Associate professor of biology Mark Barsoum’s Human Physiology class looks different this year. After years of mounting concerns that students in the upper-level biology class were offloading the homework-heavy course’s assignments to AI, Barsoum drastically changed his approach to the class this fall.
In the past, Barsoum placed a heavy emphasis on homework assignments and avoided giving tests. This year, the 38-student class dominated by seniors on the pre-med track is built around in-class problem sets and, for the first time, 25-minute oral exams.
Barsoum is one of many professors at Davidson who shifted to in-class assessments in recent years amid widespread concerns about cheating and AI use.
For the first time in his 43 years at Davidson, Richardson Professor of Political Science Brian J. Shaw is assigning in-class essays in his classes. He referred to last year, when he caught several students using AI, as a “wakeup call.”
“Last year, I had more encounters with plagiarism, all in the form of AI, than I had [...] for the previous two decades,” Shaw said.
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AMBER SIMNANI ’29 (SHE/HER)
Davidson has still not announced when the new Chick-fil-a inside PCC House 13 will open. The Student Government Association’s initial announcement of the new dining option projected it would open this fall. That’s not looking like the case. According to Director of Auxiliary Services Richard Terry and Director of Dining Services Pinky Varghese, unexpected construction and permitting delays have posed significant challenges.
International students balance work-hour limits
cludes rules about what kind of job they can have on how many hours they can work.
Amid increased scrutiny towards international students from the Trump Administration, international students are paying strict attention to their visa requirements. This includes, among several regulations, weekly work-hour limits for students with on-campus jobs.
International students must be approved for an F1-visa in order to attend school in the U.S. Then, once they are in school, there are several federal regulations they must follow in order to retain their visas. This in-
The employment guidelines for F1-visas dictate that international students can only work for their university. The same guidelines prohibit them from exceeding 20 hours of paid work each week. While the Davidson student handbook limits every student employee to 20 hours per week, the consequences of going over are much more severe for international students: the termination of their visas.
Hideki Harada ’26 is a political
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Student organizations grapple with budget cuts
HALLE CARNS ’28 (SHE/HER)
AIDAN MARKS ’27 (HE/HIM)
Student organizations were allocated over $256,000 less for fiscal year 2025 (FY2025) compared to fiscal year 2024 (FY2024), according to documents obtained by The Davidsonian The cuts, which were recommended by the Activities Tax Council (ATC) and approved by the Student Government Association (SGA),
amount to an 18.75% reduction across the board.
The SGA funded 85 student-run organizations for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Of those, 27 groups saw funding decrease by over 20% and 30 groups saw funding decrease by between 0 and 20%. The budgets of 13 student organizations were cut by $4,000 or more; 22 were cut by under $100.
ATC Chair Alex Chudzik ’26 said the cuts were made to stabilize the budget after years of over-allocations and to ensure alignment with
Obtaining the proper certifications for Chick-fil-A has created delays.
“You have to get a TCO (temporary certificate of occupancy) and meet certain standards to make sure the gas doesn’t leak and the electrical [system] is safe, and that is yet to happen,” Terry said. Complications with the TCO create a bottleneck effect. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services inspects safety procedures, including access to restroom facilities, hand-wash stations and the safe handling of animal proteins. But the Department cannot inspect the Chick-fil-A until
the TCO is obtained.
Besides the permitting and safety checks, Chick-fil-A’s requirements for their franchise locations are also creating a hurtle.
“[Chick-fil-A has] specific requirements about what equipment we use. If we run into a problem with getting a particular piece of equipment, it isn’t as simple as saying, ‘Oh, well, we’ll just get a different one,’” Terry said.
“Lead times on getting some of the more technical cooking equipment have taken longer than we had
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organization’s goals, as was previously reported by The Davidsonian Now, student organizations leaders are grappling with how to proceed. Union Board was most affected. The organization’s $400,000 budget is 23.5% less than it was allocated in FY24—a $123,000 reduction.
Maureen Cavanaugh ’27, the CATS Excursion chair for Union Board, said the reduction limits their ability to host events.
“When our budget is restricted, it makes it harder to provide either the same quality or the same quantity of those experiences, because [we] have to choose at that point,” Cavanaugh said.
Despite requesting $63,500 less than last year, Union Board still re-
Programs adapt to new world of recruiting, NIL
Wherever students look to discuss the state of Davidson Athletics, be it residence hall lounges, tables at Vail Commons, or pages of The Davidsonian, conversations invariably turn to how to improve the team in its current form: Will a greater focus on endurance training or a new defensive strategy bring the Wildcats to glory?
In truth, much of a team’s fate is shaped before its players arrive on campus for summer workouts, navigate first-year orientation, or dress for their first games. In the increasingly turbulent world of college sports, the foundation of a team’s success is often built long before the first whistle blows—in the recruiting process. Years before players become household names to Wildcat fans, their coaches are hard at work watching tape, browsing rankings, and visiting camps and clinics, trying to find the next generation of great Davidson athletes.
From there, as high school upperclassmen mull their academic and athletic futures, the next step in the recruiting process can take two different forms.
For many athletes, reaching out directly to a coach is the best way to ensure that they can garner interest from Davidson. “I reached out to the coach when I was visiting in the spring of my junior year, met with him briefly, and he invited me on an official visit,” said mid-distance runner Harry Carter ’28, who is on the cross-country and track teams.
For other recruits, like future NBA star Stephen Curry ‘10, their outstanding potential leads coaches to take more proactive steps to secure their commitment. In 2006, after recognizing Curry’s remarkable talent, Coach Bob McKillop drove to Curry’s high school in Charlotte and was
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INSIDE
ceived $59,500 less than requested.
“When we’re asking for more funding, there’s a reason for that because as time goes on, [everything] gets more expensive.”
Davidson’s various cultural affinity student organizations are among those most affected. They received just over $16,000 less than in FY2024, a 14.31% decrease across the board, but 19.09% less than they requested for FY2025.
Cultural organizations are especially impacted by new guidance limiting funding for food. Student organizations were directed to limit food requests to 25% of their operational budget request for FY2025, accord-
3 4 5 6 7
Davidson receives an endowment tax exemption
Dylan Low ’26 on urbanization in Singapore
Volleyball wraps up non-conference play
Michael Allen ’27 rates recent underground albums
Self-service laundry, 10 years later
Check
CASEY SCHEINER ’28 (HE/HIM)
COLIN DECKER ’28 (HE/HIM)
Over 50 countries are represented in Davidson’s student body.
Photo by Aidan Marks ’27.
View from a window shows that Chick-fil-A is still under construction. Photo by David Anderson Montes Lara ’28.
Budget cuts hit Union Board, cultural groups hardest
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ing to Davidson African Student Association Co-President Danseh Yanou ’27 and a member of SGA who is familiar with the process.
Chudzik said cultural affinity organizations were given flexibility on that policy. “If you’re a cultural organization, it makes total sense. Food is essentially part of culture. You’re going to get a larger portion of your budget for food,” Chudzik said.
Nevertheless, Yanou said that budget cuts disproportionately impact cultural organizations. “A large portion of our budget is inherently going to be used for African food and to create that sense of community. For DASA, the food is one of the most important parts. Food is a large part of African culture, and so it’s really important that we have authenticity,” Yanou said.
“The majority of the money for almost all of our events usually goes to food,” Yanou continued. “We have to go all the way to Charlotte in order to even be able to get food, which means that the food is way more expensive because it’s scarce.”
