News: Community discusses renaming at forum Page 4
Opinion: N.C. worsens "pink tax" on menstrual products Page 7
Sports: Women's soccer defeats Duke 2-1 Page 11
Life: A non-profit market of art for famine relief Page 16
Old Gold&Black
WAKE FOREST’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1916 VOL. 108, NO. 11
T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 4 , 2 0 21 “Cover s the campus like the magnolias”
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Jeff Jackson holds town hall The state senator and U.S. Senate candidate came to Wake Forest's campus on Monday afternoon BY AINE PIERRE News Editor pierav20@wfu.edu With control of Washington on the line, pundits and anxious observers alike have turned their attention to North Carolina’s Senate race. On Monday afternoon, State Senator Jeff Jackson, one of three high-profile candidates vying to be the Democratic nominee in that race, spoke to students, staff, alumni and community members in Pugh Auditorium. At the event, Jackson explained his plan to flip retiring Senator and Wake Forest alumnus Richard Burr’s seat. “We're gonna kill it in the urban centers,” Jackson told the crowd. “Charlotte, I’ve represented them for seven years, and they like me there. We're gonna run the score. But, we’ve got 80 rural counties in North Carolina. North Carolina has the second-largest rural population of any state in the country. If we lose them 80-20, we're not viable as a party. If we lose them 70-30, we win the race.” Essex Thayer/ Old Gold & Black
31,613 screaming fans, including nearly 80% of the student body, traveled to Truist Field to watch as the Demon Deacons cruised past the Blue Devils en route to a No. 10 ranking in the AP poll.
Wake Forest sails past Duke and into history With a 45-7 rout of the Blue Devils, Wake Forest football is 8-0 for the first time ever BY ESSEX THAYER Sports Editor thayse20@wfu.edu
The Wake Forest football team has won many games in their 114 seasons, but on Saturday, they captured one of their most monumental wins in program history. In front of a sold-out crowd, the Demon Deacons defeated Duke in a 45-7 rout. The win saw Wake Forest improve to 8-0 for the first time in program history. As a result, the team was ranked No. 10 in the AP poll Sunday, its highest ranking ever. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Hartman shined for the second week in a row,
tallying 402 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. Hartman also added 72 yards and two scores on the ground. On Monday, Hartman was named the ACC quarterback of the week and a Maxwell Award semifinalist. The accolade recognizes him as one of the 15 best college football players in the nation. On the game's first drive, the Wake Forest offense picked their way through the porous Duke defense. Redshirt junior running back Christian Beal-Smith led the way, beginning the drive with three rushes for 22 yards. Beal-Smith's carries opened up the passing game for Hartman, who capitalized on mismatches in the Duke secondary. Inside the Duke 40-yard line, Hartman ran the delayed run-pass option, which opened up the defense and allowed redshirt junior Jaquarii Roberson to get open over the top. Moving forward in the pocket, Hartman hit Roberson in stride,
leading him into the end zone for the game's opening score. On the following drive, Duke recognized the need to score and keep up with the Wake Forest offense. After securing one first down on a 23-yard pass from quarterback Gunnar Holmberg to Jake Bobo, Duke was forced into a fourth-down decision. On fourth-and-four, Head Coach David Cutcliffe decided to go for the first down. The decision backfired when the pass from Holmberg to a wide-open Jalon Calhoun fell flat, giving the ball back to the Demon Deacons on the four-yard line. With 96 yards of field ahead of them, Hartman and the offense were faced with a tall task. On third-and-seven from their sevenyard line, Hartman escaped the pocket to his left and threw across his body, finding tight end Brandon Chapman over the middle for 16 yards.
See Duke, Page 10
See Jackson, Page 5
Chamber choir holds concert The choir impressed in their first performance in-person since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic BY EMILY TORO Asst. News Editor toroer20@wfu.edu The Wake Forest University Chamber Choir took the Brendle Recital Hall stage on Oct. 29, for a concert titled “In Dreams & Visions.” “We started out with songs literally about night and dreams, like "Stars" and "Only in Sleep," and then transitioned into more hopeful ones about dreams for the world with songs like 'Wake! Now a Time Has Come'" sophomore and ensemble member Sarah Ambrose said. The concert featured 10 songs, with a live piano accompaniment from Professor Bryon Gorelick. By all accounts, seems the progression to hopeful music was fitting for the performers’ transition to a live audience. “Even though we had virtual concerts and even got to perform at commencement last year, nothing can compare to the feeling of singing through a whole program you've worked so hard on in front of a live audience,” Ambrose said.
See Choir, Page 6
Old Gold & Black
“ for our athletic teams Show support This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.
If the past week has taught us anything, it’s that now is an exciting time to be a Demon Deacon student and fan. This year, and this fall season in particular, may truly be the best time in our school’s history to support our Wake Forest athletics programs. On Saturday, the football team emphatically defeated Duke to move to 8-0 and into the AP Top 10. It was the first time either has happened in program history. The Deacons did so in front of a crowd that Head Coach Dave Clawson appropriately called “the biggest student crowd in the history of Wake Forest football.” At the game, there were 4,223 students, nearly 80% of the student body.
