For a Better Davidson.
thedavidsonian.news Issue 9 Volume 124,
Four seniors reflect on how Davidson can improve its Ecological Preserve.
April 16, 2025
Student-athletes Emilie Bessell ‘28 and Jasmine Timmerson ‘27 set to launch mental health app.
Sören Potthoff ‘27 recaps annual Drag Show.
Are you a senior that wanted to live at F? Too bad.
4 5 6 8
CLAIRE IRELAND ‘28 (SHE/HER) WEBSITE DESIGNER
et against a backdrop of red and blue panels printed with the Young America’s Foundation (YAF) logo, pro-life activist Abby Johnson spoke for nearly two hours in opposition to Planned Parenthood and abortion. Titled “Abby Johnson: Exposing Planned Parenthood,” the lecture took place in the Lilly Family Gallery this past Wednesday, April 9.
“After working at Planned Parenthood for eight years, eventually becoming a clinic director, she [Johnson] began to question the organization’s priorities, feeling that they were more focused on selling abortions than they were on genuinely helping women,” Cynthia Huang ‘25, president of Davidson’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter, explained during the event’s introduction.
Johnson’s anti-Planned Parenthood viewpoint, coupled with her firsthand experience, has allowed Johnson to promote her pro-life advocacy broadly, from Fox News to her own memoir: Unplanned.
Johnson primarily took a storytelling approach to her lecture, relying on personal anecdotes to describe the change in her perspective over the course of her life. Johnson cited Sept. 26, 2009 as the day everything changed. “I was called in that day to assist with [an] abortion procedure. My job was to hold the ultrasound probe on the woman’s abdomen during the abortion procedure so that the doctor would be able to, in his words, ‘visualize his target,’” she explained. “I see the suction tube go in [...] When it finally gets close to him and finally touches the area he’s in, he jumps, and he begins moving his arms and legs as if he’s trying to get away [...] in just minutes, I see this tiny body be torn apart.”
This sequence of events has been criticized for its inaccuracy. In an article published by the Texas Monthly, a search into the records of the Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, Texas, where Johnson worked, turned up no abortion on the day of Sept. 26, 2009 that matched her description. Johnson has provided details to this story, including that the patient was a Black woman and 13 weeks along in her pregnancy.
These proposed facts match no documented abortion carried out at the clinic that day.
Nonetheless, this vignette moved some audience members. “I think I’m more sympathetic to the pro-life position after
this,” Gabriel Russ-Nachamie ‘27, attendee and president of the Davidson College Libertarians, said. Changing opinions was YAF’s desired outcome. “Part of our [YAF’s] mission is to change the hearts and minds of people in the middle. So for people that don’t know what an abortion really is, when they realize [...] what actually goes on, we hope that they will change their minds,” YAF Communications Director Hannah Fay ‘25 expressed. Johnson’s talk was met with resistance from Davidson’s Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) chapter. While Johnson spoke in the Lilly Family Gallery, PPGA, alongside Students Against Imperialism (SAI), hosted a counter event held in the Alvarez College Union amphitheater, located outside the entrance to the building. As Johnson spoke in Chambers, nearly 75 people gathered over the course of two hours to learn about the history of reproductive rights in the U.S. and share thoughts on the conversation at hand.
Beneath a banner that displayed “We support people who get abortions,” with a QR code that led to abortion support resources, students wrote different pro-choice phrases in chalk, including, “We support people who get abortions” and “Keep your laws off my body.” As students dropped by to write or listen, organizers passed out a pamphlet titled “Who is Fit for Motherhood?” a zine that explores how
reproductive rights issues disproportionately affect women of color, poor women and immigrant women. Anaya Patel ‘25, former direct action chair of PPGA and active member of SAI, helped organize the gathering.
“For this event, we were trying to think of ways we can show our support for people who get abortions, ways we can have an educational component [and] a discussion, which is what we ended up doing,” they stated.
In doing so, Patel believed that this event served as a productive space to foster conversation surrounding the issue. “I just thought it was necessary to combat some of the harmful rhetoric that was going to be coming out of the YAF event,” they emphasized. “I thought having an event not only to spread information, but also to show people on campus that they are supported in their choice to get an abortion and to obtain their full reproductive freedom, [and] that there’s people on campus that believed in that and loved them for it [was important].”
Mallie Roley ‘25, an attendee, felt that the environment allowed for community members to gather thoughtfully. “The most meaningful experiences I’ve had at Davidson have come from conversations—both in and outside the classroom. Abby Johnson [...] failed to acknowledge the students and professors who came together to engage thoughtfully over scholarly literature, exchanging perspectives, values and historical context.”
YAF defined this counter event as an acceptable form of free speech. “I am obviously a big proponent of free speech. They can say whatever they want. They can do whatever they want. It’s America,” Huang declared.
Additionally, PPGA engaged directly with those attempting to attend the lecture. Two members stood near the Chambers Building entrance, handing out flyers that outlined Johnson’s viewpoints and advocating for people to attend their gathering instead. Nearby chalk art also pointed attendees in the direction of the PPGA event. The use of art to protest the event was continually disparaged by Johnson throughout her lecture. “Let’s draw flowers and talk about it. It’s adorable. So freaking adorable. And in the meantime, why don’t you draw a picture of what it looks like for a baby to be decapitated inside of an abortion clinic,” Johnson said. “These are grown-up conversations to be had, not something
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CLAIRE KELLY ‘25 (SHE/HER) CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
What’s happening:
Across the United States, international students live each day unsure if they will be the next victims of the Trump administration’s deportation campaign. In recent weeks, college students have been the targets of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. On March 25, Rumeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University student who engaged in pro-Palestinian activism, was taken off the streets near their campus in Massachusetts. Though it was recently revealed that there was no evidence to support that Öztürk had links to antisemitism or terrorism, as the Trump administration had claimed, the jarring video emphasized the brutality of the new federal government initiatives.
Closer to Davidson’s campus, six international students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and two students at North Carolina State University had their visas taken away and are subject to deportation.
Many of the students affected have been F-1 or J-1 visa holders. “Attorneys and advocates
say it seems as though people who have protested in support of Palestinians, those with previous arrests and those with certain political social media posts are the likeliest to have been swept up,” an article published by NBC News on April 10 stated.
Most international students have F-1 visa status, a visa that allows people pursuing academic studies to temporarily live in the United States. Though the Trump administration has not explicitly stated that they are targeting colleges, these actions are nonetheless a cause for concern among students.
What students should know: Public universities are more susceptible to ICE raids, often with no prior warning. Davidson’s status as a private institution gives it some control over parts of campus that are not open to the public. However, because the people ICE targets are individual cases, Davidson may not be able to intervene, particularly if the federal government has a warrant. Therefore, the College still recommends that international students remain aware of their status and their rights.
In addition to visa holders, the College has emphasized their commitment to
undocumented students: “Davidson College is committed to educational access and social diversity which are essential components for achieving excellence in a liberal arts education,” the College website states.
Though the President’s Office did not publicly provide more specific guidance on how students can receive emotional support on campus, they emphasized that there are various resources available to students, particularly through student groups such as the Davidson International Association (DIA) and the International Student Engagement Office (ISE). Over the past few weeks, there have been various events, including Coffee and Tea with ISE and two different sessions called “Know Your Rights: Immigration Session for International Students.” Additionally, the College has an extensive WildcatSync article titled “Know Your Rights & Responsibilities in the U.S.”
“Carry a copy of their I-94 record or, if you are a Permanent Resident, their green card. ISE advises students to keep these in their wallet at all times and advises F-1 students to have a copy of their I-20, passport and visa easily accessible,” the article recommends.
