Old Gold&Black “Covers the campus like the magnolias”
VOL 109 , NO. 10
WA K E F O R E S T ’ S S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 1 6
JANUARY 19, 2023
ͅͳ million grant for environmental justice project Funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will support an initiative led by Corey D.B. Walker DANIEL PAROLINI & MADDIE STOPYRA News Editors Wake Forest University received a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation on Jan. 11 that will fund new environmental justice initiatives led by the African American Studies and Environment and Sustainability Studies programs. The project, led by Dr. Corey D. B. Walker, director of the African American Studies program and the interim dean of the School of Divinity, aims to educate community members on environmental awareness and bridge the gap between science and the humanities. “Questions of justice in general, and environmental justice in particular, stand at the center of the discipline of African American Studies,” Walker said. “We seek to model a style of intellectual collaboration and teaching animated by the rich traditions of the humanities in educating a new generation of students who are scientifically literate and ethically informed with a broad vision for human flourishing.” Designed to cultivate engagement on campus and in the community, the grant will fund several forms of outreach such as research seminars and public forums for advocates, journalists, scholars and public officials. The money will also help eight faculty members per academic year form a Faculty Fellows community in which they can share their research that involves African American and Environmental Studies. Additionally, the Community Environmental Justice Fellows program will allow community partner organizations to learn from and contribute to teaching and research,
according to a Jan. 11 press release. Officially titled “Environmental and Epistemic Justice: A Transformative Humanistic Model for Science and Technology Studies,” the project originated as a collaboration between the African American Studies program and the Environment and Sustainability Studies programs. “You can’t think about environmental justice and human justice separately,” said Julie Velásquez Runk, who worked on the grant proposal before joining Wake Forest as the director of the undergraduate Environmental Science program. “We each have [our own] programming activities — African American Studies has theirs, and we have ours — but Mellon brings them together in a new initiative.” Runk said that under the new program, “there’s a lot of intentionality about not being simply an academic project, but one that is centered around the Winston-Salem community.” Through its community-oriented vision, the project embodies the core commitments laid out in the university’s new strategic framework, according to Velásquez Runk. But its collaborative goals are nothing new to Wake Forest’s curriculum, according to Walker. “This project is a continuation of the long and extensive history of cross-disciplinary collaboration and engagement with scholars across the arts, humanities and sciences,” Walker said. “Indeed, this initiative will not only draw on the rich traditions of these intel-
lectual projects but also on the panoply of knowledge from across the university and the community in responding to the challenges facing our world.” The university faced one such challenge in January 2022 when the Weaver Fertilizer Plant fire brought a new sense of urgency to climate justice in the Winston-Salem community. “The Weaver fire brought into sharp relief the deeply divergent lives and life chances different citizens and communities face in Winston-Salem,” Walker said. “It is yet another instance of ‘disaster by design’ — the infinite and (un)conscious ways in which racial regimes are naturalized and inscribed in the environment and in the very organization of life and society.” This grant for environmental justice is not the first Mellon grant Wake Forest has received. In 2015, a three-year grant of $650,000 went toward the creation of a digital design studio in the Z. Smith Reynolds Library that allowed the university to expand its humanities research. In 2018, a four-year grant of $850,000 funded “The Humanities Engaged,” which developed a curriculum through community programming and new efforts in co-teaching. “[These projects] leveraged the strength of the humanities at Wake Forest University in new and dynamic ways in addressing some of the pressing challenges facing our society and world,” Walker said. “This initiative builds on [those efforts].” Contact writers at parodj20@wfu.edu & stopmf21@wfu.edu
Briana Scurry delivers keynote address at MLK Day celebration 7KH 2O\PSLDQ DQG :RUOG &XS FKDPSLRQ ZDV WKH ¿UVW /*%74 LGHQWL¿HG 0/. 'D\ NH\QRWH VSHDNHU DANIEL PAROLINI News Editor
Sixty years after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the first Black man invited to speak in Wait Chapel, legendary goalkeeper Briana Scurry was the first LGBTQ+ identified MLK Day keynote speaker invited to Wake Forest. And like King, she too spoke about dreams. “Dreams are in your heart for a reason,” Scurry, two-time Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion said. “They are things you are supposed to do… and they will speak to you through your heart.”
When she was 12 years old, Scurry joined her school’s soccer team. A few years later, she wrote her dream on a piece of printer paper that she posted on the wall next to her bed. In her keynote address, she described how every morning and every night, she would look at the paper and let her dream inspire her: “Olympics 1996 – I have a dream.” Scurry was the first Black and openly gay starting goalkeeper on the U.S. Women’s National Team and is now an author and mental health advocate. She was welcomed and introduced by President Susan Wente and Winston-Salem State University Chancellor Elwood Robinson
as this year’s “Building the Dream” keynote speaker, part of a 22-year-old collaboration between Wake Forest and Winston-Salem State University. Throughout her address, Scurry encouraged students to have faith in themselves, using her story as an example of the power of self-efficacy and external support. “Because all it takes for you to reach the heights of giants, the heights of people who have changed the world,” Scurry said, “is faith — someone having faith in you, and you having faith in yourself.” See MLK, Page 4
What's Inside NEWS Panhellenic recruitment returns partially in person Page Four
FEATURES Young Life helps students connect with faith Page Six
ENVIRONMENT Is 'once in a generation' the new normal? Page Eight
OPINION Guilt should not dictate the enjoyment of art Page Thirteen
SPORTS Demon Deacons dismantle Boston College Page Sixteen
LIFE Stepping into a musical time capsule Page Nineteen
Old Gold & Black “ From the editor: Year 107 This column represents the views of the Editor-in-Chief of the Old Gold & Black, Christa Dutton
In its 107-year history, our paper has had the privilege of documenting Wake Forest history and culture. We have covered the most important issues, featured the most interesting people, captured the biggest moments in sports, chronicled opinions and highlighted the cultural phenomena that students loved — or hated — the most. In this year’s volume, we will continue to do just that, but as things grow, they change. We are excited to announce some exciting, new additions to the Old Gold & Black. You’ll notice that this print issue is longer than usual. We have expanded our paper from 16 pages to 20 pages, giving our Environment section more space for its brilliant coverage. As issues concerning the environment heighten around the world and
environmental advocacy increases on campus, our Environment desk is dedicated to reporting on both challenges and solutions. Since its establishment last semester, the desk has produced fascinating features, strong accountability pieces and helpful, solution-oriented stories. Our hope is that our readership continues to benefit from their diverse coverage and increases their awareness of the environmental work being done at Wake Forest. This year, we are also expanding our multimedia team by hiring a video editor to oversee our team of talented videographers. Stories come alive through visuals, and the Old Gold & Black is excited to produce compelling video stories. Lastly, this page will soon be taken
over by our new Editorial Committee. The Editorial Committee comprises seven members: the online managing editor, all three editors from the Opinion desk and two staff writers. The group meets weekly to discuss what issues our campus is facing and then decides a stance to argue in the weekly editorial. We are excited to see how the committee influences the editorial direction of the newspaper. Some things, however, never change. We will continue to produce highquality journalism online and in print, strengthening the design of both. We will continue to hold ourselves to the highest possible ethical standards and be accountable to our community when we fall short. Our multimedia team will continue to produce podcasts,
We are dedicated to providing coverage that is both deep and wide, and we will continue to be a place where students can tell their stories..." create videos and provide stunning photography to accompany our work. Like our motto says, the Old Gold & Black remains committed to “covering the campus like the magnolias.” We are dedicated to providing coverage that is both deep and wide, and we will continue to be a place where students can tell their stories and express their views.
Old Gold&Black THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY SINCE 1916
CHRISTA DUTTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF duttcd20@wfu.edu
BREANNA LAWS
AINE PIERRE
MARYAM KHANUM
SOFIA SCORDLEY
PRINT MANAGING EDITOR
ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR
MULTIMEDIA MANAGING EDITOR
BUSINESS MANAGER
lawsbn21@wfu.edu
pierav20@wfu.edu
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scorse20@wfu.edu
>> NEWS Daniel Parolini, parodj20@wfu.edu
>> LIFE Adam Coil, coilat21@wfu.edu
Maddie Stopyra, stopmf21@wfu.edu
James Watson, watsjc22@wfu.edu
>> FEATURES Meredith Prince, prinmc21@wfu.edu
>> PHOTO Virginia Noone, noonvc21@wfu.edu
Chase Bagnall-Koger, bagncm21@wfu. edu
Evan Harris, harres22@wfu.edu
Asst. Isabella Romine, romiie21@wfu.edu
>> VIDEO Asheton Ayotte, ayotag20@wfu.edu
>> ENVIRONMENT Addison Schmidt, schmac21@wfu.edu
>> DESIGN Caroline Suber, subece21@wfu.edu
Bella Ortley-Guthrie, ortlbs21@wfu.edu >> OPINION Sophie Guymon, guymsm20@wfu.edu Shaila Prasad, prassp21@wfu.edu
Laura Groh, grohlc22@wfu.edu Jacobi Gilbert, gilbjk21@wfu.edu Josh Reynolds, reynjs21@wfu.edu
Asst. Lauren Carpenter, carple21@wfu.edu
>> COPY CHIEF Josie Scratchard, scraja20@wfu.edu
>> SPORTS ,DQ 6WHIIHQVHQ VWHI¿S #ZIX HGX
>> ADVISER Ivan Weiss, weissij@wfu.edu
>> POLICIES The Old Gold & Black is published every other Thursday during the school year, except during examinations, summer and holiday periods, by Triangle Printing of Durham. © 2023 WFU Media Board. All rights reserved. The views expressed in all editorials and advertisePHQWV FRQWDLQHG ZLWKLQ WKLV SXEOLFDWLRQ GR QRW QHFHVVDULO\ UHÀHFW WKH RSLQLRQV RI WKH 2*% As part of our commitment to reporting news fairly and accurately, we will not remove any previously published content. If an error in either our online or print content is brought to our attention, we will revise the originally published article with an appended correction. ,Q RUGHU WR IDFLOLWDWH WKRXJKWIXO DQG DSSURSULDWH GHEDWH SURIDQH YXOJDU RU LQÀDPPDWRU\ comments on our website are not allowed and will be deleted. For more information on our commenting policy, please see our website. We reserve the right to reject advertisements deemed inappropriate. Our full policy, and how to advertise with the OGB, can be found on our website. >> SUBMISSIONS The OGB welcomes submissions in the form of story tips, columns and letters to the editor. Letters to the editor should be fewer than 500 words, and columns should be around 500 words. Send yours via e-mail to duttcd20@wfu.edu the Monday before publication. We reserve the right to edit all letters for length and clarity. No anonymous letters will be printed. >> ONLINE MEDIA Web: wfuogb.com Facebook: facebook.com/ogb1916 Twitter: @wfuogb Instagram: @wfuogb TikTok: @wfuogb
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News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, January 19, 2023 | Page 3
National Panhellenic Council opens expansion application NPHC begins its search for two organizations to join its campus community MADDIE STOPYRA News Editor Wake Forest’s National PanHellenic Council is looking to expand. Beginning Jan. 9, organizations in the national NPHC that do not currently have a chapter on Wake Forest’s campus can apply to join the university’s council. Initially announced in November, NPHC is looking for a historically African American fraternity or sorority as well as a multicultural organization to join the council. Established in 1988, Wake Forest’s NPHC is home to five historically Black fraternities and sororities as well as a multicultural sorority, Delta Xi Phi. During the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life’s annual expansion meeting in 2022, students decided that growing the NPHC community would enrich students’ experiences on campus. “Our NPHC members wanted to offer something different to the Wake Forest community,” Assistant Director of Sorority Life Brittany Harris-Nelson said. “If a student can’t find their home in one of the current organizations on campus, then we want to give everyone the opportunity to find where they belong.” Former NPHC President and senior Kgosi Hughes was involved in the beginning stages of expansion. He, alongside other students, presented their interest in other organizations to the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. “I think the wish for an increase in diversity at Wake Forest influenced the interest in expansion,” Hughes said. “The visibility of the NPHC has been expanding, and a lot of people have been saying ‘I want to do this, but the current fraternities and sororities aren’t exactly what I am looking for.’ I also think a lot of people would like to charter a new organization on campus, whether that is Latinx or Southeast Asian or others.” The expansion, according to Harris-Nelson, could significantly impact the presence of multicultural Greek life on campus. “Delta Xi Phi, our multicultural
Evan Daane/Old Gold & Black
‘The Divine Nine” is a group of nine nationally recognized, historically Afri Ǥ ϐ Ǥ
sorority, is an affiliate member, but once we have three multicultural organizations on campus, they will be able to create their own council,” Harris-Nelson said. “That way, Delta Xi Phi won’t have to be an attachment to NPHC.” Wake Forest’s branch of the NPHC offers students of marginalized communities a unique experience on campus both through its rich history and by allowing students to find a sense of belonging. “NPHC offers a home to our students of marginalized communities, specifically our Black and brown communities,” HarrisNelson said. “NPHC organizations were founded at a time when Black and brown people were not allowed in traditional Greek letter organizations, so they founded their own. Each organization has different values and principles, but many are related to scholarship, service, brotherhood and sisterhood.” Drawing from his experience
as NPHC president and Kappa Alpha Psi member, Hughes expressed how this expansion could grow the larger Wake Forest community and create opportunities for students. “Ultimately, I would like a bigger community where people from all over the world with different backgrounds can feel welcome,” Hughes said. “These organizations can determine a lot of how students spend their four years of college. I am hoping that people will find their place.” He continued: “Joining my organization allowed me to tap into a lot of leadership positions that I would not have been able to hold. We increased cultural competency on campus and went into spaces that don’t see a lot of NPHC members or people of color. We tapped into those spaces, increased awareness of our organizations and saw how we could facilitate greater diversity, equity and inclusion.” Harris-Nelson and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
believe that student input is imperative to the success of the expansion. Once applicants are established, student trustees, as well as other student life organizations, will be heavily involved in the decision-making process. “We want students to be as involved in this process as possible,” Harris-Nelson said. “Students are always welcome in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life in Benson 218. We try to give a diverse voice to this process by including students from all walks of life. Our door is always open to anyone who would like to share with us.” Applications will close on Jan. 27. After applications are reviewed, new organizations will gain charter during the 20232024 academic year. More information about the expansion and the interest form can be found on the Office of Student Engagement website at https://studentengagement.wfu.edu/fraternity-and-soContact Maddie Stopyra at stopmf2121@wfu.edu
POLICE BEAT • • • • • • • •
An unknown subject used the victim’s email to subscribe to an explicit internet subscription. The report was filed at 8:46 a.m. on Jan. 9. An unknown subject took a rented bicycle during winter break. The report was filed at 3:00 p.m. on Jan. 9. Unknown subject(s) entered the victims’ rooms and took several items. The report was filed at 6:32 p.m. on Jan. 9. An underage student was intoxicated in a dorm room and transported to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center via Forsyth Country EMS Unit 36. The report was filed at 1:54 a.m. on Jan. 10. A student entered another student’s room and urinated. The report was filed at 9:17 a.m. on Jan. 11. Unknown subject(s) broke the window of a vehicle and took items. The report was filed at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 11. A wallet containing two fake, Texas driver’s licenses was found and turned in to the Universtiy Police. The report was filed at 8:26 a.m. on Jan. 13 An intoxicated student was transported to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The report was filed at 1:57 a.m. on Jan. 14.
