10/20/22 Full Edition

Old Gold&Black “Covers the campus like the magnolias”

VOL 109 , NO. 5

OCTOBER 20, 2022

WA K E F O R E S T ’ S S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 1 6

The Cost of Living: Students share experiences with inflation In interviews and a survey issued by the Old Gold & Black, students explain how inflation has affected their ability to pay for tuition, groceries and social activities, among other expenses CHRISTA DUTTON, MADDIE STOPYRA & AINE PIERRE News Editor, Asst. News Editor & Online Managing Editor Global inflation has affected all aspects of American life, including education. Over the next few weeks, the Old Gold & Black will be reporting on how inflation has affected the Wake Forest community at large.

This week’s installment will focus on students and tuition/cost of living increases.

Over the past two years, the national increase in inflation has contributed to a spike in Wake Forest University’s campus costs, which some students say have led them to struggle with buying basic necessities.

Fees such as tuition, dining and housing have increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in March 2020.

Total student charges have risen by 7.47%, from $77,278 to $83,054.

Professor of Economics Dr. Robert Whaples explained two key reasons why inflation is on the rise.

“First, Congress spent a lot of extra money fighting the pandemic — multiple trillions of dollars — and then people started spending it, and that's gonna push prices up.

The other thing is that the Federal Reserve has been increasing the money supply. There's a pretty classic finding in economics that when you have more money, chasing the same amount of goods, it's going to push the prices up.”

As of August 2022, the annual inflation was 8.3%. In June, inflation was at 9.1%, the highest in 40 years. Since the pandemic, growing prices of utilities, building maintenance and dining have contributed to higher student fees.

The increase in cost of living due to inflation has affected some students’ ability to pay certain expenses. The Old Gold & Black con-

ducted a “Cost of Living” survey to meeting 100% of demonstrated figauge how rising campus costs are nancial need. affecting students. The survey did “Wake Forest is among a select not collect an adequate number of group of universities in the country responses, making the quantitative that meets 100% of each student’s data unrepresentative. demonstrated financial need,” Tom Students did however share their Benza, Director of Financial Aid at experiences with inflation.

Wake Forest, said. “Our financial aid Some scholarship students, like budget grows each year in proporsenior Jordan Bramley, rely on a tion to the cost of attendance. We stipend to pay expenses during the have a robust analysis process with school year. The increased cost of yearly updates to ensure equitable living has lessaccess to our need“There are a lot of friend groups based scholarship ened how much students can funds. If a student pay for with and groups of people in general that has questions about that allocated I cannot really form relationships eligibility for institumoney. tional scholarships, Since the with because their interests involve we welcome student COVID-19 consultations with so many excess costs." pandemic bethe financial aid ofgan, Bramley fice.”

- senior Jordan Bramley has run out of Despite the asstipend money surances of the Fiby the last couple months of each nancial Aid office, first-generation semester. Before inflation was at restudent Dianna LaTerra expressed cord heights, Bramley would finish concern regarding need-based scholthe semester with money left over, arships. When asked how the Wake and he was buying a similar amount Forest community has been impacted of groceries to what he buys now. by inflation and rising tuition prices, “I am in an apartment this year LaTerra described the challenges and planned on using the apartstudents can face if they are eligible ment-style meal plan,” Bramley for the FAFSA but do not have a responded on the survey. “With high Expected Family Contribution the cost of groceries now, the in(EFC) score — an index number crease to my stipend was not nearly that universities use to determine enough to offset the costs that I will how much financial aid a student is incur cooking for myself. I do not eligible to receive. know how I will eat for the entire “What worries me the most about semester.” tuition is the people who are finanBramley said that he has had to cially eligible for the FAFSA but their borrow money from his friends on EFC score isn’t as high,” LaTerra multiple occasions and at one point said. “They may have to pay more out in time lost upwards of 10 pounds of pocket or out of private loans than because he had to limit his eating. someone who can pay for [tuition] The Financial Aid office, in a statethemselves. I think that those people ment to the Old Gold & Black, are the most impacted by it.” clarified their stated commitment to See Inflation, Page 3

Supreme Court to hear Affirmative Action lawsuits; University will remain committed to diversity BREANNA LAWS & HOPE ZHU Staff Writers Despite the Supreme Court hearing a challenge to affirmative action on Oct. 31, Wake Forest's Office of Admissions assured the Old Gold & Black that its admissions process will not change.

Three lawsuits were filed against Harvard University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Texas by the anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA).

Affirmative action is a set of policies implemented primarily within higher education and employment.

The primary purpose of these policies is to encourage the inclusion of individuals of historically underrepresented groups. This includes minority populations in the context of gender, race, sexuality or ethnicity.

Those who oppose affirmative action say that these practices run afoul of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause (in the case of public universities like UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Texas) and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits private institutions that receive federal funds (like Harvard or even Wake Forest) from discriminating on the basis of race.

No matter what the Supreme Court decides, Wake Forest Admissions told the Old Gold & Black that they remain committed to creating a diverse community.

“We do not know if and how the Supreme Court may reinterpret its position on affirmative action,” Eric Maguire, vice president for enrollment at Wake Forest Admissions, said.

See Affirmative Action, Page 4

What's Inside NEWS Students determine which state to cast ballot Page Three

ENVIRONMENT Fostering connections on Indigenous People's Day Page Five

FEATURES Project Pumpkin: a return to normalcy Page Seven

OPINION Voter suppression is deeply American Page Ten

SPORTS Women's soccer goes 1-1 in recent ACC play Page Twelve

LIFE Hans Neimann cannot be trusted Page Sixteen

Old Gold & Black This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board

Vote! Vote! Vote!

Today, Oct. 20, North Carolina’s polls open for early voting in the 2022 midterms. Any voter who is not yet registered to vote may register during the early voting period, which ends on Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. The Old Gold & Black encourages students, faculty, staff and administrators to exercise their civic duty and vote in this year’s election.

Whether you are concerned about reproductive justice, inflation, the future of democracy or school funding, there is something at stake for everyone in the 2022 midterms. Control of the U.S. Congress hangs in the balance, and the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina may play a key role in deciding which party will hold power in the upper chamber. The North Carolina legislature’s balance of power will

also be up for grabs, as Republicans are a few seats away in each chamber from gaining a supermajority. Additionally, the Forsyth County District Attorney will be on the ballot this year, and that election has broad implications for the criminal justice environment in the county.

Fortunately, those at Wake Forest do not have to travel far to cast their ballots early.

The First Assembly of God Church — accessible by either the shuttle to Deacon Place, the shuttle to the Freshman Parking Lot or by foot — is an early voting site.

We commend the university for pushing for an early voting site so close to campus, and we commend the city for agreeing to Wake Forest’s proposal. It is our hope at the Old Gold & Black that this early voting site will be available in future elec-

tions, as well.

While the Old Gold & Black has not and will not endorse any candidates in the upcoming election, we have published multiple pieces this week on the importance of the midterm elections. In the news section, we have an article explaining why some students have chosen to vote in North Carolina instead of their home state. We encourage you to make use of these resources and to make the decision that is best for you. The Old Gold & Black also recommends that you go to the polls with a sense of who the candidates running are and who would be best to represent you and your values. In the coming days, we will be publishing a field guide to the midterms to aid you as you conduct your voter research.

“

Whether you are concerned about reproductive justice, inflation, the future of democracy or school funding, there is something at stake for everyone in the 2022 midterms.

Due to the impressive efforts of engaged students and the Office of Civic and Community Engagement, over 78% of Wake Forest students cast a ballot in the 2020 General Election. There is no turning back now. If we are as “for humanity” as our branding states, then we must use our voice to advance humanity — there is no easier way to do this than voting.

Old Gold&Black THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY SINCE 1916

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>> NEWS Christa Dutton, duttcd20@wfu.edu Emily Toro, toroer20@wfu.edu Asst.

Maddie Stopyra, stopmf21@wfu.edu >> FEATURES Meredith Prince, prinmc21@wfu.edu Chase Bagnall-Koger, bagncm21@wfu.edu >> ENVIRONMENT Una Wilson, wilsui20@wfu.edu Asst.

Addison Schmidt, schmac21@wfu.edu >> OPINION Sophie Guymon, guymsm20@wfu.edu Maryam Khanum, khanmg20@wfu.edu >> SPORTS Ian Steffensen, steffip21@wfu.edu Aaron Nataline, nataae21@wfu.edu >> LIFE Adam Coil, coilat21@wfu.edu Josie Scratchard, scraja20@wfu.edu >> PHOTO Virginia Noone, noonvc21@wfu.ed Evan Harris, harres22@wfu.edu >> ADVISER Phoebe Zerwick, zerwicp@wfu.edu

>> POLICIES The Old Gold & Black is published every other Thursday during the school year, except during examinations, summer and holiday periods, by Triangle Printing of Durham. © 2022 WFU Media Board. All rights reserved. The views expressed in all editorials and advertisements contained within this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the OGB. As part of our commitment to reporting news fairly and accurately, we will not remove any previously published content. If an error in either our online or print content is brought to our attention, we will revise the originally published article with an appended correction. In order to facilitate thoughtful and appropriate debate, profane, vulgar, or inflammatory comments on our website are not allowed and will be deleted. For more information on our commenting policy, please see our website. We reserve the right to reject advertisements deemed inappropriate. Our full policy, and how to advertise with the OGB, can be found on our website. >> SUBMISSIONS The OGB welcomes submissions in the form of story tips, columns and letters to the editor.

Letters to the editor should be fewer than 500 words, and columns should be around 500 words. Send yours via e-mail to mcnecb19@ wfu.edu the Monday before publication. We reserve the right to edit all letters for length and clarity. No anonymous letters will be printed. >> ONLINE MEDIA Web: wfuogb.com Facebook: facebook.com/ogb1916 Twitter: @wfuogb Instagram: @wfuogb Snapchat: @wfu_ogb Sports Twitter: @wfuogbsports

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News | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, October 20, 2022 | Page 3

Inflation: Wake Forest families and students suffer the costs of rising tuition prices; Fee increases reflect a national trend in higher education Continued from Page 1 Due to the rising campus expenses, LaTerra began to budget her food dollars alongside her personal expenses. She described her experience with the cost of meals while living on campus over the summer.

“I was very mindful over the summer,” LaTerra said. “I stayed [on campus] over the summer, and I found myself being a lot more mindful of what I was purchasing to save more food dollars for the upcoming semester. I am mentally preparing myself for that.”

Several students who participated in the Cost of Living survey also noted that inflation has caused them to be more mindful of their spending.

“I have a much stricter budget now, and it’s more difficult for me to pay for things like gas when I can’t get a job during the school year,” junior Isabel Lilie responded.

Bramley shared that his scholarship stipend is supposed to help him feel “on par” with other students at Wake Forest by allowing him to afford certain

expenses, however he has had to make budget cuts.

“I find myself having to make calculations between buying what I know will be good for me — things like salads, vegetables, stuff that I can cook that’s fresh, even meats and things like that — but I find myself more often than not switching to ramen,” Bramley said.

“That’s a pretty standard student thing, but I don’t think that should necessarily be for a stipend that is said to help students feel at home and on par with the other students here. I don’t think that’s at all living up to it.”

He also shared how financial disparity has affected him socially.

“There are a lot of friend groups and groups of people in general that I cannot really form relationships with because their interests involve so many excess costs,” Bramley said. “I think it can be really disheartening sometimes and it has definitely made me really angry over the past few years.”

It is not just students who are feeling the pain, however. Families are also struggling to keep up with the cost of Wake Forest’s tuition. Multiple respondents indicated that they feared their families would no longer be able to retire due to the increase in attendance costs cutting into savings.