We are at the pinnacle of Wake Forest athletics — let’s treat it that way. We ... implore the student body to attend games and not just the ones at Truist." Now, the football team has a legitimate chance at playing for the ACC Championship and vying for a bid to a New Year’s Six Bowl or the College Football Playoff. But, football is not the only successful and exciting team on our campus. Women’s soccer has also had one of its best seasons to date. The team is now 15-4 and has two wins against Top-25 opponents. After beating No. 2 Duke — their highest-ranked
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win in program history — the team is primed to play Florida State in the ACC Semifinals. With the win over the Blue Devils, the team also has a great chance of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. After reaching the Elite Eight last year, the men’s soccer team has had a strong 2021 campaign, including two wins against top-five opponents. This week, the team kicks off the ACC Tournament with hopes of making another NCAA Tournament appearance. Lastly, after a season filled with top-25 matchups, the field hockey team kicks off their ACC Tournament run on Thursday against North Carolina. A tournament champion-
ship would give the team an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which would mark their first appearance since 2018. For one fall season, that's a lot of success. That said, none of these teams are finished yet. Each squad has only a handful of games remaining in their season. Now more than ever, these teams need our support. We are at the pinnacle of Wake Forest athletics — let’s treat it that way. We at the Old Gold & Black implore the student body to attend these games and not just the ones at Truist. Together, let’s give our teams the recognition they deserve. In return, we may just be lucky enough to see another championship come to Winston-Salem.
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THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSIT Y SINCE 1916 ALEXANDRA KARLINCHAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF karlae18@wfu.edu
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News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, November 4, 2021 | Page 3
Deacon Profile: Chris Cates
realize how being a first-generation student puts me at a disadvantage. I didn't realize how much I should be taking away from my classes, how much I should be using these resources or how much I should be going out and seeking support. We're just tossed into the water — we’re told that we’re first-generation, but not what that means. It's taken me years to realize that I should have reached out to certain people or used certain resources. We’re expected to know how to find and access resources without much assistance. Luckily, I’ve found some amazing professors who have helped me with that, but students like me should be told how to stay in touch with the right resources and programs during their first year so that they’re set on the best path to success from the start.
BY SOPHIE GUYMON & MARYAM KHANUM Asst. Opinion Editor & Staff Writer guymsm20@wfu.edu & khanmg20@wfu.edu
Chris Cates is a senior from Graham, North Carolina majoring in sociology and theatre. They are playing the lead role, Ned Weeks, in the Theatre Department's production of "The Normal Heart". Cates serves as the historian and social committee chair for the Anthony Aston Players (AAP), has been involved with research in the sociology department and has been a member of the university Dance Company since his freshman year, serving in roles such as stage manager, dancer, choreographer and lighting designer. You play Ned Weeks — the protagonist of "The Normal Heart" — a gay activist and founder of a prominent HIV advocacy group. Does this role resonate with you, and how so? Larry Kramer is such a prolific writer. With the COVID-19 pandemic and HIV epidemic ongoing, his words still ring true today. When I first read the script, I felt viscerally angry at everyone who wasn't listening to Ned — his words really resonated with me. I do a lot of activism here and back home — I've gotten out in the community, and had experiences like Ned's in which I was told that I was “violent” and “dangerous." I've been told that I'm too loud — that I need to be nicer, and more willing to meet people where they're at. While I agree that there are times when we can compromise, I don't feel like most of the things that I've done required compromise. I feel this connection with Ned because we're both told that we're too much when we just want to help and make sure that our people are safe and understood. Something I love about this play is that there's no catharsis. You feel angry and upset, and you're stuck with that. I hope our audience takes the information on HIV and AIDS that we’ve provided and learns more. Before "The Normal Heart", I didn't know much about the epidemic. It's been 40 years, and this is still going on, and we’re still not talking about it. I hope people find local groups that help HIV-positive people who don’t have access to healthcare get the resources they need. How has your role in "The Normal Heart" has allowed you to grow as an actor? How has it challenged you? When I first learned about this play three months ago, I was practicing grief because, spoiler alert, it gets heavy at the end. Those attempts brought up this question of how someone could possibly grieve for the person that they love more than anyone else in the world. Just a couple days later, I lost my mom. Going through that, I felt lost and separated from the whole world.
What connections have you been able to make between your sociology research and your experiences on campus and in theatre?
Photo courtesy of Chris Cates
Theatre has allowed me to reconnect and pull myself back to my community and the people that I love. It has offered a space where I can continue to grieve while simultaneously cultivating deep and meaningful relationships. We bring roles to life through our personal experiences, but there's so much more out there for us to learn. I feel reassured that I’m going to be okay, that I can keep pushing. If I can cry on stage with this much hurt in my soul, I can do anything. What do you hope to see from Wake Forest Theatre in the future? I hope we continue to do “art-ivism” productions similar to this one. Our audiences have said that we’ve been showing a deep humanity, and I hope that we continue to do so. This has been one of the most impactful and urgent issues that we’ve highlighted in our productions. I hope we continue to showcase different oppressed groups and give our audience tools to practice allyship. Instead of just leaving audiences with a story, I want to leave them with the resources to hold themselves accountable and help these communities. How have your identities factored into your experience at Wake Forest?
POLICE BEAT
Underage Consumption/Drug Offenses
• Multiple underage intoxicated students refused medical treatment at Last Resort. The reports were filed at 12:57 a.m. and 1:28 a.m. on Oct. 29. • A student consumed alcohol at a Kappa Sigma party and became sick. A medical call was requested at the front enterance of Deacon Place where the student was transported to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The report was filed at 12:28 a.m. on Oct. 31. Miscellaneous • A student in Deacon Station answered an anonymous request to deposit checks into his own bank account. The checks were reported to be counterfeit. The report was filed at 12:33 p.m. on Oct. 27.
I am a first-generation, queer student — I am nonbinary, I'm poor and I wear flamboyant clothing. I'm constantly looked at with disgusted eyes, just walking across campus. I either hear, “I love your outfit” or “ew, get away from me.” I'm not afraid to speak my mind, and I'm not afraid to make things known that should be publicized. I’ve received a lot of backlash, but I've also received a lot of support from the people that I care about. Wake Forest has given me a lot of opportunities, but I’ve learned that it’s my responsibility to find my community, build my support groups wherever I go and ensure that I can continue to thrive and succeed. There’s always going to be white supremacy, patriarchy and cisheteronormativity. Being here has helped me learn to combat those systems of oppression while finding my place and cultivating my communities and support groups.
