The Davidsonian 9/10/2025

Volume 125, Issue 1 • For a Better Davidson • The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914 • September 10, 2025

Davidson launches Institute for Public Good

COLIN DECKER ‘27 (HE/HIM)

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Davidson will renovate Phi (above) and Eu Halls to house the Institute for Public Good. Photo by Colin Decker ‘27.

Professors use new tool to guide, discourage AI use AIDAN MARKS ‘27 (HE/HIM)

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avidson College’s AI Innovation Initiative released new guidance on artificial intelligence use this fall. In emails to faculty and staff, the Initiative recommended community members use Gemini and Amplify large language models (LLMs) as opposed to other models when they are already going to use AI, and introduced professors to Process Feedback, a Google Docs extension designed to monitor and analyze student writing.

The Initiative’s guidance comes amidst nationwide uncertainty about how AI will impact higher education.

While some educators favor AI integration in the name of professional preparation, others have issued stark warnings that rushing to embrace AI will be catastrophic for academia.

Associate Dean for Data and Computing Laurie Heyer helps run

the AI Innovation Initiative and played a key role in developing College recommendations on AI use. This fall, Heyer is working closely with Director of the College Writing Program Katie Horowitz to administer a pilot program for Process Feedback, a Google Docs extension that generates writing reports including analytics about active typing time, details about copy-pasted text and a playback of the typing process.

The writing department was looking for a tool that would allow professors to “focus on process,” according to Horowitz. The extension does just that.

“To me, really, Process Feedback is a tool for helping students to better understand their writing process, and that’s the emphasis that I put on it,” Horowitz said.

Process Feedback also has implications for deterring AI use: it could give professors an additional layer of confidence that take-home exams are written by students—not ChatGPT. The extension allows

users to see when text is added and removed, determine whether copypasted text came from outside the document and watch the writing process, word by word, from start to finish.

Associate Professor of Political Science Melody Crowder-Meyer intends to use Process Feedback to “make the friction of cheating higher,” comparing monitored take-home essays to the exam center. “My goal is to make my classes a place where the structure encourages people to do the hard work and force our brains to develop and not just take shortcuts.”

About 30 faculty members went to Process Feedback trainings led by Heyer and Horowitz. Five sections of Writing 101 are participating in the pilot program this year, according to Horowitz, and a growing number of professors in other departments have also expressed interest.

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he Institute for Public Good (IPG) at Davidson College is a new ‘umbrella’ organization committed to coordinating campus organizations to provide students tools and opportunities to positively impact the public good. The IPG was formally announced in an email

by President Doug Hicks ‘90 on Aug. 19.

“The Institute for Public Good is about connecting our historic campus and our historic core values with the needs of the current society.

It feels like everything is coming together at an important moment in a timely way,” Hicks said in an interview with The Davidsonian.

The creation of the IPG began with a strategic planning process two years ago. Planning groups identified challenges and opportunities for Davidson moving forward. From one group came the idea to create an institute of public good.

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avidson’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) has been named Rookie Chapter of the Year by the national organization, less than a year after relaunching on campus. As part of this recognition, Davidson’s chapter received a 5000 dollar grant to bring conservative speakers to campus.

The recognition came as a surprise to the group’s president, Caroline Wilutis ’26.

“I didn’t realize Rookie of the Year was something that they did,” Wilutus said. “So, being recognized was motivating.”

She added that relaunching the chapter since its end in spring 2016 was an accomplishment in itself.

“Especially at a smaller school, there are hurdles to getting a club

JAMES DUFFY ‘29 (HE/HIM)

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his year’s freshman class started the school year with one less piece of Davidson merchandise: a physical CatCard.

Incoming students received digital CatCards as part of the College’s ongoing shift away from physical identification cards.

Student activities will also require students to use Wildcat Sync’s Event Pass, which will replace CatCards for sign-ins at major events.

CatCard Services states on its webpage that students still have a choice: “You can continue to simply use your physical card. Eventually the college may choose to only offer a digital CatCard, but that is not in our plans currently.”

Some freshmen did request physical CatCards. These were primarily international students and students without Apple phones, according to CatCard Services Manager Christopher Bradley.

“About 10% of them, about 50 [requested physical cards]. Out of those 50, seven or eight were either hardware or region based decisions,” Bradley said. “If you’re outside of the US, there are some countries or regions that Apple Pay just won’t work with so those people had the issue. Then there’s some older Android models [that] don’t have the NFC reader, so we had to make exceptions for those people.”

Administrators say the shift will improve convenience and reduce

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going, and finding a good following on campus was something we were proud of.”

YAF is an organization based on supporting conservative youth by helping them express their political values and take action in communities across the country.

Wilutis specified that YAF’s following goes beyond just conservatives. “A lot of students from all sides of the political spectrum came to our events […]

That’s the whole point […] to spread some new ideas.”

According to Wilutis, YAF represents a perspective that sometimes gets lost on campus.

“Davidson does a good job of having clubs that represent different perspectives. But some clubs are certainly louder than others,” Wilutis said.

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CatCards out of style, student IDs go digital

Davidson YAF named “Rookie Chapter of the Year” DAVID MONTES LARA ‘28 (HE/HIM)

According to Director of IPG and Educational Studies Chair Chris Marsicano ‘10, the planning group recognized that there were several organizations at Davidson that were contributing to the overall public good, but, “they weren’t working with each other.” “[There were] programs at the Center for Civic Engagement doing incredible work, and research happening at the College Crisis Initiative, but the research wasn’t informing the work, and the work wasn’t informing the research,” Marsicano said.

Marsicano and a group of ten others went to work creating a blueprint of the institute. One of the most difficult tasks this group faced was answering this question: what does Davidson define as public good?

“We spent a good two to three months on this question. And it’s a hard question to ask,” Marsicano said. After deliberation, the group

Cynthia Huang ‘25 led Davidson YAF in 2024. Photo courtesy of yaf.org.

INSIDE

Admin responds to Drivestream data breach Alexa Cohen ‘27 on Anthony Aguilar Saiya Mehta ‘27 on DISSONANCE play Catching up with fall sports; season ahead Anna Morrow ‘28 on recent performative male contest

Check out our website!

News

College implements mobile CatCards, Event Pass

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 costs. Director of Auxiliary Services Richard Terry said the move was made with student convenience in mind.

“Students have their phones more easily accessible than a plastic ID card in most instances, so using it to activate a door is generally much more convenient,” Terry said.

Last March, Davidson partnered with Atrium Campus to introduce digital CatCard. For students who made the shift, the decision came down to ease of use. “I switched after losing my CatCard a couple of times, and I knew I wouldn’t lose my phone,” Kiko Lancastre ‘26 said.

Owen Jessop ‘29 echoed Lancaster’s sentiment. “It’s nice to know that I don’t have to worry about forgetting my CatCard because I always have my phone.”

When asked if he would have liked the option to choose a physical CatCard instead, Jessop said it’s not a big deal to him. “There is nothing a physical CatCard can do for me that my phone can’t, so I don’t mind not being offered the choice.”

Not everyone is convinced, though.

Ross Hope ’26 has resisted the change. “I don’t want to be reliant on my phone,” he said. “There are times when I want to leave my apartment

without my phone, whether it be to disconnect or just sit outside for a moment. The mobile CatCard would require me to have my phone with me at all times to perform the simple task of unlocking my door.”

Fewer physical cards in circulation also makes life easier for CatCard Services. “We expect to see the workload and cost of lost cards replacement to drop significantly,” Terry said.

The digital card works even if the phone dies, and Bradley said the CatCard Services Offices has temporary physical cards printed in case students lose their phones.

Davidson’s shift toward digitalization does not end with IDs. This semester, the College introduced Event Pass—a scannable mobile ticket system for student activities.