“The majority of my family’s yearly

income goes into paying for my tuition,” Lilie noted in a survey response. “My parents can’t retire because they have to work to pay for me to go to school here. During COVID-19 we lost a ton of money, and Wake Forest gave us no extra aid and no help whatsoever.”

The effects of inflation on Wake Forest’s campus reflect a national trend in which universities have notably increased their fees. In the last year, the average tuition and fees at four-year private colleges like Wake Forest have risen by 2.1%.

In efforts to maintain enrollment, many universities, like Purdue University in Indiana, flattened or slightly increased tuition prices. It has been no different at Wake Forest.

“Inflation impacts higher education institutions, as it does all industries,” Shannon Badgett, Associate Vice President of Finance, Budget and Financial Planning, said. “The university’s budget is approved by the Board of Trustees each year in April. Departmental managers operate within their approved budgets and work with our procurement team to ensure competitive pricing on products and services.”

Yushuo Wang contributed to reporting.

Contact writers at duttcd20@wfu.edu, stopmf21@wfu.edu and pierav20@wfu.

Students determine which state to cast their midterm ballots; Many opt to vote in North Carolina Ashlyn Segler Contributing Writer With Election Day less than a month away, many out-of-state Wake Forest students must decide the state in which they wish to cast a ballot.

On campus, this has forced out-ofstate students to analyze which specific political candidates and localized issues deserve their vote the most. With the option to register in North Carolina, students have the opportunity to influence the outcome in a swing state and potentially alter the partisan balance of Congress.

However, many factors have widely influenced the decision of where to vote among the student body.

For those who made the choice to vote in their home state, the decision often came from a place of convenience.

“I registered to vote in Pennsylvania on my 18th birthday and have just kept my registration there since,” sophomore Sydney Pasceri said.

Others decided based on a tie to local politics.

“I’m more invested in the politics of Maryland,” junior Jack Linde said. “I grew up there, and I understand the issues more.”

Alternatively, for those who have registered to vote in North Carolina, the decision often came down to where they believed their vote mattered most.

“Although I’m from Georgia, I vote in North Carolina because down the ballot, more seats are considered ‘swing’ seats, so I made the decision to vote here instead,” junior Lindsay Tucker said. “Also, voting in North Carolina is much more convenient for me and motivates me to vote since the decisions made here impact my life more than in Georgia.”

“I decided to register in North Carolina,” junior Hasan Pyarali from New Jersey said. “I just looked at where my vote will have the most power this election.”

Some students, like sophomore Collyn Ballentine, chose to vote in North

Carolina based on their stance regarding a local politician or issue.

“I chose to vote in North Carolina instead of Maryland,” Ballentine said.

“I am very strongly opposed to Republican candidate Ted Budd’s stances on environmental policy, abortion, interracial marriages and same-sex marriage. I feel responsible as someone who believes in protecting equal rights and protecting the environment to vote against Ted Budd because his policies go directly against everything I stand for.”

Others cast a local ballot with the understanding that their vote would carry little weight in their home state.

“Previously, I would have preferred to vote in the election of where I live, because I think it is somewhat wrong of me to impose my beliefs on people who live in this state full time,” Ilan Nurko, a junior who is registered to vote in California said. “However, I think not voting in North Carolina

could have national and worldwide impacts.”

Wake Forest is home to more than 5,000 out-of-state students, making up 67% of the combined graduate and undergraduate population on campus, according to the Wake Forest Fact Book. Wake Forest is a comparatively politically active campus as well. According to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) Report, Wake Forest boasted a voting rate of 78.2% in 2020, up 29.9% from the 2016 election. This number notably surpasses the national institution voting average of 66%.

With the Nov. 8 election approaching quickly, students who have not yet made a plan to vote can still register in the state of North Carolina. More information on voting can be found on the Office of Civic and Community Engagement’s website.

Contact Ashlyn Segler at seglal20@wfu.edu

POLICE BEAT • • • • • •

An unknown subject entered basement storeroom at Village Tavern and stole food items. The report was filed on Oct. 11 at 8 a.m.

A wallet was found on the fourth floor of the library. There was a student ID card and a fictitious Georgia drivers license in the wallet. The report was filed on Oct. 11 at 9:35 p.m.

Unknown subject(s) removed victims unsecured scooter at Deacon Place. The report was filed on Oct. 7 at 2:05 p.m.

Unknown subject(s) entered victims unsecured vehicle, but nothing was taken. The report was filed on Oct. 7 at 6 p.m.

The offender had consumed alcohol at unknown location and was walking back to campus when they fell and hit head on sidewalk on Long Drive. The report was filed on Oct. 9 at 1:10 a.m.

Unknown subject(s) entered victim’s unsecured vehicle, and a wallet was taken. The report was filed on Oct. 9 at 10:24 a.m.

Page 4 | Thursday, October 20, 2022

Old Gold & Black | News

Affirmative Action: Wake Forest students and faculty share perspectives Continued from Page 1 He continued: “Throughout the past several years, our admissions and financial aid offices have contributed to a campus community that is increasingly diverse and one that values inclusion and belonging. I don’t foresee that value changing with any potential reinterpretation of affirmative action.”

The justices will hear arguments in Students for Fair Admissions v.

President and Fellows of Harvard College (No. 20-1199) and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina (No. 21707).

Students for Fair Admissions, founded in 2014 by legal strategist Edward Blum, argues against the practice of affirmative action programs on the basis that it gives an unfair advantage to these minority populations.

While anti-affirmative advocates insist that considering race as one factor in the admission process might encourage implicit discrimination, some Wake Forest faculty recognize that it is too early to circumvent race.

Nate French, a part-time assistant teaching professor in the Department of Communication, worked in admissions at Wake Forest from 1995 to 1997. He is also the director of the Magnolia Scholars Program, which enrolls and encourages approximately 30 first-generation domestic students in each class through graduation.

“I am worried that the Court is acting as if America doesn’t have a race issue,” French said, “I think that’s false. Diversity continues to be valuable, but I also see that a lot of institutions are go- i n g to enroll certain percentages of people o n

their own with or without the Supreme Court, because they have found value in having a diverse student body.”

Carol Torres, the advisor of First in the Forest, a pre-orientation program focusing on first-generation college students, shares French’s sentiment.

“I understand the anti-affirmative action group’s mentality of wanting to remove race from consideration because they start to move towards equality, but I don’t think that should be our end goal,” Torres said. “I think our end goal should be equity and more consideration should be given to those minority groups.”

At UNC-Chapel Hill — one of the universities involved in the lawsuit — students formed a group called “UNC for Affirmative Action” that raises awareness about the importance of affirmative action. No such group exists at Wake Forest; however, students from a variety of backgrounds voiced their concerns about the potential impact of the affirmative action case by the Supreme Court.

“I feel like on the grand scale, affirmative action is the thing that makes every institution hold each other up,” junior Vianney Man-

jarrez, a first-generation student, said. “I think the big push to diversity and inclusion in higher education happened because of affirmative action. If it drops, then there might be no longer anything to abide by.”

Junior Jaden Drudge does not view affirmative action as a positive policy as he believes it forces university admissions to place more emphasis on a person’s race than their merits.

“Affirmative Action rewards and punishes people not based on their merits, but their race, which is completely unjust,” Drudge said.

“People today of certain races are being punished to make up for past acts of discrimination that they didn’t commit, while others are being rewarded not for their individual efforts or abilities but for their race. Affirmative Action reduces people to their color, which is ironically what this failed program was intended to prevent.”

SFFA claims that the policy discriminates against other racial groups, yet some students still think affirmative action benefits applicants from a variety of underprivileged backgrounds. Lower-income students may be benefitted by these procedures since they

are more likely to have less access to tools for academic success, such as tutors and updated education materials.

“I still support affirmative action because it opens up a door for low-income marginalized students to be able to apply to PWIs (predominantly white institutions) like Wake Forest,” said freshman Kevin Nguyen, “Many Asian American students who are against affirmative action still coming from privileged backgrounds where they have the resources readily prepared for tests and essays.”

Nguyen stated that his high school did not offer standardized test preparation for the SAT and ACT — a resource that might have been more readily available to students attending preparatory academics or students with access to paid tutors. In being test-optional, universities are enacting a policy of affirmative action because they are decreasing the likelihood of discrimination based on whether the student can afford access to resources.

Following the Supreme Court’s deliberation, you can visit https:// www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments to view the transcriptions of the oral arguments. Cases heard on Oct. 31 will likely be decided in June of 2023.

Contact writers at lawsbn21@wfu. edu and zhuq2@wfu.edu

ENVIRONMENT OLD GOLD & BLACK

Una Wilson, wilsui20@wfu.edu Asst. Addison Schmidt, schmac21@wfu.edu

PAGE 5 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022

Fostering connections on Indigenous Peoples Day The celebration of people, land, and nature focused on Indigenous traditions and historical land use BREANNA LAWS Staff Writer

On Monday, Oct. 11, the Office of Sustainability partnered with the Intercultural Center to host a celebration for Indigenous Peoples Day. This event featured the planting of a new campus garden behind Piccolo Hall — the Three Sisters Garden.

The name “Three Sisters” pays homage to a Native practice of companion planting. This practice involves planting a combination of crops near one another to increase crop productivity. The three sisters in some Indigenous cultures include corn, squash and beans.

The venue was a celebration in itself — Three Sisters Garden was created via partnerships with local and regional tribes with the intention of promoting Indigenous leadership, knowledge and culture. The university specifically looks to raise the voices of Indigenous groups upon whose land the Reynolda Campus resides. These include the Saura, Catawba, Cherokee and Lumbee tribes.

“Tending the garden is a small act of remembrance that directs our community’s attention toward the Indigenous nations that cared for the land on which our university resides,” said Nathan Peifer, program coordinator with the Office of Sustainability, in a statement to the Old Gold & Black.

Peifer continued: “From forest care to food production, Indigenous wisdom can help us transform our current systems of management and production.”

Students attending the event were able to take part in planting and landscaping within the garden.

Following this, attendees shared a meal catered by Chef Jordan Rainbolt of Native Root. Native Root is headed by Rainbolt and strives to cultivate learning opportunities and the sharing of cultures through food — paying attention to both Indigenous cooking traditions and the seasonal changes of crops.

Many people around the United States still celebrate Columbus Day, but recent years have brought about a new day of celebration in its place — Indigenous Peoples Day. This holiday has given many Indigenous individuals a platform to celebrate their heritage and honor their traditions, many of which were repressed by colonizers like Columbus.

This, however, is not a resolved issue, and many Native practices are still shunned by Western cultures. The oppression of Indigenous cultures is becoming a more publicly recognized social justice issue, but many still neglect to capture the full scope of it.

Not only is this topic a social justice issue, but it is an environmental issue. Indigeneity and environmental justice have long been intertwined topics, as Indigenous environmental practices are often inhibited by American overconsumption.

Despite this, Indigenous populations still succeed in advocating for their communities and educating others on their traditions and cultural practices. This act of education was supported by Wake Forest on Indigenous Peoples Day in a celebration of local Indigenous people.

In addition to the educational efforts by the Office of Sustainability and the Intercultural Center, Indigenous students also allow space for conversation.

Mahlea Hunt, a Wake Forest senior and a member of the Lumbee tribe, was involved in the hosting of this

Indigenous Peoples Day event. The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is located in Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson and Scotland counties.

“It was amazing growing up being around so many cultural leaders,” said Hunt. “I have been working for the tribe since I was five years old doing advocacy work.”

Hunt has continued that advocacy work into her time here at Wake Forest, raising awareness of Indigenous issues and working closely with the Intercultural Center. In doing this, Hunt has not only faced the challenges of educating beyond biases, but has had to navigate this process while attending a predominantly white institution.