I found activism before I found sociology. I did a lot of theatre in high school, and our teacher always made sure that our plays had a social justice aspect. I’ve always felt that theater is a place to do social justice work and explore people’s humanity. When I got to Wake Forest, the anti-racism coalition came alive. A lot of demands were made from the school to help students of color and eliminate white supremacy. Some of these demands haven’t been met, but this push for justice has helped me find people I admire and look up to. Through these people, I found the sociology department and have taken all of the knowledge I’ve acquired there and applied it to theatre and art. The biggest thing I've learned is that you can tell people anything, but until you help give them the tools to do something about it, it’s all for naught. What are you involved in on campus outside of theatre?
Do you think Wake Forest has done enough to accommodate students with diverse identities? What do you think it can improve on?
Over the past four years, I've been a part of the Wake Forest Dance Company, performing, choreographing and managing routines in concert and onstage. I’m also involved in the student theatre group, the Anthony Aston Players (AAP). I’ve served as the historian and Social Committee Chair for AAP, planned countless events and participated in many fun campus traditions like Hit the Bricks and Project Pumpkin. My freshman year I was a cheerleader for the football, volleyball and basketball teams, which was great. I’ve also loved going to the LGBTQ+ Center and the various events that they hold, as well as the Intercultural Center. I try to make sure people's voices are heard on this campus, whenever it’s needed.
I've come to learn that a lot of resources are there, but Wake Forest doesn’t necessarily advertise them. When I came here, I didn't
Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. A full version will be available at wfuogb.com.
• A student outside Zick's was scared and chased by a student wearing a Halloween costume. Students advised that it was a Halloween prank. The report was filed at 8:48 p.m. on Oct. 27. • A student lost their license in ZSR Library. The license was discovered to be fictitious and was seized. The student was given a warning. The report was filed at 6:00 p.m. on Oct. 28. • An unknown subject smashed 20 pumpkins that were sitting on a patio wall outside Davis Hall. The report was filed at 4:27 p.m. on Oct. 29. • An RA reported damaged property in the 2nd floor B-wing of Collins. Security footage was able to determine who the subject was. The report was filed at 12:31 a.m. on Oct. 30. • An intoxicated alumnus was walking in the road at 3000 University Parkway when they were struck by a Toyota Tundra that failed to see them. The alumnus was transported to WFUBMC with non-life threatening injuries and is in stable condition. The report was filed at 12:24 a.m. on Oct. 31.
Page 4 | Thursday, November 4, 2021
Old Gold & Black| News
Community discusses renaming at forum Students, faculty and staff attended an event on Nov. 1 about renaming buildings BY CHRISTA DUTTON Staff Writer duttcd20@wfu.edu
What is in a name? Who do we honor? And how, where, when and why do we honor them? These questions were central to the discussion at the town-hall-style meeting on building renaming that was hosted on Nov. 1 in the ZSR Library. Students, faculty and administrators gathered to hear a panel speak on the importance and implications of naming buildings. The panel was moderated by Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Dr. José Villalba. The panelists included Dr. Jon Bohland, an associate professor of international studies at Hollins University, Dr. Corey D.B. Walker, a Wake Forest professor of the humanities and the founding director of the new African-American Studies program and Dr. Sherri Lawson Clark, an anthropologist who teaches courses at Wake Forest on cultural anthropology and social stratification in America. The event was hosted to spark conversation around both the philosophical and practical implications of renaming buildings. These conversations are important, as Wake Forest continues its search for
a new name for the Divinity and Religious Studies Building, and considers the names of all buildings on campus. As Villalba asked the panel questions, two main themes emerged from their dialogues: the panelists provided insights on why names are so important and the significance of considering who held the power to name something in the past When considering what a name means, Bohland drew upon his expertise as a geographer and his experience living in Virginia — a state which, because of its rich Confederate history, has consistently had to wrestle with the names it has given to buildings, roads, schools, in the past. Through his research on nationalism, identity and heritage in the American South and his witnessing of Confederate names on structures in Virginia, Bohland provided valuable insight on how names tell stories and promote cultural values. “[A name] reifies a story over and over again,” Bohland said. “It tells us who our heroes are supposed to be and who they are not — whose version of the past counts and whose is to be excluded.” The panelists stressed the point that names tell crucial stories, but also that only certain people were able to assign those names and tell those stories, which perpetuates certain agendas and ideologies. Consequently, it rejects others. “This issue of naming comes down to who has the right to tell versions of the past and present — whose stories get validated and told, what stories are hege-
monic and how stories are inscribed on the landscape,” Bohland said. When asked why we name things, Walker approached the question by asking “who constitutes ‘we’?” “What the naming conversation exposes is, not only the history of the practice of [colleges and universities], it also begins to unravel the question of knowledge and power in the university,” Walker said. “It’s not just about a building or a particular item on a landscape, it is about the power to name reality.” Bohland also brought up the importance — not only of names on campus — but also the landscape and built environment. He gave the example of what Hollins University’s campus — which he described as “something out of ‘Gone With the Wind’” — communicates to its students of color. He says students of color there have reported feelings of shock and nonbelonging when they step onto campus and see antebellum-style architecture. “The built environment is created with intention,” Clark said, echoing Bohland’s point. This intention is the very thing that those responsible for renaming buildings on campus at Wake Forest are working to understand. After reflecting on how names have historically indicated who held power in the past, Clark urged those in attendance to consider the significance of who will have a say in the next name, and how the group will affect those who
interact with the name and space going forward. “Naming a space denotes pride, community and ownership,” said Clark. “When we think about those guiding principles of naming, we must think of those multiple stakeholders and how they are able to enter the room, sit at the table and state how this particular name is going to affect me.” Clarke also gave a reminder that, just as the old name told a story, perpetuated ideology and symbolized a culture, so too will the new name. “Should we take a name down, we need to fear what replaces it,” she said. Villalba added, “Today’s solution may be tomorrow’s problem.” Clark offered another reminder that changing names is not a quick fix. “The practice of taking down names or taking down memorials doesn’t erase that history, nor does it erase the institutional practices that individuals experience on a daily basis,” Clark said. In terms of next steps, an online survey will be sent to faculty, students and alumni. The survey for faculty, staff and alumni will be released on Nov. 8, and a survey exclusively for students will be released on Nov. 18. These surveys will serve as the main way the Wake Forest community can voice their questions, concerns and considerations as Wake Forest works to rename the Divinity and Religious Studies Building and reconcile with its past.