WildcatSync also includes various links to
websites such as the ACLU, and informative information as to what to do if ICE visits campus. Notably, if ICE stops an international person in public, that person has the right to remain silent, speak to a lawyer and refuse a search. If approached at home, a person can refuse to open the door and remain silent. Recommendations on the National Immigration Law Center website include memorizing the phone number of a family member, friend or attorney to call in case of an emergency, as well as carrying a know-yourrights card and any other legal documents that are crucial for your identification.
How students are feeling:
With the ongoing situation, intense anxiety among international students is common. In separate interviews with The Davidsonian, two international students, who wish to remain anonymous, expressed their concerns.
“I think we’re in a difficult situation right now [...] as international students because there is so much uncertainty about our future, and having to change plans. Initially, [I thought] we can stay in the U.S. for grad school and then decide what to do next. But none of these
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to chalk art on a sidewalk at a university.”
Huang reiterated these sentiments. “This is not just something that you should be playing around with art [about]. It’s a very serious issue. It’s the genocide of this generation. There are over a million babies every year being killed. I don’t think that’s something to joke around about.”
Members of PPGA also posed questions to Johnson during the Q&A section, including questioning Johnson’s lack of acknowledgement of the non-abortion health services provided by Planned Parenthood. Johnson brought up this question again in a later response to a different attendee. “They’ll [Planned Parenthood] feed them their talking points, like the one that you saw up here just a minute ago, and they’ll say, ‘This is what we want you to say, this is the program that we want you to follow,’” she expressed.
Toward the end of the event, PPGA members filtered into the back of the Lilly Gallery, purposefully taking seats on the floor rather than in the available chairs near the front.
While describing how she and her colleagues at Planned Parenthood made fun of patients in their most vulnerable state, Johnson directly addressed their presence. “When our doctor would sit on his little chair, and the women would [...] have their legs wide open in the stirrups, and the doctor would roll up right up next to them, he would act like he was sniffing their vagina. We would all, you know, laugh and think that was so funny, like they’re laughing back there because they think that’s so funny, because they’re all pro-abortion,” Johnson stated. “See, they’re not honoring women. It’s probably because they’re not honorable women.”
Despite the back and forth, PPGA members stressed that their counter event brought unity for those who were looking to get involved with pro-choice discourse.“I think people are a little scared just because abortion bans are on the rise, so it was really cool to see people come together for something that’s being increasingly criminalized right now,” Patel said.
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things actually seem to be possible right now,” one student stated. “I had the realization that [...] I actually need to change my plans [...] my lifetime plans that I’ve been working on for so long—I suddenly have to change them, because I don’t know if I’ll actually be able to get a PhD in the first place.”
In this student’s opinion, the College could be doing more to communicate with students. After a “Know Your Rights Session” in February that was described as “chaos,” this student felt it was important to intervene and have another session.
“The ISE doesn’t usually get support from the administration in the first place from my knowledge—but maybe they are. [...] They rely so much on student workers because they don’t have enough people,” they described. “They’re not helping ISE. If they were, the situation would be much different and our first session wouldn’t have been the chaos that it was.”
Still, they admitted that there is much uncertainty and they themselves do not know how much the College can do.
“When I’m [talking about the] administration, it’s really the higher-ups like the dean of students, the president, vice president—there is no communication whatsoever. I guess I also have the question [of] what can they actually do? Because all of us are in this uncertainty, right? But I feel like at least acknowledg[ing] [that], ‘Yeah, this is happening, and we are on it, and we’re trying to see how you guys feel about things,’ that would be helpful,” they stated.
In addition to their daily worries, there is an academic toll. “I’ve had to individually talk to professors and say, ‘Hey, this is my situation. I’m extremely demotivated. I don’t see my future anymore. I don’t really want to be doing anything academic related because I really don’t know what the future holds for me,’” they continued. “I’m hating going to class right now. [...] You see these people who don’t really have to think about these things, and you’re expected to have the same output and the same mental energy and the same social and emotional energy as everyone else.”
Another international student echoed these feelings.
“I feel like there is a lot of anxiety on campus [...] from students [...] a lot of students are anxious. They don’t know what they should be doing or what they want to be doing over the summer, for example. And I know some of my friends who wanted to go back [home] over the summer have had to cancel their plans because of the uncertainty.”
This student’s home country is currently listed under the Level 3 travel advisory by the U.S. Department of State. Because of this, the student has been cautious about traveling outside of the U.S., most recently ending their spring break trip early to come back to campus.
Still, this student emphasized that approaching the administration one-on-one has been helpful, including Director of International Student Engagement Angie Edwards.
“She [Edwards] told me that she’s heard from offices that
are willing to make opportunities for students who are at risk of traveling or were at risk of being placed on a travel ban. They’re willing to make opportunities to allow students to work on campus or to stay on campus for the summer. That has not been communicated to the students, which is unfortunate. Whenever I do ask, it feels like it’s a matter of resources,” they explained.
Edwards deferred to the President’s Office for commentary for this article.
“The people who are at risk would benefit from knowing that they have these resources, but I now realize that they would only know these resources if they reach out to these offices,” the student continued. “Otherwise, they don’t have any access to this information, and that’s why I was pushing them. [...] She [Edwards] sent out an email during spring break to all the students that are at risk of the travel ban.”
Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dr. Chloe Poston emphasized that Davidson is prepared for ICE if it arrives. “We have protocols in place if ICE were to come to campus so that we can make sure that their presence on our campus is addressed by another law enforcement officer, ideally, our campus police officers. I recognize that it is an uncertain time, and fear is not an unreasonable feeling. Anxiety is not an unreasonable feeling. We’re doing everything that we can to be as supportive as possible at this moment,” Poston said.
cultivation of these properties is a testament to the communal elements that make Davidson the place it is today.
Created to provide and maintain affordable housing in Davidson, the Davidson Housing Coalition (DHC) was established in 1997. But if you ask John Woods, a home-grown Davidson local, the seeds of inclusivity were sown long before then.
“In my youth of the ‘50s and ‘60s, Davidson was a small town, very isolated, not well connected to Charlotte. [Interstate 77] wasn’t here and Lake Norman didn’t exist. The College was the center of the town,” Woods, whose father worked as a physician for Davidson College at the time, said. “Almost everyone who lived here in those years worked at the College, from the janitors to the president and the faculty members. And it was like [how it is now], very open-thinking but not wealthy. We called it genteel poverty because professors didn’t make much money, and workers certainly didn’t make much money, and it wasn’t considered a big deal. In those days, we were all in one place together and we respected each other. It was idyllic.” Today, Woods serves as the treasurer of the DHC, adopting the “serve everyone equally” mindset his father had while treating students at the College. He does this with the help of people like Connie Wessner, the executive director of the DHC.
“I joined the [DHC] board in ‘98 just as it was getting started, and the first project, The Bungalows, was under consideration at that point,” Wessner said. The Bungalows is a 32-unit apartment complex, still managed and owned by the DHC to this day. Since its completion in 2001, the DHC has added three more properties available for rent (Creekside Corner, Mock Road and The Cottages). The
“[In] 1998 there were no apartments around here at all. And when the Housing Coalition was formed, there was a real emphasis on homeownership. So when this problem was presented to the Housing Coalition that we’re about to lose all these rentals, [it became important] to think about rental apartments too.
