The Davidsonian 9/17/25

Volume 125, Issue 2 • For a Better Davidson • The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914 • September 17, 2025

Football falls to 0-3, Thakkar “looking for growth”

F AJ Adams ’28 breaks a tackle. Photo

by Tim Cowie.

ALEX THOLE ’28 (HE/HIM)

irst year Davidson Football Head Coach Saj Thakkar said that he was “looking for growth” going into a difficult road matchup vs. Tennessee Tech University. The Wildcats (0-3, 0-0) fell 72-14 to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) No. 15 Golden Eagles (3-0, 0-0) on Satur-

day. The loss was Davidson’s largest since 2015 and its most points allowed in a game since 1921.

Davidson opened the season losing 51-14 at home against Georgetown University followed by a 55-7 defeat at Elon University.

Through three games, Davidson has allowed 178 points—the most over any three-game stretch in program history, dating to 1897. The Wildcats rank last in the FCS in

points against per game, and 667th of 669 NCAA football programs.

Davidson’s 35 points scored through three games are the fewest to begin a season since 2015.

Thakkar attributes the concerning results to his team’s inexperience.

“We’re a very young team, specifically on the defensive side of the

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Students start new publication, share new perspectives CLAIRE IRELAND‘28 (SHE/HER)

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here’s a new publication coming to campus. The Davidson Lux, a new student run publication, was founded by a group of sophomores and is part of the Student Journalism Association out of the The Fund for American Studies (TFAS).

TFAS is a national educational nonprofit that hosts, among their 30 plus. academic programs, seminars, and fellowships, a “Center for Excellence in Journalism.”

“Fewer conservative- and libertarian-minded journalists are being provided with early opportunities to build successful careers in the press,” their website states. “This has resulted in a skewed and biased media landscape. TFAS seeks to continue to address these concerns and more by offering world-class journalism training for students and fellows nationwide.”

Within the Center for Excellence in Journalism, TFAS runs a program called the Student Journalism Association, which Lux founder Ethan Tran ’28 confirmed the paper is a part of.

The Student Journalism Association, according to TFAS, “supports young conservative, libertarian and independent journalists who believe

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Students on the PC10 meal plan no longer receive unlimited swipes at Vail Commons Dining Hall. Photo by Halle Carns ‘28.

All Access Meal Plan turns two as concerns persist CLAIRE IRELAND‘28 (SHE/HER)

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he 2025-2026 academic year marks the second year of the All Access Meal plan mandate, and another year of growing pains for dining services and students as they work through the transition. Many in the sophomore class, the first group of students who must pay for the all access plan throughout their four years at Davidson, are starting the year with frustrations about what the plan covers and the quality of food.

The all access meal plan, which costs $9,100.00 annually, includes

unlimited meal swipes to Vail Commons, six $12 meal-equivalency swipes per week. The plan also includes $250 dining dollars per semester.

Director of Auxiliary Services Richard Terry, said the mandatory All Access plan was created to combat food insecurity on campus.

“Over the years, we’ve heard that students are not getting enough to eat,” Terry said. “Having students on campus who are worried about whether they’re going to get enough to eat that day is something that the College really can’t abide by.”

However, some sophomores members of Patterson Court Council or-

ganizations (PCC) are concerned about just that.

The majority of sophomore PCC members are on the PC10 Meal Plan. They receive 10 meals at their organization, six Commons swipes, four meal-equivalency swipes, and $250 dining dollars per semester.

10 meals from the house, plus 10 swipes for commons/other campus dining locations adds up to a total of 20 meals per week, or 2.8 meals a day. The 250 dining dollars is supposed to cover that third meal, mapping out to $15.63 per meal in a 16 week semester.

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Turning Point USA Chapter Coming to Davidson CASEY SCHEINER ‘28 (HE/HIM)

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urning Point USA (TPUSA), a nationwide conservative student organization founded by conservative media icon Charlie Kirk with chapters on over 900 college campuses, is coming to Davidson. With Oliver Genovese ’28 at the helm, the chapter has received approval from Student Activities and can solidify its place on campus once it finalizes a faculty advisor.

TPUSA’s national staff has embraced the effort, with a field representative devoted to expanding the organization’s regional presence working with Genovese to help establish the chapter. “[TPUSA] actually reached out to me initially because they’re trying to expand,” Genovese said. The nascent chapter has already begun preparations for the year of pro-

gramming. Beyond recruiting new members, Genovese is planning a kickoff event and looking into potential speakers to bring to campus.

Per the TPUSA chapter handbook, the organization will also need to host at least one activism event— with options ranging from their iconic tabling events engaging peers in political discussion to voter registration drives to a “Dunking on Socialism” dunk tank—each semester.

For Genovese, the establishment of a TPUSA chapter at Davidson marks a culmination of years of engagement with the organization’s content. “I’ve always been a Charlie Kirk fan and a TPUSA fan,” he said.

“I’ve been watching him for three years now and agree with not all, but most of his stances and takes.”

“I really like how TPUSA focuses on engaging young college students.

It was crucial for conservatives during the last election because be-

fore that there was no real presence on college campuses for conservatives.”

The push towards a Davidson TPUSA chapter coincides with a tragic and tumultuous moment for

the national organization. On Sep. 10, while on stage at Utah Valley University as part of his American Comeback Tour, Kirk was shot and killed, creating national shock and

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A TPUSA chapter is coming to Davidson’s campus. Photo courtesy of TPUSA.com

Former Ambassador to China delivers Dean Rusk Lecture CASEY SCHEINER ‘28 (HE/HIM)

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resh off a four year stint as the US Ambassador to China, career diplomat Nicholas Burns addressed a sold-out crowd on Sep. 16 at the Tyler-Tallman Hall r for the Dean Rusk International Studies Program’s annual Bank of America lecture. Drawing on his experiences at the highest levels of international diplomacy, he spoke about the US-China rivalry which he believes will shape the future of international politics.

“The United States and China are in the most competitive, most difficult, complex and often contentious relationship that we have,” Burns said. “China represents the most powerful competitor that the United States has ever faced: stronger than Britain when it burned down the White House in 1812, certainly stronger than either Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan, certainly stronger than the Soviet Union.”

Though he focused on US-China relations, Burns’s illustrious career—with posts ranging from Director of Soviet Affairs during the fall of the USSR to Ambassador to NATO after 9/11 to foreign policy advisor to Joe Biden during his 2020 campaign—endowed him with a laundry list of experiences to draw from in his lecture.

“My wife, Libby and I have served since 1980. We’ve lived all over the world,” Burns said. “I think our experience in China was by a long mile, the most difficult and challenging assignment that we’ve had because of the extraordinary, brittle nature of the of the relationship between the two strongest countries in the world.”

The Dean Rusk Program has frequently hosted speakers covering China. During the 2022-23 school

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INSIDE New paper comes to Davidson campus Partisan organizations condemn political violence Club soccer takes down UNC Professors feature work in exhibit Q&A with DJ Jacob Kim ’26

Check out our website!

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News analysis than something groundbreaking.” Chen said. “I think it was below expectations because I was expecting something fresh that I hadn’t ever considered before.”

In addition to delivering the lecture, Burns engaged with Davidson students around campus on Tuesday.

He had tea with students and sat in on Professor Keren Zhu’s Introduction to Policy Analysis course for an interactive activity on US-China great power competition.