According to Jenna Bouhussein ’26, president of the Middle Eastern & North African Students Association (MENASA), restrictions on food funding required the group to pay for some food out-of-pocket.
“We had an [executive] board member bring their own tea from their home country and have that be part of our event, because we couldn’t afford to buy it using our funds,” Bouhussein said.
Now, DASA may have to limit buying African food to two events per year. “For smaller events [...] we might have to just get pizza,” Yanou said.
Smaller groups have also been impacted. WildCrafts, led by Co-Presidents Laine Demarcay ’27 and Elyse Clark ’28, said the group had to scale back on the events they plan to host.
“As we neared the end of the [most recent] event, we had to turn some people away due to the lack of supplies,” Clark wrote in an email to The Davidsonian Organizations have had to adapt to these changes to best support students. For WildCrafts, that looks like partnering with other student organi-
International students navigate work limitations
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science and gender studies double major from Peru. Harada has worked at Davidson since his first year and has six jobs: Research Assistant for both Dr. Zhu and the Hispanic Studies department, French and Spanish Apprentice Teacher, a Writing Center Spanish-Language consultant, and he works for Students for Inclusive Academics at Davidson. Harada took on so many jobs to make up for tax laws that cut into his pay.
“My country doesn’t have a tax agreement with the US, which means that I pay a bit more than 30% in taxes. If I’m working the highest paying job my fourth year here, I’d probably get seven or eight bucks out of the 12. Even if you’re working 20 hours [at the] highest paying job and your country doesn’t have a tax agreement, you’re not getting much at the end of the day,” Harada said.
Harada, like several other international students at Davidson, meticulously tracks his hours each week, double checking to avoid any complications.
“It’s a lot of juggling how you manage your hours, and [making sure] you record the exact hours,” Harada said. “I have a spreadsheet where I have to record how many hours I work, and how many hours I plan to work.”.
The College provides international students with reminders about hours and how to manage Oracle Web Clock, Davidson’s payroll system.
“The International Students Office here does a good job at hammering down the fact that you cannot work more than 20 hours,” Harada said. “You’re reminded every year when you’re hired, but it’s on you to make sure that you’re limiting yourself or abiding by those limits.”
Angie Edwards is the director of
zations to split costs.
Despite widespread frustration with cuts, some students applaud the ATC for leading with transparency. “ATC has been very communicative with [Union Board]. The cuts they made make sense,” Cavanaugh said.
the International Student Engagement Office (ISE). She works to make sure students are aware of their responsibilities from the beginning.
“When a student’s coming in for the first time is when a lot of the communication around visa rules and regulations are communicated,” Edwards said. “[Students] really need to know either before or as soon as they get to campus, because the expectations start as soon as they land in the US and are admitted on an F1-visa.”
The ISE holds meetings throughout the year to keep students informed. “During pre-arrival communications we have a series of virtual sessions with students, even while they’re back home over the summer, and then pre-orientation [leading] up to orientation each fall, during which there’s a specific F1-visa regulations information session that’s mandatory for everyone on an F1-visa to attend,” Edwards said. “We go over all the rules, requirements, limitations, things [they] need to know.”
Edwards said she doesn’t know of any students who’ve exceeded the 20 hour limit.
Obtaining visas in the first place is becoming increasingly difficult.
President Doug Hicks ‘90 explained to The Wall Street Journal that in late May of 2025 the State Department halted visa interviews while 36 incoming Davidson international students still needed to get their visas.
According to Hicks, the administration helped students find consulate appointments in other countries and ensure they made it to North Carolina in time for classes to start.
Making it to campus, however, has not meant an end to the uncertainty.
In August, the State Department told the BBC that they had revoked more than 6,000 student visas. According to the State Department, approximately 4,000 were revoked because
Clark agreed, noting that the ATC’s communication meant WildCrafts could plan ahead. “The ATC team was transparent about the constraints they were working under,” Clark said. “Their clear communication helped us plan and adapt.”
students “broke the law:, while about 200-300 were revoked for “terrorist activity.”
The Davidsonian spoke with an international student who wished to remain anonymous out of concern for their safety. The student is a sophomore, and has worked on campus through their three semesters at Davidson. They currently work at the Sustainability Office, as a photographer for the college, and as a hall counselor for the Residence Life Office. Being a hall counselor accounts for 12 of the 20 hours each week.
“[My other] two jobs have always given flexibility with my time. Every week, [I] get to pick and choose assignments, and this has made it much easier for me to stay within my working limits and keep track of my hours,” the student said. “If I had a job where I had to work more regular shifts for a longer period of time, [then] I think it would have been more difficult for me to keep track of [my hours].”
This student keeps up with the media coverage of deportations and student visa rejections in the US. They expressed confidence in how they were handling the visa regulations despite such stories.
“For me, there isn’t necessarily a fear of anything happening, because I always do work under the 20 hour limit,” the student said. “I have a four-year visa. [I] don’t plan on staying beyond that.”
The ISE provides spaces for international students to sit and process their thoughts and fears amidst the uncertainty associated with being on a visa.
“We try to leverage a combination of things to show student support and ensure that they’re connected with resources,” Edwards said. “Sometimes it’s making sure that students are reminded of or connected with resources through the Center for Student Health and Well Being, the Chaplain’s office, or the Care Team. We’ve had a couple of like, hey, just we’re gonna hold this space, feel free to come drop in. If you want to talk about what’s happening or going on, you’re more than welcome to do that.”
The reality remains that many international students are meeting the year with increased vigilance. “You always want to be cautious, especially now,” Harada said.
Ultimately, Chudzik said the ATC’s goal is to support student organizations. “If you have an event come up that you think is super impactful, as long as you come and communicate with us […] the ATC is here to make that happen,” Chudzik said.
Chick-fil-A: Students must wait longer for their nuggets
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hoped. But we’re at the mercy of delivery schedules and equipment, manufacturing, and so forth.”
Although slow, some progress is being made. The Fire Department completed regulatory checks of the fire suppression system on Monday, according to Varghese.
When asked about an opening date, both Terry and Varghese refrained from specific estimates, although construction and other regulatory checks may continue through winter break.
The arrival of the new facility, which will be managed by Davidson Dining Services, was announced in Sept. 2024. The facility is expected to accommodate 98 guests and will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. from Monday through Saturday.
Dining Services have hired and trained managers and supervisors for the restaurant.
“Everything is ready from our part. The only thing is that we need to get the building handed over to us, and the Chick-A folks come and do the opening,” Varghese said.
Recognizing that the delays are disappointing, both Varghese and Terry urge students to consider that both Chick-fil-A and the health department’s standards exist to uphold students’ health and safety and maintain the chain’s consistent quality.
“There are no shortcuts. It’s about student safety, and what Chick-fil-A requires, so they can be sure that everything is identical to what you experience all over the world,” Terry said.
“We understand the anticipstion [...] but we also urge people to be more patient. We’re getting there.”
Union Board saw the largest funding cuts this year. Photo by David Anderson Montes Lara ’28.
Chick-fil-A will be located in the former Turner House. Photo by David Anderson Montes Lara ’28.
Features
Cheating concerns prompt move to proctored assessments
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Shaw, like many other professors, prefers to give his students take-home exams. But he said he felt something had to change. As growing numbers of professors abandon the take home, some professors raised concerns about what the shift means for student learning and the state of academic integrity at the College.