“All my life, my schools w e r e 95% Native

Photo courtesy of Olivia Page Design by Jacobi Gilbert/ Old Gold & Black

American,” said Hunt. “[At Wake], I’m a part of the one percent of Native Americans.”

Celebrations such as the one held on Indigenous Peoples Day allow Hunt and other Indigenous members of the Wake Forest community to share some pieces of their cultures and traditions. Some of the traditions Hunt shared include a smudging ceremony, a song presentation and a talking circle.

Smudging is a closed practice that involves the burning of sacred herbs as a means to encourage balance and healing. The talking circle is a practice of sharing and educating in a way that encourages equality between participants. It is a space for participants to share their experiences and teach one another about any given topic.

“A lot of students that I have come in contact with don’t know a lot about Indigenous people or our issues…because they weren’t taught it,” said Hunt. “I

think that’s the first step — to educate [others] about what is going on.”

Hunt has done a lot of her work alongside Savannah Baber, the assistant director of the Intercultural Center. Baber is a member of both the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and the Chickahominy Tribe of Virginia. She was the first Wake Forest student to be named a national Udall Scholar for her research in tribal public policy.

“I think that Wake is aware of the importance of being inclusive in a way that it wasn’t when I was a student,” said Baber.

According to Baber, Indigenous Peoples Day at Wake Forest initially began as a protest of Columbus Day. This year is the first year in which there was not a protest, but rather a celebration.

Looking toward the future, the Office of Sustainability is hopeful that next year’s celebration will be accompanied by harvesting the newly founded Three Sisters Garden. Though a small step, managing our campus’ environmental impact through the teachings of Indigenous traditions will cultivate not only an environmental change, but a community of students willing to learn from individuals of all cultural backgrounds.

The benefits of growing these crops together are plentiful. According to Native Seeds, a nonprofit conservation group based out of Tucson, Arizona, the corn provides a stalk for the beans to climb so that they are not out-competed by the squash. The beans provide nitrogen to the soil and stabilize the corn stalks, and the squash leaves shade the ground to help retain soil moisture and prevent weeds.

The consequences of gardens not being tended to in a sustainable way can be seen in many agricultural organizations. Many large-scale agricultural groups are involved in the process of overcropping — using a plot of land beyond its capacity and depleting the soil of nutrients. Nutrient depletion in the soil may also be due to crop monoculture and a lack of biodiversity in fields. These practices often lead to less crop yield, which drives companies to turn to artificial fertilizers and pesticides to maintain their fields.

The use of these supplemental products comes with its own set of risks. For one, it prevents the soil from regaining its own nutrients to provide the plants.

Additionally, runoff pollution from fertilizers and pesticides has wreaked havoc on many communities’ water supplies. Indigenous Peoples are disproportionately affected by these issues, with an estimated one in ten Indigenous Americans lacking access to safe drinking water.

November is Native American History Month, and the Intercultural Center will host events throughout the month that continue to celebrate Native cultures and heritage. The Office of Sustainability will once again be partnering with the Intercultural Center to host Tohi Talks — conversations linking Indigeneity and environmental justice at the Tohi Garden located behind Angelou Residence Hall.

Contact Breanna Laws at lawsbn21@wfu.edu

Page 6 | Thursday, October 20, 2022

Old Gold & Black | Features

The “commune” within Silver Moon Saloon Located in downtown Winston-Salem, the bar has become a local favorite for its welcoming environment BELLA ORTLEY-GURTHIE Staff Writer

Kimberly Varnadoe stands beside a barstool, adorned in a painting smock with a drink in hand. Her drink of choice at the moment? Tonic water and lime- she’s on duty preparing for her upcoming art show at Artworks down the street.

A former professor of art at Salem College, Varnadoe has attended the Silver Moon Saloon for over 20 years. For her, the arts district and Trade Street are like home.

“When I come here, I know it’s always gonna be around people that care about me and I care about them,” said Varnadoe. “It’s not just a drink and bar. It’s really camaraderie.”

In June 2021, a shooting shattered the communal vibe at the Silver Moon Saloon. The case was resolved in court earlier this month with the acquittal of Mikkcos Quick, 39, who claimed that he shot Caleb Williams, 39, in the face in self-defense during a fight. Even with the charges resolved, staff and customers at the Silver Moon are still grappling with the shooting and their sense of safety and community.

James Douglas sits outside on the side patio of the Silver Moon Saloon. He leans back in a metal chair, having just come back from picking up liquor for the week, one of his many duties as manager and bartender.

His hands gesture behind him towards SilverMoon Saloon’s hand-painted cinder block wall with red and blue letters and speckles of stickers.

“On first glance, you’d say it’s probably like a seedy, scary biker bar type place, but it’s not,” Douglas said, “It’s got its own character. It’s got some aesthetics. It’s honestly more of a commune type thing.”

The bar stands apart from other buildings on Trade Street.

The bar, with twinkling fairy lights hanging above liquor bottles, lines one side of the narrow interior, which then opens up onto a back patio. The smell of cigarettes hangs in the air. Boxes of beer bottles crowd the corner, leaving little room for customers, who cram togethersome sitting at the bar while others are backed up against the wall- their voices filling the space.

“I say 90% of the people that come here (are) people that we know already. They’re all locals.

They’ll work here. They’re all like the service industry or musicians, academics … like I said, it’s an open environment.

But also it’s safe. And so we keep a sharp eye,” said Douglas.

Now that more than a year has passed since the shooting, Douglas said that such violence is a fact of life for local bars. He noted a shooting Sept. 3. at the West End Opera House, not far from downtown. “When I say that we’re a safe space,

Photo Courtesy of Bella Orttley-Gurthie

Bridges makes a drink behind the bar at Silver Moon Saloon.

Hearn Plaza in the first decorating session of 2021, passing out

Photo Courtesy of Bella Ortley-Gurthie

The Saloon draws people from all walks of life to the cozy building located in in the arts district of downtown Winston-Salem.

that doesn’t mean we are completely safe,” said Douglas.

After the shooting, the Silver Moon Saloon has become more vigilant.

While not enforcing a dress code, Douglas says that their bouncer (who’s on duty six days a week) will pat people down and bartenders have started cutting customers off on alcohol.

“Bartenders have more freedom to be … not discretionary, but conscientious of who they can serve or who they want to serve …who they feel safe serving,” said Douglas.

Additionally, the local bartenders and bars in Winston-Salem keep tabs on each other through text messages or a Facebook group, communicating regarding problems or any news of bad behavior. “I can text somebody on First Street; I can text somebody on Fourth Street,” said Douglas.

John Bridges started coming to the Silver Moon Saloon after moving to Winston-Salem from Massachusetts four years ago and is now a regular and a bartender there. He leans on a fence post beside the Silver Moon Saloon, a cigarette in his mouth and donning a red cap. As he’s lighting the cigarette, a man comes up to him, rubbing elbows with him in a familiar way.

“That’s one thing I love about this place … I love when people come up and try to rub open sores on you,” said Bridges in a joking manner.

“I grew up in a bar room. My mom owned a bar when I was a kid so it’s a very comfortable atmosphere. It’s like family,” said Bridges. “What isn’t there to love? Like … it is one of those places where you can literally run into any kind of

person at any time of the day.”

The Silver Moon Saloon was first opened in 2003 by Richard Emmett and Vicki Moore, but the building itself was originally built between 1910 and 1915.

Once a linen press shop, beer hall, and restaurant, the Silver Moon Saloon has encountered and seen a wide array of history and people.

Douglas notes that this diverse community makes Silver Moon Saloon stand out among other bars in Winston-Salem: “It’s not based on race or class or age or sex or even political affiliations, but for the most part is pretty progressive. I mean, we’re all welcoming. And … some people just like strong drinks, cheap beer, and good conversation. And so there’s no … you know, we don’t deal exclusively to … frat boys or hippies, or whatever it is. Just people come in here just for the fact that it is different.”

Both the inside of the Silver Moon Saloon are marked with stickers and black sharpie graffiti marks of names, slogans, and funny phrases. “People come here …you can tell it’s left its mark on so many peoples and other people have left its mark in this place,” said Douglas.

Now with a cigarette in hand, Douglas takes note of the scene around him with customers crowding around the side and back patio -some petting their dogs while others share a laugh together.

“So people go to where they feel comfortable,” Douglas said. “Maybe this place is full of outcasts. So, I don’t know.

It’s weird, I haven’t gotten fed up with it yet though.”

Contact Bella Ortley-Gurthie at rollec21@wfu.edu

Page 7 | Thursday, October 20, 2022

Old Gold & Black | Features

Project Pumpkin: A Return to Normalcy

The first on-the-quad project Pumpkin in three years excites Wake and Elementary students alike ELISABETH ROLLINS Contributing Writer

It’s late October; the leaves have begun their annual shift to a compelling shade of crimson and the temperature outside calls for cozy sweaters and nights spent cuddled up under a warm blanket, watching fall films. You spent weeks searching for the perfect Halloween costume, and tonight’s the night you get to show it off. You put your costume on, all the while, thinking about how, in mere hours, you will indulge in some delicious candy while Photo Courtesy of Project Pumpkin participating in the age-old Wake Forest student volunteers host Project Pumpkin on Hearn Plaza in the first decorating sesactivity of trick-or-treating. sion of 2021, passing out candy to visiting children, who also decorate pumpkins at the event.

We’ve all been there, and we all secretly wish we could crafts and engage in educational the event.” year’s event: a haunted house in go back to it. The excitement activities on Hearn Plaza.

The on-campus event will one of the residence halls. that surrounds Halloween as The past few years have proved take place on Oct. 25 while “It probably won’t be as a child is unmatched. There’s difficult for Project Pumpkin the off-campus events will take scary as 21 year olds are used something about the sticky, though, with inclement weather place on Oct. 27. to, but the idea is to make it candy-coated fingers, the spooky and COVID-19 forcing the The event is structured so perfect for six and seven year neighborhood decorations and event off of the quad for the that students, campus clubs, olds,” Olsen said.“They just the myriad costumes that create past three years.

Greek Life organizations and get to walk through and might a kind of magic in a child’s “Nobody on campus at the departments can set up themed get a few jumpscares here and mind. Project Pumpkin aims moment, current undergraduate booths around Hearn Plaza. there.” The haunted house will to produce magical memories students, has ever experienced a This year, Project Pumpkin be located in Sigma Pi’s lounge just like these, normal Project hopes to have 60 booths in Taylor. with added “I think seeing the kids P u m p k i n — participating in the event. It’s It’s not just the Project e d u c a t i o n a l having fun is going to be the and that’s the not just booths that can get in Pumpkin executive board a n d big thing,” says on the action, though; students and the expected 400 to 500 philanthropic main thing that makes me Goldstein. who go through special elementary and middle school feel like we have an impact; elements. training can volunteer to escort students that are excited about “I hope just seeing them have fun, running “We are the visiting kids from booth to the events – current Wake to see happy around campus, and rewriting the booth.For Olsen, this is one of Forest students are too. faces, smiling program, trying the best parts of the event.