“I had the incredible pleasure of attending [Professor Zhu’s] class and really sitting in the classroom as a student,” Burns said during the lecture. “She really taught us a lot

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about the migration that Chinese and Americans have made from engaging each other so productively 20 to 30 years ago, and we now find ourselves in an era of competition and confrontation.”

“I also just want to recognize that having been with Ambassador Burns for several events today, not only has everything he’s delivered been magisterial and a joy to learn from all his experiences, but his spirit of generosity with everyone he’s engaged with has been superb,” Mangan said.

Burns speaks to Professor Zhu’s Introduction to Policy Analysis class. Photo by Chris Record.

Amb. Burns lectures on US/China relations

year, Dean Rusk hosted a China-Taiwan Speaker Series featuring guests like Ambassador Craig Allen and Deputy Under Secretary for the International Trade Administration Sarah Kemp with lectures tackling US-China issues from supply chains to interdependence.

Brown Professor of Asian Politics Shelley Rigger, who is also Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, has delivered multiple public lectures on the subject, explaining her nationally renowned work on East Asian international relations to the Davidson community.

“China is always a popular topic for Dean Rusk events, yet having Ambassador Burns on campus tonight to speak about the US China rivalry for global power comes at a moment where there’s extraordinary demand for more information from bona fide experts,” Dean Rusk Program Director and History Professor Jane Mangan said.

Many campus organizations in addition to Dean Rusk have reckoned with the politically salient issue of

Asian politics. For example, last year, the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI) hosted a Deliberative Forum on the Legacies of World War II in the Asia Pacific Region, amplifying different perspectives on the still divisive memory of this time across Asia.

Burns’s lecture represents a return in focus for Dean Rusk to China after a year of amplifying other parts of the globe. Last fall, the lectures focused more on the European geopolitical front, with speakers John Etcheverry, George Butler, Lauren Van Metre ’84 and Elena Kostyuchenko visiting to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Spring programming centered on on Israel and Africa. Burns’s arrival marks a renewed commitment to the study of US-China relations just as decision makers like Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby push the US towards an “Asia First” grand strategy.

Tickets to Burns’s lecture were in high demand. Available to Davidson students and staff for a month in ad-

vance, tickets sold out only two days after opening to the public.

“Our speedy sellout at Tyler-Tallman Hall was evidence of a high degree of interest for this event,” Mangan said.

“It was really hard to get a ticket.

I checked a week and a half before and they were all sold out,” Will Fledderman ’28 said. “I had to ask around if anyone had an extra ticket and outbid our other friends who were fighting for a ticket.”

Students took a variety of different reactions away from Burns’s talk.

“I thought it was interesting the importance he placed on our democratic allies,” Fledderman said. “I also learned a lot about our military and technological edge that’s really important to the future of US-China relations.”

Novak Chen ’29 found the lecture informative yet dry at points.

“For someone with no background information on the status quo, it was pretty informative. However, the lecture felt like more of a literature

Burns delivers the Bank of America Dean Rusk lecture. Photo by Kaspars Golos.

New Student Paper on Campus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 in restoring objectivity to the media with a platform to develop their skills, voice and network.”

Publications that are members of the Association have the opportunity to gain $15,000 dollars in funding.

They receive this monetary support by “hitting certain benchmarks related to their staff size, the number of articles published, the percentage of articles including original reporting, meeting frequency, and the number of active freshmen.”

The Davidson Lux is one of such publications. It joins in the ranks of publications like The Harvard Salient and The Princeton Tory, journals of conservative thought at their namesake universities, and other independent publications like the Columbia Sundial and the Madison Federalist.

Tran said funding from TFAS is “pending”, and that Lux is intended to operate as an “alternative source of news.” When pressed on what “alternative” would include, Tran, who is also Editor-in Chief, had this to say:

“[It’s alternative] to the Davidsonian, whatever media we have, Libertas,” Tran said. “So just an alternative newspaper.”

Managing Editor Ezra Steinman ’28 said that TFAS will have no editorial influence over what they publish, and Executive Editor Colin Blakeslee ’28 said that Lux would be oriented around their writers’ perspectives. “[We’re] giving people a space to editorialize, share their views, make their opinions heard, express their voices, their personalities, all the Wildcat pride that defines who we are, right? Davidson, exceptionalism. Lux gives people a space to talk about how they feel.”

A spokesperson for the group Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse (DFTD) confirmed that they helped connect students involved with Lux to TFAS, but DFTD itself is not involved with the new paper.

Tran said that Lux does not have plans to receive funding from DTFD, but he confirmed speaking with them

in “June or August” as Vice President of Davidson College Libertarians.

Other members said that they were looking for funding from any direction. “We would happily accept funding or support from anyone within reason,” Steinman said.

Blakeslee said that funding was coming from “here, there and everywhere.”

Lux hosted an interest meeting on Sept. 9 with one prospective writer in attendance. At the meeting, it was emphasized that writers for Lux should “own their words”. This student ownership of writing extends to the direction of the paper as well. “[The content is] going to be mostly dictated by the students [and] writers we have,” Tran said. “I have a very laissez-faire way of trying to organize this paper. [It’s] mostly what the students want.”

Steinman said that Lux hopes to highlight a variety of perspectives and voices.

“The Davidson Lux wants to platform and feature people from all dif-

The Lux logo, posted on their Substack. Photo courtesy of Lux.

ferent political persuasions, not just conservatives, not just liberals, [but] everyone and anyone that would like to write for The Davidson Lux.” Their coverage will largely be published online.

“We’re gonna roll out a website. It’s gonna be a real stupendous time,” Blakeslee said.

For now, their website exists on Substack, with a bio describing the paper as “An independent student newspaper carrying forward the lib-

eral arts tradition.”

At the time of publication there were no posts, but a message “The Davidson Lux will be posting its first issue soon.”

As for what readers can expect concerning the paper’s impact and intent, Steinman said that it will simply be another source of news.

“I don’t think there’ll be any mixing it up that radically. I think that it will serve as another campus newspaper.”

Features

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Riley Light ’28 purchases a meal from Davis Cafe. Photo by David Anderson Montes Lara 28.

Students share meal plan concerns CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Riley Light ’28 belongs to the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. He said $12 is often not enough to cover a meal.

“A meal swipe on campus has the equivalent price of $12,” Light said.

“Most items being purchased end up exceeding that $12 limit and dipping into your dining dollars.”

Patrick Plaehn ’28 works at the Wildcat Den. He often sees students going over their allotted $12 meal swipe when they order.

“Almost every time somebody comes to Wildcat Den [they] can’t usually order a sandwich and a [drink without] going over and dipping into their dining dollars,” Plaehn said.

“It’s just taking it down 60 cents at a time.”

Terry said that an exclusion of a 21’st meal-swipe in favor of relying

on Dining Dollars was a matter of calculating an exact total of 21 meals a week for students in PCC organizations.

“It wasn’t like we said ‘Oh, we absolutely can’t add a 21st meal.’ It was just kind of in our heads, the math of getting the 21. If you take the $200 and divide it over a semester [...] that works out to, in our view, roughly on average, a meal a week.”

Terry said that students eating the full number of meals on their plans is not common, though he did not provide data to back that up. “It is kind of the rare student who eats 21 meals a week.

In his interview with The Davidsonian, Terry said the plan included 200 dining dollars. However, in an email later in the week, Terry shared that the number would be upped to 250 due to a communication error earlier in the summer.

