News: SG pushes for class flexibility on election day Page 4
Opinion: Students must fulfill civic duty Page 9
Sports: LeBron James wins fourth title with Lakers Page 12
Life: Emily in Paris is an escape from COVID-19 Page 19
Old Gold&Black
WAKE FOREST’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1916 VOL. 107, NO. 8
T H U R S DAY, O C TO B E R 15 , 2 0 2 0 “Cover s the campus like the magnolias”
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Committee reviews campus building names The Advisory Committee on Naming will review and possibly rename buildings, structures and roadways BY RAFAEL LIMA News Editor limara17@wfu.edu
Hatch family for their numerous contributions to our institution in the coming months,” said Roach in an email sent to the university community via the Office of Communications and External Relations. He will oversee the process in securing the university’s next president. Upon arriving at the university, Hatch sought to clarify the university’s goals and opportunities in considering its status as a collegiate university, one that has professional schools and athletics, but teaches more like a college. “I wouldn’t say I came in with any prescriptive plan. It was to say, ‘How can this place with a wonderful tradition go to the next level?’.” During his tenure, Hatch helped orchestrate much needed cultural shifts within the university and brought unprecedented national recognition to the university through various projects and initiatives. Hatch was intentional early in his presidency to assemble a strong leadership team he could work closely with. He brought on Jill Tiefenthaler as Provost, an economist and expert in higher education, who helped establish the university’s testoptional admissions policy in 2008. Wake Forest was the first top-30 national university to implement such a policy.
On Sept. 4, President Nathan Hatch announced the creation of the Advisory Committee on Naming, as an extension of the efforts initiated by the President’s Commission on Race, Equity and Community and the Slavery, Race and Memory Project. The committee is tasked with reviewing the naming of “buildings, roadways and other structures or honorifics” on campus, whose namesakes have been involved with past racial injustices, for the purpose of renaming or further contextualizing some of the names that have become a staple of the Reynolda Campus. The committee will also suggest new names and honorifics on campus that would expand the narrative to include and honor the contributions of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals in Wake Forest’s history, which as of now has been strongly built around the efforts of white individuals due to the school’s historical status as a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). “We understand [the Advisory Committee on Naming’s] work as not only retrospective insofar as we are considering the implications of having Confederate officials and those committed to the pernicious system of slavery, like Washington Manly Wingate having such pride of place at Wake Forest University,” said Dean of the Divinity School Jonathan Lee Walton, who co-chairs the committee alongside Trustee Donna Boswell. “We also seek to convey a broader, more inclusive narrative about our campus history that illumines the stories of those who have contributed to the university and advanced the cause of Pro Humanitate.” After a summer marked by a national outcry against long-standing structures of systemic racism and police brutality against Black individuals, statues and monuments that have long honored individuals associated with slavery, eugenics, white supremacy and other racial injustices, have been brought down one-by-one — adding further context to how these historic figures should ultimately be remembered. In higher education, faculty at Washington & Lee University have resoundly voted to change the university’s name that currently honors American Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
See Hatch, Page 5
See Naming, Page 4
Photo courtesy of the Office of the President
President Hatch is pictured above at Wake Downtown. The downtown campus, one of many succesful expansion projects under Hatch in the past decade, was inaugurated in 2017.
President Nathan Hatch announces retirement After 15 years at Wake Forest, Hatch will officially leave the university in June BY ELIZABETH MALINE Online Managing Editor malied17@wfu.edu Wake Forest is a very different university than it was 15 years ago, and that is in no small part thanks to President Nathan Hatch. In July of 2005, Hatch left his positions as Provost and professor of history at Notre Dame University to serve as Wake Forest’s 13th president. After a long career in academia and higher education, he announced on Tuesday that he intends to retire from the university on June 30, 2021, or until his position is filled. Hatch expressed in an interview with the Old Gold & Black that he had intended to announce his retirement this summer, before the COVID-19 pandemic. He notified the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Gerald R. Roach, of his intentions to retire early last spring and has been planning for this transition for several years. “We and the trustees said let’s just put things on hold. The community doesn’t
need further distraction, and so we postponed it.” But Hatch felt comfortable moving forward with the announcement in recognizing the strong leadership team in place, as well as the university’s positive response to the coronavirus pandemic. Hatch made it clear that his decision to retire was not at all related to the COVID-19 crisis. “When I originally came in, the kind of understanding was 10 years, but things were going well. We were energetic and so it was logical to stay longer,” he said. “It wasn’t at all a sudden decision. It wasn’t at all related to COVID-19. If this year had been a disaster and I needed to stay, I would have done that, but I think our community’s very stable. Hatch plans to remain in WinstonSalem and will likely pursue writing and consulting on a part time basis, but he does not plan to take another full time position. “Over these 15 years, the Hatches have faithfully led Wake Forest University. They have been model citizens for this community and have inspired a generation of growth and achievement that has transformed Wake Forest. The Board of Trustees is grateful for their exceptional leadership, and we look forward to joining together as a community to thank the
OGB
“ on Hatch's presidency OGB reflects This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.
The Editorial Board wants to speAfter 15 years as president, vide support for our uniquely driven Hatch has made an indelible and creative students, staff and faculty. cifically commend Hatch for his acWhile it goes without saying that knowledgement of and apology for mark on so many aspects of the the Old Gold & Black has critiqued Wake Forest’s connection to slavery at university..."
“Meet in front of Reynolda in 5!” This was a recurring message in the Old Gold & Black’s editorial group chat to remind everyone not to be late to our monthly meeting with President Nathan Hatch. Pre-pandemic, the Old Gold & Black met with Hatch once a month — we would walk as a group into his office and quietly take a seat at his grand mahogany conference table, waiting with anticipation for him to enter. For the next 30 minutes, Hatch would sit and thoughtfully answer our questions while sipping on a fresh cup of coffee: “What did you think of the most recent basketball game?”; “What is Wake Forest doing to address the lack of housing on campus?”; “How is the university working to ensure Fraternity and Sorority Life is inclusive?”; and our fa-
vorite question, “Any idea who the commencement speaker will be?” On Oct. 13, Hatch announced to the university community that he will be retiring from Wake Forest in June. After 15 years as president, Hatch has made an indelible mark on so many aspects of the university from athletics and community involvement to the classroom experience and the funding of cutting-edge research. The Editorial Board writes to congratulate Hatch for all that he has achieved at Wake Forest, and all he has done to pro-
Hatch and his administration during his time at the university, we do so out of a deep respect and admiration for his ability to take on challenges. Specifically, Hatch faced the ultimate challenge this semester: navigating the coronavirus. He has led the university through its largest crisis with relative success, compared to most North Carolina higher education institutions. Although it often takes Wake Forest a bit longer than its peers to make a decision, we are always gifted with reflective and earnest words from a Hatch announcement.
the most recent Founders’ Day. That was a pivotal moment for the school, and we believe that it allowed Wake Forest to begin moving forward in substantially and truthfully addressing racism in our community. While we have a lot more to do as an institution, Hatch has helped to build a meaningful foundation to truly begin this work. The Editorial Board is looking forward to the future of Wake Forest, knowing that Hatch has been an integral player in its exponential growth as a nationally recognized university.
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News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, October 15, 2020 | Page 3
Deacon Profile: Sam Horowitz
That’s something I really love most about College Democrats: being able to engage with people face-to-face and have those discussions. But, I’m sure like so many other clubs, we’ve been meeting through Zoom as much as possible. We’ve been working with Deacs Decide to register students in a way that complies with social distance guidelines, and we’re just trying to encourage people to learn more about the issues at stake and about leaders who are going to be able to navigate us through the rest of this pandemic in a way that’s most beneficial to the American people.
BY JESSICA MARK Staff Writer markjf19@wfu.edu
Sam Horowitz is a senior majoring in politics and international affairs. She is the president of Wake Forest’s chapter of College Democrats, an organization working to inform and help college students get involved with the democratic party. She is also the president of Club Swim, the Wake Forest swimming club. How did you first become involved with Wake Forest’s College Democrats?
Despite the inability to meet in person, are there any special events students can expect from College Democrats this year? Will these events be virtual or in-person?
I really became involved during my freshman year while I was actually studying abroad in Copenhagen through the Global Awakenings Program. I remember reaching out through the link and saying that I wanted to be involved and that kind of transcended into me getting involved with Democrats Abroad in Copenhagen, and then eventually when I returned [during my] sophomore year I became more involved with College Democrats on campus.
I think we’re going to try and host some more watch parties in the future leading up to the election. Right now we’re trying to organize an election night watch party even though we might not get the results on Nov. 3 [laughs]. We’re not entirely sure what we can expect, but we’re trying to be positive and see if we can host as many in-person events as possible that are obviously safe and take into consideration everybody’s health.
I noticed you are a politics and international affairs major. How has that informed your work with this organization? So many of my classes are, of course, related to what’s going on in the election now [and] the history of voting practices and candidates. So taking those classes and really learning from both my peers and my professors in that classroom setting has informed how I lead discussions in Wake Forest College Democrats, what we talk about in meetings and how I engage with people in the club. What is your specific role as president? I think it’s really facilitating meaningful discussions during every meeting, organizing with local political campaigns in Forsyth County and North Carolina [and] encouraging students to vote and register to vote. So, it’s definitely a little bit of everything. Right. Can you speak to the unique challenges are of leading a Democrat organization in a historically Repunlican state that is now a cruicial swing state?
Photo courtesy of Samantha Horowitz
So, as I’m sure you would probably expect, as I’m sure most people expect, it’s definitely hard leading a club where you sometimes feel like the minority voice, but it’s just about consistency and continuing in times where it may feel like the opinions and thoughts that you have are not being accepted or received. It’s that perseverance — that you know what you believe is the right thing — and it’s trying to encourage other people to see your perspective. So the fact that North Carolina is turning from a Republican state to a swing state is very exciting for Democrats because it kind of feels like our voices are being heard. That’s awesome. How do you collaborate with other Democrat groups in Winston-Salem and in North Carolina? An organization that we really work closely with is the Young Democrats of Forsyth County. They are a great resource because they connect us with local can-
didates who are running for state senate, state house, and local positions in Forsyth County who are really going to inform decisions that are going to affect Wake Forest students. So, we love collaborating with them because we will host candidates forums that educate students about local candidates, we’ll host events where we raise funds for the local Democratic party in Winston-Salem and then, on the state level, we work with the North Carolina Democratic party where we work with bigger candidates. We brought [Senate nominee] Cal Cunningham to campus, we brought Kathy Manning who is running for the House of Representatives, so it’s really just a little bit bigger of a scale in terms of who we bring to campus and the conversations that we have. How does COVID-19 impact the way you’re preparing for the 2020 election? Right. Of course it’s really hard and unfortunate that we can’t meet in-person.
How would you describe College Democrats to students who are looking to get involved in the Wake Forest political scene? I would say Wake Forest’s College Democrats is a very laid back, fun organization where we love dialogue and encourage people with different opinions and viewpoints to express what they believe. We’re all about education and activism, so if you are interested in learning more about the issues related to the Democratic party or if you are looking for ways to be involved, College Democrats welcomes everybody and we would love to have you. What are your plans for after you graduate? Still undecided. I do plan on going to law school at some point in the future. I finished taking the LSAT and right now it’s application season. So, I’m applying to law school and we’ll see what happens. Editor's note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and AP style.
SG GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY JESS SCHMIDT Student Government Beat Reporter schmja19@wfu.edu I. Executive Reports President Miles Middleton warned students that even though numbers are low, there still needs to be caution. Following President Nathan Hatch’s announcement of his retirement, Middleton shared about his involvement in looking at possible replacements. Speaker of the House Ally Swartzberg shared about early voting that begins this week. Students are encouraged to vote early to avoid long lines at the polling stations on election day. Treasurer Victoria Parker is continuing to work on Student Budget Advisory Committee
proposals. Chief of Staff Drew Skilton announced that the last round of senate appointment applications is Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 11:59 p.m. Advisor Tim Wilkinson reported about the possibility of food trucks and a movie night this Friday, Oct. 16. He also advertised the different activities happening on Hazing Prevention Week. II. Committee Reports The Academic Committee is working on concerns about online classes and plans for the spring semester. They are also bringing up the idea to the university about reinstating the pass-fail policies that were started this past spring during the pandemic. The Campus Life Committee is planning ideas for Halloween to
prevent large gatherings off campus. The Diversity and Inclusion Committee is working on redoing the Cultural Diversity Requirement and the Public Relations Committee is starting club spotlights to encourage club participation among first-year students. Student Organization Council is beginning to answer the 52 responses from clubs about how they are doing and how the university can best support them. III. Other Businesses A constituent concern was brought up about increasing the amount of outside lights around campus to increase safety for students walking at night. Other concerns were brought up about adding soup to the Pit and about using faculty parking as sophomore parking.