“I am so excited for my first, faces, and just having a good to get it back “I did Project Pumpkin when real Project Pumpkin on the people that time.” - Kate Hafer (‘25) to what it once I was a freshman and I walked quad,” junior Marylee Muscari are actually was,” Annie the kids around; and it was said. enjoying Russell, internal probably one of my favorite Sophomore Kate Hafer agrees. themselves,” says Alyssa volunteer coordinator for experiences as a Wake student “Project Pumpkin is an Goldstein, student director for Project Pumpkin, said. so far.” amazing opportunity for the project pumpkin. She hopes This year, Project Pumpkin Another fun part of the event student body to give back to a that the event, which aims to aims to not only return to is the theme—this year’s is subset of the Winston-Salem raise funds for the Freedom Hearn Plaza but also to storybooks. community.” And give back School—a reading literacy- extend to multiple off-campus “We wanted to connect with they will. This year, the event is based summer enrichment locations. the message behind Freedom hoping to raise around $5,000 program that brings kids from “We wanted to continue that School, and promoting for the Freedom School. the Winston-Salem area on connection [in the Winston- literacy,” Russell said. “We There are many reasons one campus for six weeks—will be Salem area] and promote Wake thought there was no better could look forward to Project one for the books and will help Forest students going into the way than with a storybook Pumpkin, but for Smartt, one to inaugurate a new era for the community that they’re living theme.” reason stands out among the philanthropic project. in for four years,” Russell said.

This year’s theme encourages rest.

Project Pumpkin, according The inclusion of off-campus participating students and “I think seeing the kids to Goldstein, is “one of the big events also stands to directly organizations to create booths having fun is going to be the three fundraising-related events benefit those in the greater that resemble classic fairy main thing that makes me feel that happen on campus.” It was Winston-Salem community. tales—some examples are like we have an impact; seeing started by Wake Forest student “We gained a lot from teaching the importance of them have fun, running around Libby Bell (’93) in 1988. For doing [Project Pumpkin] off trees, as inspired by the story campus, and just having a good the past 33 years, the event campus,” Olivia Olsen, Project of “The Lorax”, or having an time. I like when people have a has allowed students from Pumpkin’s quad operations activity where kids throw balls smile on their face.” elementary and middle schools manager, said. “It allows us to and knock ‘brick houses’ down in the Winston-Salem area to reach more people and be more based on the “Three Little trick-or-treat, interact with accessible based on the children Pigs”.

Contact Elisabeth Rollins at Wake Forest students, make and family’s needs surrounding Another new addition to this rollec21@wfu.edu

OPINION

PAGE 8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022

OLD GOLD & BLACK

Sophie Guymon, guymsm20@wfu.edu Maryam Khanum, khanmg20@wfu.edu

The views expressed in all opinion columns represent those of the article’s author, not the opinions of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board

Midterms Mania

Voting: that's hot!

Sally Pendergrass Contributing Columnist

Midterm elections are fast approaching, and this year, your voice is more important than ever. By registering to vote, you have the opportunity to participate in democracy and exercise your power over policy decisions made at the federal and state level. The voter registration process is quick and free, making it easy for Wake Forest students to become active members of democracy without impeding our precious studying time.

But why should we care?

In my opinion, the greatest issue by far in this election cycle is abortion. Reproductive rights are on the ballot this November.

The Republican legislature in North Carolina has previously introduced House Bill 158 (HB 158)— a piece of legislation that would allow citizens to use “deadly force” upon people who terminate pregnancies after the moment of fertilization. If it had been passed, this bill would have excused the first-degree murder of a grown adult if they chose to abort a fetus at even the earliest stage of impregnation — Republicans in the North Carolina House of Representatives have become so “pro-life” that they support killing people. While HB 158 will no longer exist after the new legislature is elected in January, it could be introduced under a new name, and if there is a Republican supermajority, Roy Cooper would not be able to veto bills that take away reproductive rights.

North Carolina is a battleground state, with a Republican-controlled legislature and a Democratic governor. Republicans are two seats shy of a supermajority in the N.C. Senate and three seats shy in the House. If Republicans secure a supermajority, they would have the ability to override Roy Cooper’s veto without support from Democrats, posing a threat to statewide abortion access. There are 14 House seats and one Senate seat up for election on November 8 as well as several state House seats whose winners will determine whether or not House Bill 158 is passed.

Another one of the driving issues in the 2022 midterm elections is the economy.

The rapid inflation that we have experienced in recent years has become a top priority for North Carolina residents. While Republicans blame Democrats and the Biden Administration for the rising prices of gas and other products, Democrats take credit for job growth in North Carolina through their investment in public education and workers’ rights. Throughout the past year, inflation has slowly taken a turn in the right direction: down. However, this has been a

slow-moving, gradual change, taking a toll on working-class Americans, prompting citizens to cast their vote economically this November.

Besides the General Assembly, Senate and House seats, other offices up for election in North Carolina include the state Supreme Court, local judges, sheriffs and county commissioners. While these seats may seem small and insignificant, they are all essential to shaping our state’s current and future political landscape.

The 2022 General Election will occur on November 8, with online voter registration closing on October 14. Online registration is incredibly simple, taking an average of only two minutes to complete. Visit the registration website and fill out the required boxes to apply for a Voter Registration Card by October 14. After this deadline, North Carolinians can continue to register by attending OneStop Early Voting, beginning on October 20 and closing on November 5. If you will not be able to attend the polls in person or wish to vote in your home state, absentee ballot requests will be available until November 1.

Registered voters will be able to find their designated polling location on their Voter Registration Card, which can be found either online or in their Wake Forest P.O. box. Due to Forsyth County lines, the Reynolda Campus is split into two voting districts, so double-check your card to ensure that you arrive at the correct site on November 8. If you decide to participate in early voting, WinstonSalem First Assembly of God Church is the closest site to campus, but you can attend any of the Forsyth County designated polling locations for one-stop early voting. You will also need to bring proof of residency with you to one-stop voting. On-campus students can attain a printable proof of residency document through the Wake Forest housing portal and must bring their DeaconOne Card with them to vote. Off-campus students can bring any current utility bills, bank statements or government documents with them to early voting as proof of residency.

Exercise your civic duty this November by casting your vote for reproductive rights, economic well-being and North Carolina’s political future. Every vote counts and registering is painless and free — what college student doesn’t like free stuff?!

Become involved in democracy and remember: hot people register to vote.

Contact Sally Pendergrass at pendsb22@wfu.edu Maryam Khanum/Old Gold & BLack

Opinion | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, October 20, 2022 | Page 9

A CASE FOR CHERI BEASLEY SOPHIE GUYMON Opinion Editor North Carolina midterms are quickly approaching, and the most important election is by far the close race between former Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court Cheri Beasley and Representative Ted Budd to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate.

Currently, Budd is narrowly leading the polls — which is incredibly concerning, given his extremist viewpoints. While Budd presents himself as a relatable, all-American candidate who will lead our country towards a brighter, more civil future, he is anything but.

Budd’s belief system comprises a plethora of problematic viewpoints that threaten the lives and liberty of everyone who doesn’t share his demographics — that is, white, male, Christian, cisgender and heterosexual. Cheri Beasley, on the other hand, is much more capable of representing the best interests of North Carolina. If elected, she would make history as North Carolina’s first Black U.S. senator.

Of foremost concern is the fact that Budd is among the Republicans who have contested the results of the 2020 presidential election. In December 2020, he signed onto an amicus brief in Texas v. Pennsylvania, a case contesting the results of the 2020 election in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — all battleground states where Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump. On Jan. 6, 2021, Budd objected to the certification of electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election, contending that officials in Pennsylvania had acted “illegally” and “violated” the constitutions of both the United States and their own state. Budd has recently attempted to distance himself from these viewpoints, but that doesn’t change the facts.

Budd is also vocally anti-abortion, having co-sponsored the House version of Senator Lindsay Graham’s legislation to ban abortion nationwide after 15-weeks of presidency — a bill that, if passed, would be a devastating blow to reproductive rights everywhere.

While Budd proudly describes himself as pro-life and a protector of the unborn, antiabortion beliefs are nothing to be proud of.

Beasley, on the other hand, is endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and is a champion for reproductive rights and healthcare, supporting the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), as well as the repeal of the Hyde Amendment.

If this wasn’t enough, Budd opposes the expansion of voting rights, criticizing the For the People Act as undermining election integrity and claiming that the bill would allow minors to vote — which is false. Beasley, however, understands the importance of equal voting access, and is a promoter of transparency, fair redistricting, protecting voting by mail and mitigating the harmful impact of anti-voter legislation.

Unlike Budd, Beasley is an advocate for all North Carolinians, supporting the expansion of the Affordable Care Act — which Budd voted to repeal in 2017 — with a public option, as well as Medicaid and reproductive Photo courtesy of Beasley for North Carolina

healthcare. Beasley also promises to fight for accessible, well-funded public education for all, championing an increase in Title I funding and the full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Budd, on the other hand, has failed to acknowledge the racial and economic disparities in the American education system, instead dedicating his platform to “[fighting] back against woke indoctrination” and banning Critical Race Theory in the classroom.

“But Budd’s a good Christian just like me,” supporters might say. “I feel confident voting for someone who shares my values.”

As someone who was raised Mormon, I am all too familiar with this phenomenon of making political decisions based entirely on religious affiliation. I know dozens of people who voted for Mitt Romney in 2012 because he was Mormon but were unable to articulate any other characteristics that would make him a good president. Worse still, I know people who threw away their vote for Evan McMullin — a third party candidate who had absolutely no shot of winning — in the 2016 presidential election for the same reason.

Newsflash: most American politicians are Christians. All 45 presidents have been Christian, and 43 of those 45 being Protestants.

Beasley is also a Christian who, unlike Budd, has not fallen prey to the “Republican Jesus” phenomena — a Jesus who “loves borders, guns, unborn babies and economic prosperity and hates homosexuality, taxes, welfare and universal healthcare” — that is, a Jesus who is antithetical to Christian values.

Beasley is far from a perfect candidate — taking stances on issues such as funding the police and securing the border with which I personally disagree — but she is clearly the better one. In fact, some of her stances that are out-of-character for a Democratic politician give her appeal to the moderate voting base that Budd — as a Trump Republican — does not have.

A vote for Budd is a vote for another “Republican Jesus” candidate who would uphold the worst parts of the American status quo — a vote for Beasley is a vote for America and much of the reform that our country needs.

Contact Sophie Guymon at guymsm20@ wfu.edu

A CASE FOR TED BUDD PIERCE SANDLIN Contributing Columnist

that critical industries maintain domestic production. On September 29, Budd proposed a bill to close a loophole that allowed chip proRegardless of your political inclinations, it ducers receiving federal funds to move prois undeniable that the upcoming midterm duction abroad. Semiconductors are vital to elections will be pivotal in shaping the next most modern technology, but other nations, mainly in East Asia, manufacture the vast madecade.

As someone from Texas who goes to col- jority of the world’s supply. The results would lege in North Carolina, I had to determine be disastrous if another country ever cut off the state in which I should cast my vote. This our access to purchasing chips. Therefore, I decision was simple, as my vote is worth more applaud Budd for his attempt to protect this domestic industry, as semiconductors are the in North Carolina due to its nature as a swing lifeline of the modern American economy. state. And when November comes, I am conIn recent years, a familiar choice has faced fident that electing Ted Budd to the U.S. Senthe American public: to vote for one immoral ate will be best for America’s future. politician or the other. Yet, I believe that Ted Representative Budd, who currently serves Budd’s background can change this trend, as North Carolina’s 13th district, has earned it has taught him a great deal about morality my vote because he brings an outside perand Amerispective to can values, the Senate. leading to In a room a humble FROM THE AUTHORS: full of atself-pertorneys, his ception. background Budd and SOPHIE: “Beasley is far from a in business I are both and theolmembers of perfect candidate ... but she is clearly ogy will alTwo Cities low for the the better one ... a vote for Beasley is Church in p re s e n t a Winstona vote for America and much of the tion of new Salem. ideas to a Knowing reform that our country needs.” largely hothe valmogenous ues of this group. church, PIERCE: “Ted Budd ... is what As the I can be strengths comforted America needs right now.