“In July, incoming first-year stu-

Politics

dents received an email from Auxiliary Services that provided a description of their meal plan and how it can be used on campus. The All-Access meal plan included $200 in Dining Dollars. “The email incorrectly indicated that it included $250 in Dining Dollars. […] We want students to pay attention to and trust communications from our office. For that reason, we will honor the Dining Dollar amount of $250 listed in the July email.”

Students still have concerns outside of the dining dollar amount.

Dillon Newman ’28, also a member of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, is a Type 1 Diabetic and goes to Commons for the variety of food offered.

He thinks that students on the PC10 plan should still be allowed unlimited meal swipes.

“Coming from someone who can’t eat high carb [meals] for medical reasons, fraternity food is not the best for me in a lot of ways,” Newman said.

“I think that we’ve tried our best to [...] get more things that are healthy [at the fraternity]. But realistically, Commons will always have the most healthy options, and if we’re paying for the same meal system, why are we losing our unlimited swipes?”

Frustrations with the dining plan are not limited to students who are in PCC organizations, as all students in the class of 28 and onwards must foot the $9,100 bill every year.

“Removing choice and forcing students onto the most expensive possible plan is clearly a move incentivized by profit and not incentivized by health of the students or well- being of the students, or improving dining services, period,” Plaehn said.

Chair of the Student Government Association (SGA) Food and Housing Committee Ezra Steinman ’28 said that the SGA has had conversations with the administration about the limitations of the All Access Meal Plan, all circling back to the reality that Dining Services must turn a profit.

“We’ve [SGA] tried to negotiate with the administration, with Pinky Varghese as well as Richard Terry [...] It’s been difficult because they are trying to make money. [Davidson] needs to keep Commons open, and they need to keep all of their new dining locations open, and so they are going to try to make the most money possible.”

Terry said that because Dining Services is not subsidized by the College, the student meal plan payments contribute to factors like property upkeep for dining establishments, paying employees, and growth.

“Sometimes students think, ‘Well, it shouldn’t cost this much.’” Terry said. “Remember that, like any other business, we’re also responsible for the spaces that we’re serving out of.”

What Dining Services is serving is also a topic of discussion among students.

Lennox Goslin ’28 is not a member of PCC. He said he could not afford the social dues on top of what he was

paying for the all access plan.

At the same time, he said that he has struggled to find food that he deems nutritionally adequate on campus, leading him to seek employment in the food industry, despite having to pay for the All Access meal plan.

“I learned that where I work now, I could actually make a little food for myself [...] That single handedly kind of saved a few of my evenings per week,” Goslin said. “That’s still extra money coming out of my pocket after I’ve already invested $4,000 a semester into a dining hall that’s supposed to well cover my food interests.”

Food insecure students may be deterred from joining PCC organizations under the new meal plan. But to Terry, the numbers do not reflect student concerns.

“My understanding from [the Student Activities Center] is that PCC sign ups by class [of ’28], were as big or bigger than they’d been. So at least on the surface, anticipating what might be coming this fall, [the meal plan] didn’t appear to scare anybody off,” Terry said.

“This is new to all of us, so we’re going to need to see if there are unintended consequences, and be prepared to adjust if something doesn’t seem like it’s working right.”

The administration is working to gather data to see how often students are maxing out their meal swipes and respond accordingly.

“I did look at [the data] last week and the percentage of students that were on the Patterson Court Council, who had exhausted everything that we had given them was a really small number. That doesn’t mean it’s not an issue for those students,” Terry said.

“We really want to understand how many folks are being affected [by a lack of food], because [...] if we were to do any kind of change, it might affect what that change looks like.”

TPUSA’s arrival on campus sparks controversy amid founder’s Killing

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 discourse. Known for his travels to college campuses to engage with students on hot-button political issues, Kirk was the face of TPUSA. His death leaves the movement at a crossroads.

In the interim, Kirk’s death forced a pause in Genovese’s plans. “We can’t do anything for approximately the next two weeks because TPUSA is shut down,” Genovese said. Nonetheless, in the longer term, TPUSA appears poised to recover and continue its mission. During a TPUSA livestream constituting her first remarks after her husband’s death, Kirk’s widow Erika said, “the movement my husband built will not die. It will become stronger. Bolder. Louder and greater than ever.”

Although Genovese had expressed interest in launching a chapter and taken necessary steps to initiate that process well before Kirk was killed,

the assassination catalyzed interest in developing TPUSA branches around the country. According to Andrew Kolvet, the executive producer of the Charlie Kirk Show, in an interview with Fox News, TPUSA received over 37,000 inquiries last weekend from people interested in taking steps to start their own chapters.

Kirk’s killing warranted a statement Wednesday evening from President Doug Hicks ’90. “I have already heard from concerned students, faculty, and staff about how troubled they are by an act of violence on a campus that silenced a political voice. We must remain committed, to the greatest extent possible, to open and diverse expression,” Hicks wrote in an email to the Davidson campus community.

In a later statement to The Davidsonian explaining why he sent that email, Hicks added “A shooting on a college campus of someone ex-

pressing their political views is heinous and reprehensible. It contradicts and is a threat to the freedom of expression that we have and seek to strengthen at Davidson.”

Davidson administrators withheld from endorsing or condemning TPUSA but reiterated their commitment to free expression. “We don’t comment on specific student organizations but Davidson College is founded on open, free and diverse expression,” Hicks told The Davidsonian. “Mutual respect is essential to living out those ideals and fostering a community where we learn from each other. We welcome new viewpoints on campus.”

Unlike the College’s partisan organizations (College Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians) which are overseen by the Center for Political Engagement and receive funding from through Student Activities Office, a TPUSA chapter would not rely

on College funds.

This places it in a more similar situation to other campus groups like Young Americans for Freedom, another conservative organization that generally finances its events with funds from their national affiliates.

“I’m generally skeptical of large outside organizations funding new groups on campus,” Davidson College Libertarians President Gabriel Russ-Nachamie ’27 said.

Student reactions to TPUSA’s imminent arrival to campus have been mixed.

“I think [TPUSA] is great and I’m all for it,” Alexa Cohen ’27, the president of the Davidson Republicans, said. “The more conservative organizations we can have on campus, the better.”

“Davidson has very few conservative or right-leaning students and by now adding a third or fourth right-leaning or center-right group on

campus, you’re just further splitting up the members. We already have established clubs here on campus that have been here for decades and have contributed to the human capital on campus,” Russ-Nachamie said.

“TPUSA coming is going to split up conservative students into tinier and tinier groups when we have these established clubs already on campus that welcome everyone to contribute to right-leaning ideas.”

The Davidsonian also reached out to other students and groups that hesitated to go on the record expressing qualms with the organization’s arrival, fearing backlash after Kirk’s death. Spurred by rhetoric after Kirk’s assassination, US Attorney General Pam Bondi indicated Tuesday on The Katie Miller Show that she would “absolutely target [and] go after” anyone “targeting anyone with hate speech.”

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Perspectives Community Beyond Academics

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DAVID ANDERSON MONTES LARA ’28 (HE/HIM)

o you know your hall’s housekeeper name? Have you ever said thanks or asked how their day is going?

During your time at Davidson, there are going to be dozens of people you pass by nearly every day whose names you’ll never know.

They swipe our cards at Commons, clean our dorms, set up our classrooms, repair technology that breaks, and keep the campus alive.

And yet, while we spend countless hours learning the names of professors, classmates, and administrators, many of us never bother to learn about the people who support our lifestyle and education.