The organization did this charette [stakeholder meeting to discuss project], and the reason that The Bungalows look the way they do is because of that charette. We brought people in and asked, ‘What do these things need to look like?’ And people said, ‘Well, can’t you just make them look like the houses that we all live in?’” Wessner said with a little chuckle.
Two years ago, the DHC was able to acquire majority ownership over The Bungalows. Since that time, Sherri Merkerson-Latham was brought on as the property manager of all the Coalition’s rentals. Merkerson-Latham interacts with the residents on a daily basis, whether it’s helping with maintenance issues, explaining how rent changes are being handled and even driving out to help renters who’ve lost their keys.
“I treat everybody like family,” MerkersonLatham stated. “That’s how I am. I would want to be treated the same way. I would want to have a nice place to live and a nice place to come home to each evening.” Aside from fitting in perfectly with the DHC’s vision of a community forged via relationships, Merkerson-Latham’s “treat everyone like family” approach also serves to regain some trust from DHC property residents. “Primarily in The Bungalows, the previous management wasn’t very nice to [the residents]. So they’re seeing [now] that we’re totally different from the previous management,” Merkerson-
Latham said.
As the DHC has established and maintained its properties in Davidson, the new financial tasks have shifted from establishing to maintaining.
“It’s really sexy to build buildings,” Wessner said. “You can get financing for that. There are people out there that want to fund them. It’s exciting to build new because you can see you’ve made a change. It is not exciting to keep those buildings viable for a second generation to use, and that’s where we are today. In a tough economy, in an affluent place, finding the money to support the [DHC’s] philosophy is really hard.”
The Davidson College Presbyterian Church (DCPC) recently provided the DHC with a $175,000 gift to help prop up that philosophy.
“I was in a funny position, because as a member of the Church, I was on both sides of this thing,” Woods, who is a proud DCPC member, said. “[DHC] has lots of needs, and [the Church’s] contribution could really help us.”
This generosity from the Church was crucial for the DHC and its mission. “It’s critical for us because it’s also helping lay the groundwork for a shift in what residents experience in the here and now in these apartments, and that’s going to be really important for us,” Wessner said. “The tab for what we need to do is probably closer to about $600,000-700,000 for these buildings. There’s going to be a whole other round of improvements we have to do here.”
Dr. Carol Robinson ‘80 was a thirdgeneration Davidson student when she graduated. After acquiring a PhD in special education with a math emphasis, Robinson returned to Davidson in 2006.
“I remembered loving the town and I just thought, ‘I’ll go back there for a little while
and get a teaching job and figure out what to do next,’ and I didn’t want to leave,” Robinson said.
In 2013, Robinson’s financial situation changed and she felt she would no longer be able to live in Davidson comfortably. So, she turned to the DHC.
“I went to the Housing Coalition, and they were incredibly helpful with helping me see what was available in terms of affordable housing. And I was on every list for every place that was a possibility in Davidson for affordable housing, and The Bungalows was the first one that opened up. I had not even seen the inside of an apartment, but it opened. I think I had to wait four months, and according to the buzz on the street, that [was] lightning speed to find a place to live. I was very grateful that something opened up and took it sight unseen, and have been incredibly happy there. It’s been a great place to be.”
For the past three years, Robinson has served as a board member for the DHC in an effort to reciprocate the generosity the Coalition and the Davidson community have shown her.
“I just wanted to give back in whatever way that I could through being a board member,” Robinson said. “It was important to me that other people got the blessing of being able to stay here. On the open market, I’m not sure I could live in Davidson and that would’ve been a tremendous loss. I love Davidson and I’m just so grateful to have a place that lets me enjoy the Town and hopefully give back a little bit.”
ETHAN TRAN ‘28 (HE/HIM) STAFF WRITER
Should we value justice or democracy first? While intuition may guide us toward the former, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at University of Buffalo Dr. Alexandra Oprea argues that both logic and experience suggest we should put greater weight on preserving democracy, even at the expense of justice.
On Thursday, April 10, Davidson’s Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) department invited Oprea to speak about the ways we can become good democratic citizens. Her lecture challenged attendees to reconsider conventional conceptions of a “good” citizen, instead proposing her own framework: the minimal standard of democratic competence.
Oprea is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University at Buffalo, where she teaches political philosophy from an interdisciplinary lens. She earned both her bachelor’s and PhD in political science from Duke University. A prolific scholar, her articles have appeared in journals such as the American Political Science Review, British Journal of Political Science and The Philosophical Quarterly.
Drawing from her personal experience, Oprea began her lecture by recounting her upbringing in post-communist Romania, having been born shortly after the 1989 revolution, a period of violent, civil unrest that overthrew the communist regime. She witnessed firsthand the challenges a country faces in transitioning to a democracy. When she later came to America, these experiences prompted a deeper question: how can a country founded on democratic ideals ensure the longterm survival of its democratic system?
In trying to answer this question, Oprea explored two kinds of citizenship. “When I think about citizenship and civic virtue, I think about the people who are extraordinary, who are willing to risk their lives to do something incredible. Then, I think about all the other citizens who are just willing to be good citizens when given the opportunity.”
The latter group, she argues, is more important to consider because it applies to the common citizen, often disinterested in politics but still engaged in civil society. There is only one thing she expects this citizen to do: act in a way that “prioritizes the continuation of democratic systems.” This conduct constitutes the minimal standard of democratic competence. This standard challenges the conventional beliefs that a
good democratic citizen is either the most civically engaged or informed about all policy issues. She argues her standard is more realistic and inclusive of diverse beliefs–positing democracy as the most preferable form of government, and therefore the greatest priority for citizens.
The primary obligation of this standard comes in the ballot box when the public votes for its representatives. Even if the candidate’s policy promises their favorite policies, Oprea says if that candidate threatens democracy, then the citizens must vote against them.
“Let’s say for example that we have an anti-democratic candidate on the agenda that disrespects the rule of law, free speech, and constitutional term limits.,” Oprea said. “Then the good democratic citizen must vote against that candidate even if they offer their favorite policies.”
Oprea pinpointed an important threat to this obligation in an increasingly polarized political climate. With greater polarization, she argues that it has become more “economically costly” to forsake their policy interest and vote against the anti-democratic candidate. The voter faces a dilemma where if the anti-democratic have all the policies they support, then
Q: Should I double major?
Thank you so much for asking this question! It’s a big one, and I’m glad you’re thinking it through carefully—because I definitely did. In fact, it’s something I spent a lot of time reflecting on and discussing with advisors and professors. Eventually, I chose to double major, and while I’m happy with that decision, it wasn’t one I made lightly. Whether or not it’s the right move for you really depends on a few important factors.
Before diving into the logistics, ask yourself: why are you considering a double major in the first place? Is it because you’re genuinely passionate about both subjects? Because you think it’ll make you stand out on a resume? Or because you’re not quite sure what you want to do and figure two majors might keep more doors open?
None of these answers are inherently right or wrong, but getting clarity on your motivation is essential. For me, I chose to double major because both fields were deeply interesting and personally fulfilling—not because I wanted to impress anyone or collect extra credentials. That internal motivation has been key to keeping me energized and focused, especially during the tougher semesters.
Here’s a fun fact that not everyone realizes: only one major is listed on your physical diploma. Your transcript will reflect both, of course, but if you’re picturing two degrees hanging on your wall, that’s not how it works. So, if your motivation is partly about recognition, this is something to keep in mind. Employers and grad schools will definitely see both majors on your record, but the diploma itself may not shout it out the way you expect.
It’s also important to know what you’re signing up for. A double major is about fitting two sets of requirements into
one college experience. This can affect everything from your schedule flexibility to your ability to study abroad, do internships, or simply take electives for fun.