Old Gold & Black | News
Page 4 | Thursday, October 15, 2020
Naming: university to contextualize buildings
Continued from Page 1
For Wake Forest, likewise, this means reevaluating the place of honor on campus for prominent figures of its past who have been involved with the legacy of long-standing racial injustices. Samuel Wait, who was the university’s first president from 1833 to 1846, owned four slaves according to the 1840 U.S. census. Wingate — university president from 1853 to 1862 and after the Civil War from 1866 until his death in 1879 — preached to Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Charles Taylor — the university’s sixth president from 1884 to 1905 — served for the Confederate Army during the war under General Lee and General Stonewall Jackson, according to the University of Virginia’s Special Collection Department. William Poteat — university president following Taylor from 1905 to 1927 — was a strong proponent of the eugenics movement. “Wake Forest has a huge debt, which it can never repay to … people of color,” said Sociology Professor Joseph Soares, who is a member of the Slavery, Race and Memory Project. “Wake [Forest’s] very first endowment … was based on the auction of enslaved human beings. [The Slavery, Race and Memory Project] has identified so far 61 names of enslaved human beings who were sold by Wake Forest or exploited by Wake Forest up until the Civil War … These were people that were directly owned by the institution and/or owned by the [university] president. Every president of Wake Forest until the Civil War had enslaved human beings under him.” The Advisory Committee on Naming has 15 members and is mostly comprised of faculty and members of the
Board of Trustees. It is divided into three subcommittees: the Guiding Principles Subcommittee, the Research Subcommittee and the Candidate for Recognition Subcommittee. Each subcommittee is responsible for one step in reframing the narrative around structures on campus, from the Guiding Principles Subcommittees establishing principles for reframing campus structures to the Candidates for Recognition Subcommittee proposing new names to be honored on campus. The committee expects to provide initial recommendations to Hatch by the end of the fall semester. “We know that leaders of Wake Forest University participated in, and some cases stridently defended, morally repugnant systems such as slaveholding, secession, and the eugenics movement,” Walton said. “It is our responsibility as a community to help current and future generations remember these aspects of our past, just as we celebrate those whose experiences have been ignored.” For some students, the implementation of a committee to review the legacy behind the names honored throughout campus is an encouraging reminder of the university’s commitment to account for the full length of its involvement with historic racial injustices. “The accountability behind it and knowing that they are acknowledging the history of the names of the people who [are on] these buildings and their ideologies is very important,” said senior Myah Hobgood, vice president of the Black Student Alliance. “When they said they were changing the names, I was actually very pleased with that because I know that Wake Forest is now taking a hold of what they learned [with the Slavery, Race and Memory Project]. They’re not just doing another town hall about it, which is really good.”
For junior Micayla Jordan, however, just changing the name of a new building without continuing to take steps to make the university a better environment for minority students and faculty will not accomplish much. For her, renaming might not necessarily be as much part of the solution as making sure that these past ties with racial injustices are acknowledged front and center in educational efforts. “As a Black woman, I lived in Taylor last year and I didn’t even know the history behind it. I think, first, you can increase education about it instead of renaming it … Renaming Taylor doesn’t change my current experience here on campus,” Jordan, who is the diversity and inclusion chair of the Alpha Kappa Psi sorority, said. “So, I think instead of focusing on the names of building structures and streets or whatever else, they need to focus on what’s actually occurring on campus right now to people of color and other minorities.”
Yet, provided that the recommendations proposed by the President’s Commission on Race, Equity and Community become more than just recommendations, the work of the Advisory Committee on Naming has the potential to become, years from now, a visual reminder on campus of changes in the present; a reminder of the public knowledge still being acquired by the Slavery, Race and Memory Project. “When we name a building something like the Maya Angelou Residential Hall, we are putting into the built environment, a statement of our values. Our values are expressed by the names we give to spaces and physical places and they’re also expressed an embodied in monuments that we build,” Soares said. For as much as Wake Forest’s past is marked by abominable racial injustices, the university has — through the Advisory Committee on Naming — the opportunity to not only recognize and add context to the values held by its past figures, but to also reflect its current ones.
Katie Fox/Old Gold & Black
Poteat Residence Hall is one of the buildings on campus named after a past university president with ties with the Confederate Army.
SG advocates for flexible election day Student Government passed a resolution asking faculty to cancel election day classes BY CATE PITTERLE Satff Writer pittcj20@wfu.edu With Election Day looming, Student Government (SG) passed a resolution encouraging professors to cancel classes, allow excused absences or otherwise enable students to go vote on Nov. 3. The resolution aims to give professors agency in how they encourage electionday voting. It suggests that professors cancel class, hold classes asynchronously, cancel a class during the early voting period or allow excused absences to vote, register to vote or participate in university-sponsored civic engagement activities. “We have been working pretty diligently to try and make sure that Nov. 3 is a day that is recognized and recognized respectfully,” said junior Ally Swartzberg, co-chair of the General Election Advisory committee along with sophomore Drew Skilton. “Meet-
ing with the [Office of Community and Civic Engagement], we realized that something that would be really great is if we could try to get classes cancelled on Nov. 3 so that people could vote, and that there’s not this very tense in-class environment on Election Day.” The resolution aims to target Wake Forest’s historically low voter turnout, which was the subject of reporting from the Old Gold & Black in the Oct. 1 issue. “We want students to feel like they can contribute to civic engagement, but also feel comfortable that their professors, who have that agency, are willing to give them time to go vote without having to stress about classwork or what that day will look like,” said SG President Miles Middleton. After its approval, the resolution was distributed to the “Office of the Dean of the College, the Faculty Senate and all academic Department Chairs in both the Undergraduate School of Business and College of Arts and Sciences,” according to its text. Professor Paul Jones, who teaches organic chemistry, canceled classes on Nov. 3. However, he didn’t make the
decision with student voting in mind — he is working as a poll judge this year and won’t be on campus that day. “I think really, with early voting — and this goes for faculty and students — I don’t think we have much trouble finding a time to vote,” he said. “I certainly can’t tell you how to vote, I can’t even tell you that you have to vote. But you’re bright, thoughtful people, and you have more invested in the future than I do at this point. Really with the early voting, at least the last couple of elections in North Carolina, you almost have to consciously not want to vote.” With flexible student and faculty schedules, Jones emphasized the ability to vote early, on election day, or by absentee ballot for those living out-ofstate or out-of-county. Yet to him, the people that would stand to benefit the most from flexible election day hours are in fact staff workers. “The reason I wish [Election Day] was a university holiday is the staff,” Jones said. “The people here who work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. [or 6 p.m.], who have less ability to get out and go vote. I don’t know what the college is doing, but I hope they would let employees go vote.”
For professors, it can also be hard to balance the necessities of their class schedule and their desire to allow students to vote. Jones, for instance, emphasized the importance of his organic chemistry having as much in-class time as possible. Professor Michaelle Browers, chair of the department of Politics and International Affairs, also gave a nod to the resolution’s timing. “I sent a copy of the SG resolution that was passed to all [politics] faculty,” Browers said. “I had emailed our faculty about a week earlier to let them know that there was a call from students — forwarded an early draft of the resolution from one of the resolution’s sponsors who is in my class — since timeliness seemed an issue.” For Student Government, the goal is allowing students to engage in civic duties as much as possible. “We recognize that the semester had already started and we wanted professors to also have autonomy in their own space,” Swartzberg said. “This resolution really aimed to recognize Nov. 3 and the general election out of that desire for respect but also to give professors some agency in what they do with that.”
News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, October 15, 2020 |Page 5
Hatch: 15 years of innovation at WFU Continued from Page 1
Steve Reinemund, former CEO of Pepsico, was brought in as Dean of the newly merged undergraduate and graduate business schools, a merge that took several years to complete, and prompted the construction of Farrell Hall which Hatch said was one of the biggest challenges he encountered as president. Hatch’s commitment to forging personal relationships through face to face interactions has been central to the policies he has pursued. He spearheaded both the Call to Conversation initiative and the three-year residency requirement, with goals of shaping more meaningful conversations and opportunities for collaboration. “Face to face conversation is the heart of what it is to be human and to understand other people. In an increasingly technological society, an increasingly digital society, it reinforces those dimensions of community,” Hatch said. “I think it’s one of the reasons Wake Forest has broadened its appeal. It is a place that stands for excellence but it’s not excellence in the abstraction. It’s excellence in a very personal sense where individuals count, where community is important, where conversation matters. It’s our commitment to Pro Humanitate. In connection with this mission, Hatch began the process of establishing residential colleges, modeled after Dartmouth College’s residential living model. Unfortunately, the project was put on hold because of the pandemic. “Once again, it was to highlight the importance of interpersonal interactions and personal connection. I know Dean [Michelle] Gillespie and [Vice President] Penny Rue both think that long term, that would be a really good thing for Wake,” Hatch said. “It would take a lot of investment but i think that’s something that’s worth considering long term.” Arguably, one of the most monumental moments during Hatch’s presidency was his and the Board of Trustee’s issuing of a public apology for the university’s participation in slavery. “That was a significant historic moment. That’s something I will remember,” Mary Pugel, Hatch’s Chief of Staff, said. She has worked closely with him since 1997, starting as his Senior Executive Assistant in the Provost’s office at Notre Dame, and followed him to Wake Forest in 2005. Shortly after, the university created the President’s Commission on Race, Equity and Community as well as supported the Slavery, Race and Memory Project. Hatch feels strongly that the incoming president continues efforts to address this issue. “It’s absolutely essential and it needs to be continued, even accelerated, for Wake Forest to be a welcoming place and to
come to terms with the fact that we are a southern institution historically. There are ways in which we have not expressed that attitude of welcoming, embracing, listening to all voices as we should. The work is ongoing and it involves a lot of things but certainly it needs to be a priority of the next administration.” Along this same vein, Hatch established the Magnolia Scholars program for first-generation college students. This program has provided financial support and mentoring for more than 300 first-generation Wake Forest students. Pugel describes the Magnolia Scholars program as one that not only has diversified the campus, but one that has ensured “those students have every chance of succeeding.” “I am particularly proud of the ways that we’ve been, over the years, able to diversify the Wake Forest student body. This student body looks different than it did 15 years ago and it looks like the world that we live in. That’s very rewarding to me,” she said. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do and it’s not as though we can rest on our laurels but the university has made significant progress.” However, Hatch did express the difficulties involved in addressing issues related to race, namely the controversy surrounding a photograph of Senior Assistant Provost Martha Allman standing in front of a confederate flag during her college years at Wake Forest. “In consultation with our team, I accepted Martha Allman’s apology and I think that was a mistake. I needed to do more listening and right away I admitted it was a mistake. But you’re called upon to make quick decisions, you use your best judgement and most of the time you’re right, but you have to have the humility to admit when it hasn’t gone right,” Hatch said In an effort to establish the university’s presence in the local medical community, Hatch helped integrate Wake Forest University Health Sciences with North Carolina Baptist Hospital under unitary management early in his presidency, following three years of intense negotiations. This initiative has come full circle, as just last week, Hatch finalized the merger between Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health, which was a year and a half in the making. Hatch’s decision to establish university academic programs in biomedical sciences, engineering and STEM at Wake Downtown further reflects this effort. Wake Forest also expanded its presence in Charlotte, a hub for Wake Forest alumni, in its establishment of the Charlotte Center, which focuses on graduate business education. Hatch’s achievements extend well beyond the gates of the Reynolda campus and even beyond state lines. Under his leadership, Wake Forest has significantly expanded its national presence with the launch of both the Wake Washington and
Wake West programs. These semester-long opportunities allow students to study and intern in Washington D.C. or in Silicon Valley. Under Hatch’s presidency, the university also introduced Global AWAKEnings, a first-year abroad experience in Copenhagen which Hatch called an “experiment.” Though a limited program, it has been widely considered a success. “Wake Forest has evolved as a national university, as an international university, and we want to give our students the widest possible opportunities,” Hatch said. Hatch also orchestrated Wake Will Lead, the largest fundraising effort in the university’s history. Wake Will Lead reduced student debt by 30% and helped the university raise more than $350 million to support student scholarships and financial aid. With just under nine months left in his term, Hatch, as well as several of his close confidants, assure the university community that he will continue to remain as engaged as he has always been in carrying out his responsibilities as president, especially related to the university’s response to the coronavirus. “He doesn’t plan to coast through the next nine months,” Pugel said. “There are still a lot of initiatives. I would say the biggest one that’s confronting all of us is COVID. We need to continue on a day by day basis to address the huge challenges that COVID-19 presents us.” In fact, Hatch said that witnessing the university’s response to COVID-19 has been one of the most rewarding aspects of his presidency. “What sticks in my mind, and I think in several years from now I would answer the same way, it is seeing Wake Forest come together as a community to address COVID-19. It has been a hugely intense effort. For many staff and faculty, this was a year without a summer because there was no playbook on which to go,” he said. “When I see all of that and the way people were willing to work on behalf of the overall community, it’s quite remarkable. It’s a great story, or a hundred different stories of how people have sort of reinvented the university.” There is no shortage of kind words from university and national leaders alike that reveal Hatch’s skillful leadership, particularly from those who know him best. “I really consider him one of the finest leaders in higher education and what a gift it’s been for me to have had the opportunity to work with someone like that,” Pugel said. “He is the same person that shows up in the office every day in terms of who he is, what he represents and his personality. I have deep admiration for him and I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 15 years and I look forward to working closely with him through the end of his term.”