Wearing “The Normal Heart” on your sleeve Larry Kramer’s haunting tale about the AIDS epidemic comes to the Tedford Stage BY COOPER SULLIVAN Asst. News Editor sullcg20@wfu.edu
Although the prevalence of AIDS is no longer at the height that it was in the 1980s, the crisis is far from over. People across the globe have been living with HIV/AIDS and dying from complications of the disease for the last 40 years. In the beginning, there was no expeditious vaccine rollout or around-the-clock research being conducted. Patients with the disease were overlooked and ignored because of AIDS’s early association with gay men. Written by Larry Kramer in 1985, “The Normal Heart” tells the autobiographical story of the early years of the epidemic, exploring the feelings of confusion, anger and rage experienced by him and his friends. The play follows Ned Weeks, the character based on Kramer, and the many men involved with the formation of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, a foundation created to fight AIDS and fund research in the absence of the government’s involvement. The conflicts within the organization’s leadership lead to many intense moments as the characters consider the best ways to address the epidemic, experiences with the disease and their shared identity. But,
the entire play is far from a screaming match. “[The play] is not all the way sad even though it is about a very specific historical moment,” senior Abigail Franke, who plays Dr. Emma Brookner, said. “It’s also angry and it’s a fight call to stand up and to be seen for the fight to just have your voice heard.” Many of Franke’s castmates expressed similar sentiments about the importance of performing this story now. “We don’t really learn about [the AIDS crisis],” senior RJ Pratt, who plays Mickey Marcus, said. “We are not taught that when we learn about the ’80s and the Cold War. We don’t learn about this struggle — it is a massive part of American history that just gets overlooked. Almost an entire generation of gay men was wiped out, and it’s not talked about, it’iss not discussed. But, this show brings [that struggle] to the light.” One of the main objectives of the play is to educate, and the cast and crew were able to do so off the stage, too. The lobby of the Lower Scales building is filled with posters of celebrities who either were affected by HIV/AIDS or are current advocates for those with the disease. A large “Silence = Death” poster hangs from the second level, and the wall from the box office to the Tedford stage doors is covered with articles and graphics. There is also a timeline of the entire epidemic, starting with the first recorded case in 1959 and stretching all the way to the present day.
The timeliness of the show should also not go unnoticed. Parallels can be drawn between the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and the current pandemic, but “The Normal Heart” capitalizes on these differences. The fact that there was such a resounding response to COVID-19 cases worldwide rather than the silent spectating that occurred in the ‘80s is one thing director Brook Davis spoke on in the show’s program. “In 1981, when the first cases of AIDS were being named in the U.S., the fear and panic in the gay community were met with a deafening silence and disregard from many,” she wrote in the direc-
tor’s note. “Stigma, discrimination, and hate language were commonplace on a national stage.” Davis continued “I am sure, were he here, Larry would rage at us to get out of these theatre seats and go continue the massive work that still needs to be done.” “The Normal Heart” will continue to run through Sun. Nov. 7, with performances from Nov. 4-6 at 7:30 p.m. and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 7. After the Friday, Nov. 5 show, there will be a discussion about issues raised in the production featuring Dr. AJ Mazaris, director of the LGBTQ+ Center, and Dean of the Divinity School Jonathan Lee Walton.
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Theatre
The cast of “The Normal Heart” poses with their “Silence = Death” poster, which now hangs in the Scales Fine Arts Center lobby.
News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, November 4, 2021 | Page 5
Jackson: Senate candidate holds forum Continued from Page 1
Jackson also touted his 100-county campaign strategy, which he says will help fight against the misinformation that may be contained in attack ads later in the campaign. “To familiarize yourself with voters to that extent, to give you some amount of inoculation against disinformation, that takes 100% of your effort,” Jackson said. “It takes 100% of our [efforts] even make a dent in that bubble. But if you don't go out to these places multiple times, it’s hopeless.” Participants asked questions on topics ranging from the Supreme Court to immigration to hog farming practices. “It's just been a wonderful education for me,” Jackson said of the issues raised by the town hall participants. “I get as much out of this as all of you.” On the all-important topic of healthcare, Jackson said that he supports a plan that would put medicare on the public exchange by 2024. He also stressed that there simply are not enough votes to create single-payer healthcare. During the event, Jackson was asked what his “niche issue” is. The state senator said that he is a passionate advocate for early childhood education. “We were the first state to have universal, full-day kindergarten. There was a lieutenant governor in the 1970s named Jim Hunt who got that done. Then he came back with SmartStart, and then we did pre-K, and we just haven't done much in the space since then.” Jackson continued: “If they keep the provision with preschool for three-orfour-year olds [in the reconciliation bill], that is huge … I kind of look at early childhood like I look at a stock portfolio. If you just get one or two in there that really go the distance, it makes up for a lot of other bad ones. As far as the government making investments, if we could just do a platinum edition for
early childhood, that, frankly, makes up for some other dumb stuff.” Some who had not heard of Jackson or were leaning toward one of his primary opponents, such as former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley, found themselves impressed. “You could tell Jackson really has a good understanding of many of the issues,” freshman Tarak Duggal said. “I'm excited to see where this race goes, and I want to keep up with Jackson now, just because I hadn't thought much about him prior to this event.” Alumnus Mitchell Tague, who said before the start of the town hall that he was seriously considering voting for Beasley, was also impressed.