I believe of diversity in knoware increas[he] can lead us into a brighter fuing that ingly made Ted Budd ture.” clear to the has similar world, it is beliefs to vital to conme. I am sider the necessity of electing public officials therefore inclined to believe that Budd is an who possess diverse educational and vocation- honorable man and that he relates to the averal backgrounds. age American far more than most politicians.

Representative Budd seems to be one of the Ultimately, Ted Budd’s track record and few members of congress who has maintained background have given me confidence that a desire to ensure a balanced budget. Cur- he is what America needs right now. His valrently, the U.S. national debt is around $31 ues will guide political discourse more civilly trillion, and members of both parties seem to — if elected, future Senator Budd can alter the cruelty and vitriol that have forgotten the importance of a balanced have embodied so budget. The evidence for this lies in Budd’s much of American support for an amendment under which politics over the three-fifths of both houses of Congress past decade. I bewould have to agree to spend in excess of lieve that Budd a balanced budget. can lead us into Budd also supports a bill to make prea brighter fuscription drugs more affordable and acture. cessible — it is essential for Americans to take care of each other in desperate Contact Pierce times. This compassion for others necesSandlin at sansitates finding ways to give Americans the drp20@wfu.edu prescription drugs they need. Budd recognizes this necessity and is attempting to secure our nation’s posterity by finding ways to provide Americans with the tools needed to live healthier lives.

Budd also has a track record of standing up for American industry, which grows ever more critical as American hegemony wanes. As other nations’ economic and military threats loom, the United States must ensure Photo courtesy of the U.S. House Office of Photography

Page 10 | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, October 20, 2022 | Opinion

Voting

Voter suppression is deeply American Voter suppression is a historic practice that continues to be visible in American politics today Maryam Khanum Opinion Editor It is impossible to discuss modern voter suppression without bringing up Georgia. Everyone talks about the dichotomy of the state of Georgia: on the one hand, you have the thriving metropolis of Atlanta, a heavily urbanized city, dominated by multiculturalism, hosting an incredibly diverse population who largely vote for Democrats. On the other hand, you have rural, traditional Georgia, which largely consists of white Americans who lean conservative and overwhelmingly vote Republican.

Georgia is a microcosm of the larger United States — it contains shades of New York and shades of Wyoming within its multitudes.

However, the state legislature is controlled by Republican candidates and has been for some time, which is why, when the state voted blue in 2020, a whole new conversation regarding voter suppression arose.

In the years following the 2020 general election, the term “voter suppression” has become a household phrase within America’s political atmosphere. Irrespective of your side of the aisle, you’ve likely discussed policies that seem to be geared toward suppressing the minority vote. But voter suppression itself is not a new feature of American politics; in fact, it’s a part of America’s historical “democracy”. As Alzo Slade stated in his video in collaboration with VICE media, voter suppression is the American way.

If you took AP U.S. History in high school, you know all about the historic 15th Amendment that granted African American men the right to vote, solving the historical injustice of unequal voting rights within the United States.

Except, it didn’t, because women still couldn’t vote. Then, the 19th amendment was passed in 1920 granting white women the right to vote, and voting finally became an egalitarian

process. Except it didn’t, because southern states such as Alabama, Mississippi and even North Carolina used literacy tests amongst other racist policies enacted with the sole purpose of disenfranchising Black voters (and some working-class white voters) during the Jim Crow era. Then, in 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed, which outlawed literacy tests and ordered certain states with a history of passing racist voting legislation to have the federal government approve any new voting-related policy from there on out. And finally, the problem of unequal voting rights was solved.

Except it wasn’t, because portions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were overturned by the Supreme Court in the 2013 case Shelby County v. Holder. Following this decision, GOP lawmakers presented a variety of bills that seemingly aimed to accomplish one common goal: to prevent certain demographics from voting.

In the modern era, contrary to what Georgia governor Brian Kemp might have you believe, this racism still exists. The overarching injustice of voter suppression is still alive and well, and has taken on many different faces. Last year, a plethora of restrictive voting bills were passed

by Georgia’s state legislature aimed at suppressing the vote in the state’s urban areas. Senate Bill 325 heavily curbed the usage of drop boxes, and it’s no coincidence that over half of the absentee voters that relied on these drop boxes lived in four metro Atlanta counties: Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett. It’s also no coincidence that about 50% of the voters in these counties are people of color. Yet, despite all of these non-coincidences, a U.S. District Court judge did not find these new voting provisions unconstitutional at all. And this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the true extent of enacted voter suppression in Georgia, the same state whose legislature produced 22 restrictive voting bills in the 2021 legislative session.

"The overarching injustice of voter suppression is still alive and well, and has taken on many different faces."

Photo courtesy of AP News

"The fact that voter suppression continues to evolve in accordance with America’s social and political climate is a testament to how deeply our nation is divided."

Photo courtesy of Southern Poverty Law Center Gov. Brian Kemp bears some semblance to needed in order to avoid voter fraud. The same a kind of figurehead of voter suppression. He voter fraud that doesn’t actually exist, or that continues to sign bills perpetuating disenfran- voter identification laws have little to no effect chisement by limiting early voting, voting by on, in accordance with a study conducted by mail and the use of ballot boxes, even suppor- Enrico Cantoni at the University of Bologna ting the decision of GOP lawmakers to crimi- and Vincent Pons at Harvard Business School. nalize handing out water to people waiting in These suppressive tactics don’t actually acline to vote. Even more interesting is Kemp’s complish any of the goals that GOP lawmakers position prior to becoming the governor of claim they do, but that isn’t even the main issue.

Georgia— he used to serve as Georgia’s secre- It’s the fact that the perpetuation of this ignotary of state, tasked with overseeing elections, rance has been instrumental in rallying millions appointing members of boards of elections and of Americans behind policies that suppress micertifying election results. Essentially, Kemp nority votes, whether or not these people unoversaw the 2018 gubernatorial election, which derstand the true effect of this legislation. The he won. Considering his track record, I think threat to democracy that this kind of ignorance it’s safe to say that if this election was redone in poses isn’t a back-burner problem anymore; it circumstances that actually allowed minorities has developed into an incredibly pertinent issue to vote, the results would have been incredibly front-lined by a former president who contidifferent. nues to posit baseless claims that mail-in ballots In North Carolina, 40 out of 100 total coun- allow for the possibility of massive voter fraud ties were required to seek federal approval before and deny the outcome of one of America’s most altering any election-related legislation under significant elections. This has caused voter supsection 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Considering pression in and of itself indirectly, with GOP that this exact section was the biggest point of lawmakers and supporters supporting Trump contention in Shelby County v. Holder and calling for an end to early voting and mail-in was ultimately overturned, it is no surprise that ballots. Essentially, the GOP will continue to suppressive legislation came into effect almost lie about the true purpose of their proposed immediately. In 2016, a federal appeals court election-related legislation in order to make the had to cut down sections of an elections bill disenfranchisement of minorities more palaincluding a voter ID mandate presented by table to the people. the state, that the court believed attempted to The fact that voter suppression continues to disenfranchise Black voters with “almost sur- evolve in accordance with America’s social and gical precision”. The bill essentially stated that political climate is a testament to how deeply government-issued driver's licenses would be our nation is divided along party lines. Ultimaacceptable as identification at the polls but go- tely, voter suppression is incredibly intertwined vernment-issued public assistance cards would and deeply embedded into not just American not be. This seems mundane enough until history, but present-day American politics. you realize that public assistance cards are used Despite the fact that it continues to undermine disproportionately by minorities in NC. Of American principles of freedom and democracourse, North Carolina’s state legislature which cy, voter suppression is deeply American. consists largely of Republicans was absolutely furious at this ruling, with then-Governor Pat Contact Maryam Khanum at McCrory stating that these stipulations were khanmg20@wfu.edu

SPORTS

Ian Steffensen stefip21@wfu.edu Aaron Nataline nataae21@wfu.edu

Follow us on Twitter @wfuogbsports OLD GOLD & BLACK

PAGE 11 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022

Men’s soccer falls on road, dominates at home The No.10 Demon Deacons made a return to their winning ways EVAN HARRIS Photography Editor

The past week for Men’s Soccer proved to be an up and down slate, as the Demon Deacons once again split a pair of games. Oct. 11 saw Wake Forest fall 2-1 to William & Mary, but the team bounced back on Oct. 15 against Boston College with a comforting 3-1 victory.

No. 10 Wake Forest suffered a loss against William & Mary away in Williamsburg, Virginia. Despite outshooting their opponents 14-5, the Demon Deacons were not clinical enough in the final third. The defeat marked the team’s second in a row, following a 2-0 road loss against No. 5 Syracuse.

The first half ended in a 1-1 draw, both teams going back and forth offensively. The Demon Deacons were aggressive from kickoff, creating two goal bound chances within the first 10 minutes of regulation. The Tribe reciprocated Wake Forest’s early intensity, winning two corners just moments later—both were defended well by Demon Deacons.

In the 18th minute, a shot fired by sophomore forward Roald Mitchell from afar was quickly saved and followed up with a William & Mary counter. A shot from outside the penalty box found its way in the back of the net giving the Tribe a 1-0 advantage in the 19th minute.

Wake Forest rallied in the 33rd minute with sophomore midfielder Ryan Fessler netting a brilliant freekick from outside of the box, drawing the match at 1-1. Towards the end of the first half, Wake had one more breakthrough chance on goal off of junior defender Jahlane Forbes’ corner kick, which forced a save from the William & Mary goalkeeper.

At the beginning of the second 45, the Deacons maintained their first half energy, making several attempts on goal. A high missed shot off of a corner kick attempt by Forbes in the 50th minute opened the action. Wake Forest created chance after chance, featuring shots from sophomore forwards Babacar Niang and Roald Mitchell in the 59th and 60th minutes, respectively.

Junior midfielder Chase Oliver also got involved, forcing a diving save from the goalkeeper after Oliver fired a shot from inside the 18 just two minutes later.

In the 70th minute, the Tribe’s keeper recorded his fifth save following another attempt on frame

by Niang. Despite being under constant pressure by the Demon Deacons, William & Mary managed to break the deadlock in the 75th minute of the match, squeaking by with a 2-1 decision.

With the defeat in Williamsburg and thus a pair of successive losses, a win against an unranked Boston College team at home was needed by the Demon Deacons.

Adorned in pink jerseys, the players dedicated the match to the commemoration of Genna Wiley, wife of former Wake Forest athletic trainer Steve Wiley, who passed away of breast cancer three days after the 2007 soccer program won the NCAA championship. The team raised $5,090.32 for the Breast Care Center Patient Support Fund at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. The stands were filled with a medley of black and pink— a compassionate scene that certainly added to the

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

Junior midfielder Oscar Sears (No.10 in pink) celebrates with the crowd after scoring his second goal on the night against Boston College. lively atmosphere needed for an important, in-conference matchup.

As the match kicked off, Wake Forest established dominance in the midfield early, creating two chances on goal within the second minute by junior and sophomore midfielders Colin Thomas and Ryan Fessler. The Boston College defense was caught on its back foot from the start, allowing a flurry of attacks from the Demon Deacons to break through their backline—freshman defender Vlad Walent and sophomore midfielder Leo Guarino both contributed heavily down the left and right sides.

Possession was a one-sided affair in the first half of play, with the Demon Deacons moving the ball from the back efficiently. Offensive opportunities continued to open up for Wake Forest, with nine of their 15 shots coming in the opening 45 minutes.

Despite the one-sidedness of the first half, both teams entered the locker room scoreless.

The second half presented a closer contest. Boston College regained lost footing and began to cause problems for the Wake Forest defense. The game quickly became more and more of a physical battle, with both teams combining for 16 fouls and seven yellow cards in the second period.