Page 4 | Thursday, January 19, 2023
Old Gold & Black | News
MLK: Scurry challenges audience to believe in dreams Continued from Page 1 She continued: “I was a little, skinny girl in a predominantly white neighborhood, [one of] the only African American families in that town. No one looked like me. But I had things that I was going to do… and no one was going to stop me from doing them.” In retelling her journey, Scurry described many obstacles she faced during her career, from playing the seven-year defending soccer champion, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, during her senior year at University of Massachusetts to the passing of her father two months before playing in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Despite these challenges, Scurry explains how the support of her coaches, teammates and parents helped her view each hardship as an opportunity. The resilience she exhibited while playing against UNC led to her recruitment for the U.S. Women’s National Team, and the spirit of her father helped her play “out of [her] mind” in an Olympic game in which she was “torn to pieces.” After years of fighting for equity in women’s sports and maintaining a career worthy of the National Hall of Fame, Scurry faced a more personal conflict after receiving a career-ending head injury. Having entered into a downward spiral of depression and anxiety, Scurry
described her experience battling doctors and insurance companies for the care she wasn’t getting but knew she needed. The title of her new book, “My Greatest Save,” describes in detail her experience with the mental health crisis that brought her close to suicide in 2013. “Part of what I like to do is be very honest, very authentic and very real about the things that I had to go through in order to get to where I am,” Scurry said. She continued: “I went from that ledge to having a life 10 years later that I never could have imagined having. Even before my injury, even when I was playing, I never thought I could have a life as amazing as I have. I say that to say this — you never know what’s Evan Harris/ Old Gold & Black working for your good. You have to keep faith, fire and keep your eyes on the prize.” Ǥ Before delivering her keynote address, Scurry sat down to have lunch with Kaitlyn Parks, a senior on the women’s athletes to succeed academically and female student athletes and coaches soccer team and one of the event’s in- athletically. “Know that all the rigors and expectawhere she answered questions about troductory speakers, said. “I’m also a filling the void after soccer and be- woman of color that is part of the LG- tions you have now are preparing you to coming a better teammate and a more BTQ community, and that’s not an in- go chase your dream,” Scurry said. “It’s understanding leader. Organized by tersection that you see very often. So better to be prepared on a razor’s edge the Intercultural Center, the luncheon having someone that’s so successful in than not to be prepared at all. You want gave students the opportunity to meet their career have that platform to share to have a challenge. Embrace that. Seek their story I think is very inspiring.” a hero. that out.” At the luncheon and in her address, “I think it’s really nice having a figure that represents a part of your identity Scurry acknowledged the hard work Contact Daniel Parolini at that you don’t really see every day,” that it takes for students and student parodj20@wfu.edu
Panhellenic recruitment returns partially in person 'HVSLWH GDXQWLQJ ORJLVWLFV UHFUXLWPHQW UHWXUQV LQ SHUVRQ IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH VLQFH ASHLYN SEGLER Contributing Writer
As panhellenic recruitment returned in person this year for the first time since 2020, those on both sides of the rush process learned what it looked like to rush in person. For sororities and potential new members (PNMs) alike, the logistics of Zoom links and Wi-Fi connectivity were traded for those of recruitment attire and in-person parties. Although the first two rounds remained virtual, sorority members were able to meet PNMs face-to-face during the second half of recruitment. Bid Day, when PNMs receive bids from sororities, was also held in person.
The last time recruitment took place in person, Pledge Class 2020, who are now seniors, were going through recruitment as PNMs. For many sorority members, returning to recruitment in person evoked a unique set of challenges. “There are just far more details to worry about with in-person recruiting,” Kappa Delta recruitment chair, Rahab Meghani, said. “Every small thing has to be planned in terms of movements, aesthetics, providing for your members and timing. Online recruitment is far less logistically complicated because all you can plan is making the Zoom link and teaching members how to navigate Zoom itself.” Multiple chapters reached out to alumni for guidance.
Ashlyn Segler/ Old Gold & Black
Members of the 2023 pledge class “run home” to their sororities after ϐ Ǧ ʹͲʹͲǤ
“None of our active members have been through the process, on this side, in person,” Tri Delta recruitment chair, Lucy Koeniger, said. “Fortunately, older and graduated members were more than eager and willing to guide us and go over questions we had about the inner workings of in-person recruitment from an active’s perspective.” Despite difficulties with logistics, many sorority members expressed a preference for in-person recruitment. Senior Meredith Power compared her experience rushing in person freshman year to her experience this year as a member of Alpha Delta Pi. “After going through round three in person on Sunday, I feel positive about in-person recruitment returning,” Power said. “I went through recruitment in 2020 and loved being able to feel the energy in the room and see the other PNMs. I think it’s important to be in person because our Greek activities are no longer virtual.” Alongside active sorority members, PNMs benefit from in-person recruitment. Greek Recruitment Counselors (GRCs), who help guide PNMs through the rush process, commented on how in-person recruitment has positively affected the experience for many PNMs. “From the PNM side, in person [recruitment] is a much better, holistic gauge of a sorority because you get to see how members interact, rather than just talking to two to three girls for a few minutes via Zoom,” Marie Claire Goff, a GRC and member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, said. “It also takes a bit of the awkward pressure off because
they can read body movements and just have a conversation.” GRC and Delta Zeta member, Imelda Donnelly, echoed Goff. “The PNMs can clearly see how the girls in that sorority interact with one another in person, which could give them different opinions about the sorority,” she said. “Additionally, they can see the girls in line who were called back to that sorority and talk to them to see if they would like their potential pledge class.” As COVID-19 restrictions fade further into campus history, many sorority members express a hope to return to fully in-person recruitment. “I hope to keep recruitment in person because I think it allows for a much more individualized and personalized conversation experience,” Sarah Davenport, a sophomore member of Chi Omega, said. “After going through COVID, I think all young people understand that when you speak to someone virtually, it’s a lot easier to act differently behind a screen than it is in person, and it’s easier to be your own self in recruitment when it’s in person.” Kappa Alpha Theta member Emily Macdonald added: “All in all, I would say recruitment is designed to match each girl with the place where she’ll be able to be her most authentic self, truly thrive and grow with the support of her sisters. While effective in both ways [both online and virtual], I hope that the in-person aspect coming back will be able to help each girl find her place.” Contact Ashlyn Segler at seglal20@wfu.edu
FEATURES
Meredith Prince, prinmc21@wfu.edu Chase Bagnall-Koger, bagncm21@wfu.edu Asst: Isabella Romine romiie21@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
PAGE 5 THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2023
DEACON PROFILE Tal Feldman PRARTHNA BATRA Staff Writer
Senior Tal Feldman has grown up with one goal in mind — wanting to work for the U.S. government. But while a lot of students at Wake Forest may sit with such dreams, Feldman has secured a Schwarzman Scholarship to spend a year studying global policy at Tsinghua University in Beijing. “I moved to the United States when I was really young, and I am really grateful for all the opportunities it has provided me in terms of education, and I feel a real sense of wanting to give back,” Feldman said. “I’ve known probably since elementary school that I want to go into public service, and if there was a way to combine my interest in computer science, math and my passion for the country and giving back, it was exactly this.” The Schwarzman Scholars Program aims to build a global network of young leaders that are passionate and prepared to confront the pressing challenges the modern world faces. Through his work at the Federal Reserve and the State Department, Feldman has learned that a deep, critical understanding of China is vital. “In every piece of work I have ever done or every internship I have worked related to global policy, the question always turns to what China’s perspective on the matter is,” Feldman said. Through the Schwarzman Program, Feldman hopes to better understand not only the language, people and culture of China but also its government. “It is a major shift from what I am used to in all perspectives,” Feldman said. “I’m hoping this help and exposure will all be valuable in the future when talking about foreign policy and [I hope] to be the per- son who has been there and knows how things are on the ground level — not just from reading articles about it.” Feldman is a Stamps Scholar and a senior at Wake Forest University originally from Fort Worth, Texas, with a double major in mathematics and economics. During his sophomore year, he co-founded the Collegiate Association for Inequality Research, which encouraged student-led research groups and culminated in a virtual conference that drew more than 120 presenters from 48 universities. “We were encouraged and helped along the way by a lot of mentors,” Feldman said. “They’ve encouraged me to take intellectual risks and take initiative. Without the encouragement and support this community has al-
“It really pushed me to think about and synthesize the narrative of who I am and what is most important to me and what my goals are,” Feldman said of the application process. “I think that applying for a fellowship like this really helps you cut down all of your thoughts into something that you can write on a piece of paper, and that is really helpful.’’ Feldman’s interest in this area of foreign policy arose in the summer of 2020 when he started reading papers about it. “I always knew I had an interest in computer science as well, so I put those two together and wrote a paper using AI to analyze Russia’s misinformation and how Russia presents itself to the media,” Feldman said. Feldman’s paper led to his internships at the State Department and the Federal Reserve, and he credits his AI background with his success in scholarship applications. ‘‘I think these are two crucial things that have led to me winning this fellowship because China holds a great deal of importance in the AI field,’’ Feldman said. Feldman is also looking forward to getting to know the 150-person cohort with which he gets to spend the next year. In preparation for Photo Courtesy of Kim McGrath the big year that lies ahead of him, Feldman has been brushing up on ways given me, I wouldn’t be here today.” his Mandarin skills and has been speaking to Feldman was then named a Truman Schol- past and present Schwartzman Scholar gradar while completing a full academic year of uates to understand how he can maximize study at the London School of Economics as his time in Beijing. a junior, where he also gave presentations at “Spontaneous, interesting, and educative the local United States Embassy on Artificial conversations with a group of all very learned Intelligence technology. people is something that I’m really looking “I was drawn to apply because studying at forward to — and to, of course, continue my the London School of Economics last year work in the fields of AI and economics.” really broadened my perspective about matFeldman credits the Wake Forest commuters in Europe, and I really wanted to broaden my horizon beyond the United States and nity and the Scholar’s Office for their support and for allowing him to nurture his inEurope,” Feldman said. Feldman is currently studying abroad in terests and grow. “I know for a fact that if I hadn’t come to Chile to complete his last semester at Wake Forest. He was among 151 candidates se- Wake Forest and been supported in the ways lected for the Schwarzman scholarship from I have, I wouldn’t be here today,” Feldman 36 countries and 21 universities around the said. “I’ve had professors and other menglobe. tors across the Wake Forest community that Feldman described the application process have encouraged me to think deeply about to the Schwarzman Scholars program as a all of the things I’m interested in. Beyond thought-provoking and extremely competi- just thinking about them, they have encourtive program. Feldman was inspired to ap- aged me to take intellectual risks and take ply because he was curious to learn more initiative to start different clubs and organiabout China and how the nation impacts the zations.” world. He plans to use this knowledge in his future work — which he hopes will be with Contact Prarthna Batra at the U.S. government. batrp22@wfu.edu
Page 6 | Thursday, January 19, 2023
Old Gold & Black | Features
Young Life helps students connect with faith The Christian organization bridges the gap between college students and middle to high school students SYDNEY PASCERI Contributing Writer
High school is certainly not easy. Making new friends, keeping up with the latest TikTok trends, studying for driving tests, enduring SATs and ACTs and completing extensive college applications are just a few of the anxieties and responsibilities teenagers face. But when sophomore Kaleigh Galinis turned to Young Life during her high school years, the experience changed for the better. Young Life is a national Christian organization that invites middle schoolers into their WyldLife program, high schoolers into Young Life and college students into Young Life College to either deepen their faith or start developing one alongside other students and volunteer leaders. The organization encourages young people to understand that they are valued because God values them and that they are worthy because God believes they are worthy. In other words, Young Life motivates their members to look for affirmation within their faith rather than listening to external validation. “The mission of Young Life is to step into [students’] lives right where they are in order to instill their identity in Christ and not in the world,” Kaleigh Galinis said. Young Life Forsyth County serves many different groups from middle schoolers to college students to children with “intellectual and developmental disabilities” in their Capernaum program to teen mothers in YoungLives. Located at the center
of Forsyth County, Wake Forest has its own Young Life ministry on campus, in which students can explore Christianity or deepen their faith. Galinis discovered the organization at her home in Florida, when Young Life leaders attended her dance concerts, caught up with her at lunch and spent time with her at local football games. Encouraged by their support, Galinis began to get involved in Young Life gatherings at her high school. In the fall of her first year at Wake Forest, Galinis joined Young Life on campus and learned about the process of becoming a leader in Forsyth County. That spring, she completed leadership training for high school and middle school students. Galinis now serves as a Young Life leader at Ronald Wilson Reagan High School in Pfafftown, N.C. Like leaders at her high school, Galinis shows up to football games and dance concerts. She mentors high school students and guides them through their lives of faith. “As a leader, I’m able to walk into the lives of students at Reagan High School,” Galinis said. “I can be there for them as a friend or a role model and help them find their identity in Christ.” At Reagan High School, Galinis and a team of Wake Forest students host “Club,” a large group session, on Monday nights. The leaders open the session by singing Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber songs, then play interactive games and close the session with a message of faith. Students are encouraged to stay after and hang out with their friends and leaders. Galinis compared Club to a youth group meeting, yet more welcoming — the
“High school can have a lot of social pressures and anxieties...Young Life walks beside [the students] and emphasizes their identity in Christ, not in [those] anxieties.”