Some professors, like Assistant Professor of Art Lyla Halsted ’13, are using a combination of assessments to deter cheating. In addition to research papers, Halsted assigns handwritten in-class “formal analysis” papers and, like Barsoum, has started to assign more oral exams.
Halsted’s goal with oral assessments is to make sure students can explain and defend the work they submit. “Even if a student were to use [...] AI to produce work, when they are presenting it and asked about it in class, they often cannot answer those questions,” Halsted said.
Halsted said that art history may be less vulnerable to AI use, especially for formal analysis papers or in emerging fields with little pre-existing scholarship. But she has had to adapt nonetheless.
That adaptation—especially the move away from take-home essays—is often done reluctantly.
“I would like to assign more papers,” Halsted said. “There is a tension between the importance of students learning how to write in an art historical voice, which is a unique kind of perspective [...] and the difficulty of detecting AI.”
Shaw said take-homes are uniquely valuable in the political theory class-
es he teaches. “Rather than having students memorize [...] you have a week to think about it, and you know, hopefully by the time you finish the review, you know more than you did when you started,” Shaw said.
He hopes in-class exams will be a temporary adjustment. “I hope that I’m not going to feel that I need to keep doing what I’m doing now.”
Daniel Layman chairs the philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) department. Layman has used inclass blue book exams since 2023 after hearing stories of rampant cheating in his colleague’s classes and mounting suspicions of his own.
However, he said take-home essays are a better method for assessing student learning and expressed concerns about the limitations of timed in-class assessments.
“I didn’t really feel great about [blue-book exams], because although they are really good at preventing AI use, they’re actually not that pedagogically great for students who are doing the work,” Layman said. “So there were a lot of costs to using that model, and I didn’t like that at all.”
Layman came up with his own method to detect and deter AI use.
After reflecting on how he could assign take-home exams while being confident that students are doing their own work, he settled on “self-comprehension quizzes.” Students will be required to reconstruct their argument—handwritten, in-class—a few days after each essay is due.
Layman said this approach specifically targets one of the most pernicious consequences of AI use, which is that “you can produce the product without in any way comprehending
Politics
or being able to [...] retrace your steps through a structure of reasoning.”
Other professors are using a new Google Docs extension, Process Feedback, to monitor the writing process. On the other side of the academic spectrum, professors in mathematics and economics frequently administer assessments through the Quiz Center which allows students flexibility in deciding when they take a test.
Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Ana Wright said the Center embodies the Honor Code’s principles of flexibility and accountability.
“Students still can still come in when they want to. There’s flexibility, which I think is in the spirit of the Davidson’s Honor Code, but they’re also in the room with other students so they can hold each other accountable, which I think is also the spirit of the Honor Code,” Wright said.
That accountability, Wright said, is important for two reasons. First, she said her perception is that fewer violations are being reported by students.
“When I talk to people who are nostalgic for the historical Honor Code culture, they often talk about how students would hold each other accountable to the Honor Code [...] my impression is that almost all honor code violations are reported by faculty,” Wright said.
Second, Wright said that the proliferation of AI—and the widespread concern that peers are using it— might tempt students to cheat in the name of keeping up with their classmates.
“There’s a lot of competition among students, and if they’re thinking that even one student in their class could be using these tools and everyone is taking a high stakes assignment indi-
vidually, I just can see that even the most honest student would feel very compelled to use an AI tool,” Wright said.
The idea that group settings facilitate accountability is not a new concept. It also underpins Davidson’s Exam Center, which allows students to schedule when and in what order they take final exams—within parameters set by the College.
To Barsoum, the Center is proof that academic freedoms and accountability structures can coexist. “We’ve always had guardrails in place for students to work within a really robust Honor Code,” Barsoum said.
Those guardrails change over time.
“Enforcement has looked different [...] in the past, than it does now,” Barsoum said. “That is a reflection of the shift in many elements: shift in culture, shift in student experience and background throughout their lives, and a shift in technology [...] in particular because of generative AI.”
AI is not the only reason why some professors worry that academic integ-
rity is suffering. Halsted said perception of the Honor Code is a lot different today compared to when she was a student. In particular, awareness of what the Code actually means and requires of students seems to have taken a hit.
“I don’t remember anyone questioning it, and I don’t remember students being dissatisfied with it. I also remember students being more aware of it,” Halsted said.
Whether attributable to AI, Covid, or any number of causes, professors and students agree that something— whether the perceived lack of trust in students or adherence to the Honor Code, or both—needs to change. Honor Council Chair Maggie Woodward ’26 said this year is an opportunity to preserve and rebuild trust. “I think we’re in a really unique position to be able to make sure that faculty’s trust isn’t yet broken, and I think it has the potential to be if we [...] let outside norms and technological trends impact the way that we operate academically,” Woodward said.
Davidson enjoys endowment tax exemption, hires first lobbyist
CASEY SCHEINER ’28 (HE/HIM)
Amid President Donald Trump’s intense scrutiny of colleges and efforts to defund some of the country’s wealthiest universities, Davidson finds itself in the rare position of benefiting from recent federal action.
Among other provisions, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) abolished the endowment tax for colleges with fewer than 3,000 students, a move that will benefit Davidson and its 2,080 enrolled students. While larger universities must pay an endowment tax rate as high as 8%, a fivefold increase from the previous tax code, Davidson’s rate will sink from 1.4% to 0%.
According to the University of Texas at Austin’s Civitas Institute, this change will save institutions like Davidson between $2 to $4 million every year.
President Doug Hicks ‘90 noted that this will benefit Davidson. “Income from the endowment makes schools like Davidson a great value for students, their families, and our nation.
We are deeply grateful to the House and the Senate for recognizing the public good that Davidson and other small colleges provide,” Hicks wrote in an email to The Davidsonian
Since the College’s budget is partially funded by investment returns on the endowment — Davidson’s seven figure annual windfall numbers between $2 and $4 million — a tax hike would have jeopardized Davidson’s ability to fund numerous operations, including its robust student financial aid regime.
“The vast majority of Davidson College’s financial aid is funded by returns from our endowment, helping us recruit students from all incomes and life experiences,” Hicks wrote.
“This year, we are putting more than $70 million into financial aid.
Nearly two-thirds of our students receive need-based financial aid, and the average aid package is more than $60,000. That is all possible because of the endowment.”
Although the legislative architects of this OBBBA taxation provision spoke at length about the need to make elite universities pay more, they did not elaborate on the reason-
ing behind exempting small colleges’ endowments.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Ia.) briefly expressed concern regarding tax hikes for his state’s small colleges, but he offered little detail on why only smaller, well-funded institutions deserved relief.
According to Forbes, Republicans instituted this carve-out to shield Hillsdale College, a conservative-Christian liberal arts school in Michigan. xa
Lobbying played a key role in turning the OBBBA into a victory for small colleges. Davidson paid $40,000 in total to Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a Washington DC based lobbying firm, for service from five lobbyists, according to government transparency watchdog OpenSecrets. This is the first time Davidson has hired a lobbyist in its 188 years of existence.
“Davidson needed to take extraordinary steps because the proposed endowment tax increase would have harmed students,” Hicks wrote.
“Davidson was part of a coalition of 25 small colleges who worked together to identify and partner with
a firm whose tax expertise aligned with the issues the colleges faced. Davidson also partnered with a firm with higher education experience after being connected by a Washington-based alum. ”
Davidson’s lobbyists had extensive connections to the Republican-controlled White House and Congress which would determine Davidson’s taxation fate. Members of the team
Davidson hired had experience working high-level positions for President Trump, former Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Oh.), and former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). All five lobbyists declinde to comment about their roles.