I didn’t think much about this myself until last year. On Richardson’s first floor I always saw the same lady cleaning everyday. At first, it was the quick nod, a smile, and a small thank you, the kind of thing you do when you don’t want to stop and actually talk. But after a while I introduced myself. Her name was Marisel. Slowly we started talking about our

families, how our week was going, random little stuff, up to the point she would know about all the tiny aspects of my life. By the end of the year she wasn’t just “the housekeeper,” she was my friend.

The thing is that once you learn someone’s name you can’t treat them as invisible. Because once you learn their name, you see them differently, not just as someone “working at Davidson,” but as someone who is part of the community. Staff truthfully know what’s happening on campus, be it Battle of the Bands, Frolics or finals. They have a sense of what students are feeling at any point of the year, so why do we not treat them that way?

We celebrate professors for research, alumni for jobs, but rarely do we ever recognize the staff who make our daily lives possible.

Why should they count less in the Davidson “community” than the rest of us? Their contributions are the quiet foundation that allows everything else, classes, events, and our traditions to exist in the first place Davidson prides itself on being a close, tight knit community. We hear this word “community” in admissions tours, in speeches, and

in infographics sent out, ut “community” becomes an empty promise if it only applies to people who take classes or teach them. A community that forgets its staff is a community built on exclusion.

So why don’t we learn their names? Honestly because we don’t have to. You can get through all four years here and never bother. When something is easy to ignore, most people do.

Saying thank you is good, but gratitude should be more than that. Gratitude is a practice. It’s stopping for a short conversation, remembering something someone told you, and asking again later. It’s saying: you’re not just filling a role, you’re a person.

And it doesn’t take long. A “how’s your day?” or a small question is maybe ten seconds. But that tiny moment means something.

If that can help close the gap between students and staff, then why wouldn’t we?

People will say, “there are just too many staff members to talk to all of them.” But that’s just not true. The beauty of Davidson is in its size.

You’ll see the same people, again and again, every week of the year. You might not learn someone’s name today or tomorrow, but you

have four years here to understand a piece of who they are. The only reason most of us don’t is because we’ve decided that it’s not important enough.

And when you look back, you’re not gonna remember the exact grade you got on some random econ midterm. You’ll remember faces, the people who made this place feel like home.

When I leave Davidson, Marisel’s friendship will be one of the things I carry with me most.

We’re all going to leave with a degree - that’s a given - but why not also leave with more relationships and a fuller understanding of community, one that goes beyond just peers and professors to include everyone who makes this place what it is.

David Anderson Montes Lara is a Philosophy, Politics and Economics Major from Conover, NC. He can be reached for comment at anmonteslara@davidson.edu

Davidson Democrats, Libertarians, and Republicans: We Stand Against Political Violence GABRIEL RUSS-NACHAMIE ’27 (HE/HIM)

ALEXA COHEN ’27 (SHE/HER) JULIA FITZGERALD ’26 (SHE/HER) JULIA SIQUEIRA ’26 (SHE/HER)

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s the presidents of Davidson College’s Democratic, Libertarian and Republican Clubs, we denounce in the strongest possible terms political violence in light of the murder of conservative commentator and activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Kirk’s murder is one among many recent politically inspired violent attacks in the United States that cross partisan lines.

Over the years, the United States has seen an uptick in political violence. In 2017, Republican members of Congress were shot at during a congressional baseball game practice, which injured House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

In 2022, Paul Pelosi, the husband of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, was attacked. Last year, we saw multiple assassination attempts on President Trump. Over the summer, we saw a horrific attack on Minnesota Democratic lawmakers. These are just a

few examples of horrific political violence that have recently occurred in our country.

Our clubs may disagree on many policy questions and often on first principles. However, we are firmly united in our belief in a free marketplace of ideas, where individuals, especially students on college campuses, should be able to speak their minds without fear of violence or intimidation. We applaud President Hicks’s recent message to the college community in support of Davidson’s Commitment to Freedom of Expression, and we commit to upholding those principles as student leaders. We must remember that speech is not violence; violence is violence. We also reject, in the strongest possible terms, any statements by students or members of our clubs that minimize or mock any act of political violence, including the murder of Mr. Kirk. Above all, we urge our peers to not condone violence in any form. We should never excuse or celebrate violence, and we should honor the dignity of every human being, regardless of political affiliation.

In recent days, many commentators have

Crime Log Time Reported

Description/Location

No new crimes listed on the College Crime Log. Enjoy last week’s!

09/07/25, 17:35 hrs 09/06/25, 00:48 hrs

Traffic Offenses: Hit & Run - Fail to Stop at Scene of a Crash Knobloch, Further Investigation Alcohol Offenses: Possess Beer/Unfortified Wine Under 21 Belk, Inactive

09/02/25, 15:40 hrs

Larceny Offenses: Misdemeanor Larceny Chambers, Further Investigation

09/01/25, 19:20 hrs

Traffic Offenses: Expired Registration Plate; Expired Inspection Ridge Rd/HWY 115, Closed/Cleared Larceny Offenses: Misdemeanor Larceny Game Changers FH, Further Investigation

8/31/25, 19:00 hrs 8/31/25, 04:06 hrs

Alcohol Offenses: Consumer by Person Under 21 Chidsey, Inactive

asked how our political leaders can address the increasing political violence in our country. While our leaders must tone down their rhetoric and contribute to a healthier political climate, it’s also essential to remember that we can all take steps to contribute to a better political discourse. This can be as simple as talking to someone you disagree with politically.

Additionally, we must remember the important principle of tolerance. People will always have disagreements with our worldview or say things we disagree with, but it’s important to recognize their right to do so. In fact, we should always be open to the possibility that our political views are wrong and be willing to change them once we acquire new evidence or information.

To support our message and to promote a culture of free expression at Davidson, we pledge the following steps: first, we will continue to invite speakers from across the political spectrum and collaborate on event rules that prioritize safety and student engagement. Second, we will not engage in harmful rhetoric that results in a culture of violence becoming accept-

able. This will include new opportunities for our club members to come together to discuss issues in a respectful manner. Third, we will not abandon our commitments to free dialogue and open debate. Finally, we plan to work with the appropriate campus offices to review security practices at political and speaker events to ensure students feel safe coming out to share their voices.

As Davidson students, we must serve as an example that, despite intense political disagreements, we can coexist as peers and reject political violence and violent rhetoric.

We must not contribute to the toxic political culture that has led to recent acts of political violence. We encourage our peers to reflect on this unfortunate time in our nation’s history and to ask how they can contribute to a better political climate at Davidson, as well as in our country.

Sports

Thakkar looks to improve on slow start CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Running Back Mason Sheron ’26 and Head Coach Saj Thakkar lead the ’Cats onto the field (above). Thakkar fist bumps Quarterback Coulter Cleland ’26 (below). Photos by Tim Cowie.

ball. I think Week 1 was just a lot of guys playing college football for the first time. The speed of the game was fast. Guys were having issues with communicating efficiently, quickly getting the calls, and making the adjustments on the field as fast as they had to.”

Despite the recent loss to Tennessee Tech, Quarterback Coulter Cleland ’26 had arguably his best performance of the season, posting highs in passing yards (132) and passing touchdowns (2) on 12-of-26 attempts. Cleland was sacked twice and threw one interception, which was returned for a touchdown.

Thakkar raved about his quarterback’s flexibility and leadership.

“I’ve been really impressed with Coulter and how he’s handled, not only a coaching change, but a change in philosophy and having to learn a new system, which isn’t easy when you’ve done one thing for three years,” Thakkar said. “He’s a football guy, and he understands the game. He’s a great leader, great person, and everyone respects him.”