Boston College retained much of the possession early on, creating chances consistently for the first time in the competition. A frustrated Wake Forest team was constantly under threat for the first 25 minutes of the period, having to constantly thwart the Eagles’ attacks. Wake Forest allowed six unanswered shots, two of them forcing saves by sophomore keeper Trace Alphin. For a moment it seemed the momentum was with the away side, as each chance came closer and closer to the back of the net.

The course of the game shifted after a moment of brilliance in the 73rd minute by midfielder junior Colin Thomas. Assisted by a sweeping ball from junior defender Jahlane Forbes, Thomas bur-

ied the ball into the top right corner, breaking the deadlock. The stands erupted - Wake Forest had finally made a decisive move late in the game.

The Demon Deacons were reinvigorated by Thomas’ heads up play and began to ramp up offensive pressure in emphatic fashion. Boston College was a shell of themselves compared to the beginning of the second half, retreating and defending against confident counters from Wake Forest.

The Demon Deacons now asserted a high press that would last till the end of the game, slipping balls through the Eagle’s defense with the same ease they did in the first half. The Eagles began to express their frustrations through three more yellow cards and numerous fouls. The Deacons kept the intensity, with junior midfielder Oscar Sears netting another goal in the 80th minute.

Weaving through defenders, Sears curled the ball into the left-upper 90 from just inside the box, scoring a wonder goal to further cement Wake’s hold on the contest. Just three minutes later, freshman phenom Vlad Walent sealed the deal, slotting home a one-on-one attempt to make it 3-0. Spry was electric.

In the dying embers of the game, Boston College managed to poke in a consolation goal off of a Wake defensive error, so the Demon Deacons were denied a clean sheet in the 88th minute. At the sound of the final whistle, Wake Forest improved to 11-3-0 overall and 4-2-0 in conference play.

The No. 10 Deacons made a return to winning ways following two losses on the bounce.

The game marked 200 career wins for head coach Bobby Muse. Wake Forest Men’s soccer next sees ACC action when they travel to Charlottesville to play Virginia on Oct. 22.

Contact Evan Harris at stefip21@wfu.edu

Sports | Old Gold and Black

Thursday, October 20, 2022 | Page 12

Women’s soccer goes 1-1 in ACC play The Demon Deacons easily handled Miami but fell short in Chapel Hill

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Defender Kristin Johnson elevates over The sophomore was everywhere versus AARON NATALINE Sports Editor In a pair of ACC matches, Wake Forest Women’s Soccer went 1-1 this past week to bring its overall record to 9-4-2 and their ACC record to 3-4. The Demon Deacons defeated Miami 2-0 at home but could not topple the No. 2-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, where Wake Forest fell 1-0.

Wake Forest welcomed the Miami Hurricanes to Spry Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 9 for an afternoon match that continued conference play. The Demon Deacons looked to regroup after dropping an away game versus Duke, and they did just that by dominating this game on both sides of the pitch.

The tone was set early, almost as if the Wake Forest squad came into the match with twice the energy that Miami did. Right from kickoff, the Demon Deacons applied pressure to the Hurricanes’ wingers, overwhelming them on short-lived counters.

Sophomore defenders Zara Chavoshi and Laurel Ansbrow were constant disruptors whenever Miami attempted to flip the field.

Early on, this meant possession appeared one-sided, favoring the Demon Deacons.

To say Wake Forest made efficient use of the advantage in possession time would be a severe understatement. Four eager shots were launched within the first fifteen minutes in a match that saw the Demon Deacons generate plenty of opportunities to penetrate the goal.

The spacing of the midfield unit allowed for those neutralized Hurricane attacks to be quickly converted into potential scoring opportunities. Freshman midfielder Caiya Hanks stood out as a player constantly leading the way for a defensive stop to be fed into the attacking third quickly. As the game moved into the 20th minute, her spacing within the midfield allowed her to send a crosser to the forwards picking apart the Miami defense around the penalty box. Eventually a clinical through pass set up junior forward Liv Stowell to fire a low but speeding shot at the Hurricane goalkeeper, who managed to recover from a slip and make a diving deflection out of the well-timed shot. While this led to one of the Demon Deacons’ five corner kicks of the first half, Wake Forest was unable to capitalize.

That shot on goal may have woken up Miami, as from there the Hurricanes began to win some possessions back. They were more often able to send forward passes in the latter phases of the first half, but Wake Forest could count on their fullbacks to keep

the competition Miami, as she

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

to clear the ball away from Wake Forest’s goal. assissted on both scores for the Demon Deacons.

the opposition from putting together any build-up plays around the box. Defensive play was most secure here, for the Hurricanes did not tally a single shot in the first half.

Eleven first-half shots for the Demon Deacons made for a more attention-keeping battle on the other side of the green. The tenacity of Wake Forest’s offense in pouring on shots paid off in the 31st minute when they took the lead 1-0.

Spacing paid dividends with this score, as sophomore defender Kristin Johnson was able to send the ball to the sideline on a one-touch pass to defender Taryn Chance. The quick acceleration of the play allowed the freshman Chance to outrace a Hurricane defender down the far sideline as she looked to set up yet another scoring opportunity. Her through pass sliced through the six-yard box and past two defenders to the cutting Liv Stowell, who chipped the ball directly from the air into the top of the goal despite the goalkeeper being inches away.

The energy of the first half definitely carried into the next, as by the 68th minute, Wake Forest led 21-0 in shots. The Demon Deacons’ second goal unfolded along the baseline in front of Alumni Hill, much to the viewers’ excitement.

Forward Liv Stowell was once again involved, setting the play in motion by sending two defenders the wrong :away at the top-right corner of the penalty box before sending a back pass along the sideline to defender Kristin Johnson. Before a Miami player could even catch up with her, Johnson sent a pass skipping to midfielder Giovanna DeMarco at the edge of the 6-yard box. Without even turning to face Alex Wood and her slippery cut into the box, Demarco pushed the pass forward to the freshman forward Alex Wood. Wood dived to propel a shot into the top-right corner and improve the lead to 2-0 in the 72nd minute.

After the second goal, Wake Forest was able to park the bus and allow for smart defense to close out the game. In addition to the shutout, the Demon Deacons closed the match with a 28-0 shot advantage. While the victory was satisfying, the next game against nationally ranked North Carolina proved much tougher.

Wake Forest traveled to Chapel Hill to face off against the No. 2 ranked Tar Heels on Oct. 14. The evening match presented a prime opportunity for Wake Forest to impress against a formidable ACC rival. While the Demon Deacons could not come away from the game with a win, they surely brought a battle to Dorrance Field.

Fierce defensive pressure characterized that battle on Wake Forest’s side, as they stifled the North Carolina offense into their lowest number of shots on the year with ten. Wake Forest also

had to endure tough defense as well, but the team smartly sided with patience on frequent pack passes to allow for an effective counter to develop.

One of these counters pushed the Demon Deacon attack forward inside the seventh minute, with sophomore defender Zara Chavoshi leading. She eluded defenders from her team’s own penalty box to midfield, where she set up sophomore midfielder Emily Morris to make a soaring forward pass. Junior forward Liv Stowell collected the ball in stride and was able to shake multiple Tar Heel defenders in the penalty box before firing a shot. While the ball was deflected, the well-orchestrated attack early in the game gave Wake Forest some control of the first-half pace.

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks played a crucial role in keeping North Carolina scoreless going into the half. In the 34th minute, a Tar Heel forward on the back end of a counter brought the ball into Wake Forest’s 6-yard box, but sophomore midfielder Malaika Meena was able to disrupt her dribble to force the ball to another Tar Heel with a worse angle at the goal.

Parks deflected the shot from close range, effectively frustrating North Carolina as they were shut out in the first half for the first time in ACC play this season.

Unfortunately for Wake Forest, a home-field penalty allowed North Carolina to break open the scoring just four minutes into the second half. With the score favoring the Tar Heels 1-0, there was renewed urgency for a score from the Demon Deacons.

The best chance at one came in the 60th minute after Wake Forest forced their first corner kick of the game. While a defender for North Carolina was able to send it sky-high with her head, freshman forward Hannah Johnson miraculously tracked its descent and was able to get a header out of it. While the shot did not land true, Johnson had managed to notch the first shot on goal for the Demon Deacons.

While Wake Forest was able to build up more and more hopeful attacks as the match stretched on, the Tar Heel defense refused to allow a goal. The Demon Deacons fell 1-0, but they tested the No. 2 ranked team in a way that no other opponent has been able, especially in ACC play. Now holding an overall record of 9-4-2, Wake Forest next takes on Virginia in Charlottesville on Thursday, Oct. 20.

Contact Aaron Nataline at nataae21@wfu.edu

Sports | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, October 20, 2022 | Page 13

College Football Week 7 Recap Unbeaten juggernauts like No. 3 Alabama fall in tumultuous week SEAN KENNEDY Staff Writer

Wake Forest had an off week, but exciting college football never sleeps.

This past weekend, the college football landscape saw a historic slate of individual and team performances that included upsets of multiple top-ten programs and broken records.

The most notable game of the weekend stemmed from one of the largest rivalries in college football between No. 3 Alabama and No. 6 Tennessee. The rivalry, also known as “The Third Saturday in October,” has been dominated by the Crimson Tide in recent years, with Alabama having been on a 15-game win streak heading into Saturday’s matchup in Knoxville.

History doesn’t always repeat itself, though. Led by a surging Heisman trophy candidate in redshirt senior quarterback Hendon Hooker and upstart wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, the Volunteers took down the Crimson Tide 52-49 on a game-winning field goal from Tennessee kicker Chase McGrath. Hooker threw for 385 yards and collaborated on five touchdowns with Hyatt.

Record books were positively shattered by junior Jalin Hyatt’s performance against the Alabama secondary.

Hyatt racked up six receptions for 207 yards and five touchdowns while becoming the first player in Division 1 football since 2000 to have five touchdowns on six catches or less. This was against a stout Alabama defense that only let up 12.5 points per game entering Saturday.

Tennessee is now their first top-three AP Poll ranking since the preseason of 2005. They are also in a position to join the College Football Playoffs for the first time in program history, pending the results of a provisional top-3 matchup between them and Georgia on Nov. 5.

Tennessee wasn’t the only orange-clad team to have a successful weekend. In the ACC, the No. 18 Syracuse Orange took down No. 15 NC State 24-9 in a matchup that saw the former squad move to 6-0 for the first time since 1987.

The Orange took advantage of an injury-riddled

Photo Courtesy of Utah Athletics

Utah wide receiver Jaylin Dixon looks upfield. The No. 20 Utes upset No. 8 USC.

Photo courtesy of Tennessee Athletics

After watching their team topple the Crimson Tide, Tenenssee fans stormed the field.

Oh, and they ripped out the goalpost for a solid crowd-surf through Knoxville.

Wolfpack squad that was led by backup quarterback were hauled in by the sure hands of receiver Quentin Jack Chambers, a transfer from Charleston Southern Johnston, who went for 180 yards and a touchdown. who was starting his first game with his new team. Johnston, who had a spectacular performance against Chambers had large shoes to fill in replacing preseason No. 19 Kansas the week before, flaunts a combined 22 ACC player of the year Devin Leary, NC State’s red- receptions for 386 yards receiving and two touchdowns shirt junior quarterback who tore a pectoral muscle in in these back-to-back weeks. a close win versus Florida State the week before. Under Balancing out the lethal Duggan-Johnston connecChambers, the NC State offense never got rolling, as tion was 104 yards of rushing done by TCU running they were held to single-digit points total for the first back Kendre Miller, who picked up his sixth straight time since 2018. game with a rushing touchdown. Of the two scores The same can’t be said for the Syracuse offense, Miller punched in, his most important was his two-yard though. Led by running back Sean Tucker and quarter- rush to end double overtime and complete the Horned back Garrett Shrader, the Orange outgained their op- Frogs’ comeback over the Cowboys. ponents 389-255 in total yardage. The Syracuse defense The wild day of games was finished off by a heated has been tough to go against all year as well, but that PAC-12 matchup between the No. 8 USC Trojans and reputation will be tested when they face off against No. the No. 20 Utah Utes. The game had large implications 5 Clemson in “Death Valley” this upcoming weekend. for the PAC-12 title picture, especially with four teams The Big 10 featured another matchup of previously still in contention for the conference title game. unbeaten top-ten teams, as No. 10 Penn State traveled USC, led by quarterback Caleb Williams and head to Ann Arbor to face the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines. coach Lincoln Riley, paved the way to a productive The game was set up to be an intense contest. Penn start, leading Utah by as much as two touchdowns in State came into the day with quality wins against teams the second quarter. Williams threw for 381 yards and like Auburn and Purdue, and the Nittany Lions were five touchdowns, while receivers Jordan Addison and expected to give Michigan a tough battle.

