News: Sorority recruitment goes virtual Page 6
Opinion: President’s downplay of the virus fails citizens Page 10
Sports: Wake Forest crushes Campbell 66-14 Page 11
Life: Hanes Gallery exhibit profiles Black identity Page 19
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WAKE FOREST’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1916 VOL. 107, NO. 7
COVID-19 changes study habits on campus Due to new protocols for the use of indoors facilities, many students have migrated to other study spaces
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posed to someone with COVID-19. This way, they are able to immediately quarantine those individuals to lower their risk of transmitting infection to others during the time they would be contagious, which Clinch notes can be two days before symptoms develop. “The ability to rapidly identify people with infection, [isolate] those individuals, identify their contacts and place them in quarantine helps us to ‘box in’ the virus and reduce transmission,” Clinch said. She also encouraged students to continue reporting positive COVID-19 tests to SHS so they can guide them on appropriate isolation and begin contact tracing. Though the containment of the virus should come as positive news to the university community, officials warn that students should not become complacent in their protective efforts while the virus is still present at Wake Forest. “While it is tempting to ‘let our guard down,’ doing so would increase the number of cases in our population,” Clinch said. “As we have seen from other universities, cases of COVID-19 can rise quickly if we are not careful.”
See COVID-19, Page 5
See ZSR, Page 4
? Nov. 24 Graphic by Emily Beauchamp/Old Gold & Black
On Oct. 6, the university reached the halfway point of the fall semester with the coronavirus largely under control. Despite the encouraging figures, the fate of the second half of the semester is still very much in the students’ hands.
University sees drop in coronavirus cases At the midway point of the semester, the university has stabilized an early surge in COVID-19 cases on campus BY ELIZABETH MALINE Online Managing Editor malied17@wfu.edu Following long-standing fears from students that the university might send them home at any time due to a failure to contain COVID-19, the university’s progress in managing the virus has largely diminished this possibility. As of publication, there have only been eight new confirmed positive COVID-19 cases on campus within the last two weeks. In viewing the bar graph on the COVID-19 dashboard, there is a clear downturn in the number of positive cases since the beginning of September. Vice President for Campus Life Penny Rue attributes this downturn in cases to students’ recognition of the importance of abiding by safety measures. “We are thrilled that students have really gotten the message about how to keep campus safe — wearing masks, staying six
feet apart, and washing hands frequently,” Rue said. She adds that students have been compliant with isolation and quarantine, as well as with the random testing program. The university has now conducted 2,317 asymptomatic sample tests, which have resulted in 13 total positive cases, a positivity rate of 0.6%. Among over 1,000 tests conducted in the last two weeks, there have been zero positive cases, which Rue says is “outstanding.” Dr. Joanne Clinch, clinical director for Student Health Services (SHS), echoed Rue’s statement about our community’s willingness to abide by safety measures, but also attributes the downturn to various other factors, including students’ participation in the SneezSafe symptom reporting app. “Students’ participation in using the SneezSafe app to provide information about their symptoms and/or a possible exposure to COVID-19 has allowed the Student Health Service to connect these students to care, testing and when appropriate, isolation or quarantine,” Clinch said. She adds that the university’s contact tracing system has been effective in helping to identify students who have been ex-
BY ISABELLA MASON Staff Writer masoif20@wfu.edu During the average year at Wake Forest, there seemed to be no end to a student’s study schedule. If you walked by the ZSR library’s atrium at 10 p.m. during midterms, it would normally be bustling with students studying in groups and grinding out papers. This year, however, COVID-19 has forced students to take on late-night studying in their dorm rooms due to shorter hours in the library. Freshman Anna Attal says that she spends most of her study time at ZSR on the sixth floor, where she feels the atmosphere is “productive.” Yet, due to the library’s limited working hours, she isn’t able to study there as frequently as she’d prefer. “I like the hours that ZSR is open because it pushes me to study earlier,” Attal said. “But some days, I wish the library would stay open past 10 p.m.” Sophomore Conor Metzger stated that he thought the ZSR hours “are really short” since “most people don’t start work until 10 p.m.” Both Attal and Metzger noted the importance of outside study space as an alternative to the limited library working hours, but once the weather gets colder, Attal noted that she is “worried about where [she will] study. [She] feel[s] like [she will] study more in her dorm room.” This year due to the pandemic, ZSR closes at 10 p.m. every weekday and at 5 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. Mary Beth Lock, the Associate Dean of the ZSR library, explained several reasons behind the early closure: to give custodial staff the time to go through proper sanitizing procedures, and ensure that there are enough staff working in the building. “More people are working from home than ever before, therefore it’s hard to keep people staffed around the clock,” Lock said. In previous years, the ZSR staff have worked to increase study space up to a 1,200-person capacity. This year, they had to undo a lot of the previous work, reducing that 1,200-person capacity to 400, including the new study carrels.
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Students“ must make plan to vote This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.
Though voting in North Carolina The Editorial Board implores all students who wish to vote in has implications in the presidential North Carolina to make a vot- race, students voting in the state should also be aware that they have ing plan."
As the 2020 election draws nearer, so too does the Oct. 9 North Carolina voter registration deadline. Unless students plan to take advantage of sameday early voting, which will take place between Oct. 15 and Oct. 31, this Friday is the last opportunity for students to register to vote in the state. The Editorial Board implores all students who wish to vote in North Carolina to make a voting plan, whether that includes registering online or in-person before Friday, or utilizing same-day registration during early voting. The Editorial Board recognizes that not all university students will choose to vote in North Carolina, as many have close ties to the local politics of their home states. However, it is im-
portant for these students to stay aware of the deadlines surrounding their home states’ voting procedures, especially as many will vote by absentee ballot. For students struggling to decide whether to vote in their home state or in North Carolina, it is critical to consider the fact that North Carolina has long been considered a consequential state within the electoral college, and voting in the state will ensure your ballot holds significant weight.
an opportunity to affect change by participating in local politics as well. In this election, students will be voting for a mayoral seat, a gubernatorial seat and a senate seat, not to mention the countless municipal races which are also on the ballot. Given that many of these races will be decided by only a handful of votes, university students will be presented with a tangible opportunity to determine the outcome of these key races. With so many issues at stake, it is more important than ever that students vote in the election, no matter
which party or which candidates they choose. We are fortunate to have the right to vote, and it is our civic duty to exercise that right. Between early voting, voting by absentee ballot and voting on election day, there is no excuse not to participate. For more information on how to make a voting plan, Deacs Decide is a great resource. As the Old Gold & Black reported last week, while 73.2% of students were registered to vote in the last election, only 41.1% of these students cast ballots. The Editorial Board encourages students to take note of this discrepancy and take part in closing that gap.
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News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, October 8, 2020 | Page 3
Deacon Profile: Lisa Highet
ly neat to be there after my freshman year of college. I ended up meeting Wake Forest alums on the Hill and fellow Wake Forest students who were interning. Then I worked for her again after my sophomore year. I actually worked more with her military legislative aide on defensive policy. That was fascinating as it gave me more of an insight into how the Oval Office runs. Working with Congresswoman Stefanik really solidified my identity as a Republican because I got to work closely with a candidate I was passionate about. I decided I wanted to be involved with College Republicans at Wake [Forest] to make an impact on the local community, and also to be involved politically because I believe it is so important, especially in the U.S.
BY CHRISTA DUTTON Staff Writer duttcd20@wfu.edu
Lisa Highet is a senior history major and religious studies minor from New York City. She is the president of Wake Forest University's chapter of the College Republicans organization. Highet first became involved with College Republicans during her freshman year as a representative for the organization. She now finds herself ahead of Wake Forest’s largest political organization. What does College Republicans do on campus? College Republicans is a national organization which has a chapter at Wake Forest. We help support local republicans whether that be a mayor race or a Congressional candidate or a North Carolina House candidate. We work with the presidential election as well. We are the largest political organization on campus. What has your experience with College Republicans been like? I actually first got involved in the fall of my freshman year. A girl in my hall invited me to come with her. I loved the community the club provided and a lot of the older club members became really good friends of mine. I became a freshman representative for the club. That’s how I got involved in leadership initially and then from there I became vice president as a sophomore. Then I went abroad my junior fall to Casa Artom so I didn’t have a leadership position for that year. Then I was elected president while I was abroad which was really exciting. It’s been an amazing experience to work politically in North Carolina, which is a swing state, and it’s been fascinating to be a political organization in 2020. What does your leadership role with College Republicans look like? What are your responsibilities as president? My responsibilities are letting the head of North Carolina College Republicans know what we’re up to. I really have a lot of freedom in terms of what campaigns we work with and what events we do. I love it because I can choose candidates I really love to do campaign work for. How is it to lead a partisan club during a presidential election year? What is the club doing to prepare?
Photo courtesy of Lisa Highet
It’s definitely been a challenging experience just because it is a lot more work than a non-election year in terms of communication with campaigns. One thing people often forget about presidential election years is that a lot of members of Congress are up for reelection as well. One of the biggest parts of my job is not just working with presidential candidates, but also with congressional candidates. One of my favorite parts of my leadership experience with College Republicans has been the amazing relationship we’ve developed with College Democrats. The president of College Democrats, senior Sam Horowitz, has become a really good friend of mine and someone I really admire. I’ve loved working with her and creating a good dialogue between College Republicans and College Democrats. If there is no bi-partisan legislation, then nothing can happen so I think it’s really important for Republicans and Democrats to work together. What do you love most about College Republicans?
Probably the people. I’ve met a ton of my friends through College Republicans. It’s been amazing to be with so many people who are interested in politics at a young age and it gets me really excited about our future as a country. What made you want to be involved with College Republicans? My junior year of high school I was visiting my grandparents in upstate New York, and I saw that this woman named Elise Stefanik was running for her re-election. I ended up volunteering for her campaign as a high school student making phone calls, just as something fun to do over the summer. I ended up loving it and got to know her campaign team really well and got to know what it was like working on a campaign. I also became really familiar with the needs of her district and got to see how she was helping so many people in her district. I ended up interning for Congresswoman Stefanik after my freshman year at Wake [Forest] on Capitol Hill. I had the best time. It was amazing. It was real-
I saw that you are a history major, how has studying history shaped your knowledge of politics and government? I think that being a history major has made me see that history repeats itself a lot. I honestly think it has changed my views politically just based on learning about Republican presidents in the past or learning how different systems in other countries have failed in the past, and what the U.S. has done that has worked well and what they have done that has not worked well. I chose to study history because I think it gives you a really good foundation and understanding of why the U.S. was created and where we are going to go in the future. I think you learn a lot from history and looking at the past because it allows you to understand decisions that people are making now. What has College Republicans taught you about politics and government? Especially being a female leader in a club that is predominantly male, I think it has taught me a lot of how important it is to stand my own ground and voice my own opinion. I think it’s taught me how important it is for people to engage in local and congressional politics. It has also taught me a lot about who I am as a person and what type of leader I am, as well as the power of compromising and working with other people. What are your post-graduation plans? I am hoping to work in [Washington] D.C. after I graduate. I think the election is going to determine a lot of my career opportunities. I am looking at the North Carolina state legislature as well, but I really hope to be in D.C. Editor's note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and AP style.
SG GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY JESS SCHMIDT Student Government Beat Reporter schmja19@wfu.edu I. Executive Reports President Miles Middleton shared his work with administration to make the SneezSafe survey more accountable so that students will get a follow-up text message or email if the survey is not completed on a daily basis. He also encourages all students to get their flu shots as soon as possible to prevent the spread of illnesses. Middleton is also working with the university on increased patrol of off-campus hotspots for gatherings such as Campus Gas and Earl’s to limit density and ensure that COVID-19 guidelines are being followed.
Chief of Staff Drew Skilton will be conducting a new round of senate appointments within this next week for freshman senators who did not win their election. If any freshman did not get elected and would like to be a part of student government, they are encouraged to apply. II. Committee Reports Physical Planning is currently working on a number of projects. They are discussing the reopening of freshman rooftops and balconies to provide an outside space for students to do work and socialize within social distance requirements. They are also looking into opening kitchens within residence halls to allow students the opportunity of making their own food. The Academic Committee will be working with the Diversity and Inclusion Committee to work with the university
on updating the cultural diversity requirement and seeing what improvements can be made to this requirement. III. New Business Senate Resolution Six was passed by the senate. This resolution, titled “Make Election Day a day of Civic Service,” is designed to promote voter turnout and civic engagement since historically, Wake Forest students do not have high voter turnout on election day. The resolution calls on faculty to cancel their classes on Nov. 3, switch to asynchronous classes for the day, allow excused absences, or come up with other solutions that allow students to go to the polls on election day without missing class. While faculty are not obligated to change their course schedules, student government hopes that this resolution will help to persuade faculty to encourage voter participation.
Old Gold & Black | News
Page 4 | Thursday, October 8, 2020
ZSR: Students search for study spots
Continued from Page 1
Instead of reservable study rooms, ZSR now offers study carrels, which, according to the webpage, “are closet-sized rooms with a desk and chair.” While this is certainly a good option for one looking to study in a quiet space, the carrels are only open as long as ZSR is. So, if you’re looking to study after 10 p.m., it’s back to the drawing board. However, there are solutions in the works. Lock mentions the lower floor of the Sutton Center, which can house 88 students at a time, as a viable solution. However, the location also closes at 10 p.m., though in the “very near future” it will be open until 1 a.m. This will be made possible through a soon-to-behired graduate student supervising the space. “[The Sutton Center] space will allow students to keep studying while staying warm,” Lock said. The smaller court space of the Sutton Center is able to accommodate students due to its size and it is not so vast that it takes hours to clean, which will allow it to remain open until after midnight. Because ZSR is so large, it takes much
longer to clean than a single room, and must be closed early. Lock emphasizes that students must pay more use to the sanitizing wipes available to wipe down their study spaces before and after use during the day, too, to keep ZSR clean. In addition to increasing study space across campus, signs have been posted around campus that ask students if they’re looking for warm, quiet and private places to take their classes this fall. These signs hold a link which directs students to the Study Space page, which allows students to reserve rooms in DeaconSpace. DeaconSpace lets students reserve classrooms around campus, not to be reserved past 10 p.m. or on the weekends. So, reserving a DeaconSpace study space could be a good alternative to taking classes in one’s room or studying with friends outside in the cold, as DeaconSpaces allow two students per room. Many students may be wondering about the lasting nature of the white tents around campus during the colder months of the year. Vice President for Campus Life Penny Rue says the university shares this concern and will look into supplying students with safe study
and dining spaces, but as of now no concrete plans have been revealed for gathering spaces in the winter months. Regardless of future arrangements, the ZSR staff are working hard to keep students safe and studying.