According to Brandon Lokey, Associate Director of Student Activities and Union Board Advisor, Event Pass had been part of the Wildcat Sync platform for years but has not been activated until now.

“It’s been built into the Wildcat Sync platform for a while. We just haven’t turned on the functionality until this year,” Lokey said.

Union Board has already put Event Pass to use. At the Welcome Back Party, more than 380 students used

Event Pass to check in. At future events like Fall Fling and Winterfest, students must scan in upon entry.

Lokey said the tool also helps organizers measure outreach: “It helps us see, are we advertising well?

Are we reaching audiences? Are we appealing to the student body?”

While Union Board is the first to utilize Event Pass, the system is open to all student organizations. Student organization leaders can use Event Pass to streamline attendance tracking and easily follow-up with members.

“If Bee Club is having an interest meeting, or they’re having an event, they can utilize Event Pass to do a quick swipe of who’s here, and then they automatically have a list of who was there,” Lokey said.

“They can send a quick email saying, ‘Hey, thanks for attending. If you’re interested. Here’s our meeting schedule, here’s our Instagram handle, here’s all the things that you may want access to be involved.’”

Administrators believe the move to digital IDs signals progress.

“In a few years schools that have not made the move may be regarded as slow-movers in the technology arena,” Terry said. “It makes a positive statement about Davidson and its interest in leveraging technology.”

Some students say mobile CatCards are more convenient than physical cards. Photo by David Montes Lara ‘28.

Institute unites programs in pursuit of public good CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 forward the frontiers of knowledge; providing an education to the next generation; imbuing students with civic capacity and leadership; serving the community.

Once the question was answered, the IPG began taking organizations from different college focuses and, “integrat[ing] them into one big, unified organization,” according to Marsicano.

Stacy Riemer, who is currently the director for the Center for Civic Engagement, has also been named managing director of the IPG. She described the formation process as one that involved faculty, staff and students.

“A representative from the Honor Council participated on the IPG design team and the advisors to the honor council were interviewed several times. Members of both working groups consulted with leadership of the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative during the process. Similarly, members of the design team met with the leadership of the C2i to discuss its inclusion on the IPG and to learn from the framework of that program.”

The IPG will consist of five program areas: civic engagement, deliberation and free expression, public policy and

research, arts in public life and ethics, honor and leadership. According to Riemer, some are ready to launch.

Professor Graham Bullock, Director of the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative, is excited about how the programs can support one another.

“With its emphasis on ethical leadership, freedom of expression, and civic engagement, [the IPG] can enable creative, innovative, and thoughtful projects from across the political spectrum to come to fruition on campus,” Bullock said. “Constructive, well-designed deliberation across social and political divides is a necessary foundation for any effort to advance the public good.”

The IPG’s offices will be based out of Eumenean and Philanthropic Halls, due to their significance as halls of debate. These buildings will undergo renovations as part of the new institute.

Full renovations are expected to be completed in two years.

“The construction of Phi and Eu will be done with the utmost respect for the land and the landscaping around With These Hands, and we won’t interrupt that area that’s being created [now],” Hicks said.

One of the core values that the IPG will embody, according to Hicks, is a double down of the commitment to the honor code. Honor Council Chair

Maggie Woodward ‘26 is excited for the support the institute will provide the Honor Council.

“Having someone or something in our corner, like a physical institution, was really exciting to hear,” Woodward said. She is also excited about the opportunities that the IPG will present to Davidson students.

“I’m always excited to hear when there’s new resources available. In this particular political climate, [a resource] that’s so engaged in public policy and giving students a voice and access to leadership, was really exciting to hear [about]. Especially one that’s going to open doors for students,” Woodward said.

As IPG begins to become a permanent fixture, more services and opportunities will be made available and clear to students.

“The primary function of the Institute for Public Good is to support student development in all forms,” Marsicano said. “There is no universe in which students will not be part of the governance of the Institute for Public Good. The design group’s report calls for an executive board to serve as the leadership of the IPG, and an advisory board to provide additional support and idea making. It is my intention as director to make sure there are students on both of those boards.”

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Drivestream data leak impacts community members AARYA CHOWDHRY ‘28 (SHE/HER)

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avidson students, faculty and staff were notified that confidential information had been breached in a cyber incident against Drivestream, a company that helps Davidson administer Oracle Cloud. Davidson has been using Oracle Cloud for payroll, finances, HR and other purposes since 2024. The notification came in an email from the College’s Chief Information Officer Kevin Davis in August.

According to Davis, the College first learned of the incident in January. After contacting Drivestream, the College was informed that Drivestream was working through an investigation of a security breach of their data.

“We’re in constant communication with the company and partner institutions through multiple weekly meetings. We have schools [that are a] part of this consortium [using Drivestream], and we heard reports that there might have been a security incident with this vendor,” Davis said.

Since Drivestream holds sensitive data about Davidson students, employees, their dependents, college suppliers and college vendors for Oracle Cloud, Davis and his team took some steps then to review and minimize the possibility of any future damage.

“Often security incidents are isolated, but sometimes one security incident can have a follow up,” Davis said.

At this point, Drivestream did not know and had not communicated whether any Davidson data was affected. “When these events happen, companies that are affected bring in third parties, everyone from security experts to legal counsel to help them fulfill their obligations and also to do an assessment of what data was at risk,” Davis said. “There was a significant amount of data they needed to work through, [so] we waited for them to tell us if our data was affected.”

On Aug. 12 and Aug. 14, Drivestream’s incident response team communicated that Davidson data had been breached and provided the college with a list of data and individuals that had been affected. “It was [current] students and employees

as well as some former students and employees,” Davis said.

About a week after an email was sent out to the wider Davidson College about the incident, impacted individuals received separate emails concerning the incident. “There’ll be a notification that Drivestream will be sending out to individuals detailing next steps. What we wanted to do was let them [impacted individuals] know that this is coming,” Davis said.

An international student who was granted anonymity due to the current political climate, received a separate email detailing that their information was included in the breach.

“They said [Drivestream will] contact you via your US mail address,” the student said. “We still haven’t gotten anything. So it’s left me feeling this limbo of what do I do? Is my information saved? It was possible my bank account [number was leaked].”

Another international student who was impacted and was granted anonymity expressed understanding for the process.

“I still don’t know what [data] has gone because they told me that I would be getting a letter from Drivestream, which I have not gotten but that’s understandable,” they said. However, in addition to being concerned about their personal information, the student is equally, if not more, concerned that any data has been affected at all.

As of now, the security incident has closed. Among the data affected, the primary and most common ones were social security numbers, bank account and routing numbers, and health insurance enrollment information.

There is no information about whether any Davidson data has been misused and no identity theft has surfaced.

Davis and his team have also set up a detailed FAQ about the incident.

The College is now working with Drivestream to deliver letters to community members who have been impacted.

“Regrettably, you always expect that vendors are going to have bad events happen,” Davis said. “You judge them mostly on [whether] they take it seriously. I would say I’m generally pleased with the things [Drivestream] described that they’re changing [in the aftermath of the incident.]”

The Deliberative Citizenship Initiative is one of multiple programs on campus included in the IPG. Photo courtesy of @davidsondci on Instagram.

Features

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College issues guidance as community grapples with AI

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Pretty much any discipline where writing is involved [...] is potentially interested in seeing how the writing happens, and helping their students see how their writing happens,” Heyer said.

Process Feedback may be particularly useful for professors like Daniel Layman. Layman, who chairs the philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) department, stopped giving students take-home essays in 2023 because he was concerned about cheating. He started using in-class blue-book exams and administered in-class typed exams monitored by a lock down browser last spring. But he said take-home exams are a uniquely valuable way to assess learning. “[Take home exams are] clearly better in pretty much every pedagogical respect, with respect to developing clarity skills, developing argumentative skills, like editing, revising, slow, careful thought,” Layman said.

