently it’s really bright and teleports things across campus if you throw them at the glass part.

Obviously we needed to try it on people next.”

WRITERS

Incident of The Week

Level Saw Cow Tools Aisle

Friend group that calls themsleves “the nine” open to new members as radical “the ten” bill passed.

S

dent fails to adequately care for the baby.

To ensure the baby’s health, all students will sign an agreement when enlisting in the program, certifying that they will provide satisfactory care. Therefore, any harm coming to the baby could result in an honor offense.

Despite these reasonable concerns, the reception to this announcement has been largely positive, with supporters pointing towards the long-term benefits.

“If my parents had access to something like this in college, it would’ve helped me out too,” one bizarrely dent-headed student wrote. It’s interesting to think about what kind of good this program will do in the future. All-in-all, this program underscores Davidson’s commitment to cultivating the next generation to guide us to a better future.

IM Leagues Brings the Worst Out of Every Frat Man

woosh. The sweet sound of a clean three-pointer. The freshman smirks as he scores. “Mon-eeeeeeey” says his friend.

The rest of the team call him different things: “Goat”, “King”, “Little guy, big dreams.” He boasts his chest, and looks at the rarest species in the court. It is not a unicorn, nor a capricorn.

It is a far more feared species: a woman. He is startled and taken aback: he has never seen a woman in court, and his heart races. He is uncomfortable at such a sight. He laughs nervously, and makes fun of the rare species, for what else is there to do when you encounter something new? The rare species is itself uncomfortable, a court dominated by frat men sweat and arrogant laughter is bound to make anyone uneasy. The rare species makes mistakes, as is natural, but this only invites more laughter from the ambitious men that haven’t realized they are not athletes and it is simply not that deep. As the timer beeps, the King is left satisfied; he has proved his worth as a human by defeating a wompan(? wormhan? wolman?). He leaves the court with the knowledge, the conviction, he is better than everyone else. He returns home, undergoes hazing by his favorite frat, and goes to sleep soundly.

Unfortunately, Adom was prohibited from directly using human subjects due to concerns of ‘direct student harm’.

Despite the setback, he remained undeterred in finding a new solution: “I mean we just sort of threw people discus-style into the wormhole printer last year and that didn’t go so great, and this year we knew that wouldn’t cut it with SGA, so we got Amy to throw Lux into it, instead.

She messed it up, though.”

Amy, a recently declared physics senior desperate for credits, was tasked with sending Lux through the wildly unstable portal by “doing a little run” before jumpshotting the large stuffed animal directly into the machine’s center.

Quote of the Week “I Beat My Battle Last Night” “I Battled My Beat” “Beat my Beat” -The Average F Go’er this weekend

Unfortunately, the blinding light caused her to miss and hit the side of the machine, instead, instantly atomizing Lux into nuclear pockets of molecular much that ricocheted into the surrounding room, into Amy, and, tragically, the soda machine itself.

The physics chair tearfully adorns the pulsing mound with a red ribbon of academic honor as his sermon closes. Neutron, currently on house arrest, tells us how “rad” Lux was over Zoom, as Amy, covered in bandages, simply gives a thumbs up on her remaining hand as Lux is finally taken to his final resting place within the Dana-Watts cold war bunker.

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

Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth. Unless you really want to.