“The last thing we’d want to do is disappoint students,” Lock said. As of now, the Sutton Gym space is the first of many that will allow students to maintain productivity in a safe fashion.
Katie Fox/Old Gold & Black
Due to the ZSR Library’s ususal operation hours and COVID-19 concerns this semester, students have sought new outdoors study spots.
IdeasCity arrives in Winston-Salem The initiative aims to better cities and advance social justice through art and culture BY CATE PITTERLE Contributing Writer pittcj20@wfu.edu It is not every day that Silicon Valley tech meets abstract art, or alternate reality meets design thinking. But what if those elements could come together to advance quality of life — from making metropolitan areas more livable to pursuing social justice? That’s the thinking behind IdeasCity, an initiative born of the idea that combining technology, entrepreneurship, art and design can bring about social good. It’s brought festivals, policy talks and musical performances to cities around the world, including Singapore, Athens, New York City and São Paulo. Now, the initiative, which has ties to Wake Forest, is coming to Winston-Salem. Provost Rogan Kersh got involved with the project’s beginnings in 2011. “I was at NYU and got involved with a group of arts and culture and policy colleagues from across Lower Manhattan,” Kersh said. As a group, they had “a goal of enhancing, through the arts and culture, the social wellbeing and livability of, in our case, downtown Manhattan.” The original product, the Festival of Ideas for the New City, brought in mayors from around the world, musicians and artists, architects and others. Since then, the project has expanded worldwide, with themed approaches for each city — for instance, Singapore’s sustainability theme and now Winston-Salem’s theme of mid-sized cities.
The partnership between Winston-Sa“Say you’re an exhausted front-line “Museums and universities have a lem and the New Museum, which hosts doctor or nurse. You’re working in a lot in common,” Livingston said. “The IdeasCity, will last a year and begin hospital and with COVID-19 patients, more we’re able to collaborate, the betThursday, Oct. 8 with a “Beta Bonfire” especially, on one of those shifts where ter off we are as a university.” Besides Wake Forest, IdeasCity has a — a speaker event open to the public. you’re going to be there for 16 hours. The event will be online. COVID-19 You just need a little ten-minute down- long list of partners, including The Ofhas forced all in-person events to hope- time. You go to this recovery room,” fice of the Mayor of Winston-Salem, Kersh said. “[Phillips] worked with Salem College Center for Entreprefully take place in April of next year. “Given the strict parameters of CO- technological experts to figure out what neurship and Business, the Innovation VID-19 and that sort of thing, it’s given kinds of images, what kinds of sequenc- Quarter, Kenan Institute and MIXXER us a chance to be really creative,” said es, sounds, artistry, is most conducive Community Makerspace. Mirroring the Donovan Livingston, assistant dean to a really short-term but meaningful purpose of IdeasCity itself, all sectors with the Office of University Collabora- recovery when you’re overwhelmed and of Winston-Salem’s community, from tions, who is working on the initiative. numb from the COVID-19 horrors technology to art, are involved. He views the Beta Bonfires as a way to you’ve been dealing with as a medical Though IdeasCity looks different drum up excitement for IdeasCity be- professional.” from previous years, the initiative still fore the spring. Examples like that are what makes seeks to carry out its mission of social “[The Bonfires will explore] the ideas Wake Forest leaders excited to work on change. For the City of Arts and Innoaround how arts, design and tech really the initiative. vation, that hope is very much alive. revolutionize the way we look at social justice initiatives,” Livingston said. “And how we in Winston-Salem are uniquely positioned to help each other figure out ways to solve age-old problems in a new way.” The Bonfires are free and open to the public, and it’s easy to get involved — students can register for any of the Bonfires and attend. “We hope that there will be a big interest from students, faculty and staff. We’ve already had sets of students sign up,” Kersh said. In addition, a group of students in Kersh’s class of Food Politics and Policy plan to work with the New Museum in developing Winston-Salem’s programming. For Thursday’s Beta Bonfire, the theme is Rethinking Norms. For instance, one presenter, Mirelle Phillips, combined art with technology to turn regular hospital rooms into short-term Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University recovery rooms for doctors and nurses New Museum’s IdeasCity is partnering with Winston-Salem to provide programming that kicks off with a “Beta Bonfire” on Thursday, Oct. 8. on the front lines.
News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, October 8, 2020 |Page 5
COVID-19: WFU encourages compliance Continued from Page 1
Rue also notes that if we do not stay vigilant in abiding by safety measures, there remains the possibility for the implementation of harsher restrictions. “Should students lessen their protective measures, with our diagnostic and random testing, and our contact tracing, isolation and quarantine, we will be able to detect asymptomatic spread and tighten our restrictions to orange if needed,” Rue said. Judging by the university’s progress in controlling the virus so far, it is evident that students are willingly abiding by public health guidelines. But as the weather turns colder, students worry about the university’s ability to provide them with dining and study spaces should the use of tents no longer remain a possibility. While Rue said she shares this concern with students and that the university is looking into ways to provide more spaces for studying and dining, she did not offer any concrete plans or proposals that accommodate this need. This is a new challenge the pandemic brings, and navigating this shift in
procedure will be tricky. According to Clinch, and as is consistent with other scientific findings, outdoor gatherings are generally considered safer than those held indoors because the air movement outdoors significantly reduces the virus’s ability to infect others. Clinch recommends that students utilize outdoor spaces to gather as long as the weather allows, but reminds them that indoor gatherings can be considered safe if managed properly. This would include wearing masks, especially when not actively eating or drinking, and maintaining appropriate distance. It is worth noting that students and professors have been able to gather inside in classrooms, albeit in smaller numbers, since the start of the semester. But while more formal settings like classrooms require that individuals wear masks, Clinch says it is just as important to wear masks in casual settings, such as with friends. According to the CDC, the majority of individuals who become infected with COVID-19 when they do not wear masks and are within six feet of others who are infected with the virus, even if they are not showing symptoms.
“It is important to do this, even when we are with friends, when wearing a mask may feel odd or unnatural,” Clinch said. “We tend to see people get sick during the times they are just hanging out with friends, but are not wearing a mask. This will be particularly important during cold weather, when respiratory viruses like the flu and COVID-19 are more prevalent.” There is also evidence to show that the virus can spread to others who are further than six feet away, which Clinch says normally occurs in smaller spaces that are poorly ventilated and where an infected individual is speaking loudly, breathing heavily or singing. “With bars, restaurants and fitness centers reopening in N.C., it is important for students to understand the risk of those settings,” Clinch said. The risk is much higher if masks are not worn. Not surprisingly, COVID-19 is impacting all aspects of campus operations, including the university’s decision-making with regard to scheduling. With the release of the Spring 2021 academic schedule on Oct. 2, students learned that the semester will start and end one week later than usual.
“The later start date follows guidance from our infectious disease specialists,” Rue said. “There will likely be a spike in cases in many places over the holidays due to travel and family gatherings. Creating a few weeks for those cases to die down before returning to campus will help us get off to a strong start.” The omission of the traditional weeklong spring break is another effort to limit travel and thereby a spike in cases. But the most glaring consequence of a school year controlled by COVID-19 has undoubtedly been the limitation of social interactions on campus. Though this has been a difficult change for students to accept, Rue highlights a potential silver lining in restricting gatherings to smaller numbers. “Students tell me that they are hanging out with a smaller number of friends and going deeper — having more meaningful conversations,” she said. The hope is that, despite the limited opportunities students will have to interact with each other this year, they will still find meaningful ways to connect and embrace the now rare on-campus college experience, and, of course, “show Humanitate.”
Antiracism comes to the math classroom The Department of Mathematics and Statistics intersects with antiracist scholarship in a new class BY AINE PIERRE Staff Writer pierav20@wfu.edu According to the Department of Mathematics and Statistics Chair Sarah Raynor, mathematical and statistical models have been employed to create some of the more racist practices of modern times, from over-policing in majority-minority areas to practices in hiring. These biases in math and statistics come mostly from a lack of diversity in the mathematics field and a tendency to analyze mathematical models with an eye for keeping the racist status quo, says Raynor. This reality has prompted many conversations in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and became the basis of a topics course that Raynor teaches. MST 383-B for undergraduate students or MST 683-BG for graduate students is billed as Racist/Anti-Racist Uses of Math & Stats. The class is a discussion-centered course based on textbook reading and department colloquia. “It’s been interesting to see where other students are approaching these issues from, and also getting a little bit more familiar with how mathematical modeling works,” said sophomore Elizabeth McDonald, who is enrolled in the class. “I think, like with any discussion that deals with sensitive issues, there are times when the conversation isn’t super comfortable, but I think it’s important that Wake Forest provides students with opportunities to experience that discomfort.”
The class is a pilot for what department faculty hope will become a larger swath of courses about the intersection of mathematics and statistics with prevalent societal issues such as racism, sexism and anti-queerness. “What we’re probably going to create is a course called Mathematics and Society … there are like eight or 10 different topics that I think would be reasonable ways to go,” Raynor said. To prepare for the course, Raynor spoke with faculty from many on-campus organizations and departments to learn how to conduct a course on more sensitive issues, as the field of mathematical pedagogy does not often encounter those types of situations. Raynor and colleagues from across the university also attended a Professional Learning Community training on intersectional pedagogy. According to Raynor, gauging the level of interest for the class has been difficult, considering how late it was added to the schedule of courses in August. Her class currently has eight students — some of whom are math majors and some of whom are undeclared freshmen and sophomores. Raynor is optimistic about what she has seen, though. “We didn’t even know we wanted to do this until late-summer. We have eight students, which I think is pretty good for a course that’s weird and doesn’t really help you graduate,” Raynor said. “I think that’s a pretty good sign, and I expect we’ll get more [students] as the word gets out.” In addition to the course, those interested in decolonizing the department meet every other Monday at 4 p.m., and Raynor encourages those who are interested in those discussions to email her for the Zoom link. “You don’t have to be a declared math major or an upper-level student or any-
thing, you just have to have interest in how the math department is handling racism and antiracism and other systemic inequity issues to show up, and we would love to hear from students at all levels,” Raynor said. The department is also involving department alumni to get a sense of their experiences. A six-week version of the course will be offered to alumni and friends of the university in November and December to expand access to the course material.
Raynor expects the course to be offered again in the spring with a slightly different topic (so it can be taken again by those who enjoyed the class this goaround). Currently, the course is based on Weapons of Math Destruction, a 2016 work by “former Wall Street quant” Cathy O’Neil that is considered to be a classic in societal math. The course, she stresses, is for anyone interested in math’s intersection with societal issues, regardless of mathematical background.
Photo Illustration by Aine Pierre/Old Gold & Black
The Department of Math and Statistics is focusing on the intersection of math and race in a series of discussions and a new class.
Old Gold & Black | News
Page 6 | Thursday, October 8, 2020
APO faces difficulties amid pandemic
The Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity struggles to find service opportunities due to COVID-19 BY KEVIN MARTIN Contributing Writer martka19@wfu.edu It’s a Monday night around 9 p.m., but instead of heading to Benson University Center to connect with a packed crowd in Pugh Auditorium, members of service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega (APO) Zoom into their bi-weekly meeting from their computers. The question of how to run a hands-on service organization, with 217 members, during a time when everyone has to stay six feet apart is one that junior Julia Medina, along with the other members of APO’s executive board, have been grappling with for months. “I’m very aware people are tired of being online. They say to me I don’t want to be looking at a screen all day,” Medina, the Fellowship vice president of APO, said. Two of the major impacts of the pandemic have been economic and social. APO, as a service organization, in normal times helps provide economic relief to its community partners and social opportunities to its members. Last spring, APO members contributed over 5,000 hours of service to Wake Forest and the Winston-Salem community through service options such as volunteering for Habitat for Humanity or tutoring underprivileged children. They also made time for nearly 3,400 hours of social service within their organization. In current times, both the social wellbeing of Americans, as well as their economic sta-
bility, is threatened. More than one in three adults in the U.S. has reported symptoms of anxiety or depression during the pandemic as a result of social isolation, compared to one in ten before it hit. In addition, 4.26 million North Carolinians considered part of the state’s workforce as of mid-August have filed a state or federal unemployment claim. APO attempts to alleviate some of these issues in local areas which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. “Pass the ball!” “Shoot!” “Goal!” Words that used to resound across the field behind El Buen Pastor Latino Community Services (LCS) in Winston-Salem many days of the week are no longer heard. APO members used to go every day after school to tutor and play soccer with the underprivileged kids whom LCS supports. Now they have once weekly Zoom calls for tutoring. The pandemic has slowed, but not stopped the members of APO from working towards their goal of supporting the community. “Tutoring over Zoom has definitely been beneficial to the kids, but there are big differences in the personal aspect of the experience that used to exist,” said Cassidy Willard, the service vice president. “Just doing schoolwork with them doesn’t create the same connection.” Normally APO has partnerships with 41 organizations in the Winston-Salem community. Because of coronavirus, that number is currently down to 11. Events such as a Rise Against Hunger fundraiser, which usually raises around $10,000 to combat world hunger, have been scrapped completely. “When I look at APO I think its an organization that strives to make a community better, that community being the Wake Forest student body, Winston-Salem, Forsyth
County and underprivileged people as a whole,” said professor Sam Gladding, faculty advisor to APO, “I am really proud of what they are doing.” Social events have been impacted drastically as well. No songs around the campfire while roasting marshmallows this year. APO’s annual social outing to the mountains, which usually consists of around 40 members, was cut because it was impossible to make it conform to COVID-19 guidelines. The APO formal, which usually involves over 400 people, has been canceled. “The formal is hard to miss, especially as a senior,” said senior and APO president Addison Collins. Being lulled to sleep by the soothing sound of a bedtime story read by fellow APO members, or moving into downward dog in your
room while on Zoom yoga are some examples of innovative new social events that have been created by the executive board. “APO represents a home and safe haven for so many people,” Collins said. “The pandemic has brought up so much stress and isolation and anxiety. When things seem terrible, APO is a great place to connect.” Even with all the limitations that come with running an organization like this during a pandemic, the members consider maintaining APO a near necessity. “The pandemic has already taken away so many things from so many people. Now more than ever service is important and there are still people who need our help,” Medina said, “If APO is taken away it would just be one more thing that is missing from our lives.”
Photo courtesy of Erin Anderson
With social distance restrictions in place, APO members are finding new creative ways to continue engaged in community service.