This semester, Layman is returning to take-home exams. For now, he is relying on “self-comprehension quizzes” to deter cheating. For professors who are hesitant to do the same, Process Feedback could provide reassurance that a student is behind the essay they submit—not an LLM or website.

As part of the pilot process, the AI

Innovation Initiative will collect data on Process Feedback throughout the semester to understand how professors are using the tool.

Some students have expressed concerns about how data collected

by Process Feedback will be used.

But Heyer and Horowitz said they are confident in the tool’s data privacy protections: no data is collected by the company and everything remains local on the user’s device.

“We have disabled the function that would allow reports to be shared with Process Feedback, the company,” Heyer said. “Your data remains local, so it’s only visible to the people who you share your assignment with.”

Horowitz acknowledged that implementing Process Feedback will not be a one-size-fits-all process and may require students to communicate with professors about how they write best.

“We absolutely should make allowances for students to work in ways that are most comfortable for them and that are most productive for them.”

Ultimately, Heyer said she is most excited about how Process Feedback can be used to help students— whether by ensuring students write the work they submit, or by shifting the emphasis from what they write to how they write it.

“It’s giving us an opportunity to

The AI Innovation Initiative highlights two AI resources: Amplify (above) and Gemini. Photo by Aidan Marks ‘27.

emphasize what has always been the most important thing about education, and that is the process,” Heyer said.

In addition to the Process Feedback pilot, the AI Innovation Initiative recently created a new webpage on artificial intelligence featuring guidance on how to approach integrating generative AI in the classroom, including information on potential uses and key concerns. It includes information about Amplify and Gemini, the College’s preferred LLMs for community use.

Developed by Vanderbilt University for use in higher

education, Amplify allows students to send queries to various ChatGPT and Claude LLMs and includes a variety of custom features, according to the Davidson Technology and Innovation (T&I) website. Gemini is included in Davidson’s Google Workspace at no additional cost to the College, is subject to “the same data privacy protections already in place for tools like Google Drive and Google Docs,” according to the T&I website.

AI advocates and those who argue ignoring or banning it would be counterproductive appreciate the College’s guidance on AI. Professor

of English Ann Fox, who wrote in an email that “AI should be handled with care, if at all,” said that recommending students use Amplify or Gemini over other LLMs does not mean she encourages them to use AI in the first place.

“I don’t encourage the use of AI,” Fox wrote. “I recommend Gemini and Amplify because those are the LLMs the College asks us to use [...] I appreciate the guidance the College is currently providing in that regard, and the guidance we are being given to protect student data and our own materials.”

Politics

Davidson YAF recognized for campus advocacy

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 This year, the chapter plans to create programming on economic issues such as tariffs and inflation while building partnerships with Davidson Republicans and Davidson Libertarians. Wilutis said those collaborations could help raise participation and deepen conversations on campus with YAF. Beyond programming, YAF’s leaders are focused on continuity.

With leadership either already graduating or in its last year, building an executive board and recruiting new members has become a goal.

The group’s return last year came with both interest and controversy.

Pamphlets distributed by Davidson YAF entitled “The Five Myths About Israel Perpetrated by the ProHamas Left” sparked backlash and raised questions about how YAF fit into Davidson’s political climate.

In its announcement naming Davidson Rookie Chapter of the Year, the national organization cited the incident as an example of the chapter “standing strong” in defense of free speech. “the school claimed one of the pamphlets they were handing out […] was Islamophobic.

Instead of acquiescing to the school’s demands, the chapter stood strong in their beliefs and in their right to free speech.”

Wilutis said that although the situation was hard, it helped prepare YAF for disagreements. “It was a tough situation, especially since it was our first year,” she said.

“I’m glad it happened, because I know how to handle a situation if there’s controversy. This year, a big goal is to change that. We’re not meant to be an organization that makes people upset or feel attacked.

It’s supposed to be about opening up so that everyone feels like their opinions are voiced,” Wilutis said.

Some student organizations have noticed YAF’s visibility. Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA), which advocates for reproductive freedom, has come into conflict with YAF in the past over pro-life speakers the group brought to campus.

Co-presidents Nora Fenn Gilman ’25 and Victoria Burch ’25 argue YAF’s presence has not created substantive political conversations at Davidson, but it has made moments of debate. “Honestly, I don’t think the presence of YAF has changed political conversations as much as one might think,” Fenn Gilman said.

“Their group is very small, but when they do take a stance, it has a ripple effect.”

Rather than debates, Burch explained PPGA’s priority is

Controversial pro-life speaker Abby Johnson spoke at a YAF event last spring, raising questions about whether the group’s events create space for dialogue or spark division. Photo courtesy of @davidsoncollegeyaf on Instagram.

building spaces for dialogue that feel safe and constructive. “What we’re trying to do, with the current state of the world right now, is just open up honest dialogues,” she said.

Fenn Gilman said YAF does not do the same. “It’s not a safe space if one side of it is saying trans people shouldn’t exist,” Fenn Gilman said.

“These boundaries are a priority to PPGA as without them debate leads to no real nuance for those who feel

unsafe.”

Even with their differences, both YAF and PPGA leaders said that they want political conversations to continue growing. For YAF, that means ensuring voices and opinions they feel are often overlooked become part of the discussion on campus. For PPGA, it means creating spaces where students can exchange and talk about views without fear or disrespect.

While the Rookie Chapter of the Year award is a great motivator, YAF’s place in Davidson’s political conversation is still uncertain as the chapter finds its footing going into its second year hoping to still continue its work.

“A big goal of mine is [...] a stronger foundation so that the club can continue,” Wilutis said.

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Perspectives How Irresponsible StorytelIing Risked a Life in Gaza ALEXA COHEN ‘27 (SHE/HER)

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nthony Aguilar, a Davidson resident and former Green Beret, has recently catapulted to fame as a “whistleblower” against the alleged brutality of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip.

He has appeared on several high-profile platforms, including The Tucker Carlson Show, recounting a harrowing story in which he claimed to have witnessed a Palestinian boy named Abboud being shot dead by the IDF shortly after receiving aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a nonprofit that distributes aid directly to civilians in an effort to bypass Hamas, which has been repeatedly accused of stealing UN aid.

But Aguilar’s central claim has now collapsed.

The boy at the center of his story–whose face Aguilar recklessly circulated online–was recently confirmed to be alive after an internal investigation by the GHF. By broadcasting Abboud’s identity, Aguilar put him and his

family in extreme danger. Hamas has flagrantly threatened civilians who accept GHF aid, according to Safe Reach Solutions, a GHFaffiliated contractor, along with Gaza residents who have shared similar testimonies. Aguilar’s false allegations also handed Hamas yet another unwarranted propaganda victory, providing an additional incentive to ensure that Abboud was never found alive. Rather than exercising caution, Aguilar jeopardized Abboud’s safety and spread falsehoods that fueled a media firestorm against Israel, all in pursuit of his fifteen minutes of fame in the podcast sphere.

Fortunately, the GHF has evacuated Abboud and his family from the Gaza Strip to an undisclosed location.

This incident is a sobering reminder of the responsibility that comes with public storytelling. Inaccurate testimonies, even those made in good faith, can have life-or-death consequences in a warzone, particularly one where a terrorist regime has mastered the art of manipulating Western media. When major platforms and popular podcasts give unvetted guests a microphone, they lend them credibility that may not be deserved. Both legacy media

and its fast-growing alternative counterparts– each of which amplified Aguilar’s dangerous lies–must recognize that they have an obligation to prioritize truth over clicks. That duty is even more critical when reporting on active conflicts, where independent verification is difficult, but all the more essential. Outlets that fail to vet sensational claims may gain short-term attention, but they ultimately undermine public trust in journalism altogether, an institution essential to a healthy democracy and society.