“Throughout the entire town hall, his focus on practicality and advocating for that not as a way to shoot down ambition, but as a way to find the ambitious projects we can complete, really shone out well to me,” Tague said. Many students attended the event because they wanted to be informed about one of the most important elections of the 2022 midterm cycle. For most students, these will be the first midterms in which they can vote, and the desire to be prepared is widespread. “Now that I can finally vote, I'm looking forward to making a decision based on what I actually feel, rather than just following random noise I hear on Twitter or on the news,” junior Brendan
Mirra said. “So, I [was] excited to see what he has to say.” Deb Marke, co-director of Deacs Decide, a nonpartisan group dedicated to increasing voter participation on campus, was thrilled that students had the opportunity to get answers on issues that mattered to them. “I think it's always a really great practice to talk to your politicians,” Marke said. “We elect them, and they're supposed to work for us. So, giving space to ask questions, to hear more and to also learn about at least one candidate’s platform could be a really great way to start thinking about who is the person that speaks to the issues that you're concerned about.”
Aine Pierre/ Old Gold & Black
State Senator and U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Jackson takes questions from students, faculty, staff and alumni at a town hall event in Pugh Auditorium Monday afternoon.
Orgs. plan South Asian holiday celebration Multiple culture groups are organizing a "Holiday Fest" on Nov. 12 in Benson 401 BY ASHNA SATPATHY Contributing Writer satpa21@wfu.edu
As South Asians across the globe prepare for Nov. 4 — the day of Diwali — Wake Forest students that are part of the South Asian Student Association (SASA), the Hindu Student Association (HSA), the Asian Student Interest Group (ASIA) and members of the South Asian community at-large are preparing to celebrate it and other Southesast Asian holidays on campus. Diwali, a holiday observed by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists celebrates the triumph of good over evil — light over darkness. In the ancient story, the god Rama frees his wife Sita, vanquishes the evil Ravana — who kidnapped Sita —
and returns to his kingdom, Ayodhya, in triumph. Traditionally, people celebrate by going to temple, wearing new clothes, lighting festive lights and having a feast. “Diwali is more than a celebration of light and goodness — it’s an opportunity for family and friends to gather and enjoy time together,” freshman Ishan Viradia said. This year, SASA, IHA and ASA are working together to put on a “Holiday Fest”. The festival is planned for Nov. 12, from 7:00-10:30 PM in Benson 401. “We don’t want it to be just for the Indian population, we want our peers and other members of the community to celebrate with us,” SASA President Anusha Vora said of the event. She continued:“We want it to be nondenominational and have everyone celebrate, even if it’s something someone doesn’t celebrate at home.” HSA Treasurer Aman Khemlani is also excited for the event.
“Our aim is to expose the Wake Forest community to the various holidays of Southeast Asian cultures,” Khemlani said. “As we strive to keep the event open and accessible to all and also have it serve as an educational opportunity, we have planned to incorporate not just Diwali, but multiple holidays that happen throughout South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures.” The event will feature dancing, food, educational tables and more. In an effort to be inclusive of more Asian cultures, the event will serve both Indian and Thai cuisine. Members of the organizations will be wearing traditional clothing. Each organization will have their own educational table and will discuss their own festivals that happen around this time and are “near and dear,” as well as providing education on Diwali itself, according to Vora. After the educational tables and dinner the Indian dance group Deacon
Dhamaals will perform. Then the dance floor will open to everyone else. “I am looking forward to the Deacon Dhamaals performance,” SASA member Mansi Patel said. “The team has been working super hard and is super pumped.” According to Vora, members of the administration might also be in attendance. The organizations invited President Susan Wente, Vice President for Campus Life Penny Rue and Provost Rogan Kersh. “I believe this event is an excellent opportunity to teach the Wake Forest community about the cultures, traditions and holidays of our communities as our presence on campus grows larger and the undergraduate body becomes increasingly diverse,” Khemlani said. “It’s an educational opportunity for those not from the respective cultures, and at the same time, a place where South Asians and Southeast Asians can feel at home and embrace their culture.”