Sorority recruitment adapts to COVID-19 The process will look vastly different than years past with virtual-only activities this spring BY JULIA OCHSENHIRT Contributing Writer ochsja20@wfu.edu Sorority recruitment at Wake Forest is typically a fanfare-filled event. Throughout the fall semester, prospective new members (PNMs) attend a number of events geared towards meeting current members and learning about the university’s eight unique chapters. As recruitment week approaches, sorority executive boards create videos selling their chapter, coordinating matching outfits for their hundreds of active members, practicing chants and preparing preference night rituals and bid day celebrations. Clearly, recruitment will look radically different in the COVID-19 era. The first aspect of the process needing adjustment are the Pop-in with Panhel events (popins). These are informal events at the beginning of the fall semester that allow PNMs to chat with active members of each chapter. This year, each sorority has been designated a particular day to run a series of Zoom events. The first virtual pop-in was with Alpha Delta Pi (ADPi) on Sept. 24. The chapter hosted “coffee chats,” Q&A panels and a “meet the sis-
ters” event, which offered PNMs a chance to chat one-on-one with active members. Senior Emily Claire Kibbe, ADPi’s Vice President of Marketing, detailed how pop-ins used to function and how the experience has changed due to coronavirus. “In the past we stood in this huge conference room and there were 15-20 people from each chapter that stood there and you walked up, said hi and then left,” Kibbe said. “Everyone I talked to liked the experience better [this year] because you’re sitting there with one person having an actual conversation.” Uncertainty surrounding what kinds of in-person gatherings will be permissible in January and debate over spring semester dates have made it challenging for sorority leaders to plan recruitment week itself. Recruitment Team, the group in charge of coordinating Panhellenic Recruitment, anticipated announcing its plan for recruitment on Oct. 1. However, the team waited for the university to release the official Spring semester schedule before making their announcement. As of Oct. 5, the Recruitment Team has decided on a fully online recruitment experience. PNMs will send in a video introducing themselves as part of their registration and recruitment rounds will take place over Zoom beginning Jan. 16. Bid day will be Jan. 22, the day before movein for the spring semester. Senior Anna Hogewood, Vice President of Member-
ship in the Panhellenic Council, clarified that all recruitment plans are subject to change as the college administration works out details of the spring semester. Regardless, Kibbe is confident that online recruitment will be a rewarding experience for PNMs. “I have friends that ran [fall] recruitment at other schools and having talked to them about it, everyone who went through virtual recruitment thought it was better than being in person,” Kibbe said. “Having a conversation one-on-one on the computer is so much less stressful than sitting in a room where you’re screaming because there’s so many people and where you see everyone else there, which is intimidating.” Senior Grace Evangelista, Panhellenic Delegate for Delta Delta Delta, is less enthused about online recruitment. “It’s harder to get to know somebody over video chat than it is in person,” Evangelista said while also adding that treasured recruitment traditions will likely be lost this year. “Normally, when girls open their bid cards on bid day, they come running out to their sorority and it’s just this gigantic crowd with people jumping around and everybody celebrating the new members. It’s sad to think that that will be different this year.” Despite the disadvantages of online recruitment, Evangelista encourages interested girls to go through with the pro-
cess. In her words: “Joining a sorority is a great way of expanding your social circle and getting to know new people. I would give it a chance, and keep in mind that new members will be able to reap the full benefits of Greek life once we have covid under control.” Registration for spring 2021 recruitment starts Oct. 8 and closes Nov. 6. PNMs should also plan to attend a virtual assembly on Nov. 18 for more information about recruitment.
Katie Fox/Old Gold & Black
One-on-one Zoom sessions will be the norm for sorority rushing.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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COVID-19 could severly complicate flu season In the wake of COVID-19, the flu season could be worse than ever before BY EMMA RICKARD Staff Writer rickee18@wfu.edu
Almost seven months have passed since COVID-19 was officially declared a global pandemic. Although for many it feels as if the pandemic has been changing the way that our lives operate for much longer, the fact remains that we haven’t been living with the pandemic for even a full year. This means that as we enter flu season this fall and winter, there is no precedent for how COVID-19 will affect the way we prevent the flu. However, organizations and healthcare experts are already planning the best way to navigate flu season this year. The CDC says that the seasonal flu will likely still be in normal circulation this fall and winter, though some doctors are hopeful that the increased safety measures of social distancing and maskwearing due to COVID-19 will keep flu cases lower than in recent years. The flu and COVID-19 are different viruses, so it is possible to catch both at the same time, and building an immunity to one virus will not protect you from catching the other. The symptoms from these two viruses overlap, so testing will
be important. The CDC has developed a test that can simultaneously test for both this year’s flu virus and COVID-19, but it is not widely available yet. So, it is expected that many healthcare facilities will begin running both COVID-19 and flu tests where applicable on symptomatic patients. As a patient, it is safer in most cases to assume COVID-19 is a possibility until it is ruled out since the precautions taken with COVID-19 are more drastic. The possibility of flu patients adding to the already overloaded healthcare systems is worrying both for patient dedensification and for the added strain it will place on healthcare workers and resources. However, each individual can limit this strain by doing their part to make sure that they do not catch the flu, or COVID-19. Wearing masks, social distancing and washing your hands often are the standard precautions we are all taking to limit COVID-19 spread, and these are also good defenses against the flu. The flu has an additional precaution that is especially important this flu season that will drastically reduce cases of the flu and allow healthcare focus to remain on COVID-19: the flu vaccine. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated just how important vaccines are to the health, safety and normal operation of our society. Getting the flu vaccine this year is extremely important and heavily recommended by many
Photo courtesy of Ricardo DeAratanha/TNS
The complications to flu season that COVID-19 could bring are unknown, so experts are urging people to be sure to get a flu vaccination. healthcare experts, and many universities are responding quickly by requiring that their students receive their seasonal flu vaccine. This includes the university. Wake Forest has made the decision to require that all of its on-campus students receive their flu vaccine in order to limit the spread of the seasonal flu, which would affect the university’s ability to accurately track and focus on COVID-19 illness on campus. It also decreases the burden on both the university’s healthcare system and the local healthcare network. Students have the option of getting their flu shots through Student Health or from an off-campus location, but documentation of your flu shot must be
uploaded to your Student Health Portal by Dec. 15 in order for you to be able to return to campus for the Spring 2021 semester. Students who will not be on campus in the spring are exempt, and exemptions can be requested by students who have health or religious reasons to not receive a flu shot. The exemption form is available online throught the Student Health Service page. Overall, it is impossible to know exactly how different flu season will look during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is important that everyone does their part to stay safe and protect their community from the spread of either of these diseases.
The pandemic is taking a toll on mental health Experts on and off campus recognize the effects of COVID-19 on mental health BY LAUREN BERRYMAN Staff Writer berrlt17@wfu.edu While the coronavirus attacks one’s upper respiratory system, the fear and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic are just as violently attacking some people’s mental health. This virus thrives when the infected person comes into contact with other people. This means defense against it is social. But isolation’s consequences could have lasting effects on people struggling with their own mental health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that a fourth of adults worldwide suffer from a mental health condition. And a study by Qualtrics surveying people on their mental health since the pandemic started found 42 % of people say their overall mental health has declined. These changing statistics raise concerns on how this virus will affect peo-
ple long-term. Americans in at least 42 states have stay-at-home orders that restrict them from leaving home besides running essential errands. So, now more than ever, people are cooped up at home with limited social activity. Even when running essential errands, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has recommended people stay socially distanced by six feet. “The level of transmission spread and pathogenesis is more than any of us could have expected,” said Dr. Sarah McDonald, a virologist and associate professor of Biology at Wake Forest University. Due to the novelty of this virus, nobody has natural immunity to it. Therefore, no one is immune to the threat coronavirus could have on mental health either. “In a few weeks’ time, everyone’s lives were upended, and that’s bound to bring up a lot of feelings,” said Dr. Nikki Elston, an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Counseling at Wake Forest University. Prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications increased 34 % between mid-
February to mid-March, according to CNN Health. With increased anxiety, alcohol sales have also sky-rocketed 55% compared to this time last year, according to CNN Business. People cope differently when feeling alone or worried, and one coping mechanism is alcohol. Liquor stores are deemed essential businesses because people can die from the effects of alcohol withdrawal. And with more people using alcohol to cope, people who have recovered from alcoholism could relapse. “I was talking to my friend who counsels individuals with alcohol and drug use disorders, and he said the majority of his clients have relapsed,” said Elston. “If people are feeling more isolated and worried, they may return to their addiction as a coping mechanism.” Many counseling services have moved online to provide telemental health counseling. But Elston admits it is different. Many benefit from group sessions: the connectedness of sitting in a circle with people who share similar stories helps many
individuals, but this is lost through online sessions. “While we may not know this for some time, it’s possible this virus may push people who are thinking of suicide to act on their plans,” says Dr. Elston, “Especially if they are feeling isolated and helpless.” However, she also says it could benefit people who find large crowds anxiety-inducing and find comfort in isolation. Typically in times of despair, people come together to help those in need. And while this is not possible because of stay-at-home and social distancing orders, Dr. Steve Burton, a psychiatrist at the Louisville Veterans Affairs Hospital, encourages people to do acts of kindness. By helping others, one can boost their own happiness. “Try to be optimistic, but don’t deny the risk,” says Burton. “It’s also very important to get outdoors and open up shades in the house. We need sunlight. It helps prevent depression. And, instead of focusing on what you cannot control, try to recognize things you can control.”
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OLD GOLD & BLACK
The views expressed in all opinion columns represent those of the article’s author, not the opinions of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board
Trump’s “rhetoric endangers public Politics
The president’s language becomes a distraction when given too much credence
Connor McNealy Staff Columnist mcnecb19@wfu.edu
I must admit, seeing the president of the United States contract coronavirus was a reality-shattering moment. I say this not because I admire the man or hold any sentiment towards him, but because I am surprised that the security of the highest position in democracy was compromised. You just don’t expect that one of the most protected men in the world will contract a pandemic-inducing virus. But he did. Trump has coronavirus, and the office of the presidency has sunk to an all time low. In hindsight, many people will tell you that they expected an outcome like this. After all, the amount of precautions that Trump personally took were very little. But you can’t tell me that before this diagnosis,
After four years of divisive speech on the president’s Twitter page, he has managed to inspire us to mimic him.” the president of the United States would contract COVID-19. The president is one of the people who doesn’t get hurt. He’s the one who goes into the bunker when there’s even the slightest hint of danger. He has teams and teams of men who would lay down their lives for him. Any educated person would realize the overwhelming amount of precautions that should be taken during a pandemic that poses a health risk specifically to those of the president’s age, weight and preexisting health conditions. Yet, here we are. Fresh off the worst presidential debate in U.S. history, the president has coronavirus and there are contrasting reports concerning his health. Donald Trump has actually continued this indifference to reality with his car ride outside of the Walter Reed Hospital, and an early exit and ‘triumphant’ return to the White House, where he took off his mask and declared on Twitter that there was nothing to fear. There was some profane irony in his declaration. Perhaps you detected it
when he told everyone that the pandemic that has killed 200,000 shouldn’t control people’s lives, when in actuality he faced it down with the best medical treatment in the nation. Trump and his team determined this sequence of action as a brave show of strength and health, while the general populace viewed it as a maddening display of ignorance and dangerous practice. I must say that I refuse to dignify his acts in the slightest, and I don’t think that any American citizen should either. For years now, politicians, businesspeople, celebrities and many more prominent American citizens have spoken out against the president’s leadership in more ways than one. My call to practice apathy towards the President is not one that devalues all forms of action helpful to the nation or those that spread awareness of his decisions. Rather, I implore everyone to pay no attention to the hateful and false rhetoric that he spreads. If those who have a great voice in our society actively leave out his comments and attacks, they could focus their platform to uplift those who he has hurt. We have to be better than him. And if we are to be better than the example Trump has set, we must not wish death on him. Somehow, Twitter has become the battleground of American
politics. After four years of divisive speech on the president’s Twitter page, he has managed to inspire us to mimic him. Today, we have let him turn the foundation of our relationships with our neighbors into one of hate and exclusion, rather than kindness and empathy. It is unacceptable for people to identify wtith and support the president because of his harmful policies towards illegal immigrants as demonstrated in the ICE camps. But taking these people out of our lives and out of helpful conversations isn’t going to change their minds. It is, however, going to make them even more ignorant and disrespectful towards those who think differently. It is going to inspire them to tell everyone in their communities how irrational the opposition is — how they won’t even speak to them. We have arrived at the point in the presidency of Trump that necessitates unresponsiveness. While he chooses to ignore the rules for safety — and rules of general decency — we must choose to let the consequences of his actions and words fall on him. He refuses to take responsibility for any of his failures and lifts high what he has deemed progress. Our only response to the president should be issued on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when we vote for him to stay or to leave.
“ hedge against tragedy Diverse skills Music
Expanding one’s artistic outlets can ensure creative catharsis in the event of disaster
Cap McLiney
Guest Columnist chriam19@wfu.edu
In the spring of my senior year of highschool, I decided to learn the banjo. Last night I was sitting down, going through some old videos I had made of myself playing in the infant years of my banjo “career.” In the two years that have followed since then, I have made quite a bit of progress on the instrument, with much of that thanks to all the vacant time at home during the lockdown. But, really, my extremely limited progress is besides the point. As I was looking through the old clips of myself painfully plucking through basic melodies that they use to teach folks to play, I thought to myself now, “Why in the world did I decide to learn to play this thing?” It’s always sort of fun when you ask a question to yourself to which you don’t know the answer right off
By increasing my ability to make music ... I have given myself a greater sense of security against the unknown.” the bat. I remember that I had a couple of Amazon gift cards saved from over the years and a whole lot of free time during my last semester of high school. So, I got online to browse around, trying to find something with which I could maybe fill a little bit of my empty hours. I looked through the Amazon “Best Deals” tab and ended up spotting a cheaply made banjo which was within my budget. I went for it. Now, my free time I had back then and the little Amazon allowance explain why I bought the silly banjo. But that doesn’t totally explain why I decided to learn how to play it over the course of two years and can barely go a day without touching one now. I laid down to try and think about this the other night. More than anything, I found it odd that I either didn’t know why I had invested so much of my time into something or had forgotten my original sentiment surrounding the pursuit altogether. Closing my eyes, I thought back to the moment and, all of the sudden, boom. I remembered. This
might sound obscure, but I experienced a brief moment of distress which I felt before I had even thought about buying the banjo. A flashing, random and nonetheless scary thought crossed across my mind, “What if I lose my eyesight someday?” I had been sitting at my desk and realized what an enormous proportion of my creative outlets relied on just the act of seeing. I enjoyed doodling, writing and sometimes even painting when I needed to take a few breaths away from technology. These art forms were really the only three outlets which I had in my arsenal where I actually produced some sort of creative product by the end. For whatever reason, it was all of a sudden very spooky for me to think that if, God forbid, an owl were to scoop out my eyes or even if I just woke up one day to an expansive, incurable darkness, that I would be without any sort of creative outlet in which I could express myself in an unaltered fashion as I had before. I felt unprepared and extraordinarily vulnerable, realizing how much I deeply depended on a singular sense for so much of my creative relief and expression.