The lobbying efforts from firms like Brownstein Hyatt appear to be fruitful. Per Forbes, Jonathan Fansmith, Senior Vice President for Government Relations and National Engagement at the American Council on Education, said Republican senators were receptive to the idea promoted by the lobbying coalition of small colleges that, “while their endowments may be big relative to the fact that they have small student bodies
[...] their endowments weren’t big.”
Because the OBBBA calculates universities’ tax rate on an endowment size to student body size ratio, many of these small colleges would have shouldered a substantial tax burden if not for the exemption.
When asked about this cut’s impact on the College’s plans, Hicks was noncommittal regarding specific projects. However he remained firm in his view that a healthy endowment is crucial to student financial aid.
“One-third of Davidson’s income comes from the endowment, which is the product of generous private donations over many generations and careful investment and stewardship by the college,” Hicks wrote.
“It enables us to reduce costs for every student. Every student receives a subsidy of nearly $10,000 from endowment proceeds. Davidson is one of only two dozen colleges in the nation that do all three of these things: 1.) Admit without regard to ability to pay. 2.) Cover all costs beyond calculated family contribution. 3.) Do not include loans in financial aid. We can do all of this because of the earnings from our endowment.”
A student uses a Green Book for an assignment.
Photo by Aidan Marks ’27.
Perspectives
Grappling with urbanization in modern day Singapore
Stepping into Changi airport, I immediately had two thoughts: first, that it was my first trip to Singapore as a cognizant adult; second, the airport was incredible. Lush greenery decorated the airport walls while koi fish ponds trickled gently. As a native New Yorker accustomed to the flaming chaos of JFK, Changi was a sight to see.
The last time I was in Singapore, I was eight. It was the first time I experienced my Gong Gong’s (Mandarin for maternal grandfather) birthplace, who left Singapore at nineteen with a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the States. Throughout my childhood, he wistfully shared stories from his boy-scouting days exploring the tropical jungle. In 2012, I was puzzled about why Singapore looked nothing like his stories. There wasn’t a lick of jungle left.
When I shared my Dean Rusk topic, Gong Gong was ecstatic. Within the span of his generation alone, the country had modernized past recognition. Due to this, I wanted to investigate how green spaces, specifically agriculture, were impacted after 1965’s independence.
In 2012, one place aligned with my grandfather’s stories: Bollywood Farms. Located in Singapore’s Kranji countryside, Bollywood
Farms conserves ‘Old Singapore’ through traditional Singaporean cuisine, fresh produce, and educational tours. Established in 2003, it has maintained its rustic appearance and traditional Singaporean authenticity. For this reason, it became one of the focal points of my research. I spoke with Bollywood Farms’ owner, Ivy Singh. A notoriously charismatic but blunt individual, she immediately whipped out a knife. After I explained my interest in Singaporean farms, she scoffed. This was an extremely common occurrence. Most of my Singaporean cousins didn’t even know where Kranji was, despite Singapore being a tiny island city-state. One even asked, “there’s farmland in Singapore?”
After some substantial knife waving, Ivy asked why Bollywood Farms intrigued me. I explained that I was curious about how Bollywood Farms allowed younger Singaporeans to further connect with traditional culture. She bluntly replied that the youth didn’t care about Singaporean heritage. She was referencing Singapore’s first prime minister who spearheaded Singapore’s transformation, someone highly respected for his effective long-term concept plans.
Despite feeling intimidated after my discussion with Ivy, I returned a few days later to interview her longtime assistant, Lynn. It was the first time I saw the genuine hopelessness of Singapore’s agricultural farmers.
The cost of inaction
On Sept. 10, 2025, at 12:20, Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University. Kirk, a prominent right-wing political activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was visiting the school as part of his “American Comeback Tour,” which had planned appearances and publicized debates on college campuses across the United States. That same day, a gunman opened fire at Evergreen High School, located in Colorado, before fatally shooting himself.
Two students were critically injured. Two weeks earlier, two children were killed and 17 were injured after yet another shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis. The list could go on and on. Gun violence is rampant across the United States and it’s only getting worse. In fact, nearly four out of every five homicides and more than half of all suicides are by gun. The death rate by guns in the U.S. far outpaces that of other nations, revealing a uniquely American crisis. Kirk’s death is no exception to this trend. It should serve as a stark reminder that no one is immune to the consequences of leaders who are unwilling to confront the need for gun reform. It’s not rocket science: gun safety policies save lives. According to Everytown Research & Policy, States with stronger gun laws statistically see less gun violence. Let’s take a look at Utah,
for example: Utah does not require background checks for handgun purchases and allows individuals to carry a concealed firearm in public without obtaining a permit. The state also prohibits law enforcement from petitioning for a court order to temporarily prevent someone in crisis from accessing guns. In addition, Utah lacks a policy requiring firearms to be stored locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition in certain circumstances, and it has adopted a “stand your ground” law that may encourage unwarranted violence. As a result, Utah’s gun violence rate of 14.8 exceeds the national average of 13.7.
This issue is not unique to Utah. Here in North Carolina, we’ve seen how vulnerable our campuses are. Just two years ago, a professor at UNC Chapel Hill was shot and killed only days into the school year. More recently, UNC Wilmington faced a lockdown after reports of an unconfirmed gunman on campus and accompanying online threats – leaving students shaken and questioning their safety at school. Other states, including Kansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and many more, reflect these same trends.
Ironically, Kirk vehemently opposed gun reform policies. In his own words: “I think it’s worth it. I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a
Crime Log
09/18/25, 14:22 hrs
09/19/25 23:42 hrs
09/21/25 01:30 hrs
Larceny Offenses: Misdemeanor Larceny Tomlinson, Further Investigation
Alcohol Offenses: Consumer by Person Under 21 Belk, Inactive
Alcohol Offenses: Possess Fortified Wine/ Liquor Under 21 Armfield, Inactive
Over homemade aloe vera refreshers, Lynn laid it out to me: although Bollywood Farms historically appealed to nostalgia-seeking elders, the audience has shifted due to its obscure location. Lynn argued that young visitors typically come for aesthetic reasons; many young Singaporeans no longer care for nature. After our discussion, Lynn casually mentioned that Bollywood Farms will close in 2026. Like all Singaporean farms, the land is leased by the government. Although Ivy managed to extend the lease three times, arguing was no longer possible. It’s fated to become public housing or a military base, like the other eight farms closed since 2020.
I left feeling distraught on behalf of Bollywood Farms and Kranji. Despite being an integral part of Singaporean culture only a few decades before, farming no longer had a place in Singaporean culture. It felt selfish that the Singaporean government and URA allocated a mere .5% of land to agriculture. However, when I visited the Singapore City Gallery a week later, I discovered the complexities. I viewed historical concept plans, future goals for Singapore’s urban planning, and sustainability practices. Lee Kuan Yew wanted Singapore to resemble a garden city and urban planners had stayed true to it; there are seventeen reservoirs within Singapore, public green spaces, and recycled water methods.
I finally understood that Singapore had historically succeeded through survivalist methods due to its size, location, and history. As a postcolonial British subject and then an expellee from Malaysia, Singapore was left to sink or swim. Although the consequences that agricultural farming faces are not justified, Singapore has progressed past a point of recognition and its people, land, and structures must adhere to its rapid pace.