Mario Williams combined for 11 catches for 251 yards.

Yet, a tough battle the game was anything but. as Despite the stat sheet stuffing by the Trojans’ offense, coach Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines to a convinc- nothing came close to another historic receiving pering 41-17 victory. formance from Utah’s Dalton Kincaid. The senior tight The game was highlighted by a pair of Michigan end strung together 16 receptions for 234 yards and a players in running backs Blake Corum and Donovan touchdown, leading the team to the comeback along Edwards. The two would launch a dynamic, balanced with quarterback Cameron Rising. rushing attack where both had over 150 yards rushing Rising proved to be the hero of the day, however, and a pair of scores. All told, Corum and Edwards com- when he led the Utes’ offense on a 15-play, 75-yard bined for 339 yards rushing and four touchdowns. drive to bring the game to within a point with 48 secIn yet another high-ranked matchup between con- onds remaining. Instead of opting for a field goal, Utah ference title contenders, No. 13 TCU defeated No. 8 coach Kyle Whittingham bet on his quarterback, allowOklahoma State 43-40 to continue their unbeaten sea- ing Rising to go for the two-point conversion. Rising son and to stay atop the Big 12 conference standings. scrambled out of the pocket on a designed pass play, The game was headlined by the thrilling back-and- snuck through his offensive line and secured the gameforth overtime period after TCU came back from a winning score to put Utah on top at 43-42.

17-point deficit in regulation. Oklahoma State got off After a wild week of record-setting performances to a hot start after two consecutive touchdown runs by across the nation, next week still features high-stakes quarterback Spencer Sanders, who threw for 245 yards matchups like No. 9 UCLA and No. 10 Oregon. No. and an additional touchdown.

13 Wake Forest will also come out of their off week to But in the long run, Sanders was out-dueled by TCU battle Boston College at home. quarterback Max Duggan, who ran for a score in addition to throwing for another pair of touchdowns Contact Sean Kennedy at in the air. A majority of Duggan’s 286 passing yards kennsm21@wfu.edu

PAGE 14 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022

LIFE OLD GOLD & BLACK

Adam Coil, coilat21@wfu.edu Josie Scratchard, scraja20@wfu.edu

Breaking social conventions and fostering community, one song at a time LEANNA BERNISH Contributing Writer

I’m sitting in the Reading Room of ZSR right now, dancing to Florence + the Machine. I see someone to my right tapping their foot in rhythm to a tune unknown to me. I’m often curious what other people are listening to as they make their way across campus, study in the library and workout in the gym. Odds are, we probably are listening to some of the same songs or artists but have no idea because we are all existing in our own worlds. Social convention prevents us from asking one another what’s f loating out of our headphones.

What would happen if we broke this convention? We could share music with each other around campus to weave together a collaborative community playlist. In a similar pursuit of breaking social conventions, I asked people if I could share a song with them as I walked between classes for a social psychology project last fall. It was a bit awkward at first, but the people who agreed to my proposition enjoyed the song and seemed to leave in a good mood. It showed me that we don’t really have to be strangers if we don’t want to be. Asking people what they were listening to further reaffirmed this because it showed me that it just takes a

hello and a question to break through social convention.

During the summer of 2021, I conducted research with Dr. Donovan Livingston on the roles and perceptions of music for Wake Forest students during the summer of 2020. We found that the classes of 2021 - 2024 listen to a wide variety of music and are generally open to new music and song recommendations. While I conducted qualitative interviews and a survey to learn more about what students were listening to and why, I couldn’t share all of the individual results as part of my report. Though my research technically concluded with Undergraduate Research Day in the fall of 2021, I’ve continued to think about students’ connections to music and further questions that could be explored. This column is another means of fostering dialogue around music across the student population because it allows us to find new songs and share common ones with each other.

What we listen to can be very personal to us. Listening to music with headphones can be a time to ref lect and disconnect from the world — something not always for sharing. Additionally, people have numerous reasons for listening to music: while driving or riding in the car, during household tasks, while working, studying, getting ready for the day and while

Leanna Bernish / Old Gold & Black

Junior Leanna Bernish asks a student to share the music she is currently listening in an effort to break social norms while outside Tribble Hall.

being creative, to name a few. There are several emotions associated with listening to music as well, including anger, joy, stress, need for motivation and the desire to move/dance. We all have our own connections and memories associated with our music. What purpose does music serve for you? What can it do for others?

Should you listen to an artist’s music if you don’t agree with them? Music, to me, is an ever-evolving expression and exploration of the human experience. I invite you to ref lect on your connections to music and to share your thoughts with us as we continue to explore what WFU students are listening to.

Thank you to everyone who shared their music with me. Stay tuned for the next volume.

Tune in to Sundays with Leanna at 8:00 p.m. on Wake Radio to hear some songs from this column.

Contact Leanna Bernish at bernlm20@wfu.edu

Life | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, October 20, 2022 | Page 15

A true crime triumph: the Adnan Syed story Notable podcast, "Serial", leads to exoneration CAROLINE MEDEROS Contributing Writer “If you want to figure out this case with me, now is the time to start paying attention”, Sarah Koenig says as she draws in her audience during the fourth episode of her critically acclaimed podcast “Serial”. The podcast’s first season recounts the details of the case of Hae Min Lee — Adnan Syed’s alleged murder victim — taking the audience from beginning to end with testimonies from the court, interviews with Syed and other important personnel and vital sources such as police reports. The podcast is one of the first to cover this case in meticulous detail — 15 years after Syed was incarcerated.

Syed was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Hae Min Lee when he was in high school and has never stopped claiming his innocence despite his conviction. He pushed for a retrial which was denied a few years ago but has continued fighting since then with little success until now.

Simultaneously, the true crime genre is growing increasingly popular among teens and older audiences. It gives audiences the feeling of being a detective and uncovering the truth piece by piece as if they themselves are working on the case. Taking such a large

audience through the evidence of these crimes makes the general public feel as though they have concluded that the individual is guilty.

“Serial”, however, shows a different story — within the first few minutes of the first episode, Koenig states that there is little to no incriminating evidence and spends the majority of the podcast discussing his trial. While she hints at his innocence, she also discloses that she cannot definitively conclude either way. This new attempt to prove innocence rather than guilt is a breath of fresh air, catching the attention of the general public with its uncommon format. Instead of searching for damning evidence like the detectives, they are able to find the clues that prove Syed was just a regular high school student. This change enraptured the audience by flipping the typical narrative and empowering them to feel like justice warriors — later pushing for a retrial to prove Syed’s innocence.

With all this new attention on a so-called closed case, things began to change. New questions emerged about the legitimacy of conducting a retrial or dropping all charges.

Koenig highlights the case’s mishandling by prosecutors and the defense — concerning other suspects – which turned heads. Fresh eyes on the case resulted in Syed’s release on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022 — 22 years since his

conviction — and charges against Syed have since been dropped.

The community of true crime fans enthralled by the HBO docu-series and “Serial” podcast rallied behind Syed, which eventually lead to a retrial in 2016. During the retrial, the presentation of new evidence and ruling in his favor led to later success in the court of appeals. The progress of this case excited fans only to lead to a disappointing rejection by the Supreme Court. Syed’s fanbase pushed on, however, leading to his ultimate release.

Koenig, other podcasts and the HBO show were able to rile up enough of the general public to instigate the dropping of his charges. The power the media holds on the general public can be frightening as it can move a large audience to act in a way that shifts generational perspectives and calls to action a mass of people. Due to the accessibility of the podcast and social media, the news about Syed spread quickly, causing instant pushback on his original ruling. Because of the ease of spreading information and misinformation, the media can warp details and mislead the public who can be easily convinced that what they read is true. These skewed judgments can cause harm, especially when dealing with convicts. Without the correct

facts, those pushing for justice may fight to free others believing they were wrongfully convicted while armed with misinformation.

Syed’s case shows the impressive potential of the media to declare justice, but it also illuminates the potential danger of such rapid conclusions to which the public may jump.

Syed’s story sets a precedent for future cases. With enough public concern for cases such as Syed’s, the public has demonstrated its ability to influence the justice system.

While popular trials such as the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard case earlier this year and the OJ Simpson case were widely known during the trial itself — allowing people to make real-time speculations and judgments — Syed’s case was different. Audiences began to fight for justice for Syed long after his conviction and were able to persuade the court to retry him in an attempt to prove his believed innocence. The success of his retrial could inspire future efforts from the media in advocacy for those who have been wrongfully convicted. With a newfound power in true crime media and its supporters, Syed’s case has the potential to inspire a new approach to justice for future generations.

Contact Caroline Mederos at medecv22@wfu.edu

Unearthing the lost art of Arthur Russell The legacy of experimental composer Arthur Russell and the ethics of posthumous releases.

JAMES WATSON Staff Writer The Village Voice obituary read, “He simply vanished into his music.” Arthur Russell passed away at the age of 40 on April 4, 1992, and apart from the principal members of the New York underground, few cared. He left behind a musical mausoleum: 166 linear feet of tapes and papers residing in the New York Public Library — the analog remains of a man and his cello — a life spent restlessly experimenting, pursuing reinvention and chasing fame.

For Russell and his art, however, death was not the end, but the beginning of a new life.

Though he only released one album in his tragically short life, Russell’s varied, endlessly creative body of work has garnered an almost cult following in the past decade thanks to posthumous releases. With these archival compilations, folks have rightly begun to conclude what many of his peers did decades prior — Russell was a genius.

Born Charles Arthur Russell Jr. in Oskaloosa Iowa, he was desperate to shake the confines of rural America and chart his own path as a bonafide artist. Russell’s move to San Francisco in the late sixties netted his first major connection: Allen Ginsberg. The angelheaded hipster was Russell’s avenue into the avant-garde, shaping his trajectory as a classically trained cellist-based experimentalist.

Ginsberg would later refer to his star pupil’s music as “Buddhist Bubblegum”. Like any champion of bold, exciting art, Russell found himself in New York City only a few years later. His impact can be found throughout the music of lower Manhattan during the 70s and 80s. He first gained acclaim for his deep involvement in the dance scene of the time, producing hits like Loose Joints’ “Is it All Over My Face?” and Dinosaur L’s “Go Bang!”.

Russell also wandered into the avenues of New Wave, appearing as a contributor on an early version of the seminal Talking Heads song “Psycho

Killer”. It is ironic then that, despite his notable influence in and around the thriving New York art scene, he is all but unremembered. Without his solo efforts, Russell would be nothing but a mythological specter whose existence can only be traced back to the grooves and scratches of those albums and 45s he produced.