COVID-19 cases remain stable in week eight On and off-campus testing figures have stayed low with only 17 active COVID-19 and a total of 156 cases since the semester began BY MELISSA COONEY Staff Writer coonme17@wfu.edu As of Oct. 14, there are only 17 active COVID-19 cases in the Wake Forest community, making the university one of very few colleges in North Carolina still successfully operating with in-person and blended modalities of learning. With around 3,700 undergraduate students living on campus (including those who signed a lease with the university, even if they are physically off-campus) out of 5,300, the university has had to keep track of COVID-19 from many different angles. Asymptomatic Sample Testing is one of those methods, with a total of 2,855 tests administered randomly since the first week of September. Out of those 2,855 tests, only 15 have cumulatively been positive. In regards to the proportion of on-campus students versus off-campus students being randomly sampled for testing, Penny Rue, Vice President for Campus Life, reports that the number of positive cases is actually quite similar between the groups. “In terms of random testing, the numbers are almost identical,” Rue said. While off-campus students may not be monitored as carefully as those who live on campus, Rue believes that the Asymptomatic Sample Testing accounts for the off-campus population accurately, and that the low number of positive cases reflects this.
“Roughly a quarter of the sample of our random testing group is off-campus [students], so that is designed to be representative and shows a pretty good view of what’s going on,” Rue said. Dr. Christopher Ohl is an infectious disease expert at Wake Forest Baptist Health and has been an integral member of Wake Forest’s “Our Way Forward” COVID-19 intiative. While Ohl finds it slightly more challenging to monitor COVID-19 exposure off campus, he is satisfied with the vigilance of the student body. “The students off-campus have a little more freedom and their social circles seem to be a little more extended, but we have done extra sample testing in off-campus social networks and they’ve been incredibly cooperative with it,” Ohl said. It is also common among Wake Forest students to independently and privately get tested for COVID-19 at places like Novant Health and CVS, whether they have been exposed or just want to be sure they haven’t unknowingly contracted the virus. This is because Student Health Services (SHS) will only test a student for diagnostic purposes unless they get selected during Asymptomatic Sample Testing, meaning the student has to be suspected to have COVID-19 or has symptoms. If a student tests positive in one of these independent testing locations, Wake Forest is contacted even if the patient does not tell the school. This is because these locations notify the Forsyth County Department of Public Health, who then inform the university if the positive patient is a student. This is done for contact-tracing purposes, and helps keep Wake Forest’s COVID-19 Dashboard accurate in regards to positive results. The final way Wake Forest tracks COVID-19 among offcampus students is by using the survey results reported in
SneezeSafe. Students who report coming in contact with someone who is positive for COVID-19 will receive a call from SHS who will analyze each situation individually. In some cases, students will have to quarantine. In other cases, students will be encouraged to get tested or to isolate if they are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, especially after known exposure. Contact tracing has been the university’s primary way to keep COVID-19 controlled, and this approach works with Asymptomatic Sample Testing to achieve a wide picture of the campus community. “It’s not so much how many people you test, it’s more so what you do with the result. Turns out, if you do a certain cohort of Asymptomatic Sample Testing and do it randomly, it gives you an idea of what’s going on underneath it all and the population,” Ohl said. “Most of our students who are in quarantine are there because of contract tracing. Even students who don’t share results with us will have friends who tell us ‘I’ve been in contact with someone who tested positive”, and then we are in a position to reach out to them,” Rue said. It can be assessed that information from the Forsyth County Department of Public Health, the positivity rate of the weekly Asymptomatic Random Sampling, and by utilizing contacttracing strategies by compliant students, have helped Wake Forest to have steady hand on COVID-19, and this is proven by the low numbers on campus right now. Dr. Ohl also wants students to keep remaining vigilant, especially as Halloween is approaching. “One of the reasons our cases are going up in the Triad Area is because people are starting to do more stuff indoors … just because something is open, doesn’t mean you should go,” Ohl said.
Page 6 | Thursday, October 15, 2020
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Voter guide to presidential candidates' climate policies The current presidential candidates have vastly different takes on climate BY MAGGIE BURNS Science &Technology Editor burnme17@wfu.edu
The current presidential race is perhaps the most contentious in American history, and navigating campaign sites or hanging onto every word of a debate can sometimes be tricky. One of the big ticket items in this election, for some at least, is climate change policy. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the environmental policy stances of the presidential candidates and their vice presidential candidates: Democratic Nominees: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Former Vice President Joe Biden’s website lists his climate policy as a “Plan for a Clean Energy Revolution and Environmental Justice,” which includes using parts of the Green New Deal as a “crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face.” Biden also recognizes that the environment and the economy are intrinsically connected, according to his site. His plan includes becoming carbon neutral by 2050, being a global leader in the fight against climate change and to “stand up to the abuse of power by polluters who disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities.” The New York Times reports that while Biden has the most experience in fighting climate change in office, some voters, like Michaelyn Mankel who is a volunteer for the Sunrise Movement, are reluctant. “This far along in his campaign, it seems he is still ill-prepared to answer a serious question about the climate crisis,” Mankel told the Times. Greenpeace awarded Biden a B+ on his climate policy, noting that he supports aspects of Green New Deal but that “he has not committed to fully ban new fossil fuel drilling on public lands and waters, nor halt federal permits for new fossil fuel infrastructure.” This assessment by Greenpeace rang true on the vice presidential debate stage when Sen. Kamala Harris looked into the camera and promised that Biden’s plan would not ban fracking, if elected. This assertion left some climate activists disappointed. Harris, previously all in on the Green New Deal,
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Trump and Biden have very different climate policies and are critical of one another's stance. On the debate stage, Trump criticized Biden for having too "liberal" policies and Biden criticized Trump for not taking a hard enough stance. has reigned back her stance slightly to fit into Biden’s plan. In the Biden climate plan, there is an emphasis on green infrastructure as well as providing jobs in the budding environmental sector. Biden also notes that minority communities are nearly always hit harder by the effects of climate change, and lays out a plan to address that disparity. In the first presidential debate, Biden made promises to expand clean energy infrastructure and to stop production of coal and oil plants in the U.S. "[We were] able to bring down the cost of renewable energy to cheaper than — or as cheap as — coal and gas and oil,” Biden said. “Nobody's going to build another coal-fired plant in America. Nobody's going to build another oil-fired plant in America. They're going to move to renewable energy.” Republican Nominees: Trump and Mike Pence
Donald
There is no delegated “climate change” section on President Donald Trump’s campaign website, but there is a section called “Energy and Environment.” Under this section,
there is a list of achievements that the current president has reached during his term, many of which relate to expanding offshore drilling, unleash[ing] oil and gas production in the U.S., rescinding President Barack Obama’s “costly” Clean Power Plan and replacing it with the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, among other energy-related accomplishments. Another achievement listed is that “President Trump announced his intent to withdraw the U.S. from the unfair Paris Climate Agreement.” While there is no language indicating an attack on climate change, the president did enact a “Superfund” to clean up ten polluted sites in the U.S. that demanded “intense, immediate action.” The New York Times reported last year that 95 environmental protection rules have been rolled back under the current administration. Greenpeace gave the president a failing grade on his climate policy, stating that “he denies the reality of the climate crisis and is actively promoting fossil fuels while weakening existing climate protections. On the debate stage, Trump ridiculed Biden about his climate policies, saying "they want to rip down
buildings and rebuild the building. It's the dumbest, most ridiculous — where airplanes are out of business, where two-car systems are out, where they want to take out the cows, too.” Trump’s disdain for the implementation of climate policy was clear and it was echoed by Vice President Mike Pence in the vice presidential debate as well. “The climate is changing,” Pence said. “But the issue is what's the cause and what do we do about it?" Pence refused to answer whether or not he feels as though climate change is an "existential threat.” “President Trump has made it clear that we are going to listen to the science,” Pence also said. Pence also attacked Harris on the debate stage, insisting that the Biden climate policies would kill the economy and ridiculed Harris for promising to rejoin the Paris Accords. The Trump administration removed the US from the Paris Agreement in 2017 and Trump insisted that he intended to keep things that way if re-elected. Regardless of your political views on climate or any other national issue, exercising your right to vote is essential. Early voting starts today in North Carolina.
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OLD GOLD & BLACK
The views expressed in all opinion columns represent those of the article’s author, not the opinions of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board
Canonical“ texts grow with readers Reading
Classic writers, although often cryptic, imbue their works with passion and meaning
Isabella Mason
Staff Columnist masoif20@wfu.edu
The first classic novel I enjoyed reading happened to be the first classic I read - George Orwell’s 1984. For a long time, that was also the only classic novel that I enjoyed. I remember hating so-called ‘classics,’ resenting them for their cryptic language and boring storylines. What was the point in reading a novel with an ending everyone knew, and why did it have to be so much harder than reading whatever YA novel was popular at the time? The truth is, reading older novels is almost objectively harder than reading contemporary novels. There’s
My experience reading Whitman for the third time has been quite different from the first two times.” not much getting around that. But my belief is that, as we age, and as we learn exactly how to read classics, they can become a lot more enjoyable. In seventh grade, I gave a presentation on Walt Whitman after skimming through Leaves of Grass. I had no idea what any of Whitman’s writing meant, and it had no lasting effect on me. The most exciting part of the project was glueing cotton fluff to Paper Walt Whitman’s beard. I read Whitman again in my junior year of high school, and it went over my head yet again. And so, here I am, freshman year of college, reading Whitman... again... My experience reading Whitman for the third time has been quite different from the first two times. There are a couple reasons for that, the first being that I think I’m finally old enough to appreciate the value of
these writings. Now, I’m no believer in a ‘magic number’ of age that someone has to be to ‘get’ classic pieces of literature, but I do believe that I had to do some maturing before I could get to a point of proper appreciation. I have more experience now, and I notice patterns in life more easily. Through that, I can see that these classic pieces are actually timeless, and that’s why they’re upheld as they are. It’s not a random coincidence it’s because their initial value has integrity, even through years of culture shift. In his notorious poem, “Song of Myself,” one can find Whitman’s entire life covered in a singular, albeit long, poem. Within every stanza, every line, there is a piece of Whitman in there. The same goes for non-autobiographical poems or even fictional novels. There is a piece of the author within every word, every character, even. And, because we all reflect each other to a certain extent, there is a piece of us within each sentence printed on each page of each classic novel.
I’ve noticed that there are many different ways to read classic literature, and I used to take what I now consider the ‘wrong’ approach to literature, which was reading it and expecting it to be like whatever trashy YA novel I was reading at the time. Nowadays, I feel like the best approach to reading classic, harder-to-read novels or poetry is to read with the hopes of getting the most you possibly can out of the piece. Not necessarily with the expectation that you’ll get a lot out of it, but rather with the expectation that you will get something out of it, and that it’s your job to investigate what exactly that may be and how much of it you can get. I know this idea may not stick well if you, like myself and many others, are trudging through a classic novel or piece of literature right now in any number of classes. Still, while it is easy to agree on the fact that older, less contemporary novels are tedious to read, it’s also hard to argue that there’s absolutely no value to be found in any of these novels.
“ superior ZSR experience Camino offers Campus Coffee
Camino Bakery’s simple menu options and seasonal offerings surpass Starbucks
Ansley McNeal
Staff Columnist mcnear19@wfu.edu
Earlier this year, Wake Forest made the bold decision to remove the ZSR Starbucks and replace it with a local coffeeshop: Camino Bakery. If you are like me and had never heard of Camino Bakery before this year, the news may have upset you greatly. What would ZSR Library be like without the comfort of knowing that a delicious drink was only moments away during a study session? Thank goodness nothing had to change, as Camino Bakery never fails to please the tastebuds. Not only is it just as delicious as Starbucks, I argue that Camino’s coffee and treats are even better. Gone is the overwhelming menu that I have always feared at Starbucks: with so many options for drink possibilities,
Camino offers 21 flavors of tea, not including their autumn additions of the apple cap and sleepy hollow teas. it was easy to accidentally concoct your own creation that was far from satisfactory. While it is true that variety is important in order to be appealing to a wide array of coffee drinkers, Starbucks takes this freedom too far. When confronted with an amount of options so great that the consumer cannot remember which ones they have tried before, this degree of variety actually ends up limiting the number of different drinks one will try. Personally, I found myself ordering the same boring drink over and over again once I found one that I liked. At Camino, there are great varieties of options without reaching a number that is overwhelming. Additionally, right when I thought I had tried all of the unique flavors that Camino has to offer, they released their autumn menu. Some highlights include pumpkin, salted toffee, maple magical and french toast house made syrups. These seasonal drinks, in addition to the unique year-
round offerings such as lavender and “magical” syrups, keep me a loyal customer who never regrets her morning coffee run to ZSR. There is also an appeal to Camino that Starbucks simply cannot compete with — Camino Bakery uses North Carolina roasted coffee and their flavored syrups are only available in store. First, one has a feeling of being more in a coffeeshop than a chain. That adds to the coffeeconsuming experience, as many coffeedrinkers like myself enjoy the ambiance that usually accompanies a smaller shop. Second, students of Wake Forest only have so many years to enjoy Camino’s coffee and treats, provided that each of Camino’s locations are in WinstonSalem. Graduates of Wake Forest who end up leaving Winston-Salem would then have to start buying coffee at places like Starbucks by default. Especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic where many local restaurants and coffeeshops could not reopen, going to a local place like Camino Bakery feels even more special. Even in the height of the pandemic, coffee lovers could go to Starbucks drive through services. In con-
trast, quality coffee from local haunts like Camino Bakery was next to impossible to obtain from March through July. Again, this makes Camino Bakery coffee more of a treat than a Starbucks coffee. And about teas? It gets even better. Camino offers 21 flavors of tea, not including their autumn additions of the “Apple Cap” and “Sleepy Hollow” teas. Although this seems overwhelming, the teas are broken down in their menu according to type (green, black, herbal, fruit, mate). This careful organization helps sort and narrow down options further to find the exact tea for your mood. The only arena where Starbucks defeats Camino is price: Starbucks charges 25 cents less for a vanilla latte than Camino. However, this small price difference is worth it, especially for consumers who may not be getting coffee every day and considering their purchase as more of a treat than a daily essential. With all of these thoughts in mind, Camino wins the battle for best coffeeshop that has resided in ZSR Library in recent years.