So, I suppose that’s why I have stuck with the banjo up until now. By increasing my ability to make music using my ears, I have given myself a greater sense of security against the unknown. If my eyes go, then at least I’ll have music and if my ears go, then hopefully I’ll still have my eyes to see. Today, the coronavirus pandemic has shown us all how quickly things can change in what feels like the blink of an eye. One is reminded to consider whether or not there are parts of our lives which are vulnerably concentrated on one element. Questions arise such as, “What would happen if we were suddenly stripped of that area of dependence?” And, “How can we live our lives to protect the parts of ourselves which are most critical to our shared humanity as we all delve into the future?” My largest piece of advice in regards to those questions is that individuals should not be afraid to push themselves past their own limits which are oftentimes completely self-constructed. My younger self surely never would have imagined myself as a banjo player. You, too, can go beyond your own limits if you only convince yourself it is necessary.
Opinion | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, October 8, 2020 | Page 9
“ Student athletes lack compensation College Athletics
College athletes deserve a portion of profits earned using their name and likeness
John Manos
Staff Columnist manojd18@wfu.edu
In October of 2014, the Georgia Bulldogs football team was rolling towards a 10-3 season when running back Todd Gurley III was suddenly shackled by the NCAA for the illegal sale of some unspecified goods. The profit turned out to be $400, and the goods –– his jerseys with his name on them, according to Business Insider. With “Gurley III” already on the back of tons of apparel that had the number three on them, his staggering 42 career touchdowns, and his projection as a first-round pick (that came true), he was bringing in tons of revenue for both the University of Georgia and the NCAA, according to sports-reference.com. Even so, his accumulation of $400 was $400 too much for either organization to tolerate. This is just one of the many examples of how the NCAA has been stealing the likenesses of athletes for years.
Money talks and big corporations like the NCAA and its flagship universities — they listen." It’s true, Gurley was just another face in the crowd of marginalized athletes that included fellow Southeastern Conference football players Johnny Manziel and A.J. Green. Like sweatshops in China, the NCAA is running a very specific sort of business here and it’s one of exploitation and commodity. “This is the more tangible effects of the economic side of sports,” said former offensive tackle for Penn State Chima Okoli who is now an attorney. The overarching problem is the NCAA’s classification of college athletes. Division one athletes (particularly football and men’s basketball players) bring in scores of revenues for their universities by helping them garner TV and apparel sponsorships which effectively makes the NCAA rich in the process. However, this organization still refuses to pay these athletes or really let them accumulate any capital at all. They place these actions under the claim that college athletes are amateurs not professionals. “You can not call them employees but call them ‘amateur’ and cut them off from all funding,” Okoli said. However, these
amateurs are still featured in commercials, advertisements, 40-foot billboards and even video games … yes, video games. “There’s a huge point of contention between the NCAA and Entertainment Arts who made the game,” Okoli said. “It’s a gray area.” EA and the NCAA conveniently fill that gray area with substituting out names, for position and number: Example, Todd Gurley is renamed, “HB #3”. But why does the NCAA go to such extreme lengths to exploit these players? Well, in simple economics: as the cost of labor increases, so does the cost of production. At a certain point this combined cost surpasses profit. However, if someone can figure out how to eliminate the cost of labor, production costs will also be zero and profit will then soar. This means that somewhere in the NCAA there’s probably a really smart and groundbreaking microeconomist! Or there’s possibly just a widespread lack of value for workers’ rights. Yeah, we’ll go with that one. So athletes work like employees yes, but aren’t they paid enough with scholarships and the potential to play professionally? The best answer to this question is, put most eloquently as, “no.” Here’s the reality: out of every student athlete, 6.7% of them are on scholarship, per scholarshipowl.com and not even two
percent of them will ever see the pros according to theconversation.com. That’s a lot of unpaid labor left out there. “It’s a position where you pretty much fill the role as an employee,” Okoli said. Luckily, in 2021, reform is coming as the NCAA will allow athletes to slowly be able to reclaim their namesakes. However, it is doubtful that this system will ever fully change. Money talks and big corporations like the NCAA and its flagship universities –– they listen. “Once athletic directors realize that huge sums of money come from our amateur program … it’s hard to change that system,” Okoli said.
It would be one thing if social media sites were properly monitored to ensure that fake news is not produced and distributed as such a rampant rate. If instantaneous fact-checking protocols were instituted and accounts were automatically disabled after repeatedly posting and resharing false and inflammatory content. But that's not the reality we live in … yet. Afterall, your Uncle Terry is not a journalist just because he posted a scathing opinion of Donald Trump on Twitter. And your Aunt Kaeileigh is not a newscaster just because she hosted an Instagram Live of her sharing research on socalled vaccine ineffectiveness. Since the 2016 presidential race, Facebook and Twitter have been on in hot water thanks to the circulation of false information on both sites. Just this past Tuesday, Facebook banned QAnon conspiracy stories from being shared to the website three entire years after the group’s formation on 8chan. Under this ruling, any Facebook Pages, Groups or Instagram accounts representing QAnon, even if they contain no violent content, are to be removed. Even Etsy, a craft and antique website, banned the selling and purchasing of QAnon paraphernalia. While individuals can still post QAnon content to their personal pages, this ruling is a huge step toward regulating popular media sites and making them more fact oriented.
Of course, there are the angry internet trolls who claim that Facebook’s banning of QAnon is a violation of the First Amendment right. To this, I recommend those in opposition to reread their constitution … as well as Facebook’s user agreement. While the internet might be a (relatively) lawless land, Facebook is not the internet. It is an organization that writes and regulates its own rules. Same with Twitter. And Instagram. And TikTok. And Reddit. In an ideal world, these regulations would not need to be in place. A world where news literacy courses are implemented in K-12 schools sounds like my personal utopia. The circulation of disinformation has been so detrimental to the state of our nation because this “news” feeds off of the hopes and fears of lesseducated Americans. If the U.S. wants to halt the spread of misinformation and begin the education of the general public, we need to start now. Social media leaks into every crevice of our lives. There is no reason not to educate media consumers on things such as the pillars of journalism and how to spot bots. News literacy should not be a privilege held by the highly educated. It is incredibly important and should be available to all American people. Our democracy depends on it.
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Quaterback Sam Hartman enters the field followed by his teammates.
“ Spreading of misinformation impacts U.S. politics News Literacy
With greater access to news on social platforms arises a need to identify trustworthy sources
Alexandra Karlinchak Staff Columnist karlae18@wfu.edu
If you took a walk around campus on a Sunday morning, it is not likely that you would see students lounging around on the Upper Quad reading the morning paper over a piping cup of Camino coffee. Instead, a vision of computer screens glaring against glasses lenses and the sound of fingertips tapping speedily against smartphone screens would greet you with open arms. The technology-obsessed college student trope has been an insult used by political cartoonists to target the intellect of younger generation by political cartoonists for years now (Ben Garrison, I am looking at you). And, honestly, it has got to go. Generation Z is not the only generation who utilizes social media on a regular basis. In fact, a large number American citizens utilize some form of social media to get their daily news coverage. A Pew Research Center report published in 2018 states that 55% of U.S. adults now get
There is no reason not to educate media consumers [about] the pillars of journalism and how to spot bots." their news from social media "often" or "sometimes." So, essentially, if my grandma reposts one more “book good, phone bad” meme onto her Facebook timeline, I am going to pull the world’s fastest Uno reverse card on her. The fact of the matter is, older Americans are also part of the misinformation issue at hand. The problem is not Millennial and Gen Z’s consumption of social media; the problem is the prevalence that social media holds in all realms of life. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and — in some unfortunate cases — Reddit, serve as the most popular social media sites to date. And because of the influence they hold, many consumers are pushing to relabel these social media sites as news organizations. But how does one define the term “news organization”? Strictly by definition, a news organization is “an agency that collects news reports and distributes them electronically.” I do not know if it is just me, but I feel like I am in Sin City because that defintion was Vague Ass. Get it? No? Okay. Maybe, though, this vague definition is not the issue. We do not need to redefine what news organizations are, we need to re-educate consumers on what makes news … news.
Page 10 | Thursday, October 8, 2020
Old Gold & Black | Opinion
“ Complacency endangers citizens Pandemic Response Personal Development
President Trump's negligence and irresponsibility reflects necessity of precaution Mariama Jallow Staff Columnist jallm18@wfu.edu
We are still living through a pandemic, a phrase that unfortunately, many people have to be reminded of. COVID-19 may be the worst thing that has happened to all of us, our lives have taken a turn none of us have expected — people want to be back in their works spaces, college students want things to go back to how they were. However, people are dying, and we cannot forget or ignore that. Over 210,000 Americans have died. Just last week a student at Appalachian State died from coronavirus complications. Why are there still people taking this virus as if it’s a joke? How can the “leader” of the nation invoke the myth of the American dream by alluding to “pulling yourself up by the bootstraps” and “weathering the storm of COVID” while being blind to his privilege he has that no American does. Mothers, fathers, daughters and sons are all being taken
The more we think this pandemic is over and 'go back to our normal social lives', the worse will get." away from their loved ones. Partly because of how polarized this country has become, a mask has become a political statement rather than a healthcare issue. The United States is going through the worst economic downturn in history, schools have been almost entirely virtually and a record number of jobs have been lost this year because people still believe this virus is a “hoax." A lot of people need to debunk this idea that somehow if they get the virus they’ll be fine. Despite the systematic issues in this country, COVID-19 does not discriminate on race, class, political affiliation or religious belief. According to a CNBC report, “despite generally being low risk for severe illnesses, college-age adults have become seriously ill from COVID-19." College campuses are now clusters of their own. Arguably the most protected man in the world, the president of the United States has COVID-19. It only took him downplaying the severity of the virus, denying scientific evidence and not utilizing recommendations from the world’s top experts in disease.
He ignored the science and instead of wearing a mask all the time, he made it a political issue rather than a healthcare issue. He has continued to hold rallies with thousands of people, many of whom are shoulder to shoulder with no mask on. Trump has continuously downplayed the seriousness of the coronavirus and as a result, arguably the most powerful man in the world has COVID-19. So why do so many people think they somehow will not be affected by COVID-19? The president tweeted “Don’t be afraid of COVID don’t let it dominate your life,” but we should all be afraid of COVID-19 because the majority of the U.S. population will not have the greatest doctors in the world to care for us if we get infected. We will not be flown to the presidential suite of Walter Reed Medical Center, receiving round the clock care. We will not have the privilege of receiving a treatment on “compassionate use." For the 210,000 people that lost their lives to COVID-19, it has dominated their lives and the lives of their families. The White House is being labeled as a COVID-19 “hot zone” even with their access to unlimited resources. Meanwhile, Black communities are in a drought of relevant PPE and cleaning supplies and are simultaneously enduring
another pandemic, anti-blackness and white supremacy. About 27.9 million people in America are uninsured and Black people are dying from COVID-19 at rates more than twice as high as the rate at which white people are dying. This is a result of systematic inequalities in the healthcare system. Every 80 seconds, another American dies of the virus because of a lack of responsibility by those in the federal government putting stimulus packages on hold, and not providing adequate care to disadvantaged and underserved communities. After reading this article three people may have died from COVID-19, people with families, people that should not be forgotten. Two hundred thousand isn't just a number and we cannot forget that. Don’t ignore CDC guidelines, wear a mask, socially distance and stay safe. The more we think this pandemic is over and “go back to our normal social lives,” the worse will get. The end of this pandemic we are all yearning for will only get further away from us. Finally, vote. Vote like your life depends on it, because it does. If you want to hear more about what I have to say, go check out my podcast The World Through Our Eyes available on Apple Podcast, Spotify and anywhere else you get your podcasts.
that front. But for voters who approve of some of Trump’s other policies, his willingness to take the virus seriously, albeit long overdo, could have been the tipping point they needed to cast their ballot for him. But this reality seems highly unlikely now that Trump has used his experience with the coronavirus to continue downplaying its seriousness. Not to mention that he is now attacking Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden for not having contracted the virus and therefore not being able to relate to the American people. Because that makes a lot of sense. New polling from Pew Research Center shows that 57% of Americans say that the president has been delivering the wrong message about the coronavirus outbreak to the country. This same percentage also says that they are following Trump’s statements about the virus very closely. Among voters who are slightly less optimistic than they were in March about Trump’s response to the virus are white evangelical protestants, Trump’s most supportive religious constituency. In a country where
62% of voters say the outbreak will be a very important factor in their decision on who to vote for, it would have been advantageous for Trump to get on the bandwagon of science. This way, he could have established a national plan of action and, for once, provided the country with clear federal guidance in the hopes of garnering maximum participation in abiding by public safety measures to protect the health of all Americans. But it seems that the Trump campaign has ignored this potential opportunity and has blown its chances of attracting any new voters who take the coronavirus seriously. Following Trump’s diagnosis, a new CNBC/Change Research Poll shows most swing-state voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the virus and prefer Biden and Democrats to handle the outbreak. Biden now holds his widest national lead of the election cycle, up 16 points, according to a new CNN poll. Americans want and need a leader on this. It’s up to the Biden campaign to prove to the American people why it should be the one leading the nation on this, frankly, life or death issue.