Ultimately, my research presents the question of my senior capstone: how do traditional agriculture and green spaces fit into Singapore’s modern society? It was a pleasure to speak honestly with members of a dwindling industry while simultaneously gaining perspective on historical and present-day Singaporean culture, all through Davidson’s Dean Rusk program.
Dylan Low is a History major from New York City, New York. She can be reached for comment at dylow@davidson.edu.
prudent deal. It is rational.”
But these painfully common tragedies aren’t something we should simply accept as the price for exercising our Second Amendment rights. This rhetoric is dangerous, and it misrepresents the true intent of gun reform: not to strip away constitutional freedoms, but to ensure that those freedoms are exercised responsibly and safely. Gun policies such as background checks, red flag laws, and secure storage requirements do not infringe on the Second Amendment. They reform it in a way that protects lives – especially the lives of those most vulnrable to preventable violence.
Kirk’s death may have dominated national media headlines, but focusing on this event alone risks missing the larger picture. The deeper reality is that gun violence is threatening students and educators across the country, including here in North Carolina. Thus, instead of viewing these tragedies as yet another headline to scroll past and forget, we must pause, reflect, and make a genuine effort to identify the root causes of these issues. Since the start of 2025, there has been aggressive resistance to even the most basic forms of gun regulation, whether it be slashing regulations on the ATF or dismantling violence prevention funding and programs.
But research consistently shows that states with stronger gun laws, like California, Illinois, and Massachusetts, consistently see fewer gun
deaths – and North Carolina should not lag behind. Whether it is requiring background checks and purchase permits, adopting an extreme risk law, repealing “stand your ground” provisions, and other common sense policies that NC currently lacks are all foundational steps that we must enact to protect public safety. People are dying. People have been dying. Kirk’s death is a tragedy and poses a real threat to democracy and public safety, but make no mistake: this is not the turning point. It’s the result of a democracy already broken due to failed policies, stalled reforms, and long-standing neglect of the very systems meant to protect us. This is the cost of inaction. And it is a cost we can no longer afford to pay.
Katie Jung is a Politics, Philosophy, and Economics major from Charlotte, North Carolina. She can be reached for comment at kajung@davidson.edu.
KATIE JUNG ‘28 (SHE/HER)
DYLAN LOW ’27 (SHE/HER)
Sports
Volleyball ends non-conference play at App. State Invitational
MASON MAYNARD ’28 (HE/HIM)
In the Appalachian State Invitational on Sept. 20 and 21, the Davidson Women’s Volleyball team posted a 3-1 win against Duke University and a 1-3 loss against Appalachian State University. Led by all-tournament honors recipients Jordan Hummel ’26, and Kinsey Smith ’28, the ‘Cats come out of the weekend ready to dominate in the Atlantic-10 (A10).
The ‘Cats fell in the first set to Duke, then took three consecutive sets, winning 3-1. Emma Slusser ’26 spoke on the feeling of defeating a ‘big-name’ school like Duke: “We knew that we could beat them… They have the big name, the big players on the other side, but the name or size of the school, or the amount of money they have has never been an intimidating factor for us… We were just better than them.”
After the loss against Appalachian State, the ‘Cats still remain confident in the upcoming matches. Senior Anna Withee highlighted the importance of the team’s consistency in the face of a loss, including Elena Garcia-Guerrios ’27 double-double with 26 kills (a career high) and 15 digs. “Elena has been key for us in coming from behind and building our energy… And having other players who can consistently execute is nice to have to contribute–not just one person.” Withee also contributed to the team’s success at the invitational, putting up 14 kills in the win against Duke.
Before travelling to Appalachian State, Head Coach Chris Willis gave an outlook on the team’s goals for the weekend: “I want to see us improve, get better every day, and learn from experience… This weekend, for us, is about development and refining what we want to do going into conference.”
The ‘Cats not only improved through experience on the court, but also displayed the evidence in their two matchups.
Slusser remarked on the takeaways from the Appalachian State loss, echoing Coach Willis’ outlook: “Even though it was a loss, we know how well we played, and with that same intensity, mindset, and belief that we can win, I think we have a great chance at doing well in conference play.”
Recruiting plays key role in Davidson athletics
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
invited to his house to deliver his sales pitch and seal the commitment.
Once Davidson gets on recruits’ radar, official and unofficial visits help them gauge their interest and fit at Davidson.
“We host [visits] if girls need them to help decide whether Davidson is right for them,” Field Hockey Head Coach Zoe Almquist said. “Usually we have already offered or are seriously considering offering them if they come on an unofficial visit. My assistant Anna [Smarrelli] sets them up, she usually includes going to a class in a subject that is interesting to them, a meal with the coaching staff, some free time with the team, seeing practice or a game, and a tour of the athletic facilities and lake campus.”
However, not all recruits visit before committing to the Wildcats. “70% of my current team did not take a visit (official or unofficial) before committing to Davidson. My recruiting process leans heavily on our clinics, email interactions, phone calls, and Zoom,” Almquist said.
The recruiting experience is more complex for international students like Asha Nightingale ’29. Nightingale is Australian and plays for the women’s basketball team. Athletes like her must navigate applying for visas, Zoom calls halfway across the globe, and sending over film from leagues and programs less known to coaches.
“I got to visit for a couple days during a tour I was on of the US, but
I mostly just spoke with [my coaches] over Zoom,” Nightingale said.
“All five of my international athletes committed before they ever visited Davidson,” Almquist said.
In recent years, the tried and true practices of recruiting have been upset by a new pair of related phenomena: Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) legislation and the rise of the transfer portal. After a long history of prohibiting athletes from enjoying financial compensation, the NCAA has recently found itself forced to revise its longstanding policy. States began passing legislation in 2019 to allow student athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness and the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in 2021 that the NCAA prohibition on compensation for college athletes violated federal antitrust law.
Student-athletes like soccer player Garret Wilkins ’28 quickly profited off endorsement deals, sponsorships, social media promotion, and other commercial opportunities previously unavailable to them.
“Matthew Thissell [’26] had previously mentioned the platform 98Strong to me as he had done some brand partnerships with their help in the past, so I signed up for that a while ago,” Wilkins said. “You make a profile and input things like your sport, school, division level, social media, and a short bio and after that you start applying for different ‘jobs’ or partnerships. After about a month of applying to ones that looked interesting to me, I landed the Spongebob Olipop deal. After that I just had to shoot the
student comedian who performs a set at a local comedy club or an enterprising student who starts their own business out of the Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” Clunie said.
However, even with meticulous planning and ample funding, Davidson’s teams still must often confront the whims of a random system. Even outside of sports that attract outsized spending and scrutiny, like football and basketball, the uncertainty sown by NIL and the transfer portal are a fact of life now.
“We’ve had a few of our better guys leave. College recruiting now—even in baseball and all sports—is messed up because you can leave and try to go somewhere better whenever you want. There’s no loyalty,” baseball player Tyler Wille ’28 said.
content requested by the brand and post that.”
Almost simultaneously, spurred by both the opportunity of NIL and fewer regulations on transferring, the transfer portal emerged as a quick escape hatch for athletes dissatisfied with their current situation or enamored with a new one.
Davidson has been both a beneficiary and a victim of this world. In the previous recruiting cycle, the Wildcats suffered the losses of men’s basketball stalwarts like Reed Bailey and Bobby Durkin to larger programs offering lucrative NIL opportunities. However, new portal additions Parker Friedrichsen ’27, Sam Brown ’27, Parker Friedrichsen ’27, JaQualon Roberts ’27 and Josh Scovens ’27 appear poised to help offset those departures.