Since October 7th, sensationalized headlines about the war in Gaza have become almost routine. Many of these claims have collapsed under scrutiny, from the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital “bombing” which turned out to be a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket that misfired into a parking lot adjacent to the hospital, to the fabricated claim that 14,000 Gaza babies would die of starvation within 48 hours. This phenomenon is a result of traditional outlets racing to break news first and alternative media chasing viral clips. This incentive structure rewards speed over accuracy, leaving the public, and in this case, an innocent family, to bear the cost of their negligence.

For Davidson students, this incident should be more than another headline about a distant war.

It is a reminder that local actors can have an outsized impact on global controversies, for better or worse. Aguilar’s politically-charged activism endangered a real child and discredited life-saving efforts from an organization that has delivered over 100 million meals to Palestinians in need. In the age of Instagram infographics and 280-character tweets, we have a responsibility to slow down, verify claims, and think before reposting. If we care about justice–whether for Israelis, Palestinians, or anyone caught in conflict–we must care about truth first.

Alexa Cohen is a Political Science major from Cohasset, MA. She can be reached for comment at alcohen@davidson.edu.

The Hidden Conservative Bias of DFTD

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ANONYMOUS STUDENT

re the Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse (DFTD) really promoting free speech on campus, or are their conservative biases simply increasing polarization on campus?

DFTD is an alumni group dedicated to free speech at Davidson. On their website, they claim to monitor the state of free expression and ideological balance at Davidson and assist in promoting an ideologically balanced environment. Unfortunately, despite the DFTD’s stated goal to protect freedom of speech, their actions continually demonstrate a conservative bias, inadvertently damaging freedom of speech on campus.

Many individuals involved with the DFTD are connected to the Heritage Foundation, the think tank behind Project 2025 and Donald Trump’s second presidency. Board member Emily Koons Jae is Vice President of Development and Philanthropy at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), a group credited on the Project 2025 advisory board. Chairman John E. Craig Jr. also donated thousands of dollars to the ACTA in 2022. Most directly, last year’s DFTD intern now directly works at the Heritage Foundation, and gave credit to DFTD staff and previous Trump volunteer Savannah Damon as her mentor.

Other members of the organization are

Republican mega-donors. Per OpenSecrets, board member Richard Hendrix has donated $16,762 to Donald Trump since 2016, and even gave $150 to Ron Desantis in 2022. Board member Ross W. Manire donated $16,600 to Republicans in 2023 alone, with tens of thousands of dollars more to other Republican PACS since 2010. Finally, board member Stephen B. Smith has donated $43,900 to various Republicans since 2020, including over $10,000 to a representative who objected to Biden’s Electoral College certification.

I will give credit where credit is due: board member James G. Martin is very cooperative with the Davidsonian newspaper, heavily involved in community events, and is often touted as more moderate. Martin reflects an admirable commitment to the stated nonpartisan ideals of the organization. Nevertheless, there is still an apparent lack of ideological diversity in the DFTD that I cannot look past.

This presents itself in the speakers the DFTD brings to campus. Last year, one of the speakers they brought in was Jeremy Carl. Carl is a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, which is also listed in Project 2025. He is known for his book, The Unprotected Class: How AntiWhite Racism is Tearing America Apart, as well as for being called an avowed white nationalist by former Congressman Raúl Grijalva. They also brought in Stephen Moore last year, whose name is directly listed in Project 2025. His

Crime Log Time Reported 8/31/25, 02:00 hrs 8/31/25, 04:06 hrs 8/31/25, 19:00 hrs 09/01/25, 19:20 hrs 09/02/25, 15:40 hrs

Description/Location Alcohol Offenses: Consumer by Person Under 21 Watts, Inactive Alcohol Offenses: Consumer by Person Under 21 Chidsey, Inactive Larceny Offenses: Misdemeanor Larceny Game Changers FH, Further Investigation Traffic Offenses: Expired Registration Plate; Expired Inspection Ridge Rd/HWY 115, Closed/Cleared Larceny Offenses: Misdemeanor Larceny Chambers, Further Investigation

09/06/25, 00:48 hrs

Alcohol Offenses: Possess Beer/Unfortified Wine Under 21 Belk, Inactive

09/07/25, 17:35 hrs

Traffic Offenses: Hit & Run - Fail to Stop at Scene of a Crash Knobloch, Further Investigation

history involves claims that black families are replacing men with welfare checks, as well as numerous accounts of sexism that derailed his 2019 nomination to the Federal Reserve Board.

Most notable, however, was their decision to bring Abby Johnson to campus. Johnson is an anti-abortion activist, a position that I disagree with yet can respect. I must ask, however, if she was a responsible choice to bring on to our campus. Beyond comments about how it would be smart for police to racially profile her African American adoptive son, her credibility as a speaker is questionable. In 2019, Texas Monthly released an investigative article pointing out various holes in the story she tells.

For one, clinical records strongly undermine her infamous story about seeing a thirteen-week old fetus pulled to pieces on an ultrasound monitor.

Furthermore, Johnson’s once close friend and coworker at Planned Parenthood, Laura Kaminczak, said in an interview that Johnson is merely an opportunistic, disgruntled employee.

Even ignoring her past, Johnson’s actions while speaking at Davidson went against the very idea of free speech. During her presentation, she mocked chalk art students made in protest of her visit, showing a disregard for symbolic speech. Johnson also called several Davidson students in attendance “dishonorable women.”

One student in attendance felt the remark was directed at those who asked critical questions: “A lot of the girls back there were the ones

who were going up and asking questions and pointing out holes in her story.”

Nevertheless, I will again give credit where credit is due. Though criticized by some students for being uninformative, I must commend the DFTD’s debate events, as well as when they invite people like Art Laffer to speak. Laffer, a conservative economist, was respectful and brought a unique perspective during his visit.

The way to encourage deliberation is not with individuals likely to start unproductive and polarizing arguments. DFTD’s goal of encouraging free speech is noble, but it is only meaningful when it builds understanding, not walls between us. Unfortunately, the actions of some of their speakers may have only deepened the partisan divide between students.

If the DFTD truly wanted to promote free speech, they as individuals would not be supporting the president who once asked if peaceful protestors could just be shot in the legs. They also would not be pushing for Davidson to stand quiet in the face of this administration’s assault on higher education.

Rather, they would be working with the college to stand strong during these tumultuous times.

They would be inviting more speakers like Art Laffer, not people who mock free expression and insult students. DFTD must choose between partisanship and principle, for if it does not, its free speech goals will continue to go unrealized.

Sports

Fall season previews: A peek into Davidson’s teams

Cross Country

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ZOE TURNBULL ‘29 SHE/HER

D

he starting gunshot rang out at Elon University as the avidson Women’s Soccer has built early momentum. The Wildcats hold a 3-2-1 record through their first six matches, Davidson women’s and men’s cross country teams raced most notably, securing a 1-0 victory at home against North their way to a second and third place finish respectively, Carolina State University. Reese Montgomery ‘29 opened up her foreshadowing strong seasons for both teams.

Captain Molly Sullivan ‘26 has high hopes for the women’s collegiate career by scoring the first goal of the season against the team, which she says is young and promising. Charlotte Moor University of North Carolina Greensboro on Aug. 14.

‘29 was awarded Atlantic 10 (A-10) Cross Country Rookie of the Montgomery got the ball rolling with the help of an assist from Atlantic 10 (A-10) All-Rookie selection Sophia Whiddon ‘28.

Week for her performance in the team’s last race.

Behind individual accomplishments is a team that trains hard Sophia Whiddon ‘28 and Kiera Pohan ‘27 lead the Davidson ’Cats together and builds a strong community both on and off the course. in goals scored, both tallying two goals so far this season.