“ to sympathize with nation President fails Voter Outcomes
President Trump uses personal diagnosis to belittle the effects of global pandemic Elizabeth Maline Staff Columnist malid17@wfu.edu
As news traveled that President Donald Trump was being hospitalized after contracting COVID-19, there was hope among Americans that he would finally change his tune and start to take this virus seriously. After experiencing the symptoms that accompany COVID-19, such as shortness of breath and fatigue, it is logical to assume that Trump would finally understand firsthand how scary the virus can be and use this opportunity to empathize with the millions of Americans who have either endured it themselves or lost friends and family to it. Wishful thinking on our part, I guess. Instead, Trump delivered a short speech on the White House balcony,
Trump has used his experience with the coronavirus to continue downplaying its seriousness." after returning from Walter Reed Hospital, telling Americans not to worry about the virus and not to let it control their lives. Not only would it be morally responsible as well as beneficial for the country for Trump to stop downplaying a virus that has captured the lives of hundreds of thousands, but doing so might have seriously helped his campaign efforts. And despite what he’ll tell you, it needs help. According to a recent NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll, 11% of voters are still undecided about who they will vote for this election. Though this number is lower than it has been in previous elections, it is still a significant portion of voters, especially in an election that is projected to be as close as this one. Many of these voters claim to be moderates who are unsatisfied with either candidate and are looking for any issue that could sway them. It is clear that the chaotic first debate did not help anyone on
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Online at: www.wfuogb.com Twitter: @sports_ogb Editors: Ben Conroy, conrbd19@wfu.edu Will Zimmerman, zimmwj19@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Football: Wake Forest routs Campbell The Deacs found their stride on squad finished with just shy of 300 yards on the ground. the gridiron Friday night, beating total QB Sam Hartman put together a Campbell 66-14 mistake-free performance through BY BEN CONROY Sports Editor conrbd19@wfu.edu
After a lackluster start to the season, the Wake Forest football team roared to life on both sides of the ball, providing a slew of highlight plays and exceptional performances en route to a 66-14 home victory against Campbell on Friday night. The Deacs dominated from the start, jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and never looking back. On offense, the Deacs’ run game was virtually unstoppable; Wake Forest halfbacks combined for three touchdowns in the first half alone, and starter Christian Beal-Smith finished with three total scores. BealSmith and Kenneth Walker both racked up over 100 yards, and the
the air, completing 12 of 16 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown pass to freshman WR Tyler Morin. While Hartman’s numbers didn’t exactly stuff the stat sheet, he provided exactly what the Deacs are looking for at the QB position: consistency and no turnovers. With so many potent weapons at the halfback position, all Hartman really needs to do is get the ball to his playmakers and refrain from handing the ball to the other team. The Wake Forest defense rose to the occasion as well, chipping in three sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles against an overmatched Campbell offense. Campbell QB Hajj-Malik Williams was held to just 187 yards through the air, while none of the Campbell halfbacks were able to reach the 50-yard mark on the ground. It was exactly the morale booster the Deacs’ defense needed
after being thoroughly torched by North Carolina State and Clemson in the season’s first two games; they’ll be looking to carry this momentum in future games. In such a decisive victory, there was no shortage of worthy candidates for this week’s offensive and defensive MVPs, a Wake Forest fan’s absolute favorite problem to have. After much deliberation, the biggest standout on each side of the ball can be found below: Offense: RB Christian Beal-Smith The Campbell defense simply had no answers for Beal-Smith on Friday; he marched down the field at will, finishing with three touchdowns and 130 yards on 20 carries. Anytime Beal-Smith touched the ball he looked primed to score, and his performance this week will definitely put him at the top of the scouting report for future Wake Forest opponents. One would think that if Beal-Smith can continue to put up similar num-
bers in games to come, the Deacs might have a shot at making some leeway in the ACC. Beal-Smith's toptier speed and field vision will prove important assets to Wake Forest's offensive identity the remainder of the season. Defense: DE Jacorey Johns and DB Zion Keith Johns and Keith will be sharing the wealth this week, as they both impacted the game in ways that simply couldn’t be ignored. Johns finished with a whopping three TFLs (and one sack), while Keith provided the Deacs’ lone defensive touchdown with a 45-yard interception return in the third quarter. Their contributions set the tone for the entire Wake Forest defense, and we’re all hoping they’ll be able to maintain a high level of play during the remainder of ACC play. Wake Forest is set to continue their regular season campaign at home against Virginia Tech on Oct. 17.
Men's Basketball: new roster offers promise Cameron Hildreth, a 4-star rated point guard, joins basketball's 2021 class
shoulder, ready to prove the doubters wrong. Let’s take a look at the roster.
BY CHRISTIAN ODJAKJIAN Staff Writer odjact18@wfu.edu
Senior Jahcobi Neath (6’3”, Guard): All four of Neath’s double figure scoring games in his freshman campaign came in the final six games of the season. The explosive guard averaged 5.3 points and 2.2 assists, carving out a bigger role for himself as the season progressed. With Childress gone, the door is open for Neath to have a breakout sophomore season. Graduate Student Ian Dubose (6’4”, Guard): The transfer from Houston Baptist was a scoring machine last season, averaging 19 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists for the Huskies. In November of 2018, Dubose scored 18 for HBU in an overtime win over Wake at the Joel. While scoring won’t be as easy for Dubose in the ACC as it was in the Southland, he’s proved he can get buckets against top competition, scoring 20, 18 and 16 against Texas Tech, Dayton, and Michigan, respectively. Junior Isaiah Mucius (6’8”, Forward): The most statistically productive returning player to this roster, Mucius is a versatile, high-energy athlete who has only gotten better in his time in Winston-Salem. Averaging 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds a game, Mucius had nine double-figure scoring games and three double-doubles last year, and scored a career high 19 in the first round of the ACC Tournament in March.
Amidst all of the uncertainty surrounding college athletics in the COVID-19 era, Wake Forest Men’s Basketball fans finally have a glimmer of hope after a turbulent six years of Danny Manning running the program. Former East Tennessee State Coach Steve Forbes has come in hot to Winston-Salem and generated a lot of buzz, snagging a couple exciting 2021 recruits this fall (Carter Whitt and Cameron Hildreth), injecting some much needed energy into the program. With the losses of Olivier Sarr, Chaundee Brown (transfers to Kentucky and Michigan, respectively), as well as the graduations of Brandon Childress, Andrien White and Torry Johnson, five of the top six scorers from last year’s squad are no longer here. But with Manning out the door, and Forbes and his winning pedigree in (130–43 in 5 years at ETSU), there’s a lot to be optimistic about. A lot of talent is gone, but the combination of young blood and transfer experience gives Forbes a solid roster capable of outperforming expectations. CBS College Hoops Insider Jon Rothstein predicts that Wake will come in last in the ACC this year, so Forbes and his team will definitely have a chip on their
Projected Starting Lineup
Senior Ismael Massoud (6’8”, Forward): Massoud is a knockdown 3-point shooter, connecting on 40% of his attempts from downtown last year. The sniper has some progress to make defensively, but the potential to improve is certainly there. His 4.8 points and 2.0 rebounds from last season are sure to increase, and his shooting will help the Deacs space the floor. Senior Ody Oguama (6’9”, Forward): The young big man started 24 games in his freshman season, averaging 2.9 points and 3.9 rebounds. His minutes tailed off a bit at the end of February and into March during Sarr’s hot streak, but Oguama's role should be bigger this season. Forbes will love his defensive energy and rebounding. Reserves Junior Davion Williamson (6’2”, Guard): The Winston-Salem native followed Forbes from ETSU where he averaged 10.4 points and 2.6 assists a game last year. Williamson is waiting on the NCAA to find out if he will be immediately eligible to play this season. Assuming he is cleared, the talented guard will have an important role, and his relationship with Forbes should make for a comfortable transition. Graduate student Jalen Johnson (6’6”, Guard): Another transfer, Johnson comes from a well established program at Tennessee. The athletic guard averaged just 3.5 points a game for the
Volunteers, and will look to carve out a more expansive role for Wake. Johnson is a perfect match for Forbes, and could definitely become a starter for this team. Junior Isaiah Wilkins (6’4”, Guard): Like Williamson, Wilkins is another transfer who is from Winston-Salem. Wilkins has already received his waiver to be immediately eligible after leaving Virginia Tech. The stalwart defender started five games last season for the Hokies, averaging 4.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in less than 15 minutes per contest. Graduate Student Jonah Antonio (6’5”, Guard) - Another transfer! The Aussie averaged 6.9 points a game for UNLV last year and is a knockdown 3-point shooter. Redshirt Freshman Tariq Ingraham 6’9”, Forward): The 250-pound Ingraham suffered a season ending achilles injury last preseason in October. The Deacs don’t have a ton of size, so Ingraham could carve out an important role off the bench in his first season. Freshman Quadry Adams (6’3”, Guard): The freshman from New Jersey should get some minutes this year. Freshman Emmanuel Okpomo (6’10”): Okpoko played high school ball at blue blood Oak Hill Academy, the number 3 team in the country. At 225 pounds, Forbes has another young big body to develop here. Walk-ons: Sunday Okeke, Anthony Mathis Jr, Miles Lester, Blake Buchanan and Grant Van Beveren likely won’t see much floor time this season considering the depth ahead of them.
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Old Gold & Black | Sports
Women's Soccer goes 1-1 over the weekend The past weekend was a mixed bag for Wake Forest Women's Soccer BY SAM WEXLER Senior Writer wexlsn17@wfu.edu The Wake Forest women’s soccer team has had a shaky first month of games. Its record is 1-3-1, as it lost its first two games to Duke and UNC Chapel Hill. The team tied its third game, a scoreless rematch against Duke, on Sept. 20. After its unsuccessful first couple of weeks, the team looked to turn things around during a two-game weekend. This past weekend caused both celebration and disappointment for the team. On Oct. 1 at Spry Stadium, the Deacs got their first win of the season as they defeated the University of Miami by a score of 1-0. The first half was scoreless, but in the 68th minute freshman Carrie McIntire assisted senior Ryanne Brown’s breakaway goal. Brown had two shots on goal, one of which was the game-winner. Despite the close score line, the Demon Deacons dominated the game and outshot their opponents 22-1. Over half of these shots came from Brown, senior
Hannah Betfort, junior Giovanna DeMarco and redshirt junior Sofia Rossi. The Deacs’ controlled possession for much of the contest, and their constant threats to goal caused Miami to sit back for most of the game. In goal, Madison Howard and Mia Raben kept the Hurricanes from scoring. In the second half, Raben saved the only shot on goal the Demon Deacons faced. On Oct. 4, the soccer team faced No. 2 Florida State University. As predicted, it was a tough game for Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons lost their fifth game of the season 4-0 as the Seminoles scored three goals in the opening 21 minutes. The fourth came in the 85th minute of the game. The Deacs struggled to create offensive opportunities much more Sunday afternoon than in their game against Miami. Wake Forest’s opponents outshot them 17-2, with 11 of Florida State’s shots on goal. Raben made five saves in the first half and Howard made one in the second. The Deacs’ performance improved in the second half, as the number of shots conceded was reduced to five. The team failed to pressure the FSU defense in the first half, which made it difficult to catch up later on in the
Photo courtesy of @WakeWSoccer/Twitter
The Wake Forest Women's Soccer team won a close game against the Miami Hurricanes on Oct. 1, eventually securing a 1-0 victory at home. game. Though the Deacs’ communication improved, they still struggled to get shots off against a team with great depth. Wake Forest’s next game is on Oct. 11 against Clemson, who has a record of 3-2. The game will take place at
Clemson but can be watched on the ACC Network. After that on Oct. 15, the Demon Deacons take on Notre Dame in South Bend. The next home game will take place on Oct. 29 as the Deacs face off against Virginia Tech.
NFL: Injuries, fireworks continue in week four Browns RB Nick Chubb and Jets QB Sam Darnold suffered injuries this week BY COOPER SULLIVAN Contributing Writer sullcg20@wfu.edu This is the fourth NFL update published, so feel free to skim and expect the usual highlights: star player gets hurt; high-scoring shootout resulting in an upset win; the Jets lose again; the entire league is on the verge of being shut down; Russell Wilson is good at football. You know, typical storylines. Two days after their week three matchup against the Vikings, multiple Titans players and personnel tested positive for COVID-19, and numbers have now ballooned to 18 team cases. The Titans-Steelers game set for Sunday at 1 p.m. was initially moved to either Monday or Tuesday but is now scheduled for Week 7, which was originally a Steelers-Ravens matchup. That game was moved to the subsequent week, switching bye week and game week for Baltimore. Week 5’s Titans-Bills meeting is still up in the air as Tennessee will need two straight days of no new cases to reopen their facilities. The Titans are currently being investigated by the NFL for “possible violations of protocols,” per ESPN. A rematch of the 2019 AFC Championship would have to wait one more day as Patriots’ QB Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19. In a truly ironic situation, Chiefs practice squad QB Jordan Ta’amu, tasked with imitating Newton’s play style throughout
the week also tested positive. The game was moved to early Monday night and Kansas City won, 26 to 10. The New Orleans Saints were able to play their game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday after worries that a third game would have to be rescheduled. Saints FB Michael Burton received a false positive result on Saturday and then was cleared Sunday morning. New Orleans won 35-29 and improved to 2-2 while the Lions fell to a dismal 1-3. The Vikings had no positive COVID-19 cases and were able to go through with their game against the Texans with no concerns. Dalvin Cook had 146 total yards and two TDs to lead the Vikings to their first win of the season. The Texans joined the Giants and the Jets as the only winless teams in the league. Jets’ QB Sam Darnold is questionable for Week 5 after suffering a shoulder injury during Thursday night’s 37-28 loss to Brett Rypien’s mighty Broncos. (Rypien is the third-string backup QB, who despite only appearing in five quarters of NFL play, has already thrown four interceptions.) Luckily for Broncos fans, Drew Lock should return under center soon, as he is “50-50 to return next week,” per the Denver Post. Cowboys fans may want to avert their eyes from this paragraph. One can understand why they don’t want to be reminded of being sliced and diced by Odell Beckham Jr. and the rest of the Browns. OBJ accounted for 18 of Cleveland’s 49 points, one score coming on a trick play pass from fellow LSU Tiger Jarvis Landry and another
Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/TNS
The Baltimore Ravens bounced back from last week's defeat with a decisive 31-17 victory over the Washington Football Team. on what should have been a 15-yd loss but was instead a 50-yard touchdown run. Dallas QB Dak Prescott threw for over 500 yards and had four TDs but it was not enough for the win, as Dallas fell 49-38 at home. Browns RB Nick Chubb left in the first quarter after injuring his MCL and is expected to miss at least six weeks. Tom Brady became the all-time winningest player in NFL history, securing his 222nd victory after a 38-31 comeback performance against the Chargers. A slew of injuries on both sides occurred in Tampa Bay. Bucs RBs
LeSean McCoy (ankle) and Kenjon Barner (hamstring) left early as Chargers star RB Austin Ekeler suffered a hamstring injury in the first half and will most likely be placed on Injured Reserve. Last year’s MVP Lamar Jackson bounced back against the Washington Football Team this week leading the Ravens to a 31-17 victory while this year’s MVP frontrunners, Wilson and Josh Allen, continue their stellar play as the Seahawks and Bills both improved to 4-0 and remain undefeated on the season.