Though hampered in reach by its size, Davidson has quickly adapted its institutions to the future of college athletics. In 2023, the Davidson Wildcat Exchange launched to facilitate NIL partnerships between athletes and businesses, donors, and alumni.
Last year, Zach Laput ‘25, a basketball player, became Davidson’s first ever graduate transfer. In February, Vice President and Director of Athletics Chris Clunie ‘06 announced Davidson would opt into the House v. NCAA settlement allowing direct compensation of student athletes.
“Davidson scholar-athletes now have the ability to earn compensation through their name, image, and likeness, no different from an amazing student musician who performs with the Charlotte Symphony, a talented
As colleges must compete like never before to not just attract, but retain athletes, peripheral aspects like facilities can be crucial to wooing recruits and convincing current players to stay. In this context, Davidson’s $54.5 million investment in a state-of-theart football field and athletic training facility for all Wildcat Division I athletes appears poised to pay dividends.
“The first time I visited we didn’t have the new facility so I was kind of skeptical about coming here. The second time I visited, we had the facility that won me over,” football player Lamar Bolden ’28 said.
Facilities are hardly the only area where the scope of Davidson’s recruiting objectives goes beyond just the on-field athletic project. Just as many non-athletes’ decision-making process for selecting a college goes beyond just career placement or academic rigor, student-athletes weigh factors like community culture, academic support, and even weather alongside athletics.
“We very much believe on field hockey that we are an important part of the college experience, existing as a co-curricular ‘major’ (and critical leadership development program) that will occupy about double the amount of time our student athletes will spend in their collegiate classes as a whole, but very much within the umbrella and the ethos of what Davidson College is all about,” Almquist said.
Once the recruiting process is over and coaches have successfully assembled their class, no rest is in sight: they must quickly move their attention to building a sense of camaraderie and sharpening their team’s game ahead of another season.
Volleyball huddles in between sets. Photo by Ada Long ’29.
Transfers Josh Scovens ’27 and JaQualon Roberts ’27 scrimmage. Courtesy of @davidsonbasketball on Instagram.
Eliza Agan ’29 at a preseason scrimmage. Photo courtesy of @dcfh_wildcats on Instagram.
Arts & Entertainment
Ramble On music festival returns to Davidson
STELLA STEWART ’28 (SHE/HER)
The Ramble On Music Festival made its return to Davidson for the second year in a row on Saturday.
The diversity of music genres in the Carolinas region, including jazz, blues, Appalachian folk, bluegrass, and Americana, was well reflected with the lineup of musicians, as well the collaborative spirit between the different groups. On a beautiful, sunny Saturday, Davidson locals and visitors enjoyed all the live music as well as food and beverage vendors the festival had to offer, along with interactive activities for
the children in attendance.
The festival brought together the Davidson community, as people of different ages, backgrounds, and origins bonded over the music, and even with the bands themselves.
This festival is produced in partnership with the town of Davidson and a Davidson-based indie record label, Downriver Records.
Walking through Davidson, the music could be heard from down the street, along with the sounds of families. “It had a very family friendly vibe. I saw lots of little kids running around with each other, and the parents seemed to be happy with the music,” festival attendee Alexa Fox ’28 said. “I think it’s great that
Davidson wants to bring music from other areas of North Carolina to its community.”
The festival began with the Rusty Knox Duo, a Davidson local band that plays Americana and bluegrass. They were followed by the Grateful Dudes, a North Carolinian Grateful Dead tribute band that performed covers comparable to the originals. Both of these bands were thoroughly enjoyed by the festival attendees, especially by the local fans of the Grateful Dead.
Next on the setlist was a Davidson-based indie rock quartet, the Paul Atkinson Band, succeeded by the Goodnight Brothers, then Truegrass Revival. Each group per-
The (ex-)WALT studio manager’s top five underground albums of 2025
MICHAEL ALLEN ’27 (HE/HIM)
This year has produced several fantastic albums, from long-awaited reunions in Clipse’s “Let God Sort Em Out” to young artists striving towards new levels of stardom like PinkPantheress with “Fancy That.” These releases and more have received deserved acclaim, though the musical underground has produced an equally prolific amount of good content.
Defining “underground” is beyond the scope of my word count, though I will use my former title of WALT Studio Manager to declare my arbitrary definition of the term as law and highlight some of the best, under-appreciated projects of 2025.
#5: “Boleros Psicodélicos II” by Adrian Quesada. Known for his Grammy-winning work with Grupo Fantasma and The Black Pumas, Quesada brings his guitar wizardry to a great mid-summer release.
The tracklist features a different vocalist on each song to compensate for Quesada’s lack of vocals, and this variety brings an equally diverse set of styles throughout the album. This stylistic mix keeps the listener on their toes as tracks vary from the orchestral, Sinatra-esque “Bravo (with iLe)” to the stripped-back ballad “Cuatro Vidas (with Mireya).”
Some feature-heavy albums feel disjointed, though Quesada’s soulful production and guitar licks construct
an instrumental stage for the featured vocalist to shine on. Overall, it’s a well-crafted, pleasant listen, even if the tracks become a tad repetitive towards the end.
#4: “choke enough” by Oklou. Many experimental projects tend to get lost in the weeds of trying to sound different. However, Oklou puts together 13 ethereal tracks which flow into each other with ease. The layered vocals and instrumentals on “ict” and the titular “choke enough” transport the listener into Oklou’s whimsical, bizarre corner of space.
The lead single, “take me by the hand” featuring SoundCloud pioneer Bladee, adds Bladee’s typically incoherent sing-talking over the already excellently layered production, making this track a standout. The rest of the album varies in style and quality, but it’s a solid release with high enough highs to validate must-listen status.
#3: “SALVATION” by Rebecca Black. Known primarily for the much-maligned “Friday,” Rebecca Black has spent the past few years reinventing herself as a legitimate musician. In the wake of “BRAT summer,” Black leans into that hyperpop sound Charli XCX brought into the mainstream.
Although this album runs for only 21 minutes, it “has no misses,” as the kids say. “Sugar Water Cyanide” is the hit, mirroring the structure of Charli’s “Club classics” with a melodic first half and a distorted, bassheavy second half. The album ends
equally as strong, too, with the clos
ing track, “Twist The Knife.” With its catchy bass line, thumping drums, and wall of harmonies in the chorus, Black comes about as close to Lady Gaga’s “The Fame Monster” as one can get in 2025. A short, but punchy sophomore release from the rising pop star.
#2: “Pain to Power” by Maruja. For fans of Black Midi or lead singer Geordie Greeps’ solo work, “Pain to Power” comes as a spacier, angrier take on Greeps’ jazz-rock sound (“post-rock,” as music snobs call it).
The album’s experimental nature demands a dedicated listen, and as chaotic saxophone and screeching vocals pierce the veil of reverb-heavy guitar instrumentals, that dedication results in great pleasure.
The album’s abrasive Rage Against the Machine-esque lead singles “Look Down On Us” and “Break the Tension” garnered the most attention from fans, though “Saoirse,” “Zaytoun,” and “Reconcile” spark the greatest interest with their more contemplative, yet equally biting composition. Fans of Radiohead might notice similarities to “OK Computer” and “Kid A”; not the easiest of albums to consume, but a soon-to-be cult classic.