Old Gold & Black | News
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Choir: Singers deliver “dreamy” performance Continued from Page 1 In addition, another performer, Hannah Murrow, emphasized the importance of having a live audience to capture the sentiment of the performance. “I had never realized how important it was to have a live audience while performing,” Murrow said. “There is just something about that transfer of emotions from the performers to the audience, the storytelling of a concert, that we lost in the pandemic. I almost burst into tears of happiness when we first walked into Brendle Recital Hall at the start of the concert.” She added that one particularly emotional aspect of the concert came when she performed her solo. “I had sung that same solo in my junior year of high school, therefore I had a close connection with the piece and its message,” Murrow said. “I found that singing the same song two years later, I had a different feeling. I felt the nostalgia, the remembrance of high school memories and the emotions of performing it in front of a live audience. Seeing how the song affected people . . . it felt like a dream to be singing it again in front of an audience.” Behind the scenes of this emotional experience are countless hours of rehearsal, Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., every week. Sometimes, there is a great deal of frustration, too. “Sometimes in rehearsal, we end up going through a piece measure by measure, doing the same thing over and over again until everyone gets it right,” Ambrose said. She continued: “This level of attention to detail can be frustrating be-
cause we just want to keep going and rization is repetition. During the last and bond with some really talented actually sing through the pieces, but it few rehearsals, we ran this song almost musicians,” Ambrose said. does help us in the long run because every time, and that really helped.” She continued: “I have so much love we’re able to put all of that work on Despite the obstacles and weeks of for this choir, and I’m grateful for evthe small details together to make the strenuous rehearsal, the dedication of erything I’ve learned from my fellow performances even better.” the students and Gilliam to the art of singers and from Dr. Gilliam, too. We Dr. Christopher Gilliam, Director of music echoed throughout Brendle Re- put a lot of work into this concert. We Choral Activities at Wake Forest Uni- cital Hall during the performance. started working on a good number of versity and conductor of the concert, “We’re all really dedicated to music, the pieces that we performed tonight leads these rehearsals and always en- and it’s been so fun to learn alongside back in August.” courages performers to strive for improvement. “Sometimes we work on rhythms, sometimes on note accuracy, dynamics, diction, and more,” Murrow said. “Dr. Gilliam is not afraid to stop us in the middle of a song to critique us, which of course makes us better, more disciplined musicians in the long run.” Students highlighted some of the obstacles overcome in rehearsal in preparation for the performance. Ambrose specifically noted the challenging nature of one song, “Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine” by Eric Whitacre. “It’s split into so many parts that, a lot of times, there were only one or two people on each part,” Ambrose said. “The notes and rhythms were also really challenging to learn, and since there were so few people singing the same part as you, it really underscored the importance of knowing your own part super well.” Larry Bai detailed the difficulty in memorizing the lyrics of “Brindisi”, a piece written in Italian. During the performance of this song, the ensemble engaged in some stage choreography as certain members performed solos, including Bai. “Because this song requires some performance, the group really is expected Emily Toro/ Old Gold & Black to memorize the libretto,” Bai said. Director of Choral Activities Dr. Chris Gilliam conducts the Chamber Choir as they The best way for this kind of memo- perform in Brendle Recital Hall for the first time since before the onset of COVID-19.
ARAW connects students to resources Academic Resources Awareness Week events will occur from November 1-5 across campus BY BREANNA LAWS Contributing Writer lawsbn21@wfu.edu
With the end of the semester quickly approaching, it is important for all students to take advantage of the academic resources at their disposal. To that end, Student Government is putting on their second annual Academic Resources Awareness Week (ARAW). The week of Nov. 1-5 will be dedicated to educating students about how best to utilize the academic resources available on campus. ARAW represents a partnership between Student Government and the Center for Learning, Access, and Student Success (CLASS), formerly known as the Learning Assistance Center (LAC). Every day of the week will be dedicated to a different academic resource
on campus. There will be a variety of activities throughout each day, as well as daily posts on Student Government’s Instagram page detailing challenges with gift cards as rewards. Student Government developed this week last year in an attempt to help students feel more comfortable connecting with academic resources. “At Wake Forest, there is definitely a pressure to not use these resources because we are all considered good students,” Jess Schmidt, co-chair of Student Government’s public relations committee, said. Last spring, all ARAW events were virtual due to COVID-19. This year, in-person events can help students connect with the resources on campus. It was decided that the event should take place in the fall so that first-year students can be introduced to resources before their first finals week. All students are invited and encouraged to attend the events of ARAW as their finals approach. Jeannine Lynch, the other co-chair of the public relations committee,
explained Student Government’s goals of the week. “Our goal this week is really just to reach students who think there’s a stigma around getting academic help,” Lynch said. “As students it’s important that we recognize when we need academic help.” Monday, Nov. 1 was dedicated to the Z. Smith Reynolds Library. There was all-day tabling in the library providing students with more information on the resources provided by the library. There was also bullet journaling in the WakerSpace at 4 p.m., which allowed students to create journals for academic success. Tuesday, Nov. 2 was about academic coaching here on campus. From 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., there were donuts on the lower quad with many representatives giving out tips on how to succeed academically. There was pizza and a student panel discussion in Benson 409 at 6 p.m. On Wednesday, Nov. 3, tutoring resources on campus were highlighted. There was tabling in the firstyear residence halls from 1:30-3 p.m.
There was also a “CLASS Café” from 3:30-5 p.m. outside of Reynolda Hall. This event let students socialize and talk with representatives from the CLASS office over hot cocoa, hot cider, and snacks. Thursday, Nov. 4 is centered around getting familiar with the help centers (e.g. the Writing Center, the Math and Statistics Center, etc.) on campus. From 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., the various help centers will host informational tables on Tribble Courtyard. The tables also provided information on the different departmental help centers, as well as how to access their resources. Finally, on Friday, Nov. 5, the Office of Academic Advising (OAA) will be featured. The OAA will be set up outside of the Pit from 11 a.m. 1 p.m. to answer questions and give out other information to students. None of the events of the week require registration. For additional information, please visit the Student Government’s Instagram page for updates on the week’s activities. You can find them at @wake_sg.