games played are inclusive, with no student picked out of the crowd. Throughout the week, the team of leaders hold “Campaigners.” Comparable to a Bible study, “Campaigners” brings students together to study and ask questions about Scripture. Instead of relying strictly on the text for a whole session, Young Life tries to relate Scripture to real life. The sessions stir conversation about each students’ trials surrounding friendships, relationships and high school. “High school can have a lot of social pressures and anxieties and [force
Photo courtesy of Elise English
Young Life leaders pose with students at the Rockbridge Alum Springs in Rockbridge County, VA. The camp offers a variety of activities and experiences for students.
students] to live a certain way and follow a certain path,” Galinis said. “Young Life walks beside [the students] and emphasizes their identity in Christ, not in [those] anxieties.” Sophomore Elise English was exposed to Young Life through her family — her parents served on the parents’ committee of her local Young Life chapter in Dayton, Ohio. In high school, English remembers attending Young Life meetings in her basement with fellow students. After becoming a Young Life leader in her first year at Wake Forest, English was assigned to lead high schoolers at West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, N.C, which reminds her of her high school back home. “I remember how hard it was to be a high school girl sometimes,” English said. “The insecurities that you face, the challenges and the academic competition. I remember the impact Young Life leaders had on me [during that time].” Like Galinis, English strives to show up for students as a mentor but even more as a friend. English says her high schoolers become excited when she attends their dance and cheerleading competitions. She engages in deep conversations with her students about their faith and their lives, empowering the high schoolers to continue searching for their identity in Christ. English also leads weekend and summer trips for her students where they can deepen their faith and spend time with other members of Young Life. Students involved with Young Life Forsyth County get the opportunity to attend Young Life Camp. Leaders accompany students on a weekend trip in the winter and a weeklong trip in the summer where students put their phones down, eat three meals a day together and discuss their faith with each other. There are games, water sports, go-karts, ropes courses, Club and down time in their cabins with leaders for Campaigners. At this summer camp, Forsyth County students meet middle school and high school students from all over the country. This past summer, Galinis had the chance to volunteer, then intern, at Georgia SharpTop Cove in Jasper, Ga. — a Young Life camp. She made lifelong friends among the 30 other college student leaders and walked beside young students on their journey toward Christ. “Camp is a dream,” Galinis said. “It’s [a chance to] experience life as it should be.” For students interested in learning more about the organization, they can drop into the Young Life meetings at Wake Forest. The group has Bible studies weekly and typically hosts one Club a month. To become a leader in Young Life Forsyth County, students can contact Young Life Forsyth County directly. Contact Sydney Pasceri at pascs21@wfu.edu
Thursday, January 19, 2023 | Page 7
Old Gold & Black | Features
Wake Forest student advocates for theater accessibility Senior Cameron Michles researches how theater can include audiences with sensory issues ISABELLA ROMINE Asst. Features Editor
The last time you were at a theater, did you think about the brightness of the lights, the levels of sound or the speed of the transitions between scenes? While the answer is likely no for most of us, Wake Forest senior and Stamps Scholar Cameron Michles is deeply attuned to these aspects. Over the past two years, Michles has dedicated herself to researching how to make theater more accessible while pursuing a double major in psychology and theater and a minor in neuroscience. As Michles characterizes it, there are two main approaches toward increasing accessibility in theater. One side focuses on physically accessible theater, which is geared towards those with sight or hearing impairments or similar disabilities. Accommodations in these cases include audio descriptions, closed captions or signed performances — features of which most people have seen or heard. Much less attention is paid to accessibility for those who are neurodivergent and have sensory issues, which is what Michles primarily researches. In many cases, people have no idea what sensoryaccessible theater looks like, don’t understand its purpose or don’t even know what sensory issues are. Sensory issues involve difficulty processing normal daily stimuli like bright lights, loud noises or the way something feels on one’s skin. Symptoms can involve heightened emotional responses such as meltdowns. The American Journal of Psychiatry estimates that 5%-16% of American children have
“There’s an unfortunate presumption that people who are not included are not interested in being included, and that can poison efforts to increase inclusivity.” - Cameron Michles sensory processing disorder (SPD). The disorder is especially prevalent in those who have autism, Tourette syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder, ADHD or other learning challenges — groups few think of when creating theater productions. “There’s an unfortunate presumption that people who are not included are not interested in being included, and that can poison efforts to increase inclusivity,” Michles said. What that inclusivity looks like varies widely across productions: the relative novelty of the field means that there is often little existing data from which researchers and directors can draw. Sometimes adjustments are made on the side of the performance to create a more sensory-friendly experience. Actors may speak more slowly, loud and unexpected noises may be removed and lighting may be adjusted so as not to be overstimulating. Neurodivergent-accessible
Photo Courtesy of WFU Department of Theatre & Dance
Michles pointed out that Wake Forest theater productions lack accomodations for those who have sensory issues.
performances are also not constrained by typical theater etiquette. Those expectations — like having to remain silent and still throughout an entire show — can make attending a performance too stressful for some. Other adjustments that create a more relaxed theater-going environment include designating spaces where people can step out to take a break from the show or leaving house lights fully or partially on. Theaters might also provide audiences with noisereducing headphones, fidget toys or temperature-modifying items such as blankets. Michles’ journey into this field began in spring of her sophomore year when she was approached by Dr. Cynthia Gendrich from the Department of Theatre and Dance. At the time, Gendrich was directing “Up & Away,” a play written for an audience of autistic children. Knowing that Michles studies both neuroscience and theater, Gendrich asked her if she would be willing to help conduct research on neurodivergent-accessible theater to inform what she wanted to direct for the children. “The opportunity kind of fell into my lap, but ever since that initial proposition, I’ve been following that curiosity wherever it leads me into the field of accessibility in theater,” Michles said. “As I was looking for answers to one question, I would find a few more questions I was interested in and go from there.” Though Michles could not see “Up & Away” performed this past spring because she was studying abroad in Vienna, the stage manager sent her nightly reports about the show. She enthusiastically described reading about each audience, all known by name and seat number. “Even though I couldn’t be there in person, it was great to hear about how such and such enjoyed the balloon scene, or how this actor made a particular accommodation for this audience member, so I got to keep in the loop that way,” Michles said. Michles continues to do research into putting on shows for neurodivergent audiences under the theater department’s guidance. Currently, that work consists of looking at theater websites, reading articles that describe sensoryaccessible shows and watching these performances herself to see how the employed techniques translate into an audience experience. Though Michles doesn’t anticipate that Wake Forest will put on sensoryfriendly productions for many years — which she attributes to the newness and relative obscurity of the field — she is still taking steps to increase the visibility of her passion at Wake Forest. One of her current goals is to add an accessibility page on the Wake Forest Department of Theatre & Dance website. She intends to create what is known as a social story for the website, which is a step-by-step guide on what someone should expect during their time at the Scales
Photo Courtesy of Cameron Michles
Senior Cameron Michles researches how to make theater accessible.
Fine Arts Center. This addition would include where the restrooms are, the exact runtime of shows, how someone can find their seats and other information that could make attending a performance less intimidating for audience members. She also hopes to collect noisereducing headphones, fidget toys, blankets and other similar items that would be stored in Wake Forest’s box office that theatergoers could borrow if it would make their experience more comfortable. Michles further intends to collaborate with the theatre department to put on educational information sessions for students, ushers, box office staff and anyone who interacts with audiences about what accessible theater is and looks like. While discussing the challenges of making Wake Forest theater more accessible, Michles pointed to measures the administration would have to put in place. “The first thing that is impossible to separate from any conversation about accessibility is budget,” Michles said. “Everything comes down to someone’s money or time that needs to be compensated for. If we had a dedicated fund whose purpose is to make our space accessible, that encourages us to make these small steps and to ask what else we can do with it.” Now that she has a solid foundation of research to support her cause, Michles intends to advocate for these measures this spring. She added: “Even if we’re not putting a hundred percent of our effort into making our shows fully accessible, really committing to learning more about [sensory accessible theater] is a step in the right direction. We want to reach everyone in our potential audiences and make it clear to the public that everyone is included.” Contact Isabella Romine at romiie21@wfu.edu
ENVIRONMENT OLD GOLD & BLACK
Addison Schmidt, schmac21@wfu.edu Bella Ortley-Guthrie, ortlbs21@wfu.edu
PAGE 8 THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2023
Is ‘once in a generation’ the new normal? How Winter Storm Elliott and other extreme weather events may be affected by climate change ANNA BEIM Staff Writer
As the bustling holiday season ramped up just before Christmas Day, a looming shadow formed over large parts of the United States — the beginning of a once-ina-generation winter storm. Named winter storm Elliott, the major weather event cast surges of arctic air across the country, drastically dropping temperatures to feel like below freezing beginning on Dec. 23, 2022. The storm began in the northwest before moving east — reaching the Atlantic border states. According to an NPR report, weather services put in place winter storm warning advisories affecting around 60% of the U.S. population the weekend of Dec. 24. Power outages, heavy snowfall and thousands of canceled flights devastated the country. The storm became increasingly intense as it traveled east, eventually developing into a “bomb cyclone,” an area of low pressure that rapidly intensifies (or “bombs”) over a short period of time. Based on figures reviewed by The Independent, Winter Storm Elliot caused the death of at least 72 people across the U.S. and Canada. Nearly half of these deaths occurred in Buffalo, NY and nearby areas. For many places in the U.S., the intensity of Winter Storm Elliott has been deemed a once-in-a-generation occurrence. However, trends in storm severity over recent years may prove storms like Elliott to be more common. As these trends have appeared, many scientists have turned to climate change research to explain the influences driving these weather events. Dr. Stephen Smith, Ph.D., an Earth Sciences professor at Wake Forest, shared his understanding of the climate science behind the increasing intensity of these natural disasters. To preface the discussion, Smith noted that weather events are too nuanced to claim that climate change is the cause of any singular event. “It gets tricky to try to ascribe any individual storm to
climate change,” Smith said. “What we’re able to say with respect to the science is more in terms of long-term change.” As a result, one cannot concretely state that Winter Storm Elliott is a result of climate change. However, with data trends across multiple types of storms and natural disasters, the warming climate may have an impact on how severe this type of weather becomes. “With hurricanes and tropical storms [that occur] in the summer, they derive their energy from warm water,” Smith said. “So when you get a warming planet, and the average temperature of the ocean is going up by a few degrees, you’re basically increasing the amount of fuel for the storms.” According to Smith, this does not account for an increase in the frequency of hurricanes. When a hurricane does occur, however, its potential danger increases due to the warming temperatures of the ocean. Smith remarks that rising temperatures also affect the intensity of winter storms. “It’s not surprising to scientists that we’re getting more severe winter storms,” Smith said. “It’s actually expected based on the way climate dynamics work…as the climate warms, you get more water vapor in the atmosphere, and when you have more water vapor, you have more precipitation.” According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), extreme winter storms often arise as a result of the destabilization of the polar vortex that separates the Arctic and lower latitudes. The polar vortex forms due to large temperature differences between the two regions, keeping the freezing Arctic air largely away from North America. As humans accelerate global warming, temperatures of the Arctic rise faster than other parts of the Earth — a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification. One theory that continues to be studied by NOAA experts states that the warming of the Arctic due to climate change could cause the temperature differences between the Arctic and the lower latitudes to decrease, destabilizing the polar vortex and weakening the “polar jet stream” that confines Arctic air. This instability causes extreme winter storms like
Elliott to occur. “Winter as a whole may actually get a little bit warmer, but it’s punctuated by more severe winter events because… Arctic air [can] dip down more easily,” Smith explained. “It may be 65 degrees and anomalously warm and sunny one day…and then the next week, you might have this crazy cyclone that dumps a lot of snow and sets record-low temperatures.” The general question regarding climate change then becomes how these changes will affect humanity and nature. With Winter Storm Elliott, people across the country were face-to-face with the disastrous effects of a severe weather event: chaos, instability and even death. Despite this devastation, humanity is armed with technological capabilities that save countless people from suffering during these natural disasters. Ecosystems, on the other hand, are not as fortunate. Nature has the persistent ability through adaptation to gradually mold and evolve ecosystems and species. As the environment changes over time, so does species evolution. According to Smith, however, when the climate changes rapidly and unpredictably, these ecosystems are put under duress. “It’s all stress,” Smith said. “It’s not necessarily that you have this background increase in temperature that’s a stress [on ecosystems], but you also have all of these other things that are happening in the climate as a result.” He continued: “We’re changing the resting state of the planet [which changes] the interactions that are taking place in the atmosphere, in the oceans and everywhere else.” As winter storms like Elliott and other natural disasters continue to worsen, human activity may prove to increase the danger against ourselves and the natural world across the globe. What once may have been a once-in-a-lifetime event could become dangerously more common. Contact Anna Beim at beimal21@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Winter Storm Elliott’s snowfall analysis shows the predicted snowfall across the United States while research suggests that climate change is contributing to larger and more dangerous storms.