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Old Gold & Black | Sports
Wake men's soccer rolls over NC State In their first in-conference game, the Demon Deacons won comfortably BY JB BLOOD Staff Writer bloojj18@wfu.edu DJ Khaled would have been the perfect voice to narrate the men’s soccer game at Spry last Saturday night. Another one! Wake Forest scores its second goal of the night. Another one! Make that three for the Deacs. Another one! That's four now for Wake Forest. In a showcase of offensive firepower, the top ranked Wake Forest Men’s Soccer team dominated NC State in their ACC opener, winning by a score of 4-1. This was Wake Forest’s 8th straight victory in ACC openers. It was the 46th meeting between the two state rivals, and Wake Forest leads the all-time series 29-11-5. The Deacs have been particularly successful at home in the series, with NC State’s last win in Winston-Salem dating back to the first year of the Clinton administration: 1993. Wake Forest dictated the terms of the game from the opening whistle, and ended up with 55% of possession; 58% of the game took place on the Louisville half of the field. Additionally, the Deacs held a 12-7 advantage on shots, a 6-3 advantage on shots on net and a 3-2 advantage on corners. The Deacs started the game off well and had a few quality opportunities early on. The best of these chances came a little over 20 minutes into the half when redshirt sophomore Jake Swallen lined up to take a free kick a few yards outside the corner of the 18-yard box. The well hit shot landed to the left of the goal post
and the game remained scoreless. The start of the game was also quite scrappy. There were nine fouls in the first 20 minutes and 19 by the end of the first half. Wake Forest finally broke through with 9:38 remaining in the half. Swallen passed the ball to junior Kyle Holcomb, who was a few yards out from the top of the 18-yard box. Holcomb then deftly took a couple of dribbles to cut through the NC State defenders around him, creating the space he needed to fire off a low and hard shot into the left corner of the net. The goal was Holcomb’s second of the season; the assist was Swallen’s first. The Deac’s defense dominated throughout most of the game, not allowing a shot until under 5 minutes left in the half. However, with just 1:46 remaining, the freshman defender Jahlane Forbes made a tackle at the very edge of the 18-yard box that gave NC State a penalty kick. AJ Seals took the PK for the Wolfpack, but redshirt junior goalie Andrew Pannenberg guessed correctly and kept the shot out of the net. The rebound was pounced on by NC State’s Alex Bautista who shot the ball past Pannenberg to even the score at one-a-piece. Despite playing at a significantly higher level throughout the first half, Wake Forest went into halftime tied. The Deacs came out in the second half with their hair on fire, scoring in just 57 seconds. The dynamic duo of Holcomb and Swallen played off each other like Abbott and Costello, with the former picking up his second goal of the match and the latter his second assist. This time, Swallen was in the 18-yard box when he gave a quick pass to his left. Holcomb made a nice move and flicked the ball over the head of the goalkeeper into the right side netting of the goal.
Wake Forest’s defense was again solid in the second half. Freshman defender Garrison Tubbs had an outstanding game, highlighted by an excellent play with little over 35 minutes remaining in the half. As NC State had a wide open net, Tubbs stepped in front of the shot and deflected it out of bounds to maintain the Demon Deacons lead. Wake Forest’s last two goals came within 40 seconds of each other. The first, scored by senior Machop Chol, came in the 70th minute of play. Wake Forest built possession out of the back and advanced into NC State’s defensive third where junior Isaiah Parente passed to sophomore Omar Hernandez at the top of the box. Hernandez in turn led Chol
towards the net with a pass, and Chol nutmegged the keeper to make it 3-1. Forty seconds later, Wake Forest scored its fourth and final goal of the evening. Sophomore Calvin Harris — who was named ACC co-offensive player of the week for his performance last week against Louisville — was making a run near the NC State goal and crossed the ball across the box to sophomore David Wrona, who shot it to the right of the goalie, notching his first goal of the season. Wake Forest controlled the last 20 minutes of the game and handily won 4-1. The Deacs’ next game is a non conference matchup against UAB on Oct. 10 at Spry Stadium.
Photo Courtesy of Wake Forest Men's Soccer twitter page
The men's soccer team, bolstered by goals from Kyle Holcomb (#3) among others, won their 8th straight ACC opener Saturday.
The NFL bubble, or lack thereof, just burst Through three weeks, football looked normal ... now, COVID's arrived BY ESSEX THAYER Staff Writer thayse20@wfu.edu
At the outset of the season, the NFL appeared to be setting the standard when it came to COVID-19 testing and safety. According to ESPN, during the preseason, the NFL conducted an astounding 109,075 tests across players, coaches and staff. Only 502 of those tests came back positive for a .46% positivity rate. For a league working without a bubble, this was considered a massive victory and a sign that they could safely continue with a regular season. The first sign of potential obstacles for the NFL came from an unlikely group, the coaches. In three weeks, the NFL has already fined Vic Fangio, Jon Gruden, Sean Payton, Kyle Shanahan, and Pete Carroll $100,000 each for consistently not wearing their masks on the sidelines. Following the fines, NFL
executive vice president Troy Vincent released a strong warning to all teams, including a passage which says the NFL will “address lack of compliance with accountability measures that may include ... suspensions and/or forfeiture of draft picks.” Vincent also acknowledged that further missteps by coaches and players “will put the 2020 season at risk.” A day after Vincent’s letter was sent to the league, the Las Vegas Raiders put the NFL under further scrutiny. Several players, including stars Derek Carr and Hunter Renfroe, were seen not wearing masks at an indoor charity event for Darren Waller’s youth drug and alcohol addiction prevention organization. Henderson Police fined the venue for disregarding local COVID protocols. “We weren’t perfect, but we weren’t trying to be careless or reckless,” commented Derek Carr the next day to USA Today. On Friday, the NFL moved a football game for the first time due to COVID-19. Following an outbreak within the Titans organization that included 13 positive tests, the NFL rescheduled their
game against the Pittsburgh Steelers for later in October. Week four was treated as a bye week for both teams, and they lost their later scheduled week off. After the announcement of the schedule change, the NFL also reported an extension of daily testing amongst the league. On the morning of Oct. 3, it was reported that Cam Newton, the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, had tested positive for COVID-19. Jordan Ta’amu, a practice squad quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, also tested positive. Both teams conducted mass testing and found that no other players within the organization had the coronavirus. The game, originally scheduled to be played on Sunday, was rescheduled by the NFL to take place on Monday night, without Newton and Ta’amu. This past week’s events leave the league and all organizations questioning what the season will look like going forward. If games move ahead as planned, teams still fear for an ability to compete on the field while losing players off of it. Kevin Byard of the Titans put it best.
“At the end of the day, the safest team and the healthiest team this year is going to be the one that’s going to be playing in January and February,” he said,
Wesley Hitt/Getty Images/TNS
Butler (above) greets the empty Nissan Stadium during week three.
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Old Gold & Black | Sports
King Henrik, the New York Rangers part ways Bought out of the final year on his contract, Henrik Lundqvist becomes unrestricted free agent BY WILL ZIMMERMAN Sports Editor zimmwj19@wfu.edu The king is leaving New York. Henrik Lundqvist, who served as the rock-solid backstop of the New York Rangers for 15 seasons, was bought out of the final year of his contract last Wednesday. And while the venerated netminder will hit the free agent market and potentially don a uniform other than that of the Broadway Blueshirts in 2021, his impact on the Empire City will live on in perpetuity. “Few players have been as important to the Rangers franchise as Henrik Lundqvist,” said team owner, James Dolan in a news release. “He has been one of hockey’s fiercest competitors and most effective ambassadors. He will always be a part of the Rangers family.” More than 200 players (21 of which were goalies) were selected before the Rangers drafted Lundqvist with their seventh-round selection in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. The native of Åre, Sweden went on to play in 887 games for the Rangers. En route, he picked up 459 regular season wins, a franchise record, and 23,509 saves, the seventh most by a goalie, ever. Add to these stats a .918 career save percentage (fourth highest in NHL history), the best wins-above-replacement stat-line among all goaltenders since 2007, five all-star selections and a Vezina trophy (won in 2011-12, awarded to the league’s best goaltender), and you begin to get an idea of the impact Lundqvist — who holds over 50 franchise records — had on the Blueshirts for the past decade and a half.
Each and every night he was in the crease, ‘King Hank’ gave his team a chance to win. Such was especially true come playoff time. Between 2012 and 2015, the Rangers played in 19 elimination games. Lundqvist won 15 of those. His 61 post-season wins are the 12th most, ever, among goaltenders. “His tireless work ethic, passion for the game, and love of the Rangers and New York City enabled him to become one of the greatest goaltenders in hockey and one of the best players in the history of our franchise,” said Rangers president and former goaltender, John Davidson. The numerous accolades and mind-boggling statistics, however impressive, only tell half the story of the man behind the mask. Countless athletes have crippled under the pressure of playing in New York City, but Lundqvist never shied away from the bright lights of the ‘City that Never Sleeps.’ As he came into his own, the city embraced the star; and such appreciation was certainly cyclical. In a tweet released following the buyout, Lundqvist wrote, “In some ways, I feel like I grew up here and I will forever appreciate you, New York City!” He very well could have. Renowned for his dapper fashion sense and congenial attitude among fans, teammates and opponents, Lundqvist quickly became the face of the franchise. A glance around the stands at Madison Square Garden on any night will prove just so — Lundqvist’s number 30 is draped across more sweaters than one can count, and will certainly be hung from the rafters in the coming years. Off the ice, Lundqvist has made his presence felt in the Metropolitan area and beyond. The Henrik Lundqvist Foundation, which was founded in 2014 by Henrik and his wife Therese, has raised over $3 million to date. According to the foundation’s website, the money is given to community partners such as The Garden of Dreams Foundation, the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House Charity and used to “create positive change in the lives of children and adults
throughout the world through education and health services.” On Twitter, Lundqvist made it clear that he is not ready to walk away from the sport just yet. “I still love to compete. I still love the game and I still want to WIN!” he wrote in a post on Oct. 4. As has been reported by the Canadian commentator, Bob McKenzie, the Washington Capitals are the “clear front-runner” to procure the 38year old’s services. Perhaps with Washington, the King will seize the only thing that has alluded him throughout his storied career: Lord Stanley’s Cup. When he’s inevitably inducted into the Hall of Fame, however, it’s doubtful to be the Capital’s in the King’s minds-eye. Instead, what will likely reverberate through the mind of Henrik, the Garden Faithful, and the hockey world at large, will be 18,000 fans and their roars echoing off the rafters of the world’s most famous arena: “HEN-RIK.”
Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images/TNS
Henrik Lundqvist might find himself in an unfamilair crease during the 2020-2021 season.
MLB’s Wild Card Series lives up to hype In its first iteration, the expanded playoff format has provided the action baseball fans spent months dreaming about BY AINE PIERRE Staff Writer pierav20@wfu.edu Last week, 16 of Major League Baseball’s 30 ball clubs faced off in the first ever batch of Wild Card Series. This unprecedented set of series came as a result of the playoff expansion agreed to by the MLB Players’ Association on Jul. 23, which expanded the postseason field from 10 teams to 16, allowing both the secondplace team in every division as well as the traditional two Wild Card teams in on the fun. Here’s how the Wild Card Series played out: No. 1 Tampa Bay Rays def. No. 8 Toronto Blue Jays (2-0) No. 2 Oakland Athletics def. No. 7 Chicago White Sox (2-1) After White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito went seven innings flirting with a no-hitter and the White Sox beat the A’s resoundingly in game one, it looked like we had an upset on our hands. Then, the A’s showed up to play. In Game two, the A’s dinged 2015 AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel for three runs on six hits in threeand-one-third innings and rode a great start by righty starter Chris Bassitt (7IP, 6H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 5SO) to a 5-3 win, setting up a winner-takes-all game three. In a battle of the bullpens, the A’s put up six runs to the White Sox’s four to take the series. A big hit by pinch hitter Chad Pinder in the fifth inning helped Oakland advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
No. 6 Houston Astros def. No. 3 Minnesota Twins (2-0) Minnesota Twins fans got their wish in 2020 by avoiding a first round encounter with the New York Yankees, who eliminated them in the ALDS in 2004, 2009, 2010 and 2019 and in the 2017 AL Wild Card Game. Yet, the Bomba Squad fell in straight games to the Houston Astros — currently the most hated team in baseball — extending their postseason loss streak to 18 games, the longest postseason losing streak in the history of the four North American sports. Minnesota lost a game one heartbreaker when Sergio Romo and Caleb Thielbar combined to give up three runs in the top of the ninth inning, culminating in a 4-1 loss. Houston got a timely two-run hit from Michael Brantley in that inning. In game two, Astros’ Kyle Tucker drove in two runs and Carlos Correa homered in the seventh to lead Houston to a 3-1 victory and the Twins to yet another first round exit.
The Indians continue the longest current championship drought in sports, now at 72 years.
No. 5 New York Yankees def. No. 4 Cleveland Indians (2-0) After a questionable season, the New York Yankees earned the title of the Bronx Bombers in a first-round sweep over the Cleveland Indians, against whom they have now won five straight playoff meetings. Aaron Judge connected for a home run against AL Cy Young favorite Shane Beiber early in game one to give the Yankees a lead that they newver relinquished. All-in-all, they dinged Bieber for seven earned runs en route to a 12-3 victory. With Masahiro Tanaka and Carlos “Cookie” Carrasco on the mound in game two and a complicated set of rain delays, the Yankees’ clinching game was a bizarre one. Leads changed hands three times in an up-anddown 10-9 victory for the Yankees, capped off by a DJ LeMahieu single up the middle and an Aroldis Chapman two-inning save.
No. 2 Atlanta Braves def. No. 7 Cincinnati Reds
UP NEXT in the American League: No. 1 Tampa Bay v. No. 5 New York and No. 2 Oakland v. No. 6 Houston. No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers def. No. 8 Milwaukee Brewers This was one we all saw coming. Even after Walker Buhler’s relatively shaky game one start in which he let up two runs in four innings, the Dodgers bullpen shut the Brewers down as NL MVP favorite Mookie Betts, Cory Seager, AJ Pollock and Will Smith all drove in runs in the 4-2 win. In game two, Clayton Kershaw temporarily put to bed the famous refrain that he cannot pitch in the playoffs, pitching eight innings of three-hit ball and striking out thirteen. Betts drove in another two as the team with the best record in baseball punched a 3-0 ticket to the NLDS.