Opinion | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, October 15, 2020 | Page 9
Offensive “gameplan lacks adaptability X's and O's
A lack of offensive flexibility allows opponents to predict playmaking
Charlie Benedict Staff Columnist benecc19@wfu.edu
I know it’s a bit absurd to be secondguessing Wake Forest’s offense a week after a 66-14 drubbing of Campbell, but the fact is we won’t be playing the Fighting Camels, or anyone near their level, for the rest of the season. While Kenneth Walker III and Christian Beal-Smith ran wild — combining for 235 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries — over a porous Campbell defense, they shouldn’t expect to have that much room as the schedule gets tougher. From the way I see it, we are 0-1 with a 3-point road loss at 3-1 NC State. But if the Deacons want to make their fifth straight bowl and push for an upper-half finish, offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero has to make some changes to the run game. ACC defenses will begin to key in on and stack up the slow delayed mesh point read options. The system — unique, frustrating to watch and potentially explosive — is an innovation for sure, but doesn’t fit the 2020 offense as well as it has in years past. We saw John Wolford run it well in 2017, putting up 64 on Syracuse, 55 on Texas
Election Season
Exercising Issues ranging from food insecurity to pandemic relief are represented in the electoral process
Mariama Jallow Guest Columnist jallm18@wfu.edu
No matter who you are, where you’re from, your race or class, some way or another your life has been affected by the government and local officials especially in the past couple of months. We vote for all of these officials, so if you or someone you know is unhappy with the way elected officials are running the country then go out and vote. According to Business Insider “138 million Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election; however, those 138 million Americans only make up 58.1% of our votingeligible population (those American citizens over 18).” If you or anyone you know is eligible to vote, vote and be an informed voter. Know the people you are voting for, what they have done for our communities and what they plan on doing for us. Not just the presidential election though, be-
In order for the read option to work as well as possible, the defense needs to respect the quarterbacks ability to run with the ball. " A&M and 42 on Louisville (and Lamar Jackson). Jamie Newman ran it well in 2018 and 2019, leading the Deacon offense to a 59-7 win against Duke in 2018 and 44-20 against NC State in 2019. But Sam Hartman isn’t John Wolford or Jamie Newman. This is no dig at Hartman, I’m a huge fan and respect his game, but he’s a different QB than either Wolford or Newman. You see, in order for the read option to work as well as possible, the defense needs to respect the quarterbacks ability to run with the ball. Defenses had to from 201719, when Wolford ran for 683 yards and 10 touchdowns and the 6’4” Newman was a terror on the ground, running for 826 yards and 10 touchdowns in a year and a half. But Hartman, broken leg and all, is much more of a traditional pro-style QB than either Wolford or Newman. It’s not that Hartman physically can’t run — he ran for 275 yards his freshman year, a year that ended with a broken leg. With the development of Hartman’s arm and his injury history, it’s clear to me that Ruggiero and Clawson don’t want Hartman running. But if it’s clear to me, it’s also clear ACC defensive coordinators. Opposing defenders will learn to always blow up the running back, and unless Hartman keeps it enough to make the defense respect it, Wake Forest’s offense could become dangerously one-dimensional.
“rights
From my admittedly anecdotal observations, Wake Forest's running backs do far better on designed runs than they do the read options. Kenneth Walker III is a dynamic player in space, more so than between the tackles. This leads into the second part of my argument. The RPO system is great at taking marginal talent and turning it into a good offense. But this year on the offensive side of the ball, we have real players. Walker III is undoubtably a tophalf ACC running back, Donavon Greene is a real threat over top, and Taylor Morin wreaks havoc on linebackers in coverage.
Hartman has his share of weapons that are only obviously outclassed by Trevor Lawrence’s. Let’s not get too cute and forget that football is more about Jimmy’s and Joe’s than X’s and O’s. Wake Forest’s season is at somewhat of an impasse — Clemson and Campbell are behind us. Whether we go 2-4 or 4-2 in the remaining six games will largely be decided by how well the offense is able to adapt to the schemes thrown at us by opposing defenses. But for now, I have faith.
Katie Fox / Old Gold & Black
A Wake Forest football player runs the ball during a football game against North Carolina State Univeristy on Sept. 2 at LJVM Colluseum.
is crucial amid pandemic
In North Carolina, healthcare, criminal justice, climate change, education and civil rights are all issues on the ballot." cause local elections are arguably even more important. In North Carolina, healthcare, criminal justice, climate change, education and civil rights are all issues on the ballot. That includes people such as police sheriffs, city council members, local judges, school board members, the commissioner of agriculture and more. Although these issues are important, we cannot forget about voter suppression that is happening around the country. Through gerrymandering, redlining, employers not providing time off or extremely long lines at polling stations, voting has become a difficult task because there are citizens being targeted by unfair government policies. In this election we need to think about hundreds of thousand absentee ballots being thrown out. According to the Charlotte Observer, absentee ballots in North Carolina from Black voters are three times more likely to be thrown out than absentee ballots from white voters. Early voting starts on Oct. 15 through Oct. 31 where same day registration and voting is possible. If you are unable to access an early voting poll
station you can always track your absentee ballot to make sure that it has been accepted online. Vote like your life depends on it. The “greatest country in the world” has been hit hardest by a pandemic that our “leadership” wished away in January in fear of panicking and startling the American people. Imagine for a second how many American lives could have been saved. Imagine for a second the decline in quality of life that we all are experiencing as a result of the federal government’s inadequate health care policy. For the 215,000 lives lost, it was not just their lives taken away from them, but their respective families now have to bear the brunt of their fall. Now, think of the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs, filed for unemployment, no longer have education because of a lack of internet or laptop access. What about the single parents that do not have the funds for their children to be with a babysitter or nanny, but their parents have to still go to work? Research conducted by Diane Whittemore, a researcher at the Northwestern Policy Institute, indicates that food insecurity is currently at an all-time high because the data shows that, “more than one in ten Texans are turning to food banks and charity food programs to feed themselves.” More specifically the
research proves that, “food insecurity is much higher for Black and Latino families. Thirty-five percent of Black families in Texas were food insecure at the end of July. For Latinos it was one in three, 12 percentage points higher than white families.” This portrays that COVID-19 is affecting everyone, but specifically underrepresented and disadvantaged groups. This is only one state in the country; there are 49 other states where people are living through food insecurity. Right now, Amy Coney Barrett is being confirmed as the newest addition to the Supreme Court of the United States. She is 48 years old and Supreme Court justices traditionally stay on the court for life. According to Stephen Miller of the Society for Human Resource Management, “On Nov. 10, the Supreme Court will rule on whether the Affordable Care Act is constitutional in whole or in part.” The Affordable Care Act expands healthcare coverage to 20 million people, but according to CNBC “President Trump will sign a series of executive orders aimed at protecting people with preexisting conditions.” If changes are made to the ACA that may not only jeopardize the 20 million people who have healthcare because of the ACA but the 7.85 million people who have had COVID-19, which will now be considered a pre-existing condition.
Page 10 | Thursday, October 15, 2020
Old Gold & Black | Opinion
Beauty in“art should be interrogated Aesthetics Personal Development
Our conceptions of beauty and expectations of art are worth considering Cap McLiny
Guest Columnist mcnecb19@wfu.edu
A couple of my younger siblings, Rosie (age 10) and Morris (age 12) had free afternoons along with myself one day when I was back home in Kansas City. So, I got them loaded up into the car to go to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. They weren’t exactly bubbling with excitement as we pulled up to the big, beaux arts style building. But, honestly, the fact that they even agreed to even come along with their weird, museum-loving, older brother showed they had at least an inkling of curiosity. After we parked in the garage and got all checked in, we began to walk around. As we went along and meandered through the halls, we saw things from Ancient Egypt to modern American art and everything in between. Early on in our trip, the three of us were standing in front of some painting and I, for some reason, decided to ask them, “Why do you think that’s beautiful?” The look on their faces was one of unexpected confusion, like it was some sort of stupid question to ask. Rosie said, “well, I don’t know. It just is.” I prodded them
I think the act of investigating what we find to be beautiful and why it is such, is an enormously important thing to consider within our lives." some more, trying to get them to point out some specific qualities which might help them identify why they thought the piece had beauty. They both pointed out the nice lines and pleasing colors among other things. But, when they were done, they ultimately were fairly inconclusive as to why the picture was actually beautiful. This leads me to my point. When was the last time you thought about why the things you find to be aesthetically pleasing are such? Rosie’s response is probably very similar to most anyone’s, including myself. People pass through their days, taking in every part of their physical surroundings and either consciously or subconsciously classify them as pleasing or displeasing, beautiful or not. Isn’t it odd how often most people do this sort of categorization while not even knowing why or what criteria they are taking into account in order to arrive at a given conclusion? Admittedly, the question of what beauty actually is was a horribly difficult question to ask anyone, let alone little kids. It’s an inquiry which has been argued on since Plato and probably will be until the end of time. But, I think the act of investigating what we find to be beautiful and why it is such, is an enormously important thing to consider within our lives. Even if we are not able to come to a definitive conclusion, I have found it to be a very
healthy mental exercise to at least try to figure out why the heck some things look nice to me while other things don’t. Is a flower beautiful to us because of its physical symmetry which we subconsciously associate with health? Or, do we like flowers because they symbolically remind us, consciously or not, of the potential for growth and renewal in our own lives? Today, I am just as much a victim as any of the constant influx of information and images that are a result of the digital technological age. I often feel so overwhelmed by all the distractions that are delivered on smartphones that I forget to observe the various things of beauty in the world around me and fail to think about what they might mean in relation to myself and others.
Technology is an easy warp to get sucked into and one which is worth trying to claw our ways out of. In taking a moment to identify beauty and thinking about why you think something is so, you will be taking an important step in the right direction. As we work to engage our minds while meditating on the things that draw our attention or even try to seek out the things which we normally wouldn’t find to be pretty, we can become more aware of our current tendencies or patterns of judgement and improve them for the future. To get yourself started, the next time you walk by Wait Chapel, take a few moments to look at it. Do you find it beautiful? Why or why not?
Catherine Regen / Old Gold & Black
“ poses harms and benefits Social media Social Media
Virtualization of life has positive and negative impacts on the human experience Connor McNeely Staff Columnist mcnecb19@wfu.edu
This week, a couple of my friends deleted several social media apps, for a number of reasons. But the catalyst was a fairly recent documentary on Netflix, The Social Dilemma. I watched the film on my own time and was moved, as I usually am when confronted with issues of cataclysmic importance and portentous meaning — yet instead of letting this drag me into the pessimistic depths in which I regularly loaf — I decided to play devil’s advocate for the sake of learning something new. The documentary does focus on the benefits of the technology that we have developed for ourselves, but the overwhelming majority of it is centered on how harmful the networks are to the way our society works. I’m not denying that Facebook or Snapchat are literally cancerous, but I do think that it
It is important ... that we resist the virtualization of our world. Social media is the gateway into that hell." isn’t surprising that we as unassuming consumers see it primarily as a helpful tool. The dominating narrative in news cycles now is about how harmful these apps can be if not properly used, and rightfully so. The problem is that the developers of these social networks won’t advocate for proper usage — no, implementing a screen time limit isn’t an effective deterrent to the will of advertising companies and tech giants. Proper usage is realizing the place and definition of social media. Social media is defined as “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.” It is an appliance, nothing more. However, the haunting word in this definition is ‘enable,’ which I will return to. But we as a world wide community do use it in this way, and the benefits of using it in this way are exceedingly helpful and innovative to our many societies. Social media has saved countless lives. By enabling anyone to express their feelings or the complicated events of their lives in relative anonymity, we have opened a space for those struggling with mental illness to find
comfort and treatment. According to a survey of teenagers conducted by HopeLab in 2018, “87% said they’d looked for some sort of health information online, including 39% who said they’d looked up information about depression. But just 20% said they’d used messaging, apps or texting on video chats to actually connect with a health professional.” I could throw around statistics for the rest of this article, but the truth is that the students here at Wake Forest know the role of social media in helping with depression. We have used it countless times to help our peers and to establish relationships with people we’ve never met, helping them with problems and mental issues in their lives and our own. Petitions, political campaigns for change, charity foundations and self-run funds for millions of individuals in the world have all been uplifted through the apps that we use everyday; the needs of all these people have been fulfilled through a simple share of their story on many different accounts. In the refugee crisis that still continues to this day, social media has been indispensable to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The migrants who are in the most dangerous and inhospitable areas of the world are able to use apps like Facebook to communicate among each other, to guide fellow refugees to safety.