Environment | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, January 19, 2023 | Page 9
Five resolutions to make 2023 the year of the tree hugger Five eco-friendly New Year’s resolutions for Mother Nature — and yourself LUKE ANDERS Contributing Writer
Despite growing concerns over climate change and worldwide pollution, many of us may find ourselves miserably failing to be good stewards of our environment. The new year offers us a time to reflect on the past and set goals for the present. To inspire your goal-setting, I’ve compiled five eco-friendly and college-practical resolutions to implement in your life. 1. Party like a tree-hugger. You know about the plastic party cup, don’t you? It’s the iconic red drink vessel that most certainly has ended up in your hands at some point during your college career. They are affordable and easy to throw away. While we may mindlessly throw them in the garbage can, if even a handful of students recycled them, Mother Nature would be better off. Sure, the better thing to do would be to ditch the plastic cup altogether. I’m all for it, but I’m also a realist. So, let’s start with recycling — at least for this year.
2. BYOM: Bring Your Own Mug. What do you get when you put coffee in a reusable mug? Sustainable energy. I know — that was corny. But seriously, let’s talk about bringing your own mug. Did you know that at Camino Bakery you can get a discount for bringing your own coffee mug? Not only will you save dining dollars, but you can also enjoy your latte without any of the unsavory taste that comes with a single-use cup. 3. Swipe left on plastic forks. Like many students, you may find yourself ordering food ahead and taking it to go. It’s easy to grab your food and stuff your bag with a few napkins, a plastic fork, a plastic spoon and maybe a plastic knife, too. For 2023, I challenge you to reconsider the practice of taking plasticware to
go. Instead, keep a set of reusable silverware in your dorm or backpack. It not only eliminates unneeded plastic waste, but it also performs far better than plasticware ever will. 4. F%*k Fast Fashion!
hit up a local thrift shop. As the saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” 5. Join the movement. Whether you know it or not, there are lots of tree huggers here in the Forest. Maybe you’ve set a New Year’s resolution to get involved with more organizations on campus. Perhaps you want to surround yourself with others who will inspire you to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Whatever your reason is, check out dEaCOfriendly and the Office of Sustainability, two awesome earth-loving organizations here at Wake Forest! As members of the Wake Forest community, it is important that we be good stewards of Mother Nature and our forest here at home — not only for her future but for ours, too. I hope that you’ll at least consider adopting some of these earth-friendly resolutions into your life in 2023.
This year, it’s time to leave fast fashion in the past. For us, this means not overconsuming massproduced clothing. Instead, opt to shop with more sustainable brands like Patagonia. Did you know that they offer a program called Worn Wear where you can trade-in and buy lightly-used Patagonia apparel and gear? (Check it out at wornwear.patagonia.com.) In addition to choosing more sustainable brands, you can also prioritize taking better care of the clothes you already Graphic courtesy of Vector Stock own and donating old clothing instead of throwing it away. For a Contact Luke Anders at more affordable option, you can also andelc21@wfu.edu
Sustainable events to mark on your calendars for the new year /RRNLQJ LQWR WKH 2I¿FH RI 6XVWDLQDELOLW\ DQG &DPSXV *DUGHQV¶V SODQV IRU VXVWDLQDEOH HYHQWV RQ FDPSXV BELLA ORTLEY-GUTHRIE Environment Editor
As a new year and semester begin, both the Office of Sustainability and Campus Gardens are partnering with organizations across campus to host numerous events and programs throughout the Spring 2023 semester. The Office of Sustainability’s goal is to promote sustainability and empower students to become leaders. “You don’t necessarily have to be an environmental scientist to be doing work that’s going to help save the world,” Cat Mizzi-Orrell, communications and event specialist for the Office of Sustainability, said. “… [we’re] hoping our students leave
Below are some events to look out for and ways to learn more: Campus Gardens Volunteering (semester-long): At Wake Forest, students can volunteer at both the main Campus Garden, located off Polo Road, and the Three Sisters Garden, located between Palmer and Piccolo Halls. There, students can work alongside each other not only to cultivate and grow seasonal crops but also to engage with the environment. Students can register via GivePulse for volunteer shifts at the Polo Road location, with occasional shifts offered at the Three Sisters Garden. Depending on the weather, there
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The Wake Forest University Office of Sustainability will host new and old events for Spring 2023. our office and leave their time at Wake Forest ready to create a more equitable future while we’re hopefully surviving through climate change.”
will be pop-up volunteer shifts offered throughout January and February, but consistent volunteer shifts won’t start until mid-March. Around that time, student
volunteers will begin planting sugar snap peas, carrots and potatoes. Spring Equinox Celebration (March 19): The Spring Equinox Celebration will be hosted at the main Campus Garden on March 19. Various campus organizations, including Campus Kitchen and the Office of Wellbeing, will have tables and activities for students. The festival will also include garden activities where students can engage with nature and the environment. “We want it to be a really joyous and lovely occasion for students to com out to the garden and celebrate the very first day of spring,” Mizzi-Orrell said. Earth Month Programming (MarchApril): Earth Month programming will take place throughout March and April. During Earth Month, the Office of Sustainability will partner with organizations across campus to promote conversation and engagement surrounding the environment. The programming is still in the works, but students can look forward to the intersection of events and keep up to date with specifics by following the Office of Sustainability’s Instagram account, @sustainablewfu. Wakeville (April 1): The Office of Sustainability and its 2022-23 Sustainability and Arts Intern, Gretchen Costello (’23) are working to promote “Wakeville,” Wake Forest’s first arts festival. The Office of Sustainability is offering stipends to artists whose work centers around environmental justice. They are also working alongside the student-run club Artivists to implement
an exhibition composed of art made from waste materials found on campus during the festival. “Wakeville” is scheduled to occur on April 1. Earth Talks (Mid-April): Earth Talks is a TedX-style event where students can talk and lead conversations surrounding anything involving the environment. As the dates approach, students can contact Brain Cohen, the assistant director of the Office of Sustainability, or check the office’s website: https://sustainability.wfu. edu/, for more information. Champions of Change (Late March-April): Champions of Change is a campus-wide sustainability awards ceremony that honors people, faculty and students around campus that are excelling in and promoting work related to sustainability. For more information on ways to get involved in sustainability efforts on campus, reach out to Mizzi-Orell (mizzicm@wfu.edu) and Nathan Peifer (peifernl@wfu.edu). &RQWDFW %HOOD 2UWOH\ *XWKULH DW ortlbs21@wfu.edu
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Page 10 | Thursday, January 19, 2023
Old Gold & Black | Environment
How eco-friendly is your favorite Winston-Salem grocery store? Examining the environmental practices and aims of grocery stores near campus ADDISON SCHMIDT Environment Editor
At some point, the Pit’s fruit bar will no longer be enough to sustain my mid-afternoon snack cravings. Perhaps I’ve run out of food dollars from buying oat milk lattes at Camino Bakery every morning, or the P.O.D. is no longer a financially viable option. For many of us, these dilemmas are when we venture offcampus to a grocery store. If one has access to a personal or kind friend’s vehicle, grocery options near Wake Forest are fairly abundant. While product offerings, location, personal preference and cost may be at the forefront of one’s mind when choosing between stores, there’s another aspect to consider — sustainability. As individuals, we can forego plastic bags, carpool to the store with friends and do our best to buy plant-based products, but the practices of the corporations from which we buy are just as important. Before investigating the environmental track record of grocers near campus, it is important to acknowledge the privilege of having and choosing between several grocery stores nearby. As of 2018, there are 21 neighborhood food deserts in Winston-Salem, meaning that nearly 33% of Winston-Salem residents live more than a mile away from a large grocery store. Without a car, this radius severely limits residents’ access to affordable, high-quality food. Whether for residents in Winston-Salem or for us as college students, the cost of products is also a dominant factor in grocery shopping. The findings in this article are meant to be informative, not to pass judgment on personal shopping habits and behaviors. Many people may not have the ability to choose where to shop, but when possible, a company’s regard for the planet is vital to consider before shopping. This article will discuss four nearby grocery stores: Publix, W h o l e Fo o d s , Tr a d e r Jo e’s and Target.
Publix
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock I’ll start with the average Floridian’s favorite ounce of nostalgia — Publix. While somewhat new to Winston-Salem — the Miller Street location opened in 2016 — its proximity to campus makes it, at least anecdotally, popular with students. According to its self-published 2022 sustainability report, Publix recycled 53.3% of storefront cardboard, plastic and paper in 2021. Every Publix store offers trash, paper and plastic recycling outside of the store for customer use. Additionally, the report boasts a 27.7% drop in carbon dioxide emissions per square foot since 2007, and 33 Publix stores, including the Miller Street location in Winston-Salem, offer charging stations for electric cars. When it comes to food waste, the report claims Publix diverted 28,000 tons of food waste from landfills by sending excess waste from dairy plants to farmers to use as livestock feed. Publix also donated 17 million pounds of bakery products to local organizations and $2 billion worth of food to Feeding America. However, these numbers are self-reported, and it is unclear whether the donated food would have been wasted otherwise, or if the donations were new products. Publix still utilizes plastic bags unless customers request paper bags, and there is no discount
Photo courtesy of Getty Images Trader Joe’s is a student favorite for its farm-like, local aesthetic, but only 23% of its products are actually organic. The California-based chain also continues to utilize plastic bags. for bringing reusable bags. The report focuses heavily on reducing plastic waste via recycling and individual consumer efforts but shows no real commitment to reduce single-use plastics used in their products and packaging.
both plastic (which are made from recycled plastic and designed to be reused up to 125 times) and paper bags in their stores.