Running back Mari Adams ’26 rushed for 58 yards on 11 carries, highlighted by a 37-yard run on 3rd and 14 to set up the first of two Davidson touchdowns.

Returning from injury, Adams was eased into a lighter workload, but flashed the form that made him a First Team All-PFL selection in 2024, when he ran for 1,231 yards— the third most by a Wildcat since the College started recording individual stats in 1946.

Thakkar believes improvement will come in time for his young squad as

they grow through the season. “The next piece that we’re looking for is the fundamental football piece,” Thakkar said.

“Can we block better? Can we strain longer? Can we get off of blocks? Can we tackle? They’ve seen the speed at which we need to play and operate, and now we need to see those fundamentals that we work on every day.”

Playing the Hoyas (2-1, 0-1), the Phoenix (2-1, 0-0) and the Golden Eagles was part of Thakkar’s plan to bolster his team’s out-of-conference schedule in Year 1.

“We wanted to go out and play some really good teams,” Thakkar said. “We’ve got Georgetown—their staff’s been together for over 10 years—and Elon, playing in arguably the best FCS conference, in the CAA. Now we’re going to play Tennessee Tech who, by the end of the season, is probably going to be a top-10, maybe top-eight, team in the country. We want that challenge.”

Davidson takes on Division III opponent Greensboro College Sept.

20, its only contest with a non-Division I team in 2025.

“We told our staff when we got here that we were not going to take the approach of playing multiple teams that were sub-FCS in our non-conference,” Thakkar said.

The Wildcat’s game vs. the Pride (1-1, 0-0) takes them into a bye week. Davidson kicks off their conference slate with a road test at Stetson University on Oct. 4 before returning home to take on the University of St. Thomas on Oct. 11.

Saturday’s game doubles as an opportunity for Thakkar’s first win as

5

a Wildcat and a showcase before a large crowd at the annual Red and Black Tailgate, Davidson’s homecoming-style event for alumni, families, and fans. “We have that environment. That’s what college football is all about.”

Athletic Director Chris Clunie announced nine months ago that Thakkar would be Davidson’s next head coach. In his announcement, Clunie cited Thakkar’s understanding of the “high academic and athletic balance” required of Davidson athletes.

“There’s a strong commitment here to the student-athlete experience.

Not only are our guys Division I players, but a lot of people are very involved, whether that’s in clubs, organizations, or fraternities. They do a little bit of everything on campus,” Thakkar said.

The 33-year-old replaced Scott Abell, who had been head coach since 2018 before Rice University hired him last November. Abell is one of six 2024 FCS head coaches to make 2025 FBS head coaching debuts, part of a growing trend of coaches and players moving up the college athletic ladder when given the opportunity.

Thakkar said he is committed to Davidson. “I’ve never really been someone to chase jobs.”

“The best advice I ever got was do as good of a job [as possible] where you’re at, and maybe that’s the last job you’ll ever have, or maybe the next job will find you. People get other opportunities, that’s part of the game. But, I’m here, right? I’ve got a family here; our roots are put down here. We plan on being here for the long haul.”

Davidson Men’s Club Soccer takes down UNC-Chapel Hill, looks to keep rolling HARRY SMITH ’29 (HE/HIM)

D

avidson men’s club soccer defeated the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) 2-1 in a Sept. 6 game that was called early due to inclement weather. The victory spoke to the strength of an oft overlooked team: Davidson, a team with only one postseason appearance, beat the Tar Heels, a team with a National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) national championship and two regional championships to their name.

The ‘Cats fell behind early and went into halftime down 1-0, but scored two goals early in the second half. The first goal, right after halftime, came from Gabriel Onoratini ’29. Minutes later, Azim Mithaiwala ’29 scored a second goal, putting the Wildcats up.

The team is led by co-captains Zack Davis ‘26, Eli Naughton ‘26, and Dominick Schraeder ‘26. Major influences from underclassmen, including Onoratini and Mithaiwala, have contributed to the team’s success so far.

“I think what’s been really evident this semester is the wide variety of talent we have. We have a large group of new first-years and

returning sophomores/juniors who continually show up for practices and games,” Naughton said, “Zack, Dom, and I all met through club soccer our freshman year, and it’s great to see how seriously the underclassmen are taking it, especially within these first few weeks.”

Davis said the difference in program management further dignifies the team’s performance.

“One factor that creates the culture we have is the fact that we are completely student-run,” Davis said.

“Most of the other teams we play against have coaches, while we just have student captains.”

In recent years, UNC has succeeded at the club level, ranked as the best team on the east coast last spring—including two second team All-American defenders.

Beating a strong program such as UNC makes the win even sweeter for the ‘Cats. With roughly 10 times the male population of Davidson, their player pool is much bigger.

Davis said the community is one factor behind the team’s success.

“Our team is very tight-knit, especially for how big of a community we have,” Davis said.

“We have completely open practices to whoever wants to come. We have two practices a week that are open to anyone, and then we choose

a roster based on availability for each individual game.”

Club soccer balances the casual fun of pickup soccer with the competitiveness of regional competitions. It also nourishes a large community on campus, with over 200 people on the email list and around 100 regular attendees to practice.

The team has been gradually improving the quality of its game, and last year the team qualified for the regional tournament for the first time in the program’s history.

“Last year was the first time we qualified for the regional tournament, and that has been a huge motivator for us this year,” Naughton said.“We lost to UNC and other much larger schools last year, and having that experience to develop as a team was great. Being able to discuss that experience with the firstyears and hold ourselves to a higher standard than what Dom, Zack, and I have previously experienced with this organization has been incredibly impactful.”

Davis and Naughton agreed that fan support was key to their victory.

“What has been different, and what we saw at the UNC game especially, was other students who came out to support our games,” Naughton said.

“The support gave us a huge advantage [...] we are excited about

Men’s club soccer captain Dominick Shraeder ’26 celebrates with Fin Spitaleri ’28. Photo by Clyde Dwyer ’25.

having that atmosphere more this year,” Davis said.

What can we expect from the men’s club team for the rest of this season? Schraeder believes that the team has what it takes to make it back into the postseason if they can stay disciplined.

“We are going to take things one game at a time,” Schraeder said.

“We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. We have a lot of talent, but that can only take us so far.”

“I’m very optimistic about this year. We have already proven that we can hang and beat powerhouses

like UNC. If we keep playing how we did against Chapel Hill, we will go far.” Schraeder said.

Returning from a 2-1 victory against Elon University on Sept.

14, the Wildcats travel south to UNC-Charlotte the weekend of the 20th and follow it up with their next home game against Wake Forest on Sept. 21.

The captains encouraged fans and prospective players to visit the club’s instagram account, @davidsonmensclubsoccer for information on games and practices.

Arts & Entertainment

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Professors tackle materiality, modernity and more in “Explorations” exhibit WYATT GESSNER ’28 (HE/HIM)

L

A sculpture by Luis Sahagún (above). Tyler Starr discusses the exhibit (below). Photos by Ada Long ’29.

Fall Arts Festival unites artists, community HANNAH OLIVERA ’29 (SHE/HER)

M

ain Street filled with gorgeous sights and sounds last weekend, featuring everything from pottery made in Asheville to an Elton John cover band from New Jersey.

The smell of funnel cake, the chatter of artists exchanging inspiration, the movement of onlookers ready to shop; the energy in the air was palpable.