Some majors overlap more than others, which can make a double major more manageable. This is where talking to your advisor is super helpful. They can help you map out whether a double major is realistically doable within your graduation timeline!
There’s no universal answer to whether a double major is “worth it”—it depends on what you’re looking to get out of it. Some employers love to see a double major, especially if the combination shows versatility. In other fields, relevant experience or portfolio work might matter more than your exact major.
The biggest takeaway here is this: don’t do it just to say you did it. A double major can absolutely be rewarding, but it also takes work, time, and sometimes, a bit of sacrifice. If you’re excited about both subjects and can handle the workload, it might be the right move for you. But if it’s going to add stress or pull you away from other opportunities—like internships, research, or simply enjoying college life—it’s worth reconsidering.
At the end of the day, your college experience is about more than just the boxes you check off. Whether you choose one major or two, the most important thing is that you’re engaged, learning, and building a path that feels meaningful to you. Take your time, do your research, and remember: a single major doesn’t limit your potential, and a double major doesn’t guarantee success. The value comes from how you use what you learn—not just what shows up on your transcript.
Good luck with your decision, and trust yourself to make the choice that’s right for you. You’ve got this!
Wishing you the best of luck, Annabel Groseclose ‘27
the other candidate will have more policies they vehemently disagree with. Therefore, citizens committed to democratic principles risk enduring a government whose policies sharply conflict with their interests.
To resolve this polarization and help sustain democracy, Oprea proposed a bottom-up solution where citizens associate more with each other in nonpolitical spaces to foster mutual connection and in turn reduce ideological divide. So, instead of the politically passionate activist who might worsen polarization, Oprea thinks democracy demands more disinterested citizens who act as “political neutrons.” These “political neutrons,” she explains, can create nonpartisan spaces, serving as “useful centers for people to gather around, connect through and participate in shared activities” in order to bridge the ideological divide.
Concluding her lecture, Oprea encouraged citizens to reflect: “Take seriously some other ways to help democracy, rather than just sitting around with people you agree with and pointing out that the other side is awful.”
When it came time for questions, students and faculty were eager to challenge every facet of her argument. From her premise that democracy is the best form of government to the feasibility of her metric, the audience was highly scrutinous of her lecture. Zeyad Elmasheiti ‘28, who attended the event, thought Oprea was astute in pointing out the dangers of political polarization but expressed skepticism toward her concept of “political neutrons.”
“I get where she’s coming from,” Elmasheiti said. “But I think not talking is the problem. I argue all the time with my friends who have different political beliefs, but that’s how we understand each other.”
Associate Professor of Philosophy Dr. Daniel Layman, who chairs Davidson’s PPE department, praised Oprea’s interdisciplinarity. “As a professor of political theory, she accordingly focused on democratic theory, but you can see the other social science disciplines of PPE within her research, like polling data and cost-benefit analyses. She used empirical evidence to support her deductive conclusions.”
Oprea’s lecture added a thoughtful perspective to the ongoing discourse at Davidson surrounding democratic values and civic responsibility. By drawing from both personal experience and interdisciplinary research, she introduced a framework that prompted students to reflect on the role of the average citizen in sustaining democracy.
OLIVER PODUSCHNICK ‘25 (HE/HIM)
Over winter break, thanks to the Dean Rusk Exploratory Learning Grant, I had the opportunity to travel to Vietnam with a seemingly simple goal: explore the impact of fast fashion on traditional tailors in the country. As an economics major, I arrived with a straightforward hypothesis that fast fashion, with its cheap, massproduced clothing, was putting immense pressure on local tailors, making it nearly impossible for them to compete with larger businesses. I imagined a clear narrative where fast fashion was the villain, the main antagonist crushing the long-standing, small-scale artisanship of Vietnam’s tailoring community. What I found, however, was far more complex, nuanced and unpredictable than I had expected.
What struck me early on was the realization that fast fashion and traditional tailoring weren’t necessarily substitutes for one another. The conventional wisdom I had brought with me assumed that massproduced clothing from global brands would undermine local tailors. But in reality, the two were often operating side by side. Fast fashion was not always the threat I had imagined. Instead, it was often an economic force that tailors could either adapt to, resist or leverage depending on their business models, location and target clientele. As I spent time with local tailors, I quickly observed that their businesses were not
uniform. Some were competing with fast fashion on price and speed, offering quick turnarounds and affordable options to meet the expectations of tourists and the growing middle class. These tailors had learned to match the rapid production cycles of the global fast fashion industry, tailoring garments quickly and affordably, just as the big brands did. In a sense, some tailors had adopted fast fashion’s playbook. But this wasn’t a story of being “crushed” by the industry. Rather, it was a narrative of adaptation: tailors taking advantage of the same economic pressures to find their niche within the changing landscape.
On the other hand, there were also tailors who resisted the pull of mass production. They focused on delivering high-quality, custom-made garments, offering craftsmanship that stood in stark contrast to the often soulless, cookiecutter designs of fast fashion. For them, the value of tradition, skill and artistry were irreplaceable. In these cases, it was clear that fast fashion didn’t render the traditional approach obsolete—it simply created a different lane for these artisans. The high-end tailoring industry in Vietnam still found its market.
What I did not expect was the central role that tourism played in shaping the fortunes of traditional tailors. As I moved across different parts of Vietnam, it became apparent that it was tourism, not fast fashion, that was the most powerful force driving the changes in tailoring. In
Use it or lose it: Support
NICHOLAS LAYKE ‘25 (HE/HIM), KATE LEMIRE ‘25 (SHE/HER), TRIXIE MACNEILL ‘25 (SHE/HER) AND BAILEY SCARLETT ‘25 (HE/HIM)
Where can you find team-building ropes courses, safe places to exercise, academic research, line dancing, natural gas pipelines, campuswide drainage systems and baby bats all in one place? The Davidson College Ecological Preserve (DCEP)!
According to the College, DCEP’s purpose is “to provide unique experiences in teaching and research for Davidson College students and faculty.” This mission is a great starting point, but we implore the College to properly value the DCEP for conservation and biodiversity. We believe that the Ecological Preserve is an incredible space, but currently underutilized space that should be celebrated for all the teaching, research, and ecosystem services it provides for Davidson. As an institution, we can illustrate our commitment to sustainability by supporting the responsible use of resources like the preserve.
One simple way the College can better value the DCEP is through website improvements. To start, we have created a map highlighting the vast trail network of the DCEP that extends beyond the frequently used 5K and 8K trails. In addition, the DCEP website lacks important information about the preserve and its uses, such as mapping, research, and student experiences. While the site mentions names of professors who have conducted research on the preserve, no information exists regarding details of their projects. By providing more information, the College can better engage students and community members with the preserve, ensuring that they can easily learn about and use the DCEP to its full research, recreation and teaching potential.
Contrary to Davidson, many of our peer institutions’ websites are highly informational and interactive, highlighting in depth student and faculty research, community events, and the ecological value of their respective preserves, as well as including maps and other aides for visitor enjoyment. For example, the Amherst College Wildlife Sanctuary website includes videos on the “Sights and Sounds” of their preserve and virtual tours available as QR codes on trail markers. Within the College, the Sustainability Office has an excellent
tourist-heavy areas like Hội An, tailoring had undergone a profound transformation. Once known for its skilled local artisans, the town had become an international tailoring hub, catering predominantly to tourists looking for quick, customized garments. Here, the demand for tailored clothing was not necessarily a reflection of an appreciation for Vietnamese craftsmanship but rather a product of tourism-driven consumerism. Tailoring became less about tradition and more about speed and volume, with shops crammed into every corner, all competing for attention.