Whole Foods
Located off University Parkway (or near Hanes Mall, for the adventurous), Target is a fan favorite among students. In the company’s annual Environmental, Social and Governance Report, the Target Forward plan is presented as the company’s primary sustainability strategy. Target Forward’s main goal aims to reach net zero emissions as a company by 2040. While this goal is both ambitious and appeasing to the average customer, one only has to walk into Target to see how difficult this proposition is. Plastic bags are still used by the majority of Target customers I’ve observed at the University Parkway location, although a $0.05 discount is offered to customers for every reusable bag used. Additionally, the vast majority of Target products are packaged or otherwise contain single-use plastic. The report claims that 80.8% of Target’s operational waste in 2021 was diverted from landfills. The report includes Target Zero, a recentlylaunched program that strives to help customers locate sustainably packaged products within their stores. Target has recently opened a net zero store and has committed to reducing HFCs used in refrigeration. While none of these stores maintain the perfect sustainability practice, this article aimed to examine the variance in each grocery store’s care and commitment to environmentalism. Regardless of where one shops, readers are encouraged to research and make eco-friendly decisions like using reusable bags and avoiding excessive plastic waste when shopping.
With its main schtick focused on health and organic foods, one would expect Whole Foods to appease its health-conscious consumer base by also emphasizing the health of our planet. Whole Foods’ food standards appear to provide organic, non-GMO, animal welfare standard-approved and generally sustainably-sourced products based on the information available on their website. Additionally, Whole Foods pledged to reduce its food waste by 50% between 2020 and 2030 through upcycling programs in stores and donations to local organizations. When it comes to energy, the company has more than 70 stores with solar energy panels, more than 20 stores with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications and more than 200 electric car charging stations nationwide. It is also striving to reduce the emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are greenhouse gases used in refrigeration. Additionally, Whole Foods stopped using single-use plastic bags in stores in 2008. While Whole Foods’ sustainability efforts are impressive, the actions of its parent company, Amazon, must also be considered. In 2021, Amazon emitted 71.54 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, a number that, if Amazon were a country, would rank them about 50th in the world in emissions. Trader Joe’s Trader Joe’s is a fan favorite amongst many students — equally for the aesthetic as much as for the products. When I shop at Trader Joe’s, I’m likely not there hunting down a pantry staple; instead, the chain focuses on creating a local, organic, farm-like feel in its stores through hand-painted wooden signs, small-sized stores and an evolving product line. The Trader Joe’s website includes a sustainability page that was updated at the end of 2022. According to that site, 23% of the company’s products are organic, all are GMO-free and 12 million pounds of plastic have been removed from product packaging in “the last few years.” Additionally, Trader Joe’s claims to donate almost 100% of unsold food to local organizations. Emphasis is also placed on recycling, composting and energy efficiency efforts, but only raw numbers — not percentages — are offered on the website, making it difficult to tell the significance of the company’s claims. Trader Joe’s encourages customers to bring reusable bags and sells their own, but no discount is offered for doing so, and the company continues using
Target
Photo courtesy of LovePick.com Contact Addison Schmidt at schmac21@wfu.edu
OPINION
Sophie Guymon, guymsm20@wfu.edu Shaila Prasad, prassp21@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Asst: Lauren Carpenter, carple21@wfu.edu
PAGE 11 THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2023
The views expressed in all opinion columns represent those of the article’s author, not the opinions of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board
Kevin McCarthy is the wrong speaker 0F&DUWK\¶V VHO¿VKQHVV KDV FUHDWHG XQQHFHVVDU\ SROLWLFDO WXUPRLO BRENDAN MIRRA Staff Columnist
Last spring, I met then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) outside the House Chamber. We shook hands, introduced ourselves and shared pleasantries. McCarthy ended the conversation with a bold prediction — my home state of Massachusetts would flip to red in November’s midterm elections. While the red wave didn’t quite reach the shores of New England, McCarthy managed to steer the ship to a narrow Republican majority. With little room to spare, the speaker vote was bound to be contentious, though few predicted 15 rounds of voting — the longest speaker vote since before the Civil War. McCarthy’s tactless rise to second-in-line to the presidency strained the holds of our democratic system and is an explicit example of a politician’s personal hubris trumping concern for the nation’s wellbeing. In a Washington free from electoral and personal considerations — a Washington in which the interests of the American citizenry are prioritized — McCarthy would never have been elected Speaker of the House. The first warning flags for McCarthy’s path to 218 votes were raised following Rep. Andy Biggs’ (R-AZ) announcement that he would be running against the California congressman for the leadership position. Biggs, as former Chair of the House Freedom Caucus, offered a more conservative alternative to the establishment candidacy that McCarthy presented. Biggs and members of the like-minded “Never Kevin” group cycled through a collection of conservative candidates, starting with Biggs, followed by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Kevin Hern (ROK), and even included votes for former President Donald Trump. No candidate received more than 20 votes, but it’s clear that the speaker’s gavel was never the goal for the furthest right flank. Republican losses in the midterms could and
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
should be blamed on the divisive and inflammatory rhetoric spewed by Gaetz, Biggs and other members of their faction. Expectations of huge Republican victories were dampened in the primary season, when mainstream Republicans were beat out by more conservative members of the GOP, who would go on to lose to a Democrat — a pattern seen from Alaska to Michigan to right here in North Carolina. Perhaps the “Never Kevin” group fought so hard for a vote that seemed impossible in a desperate plea to prove that power still exists in their wing. And how blessed we are that we never had to see a Speaker Jordan or Biggs. These individuals are unafraid of tearing down American values if it means they get a chance to “own the libs.” Under their leadership, C-SPAN would look like a Fox News wasteland, with House speeches, floor debates and committee hearings centered around shallow culturewar issues meant to distract from the fact that they have no real policy agenda. This is the bottom of the barrel; this is not the first time McCarthy has made a bid for speaker, but it is the first time he has succeeded. In 2015, unsatisfied with thenspeaker J o h n Boehner (R-OH), members of the Freedom C a u cus forced Boehner to resign from the speakership and retire from Congress, forcing a new vote for speaker. Then, like now, McCarthy, as majority leader, emerged as the expected heir. But then, like now, conservatives protested McCarthy’s assumption to the gavel. Almost eight years ago, the Republican Caucus found Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) to be the compromise candidate that could bridge the gap between the far right and the center of the Republican Party. McCarthy, aware that he was not a viable candidate, withdrew his nomination and allowed the democrat-
ic process to proceed. In 2023, McCarthy should have followed his own example and charted a path that benefited the nation and not just himself. If McCarthy had allowed his caucus to consider a unifying speaker, perhaps the GOP would be in a better position to govern. Instead, McCarthy’s vote for Speaker of the House exposed a Republican Party incapable of performing the most rudimentary processes of American government without falling apart, fighting in the House chamber and setting back the legislative calendar. A compromise candidate would have shown the American people that the Republican majority they just elected is capable of performing the duties they were elected to do. But all we’ve seen is McCarthy’s shameless, unyielding devotion to his personal gain, no matter how it reflects on the Republican Party, the People’s House or our nation. Now we have reached uncharted waters. In this era of paralyzing partisanship, perhaps the solution is working together, rather than trying to tear the other side down. Crazy, I know, but hear me out. A party-sharing agreement would allow members of any party to come together and form a coalition majority. There are three ways I could envision this happening: McCarthy could pick off moderate Democrats in exchange for powerful committee assignments. This coalition would be composed primarily of Republicans, with the exception of the “Never Kevin” Group, and aided by an additional minority of Democrats possessing an outside influence on Congress. Nearly a dozen Democratic members would have to be willing to work with a Republican majority for this to work. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the chosen minority leader of the Democratic Party, could rope in rogue Republicans. This small group of compromising conservatives would inevitably become the new Trump impeachment crew marooned from their own party and victims of the same fate as the others who dared buck the party line — early retirements, primary losses and public ridicule. A center coalition could form from moderate members of both parties who would come together to form a functional majority. Representatives focused on governing would then be in charge, allowing the legislative process to continue. A coalition government seems like fantasy, but it’s the reality in state legislatures across the country. The State Houses of Representatives in Pennsylvania and Ohio and both chambers of the Alaska State Legislature see a power-sharing agreement between Republicans, Democrats and an assortment of Independents. In state legislatures where partisan pressures are minimized, legislators are able to cast party preferences aside and turn their focus to the duties of our government. Perhaps Congress can learn something from the states about how to work together, bridge divides and put aside personal differences for the benefit of our country. While the nature of national politics would have to drastically change for this compromise scenario to work, it would be a positive turn away from the partisan problems of today. Instead of seeing politicians criticize, villainize and tear down the other side, we would see a push for producing results. Instead, we’re stuck with Captain McCarthy navigating us through the 118th Congress. But his rise to the top has watered down his power — he’s a speaker in name only. With massive concessions to the disruptive right, our government is now less stable. Over the next two years, we will inevitably see the House slow down to a halt as Republicans distract themselves with petty infighting that will challenge the control of Congress. If McCarthy had cast aside his personal future and advocated for the good of our nation instead, this political turmoil could have been avoided. Contact Brendan Mirra at mirrbm19@wfu.edu
Page 12 | Thursday, January 19, 2023
Old Gold & Black | Opinion
There is no good way to avoid billionaires, so we shouldn't Taxing the wealthy out of their billions would do more harm than good PIERCE SANDLIN Contributing Columnist
Today, there are many billionaires in the world, and some — such as Elon Musk — have a larger net worth than the gross domestic product (GDP) of some nations. Because affluence of this scale is relatively new, many claim that billionaires should not exist, but this would only lead to more suffering. Those who agree that billionaires should exist have come to this conclusion due to a shifting perception that capitalism should be unrestricted. However, modern capitalism has traveled far from its roots — mainly as a result of the deterioration of traditional values in society. Before Adam Smith wrote “The Wealth of Nations,” he wrote another book integral to understanding the ideal way for a capitalist society to flourish. “The Theory of Moral Sentiments” outlines the idea that there is indeed room for morality in capitalism, thus it is beneficial to society. However, the primary reason people disapprove of billionaires is that they believe billionaires lack this morality. Whether it is that they do not pay enough taxes or donate enough to charity, there is a broad perception that billionaires do not contribute their fair share to society. As a Christian, I agree to an extent. People should donate money to the poor and help those less fortunate than themselves, and many billionaires could be doing more of this. Many of them are greedy, which is why proponents of
capitalism must reemphasize the role that morality should play in capitalism through their own generosity. If society accomplished this feat, many people would likely be more accepting of capitalism as an economic system. However, this world doesn’t exist. I hope that the world will soon achieve this desire, even if it is idealistic. Regardless of the future, there is no reason to tax billionaires into oblivion in the meantime. Furthermore, a large percentage of the net worth of billionaires that appears on Google does not consist of liquid assets. Accordingly, any attempt to impose additional taxes, such as a wealth tax, would drastically affect the economy, as many major companies like Tesla, Amazon and Facebook would have a large number of shares dumped to pay this tax. If this were to happen, there would be a negative effect on the whole economy, harming those on the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder as well as the top. Billionaires also serve as a model of success, incentivizing people to innovate because of the wealth they can earn by creating a new product or service. If billionaires did not exist because they were heavily taxed, people may lose motivation to develop new products and services. This also hurts society, as many products or services that could improve the quality or length of life may never come into existence. Perhaps of foremost importance is the fact that taxation of this nature is morally wrong. Some people want to strip billionaires of their money because they believe it was acquired immorally. However, this only leads these jealous
individuals toward a desire to steal themselves. In 2021, 66% of United States billionaires were self-made, while an additional 19.3% inherited their wealth and then proceeded to increase it, according to Fox Business. Thus, only 14% of the billionaires in the U.S. inherited their wealth in its entirety. In recent decades, the percentage of self-made billionaires in the U.S. has trended upward as the financial and technology sectors boomed, highlighting the shifting dynamic of billionaires benefiting society through their own innovation and intellect. Ultimately, this wealth does not belong to U.S. citizens. In most cases, it belongs to someone who earned it through many hours of work and by taking on a great deal of risk. Therefore, nobody has the right to steal from them even if people are convinced that it is justifiable because the government will use it to help others. Although some may perceive this claim as an argument against all taxation, a few factors differentiate this scenario from ordinary taxation. While the proper role of the government is to provide some public goods to society through taxation, targeting a specific group because of the subjective view that they are too rich is an act of theft committed out of jealousy and spite. The assumption that excessive taxation of billionaires would help people is also questionable, as it assumes that the tax revenue acquired would directly benefit those in need. Although some of the funds may accomplish this end, there is no guarantee that the money will help others, as the government wastes a significant portion of its revenue on programs with no tan-