Every fall, the town of Davidson hosts the Downtown Davidson Fall Arts Festival, with over fifty local artists and live music. The festival brings together the town for the spirit of fall.

Vendors set their tables up and down Main St. ready to share their best works with festivalgoers. Not only were there the classic momand-pop shops, but there was unique art everywhere.

Among the views were emotive abstracts by Megan Amber, an artist from Asheville, NC. Drawing from her education in the Pacific Northwest, Amber said she is inspired by “ natural and organic patterns.”

uis Sahagún thinks art needs to evolve. His colleagues agree.

Pieces by four Davidson College studio art professors including Sahagún displayed in the Van Every|Smith Galleries’ “Explorations” exhibit this month aims to do just that.

Their selections question the historic conventions of art, offer an exciting glimpse at the future, and showcase each professor’s distinctive style.

Portraits by Sahagún, a visiting assistant professor of sculpture and drawing, subvert ideas about the figures traditionally featured in art by depicting his family members in noble garb.

“Traditionally, artists in history were making work for kings and queens, people in power,” Sahagún said. “I want to celebrate my family in positions of power and authority.”

Sahagún also explores identity through the materials he uses. He almost exclusively utilizes building materials like Gorilla Glue, caulk and fiberglass insulation that harken back to his days as a builder. “What if we saw construction workers or working class folk [...] as artists too?” Sahagún said.

The result is mesmerizing pieces that demand introspection, questioning the limited scope of traditional paintings both in method and subject without losing focus of Sahagún and his family.

Associate Professor of Art Katie St. Clair offers her own dissection of material use. Across six years and three bodies of work, her work examines the environmental impact and potential of art.

Although this was her first art event, she was excited for the exposure and to share her work with adoring passersby. Her favorite part, Amber said, is finding inspiration in other artists.

“Everywhere they all go, we have our ups and downs, so it’s nice to have camaraderie,” Amber said.

There were more booths to explore along the side of Summit Coffee.

Kathy Murray, another artist at the festival for the first time, had vibrant custom prints placed along her table.

Murray is from Cornelius and she taught at the Kane Center for a handful of years. Dwelling on natural wonders, Murray focuses on her motif of color and emotion. “I don’t paint exactly what I see,” Murray said. “I want it to be how I feel.”

A few feet away and up a set of stairs is a hidden gem of Globe Studio. The walls were adorned with creative art of various mediums.

The owner of the studio, Peggy McBride, originally studied to be a journalist, but fell in love with the creation process.

She loves the atmosphere of the fair and watching young people experi-

St. Clair’s pieces draw inspiration from a variety of sources, including mushrooms drying on magazines, abalone shells from a remote archipelago in British Columbia and even scrap materials from her studio.

“I had made these experimental paintings on burlap, where I was using the refuse from my studio floor,” St. Clair said. “They didn’t work out, let’s just say, five years before, so I threw them into the corner of my studio and I didn’t think about them much.”

A papermaking workshop she took at Davidson revitalized the idea. Using plastic collected from the shore and paper pulp as a binder, she created three works exploring the rocky Irish coastline. The pulp and its ability to dissolve in water was particularly potent for capturing the ever-eroding cliffs.

“There’s a very temporal quality to this work that’s all about a permeable surface, both the waste and the beauty of the riches of the natural environment, sandwiched into one and having a conversation,” St. Clair said.

Across the room, Associate Professor of Art Tyler Starr reconsiders the role of public buildings on national thinking. A large print depicts federal buildings across the country at the heart of President Trump’s executive order “Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture,” which calls for said buildings to prioritize neoclassical architecture over modernist styles.

It has become contentious in DC art circles, with some calling it a return to the public’s preferred style and others accusing it of stoking fascist ideologies. Starr’s goal is to spark conversation, not controversy.

“The way I present the work, hope-

encing art that they would not normally see. “It gives a great opportunity for young, budding artists,” McBride said. The only downside, McBride said, is that she wished it lasted longer.

As the sun set, festivalgoers grabbed funnel cakes and sat on the town green to watch Greggie and the Jets, an Elton John tribute band. Greggie transformed into Elton when he sat down at the piano, playing the keys masterfully. With his fellow musicians, his Jets, he hyped the crowd with a single simple chord: the opening riff from the 1973 classic “Bennie and the Jets.”

Big B, the drummer of Greggie and the Jets, said events like this promote the band and the love of music as well as prolong the impact of Reginald Dwight (Elton’s birthname that did not quite fit the Vegas atmosphere). Their passion radiated as fans of all ages stood up to dance and sing. “People together,” Big B says. “That’s the big power of music. It’s unanimous.”

The crowd was glued to Greggie from the moment he stepped onstage. The applause from die-hard Elton John fans, the excitement from the younger generation, and the curiosity of newcomers was just as loud as Greggie’s piano.

“We work with the community, because we know that we want to

fully it’s more of an engagement with providing information and then perhaps a mutual question with the audience, and then providing the raw information,” Starr said.

Starr’s commitment to neutrality is evident in his craft. The print poses itself as much more of a question than a statement, its looming presence across the wall demanding it be addressed but not offering answers.

In the next room, behind a heavy curtain, lies the work of Joelle Dietrick, Associate Professor of Art and Film, Media and Digital Studies.

The inside of the blacked-out room feels something like a trip through space. “Chasing the Sun (UTC)” (2025) is a digital installation featuring 24 columns for each of the time zones. Within each column is remnants of an extinct plant and a sustainable home designed by a woman.

The spacy feeling, aided by sound machines and dim lighting, was first envisioned by Dietrick’s then-five year old daughter Sophia. “[Sophia] said, ‘if I could chase the sun, would I never have to sleep?” Dietrick said.

In collaboration with Charles Nichols, professor of music at Virginia Tech, she created the exhibit that is also being shown at the European Cultural Center in Venice, Italy.

“It’s a bizarre little piece,” Dietrick said. “I like sitting with it, so I hope other people do as well.”

The artists will be hosting a coffee and conversation on Sept. 23 from 11:05a.m. to 12.05p.m. The works will be on display until Oct. 1 before space is made for the next exhibit.

An art vendor shows off their work Photo by Yang Hu ‘28.

foster future generations of people who are going to like this music,” Greggie said.

The Downtown Davidson Town Arts Fall Festival lured in bystanders solely through the curiosity behind creativity. The local artists, the traveling wonders, and the music adored by fans were all showcased downtown.

Artists of all kinds came together to share their passion. “[The festival] encourages people to explore this music that they might not have

otherwise,” Greggie said. “It makes people get pulled into something they may not have been aware of.”

More events will be coming to the Town of Davidson soon. The Ramble On Music Festival will take place Sept. 10 from noon until 10:00p.m. at 405 S. Main St. On Sept. 27 the town’s “Concerts on the Green” series will feature the Davidson College Symphony Orchestra on the lawn outside of the library at 119 S. Main St.

Living Davidson ACROSS 1. Totally seems logical 7. Jan. 15 for M.L.K. Jr. 11. Continental toppers 14. Where Cats go to study Roman History 15. Lasting marks 17. Verb one might do to a pigskin 18. Daughter Gilmore 19. “I’ll be ___ you go!” (two words) 22. Doctor specializing in beats 25. Soak up 26. Where Cats gather with their comrades 29. Pig apartment complexes 30. Garfield and Heathcliff might communicate in these 31. Where Cats learn about right and left ventricles 35. Pro-birth control org.