Perhaps the greatest misconception about artists like Arthur Russell or The Velvet Underground is that their forward-looking, non-mainstream leanings meant they didn't want some element of commercial fame — when in reality they did (see the rest of The Velvet’s catalog after John Cale’s exit, for example). Russell truly wanted fame. He wanted to make it big — and had nearly every opportunity to do so. Russell lined up major label recording sessions and auditions that were all fruitless due to his creative discontent and micro-managerial engineering. He was an insecure perfectionist, and it cost him in the industry. That's why so little of his art ever saw the light of day while he was living. But ironically, perfectionism is precisely why Russell's music soars.

“World of Echo”, Arthur Russell’s only album released while he was alive, is his most iconoclastic and revelatory work. A dark, introspective, minimalist meditation — Russell contorts his cello into breathtaking passages of experimentalism. Songs like “Soon-To-Be Innocent Fun/Let’s See” demonstrate Russell’s relentless toying with song structure, flowing between cohesion and fragmentation. It is a quiet, sometimes violent barrage of abstract noise — and it’s really quite spiritual. It is the sound of a man being in complete and total control of his artistry. He has unobstructed power over the force of his bow, the modulation of his voice, his distance from the microphone and the effects twisting and mutating the strings of his cello. It is pure mastery — a record that is totally, ultimately Arthur Russell. The sonic documentation of a revolutionary genius. But for all of his technical pioneering, he was deeply indebted to pop sensibilities. This side

of Russell went all but unknown until a few years ago.

Sadly, Russell passed away in 1992 due to complications from AIDS. He left behind his partner, Tom Lee, along with a mountain of experiments and songs. Whether as a means of coping with the incalculable pain of losing a romantic partner or a noble desire to see his music released, Lee began loosely organizing the music and releasing posthumous compilations. Beginning with “Another Thought” in 1993, these releases have been an unbelievable gift — treasure troves of incredible art that double as introspective visions of a revolutionary’s process. Country/folk, minimalist, newwave, pop, shoegaze, chamber-pop, experimental, electronic and disco are all represented through this posthumous body of work. My personal favorite release is “Calling out of Context”, an exciting, unique work of dance and electronic music that features arguably the most popular of Russell’s songs, “That’s Us/Wild Combination” (a strong contender for my favorite song of all time). But the sprawling, singer/songwriter-focused compilation “Love is Overtaking Me” is equally important thanks to its chronological documentation of Russell’s brief career, ending with the devastating “Love Comes Back” — the last he recorded.

Though Russell’s art has yet to find its justified mainstream foothold, his influence is pervasive — and growing — in certain music circles. Dev Hynes (Blood Orange), Frank Ocean, Sufjan Stevens, James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes), James Blake and Kanye West are all Russell devotees. West went so far as to prominently sample Russell’s “Answers Me” on the 2016 track, “30 Hours”.

Only through posthumous album releases has Arthur Russell’s art found new life. But is this practice entirely ethical? What makes posthumous albums critical documents rather than cheap cashins? In Russell’s case, it's quite obviously the former, given the releaser’s intent and relationship with the

artist, but it is worth examining this practice as a whole. When rapper Pop Smoke’s label released a second posthumous album after his murder in 2020, Pitchfork said “it’s solely designed to generate clicks…”. Posthumous music from the likes of XXX Tentacion and Juice WRLD has been met with similar criticism. If the artists have no final oversight over the music they release, is it really theirs? Would Russell, with his obsessive fine-tuning, have been comfortable with these albums? It’s impossible to know. But I think it’s reasonable to be simultaneously thankful for having this music and cautious about the ethics. At least in Russell’s case, these releases have been treated with the respect and dignity t h e genius “Wonder Boy” f r om Iowa deserved. It’s the happy ending he wa s a lways chasing.

Photo courtesy of Spotify Discover Arthur Russell's music for yourself:

Contact James Watson at watsjc22@wfu.edu

Page 16 | Thursday, October 20, 2022

Old Gold & Black | Life

Hans Neimann cannot be trusted Behind the mysteriously good looks of the professional chess player lies something devious SOPHIE GUYMON Opinion Editor

If you’ve been keeping up with the world of chess, you’re probably aware of the current cheating controversy between World Champion Magnus Carlsen and Grandmaster (GM) Hans Niemann. While there is no definitive proof that Niemann cheated in his game against Carlsen or in other over the board (otb) chess games, it is proven that he has cheated in upwards of 100 online games between the ages of 12-17, some in tournaments with prize money at stake. This evidence contradicts Niemann’s previous claims that he only cheated in one Titled Tuesday game when he was 12, and in “random games” when he was 16 with no prize money at stake.

Carlsen has also received his fair share of criticism surrounding the situation — for not making a concrete statement on the matter until weeks after the fact, for not bringing evidence to the table and even allegedly colluding with chess.com to unjustly destroy the career of someone 12 years his junior.

While many fans are firmly pro-Carlsen or pro-Niemann in this debacle, others are undecided, believing that both men have conducted themselves poorly, or that Niemann’s online cheating makes him untrustworthy but does not merit a ban from otb chess or sanctions on his career. If you’re attempting to pick a side, you might think to consult the chess. com report, other high-level chess players and experts or even — everyone’s favorite — random strangers on the internet.

However, these perspectives have already been exhausted, and who cares what they have to say anyway? Instead you should listen to me — a 20 year-old college student who has never played a game of chess but went to school and church with Niemann for

approximately one year. Having (somewhat, vaguely) known Niemann long before he was climbing the ranks in chess, I have a new and unique perspective. In fact, I might just be the ultimate authority on this matter.

Place yourself in my shoes for a bit. It’s 2013: and you’re finishing out your sixth and final year of elementary school. Middle school is just around the corner, and you’re bored. You know that better things are on the horizon and that in a matter of months you’ll have a chance to reinvent yourself as a cooler, more interesting person.

Enter: Hans Niemann, the mysterious new boy in the grade below you, who just moved in from the Netherlands. He walks around the cafeteria with a sense of purpose and an aura of self-assuredness and frequently misses Sunday church service to compete in chess tournaments.

Having spent the majority of your life in a town with a population of 17,000 people, going to school and church with the same set of people and rarely going on vacations more interesting than visiting your extended family in Utah, you’ve never met someone so worldly.

However, you’re cripplingly shy and rarely venture outside your close circle of five friends. You’re also slightly embarrassed by the fact that Hans is a full grade younger than you — the scandal! — and thus, you harbor your crush in secret. When you pass by him, you do that dumb elementary school thing where you pretend to be mean and uncaring, thinking he’ll somehow be impressed.

Months go by, and you finally make it to middle school, where you find a new, unattainable boy to crush on and forget all about Hans.

Your opinion has also been soured

by Disney’s “Frozen”, where the villain is — you guessed it —

Sophie Guymon/ Old Gold & Black

a bad boy named Hans. By the time you’ve finished sixth grade, the Niemann family has packed up their bags and moved out east to pursue opportunities in the world of chess.

You grow older and wiser, finally dipping your toes in the dating pool after starting your freshman year of college a safe 2,700 miles away from your parents. You major in psychology and begin to construct explanations for all of your failed love connections and minor in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, in Photo courtesy of Hans Neimann which you discover your worth as a woman.

Armed with this academic knowledge, as well Neimann stares down GM Carlsen as years of teasing and admonishments from during an intense chess match. your friends, it occurs to you that maybe your threads and generally gather all the information you can on Niemann and his alleged taste in men isn’t the best.

So, you resolve to not waste your time pursu- cheating without actually understanding the ing men who are emotionally unavailable and game of chess.

Your conclusion is this: none of the men focus your energy towards your social, academic and family life, establishing yourself as you’ve ever liked have done anything but the opinion editor of your college newspaper. disappoint you, so why should Hans be Now fast forward to just a couple of weeks ago. any different? You pegged him as a mysteriYou’re texting back and forth with your co- ous, aloof bad boy way back in elementary editor, Maryam Khanum, deliberating which school, and now the chess world has only article ideas you should send to your staff writ- confirmed your 11 year-old self’s impresers this week. She mentions something about sions, branding him their poster child of drama in the chess world, and you agree to add cheating and bad behavior.

Furthermore, if Hans has cheated in chess, it to the list but don’t bother looking into it. who’s to say that cheating hasn’t carried over So imagine your surprise when you begin to *ahem* other aspects of his life. As the reading an article submission from Life Editor saying goes, “once a cheater, always a cheatAdam Coil and see the name Hans Niemann. er.”

“Wait a minute,” you think. “I know that So to the girls who might be crushing on kid.”

Hans and romanticizing his bad boy imWanting to be sure, you consult your trusty age, here’s a piece of advice: don’t. You can’t friend Google Images, and find that the man change him, and you don’t want your name staring back at you is exactly who you think he is. To be even more thorough, you check attached to someone with so much negative the “Early Life and Education” section of his press. Dark, brooding and Heathcliff-esque Wikipedia page, and find confirmation that he anti-heroes like Hans might belong in the pages of romance novels, but that doesn’t did, in fact, attend your elementary school.

For the first time since “The Queen’s Gam- mean they deserve space in the pages of your bit” was released, your interest in chess is life. piqued. You peruse subreddits, watch post- Contact Sophie Guymon at match interviews on YouTube, scour Twitter guymsm20@wfu.edu

the 2022 halloweekend movie lineup ADAM COIL Life Editor

for good reason. While the sequel may “The Shining” have been a total disappointment, the It’s more or less capital T true that “The original is still a masterpiece, and you’ll be Shining” is one of the best horror movies Whether you are looking for a fun, surprised at how many jokes you missed of all time. And it’s ripe with rewatching lighthearted movie to watch with your when you were younger. value... family; an obscure, underground film to “Coraline” impress your film major significant other; “Eraserhead” One of the best animated movies of or something in between to appease all of David Lynch’s debut, this low-budget your friends, I’ve got you covered. Here all time, “Coraline” is a perfect pick for film is one of the most unnerving pieces are ten movies perfect for any Halloweek- any occasion. Originally a book by Neil of media you will ever stumble across. end situation you might find yourself in. Gaiman, the story world you’ll find in it Even if you have no idea what’s going is captivating even if it doesn’t scare you. on, your mind will be able to pick up With complex characters, stunning visu“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie als and a surprisingly grown-up take on on how distressed it should be and react Brown” Uncanny, there’s a reason why teens accordingly.

This is canon in the October family the and young adults still love this movie that movie gospel.

“House” came out when they were in Elementary An indie cult classic, “House” is one school.

“Halloweentown” of the weirdest horror films ever made.

If you’re looking for something spooky Some people find it funny, others find “Halloween” with the same youthful warmth as CharThis is classic American horror. The Ja- it terrifying and most don’t know what lie Brown, “Halloweentown” is perfect. son and Freddie Kreuger stuff work here to think. This ambiguous, hallucinatory as well, but I think Michael Myers is the masterpiece is a must-watch for any film “Hocus Pocus” most terrifying slasher — mainly because nerds out there, but I suspect it’s pretty One of the funniest Halloween movies “Halloween” seems to take its backstory entertaining to watch in a giant group ever made, “Hocus Pocus” is still relevant pretty seriously. as well. After all, whether you’re paying

attention or not, you’re going to know about as much as everyone else.

“Cronos” This is cinema legend Guillermo del Toro’s feature debut. Not only did it set up del Toro as a future pioneer in the industry, but it’s also a dangerously entertaining movie in its own right. With an interesting take on the vampire genre, this movie is perfect for a group viewing — potentially even a Spanish study group.

“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” A silent horror film, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” is not only a staple in German expressionism but film history in general. If the outrageously formalist set design doesn’t transport you somewhere chillingly uncomfortable, then Werner Krauss’s performance as Dr. Caligari certainly will. Play this if you want to forget that you’re spending Halloweekend alone.

Contact Adam Coil at coilat21@wfu.edu