gible benefit for the average American. One recent example is an experiment through the National Institute of Health (NIH) at Georgia State University which manipulated the genes of hamsters to make them more aggressive. American taxpayers paid $1.5 million for these hamsters to fight and be scored based on their performance in a wasteful and abusive program. While this example may seem isolated, the government has a long history of funding abusive and wasteful experiments on animals, and these programs barely scratch the surface of the unnecessary programs funded with Americans’ tax dollars. I wish for a society in which billionaires have less wealth, but I want this to come from a moral society that cares for others, not because the government has forced people to liquidate their assets to pay exorbitant taxes. A caring society is necessary because it will ultimately lead to better results for the poor, as billionaires create jobs and invent products that make people’s lives easier. Promoting generosity is superior to taxing billionaires out of existence, which is why it must be remembered that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I firmly believe that people who want to rid the world of billionaires are doing so from a heart that wants to help others. Unfortunately, this would not be the result, and more harm than good would ensue, hurting the American people. Contact Pierce Sandlin at sandrp20@wfu.edu
Trump's 2024 bid could change the landscape of the GOP Republican primary voters will face a monumental choice next year WALKER NEWMAN Contributing Columnist
When will former President Donald Trump learn that his time in the spotlight is over? By announcing intentions to run in 2024, Trump is throwing everything he has into covering up federal investigations of his financial and political “misdemeanors.” His bid for the 2024 Republican Party primary seat is simply a power play to clear the field of competitors, all while reinstating his voice in the media — becoming all the more real with Elon Musk’s decision to let him back on Twitter. Ever since Trump first gained political traction as a man of brash words and the ability to appeal to regions of the United States ignored by economic and political reform, the U.S. has become increasingly divided and distrustful of the very backbone of our society — the government. When the people of a nation cannot trust the results of an election because their party lost, there is an issue. Let
us not forget the atrocities of Jan. 6, 2021, as they have been buried by news of midterms, climate change and countless other human failings. Since the capitol riots, Trump has become less of a political concern and more of a criminal concern. This is not to say that apprehension is not in the air, but it feels as if many think of his pitch as a pity play. How could a man who was impeached twice and who is under investigation by multiple government agencies run and possibly win an election? Many Americans and media organizations seem to have caught onto the tried-and-true method used to deter bullies like Trump — ignore them. Without constant media attention, not only do people not know what he is up to, but his power has been taken away. Trump without a public voice is simply a man who is attempting to cling to some semblance of power and control, which has been gone for some time. Quietly, the GOP has started to detach it-
self from Trump, showing the intentions and morals — or lack thereof — of the party as a whole. Bearing in mind that many Republican House and Senate members’ lives were endangered due to his actions, it just makes sense. After his announcement to run again, many have refrained from immediate endorsement, saying instead that they expect a competitive primary election, as Senator John Cornyn of Texas told the Texas Tribune. Of course, many election deniers like Marjorie Taylor Greene continue to parrot support for Trump, but what they need to realize is that these statements are not buying them any votes. Evident through the overall failure of the GOP to sweep midterms, Trump’s endorsements have done more harm than good. The one man who appears to be the frontrunner is Ron DeSantis, the current governor of Florida. Considering Florida’s history as a swing state and its diverse population — around 50% people of color — his win does
not bode well for the 2024 election if Democrats want to remain in power (U.S. Census Bureau). One of the only reasons Trump was so successful in 2016 was his unique nature and what he brought to the GOP — a semblance of change. So, in today’s world, he does not bring anything new to the race for the presidential seat — in policy, and because he has already taken his shot as the nation’s leader. As the presidential campaigns commence, all eyes will be on the Republican candidates and from whom they receive endorsements. In the best-case scenario, many Republicans will hopefully realize that they cannot effectively be bullied into supporting Trump, considering his lack of bureaucratic relevancy. However, if a competitor like Ron DeSantis beats him out, the country may need to brace for impact. Contact Walker Newman at newmwe22@wfu.edu
Opinion | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, January 19, 2023 | Page 13
Guilt should not dictate the enjoyment of art If a piece of art means something to you, let it CONOR METZGER Staff Columnist
Whether it’s Gen-Z males expounding on how “College Dropout” is the greatest album of all time or middle-aged moms who claim “The Ellen Degeneres Show” saved their lives, our culture is in the midst of a great debate on whether it is possible to truly “separate the art from the artist.” This discourse has really been ramping up as the age of information has brought the personal lives of all of our favorite artists to the forefront With a few clicks, we can see the details of their past relationships, who they voted for in the past election or maybe even that one tweet they thought was funny ten years ago. The question is, when we have all this information and we deem an individual “problematic,” are we then able to still enjoy the art that is produced by them? A common refrain is that an artist is a “product of their time.” While I feel this is another conversation, more and more singers, actors, writers and other artists of today are being found to have made racist remarks in the past, had a history of sexual violence or exhibited some other behavior that is presently inexcusable. With all this information coming forward, we really need to analyze whether the enjoyment of their art is okay or if we need to look elsewhere for the feelings that the art may bring us. I got into this debate last year after comedian Louis Alfred Székely, better known as Louis C.K., won a Grammy award for his comedy album “Sorry.” I’ve been a C.K. fan for most of my life, finding laughter in his stand-up career and awe in his work in television, with “Horace and Pete” entirely shaping my understanding of what TV can be. You can then imagine my shock when, in 2017, it was revealed that C.K. had taken advantage of numerous women by engaging in improper sexual conduct. I genuinely took a couple years off of watching his specials or reruns of “Louie” on FX, because I could no longer appreciate his gift of comedy now that I was aware of his immoral behavior. Jumping forward to now, both of C.K.’s post2017 comedy albums have been nominated for Grammy awards and he is still selling out Madison Square Garden, while also making acclaimed movies. In light of this, I have to wonder if it is okay for me to buy a ticket to go see C.K. live. Can I purchase his new comedy specials? Can I even rewatch shows I had seen before? I initially considered the fact that C.K. did apologize for his behavior and also received what some would consider to be fair punishment in his ostracization from the Hollywood community. I feel that he understands what he did was wrong and if I personally can accept that truth, then it is okay for me to enjoy the work of someone who I have followed since I was a child. But if you were never a C.K. fan and are apprehensive about getting into his art now, then that should also be okay. I don’t think these types of choices make one person more moral than another, but rather are concerned with being true to yourself. We need to recognize that there comes a point where you cannot deny the influence an artist has on you, and you would actually be lying to yourself if you claimed that a piece of art means nothing and should be boycotted. Another example is the numerous films Jacobi Gilbert/Old Gold & Black
produced by Harvey Weinstein. From “Good Will Hunting” to “Inglourious Basterds,” Weinstein’s name is attached to many influential movies in the past few decades. His role in producing nearly all of Quentin Tarantino’s movies alone has helped establish a whole new generation of films. We see this with the recent experimental Netflix show, “Kaleidoscope,” which is heavily influenced by the Weinstein produced “Pulp Fiction.” Knowing this, it would be unreasonable for the creators of “Kaleidoscope” to lie about its influences from other works of art or to distance themselves from the work that came before. If a piece of art means something to you, let it. You shouldn’t push it away because of unrelated behaviors from its creator. But this also leads into the question of whether the art is actually symbolic of the artist’s reprehensible views? Neither C.K. nor Weinstein created art that was representative of the behavior they would later be accused of, but other works such as James Cameron’s “Avatar” have been called into question for depicting racist stereotypes of Native Americans and portraying Indigenous cultures unfairly in return for capital gain. In an example like this, we need to be more critical of the art in question and analyze why it is that we like it. I personally am a fan of the Avatar movies and I contributed to the over a billion dollars made at the box-office by “Avatar 2.” While watching both these movies, I did not immediately recognize some of the “racist” undertones in the film. Knowing them now, I feel that I need to really look and decide if I should be contributing to the financial success of the movie. I also see issues in the work of Michael Jackson, as many of his songs contain pedophilic undertones. Because of this, I have effectively “boycotted” his music because, in his case, I cannot separate the art from the artists. On the other hand, when I watch a Woody Allen movie or listen to the music of Morgan Wallen, I can appreciate their art for what it is and take the good feeling that I get from that. If I am able to, I can be okay with separating the product from the producers. I can’t tell you how many times I have watched “Annie Hall” and experienced the relationship between Alvy Singer and Annie Hall without thinking of how Allen may have treated his wife. I can listen to “More Than My Hometown” a dozen times and be transported back to my small town childhood while admittedly forgetting Wallen’s liberal use of the N-word. That is just being true to me, but I understand that some may not have those same feelings about the art and may not be able to partake in it. As college students, we are constantly thinking about how we can be better people. While this can be a noble pursuit, being untrue to who you are and what has shaped you leads to a loss of your sense of self. If you can experience something and enjoy it, and if the art itself is not problematic, then please, experience it. If the art does have issues, then maybe take a look at why you like it. Sometimes, being true to ourselves means recognizing our own problematic behavior and interests. Contact Conor Metzger at metzcr19@wfu.edu
SPORTS
PAGE 14 THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2023
Follow us on Twitter @wfuogbsports OLD GOLD & BLACK
Ian Steffensen, stefip21@wfu.edu Aaron Nataline, nataae21@wfu.edu Sean Kennedy, kennsm21@wfu.edu
Women's basketball falls to undefeated Miami 'HVSLWH VWLIÀLQJ GHIHQVH WKH 'HPRQ 'HDFRQV IDLO WR WRSSOH WKH +XUULFDQHV
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
Sophomore guard Alyssa Andrews (No. 0 in black) races down the court to beat the entire Miami Hurricanes team to the basket on a fastbreak. Andrews put up 10 points (50% FG) from off the bench as well as a steal. IAN STEFFENSEN Sports Editor
tend their lead. Similar to the Notre Dame contest, once the opposing team went on a run the Demon Deacons had a hard time responding. Miami went on a 12-4 run in the third quarter and continued to attack the paint, draw fouls and get the and-one.
But with two seconds left on the shot clock, Williams hit a fade away floater from the inbound pass to keep Wake Forest in it. She totaled 10 points on the night, all of which seemed to come at the right time and prevent a drought. However, the Hurricanes continued to attack on the break and thread the needle with their passes inside to lead by 16 going into the final quarter of play. The Demon Deacons were able to flip the switch in the fourth quarter, as they came alive offensively and went on a 9-0 run. Shots did not just simply start following, as the overrall offense benefited off quicker, more urgent passes. The result was a distinct lack of stagnant periods that had plagued momentum in prior possessions. A standout during the run was sophomore guard Alyssa Andrews, whose midrange game pestered the Hurricane's zone throughout the contest. Miami did not go away easy though, with the Hurricanes responding with five unanswered points to quickly erase their opposition’s efforts. Williams hit a deep 3-pointer to stop the Hurricanes run, but as the time went down, a comeback was looking less likely. Miami finished the game with discipline, refusing to be fazed by the Demon Deacons' renewed energy. The two sides traded baskets in the final two minutes, and Miami was able to hold on for the 55-43 victory. “We have some work to do in the week ahead, but if we have the same effort we diwd late in the game I am encouraged that we will learn and turn a corner from this,” head coach Megan Gebbia said. Wake Forest will have a week off before they face Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Demon Deacons will be looking to bounce back against the Virginia Tech Hokies and regain their momentum as they finish out the season.
The Demon Deacons dropped their second-straight game. Wake Forest women’s basketball continued their road series on Sunday, heading down to Coral Gables to take on the University of Miami. The Demon Deacons looked to bounce back following their blowout loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Thursday night. Despite their efforts, Wake Forest came up short 55-43, dropping their second game in a row. “Our bye is coming at the right time,” Head Coach Megan Gebbia said. “We have some things that we need to figure out before closing the year strong starting next Sunday.” Sloppy play on both sides of the ball allowed the Hurricanes to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter. Yet after three minutes, senior Kaia Harrison got Wake Forest on the board with a corner triple. Sophomore Elise Williams followed suit with a three of her own to bring the Demon Deacons to within one. Miami infiltrated the paint easily and got quick buckets on the other end. Junior Jewel Spear answered back though, crossing over her defender and nailing the triple. Spear’s 3-pointer moved her up to 24th on the all-time scoring list for the Demon Deacons. The Hurricanes drove easily to the basket in the final minutes of the first quarter to lead 16-13 after one. The second quarter featured little-to-no offensive action, as both teams were scoreless in the first six minutes. Williams broke the deadlock with a nice drive to the basket, and laid it in to make it a one-possession game. From then on, it was all Miami, as the Hurricanes went on a 7-0 run to Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics take the lead 25-15 going into the locker room. Wake Forest’s lackadaisical perimeter defense and inability to rebound S o p h o m o r e g u a r d E l i s e W i l l i a m s ( N o . &RQWDFW ,DQ 6WHIIHQVHQ DW allowed the Hurricanes to get second-chance points and ex- 2 1 ) s u r v e y s t h e c o u r t b e f o r e a t t a c k i n g . VWH¿S #ZIX HGX
Sports | Old Gold and Black
Thursday, January 19, 2023 | Page 15
PHOTOS: Wake Forest blanks Clemson COOPER SULLIVAN Senior Photographer
Thursday, January 19, 2023 | Page 16
Sports | Old Gold & Black
Demon Deacons dismantle Boston College 85-63 Carr, Hildreth and Appleby combine for 58 in a 22-point victory for a third-straight ACC win
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Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
Graduate point guard Tyree Appleby (No. 1 in black) pulls up from the top of the arc to drain a 3-pointer. Along with piling on 17 points and dishing out seven assists on offense, Appleby lead the defense in steals with three.