No. 6 Miami Marlins def. No. 3 Chicago Cubs Death, taxes and the Miami Marlins winning playoff series. With a sweep of the Chicago Cubs, the Marlins won their seventh straight series in their first postseason appearance since a 2003 World Series Championship run. They remain undefeated in playoff series since 1997. No. 4 San Diego Padres def. No. 5 St. Louis Cardinals The Cardinals won 4-0 to advance in their first postseason appearance since 2006, the last year they won it all. UP NEXT in the National League: No. 1 Los Angeles v. No. 4 San Diego and No. 2 Atlanta Braves v. No. 6 Miami Marlins
Thursday, October 8, 2020 | Page 15
Old Gold & Black | Sports
The state of college football ... take two Only a couple of months later, and collegiate football’s in a much different spot BY SAM WEXLER Senior Writer wexlsn17@wfu.edu At the end of August, I wrote a ‘State of College Football’ piece in which I discussed the Big Ten and PAC-12’s decisions, amongst those of other conferences, to postpone the traditionally fall football season. Now, only two months later, both conferences are gearing up to begin play in November. Today, we can examine what has already happened, namely in the ACC, SEC and Big 12, and consider what the future holds for the PAC-12 and Big Ten. No college-football-during-COVIDstory is complete without mentioning the absolute hoopla that came along with the Big Ten decision. After a call with the White House and considerable deliberation, the conference announced that football would indeed be played this fall on Sept. 16. The rationale behind a return to play, the conference’s commissioner explained, was predicated on the conference’s ability to guarantee daily testing of its athletes, as well as the development
of new screening protocols for virusrelated heart ailments. The conference also released rules surrounding the virus, comparable to those of the ACC, including a 21-day quarantine for any player who tests positive. In a somewhat confusing fashion, the AP Top 25 Poll includes both teams that are currently playing and teams that are not. As such, pressure awaits Ohio State, ranked No. 6 this week, despite having yet to play a game. Penn State is ranked No. 9, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota are ranked No. 16, 20 and 25, respectively. It will be interesting to see how the season plays out for these teams, given that each will play eight in-conference games in eight weeks. This decision was made in order to align with the timeline of the College Football playoffs, scheduled to begin with the playoff semifinals on Jan. 1. This doesn’t leave much room for flexibility. As has been seen in ACC play, it is highly possible that some games will be cancelled and/or postponed, because nothing goes perfectly to plan during a global pandemic. In the PAC-12, there has been significantly less chaos and the decision to return to play was much more lowkey. In a shortened version of the season, the PAC-12 announced, each team will play five divisional games and one
crossover game. The season begins on Nov. 7, and will run through the PAC12 Championship Game, set for the weekend of December 18-19. Sitting at No. 12. in the AP Top 25 Poll, Oregon is the PAC-12’s only representative. The Big 12 has been holding games with what appears to be an astounding number of fans in the stands since mid-November. Oklahoma State leads the conference in terms of poll ranking, sitting at No. 10 and Iowa State comes in at No. 24. As a whole, the Big 12 has so many inconsistent teams and it looks unlikely that the conference will be represented in the College Football Playoff. Last week, then ranked No. 3 Oklahoma suffered a loss to unranked Kansas State, then fell to Iowa State this week. Also this week, then No. 8 Texas was stunned by unranked TCU in a 33-31 upset. By far, the SEC and ACC make up the majority of the spots among the AP Poll as a result of these teams’ sheer talent, but also because of their added benefit of having played several times already. Those two conferences make up the entirety of the top five spots and seven of the top ten. At the top is familiar foe, Clemson, who led the way with 52 first place votes this week. This week, College Game Day willreturn to the ACC yet again, coming to
Clemson, S.C. as the Tigers take on the No. 7 ranked Miami Hurricanes. Last weekend SEC teams Alabama and Georgia both looked extremely strong. The Crimson Tide rolled past Texas A&M 52-25 led by the offensive wizard, Mac Jones, in the pocket. He went 20-for-27, racking up 435 yards and two touchdowns. Georgia dominated Auburn 27-6, setting up an exciting showdown at Alabama on Oct. 17. Also worth note has been SMU’s play so far this fall. Currently ranked No. 18 in the polls, the 4-0 Mustangs stand atop the American Athletic Conference. On Saturday, they notched a 30-27 win over Memphis after two dominant victories against Stephen F. Austin and North Texas in the two weeks prior. Group of Five drama is always fun, and this year looks to be no different. Despite COVID-19 and all the accompanying unknowns, it’s shaping up to be a fun fall for college football. Especially as we near the PAC12 and Big Ten’s return, the chatter and conspiracy theories will continue to grow. Who has the virus? Who is hurt? The questions go on and on. I’m just happy to have college football to watch, and I’m sure many of you are too.
Making the Jump: American stars, European clubs Americans playing soccer for Europe’s top clubs bodes well for the national team BY CHARLES HORN Staff Writer horncs18@wfu.edu
When the final whistle sounded and the small crowd at Trinidad and Tobago’s home stadium celebrated rapturously, the U.S. Men’s National team limped off the field in dumbfounded disgrace. Their dreams, more expectations than fantasy, of playing in the 2018 World Cup were left shattered on that pitch in Couva. Three years later, the program now has at its disposal a preponderance of European proven and American grown talent ready to rectify the broken image of United States Soccer. After gaining the U.S. national team job in 2011, Jürgen Klinsmann began what became a controversial strategy of recruiting players who, despite never living in the U.S., were allowed to play on behalf of the country because of FIFA’s eligibility rules. The strategy brought some success, but many noted that it meant homegrown American talent was not being given a fair chance to grow and shine. This generation is different. National team manager, Gregg Berhalter, has a roster full of players who came up through MLS academies,
then made the jump to play for European clubs (barring a handful of exceptions). Germany has long been a favored destination of talented American players. Borussia Dortmund is currently home to Gio Reyna, aptly dubbed by his teammate, the Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, the “American Dream.” The brilliant youngster, who doesn’t turn 18 until Nov. 13, has four assists and a goal through three appearances so far in the 2020-21 season. Gio is the son of Claudio Reyna, who tore up the ACC with Virginia before embarking on a 13-year European career of his own. Reyna, since departing from the academy of New York City FC in 2019, has had a meteoric rise to stardom. The adept dribbler, assister and finisher has since staked his place on Dortmund’s first team. In the Bundesliga, Reyna is joined by fellow MLS academy product Tyler Adams, who moved from the New York Red Bulls to RB Leipzig (also owned by the energy drink conglomerate). Adams scored a crucial goal in the Champions League quarter finals last season to defeat Atletico Madrid. The Missouri born forward, Josh Sargent, has also seen his stock rise as his play has improved with Werder Bremen, another club competing in the Bundesliga. Dortmund’s, and the Bundesliga’s, most notable American alumnus of
late is undoubtedly Christian Pulisic. Pulisic became the most expensive American football player in the world following his blockbuster move to Chelsea, worth nearly $73 million. Despite lingering injury issues, Pulisic broke out after the Premier League returned from its COVID-induced lockdown, managing a respectable nine league goals in his first season with the Blues. Pulisic returned to play this weekend after a lengthy recovery from a hamstring injury sustained in the FA Cup final. During this summer’s transfer window, several other Americans found themselves in the headlines. First, it was Weston Mckinnie, who joined Italian champions Juventus on loan from Schalke. The former FC Dallas academy player has impressed so far, playing in the center of the midfield for the club. Chris Richards also spent time in FC Dallas’s academy and achieved a personal milestone Sunday, when he started at right back for the German champions, Bayern Munich. Bounding down the right flank, Richards fired in a low cross that found the talismanic Robert Lewandowski for his first assist of the season. A player that fits within the Klinsmann model is the Dutch-born, Sergiño Dest. Dest is eligible to play for the U.S. under FIFA’s eligibility rules due to his Surinamese-American father’s nationality. After receiv-
ing minimal interest from the Dutch youth national teams years ago, Dest joined the U.S. under-17 team and never looked back. His final decision, made in 2019, to play for the U.S. was the result of an intense period of recruitment from Berhalter, but it was the recent $20 million move to Barcelona that truly propelled Dest into the global spotlight. The speedy fullback hopes to stake his place among the legendary Barcelona, and soon, will be tasked with helping to anchor an American defense seeking redemption at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Aileen Perilla / Orlando Sentinel
Pulisic dons the U.S. National Team uniform during a match in 2018.
LIFE
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watching a movie during a pandemic Movie fans utilized their creativity by bringing back the drive in movie experience in light of theater shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
BY MADDY ROTHFIELD Contributing Writer rothmw20@wfu.edu
Looking for something to do on the weekends to relax and unwind from a hectic week? Look no further than The Drive at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds. A short 10-minute drive from campus, the fairgrounds drive-in movie series has something for everyone. From Star Wars to Moana to Harry Potter, the vast range of genres is accommodating for all tastes. To make it even more fun, show up an hour before the start and pack a picnic while watching the sun go down behind the huge movie screen. The drive-in experience starts with purchasing a ticket online to your showing of choice — for me that was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which had the perfect fall vibes and bonus points for the angsty plot. Before the movie we drove to a nearby grocery store to stock up on all the necessities; popcorn, cookies and sushi (hear me out, Harris Teeter has surprisingly good sushi). When we got to the fairgrounds an attendant scanned the tickets of each person in the car and The theater screen and parking spaces are directed us to a spot. To get a good viewing spot only a 10-minute drive from campus, and it is best to arrive at least 30 minutes early. AnTo access the audio for the movie, all the cars other piece of advice, bring either a thick blanket (the gravel can dig) or a folding chair if you are tune into the fairground's radio station. The result not sitting in the back of your car. One of our is a type of echo of audio as it waves through the favorite parts of the experience was setting up our field but once you set your mind to only focusing picnic before the movie. A perfect opportunity on the sound coming from your own car it’s not an to get some cute pictures with friends and enjoy issue. The screen itself is large enough that it is not hanging out. The highlight of the drive-in for me difficult to see, and the color is great. Looking forward to the next few weeks, the was being able to talk to friends while the movie is going on, a situation wherein normal theaters you drive-in will be screening Halloween classics such would be met with harsh glares and shushes, but at as Hocus Pocus, Halloween and Don’t Breathe. My the drive-in, the atmosphere is much more relaxed suggestion? Stop by Trader Joes for some pumpand casual. Especially by being far away from the kin and fall-themed snacks and make it into a other cars, it almost feels like a personal viewing picturesque, Pinterest worthy fall night. Now that the weather is getting chilly (for North Carolina experience.
Maddy Rothfield / Old Gold & Black
located at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds, set up right behind the LJVM Coliseum. that is), put on your coziest knit sweater and pack plenty of blankets. Overall the drive-in movie experience is a fun way to spend a Friday or Saturday night and is reminiscent of what you would imagine the heyday of the 1950s drive-in to be like. In a world so oversaturated by digital technology, it is reinvigorating and exciting to experience a more analog type of entertainment. The drive-in is a surprising and innovative way to allow people to enjoy going to the movies and stay safe at the same time. And with how fun it is, I wouldn’t be surprised if it continued to grow in popularity years into the future.
COMING SOON TO THE DRIVE
Oct. 9 2020 7:00 Avengers Endgame Oct. 9 2020 7:00 Beauty and the Beast Oct. 10 2020 7:00
Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens Maddy Rothfield / Old Gold & Black
Rothfield and friends pose in front of the screen before Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban began. The Drive has a whole slate of spooky films in store for Halloween season.
Oct. 10 2020 7:00 Little Shop of Horrors
Thursday, October 8, 2020 | Page 17
Life | Old Gold & Black
Humor Column | Alt-right Superclub
THE HOT So you want to be a cult leader? LIST Step by step guide on starting and maintaing a successful neo-nazi union BY EVAN DAANE Contributing Writer daanep19@wfu.edu Editor’s note: This article contains strong language and rhetoric. So you, an alt-right sympathizer, just watched last Tuesday’s debate where Donald Trump called upon you to stand by against the “Far Left.” Since you love him and would do anything for him, you decided it’s time to make your own organization to commit hate crimes. After doing extensive research into neo-nazi organizations, I’ve compiled this list of six steps so you can create your own AltRight Superclub. The first step is to choose whether you’re a guys or girls organization. Co-ed hate groups are not allowed because of your firm belief in gender roles. Remember, there can only be two options because you believe there are only two genders. Once you’ve decided, move on to step two. So you’re going to need a name. You could just straight up announce you’re a nazi, or you could go the more deceptive route, putting in words like liberty and freedom. You can really go wild with this — words like brotherhood, order, clan, white
or Aryan can add some spice to an otherwise boring name. You’ve picked a name! You’re one step closer to being even worse than you already are. The third step will be the choice between if you’re going to be a militia or a “peaceful protesting organization.” Just make sure if you’re going to call yourself a militia, you’re open to the objective criticism that you’re just large children with guns. Now that you’ve got a name and chosen your organization type, it’s time to write a mission statement, or something you tell news organizations that make it only sort of sound like you’re not racist. I suggest “protecting western values’’ instead of “we’re scared of anyone who isn’t white” but really as long as you don’t directly state your xenophobia, you’re off to a good start. And don’t fret, nonwestern values can include anything that you disagree with, even if it’s been an established part of our country since its founding, like immigrants (I mean Europeans didn’t just spawn here, but really who cares since you don’t mean Europeans when you say immigrants anyways). Other mission statements that I’ve seen have put Christian values in place of western, but whatever you put, just don’t be openly racist. Now it’s time to choose your power structure, or more precisely choose the names you give each rank in your power structure. This is where you get
to rely on your limited knowledge of beasts. “Chapter President” doesn’t have the same ring as “Supreme Minotaur of the Southern Front.” We’ve arrived at number six, the final step which also happens to be my favorite. This is where you get to choose your hazing rituals. Since AltRight organizations are a post-college continuation of frats, you have to have some sort of weird, violent and often more sexual than needed gauntlet that you walk your new members through. Whether that’s the neo-nazi group Proud Boy’s “no masturbation” policy (its really specific and super funny, look it up) or their getting punched in the face while listing cereals, is up to you. Use your imagination, or what little is left from creating a world in your mind in which what you’re doing is good. The steps are laid down, but let’s see if they work. After very little thought, I present to you, The Brotherhood of Freedom, a male, neoconservative (fascist) militia that’s going to protect western ideals one way or the other, where you have the chance to be promoted to positions such as Over Kraken of the Deep South and Master Squatch of the Western Woods, but first you’ll have to go through a series of trials to make you an official member, such as exposing your naked self to a committee and getting your shins broken. See! It was that easy.