“Our team spirit is built up by working with your other teammates The 2025 roster also welcomes a freshman class of eight to the during races to finish as close as possible to the top runner on the field. Despite being a young squad, Head Coach Riley Piechnick believes in her team’s off-the-field bond. “The team culture is the team,” Sullivan said.

Men’s cross country captain Ryan Harris ‘26 said the team often best it’s ever been,” commented Piechnick. “That translates to socializes and eats meals together outside of practice. “We actually success on the field.” enjoy being together,” Harris said. “We lay low and hydrate the Piechnick led a successful 2024 season and became the second Davidson coach to ever take the women’s soccer team to the A-10 day before [meets] and often all go out to dinner together.”

While the team is training vigorously for their upcoming meets, tournament. When asked what moment would capture the team’s Sullivan and Harris are keeping their eyes on the prize. Recalling identity going forward, she reflected on the ’Cats last game of the the team’s fifteenth place finish in the A10 Conference last 2024 season versus the University of Rhode Island. year, Harris notes that he is hoping for the men’s team to place “It was some of the best soccer that we’ve played […] There higher this year at the A-10 Conference Championship— sixth was a togetherness on the field. The way we played is what we or seventh place. With the reigning A-10 champion University remember, and we want to model that in every game we have of Massachusetts Amherst dropping out of the conference and a moving forward.” promising group of freshmen joining the team, the Wildcats have Piechnick said the team’s primary goal of the 2025 season is to reclaim a position in the playoffs, and to place higher than their high hopes for the team’s potential.

Next: Adidas XC at North Carolina State University on Sept. 19. previous top eight spot. Conference play will begin Sept. 21, when the ’Cats will travel west to compete against Saint Louis University.

Next: Davidson vs. UNC Asheville on Sept. 14.

Davidson College runner leads wildcat pack for a strong finish.

Photo courtesy of Jack Fischer.

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Men’s Soccer

Women’s Soccer KATIE DEACON ‘27 SHE/HER

UNC Charlotte goes head to head with Davidson’s women soccer team. Photo courtesy of Tim Cowie.

D

KATIE DEACON ‘27 SHE/HER

avidson College Men’s Soccer kicked off the early fall season with a 2-2 record. The ’Cats secured victories during their first two matches of the season; they claimed a 2-0 shutout against Campbell University on Aug. 21, when Alonzo Clarke ‘26 netted the first goal of the season with a header minutes before the half. Next, the ’Cats went on to take the win from the College of Charleston, their first victory over the Cougars since 2010. Although the matches were followed by two close losses versus No. 20 Gardner–Webb University and former Southern Conference rival Furman University, Ayman Maadir ‘27 looks forward to the season ahead with confidence.

George Mason [University] is going to be a very important game,” Maadir said. The Wildcats travel to take on their nationally ranked Atlantic 10 (A-10) foe on Sept. 12. Being the first conference game of the season, Maadir feels winning it can “set our A-10 season in the right direction.”

The ’Cats welcomed five freshmen this August, and are led by seventh year Head Coach Mike Babst. “Our team is a big family,” Maadir said, who feels the Wildcat’s “high work rate” will set the group apart amongst competitors this season.

Returning players Tobe Ibe ‘28 and Myles Culley ‘28 have already begun to make some noise, scoring two goals each.

Baylen Young ‘26 currently leads the ’Cats in assists this fall.

Meanwhile, goalie Lucas Beltran ‘27 has already tallied 15 saves with a .682 save percentage.

Next: Davidson vs. George Mason University on Sept. 12.

The men’s soccer team looks foward to a strong year. Photo courtesy of Kaspars Golos.

Field Hockey

Volleyball

Football

ANNA MORROW ‘28 SHE/HER

HANNAH OLIVERA ‘29 SHE/THEY

HANNAH OLIVERA ‘29 SHE/THEY

avidson Field Hockey’s 2025 campaign is off to an encouraging start. On Friday, Sept. 6, Davidson went to double overtime in a close with Wake Forest University.

While the ‘Cats searched for their first victory over the Demon Deacons since 1991, the result is a promising indicator for the upcoming season.

“That was the closest game we’ve had with Wake [Forest] possibly in program history to my knowledge,” midfielder Emma Stevens ‘27 said. “The Wake head coach, who has been there for 34 years, said this is the best Davidson team she has seen in her time there. Big learning moments like the Wake game, where we might not have come out with a win, illustrate our improvement as a team and our potential for the season.”

Standout performers against Wake, including Matilda Collins ‘27, who netted a penalty stroke goal, and Avery Foster ‘29, who had multiple saves, set a skillful precedent for the ‘Cats.

The team drives to continue the momentum into conference play on Sept. 19 against La Salle University at the newly-renovated Carol Grotnes Belk Turf Field.

“As we move through the season, we are looking to maintain and even elevate the high level of play that we have started the season with. This is something that can be difficult with a season that ranges almost 3 months, but will be extremely advantageous once we get to post season play,” Stevens said.

Building on individual and team successes in the first four games of the 2025 season, the team is aiming for the Atlantic 10 (A10) tournament, which requires a top-four conference record to qualify.

Davidson also hopes to win more games this season against a difficult non-conference schedule, with higher-ranking opponents including Stanford University and Bucknell University.

Next: Davidson Wildcats vs. Longwood Lancers on Sept. 12.

Wildcats challenge Wake Forest for victory. Photo courtesy of Tim Cowie.

A

t the net, middle blocker Mia Compas ‘27 shifts momentum; in the back row, libero Adlee Grissett ‘29 fuels the defense.

Together, their veteran skill and fearless energy are shaping a season of strength for Davidson volleyball.

Neither Compas nor Grissett were fully set on Davidson College at first; however, they both described falling in love with their teammates and coaches. “You find a person on the court that you can connect with,” Grissett said. “The coaching staff is very involved with the team especially. They care about us [as] people, not just players.”

That same care and commitment shaped Compas’ college journey.

She attributes her growth and resilience as a player to the positive examples set by her teammates, especially this year’s seniors. “I think they told us a lot about strength and pushing through hard times,” Compas said. “I feel like our team has a lot of love. That’s our edge.” Now, Compas is the upperclassmen teaching the lessons she learned to the new Wildcats. That energy is exactly what Compas said gives her team an advantage. “We really do care about each other, and we bring a lot of passion to the court. We just really love volleyball, we love each other, and I think that’s what gives us strength and carries us through the match.”

On Sept. 5-6, Davidson hosted its annual Wildcat Classic volleyball tournament. The Wildcats had a strong showing, sweeping Delaware State University and Elon University 3-0 before falling to Coastal Carolina University 0-3.

Next: The Wake Forest Invitational on Sept. 12.

Davidson volleyball works together to put up a strong showing.

Photo courtesy of Ada Long.

5

D

avidson Football is off to a slow start after suffering a 5114 loss at home against Georgetown University and a 55-7 defeat at Elon University. However, quarterback Coulter Cleland ‘26 is looking to turn the ship around in the coming weeks.

The upcoming contest with FCS No. 16 Tennessee Tech on Sept. 13 offers an opportunity for an upset road win. The ‘Cats return home on Sept. 20 for a clash with DIII opponent Greensboro College– a game that Davidson will be heavily favored to win.

These early losses created obstacles during what was supposed to be Cleland’s comeback season: during his junior year his season ended early due to an MCL injury during an away game against none other than Georgetown. Now, he is working tirelessly to bounce back.

Cleland mentions the odd feeling of playing the Hoyas in backto-back years as he reflects on the game on Aug. 30, noting the adjustments that come with new staff, new techniques, and the loss of key teammates to the transfer portal and graduation, including quarterback Luke Durkin ‘25, one of Cleland’s role models.

“Luke Durkin is one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around,” Cleland said.

Davidson’s strategy looks different this year as new players try different roles on the field and adjust to new coaching staff.