would use the momentum gained against Boston College to beat the Clemson Tigers 87-77 on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Now, the Demon Deacons are 6-2 in the ACC. This past Saturday, the Demon Deacons (13-5, 5-2) The team hopes to keep the momentum going as they ran Boston College (8-10, 2-5) out of Chestnut Hill take on the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday. Seeing as how Boston College spoiled Wake Forest’s with a comfortable 85-63 victory. hopes of making March Madness last year, the lightsThis solid victory on the road is a key ACC win. out performance was the Demon Deacons’ revenge. The Demon Deacons are almost halfway through Wake Forest shot 52.3% from the field and their deconference play, and in a conference overflowing with fensive effort matched the incredible efficiency on the fearsome foes like No. 19 Clemson and No. 10 Virother end of the court. ginia, momentum is everything. The Demon Deacons The bulk of the scoring came from junior forward Andrew Carr with 21 points and sophomore guard Cameron Hildreth with 20. Not only did Carr put up his second straight 20-point game, but the ACC Player of the Week did so on 71% shooting. Whether we were watching him work in the post or utilize his height in the midrange, there became a point where watching Carr’s shot go through the net just wasn’t necessary. Head coach Steve Forbes commented after the game that he thinks Carr’s recent masterclass performances are due to blooming confidence. “[Andrew’s] a really, really good player,” Forbes said. “The offense is just starting to come because I think he’s gaining more and more confidence. He’s slowing down in the lane, finishing off of two feet. He’s going to be a really good player.” Though Wake Forest came out hot on offense, the defense struggled to slow down Boston College’s passing lanes for the majority of the first half. The Eagles took advantage of the man-to-man looks on offense, often making three consecutive passes without the ball hitting the floor. Off-ball screens opened up passing windows, and despite the superior length of the Demon Deacons keeping those windows small, the Eagles’ guards sent pass after pass with precision to wide open cutters. The best run of the first half for Wake Forest was Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics spurred, unsurprisingly, by Carr as well as freshman cenSophomore center Matthew Marsh punish- ter Bobi Klintman. Around the 11-minute mark, Carr es the rim folllowing a dime from Appleby. showcased the exact type of poise Forbes commented AARON NATALINE Sports Editor
on after the game. When he was double teamed on the right block, he slid one defender out just enough with a pass-fake and then relied on swift footwork to convert a bankshot over the other. Klintman swished two shots from deep within three minutes on a night where he would end perfect from long range (3/3). Though plenty of gorgeous Hildreth floaters and Appleby steals had built upon the momentum to bring the lead to 18 during a 14-0 run, the Demon Deacons only managed to close the half with a 10-point lead. As much as he credited Carr’s confidence for his standout performance that night, Forbes should also be recognized for his own confidence in his squad to not repeat past mistakes. His composure was taken perfectly — the team never spared Boston College an easy possession in the second half on either end of the court. While it may have been Carr lighting it up with 7-7 shooting in the first half, Hildreth maximized the energy to begin the second. Wake Forest’s first bucket came in the form of a bully-like drive and hookshot that came with an and-one on top. He put on his best Appleby impression after the first media timeout of the half with a crossover turned behind-the-back move that coalesced into a beautiful fadeaway 3-pointer. The next possession, he dished one of six assists to junior forward Davion Bradford, who power dribbled into a hookshot to extend the lead to 16. The Demon Deacons had been clicking on offense all game, but the second-half defense was what really put distance between them and the Eagles. Out of the 15 Boston College turnovers, 10 came from steals — the main pickpockets were Appleby (3), Hildreth (2), Carr (2) and redshirt junior Damari Monsanto (2). Those steals lead to 23 points off turnovers. Between that and the lights-out play of the Carr-Hildreth-Appleby three-headed monster, the momentum became all too much for Boston College to handle. The Demon Deacons hope to add another impressive ACC win on Saturday against No. 10 University of Virginia at the Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum. Contact Aaron Nataline at nataae21@wfu.edu
PAGE 17 THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2023
LIFE OLD GOLD & BLACK
Adam Coil, coilat21@wfu.edu James Watson, watsjc22@wfu.edu
'Glass Onion' is the perfect rewatch movie -RKQVRQ V QHZ ¿OP LV WKH SHUIHFW PL[ RI VDWLUH DQG WKULOOHU ALLY WERSTLER Staff Writer
"Glass Onion,” Rian Johnson’s sequel to the critically acclaimed 2019 whodunnit film, “Knives Out,” takes viewers on another wild ride of twists and turns with the world-renowned — and hilarious — detective Benoit Blanc. I have been a huge fan of Blanc ever since his first appearance in “Knives Out,” a feature I saw numerous times at the theater. What I loved most about Johnson’s former film was its originality — something that is incredibly rare to find in Hollywood nowadays with Marvel movies and other large intellectual properties (IP) dominating the box office. To my surprise and excitement, when the sequel to this hit was announced, Johnson told fans that while Blanc — portrayed by Daniel Craig — would return, there would be a completely new cast coupled with another original mystery. Fast forward to Dec. 23, 2022, when my mom, dad and I tuned in to the premiere of “Glass Onion” on Netflix. Upon first viewing, I believed the film to be solid with a fairly engaging premise and a wonderful score, but I found it was held back by its mediocre humor. However, after watching it for a second time, I can safely say that “Glass Onion” is a brilliant film with fantastic performances, masterful directing, beautiful cinematography and above all, a great mystery.
Johnson’s astute cinematography further feeds into the mystery but also helps characterize our new group of unlikable wealthy imbeciles — a trope that is a continuation from “Knives Out.” After rewatching “Glass Onion,” the unknowns underlying each character become obvious yet all the more fascinating. Further adding to the film’s excellence is the immersive set design where audience members are transported to a new and gorgeous destination that is known as the Glass Onion. Opposite to the gothic setting of “Knives Out,” this film features a shiny private island filled with tropical plants and innovative technology. Although the Glass 3KRWR FRXUWHV\ RI ,0'E Onion may seem like a symbol of technoDaniel Craig returns as renowned detective Benoit Blanc alongside logical ingenious, the tackiness of the ara whole new cast of characters in a sequel to the acclaimed "Knives Out." chitecture further displays the underlying mystery that is about to ensue. The physi“Glass Onion” has a star-studded cast in comparison to “Knives Out” because it cal layers of the Glass Onion mirror that of that includes Edward Norton, Kate Hud- allows viewers to better understand the mo- the storyline’s perceived complexities, thus son, Katherine Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., tives of every person through great dialogue demonstrating how every aspect of the film Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick and Mad- and superb directing. is interrelated to create a fantastic mystery. elyn Cline. While every actor makes a It’s no secret that Johnson is a satisfacAlthough the beginning of the film could unique impact on the film, Janelle Monáe tory director with films like “Brick” (2009), have been sped up, the mastery of the mysis the true star of the show. Upon rewatch, “Looper” (2012) and “Rogue One: A Star tery genre outweighs the minute negatives. Monáe’s good performance becomes great, Wars Story” (2016) under his belt, but as audience members are able to recognize “Glass Onion” truly shows his mastery of Johnson does something that almost every her impressive subtleties and gain a better the craft — specifically in the mystery genre. director fails at — making the sequel better understanding of her overall character. Of Johnson understands how to captivate the than the original. If you do not love “Glass course, Craig is an absolute delight to see audience through interesting shots that, Onion” upon first viewing, try watching it on screen again as detective Blanc, as his upon rewatch, clearly show the answers to a second time. I know you won’t regret it. Film Score: 9.5/10 character captivates audiences through spot- the mystery at stake, but are invisible duron comedic timing and unique southern ing one’s first viewing. Such a phenomenon charm. Actually, “Glass Onion” improves perfectly pairs with the film’s theme — ev- &RQWDFW $OO\ :HUVWOHU DW ZHUVDM #ZIX HGX upon the overall presentation of characters erything is how it seems.
SZA's 'SOS' tops charts 7KH 5 % VLQJHU V VRSKRPRUH DOEXP WRSV WKH FKDUWV ZLWK FOHYHU UHODWDEOH O\ULFLVP DQG VPRRWK WDOHQWHG YRFDOV COLLYN BALLENTINE Contributing Writer
With clever, relatable lyricism and smooth, talented vocals, R&B singer SZA’s "SOS" has topped the charts and has become popular with collegeaged listeners. SZA’s second R&B album "SOS" was released on Dec. 9, 2022 following three singles — "Good Days", "I Hate U", and "Shirt". As it is her first album in five years, "SOS" was longawaited by both fans and critics. The album contains 23 songs featuring popular artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Don Tolliver, Travis Scott and Dirty Ol’ Bastard. From heartfelt choruses in "Nobody Gets Me", to angsty pop-rock head-banger "F2F", to almost rap-like verses in “Smoking on My Ex-Pack” and “Forgiveness”, SZA does it all with beautiful execution. On "SOS", SZA gets vulnerable, showcasing her feelings of heartbreak, anger and loneliness with great selfawareness. SZA’s ability to transcribe the complexity of emotions into her music is remarkable — she tells us the introspective, personal story of her life
following a failed relationship that is all too relatable, particularly for college-aged women. “I really love the album because I feel like no matter the person or their experience, SZA’s lyrics are extremely relatable," sophomore Lara Fellows said. "I also think the album is really cool because it tells a story of her feelings indirectly. It starts with anger and denial, with songs such as 'Kill Bill'. It moves on to her questioning why she hasn’t been good enough for some with songs like 'Special', and then it finishes on a high note. She recognizes that with pain comes healing through her song 'Good Days'. Overall, I think the album is authentic and shamelessly truthful.” "Kill Bill" — the track that would go on to find viral success on TikTok — showcases SZA’s ability to portray her feelings of love, hate, anger and denial through lyrics detailing a murder fantasy: “I might kill my ex, not the best idea. His new girlfriend's next, how'd I get here? I might kill my ex, I still love him though, rather be in jail than alone.” Here, SZA takes unchecked rage and jealousy and represents it fanatically through her singing.
In a 2022 interview, SZA told Glamour magazine, “This is my villain era, and I’m comfortable with that.” SZA’s embrace of her sadness, anger and lyrical
Lastly, the album transitions toward peace and the hope that better days are ahead in songs like “I Hate U” and “Good Days.” While SZA takes listeners through an emotional, lyrical journey, she
villainhood connect to Generation Z listeners well-versed in the popularity of the almost, but not quite, sarcastic “eras” TikTok trend. After this relatable portrayal of her denial of a failed relationship, the mood of the album transitions to sadness and self-questioning. On “Special,” SZA details her feelings of not being good enough after the breakup. She sings, “I got pimples where my beauty marks should be,” explaining her insecurity in a world that promotes impossible body ideals. The chorus continues the theme of insecurity — “I wish I was special, I gave all my special, away to a loser, now I’m just a loser.” The simplicity and repetition of these lyrics mimic relatable bouts of mental spiraling. SZA connects to the audience with her ability to mimic the negative mental spirals many young women experience.