36. Dressed like a judge 37. Where Cats play shirts and skins (and drums) 40. Mercator projection, famously 43. To a Nightingale or On A Grecian Urn 44. Breastplate of Athena and Zeus 45. A dog’s accessory 46. ___ Hu, Passover Seder song 48. Dingy and gross 49. Where Cats get funds to study Mozart 54. What a nun has done 55. Manifest Destiny’s direction 56. How a villain does things DOWN 1. Almost a B 2. Little darling 3. VHS tapes’ next of kin 4. To be, in Madrid or Mexico City 5. Add this prefix to “corn” for magic

6. “This Is Your Brain On Drugs,” e.g.

7. German autos 8. Buenos ___ 9. Hometown of T.I. 10. Fashionable inits.

12. Free from bondage 13. B. Gates’ creation 15. Not-to-be-taken-lightly tone indicator 16. Dove’s baby talk 19. Bon ___ 20. With, in Paris 21. Cleaning cloth 22. French fashion-house 23. What one does in club crew 24. Dashes half the width of ems 26. Inscribed stone pillar 27. “Burnt” paint color 28. Not a want, but a ___ 29. 2025 Bieber album 31. Placed, like an egg 32. French department 33. Japanese DJ Steve ___ 34. Fifth class of British honors, following GBEs, KBEs, CBEs, and OBEs 35. President Dinh Diem of Vietnam 38. Actor Wilson from “The Office” 39. French cap 40. How the rain in Spain falls on the plain 41. Objective 42. Toilet paper thickness 45. Mix of peanuts, M&Ms, and raisins 46. What one does to ChatGPT 47. Keto, e.g.

48. Avenger of the Hebrew Bible 49. Columbo’s “just one more thing” over text 50. Abu Dhabi’s country 51. Elle, sie, ella, in English

At the End of Campus

7

Crossword by Katie Davis ’29

Sincerely Tea House comes to Davidson

I Luis Sahagún’s “Maria Bonita, Maria del Alma.” Photo by Ada Long ’29.

Q&A with Jacob Kim ’26

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ANNA MORROW ’28 (SHE/HER)

acob Kim’26 is rising to stardom after he started posting daily mixes on TikTok in late May. With over 100,000 followers, Kim may well be a future celebrity in our midst. This interview was edited for length and clarity.

The Davidsonian: How did you get into DJing?

Kim: I have a background in production. I’ve been doing that for about six or seven years. I started as a high school freshman, just on and off. And then, I got really into [music production] later in high school, and at Davidson, I got even more involved as a music major.

My brother is also really big into music. He was like, ‘you need to get into DJing.’ I would always send him beats and production stuff.

Sophomore year here, I bought, like, a small little board. It was like 100 bucks, and I never touched it, it was just collecting dust.

This summer, I made an effort to make a mix and post it every day.

One of the biggest things was just people are probably gonna think I’m goofy. Posting all these videos,

right? But, who cares about them?

I just started posting and then it was my fourth video that actually kind of blew up out of nowhere on TikTok. And I was like, what the heck? I guess I’m in too deep, right?

I guess I gotta keep going. So from then on out I’ve been posting a video every single day. And by the time I’m sure this article comes out, I’ll still be working on it as well.

But, music is my passion and it’s like what I really want to do in life.

I just see this as another outlet for me to interact with music, which I really, really love.

The Davidsonian: Do you think your future in music looks more like DJing on a professional level or producing music?

Kim: I would like to see both.

My end goal is to win a Grammy one day. And that’s always been my goal. That’s my biggest goal.

Whether that’s through DJing, producing, or maybe as an artist, that’s where I see myself. It would be a dream job to be a professional DJ or a professional producer.

I think my personality is more suited for the producer role than the DJ role of just being in the background

Seating area at Sincerely Tea House on Main St. Photo by Halle Carns ’28.

and not always like, you know, the main artist because I think that’s a little too much for me.

The Davidsonian: Did you start playing any instruments when you were younger?

Kim: I’m classically trained in piano. I’ve been playing since I was about 8. I think just kind of on and off lessons started with classical piano and I kind of hated it at first. I really hated it. My parents kind of forced me. But then later down the line I started discovering composers and pieces that were really cool.

I really like Chopin. So I would play some of that in high school.

And then that’s what led me to the production route. I play a lot of jazz piano now. I hardly touch on classical. But I can definitely still play. I play piano for Fool’s Errand, a campus band here.

The Davidsonian: Does piano feature in any of your DJ sets?

Kim: The number one thing is how do you differentiate yourself on social media? It’s so oversaturated.

So sometimes I’m like, you know, while there’s, like, other people who are making just as good mixes as me, like, they might not be able to produce like me. So sometimes I try to make my own instrumental tracks and then put them over an acapella

or something.

The Davidsonian: How do you think Davidson has given you the opportunity to explore these passions?

Kim: I was first a digital screen media studies major, and I think the versatility of that major kind of let me be able to choose music as my second major. And as a music major, you’re given $2,000 every year for special projects, which is pretty crazy. So that is definitely a monetary benefit that’s supported me. I’m involved in a lot of music clubs. I’m involved pretty heavily with WALT, and then, like, playing in a band also lets me express myself musically.

And I think there’s a pretty strong DJ culture around here. Davidson has definitely been monumental in my music, discovering more passions for music.

The Davidsonian: Do you have any events coming up?

Kim: My brother lives in New York, so he was able to make some connections there. So he was like ‘we can look into these places.’ And so I’m going to play three shows this weekend in New York. I’m really excited because this is the first time I’ll do something this big.

Find Jacob’s DJ’ing on TikTok: @kimmothyjones.

HALLE CARNS ’28 (SHE/HER)

recently visited Sincerely Tea House, the newest spot on Main St. For a seemingly ominous door coming off the sidewalk, the atmosphere was nothing short of cozy. This family-owned shop opened as a space for the Davidson community to escape and relax from the outside world.

Damien, one of the main employees, showed me several types of tea based on my description of my palette and explained the tastes of each. I ordered the Rubian Pearl tea, a sweet green tea containing lychee, and also sampled the Dark Truffle tea, which is a chocolate black tea that I paired with honey.

Both of them were phenomenal and carefully brewed (and I appreciated the 20% student discount as well).

John, one of the owners I met, plays live music there on certain nights as well. He explained to me that the teas on their menu are designed based on personal experiences and creative ideas, not just regurgitating standard flavors. John and his family started the shop in Davidson because they saw the need for specialized tea that did not exist nearby or in Charlotte. After being unable to find what they were looking for when they moved to the area recently, they said, “What if we just did it ourselves?”

The Sincerely Tea House also offers flights for four people, an hour-long experience by Damien in which the tea is brewed at a special table just for the guests. He then brews several samplers, catering based on flavor preferences, and thoroughly explains the histories and profiles of each tea.

This new gem felt like a warm escape from stress, academics, and business of life. I certainly recommend this place to anyone looking for high-quality tea, a personalized and welcoming experience, and a calming place to hang out with friends.

The

Yowl

Irreverent student journalism since 2004. Castigat Ridendo Mores.

inside

yowl.com/NutsNBerries

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Institute of Public Good (formally Institute of Public Evil) claims it is not building a campus-sized glass dome Page: Legion of Doom

Student presents shocking research at symposium

SGA president to secede from the College

Phi Delt throws Barbenheimer party

Wifi speeds tank, Data Cats bitcoin mining operation exposed

Page: Biological warfare summer research

Page: Pass fail

Page: C4 boil

Page: Lux Coin

Gnomes accused of attacking QDoba regular, says “He was trying to eat us!”

doba is a staple of any Davidson diet, and while the typical customers are students many frequent eaters may have noticed short men with beards and pointy hats running around behind the counter. These are of course the QDoba gnomes, and they’ve been a vital part of Davidson’s history for as long as we can remember.