In Hội An, many of the tailors weren’t even the ones making the garments. Instead, the business model was organized around centralized workshops that churned out clothing for multiple storefronts. Customers would select fabrics and have their measurements taken at the storefront, but the garments themselves were often produced in offsite locations, echoing the rapid turnaround times seen in fast fashion production lines. In this way, the tailors had become more like middlemen in a larger system of production, reflecting the pressures of an increasingly globalized, tourism-driven economy.
Still, not all tailors in Hội An fell into this mold. Some smaller, family-run businesses continued to emphasize quality over speed, valuing craftsmanship over quick profits. These tailors, while fewer in number, were a reminder that tradition could still
website which highlights different aspects of the office’s work and ways students and staff can engage with and promote Davidson’s sustainability efforts. These examples could serve as models for the DCEP’s own site.
Additionally, despite the name of the DCEP, the website has no mention of preservation or protection, much less evidence of formal protections or clear land management. Traditionally, ecological preserves have formal protections, such as land easements or trusts, which legally designate present and future land use on a property to prevent future development of the habitat. This recommendation is consistent with Davidson’s peers. Of the 17 self-identified peer institutions with an ecological preserve or land with similar purpose, 13 articulate some type of land conservation or management plan. “The Preserve” at Vassar is managed with a Conservation Action Plan. The Bates-Morse Mountain & Shortridge at Bates College has a conservation-easement held by the Nature Conservancy. More than 20 years ago, Swarthmore College commissioned the Conservation and Stewardship Plan for the Crum Woods. While these institutions differ from each other in their specific land conservation strategies, they all differ from Davidson simply by creating and communicating their plans.
Strict easements that permanently curtail development on a property may not be reasonable for the College, as it plans for future expansions to the campus. As an alternative, students in the spring 2024 ENV 401: Environmental Studies Seminar recommended the formation of a Preserve Advisory Committee to the Administration, Board of Trustees and larger Davidson community. The Committee’s focus would be to host interdisciplinary conversations that balance future development plans with the DCEP’s ecological, research and recreational uses. As of now, the committee remains a hypothetical. We urge the college to reconsider and formalize the previous group’s recommendations and take advantage of the opportunity to acknowledge the DCEP as an extension of Davidson’s stated goal to “model sustainability leadership in its campus facilities, grounds, and operations.”
DCEP can be a demonstration of Davidson College’s interdisciplinary and holistic approach to higher education; the preserve serves as a unique place on campus that combines experiential learning and research opportunities
endure amidst the pressures of mass production.
Ultimately, the biggest revelation of my trip was the realization that the impact of fast fashion on traditional tailoring was far from one-dimensional. It wasn’t simply a case of fast fashion being the villain: it was part of a larger, more complex story. Fast fashion had certainly played a role in shaping how tailors operate, but it was just one influence among many. Tourism, the global economy and the resilience of local artisans also played crucial roles. Some tailors embraced the model of mass production while others resisted it, choosing to maintain the integrity of their craft. The key takeaway was that there is no simple answer, no clear-cut villain or hero in this story. The truth is far more complicated, and as I came to understand, it often comes down to a simple answer: “It depends.”
Oliver Poduschnick ‘25 is a political science and history major from Middlebury, VT and can be reached for comment at olpoduschnick@davidson.edu.
with outdoor recreation and community building. By adding a trail map, a clear statement of preservation and up-todate, specific student-faculty research projects, the College would reaffirm this commitment and prove to students that our nonhuman neighbors are valued. As students, we value the DCEP by spending time on the trails, exploring in the woods, noticing the plants, animals, and insects we see and engaging with social events (Pit Party anyone?) on the land. As an institution, let’s not lose it!
This article was co-written by environmental science majors Nicholas Layke ‘25, Kate Lemire ‘25, Trixie MacNeill ‘25 and Bailey Scarlett ‘25. They can be reached for comment at nilayke@davidson.edu, kalemire@davidson.edu, trmacneill@ davidson.edu and bascarlett@davidson.edu
The map features trails and attractions of the Davidson College
THOLE ‘28 (HE/HIM)
Davidson women’s basketball player Emilie Bessell ‘28 struggled during her adjustment to life as a collegiate student-athlete. Bessell asked herself, “if I’m having these problems, what problems are other student-athletes facing?”
Bessell’s teammate Jasmine Timmerson ‘27 is wrapping up her first year as a transfer student at Davidson. Like Bessell, Timmerson faced similar challenges. “[My previous school] was a pretty negative experience,” Timmerson said. “My teammates and I were pretty unhappy at my last school, but, even at Davidson, a program that’s better in every category, people were still struggling with their own personal things.”
Bessell and Timmerson realized that something needed to be done about student-athlete mental health and decided to address it. “We put our brains together and said, ‘what could we do for this?’” Bessell explained. Together, the duo came up with SportSpark: an app aimed at supporting collegiate athletes beyond their sport.
“SportSpark is an app that supports the mental health and well-being of college athletes. That’s our one-liner for it,” Bessell stated.
Bessell and Timmerson took their idea to the Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “The Hurt Hub has been really helpful,” Bessell said. “They suggested that we survey people, so we started with our team to hear what their mental health issues and concerns are, and then we extended that survey and sent it to schools across America. About 200 people responded to the survey.”
The feedback confirmed Bessell and Timmerson’s belief that student-athletes deal with more than what they display on the surface. Among the issues that came up in the feedback were
performance and workload-induced stress and anxiety, as well as depression. Bessell and Timmerson additionally sought input from student-athletes as to what they envisioned for an app like SportSpark. “We already had an idea that we wanted to connect student-athletes from across the country, but then just hearing the thoughts of those who took the survey gave us some other things that we hope to implement later on,” Bessell said. “They’re our target market for who’s going to use the app. We wanted to hear directly from them.”
Once they had their ideas sorted out, Bessell and Timmerson were ready to get to work on making the app. There was just one issue. “Neither of us can code,” Timmerson admitted. “We used the company of a family friend, and they are essentially building an app for us. They’re making our original ideas come to life. It’s really cool.”
This help has allowed the creators to incorporate all aspects of their designs. “We just tell them what we want and draw up what we want it to look like, and they just do it so well,” Bessell exclaimed. “It’s literally image-to-app, exactly how I imagined it. It’s crazy.”
Bessell and Timmerson discussed the importance of an app like SportSpark.
“Student-athletes—we’re so busy,” Bessell remarked. “Not everyone has time to go to therapy. Not everyone wants to go to therapy. Student-athletes just want to feel seen and heard without the fear of judgement that might come from talking to their teammates. Having a space where student-athletes can know that they’re supported by others is really important, and it’s not something that everyone currently has.”
Bessell went on to provide a hypothetical for when SportSpark might be useful. “Say your team just won and you didn’t play. You can hardly bring that into the locker room—that’s just going to create negative energy. So then who do you go to [in order to] talk to about that? Through the app, we’ll have an
Danonymous chat [with other app users] that allows athletes to voice their concerns or other issues that they’re going through.” “We’re super lucky here that we are super close to the team and get along, but that isn’t the case everywhere,” Timmerson continued. “There are student-athletes who aren’t friends with their teammates and whose coaches aren’t supportive. They don’t feel comfortable talking about their mental health and what they might be struggling with. The idea of SportSpark is to find a community that you can speak freely in without fear of judgement or the stigma that student-athletes most commonly face.”