also captivates the listeners through her vocals and musical arrangements. Her smooth, soulful voice is addictive. SZA keeps the attention of listeners as each song has a different feel from the next, despite having a strong story arc to the album. Beyond the vocals, "SOS" is successful in blending R&B with pop and rap, even incorporating elements of soft rock. In addition, she uses synthetic instrumentals and lo-fi beats to create a truly unique listening experience. The diversity of sound is tied together by common themes and makes the album feel more dynamic. I truly admire this album for its musical and lyrical uniqueness, and I recommend that everyone gives it a listen. &RQWDFW &ROO\Q %DOOHQWLQH DW EDOOFV #ZIX HGX
Page 18 | Thursday, January 19, 2023
Old Gold & Black | Life
De La Soul gets their music back 7KH KLS KRS WULR LV ¿QDOO\ ODQGLQJ RQ 6SRWLI\ FINNEGAN SIEMION Staff Writer
After a long-anticipated arrival to VWUHDPLQJ 'H /D 6RXO KDV ÀQDOO\ DQnounced their music will arrive on all streaming platforms on March 3 of this \HDU "Don’t feed the Vultures, support and respect the culture," writes De La Soul on Instagram in response to the recent deal PDGH ZLWK 7RPP\ %R\ 5HFRUGV WR UHOHDVH WKHLU PXVLF RQ VWUHDPLQJ VHUYLFHV 'HVSLWH the reluctance of De La Soul to agree with WKH GHDO ZKLFK ÀQGV RI SURÀWV GHOHJDWHG WR 7RPP\ %R\ DQG D PHUH GHOegated to De La Soul, it seems the group IHOW QR EHWWHU GHDO ZRXOG DUULYH 7KHUHIRUH WKH\ DJUHHG RQ WKHVH WHUPV WR UHOHDVH WKHLU IXOO GLVFRJUDSK\ WKLV VSULQJ +LJK VFKRRO IULHQGV RXW RI $PLW\YLOOH 1< 7UXJR\ \RJXUW VSHOOHG EDFNZDUG 0DVHR DQG 3RVGQRXV VRXQG VRS VSHOOHG EDFNZDUG IRUPHG WKH JURXS 'H /D 6RXO GXULQJ WKH ZDQLQJ PRPHQWV RI V KLS KRS $IWHU FDWFKLQJ WKH DWWHQWLRQ RI 3ULQFH Paul, a producer and fellow classmate, a
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With their next record, the group made WKH GHFLVLRQ WR ÁLS WKH VFULSW LQ DQ DWWHPSW to remove themselves from the "hippie" ODEHO :KDW ZDV D FRQWURYHUVLDO VKLIW WR PDQ\ EXW DQ REYLRXV DQG QHFHVVDU\ RQH to the group, De La Soul dropped "De La 6RXO ,V 'HDG LQ De La Soul matured the subject matter RI LWV GLVFRJUDSK\ FRQIURQWLQJ WKH YLROHQW UHFNOHVV GLUHFWLRQ WKDW KLS KRS ZDV KHDGing while maintaining a sense of charisma DQG KXPRU RQ WKH PLF 7KH DOEXP FRYHU IHDWXUHV D EURNHQ SRW RI GDLVLHV V\PEROL]ing the end of the De La Soul most people NQHZ 7KH UHFRUG UHFHLYHG OHVV DFFODLP FKDUW ZLVH EXW ZDV UHGHHPHG E\ LWV FXOW following and praise — the record later EHLQJ OLVWHG E\ 7KH 6RXUFH PDJD]LQH DV RQH RI WKH WRS KLS KRS DOEXPV RI DOO WLPH 7KURXJK WKH UHVW RI WKH V 'H /D 6RXO ZRXOG UHOHDVH ERWK %XKORRQH 0LQGVWDWH DQG 6WDNHV ,V +LJK HYROYLQJ WKHLU VRXQG ZLWK HDFK UHOHDVH 2Q %XKORRQH 0LQGVWDWH WKH WULR FRQWLQXHG WR H[SHULPHQW DQG LPSOHPHQW TXLUNV LQWR their brand of hip-hop, despite a dip in VDOHV 7KLV ZDV IROORZHG E\ DQ LQFUHDVHG
level of pressure to deliver commercialO\ RQ WKHLU QH[W UHFRUG ZKLFK EHFDPH D PDNH RU EUHDN PRPHQW IRU WKH JURXS 7KH JURXS SDUWHG ZD\V ZLWK 3ULQFH 3DXO RYHU FRQÁLFWLQJ RSLQLRQV DUWLVWLFDOO\ LQ RUGHU WR SUHVHUYH WKHLU IULHQGVKLS :KHQ 6WDNHV ,V +LJK GURSSHG WKH SURMHFW GLG not disappoint — Prince Paul even stated WKDW LW LV SRVVLEO\ KLV IDYRULWH 'H /D 6RXO UHFRUG De La Soul continued to be an imposing force within the realm of hip-hop, with their biggest commercial success FRPLQJ IURP WKHLU IHDWXUH RQ *RULOOD]·V )HHO *RRG ,QF ZKLFK ULJKWIXOO\ HDUQHG WKHPVHOYHV WKHLU ÀUVW JUDPP\ $ KDQGIXO of solid records later, and the occasional collaboration, De La Soul cemented themVHOYHV DV KLS KRS OHJHQGV $FNQRZOHGJLQJ WKH FRQWULEXWLRQV 'H /D Soul has made to the culture of hip-hop, it comes as no surprise that their streaming DUULYDO LV JHQHUDWLQJ VR PXFK K\SH 7KLV group is a part of hip-hop heritage, and we are blessed to witness their arrival to VWUHDPLQJ Contact Finnegan Siemion at siemfj21@wfu.edu
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Old Gold & Black | Life
Page 19 | Thursday, January 19, 2022
Stepping into a musical time capsule 5HÀHFWLQJ RQ WKH $PHULFDQ IRON WUDGLWLRQ WKURXJK WKH OHQV RI D ORFDO EOXHJUDVV EDQG EVAN HARRIS Photography Editor
After a couple of wrong turns off the dimly lit, twolane blacktop, I finally came across my final destination. The nondescript, sheet-metal building was shrouded in darkness as I pulled into the gravel lot, accompanied by droves of other parked cars. Stepping inside, I was transported to another time. To my left was a man handing out the sorts of tickets you’d find at a high school sporting event or community raffle — $20 at the door, cash only. White tile lined the venue floor, paired with large wood paneling and illuminated with warm stringed lights. I took my seat in the sea of metal folding chairs, surrounded by a few hundred flannel-clad, boot-wearing, blue-collar concertgoers milling about. The concert hall itself breathed an air of familiarity, closely resembling your average church or community center — it felt as though it was a place I had already been. People of all ages had come from miles around to see one of the biggest names in bluegrass, Russell Moore and his band IIIrd Tyme Out, kick off their 2023 tour. All attention turned toward the stage as the band opened their first show at the Fairview Ruritan Club with the “Pretty Little Girl From Galax,” a local favorite. Moore’s euphonious voice filled the air, accompanied by the antiquated sounds of Appalachia — a guitar, mandolin and fiddle. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains just beyond the North Carolina border, the sleepy town of Galax, Va. is located just 60 miles from Wake Forest University. Galax is a growing locale known for its cultural ties to the music scene in the Blue Ridge. It has been dubbed the “World Capital of Old Time Mountain Music’’ thanks to the annual Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention held there every August since 1935. The township has become a destination for musicians and spectators alike from around the world. The Fairview Ruritan Club is a local civic club, dedicated to “community service through fellowship and goodwill.” The club frequently holds concerts featuring prominent figures in the Bluegrass music scene — Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out are a great example; a band that has headlined the biggest bluegrass festivals and sold out shows in places like Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. They have also won several International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards including seven Vocal Group of the Year titles. Moore himself has won six Male Vocalist of the Year awards — 2019 being his most recent — cementing his place in the Bluegrass community as a well respected and accoladed member.
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Lead singer Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out play their hit song “Pretty Girl From Galax” in front of a large local crowd on Saturday night. After the show, I was able to catch up with Moore to ask him a few questions about the genre itself. “You get strong, really strong ties with Appalachia, you know, the music that was here way before recordings were done,” Moore said. “It’s mainly acoustic music. You don’t hear a lot of big drum sets and electric guitars… and in some senses, it is more challenging to play an
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acoustic instrument and get something across to somebody as opposed to a lot of just volume.” Bluegrass developed during the 1940s, drawing elements from a mixture of Scottish music and blues, char-
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Fans take the opportunity to grab a quick snack in between songs at the concession stand outside of the concert hall.
acterized by a faster tempo in conjunction with closeknit harmonies and high-pitched tenor. Pioneered by Bill Monroe, bluegrass quickly gained a foothold in the country-western genre, eventually evolving into its own unique category of music. “ [Bill Monroe] experimented with other instruments,” Moore said. “When he got the combination of his mandolin, the guitar, banjo, fiddle and upright bass, that’s when the magic happened. He was influenced by a lot of different music growing up, even blues. He kind of just meshed all of that stuff together. You can really hear fractions of that in all bluegrass music.” As I dug deeper into my buttery, $1 popcorn from the snack bar, Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out paid homage to “The Father of Bluegrass” by playing Bill Monroe’s “Old, Old House.” Then they moved on to new material. I sat in wonderment watching the quintet effortlessly strum beautiful melodies — all layered with the sound of Moore’s sweet voice. The crowd became increasingly involved as the night progressed, singing along and stirring in their seats to the rhythm of the music. A warm and jovial atmosphere filled the space. The chemistry on stage contributed to the lightheartedness of the evening — they were incredibly passionate about playing and extremely grateful for the crowd that night. After a brief intermission, the second half of the show saw the band exclusively play songs requested by the crowd. One example was the band’s beautiful bluegrass rendition of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” They played several more requests before calling it a night. After profusely apologizing for not being able to get to everyone’s song requests, Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out departed the stage to a standing ovation. They had just completed their first performance of the year, an experience that felt like a time capsule into antiquity. There was a genuine human element to their performance, reinforced by the cordial way in which they interacted with members of the audience. Just minutes after they left the spotlight, members of the band made their way into the crowd, greeting eager fans. Bluegrass music is of incredible cultural importance to the Blue Ridge, reflecting the distinct Appalachian values of community, pride and self-sufficiency. The music itself is an art form that has lasted the test of time. Where other genres of music have adapted and morphed in the face of technological advancement, bluegrass has preserved its traditional and unique sound. “It’s kind of like one of the only Native American-born musics that there is,” Moore said after the show. “There’s a lot of us that don’t want that to ever go away. We like to evolve and mess around with the music, you know, at times, for our own enjoyment, but we know what the roots of it are, and the way it should be played. It would be sad if it evolved into something else and lost all that.” Contact Evan Harris at harres22@wfu.edu
Page 20 | Thursday, January 19, 2023
Old Gold & Black | Life
A guide to subversive basics An early glimpse into the future of high fashion WYLA SOLSBERRY Contributing Writer
Fashion at Wake Forest sometimes becomes an oversight because of the influence of conformity within the university’s social dynamic. A majority of the campus simply wants to fit in with their peers, donning Birkenstocks, Patagonia jackets or simple jeans and a crop top — and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Choosing to sport a more subversive style is not about challenging convention — it’s simply about expression. The style of “alternative” or “alt” fashion is essentially anything outside of what is socially mainstream. The first styles most people think of upon hearing this phrase are usually goth, punk or grunge. At Wake Forest, alternatives to the conventional style are often within the realm of indie streetwear — including pieces such as cargo pants, graphic tees and a pair of Nike Dunks. Piercings and various accessories also play a large role within alternative expression — septum, helix or upper lobe piercings being among the most frequent. These indie styles are associated with the term “basics,” meaning solid, oversized, conventional-looking, earth-toned garments. The style of “subversive basics,” as L’Officiel highlights in their article “The Subversive Basics Trend is About Rebellion,” takes that to a new level by deconstructing these looks, creating “basics that rebel up to the point of losing their utility,” as creator of the term and TikToker @thealgorythm states. Subversive styles are all about slashed, cut-out and torn-apart tank tops and dresses, and revealing, bodyhugging clothes — all with the intent to challenge what is considered to be conventionally appropriate. Subversive fashion is a mesh of many different fashion trends, from Y2K-era to self-cut DIY clothes to high-fashion, such as Mugler’s Spring/Summer 2022 looks. It’s about the body being as much a statement as the garment — you reveal the parts of the body you want and you decide how your clothes shape and highlight your body. The core of subversive fashion is about individualistic styling and going against the grain of what is socially acceptable. In that, too, comes what L’Officiel calls the
“destruction of the gendered fashion binary,” as designers move past thinking what can be worn by men or women and instead see how far they can deconstruct, redesign or slash garments themselves to reshape the conventions of what people consider clothing to be in the first place. Designers Rick Owens and Helmut Lang are both pioneers of these “androgynous garments” that are purposefully and “cleverly layered and tailored” to elevate the look of what used to be conventional-looking sweaters and tops. Owens’ infamous spider-knit pieces and various hyper-modern dystopian looks, as well as Lang’s various revealing cut-out tops and dresses serve as examples of subversiveness on the high-fashion level. At 21 years old, Wisdom Kaye is a figure who comes to mind when thinking of an influential curator of highfashion subversion. With 8.8 million followers on TikTok, Kaye’s multi-faceted approach to gender-bending, revealing modern looks are met with both hate and high praise on the platform. Kaye himself only wants to help people “embrace [their] individuality and have confidence in [their] personal style” through the “brand of Wisdom Kaye,” which he stated in a 2021 interview with fashion blog and retailer, Mr. Porter. Subversive basics have no boundaries. Both conventional menswear and women’s wear can be transformed by any individual. Speaking from personal experience, challenging the gender binary while also donning a subversive style can be a bit intimidating on campus. Just subversiveness in its most basic form, through an oversized, semi-revealing, ripped black sweater from Jaded London and a pair of their black parachute cargo pants or a black, torn, cropped sweater from Rose in Good Faith with heavily baggy JNCO jeans can redirect quite a few people’s attention. In the coming years, it will be interesting to see more people choose to navigate what is acceptable and how these subversive styles progress. This is especially true on campus as younger students more intimately familiar with these styles arrive as first-years. Contact Wyla Solsberry at solshl21@wfu.edu
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The Ins and Outs of 2023 by prarthna bartra
INS Being Real on BeReal Mental health walks Taylor Swift Real-life connections Crocs Bright-colored clothes Personal boundaries Going to the cinema Reading more books Short-form content Wearing flip-flops Beach days Doing nothing on Sundays Solo trips “Subway Surfers” Reddit Being expressive FaceTime OUTS The monarchy Procrastination Andrew Tate Dating apps Minimalism Binging TV shows Ignoring mental health boundaries Procrastinating Twitter Not making intentional “alone-time” Wordle “Clash of Clans” Travis Scott Cargo shorts Not responding to texts Contact Prarthna Bartra at batrp22@wfu.edu
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