However, the team remains close. That cohesion, Cleland believes, comes from the players who chose to stay despite transfers and challenges—a sign of resilience from the team in the face of adversity.

It’s clear that while the [Georgetown] score stung, Cleland is looking forwards, not backwards. “Be where your feet are,” Cleland said. “Don’t look ahead, appreciate what you have when you have it.”

Next: Davidson vs. Tennessee Tech on Sept. 13th.

Davidson football team looks to improve after a slow start.

Photo courtesy of Tim Cowie.

Arts & Entertainment

From left: Prof. Jon Wertheimer, Lindsey Cody ‘25, Prof. Jon Singleton, Prof. Karen Hales, Prof. Rick Gay, Mike Mitchum ‘25, Vince Scauzzo ‘24. Photo courtesy of Jon Singleton.

Appalachian Ensemble carries on musical tradition of the mountain

I

CLEO STRAUSS ‘28 (SHE/HER)

n their first practice of the year, new members of the Appalachian Ensemble learned five songs. They were given no formal instructions or sheet music.

Instead, each new member picked up their instrument and worked out the tunes by ear.

Ensemble Director and professor Jon Singleton started the ensemble nine years ago with now-retired Professor of Music Bill Lawing ‘73.

The ensemble consists of around ten members playing banjo, mandolin,

guitar, fiddle, and stand-up bass.

Students make up most of the group, but professors and Davidson staff are also included.

Appalachian music is the folk music of the Appalachian mountain region, which stretches from Georgia to West Virginia. It encompasses several genres, including old-time and bluegrass.

Singleton believes learning the music by ear is vital to maintaining the tradition of the genre.

“This music is not written down, for the most part,” Singleton said. “It’s transferred from person to person.

You can learn it written down and you can buy books that the music is in, but it’s from the wrong channel.”

In preparation for frequent performances, Singleton leads weekly practices and gives private instrument lessons—something he has done at Davidson for over 25 years.

Many of the group’s members are first-year students. One of them is Megan Good ‘29, who has been playing the fiddle since childhood.

“I didn’t know I would have the chance to continue playing fiddle in college, so when I heard there was

the opportunity, I absolutely wanted to join,” Good said.

Mena Tanner ‘28, who plays guitar, appreciates the community aspect of the Appalachian Ensemble.

“I grew up in Appalachia, in western North Carolina,” Tanner said. “I’ve always grown up listening to this music with my family. […] Now that I have instruments of my own, I think it’s cool to learn how to play that kind of music and to play it with others.”

Singleton believes that the abundance of first-year members could have a positive impact on the future of the Appalachian music community on campus.

“We’re lucky to have our freshmen join this semester as they become the nucleus and make the [Appalachian Ensemble] their own as the older students graduate,” Singleton said.

Not everyone in the Appalachian Ensemble was familiar with the music before coming to Davidson.

“Living here, you get exposed,” Professor of Biology Karen Hales, who grew up in California, said.

Hales, who plays mandolin, is now one of the group’s longest standing members, playing with them regularly since 2017. The ensemble’s experienced members, including Professor of Educational Studies Rick Gay and Professor of History John Wertheimer, are valuable resources for members who are still developing their skills. “[During practice,] I was looking to my right a lot to Dr. Gay,” Tanner said. “[He] was helping me know which chords to play.”

Playing Appalachian music also requires constant listening and being present in the moment, according to Singleton.

“I actually welcome when people make little changes,” Singleton said.

“We’re all listening very hard and

6 we’re playing together, and the little changes they make will complement [the tune]. [...] I want them to add their own touches and life to our tunes,” Singleton said.

Good agrees that personalization and change are important for the genre.

“Every time you play a bluegrass song, it’s never been like that before,” Good said. “And that’s only because we learned it by ear and in community.”

These improvisations are part of what makes Appalachian music fun to play, according to Good. They are also a driving force of the genre’s constant evolution.

Despite the genre’s firm roots in the past, often performing tunes Singleton describes as, “your grandfather’s greatest hits,” musicians are still finding ways to keep the genre relevant in the present day.

One way the genre remains relevant is through the growing group of contemporary Appalachian performers and composers.

One such composer is former Appalachian Ensemble member Mike Mitchum ‘25. A skilled banjo and fiddle player in the ensemble, Mitchum composed tunes such as “Davidson Jig” and “Upward Climb,” both of which the ensemble still perform.

Old or contemporary, the spirit of Appalachian music is the connection to the deep tradition and history of the Appalachian region, according to Singleton.

“At one time or another, we all had ancestors in the mountains somewhere,” Singleton said. “[So for the audience], this is the music of their ancestors, and we’re honored to bring it to them.”

“Dissonance” Review: A hard-hitting, imperfect conversation SAIYA MEHTA ‘27 (SHE/HER)

O

n Monday evening, audience members at Davidson’s Barber Theater were witness to a twenty-yearsavoided conversation about race between two friends: Angela, a Black woman, and Lauren, a white woman. DISSONANCE, a twowoman play written and performed

by Marci Duncan in collaboration with Kerry Sandell and directed

by Davidson Assistant Professor of Theater Dr. James Webb, is a dramatic adaptation of real conversations between Duncan and Sandell.

In the wake of the 2020 murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, it was Sandell who first approached Duncan in early 2021, describing how she had been reflecting on the difference between the conversations they both were having with their sons at the time. “[Kerry said], ‘I think we should have a conversation about that, and I also think we should write a play about it.’ And that’s the genesis of it,” Duncan said in a postshow discussion moderated by the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI).

Barring a few dialogue stumbles and moments of unnecessarily harsh and unflattering white lighting at the

play’s start, the overall performance was exceptional. Met with a standing ovation from the near-packed audience at its conclusion, at least one person was moved to tears and several others lingered on to congratulate the playwrights/actors and director. Tatiana Rodriguez ’27 said afterwards that Duncan and Sandell put into performance “things [she has] thought about all the time,” except now with greater clarity, eloquence and intention.

The choice to keep the set and other technical aspects like lighting and sound simple ensured the two friends and their conversation remained the play’s key focus. Opening the show with music and dance, along with the frequent comedy in the first segment, was crucial to creating an inviting and somewhat familiar atmosphere that aimed to welcome all audience members into the fold, rather than situating them as voyeurs to a private and vulnerable moment.

The entirety of DISSONANCE takes place in Angela (Duncan) and Lauren’s (Sandell) soon-to-open café—their first business venture together—on a fall Sunday in 2020.

Simultaneous to establishing the friendship’s intimacy throughout the first half, small yet tense moments begin to hint at the looming conversation about race. Lauren’s suggestion that the two name their

café “Ebony & Ivory” elicited audible groans from the audience.

This tension comes to a head with Lauren’s announcement that not only is she dating Angela’s brother Brian, but the two are also recently engaged, prompting Angela to finally broach the topic of race explicitly.

As the conversation becomes progressively more complex, shared understanding still feels out of reach—until, rather suddenly, Lauren has a moment of realization. Using an analogy to the deliberate ignorance of a church near Auschwitz to the evident horrors of the Holocaust, Lauren apologizes to Angela for her own behavior and inaction in the face of blatant and violent racism towards Black communities in the United States.

DISSONANCE concludes with an emotional hug of reconciliation between the two friends. In the post-show DCI discussion, Webb explained that this particular scene is fundamental to the play’s vision. When friends avoid difficult conversations because they fear vulnerability, lost trust and connection often follow—a dissonance, if you will. Angela and Lauren’s final hug demonstrates that this dissonance is not lasting if we allow love to guide us to common ground and possibly, even, a stronger friendship.

Even so, it is here that

DISSONANCE perhaps misses the mark. A resolution so abrupt, with loose ends seemingly tied up, feels disingenuous and unrealistic. While Duncan later remarked that the play’s end is just “the beginning” of the friends’ new journey, the play itself gives no meaningful indication that this specific conversation about race would continue.