#1: “HYPERYOUTH” by Joey Valence & Brae. Following up their excellent sophomore effort “NO HANDS,” Joey Valence & Brae (JVB) foray into new musical territories with “HYPERYOUTH” and produce the album of the year.
Jens Kruger as well as bassist Joel Landsberg. The Journal of Roots Music describes their music as “a tribute to the very idea that indeed America is a melting pot and the sounds that were birthed from the heartland find a universal touchstone.”
The Kruger brothers played annually at Merlefest, a North Carolinian music festival, and became the headliners for Ramble On when their mandolin player, Jonah Horton, recommended their band for the festival. Jens Kruger, the banjo player for the band, enjoyed both playing for the festival and his time in Davidson. “We’re very happy because it’s very close to home, because we travel a lot around the world, and having to play so close to home is a blessing for us. And Davidson, of course, is very beautiful.”
formed a set ranging from 45 minutes to an hour and a half, some of them playing originals, and some covers. Festival attendees watched most of the performances from the shade, listening to the music while sitting on blankets or chairs with family and friends.
Also featured was the Downriver Records all-star band Heidi and the River Down. The Charlotte based quartet play an original Americana songbook, and, as described on their website, “sing songs of heartache and yearning, loss and hope, of seeking and sometimes finding.”
However, the biggest draw were the headlining Kruger Brothers, a band consisting of brothers Uwe and
The duo’s first two projects garnered fame for their modern takes on the Beastie Boys’ unserious, in-your-face charm. However, the opening set of tracks on this project show the duo’s hunger to try something new as well. “BUST DOWN” with Tia Corinne and “SEE U DANCE” with fellow star of 2025 Rebecca Black provide fun dance hits with seamlessly blended features. “IS THIS LOVE” and “HAVE TO CRY” provide more laidback takes on that club sound and feel straight out of 1994 in the best way.
As a response to musical inspirations, Kruger reflects the feelings of all the bands that played. “I think all music that is honest, it really doesn’t matter what genre it is, if there’s heart, honesty, and truthfulness in the personal performance, it always inspires […] I think inspiration for striving to be better comes not only from other musicians, it comes from people you meet in life.” Kruger said.
“We have a lot of fantastic people in our life that we admire and still do, that sometimes we know, and sometimes we don’t. In all fields of music; classical, jazz, it doesn’t really matter; we don’t make distinctions of music.”
The group experiments with new sounds on these tracks and others, though they show that they have not lost their fastball on the mosh pit-worthy “WASSUP” features JPEGMAFIA and an epic remix of Playa Poncho’s legendary “Whatz Up, Whatz Up.” Dance albums do not get more complete than “HYPERYOUTH,” as Joey Valence & Brae capture the sound of a 90s EDM classic while sounding equally modern and fresh.
Paul Bradley Atkinson performs at Ramble On. Photo courtesy of Stella Stewart ’28.
Michael Allen ’27 in the WALT studio Photo courtesy of Michael Allen ’27.
Living Davidson
The Evolution of Campus Resources: 10 Years after closure of full-service laundry
ANNA MORROW ’28
(SHE/HER)
This fall marks ten years of self-service laundry at Davidson. The College stopped providing laundry services in 2015, after 95 years. Davidson stated declining usage and budgetary concerns for the resources’ closure. According to Charlotte’s public radio station, WFAE in 2014, the use of full-service laundry declined significantly from almost full use in students’ first-year to around 35% by senior year. The laundry employed fourteen staff members at the time of its closure, including Lula Bell Houston who was a beloved member of the Davidson support staff for 60 years and a Black woman. According to Davidson, Houston earned $12 per week to support herself and her two children at the beginning of her career. The College acknowledges their role in perpetuating racism and denying Black employees opportunity before and after the abolition of slavery in the report published by The Commission on Race and Slavery. Former President Carol E. Quillen stated “we acknowledge, regret and offer our deepest apology for the College’s complicity, after slavery was outlawed, in perpetuating unjust laws and false ideas that systematically denied to generations of Black Americans freedom, equality and opportunities that are a birthright,” on behalf of the Davidson College Board of Trustees.
Ten years later, the building that once served as the college’s laundry services now houses the Residence Life Offices and The Lula Bell Houston Resource Center, which provides free groceries and hygiene products, as well as textbooks, clothing, and cookware rentals. The center serves any student that needs a resource, whether that be a carton of milk, a muffin tin, a sports coat for an interview, a textbook for
class, or a lesson in laundry. Assistant Director for Civic Engagement and Lula Bell’s, Shane Reilly spoke of the ways Davidson is continuing service to students through Lula Bell’s and honoring its committed employees, like Lula Bell Houston, in an interview with The Davisonian. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Davidsonian: How did Lula Bell’s become Lula Bell’s?
Reilly: The namesake [for Lula Bell’s] actually started in 2004 when Lula Bell Houston retired after 60 plus years working at Davidson. … She worked in dining services and the college laundry, which is the building that we [Lula Bell’s] occupy as well as the Residence Life Office. When she retired in 2004, they named the college laundry after her because she had such a long standing legacy. When the college laundry closed in 2015 and they started identifying what might occupy the space, the Anstrom family, who are our primary donors, wanted to donate something that he [their late son, Tom Anstrom ‘04] would have believed in. When the need for what currently exists as Lula Bell’s was identified, they wanted to continue the namesake.
A lot of students that were here when Lula Bell was here always remarked about how friendly she was. We really try to embody that spirit of being a welcoming, friendly environment where all students feel welcome. It’s really cool that we get to continue that namesake… And that’s what she wanted. So she wanted it to be Lula Bell’s and not a super formal name like The Lula Bell Houston Resource Center. We get to use her favorite colors which is the purple and green color scheme that we use.
The Davidsonian: How are students involved as volunteers?
Reilly: I am the one central staff member for
Lulu Bells and so I rely heavily on the student team. Our student volunteer team has basically doubled in size in the last three years, which I think shows the student’s interest and commitment to helping others and their peers. I think the coolest thing about volunteering here is that you’re directly interacting with your peers. If you’re working the front desk, you’re helping them check out, you’re answering their questions, you’re processing donations from community members that are eventually going to go to students. It’s like the best volunteer opportunity to directly help your fellow students.. … I could not do half of what we do around here if we didn’t have the student team. They’re really our first line of defense, if you will. They’re our welcome committee as you walk in. And so we always talk about how the, the only questions you’ll be ever asked when you walk into the space is, your name and Catcard number, whether you live on or off campus, anticipated graduation year, and hopefully “how are you doing today” from our volunteers.
The Davidsonian: How has Lula Bell’s honored the people that worked and were often underpaid in laundry services in the ten years since its closure?
Reilly: I think hopefully we honor that in the namesake. We get to use the color scheme that she [Lula Bell Houston] wanted to. We call ourselves affectionately Lula Bell’s instead of the full name because that’s what she wanted. I think namesake is an awesome way to do that, but not the only way or the only thing that we should be doing.
I think like through the “With These Hands” statue, through our space, it’s really important to acknowledge that we did have employees and staff, largely staff of color that were generally underpaid … There’s obviously still important work to be done. I’m glad that the “With These Hands” statue is going to finally commemorate them. And I think naming that and recognizing it is just only a small aspect of reparations that should be highlighted and focused on.
Fall is just around the corner for Davidson
Comic by Matthew Shnowske ‘28
Entrance of Lula Bell’s. Photo by David Anderson Montes Lara ‘28.