OPINION OLD GOLD & BLACK
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The views expressed in all opinion columns represent those of the article’s author, not the opinions of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board
The 'F Word'
North Carolina worsens the “pink tax” on menstrual products North Carolina is one of 21 states that imposes a ”luxury tax” on menstrual products, perpetuating inequity BY MEREDITH PRINCE Contributing Columnist prinmc21@wfu.edu
We are currently living through one of the most progressive eras in history given the recent large-scale social movements such as Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and March For Our Lives. Society is beginning to come together to fight for essential human rights and the betterment of our current political climate. Specifically, numerous waves of feminist movements have gained mass popularity — women across the nation are joining forces to reform sexual assault laws and fight for basic reproductive rights, like the freedom to Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons have an abortion and access forms of birth control. Perhaps one of the most urgent is- While supermarket aisles are stocked full of menstrual products, people across sues that is often overlooked is the exorbitant the nation struggle to af ford these basic necessities due to the high taxes. pricing and taxing of menstrual products, which are a necessity to billions of people and are in the process of launching an initia- products claim them to be — they are a tive to provide this necessity free of charge in basic, human necessity for getting through across the world. North Carolina is one of 29 states that taxes the next year or so. Erin Adamson of the uni- menstrual cycles in a safe and hygienic manmenstrual products — a sales tax is 4.75%, versity’s Women’s Center is currently work- ner. Women, transgender men and nonbut can go up to 7.5% in some cities. Fortu- ing with the student government to pilot a binary individuals are already going to lose nately, my home state, Massachusetts, deems Menstrual Equity Committee. “This com- thousands of dollars throughout their lifemenstrual products as an exemption from mittee is not only about getting [menstrual] time, because of a biological cycle that they their sales tax, but that doesn’t mean that products at universities, but about equal ac- cannot control — states have the ability to cess to products in general,” said Adamson. lessen this debt by removing their sales tax, they are free. A recent study done by Huffpost revealed A pilot program is launching in the spring yet they fail to do so. that people who menstruate spend roughly that will put these products in a few plac- What’s equally disheartening is that many $1,773.33 on tampons alone throughout es on campus, which is a great step toward people are unaware that the pink tax extheir lifetime, and this doesn’t even include achieving menstrual equity. If anyone is in- tends beyond menstrual products — it also other menstrual products, nor the sales tax terested in joining the program to help guar- includes extra payments for everyday items that more than half of the states impose. This antee equal access to menstrual products, such as women's razors, shampoo, haircuts, “pink tax” is a system of discriminatory pric- don’t hesitate to reach out to Erin Adamson clothes and dry cleaning. More often than not, the tax takes the form of artificially eling on products and services that is based on via her email, adamsoe@wfu.edu. sex and is unavoidable for people who men- That said, it’s shocking that Wake Forest evated prices that women pay for the same struate. Women have been petitioning and does not provide these products on campus products as men. This issue is certainly improtesting against the high prices and taxes already, especially considering North Caroli- portant to discuss because the most pressing on basic menstrual necessities for years, but na’s high sales tax. Thousands of students and matter involves eliminating the sales tax on professors alike have an inevitable dent in menstrual products across the nation. little to no progress has been made. Access to menstrual products is a severe eq- their bank account created by period prod- Many states do not tax medical and health uity issue because many individuals struggle ucts, and the university has the capability to supplies, but menstrual products are exempt to afford the products that are essential to reduce that dent. However, I am encouraged from this category. Clearly, tampons, pads, panty liners and every other form of mentheir hygiene. On a positive note, just a week by the steps the university is now taking. ago, Governor Gavin Newsom of California A conversation about the pink tax on men- strual product fall under the category of a signed a bill applying to California public strual products needs to make its way to the health supply because they are essential to schools and colleges, requiring them to stock forefront of women’s rights issues. Menstrua- the daily lives and physical health of those their restrooms with free menstrual prod- tion is often seen as an uncomfortable topic, who menstruate! ucts. California is one of the 21 states that especially in the eyes of cisgender men, but It’s time to pressure governments both at the do not tax residents for menstrual products. the expense of menstrual products creates a state and federal level to remove this debiliThis is a significant step toward guarantee- large equity issue. If 21 states have eliminated tating tax because it creates a direct inequaling gender equality because we can't avoid the ridiculous sales tax that deems menstrual ity for people seeking these products. This our menstrual cycles in order to cut costs — products a “luxury item,” why can’t North tax tells us that our menstrual cycle is simply Carolina and the other 28 states imposing not a matter of health or medical value. Our they're part of our biology. health and well-being is a basic human right Although Wake Forest University does not the pink tax follow in their footsteps? Menstrual products are most certainly not though, and the pink tax tells us we are not currently provide free menstrual products for “luxury item,” as the states that tax these worthy of this right. students, several offices are coming together
Opinion | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, November 4, 2021 | Page 8
“ raises questions about gun-safety protocol Baldwin shooting Gun Violence
Entertainment industry's glorification of violence takes the blame in shocking "Rust" tragedy
Sophie Guymon
Asst. Opinion Editor guymsm20@wfu.edu
On Thursday, Oct. 21, actor Alec Baldwin fired a .45 Long Colt revolver prop gun on a film set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, killing film cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. The gun — which Baldwin had been told was safe — was loaded with live rounds, which struck Hutchins in the chest and Souza in the shoulder. Baldwin received the gun from an assistant director of the film, Dave Hall, rather than armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, and Hall had not checked all the rounds before handing the gun to Baldwin during rehearsal. Typically, the rounds would be checked and the actor would receive the gun directly from the armorer. This shooting was not the only problem reported on the set of the "Rust" film. Hours before Hutchins
....the blame falls upon an industry that glorifies gun violence and hasn't standardized safety protocols." and Souza were shot at 1:50 P.M. MDT, about six members of the camera crew walked off the set because of poor working conditions. Crew members had complained to producers about workdays exceeding 13 hours and delayed paychecks. Additionally, two accidental gun discharges occurred on-set on Oct. 16, preceding the deadly shooting. These discharges took place inside an on set cabin, and Hutchins was among the production members inside. While a thorough investigation is underway regarding the Oct. 21 shooting, it is currently unclear whether such an investigation was conducted after the Oct. 16 discharges. Existing gun safety protocol on film sets is more limited than one may expect — in fact, there isn’t even one definitive set of procedures and protocols that is uniformly followed. The U.S. Federal Workplace Safety Agency doesn’t regulate gun safety on sets, and many states leave
it to individual crews to create and follow their own rules. Some standards appear to be universal though: live ammunition must never be used, weapons must be tightly managed by licensed armorers and cast members are to be trained in gun safety. However, guns loaded with blanks — sans live ammunition — can still be dangerous. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum accidentally shot himself in the head and died while playing Russian roulette on a film set back then. The force of the blank round’s explosion fractured his skull. There has been a recent push to limit the use of firearms on film sets, and Baldwin himself expressed support for these efforts when questioned by paparazzi outside of his home on Oct. 30. In most cases, CGI is able to accurately imitate the effects of gunfire without the use of a real gun with blanks, and it seems irresponsible to endanger crew members for the sake of a purportedly "better" shoot. If guns are to be used, a protocol should be definitively standardized across all sets, and the Federal Workplace Safety Agency should take an active role in these efforts
rather than placing the sole responsibility in the hands of the industry. When safety lapses do occur, they should be thoroughly investigated, regardless of whether they result in injuries or fatalities. If the Oct. 16 discharges had been followed by a thorough investigation, Hutchins's death may have been prevented altogether. The villain of this story isn’t Baldwin or Hall or anyone who was involved with handling guns on the set of ‘Rust’. Rather, the blame falls upon an industry that glorifies gun violence and hasn’t standardized safety protocols, and a government that leaves this industry unchecked and doesn’t look out for American workers. Whether they be the crew members who bring your favorite blockbusters to life, the Amazon workers who fill your packages or the restaurant staffers who prepare and serve your food. While the government may not look out for these workers and their safety, we can — by treating these individuals with the empathy and respect that they deserve and supporting companies that promote safe working conditions for all. Recent history has shown that change starts with us, and no effort is too small.