In an interview with The Davidsonian, Timmerson cited a statistic from a study done by the University of Michigan School of Public Health, which found that 33% of all college students experience significant symptoms of anxiety and depression, among other mental health conditions. 30% of those students seek help; however, only 10% of those who are student-athletes seek help. “We’re trying to make it easy for student-athletes to ask for help in a way that’s discrete and private, but that also provides a community to connect with.”
Bessell offered her message to student athletes-struggling with their mental health: “everyone is facing similar issues, regardless of whether they’re showing it or hiding it.”
Timmerson echoed this sentiment: “You don’t have to be afraid to speak about mental health. It may feel like you’re fighting those battles alone, but you’re not. Sharing your struggle is empowering to others, and, together, we can end the stigma.”
This week, Bessell and Timmerson will be testing their beta version of SportSpark. An email will go out to Davidson students explaining how to download the beta test flight. They are open to feedback about areas for improvement as they seek to create a uniquely safe space for collegiate student-athletes.
ANNA MORROW ‘28 (SHE/HER)
avidson men’s golf has a longstanding tradition of excellence, having won three Atlantic 10 (A-10) championships in the past four years. Under Head Coach Tim Straub—four-time A-10 Coach of the Year—the team has thrived, especially this year’s seniors. “Will Davis [‘25] and Joshua Stewart [‘25] both have had terrific years this year and really led the team and played solid golf all year long,” Straub said. “They’re both just extremely hard workers who lead by example and have good attitudes.”
Both seniors have racked up multiple A-10 accolades since the start of their Davidson careers. Davis won A-10 Rookie of the Year during his first season, holds two all-conference selections and competed individually in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Stewart has had similar success as an all-conference golfer. Davis and Stewart will be among a team of five competing in Orlando, Florida for the A-10 championship from April 22-24.
Golf is unique in its emphasis on individual accountability and improvement, differing from other team and individual sports in the way athletes are asked to dedicate their time. “You can sit on a putting green and putt for three hours, whereas if you’re training for another sport like swimming and running, there’s only so much that you can do in a day. But you can go up [to] 18 hours in a day if you really want to,” Stewart said.
This dedication is shared by Davis and Adam Lauer ‘25, both of whom have tried to encourage this attitude to the younger members of the team. “I think everyone does their own thing in a way because that’s what golf is. [...] Golf is more of a leadby-example sport. [...] You can’t tell someone how to play golf.
It’s not one technique or one practice, it’s an all-encompassing thing,” Davis said.
Despite golf’s individuality, the team’s small size encourages collaboration. All three seniors spoke to the importance of showing up for their teammates in all aspects of their Davidson careers. “We’re a very small team, so you spend a lot of time together, not just at the golf course, so developing those relationships on and off the golf course is important,” Davis said.
These relationships within the team must be reshaped each year as seniors graduate and freshman arrive on campus. While the transition to college and collegiate golf can be difficult, Clayton Couey ‘28 and Nate Faulkner ‘28 have done well. “They’ve grown and I think they’re getting more and more comfortable every week and every tournament. They’ve adapted well and really done a good job of coming in and being part of our team,” Straub said.
Davis gave insight into how the team is constructed throughout the year. “In the fall, it’s much more getting used to what your team and lineup is. And then this brings a whole new kind of animal. [...] That’s the transition where you start to see who’s playing well, who’s been working, who’s been developing and learning how to play. So I’d say spring break is an important selection point for us.”
Lauer agreed. “We had some players really start to find their groove around that time [spring break]. So I think that has given us some momentum going into the rest of the season.”
Assitant Coach L.D. Simmons ‘81 has greatly contributed to the team’s overall success. “Golf has become so mental, because once kids get to the Division I level, they all have the physical talent to execute golf shots and play good golf, but then it comes down to their approach and their belief in themselves,” Straub said. “So Simmons has been a great help. We’ve had a lot of success since he came on board.”
Lauer felt similarly. “He’s good at simplifying the mental game. When we’re trying to work on our mental game, being able to kind of boil it down to some simple thoughts helps us play well,” he said.
This strong senior leadership and coaching for both the physical and mental aspects of the game has pushed the team to great success in past years. But the 2024 season did not end with an A-10 championship for Davidson. When brought up in a conversation with the three seniors, they all responded with a sigh and some variation of “Don’t remind us.” At the end of the A-10 championship on April 24, Davidson hopes to host another trophy, and the team is confident in their ability. “We’ve been great recently. So the goal is to continue to keep being great,”
SÖREN POTHOFF
(HE/HIM) STAFF WRITER
On April 12, Davidson students were given an evening of extraordinary entertainment in the form of the annual Drag Show, put on by Queers & Allies (Q&A). Featuring nine professional drag queens and five student performances, the show got off to a raucous start with a beautiful performance of “Don’t Stop Believin’” by King Perka, whose dancing was charmingly erratic. Afterward, the audience was treated to an absolutely star-studded lineup of performers. The stunning athletic ability of the performers was on full display. Nothing matches the excitement of watching a relatively tall drag queen in a complicated outfit (that is undoubtedly difficult to move in) effortlessly jump into a split; the audience bore witness to this brilliant spectacle on numerous occasions.
The elaborate and colorful costumes—which are often handmade and designed by the performers themselves—are a staple of drag, and the night’s performers, both student and professional, did not disappoint in this respect. One professional performer, Tia Douglas, wore a spectacularly extravagant pirate costume, which served as a remarkable supplement to her performance of “Come Sail Away” by Styx. Vegas van Dank donned an intentionally terrifying costume and performed what seemed to be some kind of death metal song; needless to say, she made excellent use of her prop chainsaw. Liam Laughlin also astounded the audience with their costume when they removed half of their massive hairpiece to procure what looked like a Diet Mountain Dew, proceeding to chug a sizable portion of it during their rendition of “Champagne Supernova.”
Singer Chappell Roan was massively popular on Saturday night; indeed, one can reasonably assume that she would have been flattered and charmed by the student performer OSHA Violation, who captivated the audience with “HOT TO GO!” Other student performers included a group (made up of Daddy Jazzy, Rita Book and Aboobie Tits) who seemed to be mimicking the film series “Men in Black,” and halfway through their set piece, the third performer in their group leapt onto the stage in an alien costume. She moved in a way that was so remarkably unique that it caused this author to tap his roommate on the shoulder and say, “I’ve never seen somebody
STAFF WRITER
Battle of the Bands (BOTB) is a campus tradition like no other. On April 5, seven student bands performed in front of three faculty judges and a sea of adoring fans (the student body). Featuring Chick Flick, Geo & the Oldheads, The Naked Tuesdays, Fool’s Errand, Fall Risk, The Pleasantries and Orchid, the Old Tennis Courts Lawn was the site of a jam-packed experience. Courtney Lassiter ‘27, one of the announcers, explained that BOTB “is a spectacular chance for student bands to show off their creativity.”
Annabel Semans ‘26, the lead singer in Fool’s Errand and co-president of WALT 1610, reflected on her performance. “It’s an honor to perform with my bandmates. More than anything, we have so much fun up there together, and I think the audience can tell. I’m proud of how much we’ve grown in the past year and a half, and I hope we can deliver more original music in the future to keep that up.” The audience experience rivaled that of the performers. As the music echoed across the lawn, students could be seen swaying to the rhythm, laughing with friends and dancing freely, fully immersed in the atmosphere. “I enjoyed the diversity of genres [brought] by each band (I am an Orchid superfan ‘til I die), and I appreciated that my band was able to play a goofier, less serious set and add to that diversity,” Michael Allen ‘27 of Fall Risk recounted. “Especially ‘El Scorcho.’ Having the opportunity to do something so borderline unperformable was a blast.”