Yowl The
Irreverent student journalism since 2004. Castigat Ridendo Mores.
yowl.com/linkdin.com
Jimmy Kimmel Gone: Is The Yowl Next?
Page: Too much hate on commons
RYowl threatened with FCC investigation due to football team ‘hate speech’
Page: 1 to 3
Rusk, amid AI backlash, announces carbon offset party
September 24, 2025
Emmy’s Donation Limit Adapted by Yowl
Page: Keep The Children Hungry!
usk Eating House fell under a swarm of backlash last week after its flyer for a Love Island themed party appeared AI-generated. A spokesperson for the house, sporting an Elizabeth Holmes shirt, a Bill Clinton hat, and a Lance Armstrong armband during our interview, insisted, “On everything I love, that wasn’t AI. I don’t even know AI. I had a friend with the initials AI. Wait I have this crazy story with her, so back in high school…”
Still, recognizing the campus-wide accusations, Rusk has announced a Carbon Offset Party in collaboration with SPE, who are also eager to reestablish credibility amidst their 3 remaining brothers. According to organizers, the energy needed for the night will be generated entirely by pledges pedaling bikes in the basement, guests will be encouraged to plant invasive species, and all empty beer cans and vapes will be dutifully composted.
Rusk provided Yowl with first access to the invitation tag-line, set to be released on Instagram in the coming days: “Write me an invitation for a carbon offset party. Sure! here’s your text: Rusk x SPE carbon offset party—where the only footprint is on the dance floor.”
Armfield residents to form HOA
We are just one month into the semester and the residents of the Armfield apartments have already announced their decision to form an HOA. It turns out Armfield life is not as glamorous as it may have seemed. One resident complained, “I mean I didn’t want to cut out my fifth friend but she’s not worth my entire apartment vibrating every Friday and Saturday. We need some serious beautification.” Armfield, affectionately referred to as F, has long been a popular place to be on a Friday night, but the morning after is not so glamorous. Residents complain of trash everywhere and a lingering smell of vomit, urine, and cheap beer. “I didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” one resident insists “I used to love going to F my Freshman year and I was hoping to bring back the magic by living in it, as it turns out the fun in F is the ability to walk away from it whenever you choose. For me it’s like one never ending nightmare.” Another resident complains, “It’s like I’ve just been on a month long bender. As soon as I finish cleaning up from the previous weekend another one starts.” The HOA’s rules will come into effect on September 26th. Many new policies will be implemented including bans on football players and all music except for classical. Additionally, cleanup crews are to be formed consisting of future pledges. In order to make crowds more manageable, in order to get into an apartment students will now have to pay a $10 HOA fee and take a 20-question quiz on a randomly chosen frat brother. Alternatively, female students can dance on the KSig counter tops for an hour as an equivalent to the entrance fee. The HOA has even talked about opening a cookout: “We all know the chick-fil-a is never coming and with commons closing at 8:00 we need an alternative for late night meals” an anonymous source says. While the HOA isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, residents are confident that it is a step towards a safer, quieter, and dryer campus.
Finger found in Nummit drink: “Coffee-Gate”
exposed
At 10:00 AM on Friday, September 19th, campus police were called to a frightening situation at Nummit after a freshman, who stayed up way too late, complaining about how much work they had, though not completing one assignment, ordered a latte and found chunks of a human finger in it. “My drink looked kinda red, but I thought it was just fall-themed. It wasn’t until I poured in my 10 packets of sugar and went to stir the drink when I noticed the tip of a nail poking out of the cold foam.” Performative males in the vicinity were reportedly incredibly concerned about their matchas being tainted, causing many to immediately throw their drinks out, some even before the finger was found, according to witnesses. Upon investigating where the finger pieces originated, police officials came to the shocking realization that the coffee in the freshman’s cup wasn’t actually Nummit coffee, but rather Commons coffee. One rookie officer allegedly fainted after receiving the lab report on the coffee content. “You know, you hear horror stories about the job, but you’re never quite ready when you’re face-to-face with something so horrible. Really, Commons’ coffee?” Police have since identified a plot executed by Commons food service workers to make their coffee seem better by switching Commons’ and Nummit’s grounds. Dining Services has released the following statement:
“We are appalled by recent reports of two of our employees’ malfeasance. They are no longer employed by Davidson. However, we cannot blame the events of September 19th solely on their actions. At Vail Commons, we have always pledged to keep our mystery meats, particularly human, horse, and groundhog, out of the stations where all students, regardless of their diet, should be able to eat and drink. We have failed our vegan and vegetarian diners, and we will strive to make our coffee safe for everyone to drink in the future. With that being said, don’t worry, because our mystery meats will still be served at the Chef Expressions, Du Jour, Herbs and Spices, and Corner Grill stations. Thank you for your patience at this time.”
WRITORS
Yowl Hoards
Animated puppet
Scheming eunuch
Yowl sports writer Yik Yak rejects
Incident of The Week
Lil Freak discourse overdone. Possibly hints to desensitization of the youth
The Bark Issue
New Davidsonian logo linked to several strokes across campus
Page: Dadibidonian
Yowl is facing similar accusations to Catherine the Great of Russia
Page: Horse obsession?
Davidson football team scores first win over 4 abnormally small kindergarteners
In a hard-fought battle, the Davidson Football Team earned its first win against a squad of unusually small kindergarteners. The game was decided by a clutch field goal, sailing just over the outstretched hands of the four-foot-tall defenders to secure a 3-0 victory.
Afterward, we spoke with Kyle, captain of the Kindergarteners, who reflected, ‘It was a close game, but losing three of our starters to injury gave them the edge!’ Looking ahead, Davidson prepares for next week’s matchup against a daunting lineup of ten menacing scarecrows.
Davidson College on: Accessibility
In the summer of 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law by then-President George W. Bush. The Act defines disability broadly and requires reasonable accommodations to remove barriers hindering participation. In Chapter 4, the ADA describes ramp requirements, explaining that “ramps and curb ramps are required along accessible routes to span changes in level greater than ½”. Elevators and, under certain specified conditions, platform lifts, can be used as an alternative. Portions of accessible routes with running slopes steeper than 5% also must be treated as ramps” (Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards, Chapter 4, U.S. Access Board). While Chapter 10 discusses miniature golf courses, not ONCE does the ADA reference scooters for the sole purpose of athletic use (public humiliation).
This omits one of the largest, most important demographics: the athletes who are deluded enough into believing that because they play a Division 1 sport, campus is as large as a typical D1 campus. These vital assets to our community have been shunned and turned away; told they mustn’t ride their scooters indoors, then told they are not permitted even to bring their only form of transportation inside, and then spurned for parking their scooters on the ramps? As if there’s anywhere else to park them?
Whether they’re taking off their shoes in class, distracting you then asking for your notes, or just generally touching on your weird, Davidson scooter-athletes are valuable assets in the classroom. Who else will repeat what you said five minutes ago in class? Who else won’t carry their weight during a group project?
I know many of you see an athlete on a scooter and think low of them, but let me tell you what I see: A Wildcat Warrior, clutching at the reins of their chariot, perhaps galloping forth to battle, but, surely at least, off to defend the good name of Davidson College. So I say: Let them park! Screw accessibility! We should all be in awe of these student celebrities in our midst! When you’re that much more important than your peers, only your accessibility matters. Please sign my petition on Change.org to install scooter ramps from Baker to Union and Qdoba. Thank you.
Quote of the Week
“I’m inclined to insist sex stays.”
Yowl editor
Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.