This is especially troubling considering that not only do we fail to see incremental breakthroughs in Lauren’s understanding, but we also see her give truth to Angela’s accusation that Lauren continues to “excuse [herself] from responsibility.” Sure, Lauren recognizes her shortcomings as a friend to Angela after George Floyd’s murder. But to reference the Holocaust (mentioned for the first and only time at this juncture) as a segue to apologizing is a missed opportunity for a more substantial and personal apology.

Nevertheless, DISSONANCE is a well-intentioned and generally wellexecuted creative exploration of the power race exerts on friendship— and other relationship—dynamics in ways that likely resonate with many in the Davidson community.

“As a Black woman, [...] seeing someone else have the [same] conversation [I’ve had] in such a public setting…hit home a lot,”

Rodriguez said.

For Carolina Calvo ’29, the play has made her consider “having harder conversations like that with friends.”

Despite feeling at some moments that she “didn’t even…belong in the room” because of how intimate and vulnerable the conversation was, Calvo concluded that uncomfortable conversations about race are ones she “definitely should be listening to.”

DISSONANCE is not meant to offer a model upon or after which conversations about race should happen. Rather, it is a powerful demonstration that tough conversations about race can, should and do in fact happen between friends from different racial backgrounds.

Duncan and Sandell also remind us of the generative potential such emotionally wrought conversations have: “We wanted to create this piece of art because that’s how we both communicate. [...] That’s how we make sense of the world.”

Complete the concert committee survey!

Living Davidson

7

Performative males descend on Nummit

ANNA MORROW ‘28 (SHE/HER)

D

oes Davidson have a performative male problem?

By the looks of the crowd piling into Summit Coffee Outpost (Nummit) on Sept. 4 during common hour, the answer is yes.

Flaunting tote bags, a Nummit iced matcha, a tampon demo, baggy pants, wired headphones, feminist literature, and even song, the performative population shone through.

An anonymous sophomore and self-proclaimed victim of male performance, claims inauthenticity as the root issue of male performance.

Despite an attempt at a unique appearance or aura, performative men have begun to blend into one another.

The images of contestants prepared

for battle at Nummit wield an eerily similar vibe.

This vibe is carefully curated to entice the perceived desires of women that are outside of the normative understanding of masculinity.

But, said the purported victim of performative men, women can see directly through the performance.

They claim annoyance at a divider each performative male has put up between his true self and the intention of gaining attention from women.

Asa McCalab ‘28 recounted a conversation with a peer and participant, Owen Davis ‘28, in the contest who, despite his own participation, takes issue with the trend.

Davis said that the act of holding a competition pokes fun at those who go against the traditions of

masculinity. But another participant Aidan Overcash ‘28 approached his involvement with more humor. He claims the contest and the identity of performative males in general as purely a joke.

Whether humorous or genuine, male performance is a growing trend across college campuses.

This is a trend the self-proclaimed victim would rather not observe.

They suggest authenticity as the more effective form of attraction.

Now, all the pick-me girls wait patiently for their own competition.

In the meantime, they will continue to carry heavy packages up the stairs and remind their classmates that they play fantasy football too.

Shreyan Kancharla ‘29 performs at Nummit. Photo by Claire Orvis ‘28.

Leadership Spotlight: Katherine Marshall ‘26 ISABELLA MARTINELLI ‘29 (SHE/HER)

F

Students at the ArtMate selection party on Tuesday. Read more online.

Photo by Wyatt Gessner ‘28

rom Nummit trivia, Live Thursday, movie nights to Frolics, almost every student has engaged with Union Board (UB) at some point in their time at Davidson. President Katherine Marshall ‘26 shared some insights on what drives her and UB to provide programming for all students.

Marshall started at UB as a sophomore hosting trivia on Wednesday nights. Nummit Trivia is not just a UB tradition, but a pillar of social engagement on campus.

Participating in this event is a privilege and journey. Students stake out tables hours in advance for the opportunity to carry the highest of honors, Nummit Trivia champion.

The responsibility of keeping this foundational event alive and curating questions was formative to her dedication. She has continued with the student organization because of the community building and creative outlet it provides.

As president, Marshall hopes to advance the spirit of collaboration and lightheartedness that drew her

Comic by Matthew Shnowske ‘28

to UB. UB’s goal is to find ideas that would be exciting, different, and fun, in order to engage most of the student body, creating space for people to gather with each other. “Having that constant appointed space, knowing that we are a reliable organization for any students who might want to just hang out somewhere, is really important to me. Feels like a good way to care for our community,” Marshall said.

As a religious studies student, Marshall is committed to the broader Davidson community because of the comfortability and calm nature of the environment, the diverse opportunities she has had here, and how we can be “witnesses to each other”. She is involved outside of UB as chaplain’s ambassador, Spanish AT, club soccer, and trip leader for Davidson Outdoors.

The Union Board is a 17 person team, including the president, vicepresident, and 15 students who oversee their own programming.

Apart from the cherished Nummit Trivia on Wednesdays and Live Thursdays, some board members are responsible for the special

programming on Fridays and Saturdays. During weekly meetings the team proposes events two weeks in advance, evaluates past events and resolves logistical issues.

Marshall approaches these meetings thinking about collaboration and compromise to guarantee all members have a say. The group works tirelessly to ensure the whole student body feels represented by and welcome to attend events. “That constance of UB programming, it’s meant to be something that always feels available to students, no matter how much they want to engage with it or not. There’s always such awesome stuff going on from different organizations. Just go and enjoy it,” Marshall said.

Running the largest student organization on campus is a timeconsuming job. But Marshall says it’s all worth it. “You’re always going to be busy as a Davidson student, but it is a part of your day that is worth spending with the people around you, and UB aims to create space for these interactions to happen.”

8

The

Yowl

Irreverent student journalism since 2004. Castigat Ridendo Mores.

inside

yowl.com/SnakeOilNews

Davidson Equestrian Team performs cavalry charge at activity fair, College Republicans club Elephant startled.

Page: Exotic animals

Doug Hicks to Appear Inside source reveals Before Honor Council for Mr. Beast to sponsor Possible AI use on FDOC Games Club. email.

Page: On my honor

I

t’s a sunny morning, and light hits the dew of the PCC grass on a crisp Monday. You kick a Keystone left behind by some wayward frat boy late one Saturday night, and it tumbles out of sight as you crest the hill and come into view of the mecca of male performance, the grail of granola gays, the nexus of never doing work, the opus of overpriced drinks, the hub of horny studiers, Summit outpost or as the student body call it, Nummit.

You ford the picnic table, the aroma of ksig seniors having their morning pitchers and putting out cigarettes on pledges fills the air, all the while you avoid accidentally staring people down inside as you try and see past the glare on the window. You pass the threshold, but not before an awkward exchange trying to hold the door open and let other nummit goers pass. You step in. A hush surfaces in the room as people turn and stare at you upon your entrance. Only the sound of someone taking a coffee shit can be heard. The yapping quickly arises once again as “Yellow” by Radiohead fades into “I Bet on Losing Dogs”

by Mitski. You beat on, ceaselessly, towards the long line that has formed due to the recent class change. Stepping over book bags and long scarves, trying to squeeze past groups of people refusing to sit down but continuing to talk to others who are sitting down. As the line dwindles and more drip coffee and matcha are pedalled out, a choice arises. Do you order from the Ksig Barista or the

R

Suffering from Success Issue

September 10, 2025

Page: Wildcat Games

For the first time ever, Davidson’s flag football team outranks the D1 football program counterparts Page: Don’t walk into the fog Page: New Year New Vibe The Mist shrouds Commons.

Nummit choose your own adventure Rusk Barista?