Jess King ‘26, who plays piano for The Pleasantries, agreed that a fun setlist makes
move like that before.” This was meant in a completely laudatory manner. Student performer Pussin’ Boots exuded a level of ease and swagger during their performance that was previously thought of as impossible for Davidson students. Finally, the last of the student performers—a trio consisting of Femme Brǔlée, Glazed and Confused and Cinna Moan— had choreography that was impressively nailed down and coordinated, which was almost as impressive as their elaborate face paint and costumes.
Indubitably, the most exciting aspect of drag for the audience (and one can only imagine how this feels for the performer) is witnessing the performer achieve a kind of transcendence: a transcendence of the self and a transcendence of oppressive societal norms. Drag is a type of performance that is completely singular, matched or paralleled by no other form of self-expression. On its face, the idea of simply watching someone lip sync is unexciting, but for the two hours in which they owned the 900 Room, the performers—student and professional alike—made it the most captivating thing in the world. It would be a reductive disservice to characterize
drag as pure spectacle. It is a political act, a liberatory one and a performance of collective and personal joy. But still, what a spectacle it is.
For all the exuberance that the performers brought to Davidson College, the show ended on a touchingly poignant note. Lolita Chanel’s final piece incorporated the voice of their grandmother who, as they told the audience at the end of the performance, is still without political representation in our country, even after sixty-plus years of inhabiting it.
Lolita and Oso Chanel both used some time at the end of the show to remind the audience of the political origins of drag, imploring students to vote and to stand up for their neighbors, to, in their words, create a country in which “one can be queer and safe.” OSHA Violation says that this political messaging is nothing new for drag: “it has always been a tool of political organization.”
Lucy Shuker ‘25, president of Q&A and key organizer of the event, described what her event meant for the organization and for the campus as a whole. “Now more than ever, it is important to have spaces like the drag show, because participating in drag and queer culture is inherently an active resistance in this political climate. And so I think the most important thing, rather than just the success of the event itself, is being able to show people that we can still hold these spaces in 2025 and that we will forever be able to hold these spaces, and just how important it is to gather as a community and build that community,” she stated.
This message of the event was both sobering and inspiring, primarily the latter, but also remarkably topical. Perhaps no art form has found itself victimized by the recent resurgence of anti-LGBTQIA+ moral panics than drag shows. Criticisms of drag are often made in bad faith, refusing to engage with it on its terms. Criticisms are made by people who are provoked much too easily by things that are outside of their immediate cultural lexicon. If any of these critics attended the show, they would have seen drag in all of its joyous and profound beauty. They would have seen a community that was brought together and enlivened by it, and most importantly, they would have seen some really cool splits.
Sören Potthoff ‘27 is an English major from Chapel Hill, NC and can be reached for comment at sopotthoff@davidson.edu.
the show, with songs like “Treasure” by Bruno Mars and “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk able to easily energize the atmosphere.
What isn’t shown on the surface during an event like this is the dedicated time and preparation it took for tech services and WALT to bring this event to life. “It’s always a privilege to play in a space as nice as the old tennis courts with tech services mixing the audio,” Jayson Rivera ‘27, the rhythm guitarist for Fool’s Errand, explained. “Big props to WALT and everyone involved in making the day go as well as it did.”
Getting to perform in such a public space was great for the bands and the surrounding Davidson community. “This is the second year in a row we’ve had the event in a very public outdoor location, and I love the vibes. It was great to see some faculty, families, and folks from the town show up,” Semans said.
All the bands loved the friendly competition and pushed themselves to play their best.
“Battle of the Bands was a really awesome experience,” Enzo Guardado ‘27, the lead guitarist for Fool’s Errand, described. “I had
a ton of fun playing and watching the other bands. Their performances really blew me away, I was super anxious about bringing my A-game and putting on a good show.”
At the end, each band nervously awaited the final decision to be announced. Many students were pleased to see a change in the process of deciding the winner, as last year was determined by popular vote. “The panel of professors as judges was an improvement of the format from last year, and it made the decision behind the winner feel more fair,” Allen explained. Guardado agreed. “I thought the change to faculty judges was a great decision. It turned [the event] from a popularity contest to a serious competition.” Semans added that the change helped “expand involvement” in the event.
However, some students disagreed with the idea of there being an overall winner at all. “I would say BOTB is so fun to mess around with and play with other students’ bands all on one stage,” Jack Hill ‘27, guitarist for Fall Risk and The Pleasantries, said. “I do think,
however, the competition aspect is a little silly because music should be about expression and everybody being able to be appreciated for it.” After much deliberation, the winner, chosen by the faculty judges, was Fool’s Errand. “I’m really proud of our performance and was super happy people liked our original song ‘Keep Me Warm.’ We put a lot of work into it,” Guardado said.
Rivera reflected on how special it was to debut their first original. “It was way more terrifying than I thought it’d be, but I think people had a good time!”
Semans explained that Jacob Kim ‘26 “wrote the chord progression, I wrote the lyrics and everyone developed their own parts on top of that. We did it all in the week leading up to Battle of the Bands, but we had a goal and we made it happen!”
Eli Basset ‘28 plays the drums for Orchid and loved his first time performing in the event. “Battle of the Bands was so fun to play at. We had such a great time. It was so nice to see all of the bands together in one place, playing great songs, having a blast, even with the cold. I’m already excited for next year.”
Regardless of the outcome, each band left the event energized and proud to be part of the music community at Davidson. “It’s evident that we’ve reached a golden age of student bands at Davidson, which makes me really happy,” Rivera exclaimed.
Belle Bunner ‘28 is an intended environmental science major from Fayetteville, AR and can be reached for comment at bebunner@ davidson.edu.
Exam grade
Bay Area enforcers (abbr.)
Have a hands-on experience?
Office courtyards
20-volume ref. 47 Certain fuel, to a Brit
Rawls or Dobbs 49 Expansive home 51 Arkansas town that calls itself the “Quartz Crystal Capital of the World” 53 Felt under the weather 54 “___ My Way”
Maternally related
___ mater 57 Expression of pride?
59 Descartes or Lacoste
60 “Are you ___ out?” (poker query)
61 “Sesame Street” regular
63 “Coffee or ___?”
4/09/25, 00:52 hrs Time
4/09/25, 13:15 hrs
4/10/25, 18:45 hrs
4/13/25, 03:05 hrs
4/15/25, 09:33 hrs
Alcohol Offenses: Possess Beer Under 21 WDAV, Inactive
Burglary Offenses: Breaking or Entering a Vehicle Belk, Further Investigation
Larceny Offenses: Felony Larceny Little, Further Investigation
Alcohol Offenses: Possess Beer Under 21 Duke, Inactive
Fraud Offenses: Identity Theft Belk, Inactive
The Committee is planning a Coffee Chat event with the Dean of Students Office. Met this week with Carley Dix in the Title IX office about the age of consent in North Carolina as well as with AJ Qureshi from the Center for Student Health and Well-Being to discuss events and programming around mental health.
The Campus Outreach group discussed doing SGA Study Breaks during the library transition. Beginning to plan media and outreach efforts for next year to engage first-year students.
The Committee advocated for a new menu item at Davis Cafe: potstickers. The Committee also discussed the recent housing lottery and identified a few key areas for questioning including lottery times, class seniority and communication between RLO and students.
Elections
The Council finalized the election results for the first-year Honor Council: Brant Simmons ‘28, Clara Benko ‘28, Anna Morrow ‘28 and Emily Schmitz ‘28.