In the era of the coronavirus, app giants like Facebook and Twitter are renewing their fight against the spread of misinformation. By making the decision to give focus to reputable organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Newsfeed and giving more than $145 million in relief efforts, Facebook has done what should be required of any monopoly in the United States, dare I say it should give more financial aid to communities across the world and not capitalize on the wave of increased attention that consumers supply while they stay at home. It is important, now more than ever, that we resist the virtualization of our world. Social media is the gateway into that hell. The positive impacts of social networking and applications that I have just detailed have been achieved in conjunction with real life. Make no mistake, there is a present danger in the horror that The Social Dilemma reveals to us. But to avoid it, we must defamiliarize ourselves with the apps we use everyday, so that they don’t enable us to escape the harsh reality that we inhabit. We must push tech developers and the dominant networking companies in our country to make tools that help the world, not drug it.
SPORTS
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Online at: www.wfuogb.com Twitter: @sports_ogb Editors: Ben Conroy, conrbd19@wfu.edu Will Zimmerman, zimmwj19@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
CFB remains lively, unpredictable College football, much like 2020, has gone exactly as ... no one planned BY DYLAN TYNES Contributing Writer tynedw19@wfu.edu Week six of the 2020 college football season completely upended the status quo. What seemed like an ever-widening gap between the highest tier of teams and the rest of the field suddenly came crashing down. Before this season, nobody questioned the pool of teams that could make the playoff; it seemed fairly obvious that Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State were the prime contenders, followed by maybe eight or nine teams who had the talent and coaching to compete for a championship. This past Saturday, however, proved that the top tier, which had separated itself so obviously over the past few seasons, no longer exists. The SEC saw the most upheaval of the weekend. No. 17 LSU lost to a winless Missouri team, 45-41, after being stopped on the goal line on four consecutive plays. The loss proved that losing over thirty players in one offseason is enough to cripple any team, even LSU, no matter how great their recruiting is. Coming off a 2019 national championship, the Bayou Bengals are now 1-2 for the first time since 1994.
No. 4 Florida, whose electric offense only punted once, fell 41-38 to No. 21 Texas A&M, who had disappointed fans during their first two games of the season. The Gators entered the season with national title aspirations, but their defense has come up short, time and time again. By the end of this game, they had surrendered 543 yards against a Texas A&M offense that never looked especially dominant. Even Alabama, whose status as a top-three team was unquestioned at the beginning of the season, looked shaky on defense during their 63-48 victory over Ole Miss. Fortunately for the Crimson Tide, their offense looked as polished as ever against the Rebels’ defense, who were far outclassed. With that being said, at times, a path to victory was apparent for Ole Miss. The Rebels kept the game close until the fourth quarter, and even held the lead at various points in the first half, calling into question Alabama’s ability to take down a top-10 opponent. No. 13 Auburn should have lost to Arkansas, a team one week removed from their first conference victory in three years, but such was not meant to be. A last-minute backward spike by Auburn quarterback Bo Nix was inexplicably ruled an incomplete pass, rather than a fumble. The lucky break allowed Auburn to kick the game-winning field goal. This year’s Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma proved to be must-watch television, and might have been the most exciting game of college football all year. And while the teams
entered the game with a combined 3-3 record, the game itself was as exciting as any past matchup. Oklahoma finally won the contest, 53-45, in the fourth overtime. With the win, the Sooners likely dragged their rivals out of playoff contention, leaving the two highest-ranked Big 12 teams from the preseason on the outside looking in. Top-ranked Clemson, the ACC’s juggernaut, did not emerge without questions of their own on Saturday, even as they comfortably defeated No. 7 Miami 42-17. Miami was outclassed on just about every front, but Clemson’s mistakes, most notably three blocked field goals and a lost fumble, raised eyebrows across the college football landscape. Nonetheless, Clemson’s defense man-
handled the Miami offensive line, and the Tigers offense looked comfortable against the ‘Canes. Notre Dame looks to be the only potentially competitive opponent remaining on the Tigers’ schedule. The 2020 college football season has shown that COVID-19 measures are just one of the quirks which will make this season unique. The College Football Playoff picture is already wide open, which bodes well for usurpers like Oklahoma State or North Carolina. But, it’s important to keep in mind that two Power Five conferences have yet to even begin their seasons. If the past week says anything about the rest of the college football season, it is that no one quite knows how it will end.
Tom Fox/Dallas Morning News/TNS
The Cotton Bowl, which took place last Saturday in Dallas proved to be an instant classic. Oklahoma finally won in the fourth overtime.
Previewing the 2020 NBA entry draft The 2020 draft class has as much potential, if not more, than that of years' past BY CONNOR MCNEELY Staff Writer mcnecb19@wfu.edu After a long wait, the pre-draft hype has reached full force. This season of sports has been perhaps the most turbulent in any league’s history — yet the NBA found a surprisingly successful way to continue their season safely, and the Lakers were crowned world champions. And now, the eyes and attention which, for months, were so intensely trained on Walt Disney World, will turn to a few dozen teenagers. Even though we are a month out from the 2020 NBA Draft, this is shaping up to be the most unpredictable draft in recent memory. The coverage and inside reports from different franchises and scouts are all over the place. Yet at the center, a few prospects stand-out clearly as the generational talents that can change the course of a franchise.
Lamelo Ball, of course, headlines these players. His path to the NBA has been extremely unconventional — and somewhat concerning — for many analysts and general managers. Ball has played against varying scales of competition, ranging from high-school basketball at Chino Hills and the SPIRE Institute, to Lithuanian professional basketball, and even a stint in the Australian National Basketball League with the Illawarra Hawks. Across all of these different experiences — aside from his freshman days which consisted primarily of chucking up half-court bombs every possession — Ball has demonstrated a natural ability to be a playmaker in the NBA. Look for Ball to be taken by either the Charlotte Hornets or the Minnesota Timberwolves, with the Bulls and Warriors being dark-horse candidates. The Hornets and Timberwolves are both in dire need of a ball-dominant guard to lift their talent-filled offenses up the league rankings and generate chemistry between shooters. Chicago would need to look to trade up for Ball, and the Warriors seem to be focused on other players. Anthony Edwards, a prolific shooting guard from Georgia, is also at the top of
the boards for most scouts. Several even have Edwards ranked over Ball. While Edwards possesses big play ability and the explosive athleticism needed to be a talent in the NBA, his 3-point-jumper needs significant work, and he has yet to demonstrate the potential to be even an average defender. Still, most of the top five lottery teams believe he has the ability to improve upon these weaker elements of his game — look for Edwards to go number one to the Timberwolves. Other CBB stars like James Wiseman and Obi Toppin appear to be locks for top five picks as well. Wiseman — the last of this year’s big three prospects — is just the type of dominant big man that the Hornets need to complete their young core, which has shown some promise in the past year. If Ball or Edwards is off the board by the time the Hornets pick, Wiseman is as good as gone. The Warriors will be the most difficult lottery team to call this year. While the majority of NBA executives believe that San Francisco's front office will pull off a trade this year and look for Wiseman, I’m not so confident. From the very beginning of my speculation around this year’s
draft, Obi Toppin has looked like the perfect addition to the Warrior’s lineup. The Dayton product shot nearly 40% from three last year and over 60% from the field (not to mention, he has the ideal size and length to be a legitimate rebounding force within the NBA). If the Warriors don’t shock the world by selecting Toppin in the top five, I’d imagine they would trade down and select him at a later pick, assuming he falls. It’s incredible to think about all the different possibilities of this year’s lottery, and then consider how in the dark the rest of the draft is. Players who were favored among scouts not so long ago, like Cole Anthony, RJ Hampton and Precious Achiuwa are now trending downwards and will likely be pickups for this year’s playoff losers. The capacity of all of the prospects in this year’s NBA Draft is veritably high, and I strongly believe it's getting higher every year. Although teams like the Celtics and the Nuggets have a late draft position — they have the chance to build upon their young cores with players who may have even more potential than their cornerstones.
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Old Gold & Black | Sports
Lakers win NBA title in dominant fashion The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Finals with a 106-93 game six victory BY CHRISTINA DENOVIO Contributing Writer denoca20@wfu.edu
On Oct. 11, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat to gain their 17th NBA Championship title, tying the Boston Celtics for the record of most championships ever won by an NBA team. The win ended an eightyear drought and served as a tribute to late basketball legend Kobe Bryant. The Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals in September, earning them a spot in the finals against the Miami, who was led by shooting guard Jimmy Butler. The Heat had some incredible moments during the finals, such as a nailbiting win in game five and the incredible range shown by 20-year-old Tyler Herro. Even so, the Lakers were too strong of a team to beat. Led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers dominated the shortened regular season with a record of 59-11. The Heat, on the other hand, came into the finals as underdogs with a record of 44-29.
Coming off a loss in game five, the Lakers wanted to finish the series with a win in game six. Early on in the game, it became evident that that was exactly what they were going to do. Late in the second quarter, the Lakers had jumped out to a 30-point lead over the Heat. By the end of the game, the Heat would narrow the gap to 106-93. James, who joined the Lakers in 2018, was named the NBA Finals MVP for the fourth time in his career. James won his fourth championship after winning two with the Heat and one with the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to NBA.com, James is the first player in NBA history to be named the Finals MVP with three franchises. In game six, James put up 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, all of which helped make him the unanimous choice for the Finals MVP. His career, however, has been criticized to no end, as people have questioned and doubted his ability to lead his team to a championship after an injury last season. “We just want our respect. [Laker’s general manager] Rob [Pelinka] wants his respect. [Head] Coach [Frank] Vogel wants his respect. The organization wants their respect. Lakers Nation wants their respect. And I want my
damn respect, too,” said James after game six. Davis called winning his first NBA championship “a surreal feeling.” The former Pelican said, “When I got traded, that's all I wanted was to be a champion. To be able to compete, be able to win. I was able to do that my first year with the Lakers.” Davis, who is now entering free agency, said in response to what his future will look like, “I have no idea. I don’t know.” What is certain is that Davis and James proved themselves as one of the most versatile and talented duos in the NBA. The 27-year-old Davis has benefitted from the leadership of 35-yearold James enough to help bring his team a title. Butler, on the other hand, left this NBA Finals with great disappointment. He told reporters, “I told them [coach Erik Spoelstra and president Pat Riley] that I'd win them one [a championship] and I didn't hold up my end of the bargain, so that means I need to do it next year.” Though it was a sad moment for the Heat, the Lakers’ victory was a cause for celebration in LA after the tragic loss of beloved former Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna in January.
The wife of late Kobe Bryant, Vanessa, wrote on Instagram, “Wish Kobe and Gigi were here to see this.” The 17th NBA Finals victory will certainly be a memorable one for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS
LeBron James and Anthony Davis were all smiles on Sunday night.
Los Angeles Kings make history in NHL draft Quinton Byfield became the highest-drafted Black player in NHL history BY COOPER SULLIVAN Staff Writer sullcg20@wfu.edu The prolonged feelings of angst for the world’s best young hockey players are over after the 2020 NHL Draft concluded on Oct. 7. Originally scheduled for late June, the sevenround, 217-pick, two-day event was postponed for four months due to the halted season in which the Tampa Bay Lightning vanquished the Dallas Stars in a six-game series to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup. Besides the playoff expansion and the bubble lifestyle, a new draft format was announced by the NHL in August. It is a little confusing, so bear with me. Of the 31 teams in the league, 24 teams qualified for the postseason. The seven who did not qualify participated in the lottery to determine draft position. But only picks two through eights were claimed. A best-of-five qualifying round consisting of the 24 playoff teams, 12 teams from the Eastern Conference and 12 from the Western, took place Aug. 1-9. The top four teams in each conference, based on percentage points, played round-robin style and could not be eliminated from contention. The remaining eight teams played their opponent in a typical playoff tournament style with the lowest seed playing the highest and so on. The teams who were then eliminated were placed into a second lottery to de-
termine the first overall draft pick. All teams had the same odds, but the New York Rangers had a lucky night and were able to select Alexis Lafreniere with the first choice. Lafreniere, the 19-year-old Canadian winger, was the projected #1 pick prior to the 2019-2020 NHL season and was also the #1 pick in the 2017 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Draft. In January 2020, Lafreniere led Canada to the gold medal in the World Junior Championships as well as earning the tournament MVP award. His contract with the Rangers is three years, $925k annually, which is the maximum for a rookie and was facilitated by Emilie Castonguay, who is the first female agent of an NHL No. 1 pick, per Emily Kaplan of ESPN. The Los Angeles Kings used the second overall pick on center Quinton Byfield, also a member of the Canadian Junior team that won gold. Byfield became the highest-drafted Black player in NHL history. Notoriously the least racially diverse team sport in North America, the NHL only has 43 active players of color, which is less than 5% Chris Seward/Raleigh News & Observer/TNS of the entire league. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has introduced measures to Pressured by a summer of persistent ensure the players are more included in the league's proceedings. police brutality and protesting, Commissioner Gary Bettman announced pick, to enlist Alex Trebek to announce team. The camera in the living room the creation of the multiple commit- their selection through a Final Jeopar- showed the Wiseblatt family jumping tees intent on facilitating more oppor- dy-style announcement: “Who is Tim and yelling in their living room to celtunities for executives and players to Stutzle?” ebrate the news. feel more included in the business side The most heartwarming part of the Canada produced the most draftees of the NHL. Mandatory inclusion and event occurred during the final pick with 71, followed by the United States, diversity training will be implemented of the first round. San Jose Sharks' di- Sweden, Russia and Finland. The upprior to training camp of the 2020- rector of scouting used American Sign coming season is expected to comLanguage to tell Ozzy Wiseblatt and mence on Jan. 1 with training camp 2021 season. The virtual draft allowed for the his mother Kim, who is deaf, that he dates and other season information to Ottawa Senators, owners of the third is the newest member of the San Jose be released later.