“Yeah, like I’ve totally seen them. I thought they were rats or something, but apparently they’re like just little dudes,” said one senior.

“Oh the QDoba gnomes? Yeah yeah I’ve seen them around, they’ve definitely been here at least as long as I have which is kind of crazy to think. I just don’t know what life would be like here without them,” said another.

The QDoba gnomes first came to Davidson some time between 2006 and 2010, and were seemingly drawn to the smell of sweaty basketball players. The earliest documentation of the gnomes on campus comes from Vail Commons, where workers discovered several small bearded creatures hiding in the place all of our dirty dishes go on the conveyor belt. The staff thought the plates were being cleaned, but of course that was a result of the gnomes licking every plate. Classic gnomes!

After that, the rest is history. The gnomes fully integrated themselves into the Davidson culture, and while we may not always see them, every student knows that they’re there. If you’ve ever wondered who grades your tests and quizzes, it’s the gnomes. Who turns on the lights when you walk into your

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Stoicism Issue

September 17, 2025

dorm hallway at night? The gnomes! When the wifi is down, the gnomes fix it. When the shower is too hot, the gnomes cool the water down. We couldn’t live without them.

But following the recent increase in freshmen using bathrooms that aren’t their own, the gnomes have overextended themselves and seem to have lost some of their culinary passion. Unrest has been brewing among the gnomes for some time, culminating last week in what is the first on record “gnome-attack” against a student ordering QDoba.

Bill Harris “Big Bill Clooney” Belk, the great great great grandnephew twice removed of the iconic W. H. Belk returned to his dorm on August 31st covered in scratches and bites. As anyone in a relationship knows this is typically what people come home looking like, but something was amiss– “Big Bill” has unfortunately been tragically incapable of talking to women for nearly his entire life, and his friends knew that something was afoot.

Bill’s roommate thankfully brought him to us first so we could get to the bottom of whatever had happened, and after our interview kindly rushed him to the hospital.

“I— Ow, sorry. I opened my box expecting a quesadilla and— ow— I was like taking a bite of the thing, and it was all fluffy and stuff. So I was like ‘that’s weird,’ but it’s QDoba so I trust it to be good. But then I looked down and realized I was holding this little man baby thing, and he just started going at me! It was brutal man, those things are like racoons or

something” Now dear readers, the case may seem to be open and shut.

Of course, Bill shouldn’t have attempted to eat the gnome, but he wasn’t expecting one of the lovable QDoba gnomes to be in his quesadilla! Thankfully, the gnome himself was still at the QDoba by the time our Yowl reporters reached the scene of the crime.

However, our interview with the gnome seems to incriminate him more than it helps his case.

“I didn’t do anything! I swear it! I have no idea what that man is talking about! He jumped over the counter himself in a vile attempt to consume me and my brethren— he just kept yelling “Here pointy! Come into your little cave!” and grabbing at us! We were so frightened. I was only acting in self-defense!”

Uh huh, sure Mr. Gnome. Fortunately, the gnome has now been detained, and Bill is getting the best medical treatment the school has to offer.

I guess the moral of the story is that despite what gnomes can offer us, like the cat biting the hand that feeds it, they might randomly decide to attack us for no reason one day. Maybe next time they won’t put hair in my quesadilla, or maybe they will. But these recent actions do raise an important question: Are we safe with these gnomes living among us? Only time will tell…

Davis Caf-NEIGH: Davis Cafe begins using horse meat amidst budget cuts

new semester is upon us, and everyone is galloping to Davis Cafe to get a nibble of the new menu. Superfood slaw, Halal meatballs, rustic pies–hallmarks of fine (college) dining. Take a gander at the online menu and you’ll find an array of appealing images to compliment the newfangled descriptions.

But one has to wonder, “Is this too good to be true? How is this sustainable? We’ve never seen this quality from Davis Cafe before…” All valid concerns. Even with a lower budget, the student body can enjoy reasonably priced meals.

Like you, I was curious; I started to piece together the information. New photos, new names, new items–a classic manipulative maneuver. Now here come the accusations of a conspiracy, but there is honest-to-goodness proof.

We created a Yowl task force of sorts, gathering Comp Sci majors to enhance images, Bio majors to run DNA sequencing, Poli Sci majors to figure out the implications of how this would affect Davis Cafe’s legacy. First: the images. Most taken on a wood cutting board, it was seen

that the wood grain revealed some interesting synchronicities. Odd in itself, but with the rest of the evidence? Damning. The DNA signatures (thankfully not human) were not typical of beef or pork; rather, they were consistent with the Equus caballus – aka the domesticated horse.

“I ate the meatballs last night,” confessed a member of the Equestrian Club, through tears.

After a few words of comfort, they continued: “I hadn’t seen Big [an older Thoroughbred] in the stables lately.” Wracked by realization, they asked to terminate the interview.

With additional detective work that, and I quote, was “coordinated in accordance with ethical guidelines” we have unwrapped the secret-burger that is the mystery meat. However, this may go deeper than we had first thought. Is the growth of the Equestrian Club a front? A way to source locally? You have the assurance of the Yowl team that these threads will continue to be investigated.

If you have any leads, do not hesitate to contact our task force at horsingaround@davidson.

Crime Log: September 12, 3:34 PM - Belk Hall - Attempted breaking & entering September 12, 5:56 PM - Vail Commons - Grand larceny (two bananas) September 13, 10:38 AM - Chambers Building - [redacted by Davidsonian editor] in unisex bathrooms September 13, 11:12 PM - Area F - Wizard spotting September 14, 11:04 AM - E. Craig Wall Jr. Academic Center - human flesh confiscated with intent to humonculize September 14, 1:29 PM - E. Craig Wall Jr. Academic Center - Illegal humonculus testing September 14, 1:32 PM - E. Craig Wall Jr. Academic Center - Grand theft humonculous theft September 14, 2:24 PM - Chambers Building - [redacted by Davidsonian editor] with cadaver in bone lab September 14, 2:41 PM - Baker-Watt Science Complex - honor code violation. Failure to commit unethical behavior on behalf of a teacher September 14, 3:03 PM - Chambers Building - [redacted by Davidsonian editor] on the historical society charter September 14, 3:18 PM - E. Craig Wall Jr. Academic Center - refusal to walk on new brick path September 16, 9:17 PM - Chidsey Dormitory - biohazard first north September 17, 10:54 AM - Vail Commons Men’s Bathroom - BOMB dropped September 17, 12:21 PM - Union Davidsonian Office- yowl editor arrested due to ambiguous reporting on the state of the Commons bathroom

The

Yowl

WRITORS Lonely Editor personality hire Non-malevolent prankster

Incident of The Week College senior aghast that After Midnight now starts at 11pm.

Shakes first in hysteria and shouts we should call it Nearly Midnight.

Ground Hog Jesus?:

L

il Freak risen again to save our souls. Will he save the Premeds? This Yowl Writer thinks no.

Read more on Page 7 million

Quote of the Week

Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement Coach of certain sports team to girl in wheel- to The Davidsonian. chair: “We’re gonna get you up out of that Hence, nothing in it chair!” should be taken as truth.