Concert Review | Mt. Joy
Asheville concert captivates with moonlite show Performances by Mt. Joy offer viable solution to socially distant entertainment BY SOPHIA MARCHELI Staff Writer marcsl19@wfu.edu This weekend, I attended my first concert in over a year. Stop Light Observations opened for Mt. Joy this Saturday night in Asheville. Compared to my last concert, with hundreds of people crowded into a warehouse, it’s clear that for the time being, we have officially entered into a new era of live music that is here to stay. Gone are the days of mosh pits, welcome to the new normal: drive in, socially distanced concerts. I honestly didn’t know what to expect as my friend and I made the two and a half hour drive up to Asheville on Saturday morning. We had purchased the tickets based on a spur of the moment decision along with two of our other friends as it seemed like the perfect break from the chaos of midterms. As we drove up listening to Mt. Joy’s music, windows rolled down and watching the mountains and fall trees pass us by, it was easy to forget the pandemic. When we finally got to the venue, we pulled into the long line of cars waiting to drive up onto the hill overlooking the stage. Rows and rows of cars spilled over
the hills, all lined up with people sitting on car roofs or in chairs and picnic blankets spread out on the grass within their designated car squares. We pulled into our spot and climbed onto the top of our jeep and were completely overwhelmed by the Smoky Mountains backdrop as Stop Light Observations began their set. As soon as they began their first song “good to u,” I forgot about me freezing or the fact that I was on top of a car and felt instant waves of serotonin that only live music can bring. The energy around me shifted and everyone collectively began vibing, just simply so excited to be there listening to a live band in the most gorgeous venue. By the time Mt. Joy made their appearance on stage, I could feel everyone’s happiness around me and it was clear how much we were all craving something like this. As Mt. Joy began playing, the sun had fallen and the only lights were from the full moon, the stars and the flashing lights from the stage as the concert blared on. When Astrovan began to play, we threw off the blankets we had bundled up in, stood up and began dancing on the roof of the jeep again unaware of anything except for the music and ourselves. Concerts have always been something that feels like you’ve been transported into another universe for just a few hours one night. You listen to your favorite music full blast with the band playing
Top 10 Reasons to go to Work Naked
1.
By Micah Porter No one will steal your chair Gives “bad hair day” a whole new meaning
3.
Diverts attention from you also coming to work drunk
5.
You want to see if it’s like the dream
People stop stealing your pens when they see where you keep them
‘I’d love to chip in ... but I left my wallet in my pants”
7.
Work on your tan via computer monitor radiation Inventive way to finally talk to your crush in HR
9.
You might get to go home early for a personal day Your boss will never say, “I wanna see your ass in here at 8:00 a.m.” ever again
DRINK OF THE WEEK Strawberry Basil Mojito
Sophia Marcheli / Old Gold & Black
Cars park at a distance, next to each other, leading up to the stage. right there and it feels like it’s just for you. Everyone around you is in the same little world in that moment and everyone vibes together. And while the idea of people being together in a concert venue, dancing and singing is something I think we are all anxious to get back to, there is something to be said for this new creation of drive-in concerts. I will always love concerts and there is nothing like the feeling of jumping and dancing next to people who are all feeling the same happiness you are from the music, but the feeling I had listening to folksy music while standing on the roof of a car in the middle of the mountains is something I never imagined myself experiencing and was truly something else. For now, especially during COVID times, it was more than I could have ever wanted.
• Is¾thiscup goodof tequila a rip-off a juice shop smootie? Maybe... • ¼ to ½ jalapeño pepper, plus extra slices for garnish • ¼ cup Grand Marnier • ½ cup fresh lime juice, plus lime slices for garnish • ¼ cup simple syrup or fresh squeezed orange juice • a few splashes of sparkling water • handful of ice Pour the tequila into a mixing glass or small pitcher. Add the sliced jalapeño and set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.. Make the margaritas by mixing together the jalapeño-infused tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice and simple syrup or orange juice. Taste. Pour into glasses and add slices of lime and jalapeño.
21+ only
Courtesy of Micah Porter
Page 18 | Thursday, October 8, 2020
Old Gold & Black | Life
Movie Review | Tenet
Tenet hits local theaters after long wait Despite a convoluted rollout, Tenet excites with its construction and ingenuity
BY BEN WILCOX Staff Writer wilcbr20@wfu.edu
Promised to be one of the biggest blockbuster releases of the summer, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet now enters theaters under unusual circumstances. Tenet was slated to be a major release near the start of the summer movie season, but like every other movie, was delayed. Many studios opted to release their films on demand, but Christopher Nolan, a staunch supporter of the moviegoing experience, decided it best to continuously delay the film until enough theaters were open to justify a release. Recently North Carolina has moved into Phase 3, permitting movie theaters to finally re-open, leading to the release of Tenet to North Carolina citizens. It’s a movie that was technically released in early September, but this marks the first opportunity to view the film locally. The film had a reported budget of around $200 million; it’s made over $300 million thus far. The release of
the film has been a disorienting rollout, but it’s a gamble that’s paying off. Tenet is a movie that embraces confusion as Christopher Nolan puts his own unique spin on time travel, with something he dubs “inversion.” Certain things will move forwards in time, others backward. As he delves deeper into this concept, Nolan, as he is accustomed to doing in his films, cleverly adds wrinkles and makes connection. Critics often use the cliché that there are no wasted shots in a masterpiece and this most certainly applies to Tenet. Nothing in Tenet is accidental. Every shot, Photo courtesy of imdb.com plot point and phrase of dialogue Robert Pattinson and John David Washington star alongside each other feels important. What’s unfortunate in the new Christopher Nolan film, Tenet, which released last month. is that sometimes the score of the movie washes over bits of dialogue, laborator of Nolan’s, couldn’t work movie cleverly plants seeds for later adding unnecessary confusion to the on Tenet because he chose to work without you even being aware that scene. This has been a small feature on another 2020 blockbuster, Denis something is happening. Because of of Nolan movies for a while, most Villeneuve’s Dune. Luckily, the score this, the movie encourages repeated notably seen with Tom Hardy’s Bane still wound up in capable hands. viewing as you try to pick up on the in The Dark Knight Rises. It’s clearly Lastly, my one takeaway from the small details you missed. This film a choice by Nolan, just not one that film is that it is so distinctly clever. feels carefully crafted and stitched I think pays off. Nolan has always been a detail-ori- together, justifying its delays to get Speaking of the score, Ludwig ented individual who tinkers with a proper theatrical release. Tenet is Göransson takes the reigns and is complex topics to make entertaining an incredibly well-constructed film able to masterfully produce a score movies, but for me personally, this that I would recommend to anyone that sounds “Hans Zimmer-esqe,” one stands above the rest of his films. excited to see an action movie or just but is distinct enough to stand on If you’re familiar with the theatri- enjoy the theatrical experience for its own. Zimmer, a frequent col- cal concept of Chekhov’s gun, this the first time in seven months.
Album Review | Calambre
Calambre dazzles with its musical range
Nathy Peluso proves to have no musical boundaries in her debut album BY ERIC OMOROGIEVA Staff Writer omorei17@wfu.edu
Argentinian-born Nathy Peluso is a unique rising star. Through her upbeat personality, ability to bounce between different cultural sounds and rapping flow, she is able to build on a sound that hasn’t been heard in this fashion before. On her Instagram page you can find Peluso regularly posting videos of her dancing, smiling and full of energy, a point of personal relation with her base. Her last EP, La Sandunguera, marked a major moment in her career, introducing her to a fanbase that has continued to grow ever since. What is most attractive about Peluso is her unpredictability. You never know what kind of song you’re going to get. Her rapping is also a strong point. It’s not smooth, but very choppy, breaking up her Spanish into distinct syllables, which makes it hard to gauge where she’ll go
next in a verse. This unpredictability is matched with versatility, as she is a capable singer, incorporating her Argentinian culture into songs without issue. Last Friday, Peluso released her long awaited debut, Calambre, which allowed her versatility to take the next step. The intro track, “Celebre,” is a strong start which finds Peluso announcing her entrance into a new part of her career with increasingly hard drums and horns. As a non-Spanish speaker, it doesn’t take much for me to understand that this song served as a statement for what’s to come. The proceeding five tracks all incorporate completely different styles while staying true to the Peluso’s goals as a musician. By track three, “Buenos Aires,” Peluso offers an impressive ballad dedicated to her hometown in Argentina. Backed by a beautiful jazz ensemble, the track feels at points reminiscent of the 70s classic “What You Won’t Do For Love” by Bobby Caldwell. These types of cultural exchanges and influences are never blatantly obvious on the album, but its subtlety allows Peluso to still maintain her dominant Latin American sound.
Peluso’s rapping is another great example of the broad influences she brings to this album. Especially paired with her music videos to tracks like “Business Woman,” Peluso lightly injects the feel of early 2000’s Eminem records like “Ass Like That” and his band D12’s “My Band.” This relation was confirmed through Peluso’s own words, when she said in an interview earlier this year, “That vibe is on purpose. I was going for that early 2000s Hip-Hop aesthetic. I admire Eminem like crazy and I wanted to represent that movement. Right now that vibe isn’t the most mainstream but at its time it was something that influenced us all. Eminem, Missy, and even Britney although she wasn’t hip-hop.” For Peluso to be so influenced by something that wasn’t even going on in her own country or culture makes Calambre a great showcase of the importance of cultural exchanges in pop culture. There’s no point where it feels like she is copying anyone, but the feeling of the influence is there, which is a testament to Peluso’s ability to remain true to herself and culture.
The rest of Calambre shows a variety of sounds. “Sugga,” for example, is an upbeat jazz track, “Sana Sana” is that hard hip hop that Peluso is most known for, and the most impressive part of the album is the way she finishes it. On track 11, “Puro Veneno,” Peluso flawlessly executes a very well made Argentine salsa track, and to end the album, “Agarrate” starts off with a slow ballad on top of what seems to be an Argentine bandoneon, which is a type of accordion. These are two tracks that are a deviation for Peluso, but still sound as if she’s a musical veteran at both styles. This is another emphasis on what makes her so special. As a YouTube comment for “Puro Veneno” put it, “Nathy Peluso no tiene género musical, ella es el género musical” (Nathy Peluso has no musical genre, she is the musical genre). Everything Peluso makes is a showcase of herself rather than of trying a new genre or attempting to be versatile. It is all her, a rarity in music. Calambre succeeds greatly, and is definitely a worthy listen for listeners around the world.
Old Gold & Black | Life
Thursday, October 8, 2020 | Page 19
Hanes Gallery | Explorations of Self: Black Portraiture from the Cochran Collection
New exhibit showcases Black American artists While an eclectic collection of work, there is a cohesive theme of identity throughout BY JACK PORTMAN Opinion Editor portjt17@wfu.edu
Explorations of Self: Black Portraiture from the Cochran Collection, which will run in Hanes Art Gallery until March 28, 2021, showcases 20th century Black American artists and their versatile expressions of self, reflections on history and innovative stylistic techniques. The gallery, accessible from Scales Fine Arts Center, presently displays works by Lorna Simpson, Romare Beardon, Camille Billops and Jim Alexander, among many others. The works are part of a broader collection owned by Wes and Missy Cochran. In the spring of 2020, students in Professor John Curley’s art history course had the opportunity to engage with the Cochrans, as well as conduct research on Black American artists, their works and the broader political and artistic climates in which they lived. The students were responsible for curating the exhibition, as well as for completing the appropriate planning and research. The exhibition itself is rather eclectic. Drawing on a plethora of image-making techniques, Explorations of Self is as multifaceted as one would expect from an exhibition focused on identity and its complex, even contradictory nature. Just as the gallery succeeds in underscoring the diverse means of conveying and exploring identity and concepts of self, it likewise finds success in its broader characterization of identity as impossibly elusive, constantly contested and by all accounts ambiguous. Such is the challenge presented by an exhibition dedicated to identity: what, if anything, can I know of a subjectivity other than my own? To what extent can one express something of themselves, without filtering the self through a variety of mediating elements, such as language, form and aesthetics. But perhaps this is asking too much. Maybe all I can expect from a gallery visit is a sense — a sense of color and shape, chaos and organization, form and formless-
ness. There is certainly a sense-experience to be had by visiting Explorations of Self. The works range from eerie (see John Simmons’ “Man With A Pistol”) to ethereal (Richard Mahew’s “Summertime”), and this juxtaposition can be disorienting. If sense is all that is to be gleaned from art, rest assured Explorations of Self will provide. However, I tend to look for more than sense-experience in art (some would say I’m misguided in doing so). It seems that in removing a work from its social and political context, much is inevitably lost. To commit oneself to a purely sensual experience in an art gallery is to fail to consider art as a form of — frequently radical — political expression. In this light, Explorations of Self is highly political — as political as identity itself. Artists are seen grappling with the histories of colonialism, confluences of race and gender, pursuits of civil and political rights and systems of oppression that permeate the lives and lived experiences of Black and brown American artists. Camille Billops’ untitled 1992 work (“Mammy’s Little Coal Black Rose”) is one such piece, subverting and intertwining racist and essentializing caricatures of Blackness, such as that of the blackface minstrel. Billops’ painting reflects how imagery and language compliment one another in perpetuating racist narratives. Another work which brings history and identity into conversation is Jim Alexander’s photograph “Stars and Bars.” Alexander’s candid shot of a Black man adorned with a Confederate and American flag in Atlanta, Ga, is visually striking and symbolically primed. When asked by Alexander what the significance of the flags were, the subject reportedly responded, “get these off me.” Resembling an image from Robert Frank’s seminal book The Americans, “Stars and Bars” depicts an overlooked America, a synthesis of past and present and a juxtaposition between the polity and the individual. Explorations of Self: Black Portraiture from the Cochran Collection is as all-encompassing as it is narrowly focused — it is appreciative of the diverse ways in which Black artists have sought to portray identity and the Black quotidian, and succeeds in establishing a precise thematic subtext which facilitates a dialogue among the individual pieces. The exhibition is greater than the sum of its parts, a sign that it succeeds as a cohesive aesthetic and dialogic unit.
Katie Fox / Old Gold & Black
The Hanes Gallery, located in the Scales Fine Arts Center, is currently host to the Explorations of Self: Black Portraiture from the Corchran Collection exhibit. The exhibit is comprised of works from Black American artists, featuring pieces from Lorna Simpson, Romare Beardon, Camille Billops and Jim Alexander.
Page 20 | Thursday, October 8, 2020
Old Gold & Black | Life
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