Sports | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, October 15, 2020 | Page 13
Deacon Spotlight: Anne Van Hoof BY WILL ZIMMERMAN Sports Editor zimmwj19@wfu.edu A senior from Schijndel, a town in the south of the Netherlands, Anne Van Hoof’s journey to the Wake Forest Field Hockey team was anything but traditional. “I lived with my two older sisters, parents and wiener dog until coming to America when I was 18 years old,” she told the Old Gold & Black. In her first three seasons with the team, the defender started in 57 of 60 games and racked up numerous accolades. As a sophomore, she was named to the All-ACC Second Team; and as a junior, an NFHCA Second Team All-American and to the All-ACC Academic Squad. Van Hoof, who is studying communication and entrepreneurship, is looking forward to what she hopes will be her team’s most successful season yet. Here, she discusses how she got into field hockey, what it has been like to play at Wake Forest over the past several years and how the global pandemic has affected aspects of her training and the season at-large. Will Zimmerman: How did you get into playing field hockey? Anne Van Hoof: I started playing field hockey when I was four years old but have been around field hockey since I was born. Both of my sisters played field hockey and so all my Saturdays were spent at the field hockey club. At home in the Netherlands we only have club sports and I played for my hometown club until I was around 11 years old when I joined our large City Club. From there on I joined the regional and national teams under 16 and 18 whilst playing for my club team. After I finished high school, I started my journey here at Wake Forest University to study and to play for our field hockey team.
know about field hockey was quite a shock. Here, a lot of people may not be familiar with the sport. Our games are broken into four quarters, each of 15 minutes. The total time of our game is only about an hour and 15 minutes, including breaks. WZ: What is something that many people may not know about field hockey? AVH: Something I’d say that many people may not know about field hockey that are not familiar with the sport is that you cannot use the “wrong side” of your stick. WZ: What was your training like this summer? How was it affected by the pandemic? AVH: I trained all this summer … I mean that was all we could do right? Training definitely looked different than usual. Because Wake Forest shut down during spring-break and European countries were shutting their borders due to rising COVID cases, I flew back home as soon as possible. And I mean literally. I booked a flight, and the next day I was home. Over the four or so months when I was at home, I trained a lot by myself to improve my endurance. Distance, shuttles, sprints, biking, swimming, and obviously climbing the fences of my old field hockey club with a ball to work on my stick skills. WZ: Now that you are back here at Wake Forest, how has the field hockey team’s ability to practice and play been affected by COVID-19?
WZ: What was it like coming to play here at Wake Forest after training for years in the Netherlands?
AVH: When Wake shut down, we were unable to to practice or play, but this did not keep us from staying connected and growing as a team. We had Zoom meetings every week to stay in touch, as well as, a group-chat where we would send videos of new skills we learned for others to try. We also had teammates facetiming each other while running to support and challenge each other from far away.
AVH: Coming from a country where field hockey is one of the biggest sports to a country where most people don’t
WZ: As a result of COVID-19, how does the game-day routine of 2020 differ from that of years past?
AVH: Everything is a little bit different. We have to get to the facilities earlier to get our temperatures checked before we are escorted to our locker room. We have to wear our masks in the locker room and we are not in the locker room if not necessary. We also wear our masks during warm ups and in between quarters. WZ: How do you feel about your teammates and how the season has progressed thus far? AVH: We have an amazing squad this year, full of highly talented, hard-working players. The results, however, have not always mirrored our talent and reflected our growth. We have won some games, such as our first against Virgina, but we have let opportunities during other matches slip out from right beneath our fingers. WZ: As a team, what can you do to capitalize more, going forward? AVH: Simply, we need to score. There are many things to work on for our upcoming games, but the hunger to get better and to win is definitely there. WZ: What are your goals as a team? AVH: In the short-term we are looking to improve as a squad with each drill, practice, day and week. We are working towards winning the ACC championship in the beginning of November, that’s our goal. WZ: What is the best part about being a member of the Demon Deacon’s field hockey team? AVH: My favorite aspect of being a member of this team is being around girls with the same goals, that work so hard with me on the field every day, but at the same time are my best friends off the field. I am gifted to have 21 sisters that challenge me, but also lift me up and make me smile every single day. I am very grateful for every single one of my teammates.
Photo courtesy of @WakeHockey Twitter
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Old Gold & Black | Sports
Men’s Soccer Team continues dominant streak The downpour didn’t slow the Deacons as they extended their win streak to three BY JB BLOOD Staff Writer bloojj18@wfu.edu It was raining goals and rain as the top-ranked Wake Forest Men’s Soccer team bested the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) by a score of 3-0 in their only matchup against a non-ACC team this fall. Despite the tremendous downpour, there were still some Wake Forest fans who made the trip out to Spry Stadium. It was a testament to the dedication the team inspires and its impact on the community, both on and off the field. The latest poll after the game, which had Wake Forest at No. 1 for the third straight week, was the team’s 50th straight week in the top-10 and 70th straight week in the top-25. Indeed, Wake Forest’s consistent excellence will cause fans to prefer to be soaked to the bone, rather than miss a home game. To put it bluntly, Wake Forest dominated in every aspect of the game, and was in complete control from start to finish. The Deacs had a 22-4 advantage in shots, 13-2 advantage in shots on target, a 9-1 advantage on corner kicks and held 64% of the possession. Additionally, 56% of Wake Forest’s possession time was on the UAB half of the field.
The non-conference matchup was a great opportunity to get a wider mix of players on the field, and 24 different Demon Deacons saw time on the pitch. Among those players, the star of the night was the sophomore forward David Wrona, who scored two goals. Wrona’s first goal came in the 36th minute. Junior midfielder Isaiah Parente crossed the ball to freshman midfielder Colin Thomas, a few yards outside the 18-yard box. Thomas then controlled the ball and dribbled it into the 18 where he sent a cross on the ground from the left side of the box to a few feet in front of the center of the net. There, Wrona was laying in wait. A one-touch finish off his right foot put the Deacs ahead 1-0. Both Parente and Thomas were credited with the assist, which was the first of Thomas’ career. For his second goal, just five minutes later, Wrona didn’t need quite as much help. He dribbled the ball from a little past the midpoint of the UAB side of the field towards the top of the box. He went directly at the defender and made a brilliant move to create separation. From there, he fired off a shot which bent away from the diving goalie and into the bottom left corner of the net. In addition to being his second goal of the night, it was also his third of the season. Wake Forest went into halftime with a 2-0 lead. The starting defensive backline of Holland Rula, Nico Benalcazar, Cristian Escribano and Garrison Tubbs only allowed one shot the entire half, which was saved by goalie Andrew
Pannenberg. With senior Michael DeShields still sidelined with an injury, the Deacs have given opportunities to freshmen like Escribano and Tubbs who have performed incredibly well. In the second half, redshirt freshman Cole McNally was substituted in at goal and recorded one save. Wake Forest’s third and final goal was scored by sophomore superstar Calvin Harris in the 65th minute and was assisted by Parente. Harris’ shot was taken a few yards outside the 18 and soared above
the outstretched goalie and into the upper left corner of the net. The goal was impressive in its raw power, deft placement and ability to sail through an onslaught of rain. It was Harris’ second goal of the season and Parente’s fourth assist of the season. Overall, the Deacs did not let the rain rain on their parade of goals. Wake Forest now has a series of tough in-conference matchups ahead, with their next home game on Oct. 18 against UNC.
Photo courtesy of GoDeacs.com
The rain didn’t slow the Demon Deacons down against UAB. The team found the back of the net three times and only allowed four shots.
David meets Goliath in Major League Baseball With their victory over the Bronx Bombers, the Tampa Bay Rays flipped the salary-cap script BY JAKE SINGER Staff Writer singjr19@wfu.edu
After losing Friday night, the New York Yankees were eliminated from the postseason, thereby failing to claim their elusive 28th World Series title for the 11th year in a row. This year, it wasn’t the scandalous Houston Astros or the hated-rival Boston Red Sox who knocked the Yanks out of contention, but rather the less well-known Tampa Bay Rays, who prevailed in the scintillating five game series. This loss, however, was particularly galling for New Yorkers. Don’t get me wrong — losses to big-market foes are disappointing, but these, at least, are significantly more excusable in the eyes of Yankees supporters than losses to small-market teams, such as the Rays. Yet, while it may sound surprising to the bandwagon fan or Vegas oddsmakers (who favored the Yankees in the series), the fact of the matter is that the Rays were a significantly better team than the Yankees
all season long, and deserved the series win over their division rival. The Ray’s victory is a big win for the little guys, especially considering baseball’s refusal to implement a salary cap on team payrolls. In other North American pro sports leagues like the NFL or NHL, a team’s budget is limited in order to create a more competitively balanced playing field. Such a system ensures that franchises in larger markets, like New York or Los Angeles, can’t pry all of the great players away from small-market teams without the financial capital to offer massive contracts. While some baseball fans may point to the Yankees as a prime example of why MLB needs to implement a salary cap, Tampa Bay’s victory goes a long way towards disproving such an argument. In fact, in their decisive game five victory in which they won 2-1, the Rays were up against the Yankees newest blockbuster acquisition, ace pitcher, Gerrit Cole. In December, the Yankees made Cole the highest paid pitcher in baseball history, signing him to a nine year deal worth an astounding $324 million. Per his new contract, Cole gets paid more per year ($36 million) than the Rays’ entire
starting batting lineup, combined ($19.7 million). And while Cole pitched well on just four days’ rest, he eventually surrendered a gametying, fifth inning homer, to Austin Meadows (salary: $580,000), which changed the complexion of the game entirely. The Ray’s patient approach at the plate paid off, the exhausted Cole departed from the game in the sixth inning, forcing the Yankees to reach into their bullpen. Such played right into the Rays’ hands: in the bottom of the 8th inning, with the score still deadlocked at 1-1, the Rays’ Michael Brosseau (salary: $563,000) connected on an Aroldis Chapman (salary: $15 million) fastball and launched it into the left-field seats to send the Rays to the ALCS. Brosseau’s home run not only capped off an epic, 10 pitch at-bat, but also served as sweet revenge. Less than a month prior, Brosseau had been involved in a dust-up with the Yankees when Chapman hurled a 101 mph fastball towards his head. To the naked eye, the series resembled a David vs. Goliath matchup — the Yankees have the highest payroll in baseball while the Rays have the fourth-lowest — but in reality, the opposite was true. The Rays out-
played the Yankees the entire season, winning eight of ten matchups during the regular season and finishing a full seven games ahead of New York in the American League East. That success is not only a testament to the genius of the Rays’ front office, but also a fitting rejoinder to those who believe that the lack of a salary cap rule in baseball means that only the “Goliaths” of the sport can succeed. It is easy to understand why MLB would want teams like the Yankees — who bring in tremendous cash via broadcasting rights, ticket sales and merchandising — to be successful, but this doesn’t mean that smallmarket teams like Tampa Bay can’t succeed as well. Instead of paying the most coveted free agents hundreds of million of dollars each offseason, perhaps the Yankees should look to Tampa Bay for ideas on how to improve their roster. If they don’t, next year may well mark the 12th in a row without a title for the Pinstripes, the equivalent of an eternity for the sport’s most revered and heralded franchise. As for the Rays, next up are the despicable, sign-stealing Houston Astros. Houston “only” maintains the fourth-highest payroll in baseball, so I’ll take David ... again.