The Activities Tax Council presented budget recommendations to the SGA for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Senate will vote on Tuesday, April 22.
Irreverent student journalism since 2004. Castigat Ridendo Mores.
yowl.com/insertjokehere
Conservative groups on campus respond to the Drag Show.
Page Lev 18:22
OWALT drone to race Black Hawk helicopter.
Page Shot Down
April 16, 2025
Renewable resources you can throw at campus organizations you disagree with this Earth Month.
Page F Cups, Lawn Clips
n the day I write this, exactly two months have passed since Placement Day. Which means it has also been two months since the Great F Heist of 2025.
The symbol for “Coexist” reflects a flat, almost corporate, “All Are Welcome Here,” slightly millennial ideal of intersectionality focused on mutual religious respect. It is often seen on lawn signs or bumper stickered on a Prius. I came up with the idea to paint this logo onto a bed sheet and hang it as a banner during Placement Day. It would be a hilarious spoof, I thought, on girls in four distinct types of themed garb coming together to frolic at Armfield one February afternoon.
My roommate and I traced the design onto the bedsheet using a projector, pinning the bedsheet to a whiteboard on first Chambers. We finished our work in Union Station on the eve of Placement Day, coloring “Coexist” in navy blue and writing the eating house initials in their respective colors beneath. Then, we signed our piece of art: F 102. It was glorious.
However, sometime between a Kappa Sigma sophomore passing out on a couch right outside our living room and the time we woke up wanting Taco Bell, the banner had mysteriously
WALT proves they’re not too big for their britches by giving out celebratory belt buckles.
Page Fixed
disappeared. Before the day was even out, before F raged half-heartedly into the night, Coexist had ceased to exist.
We have a few theories. One is that the apartment above us took it. Someone told us they had it, but when we asked them, they denied the claims. Perhaps the person that dropped that hint is deflecting. Perhaps it’s a friend in disguise, playing the longest-running and most heartbreaking prank ever. Maybe someone Placement Dayed too hard and hid it somewhere, never to be seen again.
Unfortunately, our theories have gotten us no closer to reclaiming our treasure. We now wish to make a public call for information related to our precious, hilarious Coexist banner. We beg for hints, for clues, for glimpses of a lame-joketurned-serious art project turned missing memory. Help us find it. If you have it, we humbly ask you to come forward. Drop it off at F 102. We live among insanity. Let us have this.
Not satire, The Residents of F 102
Think you got a bad housing lottery timeslot? My room is a fucking ______ (Utility Room on Campus).
RLO has revised their housing amenities. Instead of the standard set-up, students will receive: One (1) shared _____________ (Inconvenient Object) repurposed as a mattress, along with basic amenities such as _________ (Object you Could Find at a Hardware Store), _______ (Object you Could Find in the Bathroom) and ________ (Object you Often Lose—or Perhaps an Object you COULDN’T Find).
Move-in day had my _________ (Body Part) ______ (Verb Ending in -ing). When I arrived my roommate was already in the room, and guess where he placed my bed? _________ (Location that is not Your Room).
I was randomly assigned my new roommate, whose favorite nighttime activity is _______ (Something you do that is Loud or Messy). The walls are all _______ (Adjective), so I can’t even
hang anything on the walls. At least our room has a window facing ________ (Boring Campus Structure). Unfortunately, in the laundry room ________ (Terrifying Incident) happened to my laundry.
My mom took me to CVS and purchased me ______ (a Type of Bodily Ointment). I can’t wait for Wildcat Weekend, though! My _____________ (Name of Dead Relative I Don’t Know is Dead Yet) is visiting! My parents are even going to bring my dog _______ (Name of Dead Pet I Don’t Know is Dead Yet)! But I can’t wait to start my classes! I’m so excited to meet all of my professors. I’m really excited for __________ (Course that Won’t Make it Through Add-Drop). Here I come, _____ (Grade Year) Fall 2025!
Note: Please remember housing is not a right: it’s a randomized annual ritual governed by an algorithm that allows RLO to deflect blame.
O ur unpaid summer intern journalists are working on deciphering the cryptic meaning behind the replacement of Warner Hall’s iconic “H” with a “K.” While they have had the letter replaced since the writing of this article, we wondered what prompted the change. Here’s a list that was generated based on thorough ground research:
• Warner Kills
• Weak Kush
• Who’s Kyle?
• Why (did) Kyle (change from SuperDuperKyle to just regular guy Kyle)
• Weather Kamikaze
• WitchKraft
• Wet Kraftmacandcheese
We Know...
• Wet Kwicky
• Whole (lotta) Kerosene
• Wonderful Kleptos
• Weary Knobs
• Worthwhile Kremlins
• Wicked Kudzu (it’s invasive)
• Whipped Ketchup
• Windigo Kindergarten
• Whale Karate
• Waffled Kidney
• Women Knear (you)
• Waking Kthulu
• Wacko Ke$ha Whiff o’ Ketamine
• We Know... (we ran out of jokes for this format a while ago)
FThe Housing Issue
Frat boy dance ensemble member to surpass rarity of newly de-extinct dire wolf.
Page Revival
ROTC ghosted by US military industrial complex.
Page #Embarrassing
RLO unveils new “Fuck it, F is for Freshmen” policy
ollowing significant turmoil and protest surrounding housing issues caused by both the new StarRez platform and administrative turnover, the Residence Life Office (RLO) unveiled an innovative policy that they claim will “significantly reduce” complaints about housing. The “Fuck it, F is for Freshmen” (FiFiFF) policy was introduced via a school-wide email from current Housing Director Arlo Hausing. The email states that “after significant protest regarding decisions made by the omnipotent StarRez portal and our own incompetence, we have come to the decision that the most equitable outcome for students currently in the search for housing is to not give Martin Court housing to anyone.” Instead, RLO promises a new “golden age” of housing, in which seniors have the choice of living in Belk, Little, Watts or Richardson Hall; freshmen will have apartments in Martin Court. “Having senior housing in closer proximity to each other, to academic buildings and to the police ensures a safer environment, higher likelihood of class attendance and even less work for our police officers,” Hausing said. Hausing then defended this decision. “We believe that giving incoming first years a new housing option with four or five random students per dwelling will increase
Tsocial interaction and foster a greater sense of community,” an RLO representative said after we asked for comment.
The representative mentioned that their policy-making was “heavily inspired by the current administration” and their method of fixing a problem by gutting the source. “We saw how all of the problems with American education were solved by getting rid of the Department of Education and thought, ‘Why can’t we do the same with our housing crisis by completely changing the housing system?’” The method, trademarked as “Fuck Shit up so Badly no one Even Knows What to Complain About Anymore,” has proven to be successful with students. “At first, I was worried I wasn’t going to get a Jamie apartment with my buddies,” rising senior Ivana Hause said. “But the new system didn’t even give me a timeslot, which made me reflect on the privilege of the housing I’ve grown so accustomed to. Thanks for helping me deal with my privilege RLO!”
Note: RLO still has not decided how students coming back from abroad will find housing. “We’re just leaving that up to them to figure out—it saves us money,” Arlo Hausing said.
The Yowl’s guide to a cover letter
o whom it may concern, Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please I need to pay rent.
Sincerely, College Senior
he movies are gray
he TV is black
he horses are running
lease bring me some food
“You cannot keep accusing a woman you’ve never met of murder… at least say hi to her first or introduce yourself.”
Please return the Coexist banner, along with any other items you wish to discard, to F 102.
Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.