Read paragraph 1 for Ksig Barista Read paragraph 2 for Rusk Barista 1. You reach the register. As a hand with at least 12 waxed cord bracelets (friendship bracelets) raises and asks you to wait. You stand slowly swaying and tapping your CatCard as he talks to 5 other baristas, who are also doing nothing. You look up at the seasonal drinks and notice that they bear a similar resemblance to the normal drinks, but with what would seem to be random things from a pantry put in them. You start to order when you notice your barista has already put in a pitcher of cider, lavender syrup, and a toasted bagel. You try to object, but the distracted barista responds with an autogenerated response. “Sorry, we’re out of cider. Will PBR do?” you say Okay, but it’s not okay. You don’t like PBR. You stand and wait for your food, and wait, and wait.

20 minutes pass as you stand, occasionally getting in the way of someone trying to sit at the bar, and wait for your bagel. Slowly, smoke begins to rise from the toaster, causing the fire alarm to go off. After the fire marshal checks it out and the fire truck leaves, the barista finally hands you your burnt bagel.

Defeated, you turn around and stand like a deer in the headlights, looking over the possibilities of where to sit. Do you sit at a booth that has just opened or at a long table?

Read paragraph 3 for the booth Read paragraph 4 for the long table

2. You reach the register. It’s your exsituationship. Your eyes lock as your heart tenses. The fear enters your mind as words fail to exit your mouth. She’s left you on read for 7 F-hosts. “I love your outfit,” you blurt out. “What would you like?” she replies, almost speaking over you, asking for your drink order. The menu fades in and out of focus. Do you order a matcha or a London Fog? Read paragraph 5 for matcha Read paragraph 6 for London Fog 3. You swing one foot in front of the other with determination to turn your day around and seize your glory. The booth is in sight. All of a sudden, your foot hits the riser, and like a mighty tree being felled, you come crashing to the ground, your backpack sending you down with extra force. Through the pain and embarrassment, you hear a voice, and someone comes to help. Sadly, this is false.

The body connected to the voice you heard steps over you and promptly sits down and calls their friends over. You leave nummit defeated and bruised.

4. You approach the long tables, and most of the seats have abandoned laptops, books, and bags left by people who know how long ago saving their seats for who knows how long. These are the consequences of the honor code. The only seat left is a squeaky, tilted stool. You begin to lock in. You have one hour left before your essay is due. A couple next to you won’t stop touching each

Mysterious man spotted doing mysterious activities

eports across campus of a mystery man have continued to fuel speculation.

Descriptions of this man and his activities are few and far between, with one observer describing them as, “taller than four feet, but shorter than seven.” Another added that he “seemed to be engaging in some sort of activity.” Concerned? Us too.

Conflicting accounts surrounding this individual’s intentions have only added more fuel to the fire, with onlookers describing the

individual as, “scary”, having a “malevolent aura”, or of being a “normal guy, why are you asking me about this again?” Yowl forensic experts have not yet been able to identify this man or his potential goals or aspirations, and have yet to reject the possibility that the sightings reported could be of multiple suspects. Any information regarding an individual fitting this description should be reported directly to Davidson president Doug Hicks via email with the subject line

“URGENT: A MAN SPOTTED ON CAMPUS! PLEASE HELP!!!!”

And the nature of your information.

If not responded to immediately, it must be assumed that ‘he’ is interfering, so immediately respond with an identical email. Repeat this process indefinitely until a thoughtful response to your concerns is received. The Yowl calls on all readers to defend our campus in this way and thanks you for participating in your civic responsibility.

Love letter to RLO

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ear RLO, At Freshman orientation, you announced that your department was unmatched. Skeptical as always, my friends and I looked at each other and laughed. It wasn’t until you did nothing about the black mold in the ceiling of my friends dorm and put two hall counselors together in a single- in Belk no less– that I realized you truly are one of a kind. Your ideas are simply incredible– putting freshmen who drink on sub-free floors so that they can learn the power of sobriety– genius!

What could ever go wrong with that? Not to mention your roommate pairings – I may be the only Freshman who actually likes my random roommate and for that, I truly am incredibly grateful. But for everyone else, I mean not matching up sleep schedules, strong political views, or cleanliness habits is a great idea that really teaches students to coexist and creates much more productive environments! I mean what’s better than stepping around your roommate’s mess when you wake up at 5:00 AM when they have only just gone to sleep? I love you with every ounce of water that has leaked from the sink in the Rich bathrooms that have yet to be fixed. You’re so wise, you don’t even have to look at the housing preference forms people submit- you just know what is best. By far one of my favorite parts of your being is how you perfectly prep dorms for movein. The roaches in Belk and ants in Rich night one were an incredible welcome gift that I will be forever grateful for. One last thing, the broken TV on 3rd Rich really adds a homey touch, and I would be remiss if I didn’t show my appreciation for it.

It is so freeing not to have that distraction in my life. I mean I haven’t even been here for three weeks, and I can already tell that RLO at Davidson truly is special. Thank you, RLO. I love you.

The

Yowl

WRITORS Misfolded Enzyme Ambient White Boy Fresh Yowlers Wile E. Coyote Sr

Incident of The Week Class shocked as fellow student pitches the idea of reinstating poll tests for US elections

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other’s hair and laughing too loudly. The music switches to Deftones, and the volume is cranked up. People you vaguely know start interrupting you to make small talk. You get nothing done, and you turn in your essay two hours late.

5. You order a matcha. You swiftly take the drink and retreat to a high table. As you finally take a look at your matcha, you can’t help but question the color. Your mind plays tricks on you as you try and remember what color good matcha looks like. You hold in your hand a cup of swampy water and come to the conclusion that your swamp matcha is not “an emerald green to a deep forest green” that AI overview recommends. As you stare at your matcha, a runner-up of the performative male competition approaches you and compliments your matcha. His matcha is a Flowe wall color green. As you try and make conversation, you realize he hasn’t read any of the books or seen any of the movies he’s been talking about to you.

He has only heard about them or seen clips of them on YouTube. He proceeds to talk to you about the extinction of Javan Rhinos as you slide into an apathetic stare.

6. You order a London Fog. You immediately lose the respect of the barista, and people give you glares as you are handed a cup of milk.

Sloan to introduce new security measure

ue to the rise of break-ins and thefts last year and the transfer of several important documents from the E.H. Little Library, the Sloan Music Center has debuted a new security measure for trespassers; The moment the clock strikes midnight on Davidson campus, any intruders leaving Sloan will be flattened by a piano into a pancake.

The plan was put forward this year after much deliberation by the Music Department. When interviewing the head of the department, Tarta Kooth, she had this to say, “You know, I really loved Looney Tunes as a kid. I was a big fan of that Wile E Coyote character, I always wanted him to catch that damn bird. I was rewatching with my daughter recently when I got the idea. There’s so many pianos lying around this building and I thought, ‘what the hell, sure, let’s crush some intruders into a pancake.’”

The system has been wildly successful in deterring trespassers, but there have also been some mishaps. Several students dressed in ski masks and black and white striped sweaters were exiting the building with their instruments late at night when a piano dropped on them. A passerby saw the scene and called an ambulance, and the students were unflattened in the E.R. The students, Lars Ceny, Robert Berry, and Holden Up, are deeply displeased with the new system. “We were practicing our instruments last night and had no time to change for the Cops and Robbers themed KSig party, so we thought we’d just practice in our outfits.” When police examined the contents of the student’s pockets, they found crowbars, gold ingots, and gems, all of which the students claimed were theirs. “I don’t believe in banks,” said Lars.

The situation has resulted in some push-back against the new system, saying it may be too cartoonishly violent. “I don’t know what we’re going to do with all these pianos,” replied Tarta Kooth.

“We’ll figure something out, I guess.”

Quote of the Week “I’ve spent the last hour in FIBS (fake libs) playing smash or pass with Davidson departments instead of working” -Someone up way too late

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

Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.