Thursday, October 15, 2020 | Page 15
Old Gold & Black | Sports
Four teams remain in MLB postseason After a strange regular season, the MLB Playoffs will soon reach their zenith BY MICHAEL BURSTEIN Contributing Writer bursma@wfu.edu
It’s down to just four. When the first pitch of the 2020 MLB playoffs was thrown, just over two weeks ago, on Sept. 29, for the first time in Major League Baseball history, there were 16 teams. Now, just four remain. In the American League (A.L.), the sixth-seeded Houston Astros return to the championship series for the fourth consecutive season. They will face off against the Tampa Bay Rays, the number one seed from the A.L., who were knocked out of the playoffs last year in the division series by the Astros. The Astros are looking to stay hot as they head into this penultimate seven game series while the Rays are looking to make it back to the World Series for the first time since 2008. The National League (N.L.) will feature a more traditional matchup between the number one and two seeds. The top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers hold the MLB’s best record and are
looking to advance to their third World Series in four seasons. The Dodgers will face off against the No. 2 seed Atlanta Braves, who will look to advance to the World Series for the first time since 1999. So, how did these four teams get here? The Rays came into the season being called an underdog. However, everyone knew they had a roster full of potential. They finished the season with an A.L. best 40-20 record behind strong pitching and fairly consistent hitting. Their pitching staff is led by starters Blake Snell, Charlie Morton and Tyler Glasnow, and their bullpen is full of hard throwing righties that have proven themselves difficult to hit. They cruised past the Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series, winning the first two of the best-ofthree series and earned a spot against the early A.L. favorite New York Yankees. In the best-of-five division series the Rays took a 2-1 series lead before the Yankees tied it up and forced a crucial game five. Game five featured arguably the best pitching matchup of the playoffs and saw the Rays hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning to win that game 2-1 and advance to play the Astros. The Astros came into this season with much of the baseball world incredibly
angry and frustrated with the organization after their cheating scandal and lackluster punishment were revealed last offseason. They entered the playoffs tied with the worst record among playoff qualifying teams after finishing the season below .500 with a record of 2931. However, since making the playoffs, they seem to have found their groove. They defeated the Twins 2-0 in the Wild Card Series and the A’s 3-1 in the Division Series behind consistent contact hitting. Their pitching needs to improve if they want to go all the way, but with the way they’ve been swinging their bats, they pose a serious threat to the Rays. The Dodgers finished the season with an MLB best 43-17 record, showing once again that they deserve to be in the playoffs and should be favorites to win it all once again. So far they have cruised through the competition en route to the Championship Series after defeating the Brewers 2-0 in the Wild Card Series and the Padres 3-0 in the Division Series. The Dodgers bullpen has been shaky recently, but their offense is often too much for opposing pitching to handle and should help them advance past the Braves. The Braves too have a solid lineup full of offensive firepower and will challenge
the Dodgers, but after ace Mike Soroka went down with an injury early in the season, their pitching simply has not been at an elite enough level to defeat the strong Dodgers lineup. However, the Braves did earn the second seed in the National League and this still promises to be a good series to watch. Ultimately, this is undoubtedly to be an exciting pair of Championship Series for baseball fans around the world, with lots of drama and excitement for all. No matter the results at the end of this week, there will be a thrilling World Series between two deserving teams in just a few days.
Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS
Pitcher Blake Snell has been crucial to Tampa Bay’s success.
Rafael Nadal dominates at French Open once again World No. 2 Rafael cruised past World No.1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets BY BEN CONROY Sports Editor conrbd19@wfu.edu
Death, taxes, and Rafael Nadal dominating on the clay at Roland Garros. Even in the divisive world of sports analytics, one would be hard pressed to find anyone who denies that Nadal is the greatest clay tennis player to ever walk the earth. Nadal claimed his thirteenth French Open title on Saturday morning, defeating world No.1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets (6-0, 6-2, 7-5). The outcome of the match was never in doubt, as Djokovic failed to find his footing until late in the third set. By then, however, it was too late, and Nadal was able to break the logjam with a decisive victory in the tiebreaking game. The Spaniard’s dominance in this year’s French open was not solely limited to the tournament’s final match. He won each of his seven matches in straight sets, dispatching a slew of worthy opponents en route to his most impressive performance yet: a total overpowering of the top-ranked player in all of men’s tennis. “Uninspired” is not a word one would typically use to describe the play of decorated tennis powerhouse Djokovic, but it certainly applied all through-
out this year’s French Open final. It appeared that Djokovic could simply find no answers for Nadal’s patient, explosive brand of tennis that has placed his name in the conversation with some of tennis’s greatest. Djokovic’s play in the final match was characterized by a strange flurry of unforced errors; several service returns found their way into the net, while others flew long or wide of the chalky white end lines. In true poetic fashion, the match’s final point was decided by a Djokovic double fault, adding the punctuation mark to an already grim sentence for the Serbian. Nadal, on the other hand, played with his trademark poise and grace for the entirety of the match. There was never a moment in which Djokovic held the upper hand, as Nadal seemed to know exactly where Djokovic planned to place the ball before the shot had even been hit. Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of Nadal’s play in this final match was the exceptional balance he showed in his lateral movement. Clay is a tricky surface to navigate, and Nadal’s ability Shaun Botterill/Getty Images/TNS to stop on a dime and change direction Rafael Nadal flashes a grin to the crowd after an impressive in a split second gave him an edge that victory over Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in the French Open finals. Djokovic simply could not overcome. Nadal was patient, hitting smart shots After the final set had been decided, for a moment; after all, winning once until the opportunity to be aggressive the joy on Nadal’s face said it all: the takes skill, but winning the same major presented itself naturally within the flow of the match. He seemed content thirteenth title was every bit as sweet as event 13 times is a sign of the once-into allow his opponent to make the mis- the first. The Spaniard fell to his knees, a-generation greatness that has changed takes, which proved a prudent strategy, overcome by the emotion of the mo- modern tennis as we know it. When it as Djokovic struggled mightily to keep ment, beaming at what he’d just accom- comes to the clay, Nadal is miles ahead the ball in play as the championship plished. I’d say he’s more than earned of the pack, and he shows no signs of the right to bask in his own limelight letting up. match progressed.
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NETFLIX FILM FOLLOWS NEW DETECTIVE Netflix released a new film entitled Enola Holmes, which follows the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes as she also dabbles in mystery solving
BY CONNOR MCNEELY Staff Writer mcnecb19@wfu.edu
Enola Holmes is a film adaptation of Nancy Springer’s "Enola Holmes" book series, and a major hit on Netflix, which has managed to bring yet another enjoyable, high quality film to audiences at home. This is a movie that could have carried its own weight in a theatrical release, and favorable reviews from all have verified how fun it is to watch. We all know who Sherlock Holmes is, and much of the contemporary audience is well aware of his exploits through the various film and television adaptations — all of which have been extremely well made. But in this story we are introduced to his sister, Enola Holmes, who matches his wit at times and forges her own character in the Sherlock Holmes mythos. We are pulled into a world that feels instantly accessible. The director Harry Bradbeer’s style allows for the audience to get invested — Enola Photo courtesy of imdb.com breaks the fourth wall to deliver monologues and reactions throughout the movie which are deliv- English actor Millie Bobby Brown both executive produces and stars as Enola Holmes in ered with wonderful charisma by Millie Bobby the film. The script was co-written by her older sister who worked with her on this project.
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
Brown is accompanied by a star-studded cast that includes Henry Cavil and Helena Bonam-Carter.
Brown. From the very beginning, our journey is a wild ride where nothing is for sure — except if you’ve read the book. Enola’s enigmatic mother, played by Helena Bonham Carter, disappears and leaving Enola in the care of her two brothers Sherlock and Mycroft. If you were concerned that Millie Bobbie Brown would be overshadowed by her brothers or by other characters every now and then, you have nothing to be worried about. The script, written by Jack Thorne, allows for Enola to shine even among the famed Sherlock Holmes and his brother Mycroft. Everything rests on Enola, and she is definitely up to the task. The performances from this star-studded cast are exceptional. You can only get acting like this through meticulous casting; the choices for each role shine through. Sam Claflin plays a comical and crafty Mycroft who is perhaps the most faithful adaptation of the original character. Carter is incredible as usual. Henry Cavill is a slightly lackluster Sherlock Holmes. Though the focus should rightfully be on Enola through the duration of the movie, I believe that Cavill could have benefitted from a little bit more of Sherlock action. He lacks the requisite eccentricity needed to play Sherlock Holmes — but luckily, this quirkiness is found in Enola instead. Lord Tewksbury (Louis Partridge) is another bright spot in this film. His chemistry with Brown is a joy and helps their relationship along in the story. The way he plays the character, especially, helps emphasize his similarities with Enola. The background of the movie is fantastic. Cinematographer Giles Nuttgens does an outstanding job of capturing London in a period of radical change and contrasting the city and the country. If you’re looking for the aesthetic of a warm English countryside — this movie occupies that scene and allows for plenty of action in the bustling, stuffy
city of London. If you look closely, the background is full of much more than the sets and side characters. The script does an excellent job of tying together several storylines to a pleasing finish — which I won’t spoil for you. But the different focuses of the story — all set up at the beginning — are all legitimate in their own right. There’s a crucial vote for women’s suffrage in London, the sudden disappearance of Enola’s mother and the case of the missing Lord Tewksbury. These are all elements of a grand mystery, perfect for this new detective to solve. Even though I couldn’t identify or relate to the protagonist in her struggle against those who would wish to oppress her, I felt the relationship that she has with her mother in this film. The filmmakers do a great job of tugging at your heartstrings at the beginning and end, and with the tough decision that her mother had to make in this story. It’s a puzzling and mysterious thing for a mother who is so close with her child to leave her — they practiced archery, painted and did practically everything together. But sometimes the hardest and strangest choices are the ones that are the best for the person, even if it doesn’t seem like it instantly. For a single mother who is raising her daughter in a culture that demands that they marry — the choice to force Enola to find herself and her independence was the one that was best. Enola Holmes is a film that is uplifting for the young women of today who are looking to become more than history has allowed. And simultaneously, it’s a joy to watch for pretty much everyone else. I’m not so sure this ride warrants a sequel or its own movie universe — which is what some have been advocating for — but it does make me hopeful for the future of Netflix and other streaming services that are now looking to create movies which are more than cash grabs.
Thursday, October 15, 2020 | Page 17
Life | Old Gold & Black
Music Column | Paul McCartney & Wings
THE HOT Life beyond the yellow submarine LIST Paul McCartney continues to create music 50 years after the Beatles’ break-up BY ELLY HONAKER Staff Writer honaer18@wfu.edu Wings was Paul McCartney’s band post-Beatles, a late 70s softy of a group that frequented my mom’s mixed CDs when I was around ages six to 10. It’s no wonder my mom thought it a suitable sort of music for a child. The mixture of soft brass, strange men with funny accents sounding out during the music, and suites that moved from sorrow to joy in a moment — there was always an element of a childlike wonder. In this abstracted world, I found a vessel for my own projections. The song “Jet” became about my dog of the same name, the female protagonist in “Another Day” became me slipping into my stockings for the school uniform I put on every day, “Live and Let Die” stood in for my vague conceptions of James Bond and spies (my desired profession at the time). I was capable of letting the music conform to me, a skill I’ve since lost. That is a tragedy of adolescence and adulthood, this
sensation of correctness and the subsequent pivot of one’s immediate emotions to a path that aligns with something more reasonable. Before that, any intake of art was pure subjective projection uninformed by anything except love. That is why this, admittedly, dated and hyper-sweet band has an innate ability to provide an escape in one of the most unsettling times in history. It’s flimsiness is cemented with the foundational steel of childlike resilience. All my childhood fascinations subscribed to the music, making it capable of interning my most immediate projections of self. Somehow even years later I’ve never shook these understandings, and I hope I never do. Upon revisiting this music I found a version of me that was impervious to outward influences, whose ignorance from inexperience was a means of fully intertwining with a work of art without the need of filtering through a lens of what was extant. As I listen today I find myself in that same spirit, and for a moment, the hectic outward forces fall and I can again imagine a world imbued with the power of innocent projection. In Paul McCartney’s career, spanning 63 years and over 500 songs, there may be no greater demonstration of resilience than his founding of Wings.
Top 10 things I don’t want included in my obiturary
1. 3. The unique sound quality and curious instrumentation produced a sound unique to not only the Beatles, but McCartney himself. This was, afterall, his last effort to leave his legacy on the realm of music that extended beyond his previous success. While he maintains the whimsical and lively nature of his previous music, McCartney & Wings offers a true depiction of Paul’s musical vision.
BY KATE TENDER Staff Writer tendke18@wfu.edu With all the time I spend looking at screens, whether it be for school or mindlessly staring at my phone, I’ve found entertainment in podcasts. Whether it’s while cooking, driving or just wanting a break from my screen, podcasts are overall a great way to consume content. Over the spring and summer, I had the time to explore different podcasts beyond my traditional interests. Through asking around for podcast recommendations, a friend suggested Armchair Expert. This podcast is hosted by Dax Shepard and Monica Padman. Dax Shepard is an actor, comedian and graduated with a degree in anthropology from UCLA. For this reason, he is a charismatic and personable host to the show. Padman usually listens, contributing to the conversation by asking clarifying questions, and doing a lot of the background work. Episodes focus on interviews with an array of different people, ranging from other actors, journalists, scientists and more. This show has something for everyone, as it is conversational and casual, but also probes into important topics pertaining to a variety of issues.
descent into his addiction, beginning with being on painkillers after an injury. Slowly, his usage and dependence escalated to the point where he felt as if he was losing control. While I don’t personally know the struggle with addiction, it was very courageous of Shepard to discuss this openly and publicly. While he already leads a public life, as does his wife Kristen Bell, this would be a very difficult thing to admit not only to your loved ones, but random strangers who enjoy listening to you and admire you. During the episode, one thing he was grappling with was the idea that a relapse discounts the previous years spent sober. Shepard was 14 years sober until the current relapse. Padman reassured him that his progress wasn’t lost and those 14 years are still a major accomplishment. Conversations like these on a public platform are so important to have. Mental health is always important, but there is still a certain stigma around it, even though it has been more widely accepted in recent years. These open discussions emphasize that it’s okay to ask for help, as Shepard had to do when he was losing control. Whether you’ve listened to lots of podcasts or want to get into them, Armchair Expert is a great option. There is a balance of humor and meaningful, important conversations that is difficult to find elsewhere. Shepard’s ability to be raw and honest adds another element that is refreshing to hear and stimulates the conversations.
Great white shark Alien abduction
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
Paul McCartney, formerly of the Beatles, offers new music with Wings.
Honesty, struggle highlighted in podcast Kendi, an author and historian, was particularly insightful. Kendi is part of the BU Center for Antiracist Research and discusses definitions, acknowledging racism and the police system. This conversation is especially relevant considering the current climate and Black Lives Matter Movement. For those interested in politics, Bob Woodard, a highly renowned investigative journalist, has also been on the show. He discusses his bipartisan approach to reporting in pursuit of the truth and the various presidents he’s investigated. For comedy fans, I’d recommend episodes including Will Arnett, Jason Bateman or Melissa McCarthy. Each has great banter with Shepard, but also discuss their struggle in becoming successful actors/comedians and insecurities which was interesting to hear about. While these are only a few, there are lots of great options for whichever mood you’re in. One major theme throughout the podcast is Dax Shepard’s openness with his past addiction and recovery. In past episodes, he references his experiences with addiction, concepts he implements through his recovery, and his AA meetings. Recently, in an episode entitled “Day 7,” Shepard admits to Padman that he relapsed. However, he was struggling with an opioid addiction rather than the substances he was using previously. He details the
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Podcast Review | Armchair Expert
I haven’t listened to every episode, Dax Shepard and Monica Padman nor do I listen in chronological orbegin a conversation about der. Instead, I’ve just picked based on the guest. The episode with Ibram X. mental health and recovery
By Micah Porter
5.
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Human spontaneous combustion McDonald’s Happy Meal
DRINK OF THE WEEK Pumpkin Pie Milkshake • • • • •
2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree 2 tbsp. granulated sugar 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 cup brewed coffee (your favorite brand) • 2 tsp. vanilla extract • 4 cups vanilla ice cream • 1 cup ice cubes
Is this a rip-off of a juice shop smootie? Maybe...
Add milk over medium heat until lightly simmering with bubbles around the edges. Transfer to mixing bowl. Add pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, coffee and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. The hot coffee and milk will dissolve the sugar. Cover and refrigerate an hour or so, or until cold. Blend pumpkin mixture, vanilla ice cream and ice cubes. Add to serving glasses, garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice if desired.
Courtesy of TheChunkyChef.com
Page 18 | Thursday, October 15, 2020
Old Gold & Black | Life
TV Show Review | Emily in Paris
Netflix releases binge-able Emily in Paris Emily in Paris is cliché, addictive and the perfect escape from pandemic life
BY JULIA OCHSENHIRT Staff Writer ochsja20@wfu.edu A week ago, my mom sent me the trailer to Emily in Paris, a new show starring Lily Collins as Emily Cooper, a young Chicago-based marketing agent who follows her job to Paris. “Critics hate it,” my mom told me, “but it seems like something you’d like.” My mom knows me well. I devoured all 10 episodes in a day. I understand why critics despise Emily in Paris. Its dialogue is corny and the show is chock full of French clichés: every Parisian character is constantly smoking, Emily’s coworkers are snobby and cold and most of the men who pursue Emily sexually are older and taken. The chief romantic arc is between Emily and her neighbor Gabriel, a charming, flirtatious French chef who bears a striking resemblance to Armie Hammer. Yet Gabriel has a girlfriend, Camille, who becomes close friends with Emily when they meet by chance at a flower stand. Throughout the season, Emily and Gabriel kiss and flirt behind Camille’s back. The show glamorizes Emily and Gabriel’s deeply
problematic relationship: their first kiss is paired with swelling romantic music and Camille and Gabriel conveniently break up in the season finale so he and Emily can share a passionate night together. Even with its flaws, I loved Emily in Paris. It is delightful escapist TV. There is no pandemic in Emily’s world: we see her enjoy Parisian parties, cafés and opera houses. Friends and romantic interests seem to fall in Emily’s lap. Each time she makes a mistake, she is granted a second chance or the situation resolves itself — in the last episode, her boss even fires her before changing her mind and not going through with the termination paperwork. Emily racks up thousands of Instagram followers from low-effort content like selfies and photos of croissants. Her poor French causes her no problems besides occasional chastisement from her coworkers. In the midst of COVID-19, radical social and political unrest and environmental degradation, I found it immensely comforting to spend five hours vicariously living Emily’s picture-perfect life. Unlike many critics, I also generally liked Emily. Of course it was rude of her to expect everyone to speak to her in English, and terrible that she continually chased someone else’s boyfriend. Yet I thought Emily was great at her job — in one instance, a high-profile fashion designer calls her the French term for “basic bitch” yet, unshaken, she tracks down
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
Lily Collins stars as the titular Emily in this Netflix series. The show also features several well known French actors that Americans might recognize. his box at a ballet, bonds with him over “Gossip Girl” and snags him as a client. I also admired Emily’s relentless optimism. No matter how much her boss puts her down, she comes to work the next morning as bubbly as ever, ready to defend creative pitches or win over new clients. Emily in Paris celebrates, rather than punishes, its female characters’ ambition. In real life, France has only had one female Prime Minister and just nine of France’s top 120 businesses have a female CEO. Similar narratives play out in fiction — in Gilmore Girls, the extraordinarily hardworking and intelligent character Paris loses valedictorian, a spot at Harvard and her
position as editor of The Yale Daily News. Yet Emily is repeatedly rewarded for her energy and skill as clients run with her ideas for exhibits, campaigns and fashion shows. Similarly, Emily’s friend Mindy easily draws crowds of awed onlookers and lands a twice-aweek gig when she starts singing again following a decade-long slump. Emily in Paris is a refreshing escape from the sexism usually plaguing women’s professional lives. As I closed my laptop after finishing the last episode, all I could think was how excited I am for season two and how I wish I could vanish into Emily’s world. That tells me creator Darren Star was doing something right.
TV Show Review | The Boys
Prime Video drops long-awaited second season
The Boys, a fictional superheroes-as-the-bad-guys black comedy, is back BY ERIC OMOROGIEVA Staff Writer omorei17@wfu.edu
Ever wonder how superheroes might look in the actual world? Would they be the beacons of hope that groups like The Avengers and Justice League provide their various fictional universes? Maybe they would be selfish? The Boys answers some of these questions with more detail than you might hope for. Last Friday wrapped up season two of Amazon Prime Video’s popular series, based on the comic book series of the same name created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson of Dynamite Entertainment. In this world, we see the consequences of the commercialization of those with metahuman abilities, and the unhealthy fandom and ego trips that emerge. The Boys center around Hughie Campbell and his mission to avenge his girlfriend’s death. Her killer is A-
Train of “The Seven” (their version of the Justice League) who ran through her at super speed. From that point on Hughie teams up with Billy Butcher, Mother’s Milk and Frenchie, all of whom have their own personal vendettas with heroes (or “supes” as they call them). After a dramatic finish to season one, the boys are now some of the world’s most wanted criminals, but still hope to bring down the supe community, which is led by megacompany Vought International. Intriguingly, The Seven and Vought are the villains of this series. Despite masking themselves as working for the good of humanity, these superheroes such as Homelander (likened to Superman) are ruthless behind the camera. Season two cements The Boys as the most interesting superhero show airing right now because of its real-life application. Vought isn’t just a superhero company, it’s a pharmaceutical company which exploits young children with a drug called Compound V which enables them to have superhuman abilities. This reveal of the series adds a deeper layer to the show, making it a war against Big Pharma rather
than just another episode of defeating the same villains. Congress and the government get involved when the company messes up, just like how they’d do the major tech companies of today such as Amazon and Facebook. The story is gripping, and enjoyable throughout all of its eight episodes. The cast is amazing, yet again. Homelander serves as one of the most menacing on-screen villains on any screen right now. His dominating powers over everyone else makes him the scariest of them all. The other members of The Seven shine as well, most particularly Starlight, who is in a romance with Hughie. Billy Butcher, who might be seen as the second leading man on the show, nails his lines and his snarky British attitude well, and his mission to look for his missing wife grounds him as one to empathize with despite his cruel nature. The new cast members make their mark as well. Giancarlo Esposito plays Stan Edgar, the CEO of Vaught. Introduced as well is a new member of The Seven, Stormfront, who’s electricity powers and hidden secrets make her a highlight of the
series thus far. Overall, The Boys goes to show that real life application of superheroes would ultimately result in mass marketing, heightened ego’s and constant human rights violations. What takes this show to the next level is the heights of craziness it’s willing to achieve. The violence in this show is unique to others. Heads and bodies get blown up as a result of superhuman abilities, arms get chopped off, and throughout all of it, it maintains its entertainment value. Ideas are brought to the table that are much more than for shock value purposes, but to truly prove how crazy this world would be if it had active superheroes. The only major downsides are that the show still seems to underuse Queen Maeve (who resembles powers of Wonder Woman). She is a great character but only seems to warrant attention for her personal story outside of hero work. Hughie is also a lacking lead character. Everyone else somehow always seems to be much more important than him. Regardless, The Boys remains a must watch yet again, especially to fans of comic book inspired characters.
Old Gold & Black | Life
Thursday, October 15, 2020 | Page 19
Award Shows | Oscars
Oscars might be cancelled due to release delays As movie premieres are pushed back due to COVID-19, movie buffs fear award show cancellations BY BEN WILCOX Staff Writer wilcbr19@wfu.edu
The 2021 Oscar season was always up in the air following numerous delays in the industry, but recent delays might be the final nail in the coffin. After many rounds of postponements of release dates for a whole slate of movies, we have arrived at the point where most films are set to release close to a year since they were originally scheduled for, and further delay seems inevitable. Although theaters are starting to re-open locally, all theaters owned by Cineworld (this includes Regal Cinemas) are temporarily shuttering their theaters until matters return to normal. Estimates show that AMC, the largest American chain, will likely be in a tight financial crunch, on the border of bankruptcy, by April 2021, which is right when the new James Bond movie was postponed to. No Time to Die has been at the forefront of the delay cycle. It was scheduled for release in April 2020, then moved several times before settling in the fall of 2020, before finally moving its release even further back to April 2021. Most major motion pictures will not see a wide release until then and the 2020 Oscar eligibility window will be long gone before everything returns to normal. It appears that not only the awards season is a risk, but the theatrical experience itself. All of these issues arising from COVID-19 are pointing out very obvious holes that have begun to plague cinema in the era of streaming. Despite major franchise tentpoles raking in more money than ever before, some of that record-setting box office is due to inflation. On top of this, studios are now reliant on the success of these tentpoles in order to fund smaller projects that often won’t get their return on investment. These smaller movies are often the ones competing for Oscars, so the lack of
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
Brad Pitt runs to accept his award for winning Best Supporting Actor at the 2020 Academy Award Ceremony. He was presented the award by Regina King, and won for his role in Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood. trickle-down from franchise movies has already taken effect. There has been a middle class of motion pictures that become increasingly sparse over the last decade. Even further, artistic filmmakers are being provided with less and less money to complete their vision. That’s why movies like Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood are such rare creatures. However, what has become more common are streaming studios coming to directors with a blank check. Martin Scorsese only successfully completed his three-hour masterpiece The Irishman because of the resources Netflix allotted to him. There is an inherent competition between the older era and the streaming era, which has manifested itself through the awards conversation. Prior to this year, Netflix, Amazon Studios and Hulu all needed their films to have a first run in theaters before dropping on their own services. Although these studios have met these requirements, there is an inherent anti-streaming bias in these award shows. Nothing represents this more than Green Book winning Best Picture over Netflix’s Roma in the 2018 ceremony. For the first time ever, we might see a movie produced/distributed by a streaming service win Best Picture.
Streaming-based studios like Netflix have been dominating the awards conversation this year since they are free to release movies anytime they please on the service. The films of note so far from the streaming giant this year are Da 5 Bloods and I’m Thinking of Ending Things. The awards conversation has already been a thin field this year, but Netflix plans to continue their monopoly on 2020 with the release of alleged award season juggernauts Mank, a biopic about the co-writer of Citizen Kane, and Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7. Netflix wants to dominate the awards season, but the finish line might get moved back on them. Experts have speculated that the awards season eligibility deadline will be extended again, making the next Oscars take place in early 2022, encompassing the films from both 2020 and 2021, effectively canceling this year’s Oscars. Others have considered the possibility of a condensed version of the awards show so both the 2020 and 2021 films can get recognized independently. Regardless, it seems as the current plan of an eligibility deadline of Feb. 28 and hosting the awards show on April 25 seems more and more unfathomable by the minute.
Photos courtesy of imdb.com
Here are just three of the movie posters for films that have had to postpone their release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fear is that without movie theaters, these films won’t make the necessary profits from box office sales. (Left) Dune, Oct. 2021. (Middle) No Time To Die, April 2021. (Right) In The Heights, June 2021.
Page 20 | Thursday, October 15, 2020
Old Gold & Black | Life
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