Bezos takes“ Shatner into the final frontier Space Tourism
Space Tourism acts as an important influence for future generations of scientists
Conor Metzger
Staff Columnist metzcr19@wfu.edu
These past few months have been disappointing ones. We have been forced to watch our government’s repeated failures regarding climate change while Facebook ducks for cover, trying to avoid the flaws within their company and their handling of our data. One common emotion I keep feeling as a result of all this is the disdain of corporations and the people who run them. What does not help are the millions of people in the world who live in brutal conditions and are forced to watch billionaires fly off into space on their “Ego Quests” (a title of a recent SNL skit). As part of a new industry known as space tourism, members of the 1% are building their own spaceships and setting out to explore the
It can be very easy to laugh at space tourism, but I have to admit that I recently did change my opinion on the industry." expansive darkness above us, or as Neil DeGrasse Tyson explains it, just sort of touch the border between space and Earth. No one is going as far as to call these billionaires actual trailblazers in space travel. It can be very easy to laugh (or cry out in anger) at space tourism but I have to admit that I did recently change my opinion on the industry. I was skeptical at first, as I could not understand how these men could ignore the pain and suffering of our society as they plunged millions into a new avenue of space tourism. I’m not actually against space travel because I do think it is important to look to the stars and expand our understanding of the universe and look for ways to improve humanity. This is not what Bezos and the other billionaires are doing, though. Rather, their actions can be seen as irresponsible and hurt-
ful to humanity at large. This was (and somewhat still is) my opinion on the age of space tourism, but I started to come around a few weeks ago when I watched William Shatner fly off on a marvel of a spaceship and boldly go where no 90-year-old had ever gone before. If you don’t know, Shatner is an actor best known for his role as James T. Kirk, captain of the Starship 'Enterprise', as seen throughout all the Star Trek media. Shatner took on the role in 1966 and quickly became an icon for millions of viewers. Every week, the Enterprise would go on daring adventures, often having to rely on science and technology to prevail against various challenges. This captivated audiences and provided a sort of refuge for a generation that placed science in the category of “nerdy.” People were able to see that science can be cool and fun. For those kids whom (I’m assuming) were wearing their bowties and knee-high shorts, this meant the world to them. In fact, many of today’s top researchers and scientists claim Star Trek is what made them want to
explore science, referencing it as they work their own jobs of researching and expanding our own scientific boundaries. Elon Musk himself has claimed that Star Trek had a big influence on him while growing up, and Musk is one of the leading innovators of modern science. Would we have the modern advances we have today without Star Trek, a mere television program? To me, this is what makes Shatner going into space so cool — it will continue to inspire a whole new wave of future leaders in science, a lot of whom might still watch Star Trek. Now, whenever I hear someone detract against the billionaire space race, I am quick to remember that there is probably a 10-year-old kid sitting in some backwater town somewhere who — inspired by the sight of a rocket ship carrying the actor of that old show they love — may go on to produce a life-saving invention. Kids all over the world are being inspired — all because they turned on the TV and saw that science can take them to the final frontier, a place where few humans have ever gone before.
Opinion | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, November 4th, 2021 | Page 9
NIL signals“the end of the NCAA's purpose College Athletics
The myth of amateurism in college athletics propagates NCAA's existence William Zimmerman Online Managing Editor zimmwj19@wfu.edu
Like the ponytail that’s been growing since your barber closed shop back in March of last year, it’s time to cut off the NCAA. Those people who hold their glance a few seconds too long when walking past you on the street? Those aren’t stares of admiration – the time has come and gone. The original intentions of the NCAA — founded in 1906 as the Intercollegiate Athletic Association — were noble enough. At the turn of the century, collegiate athletics were a bit like the Wild West. Back then, competition and eligibility rules differed from school to school, and there was no governing body ensuring that student-athletes were being treated properly — much less fairly. The playing field was anything but level. The NCAA intended to order the chaos. As the years went by, though, the landscape changed; as a result, the
Universities will champion the demise of the NCAA — it's inevitable ... it all comes down to the money." organization gradually expanded its presence and jurisdiction to meet novel challenges. In doing so, the power and money of collegiate athletics became more and more concentrated in the hands of a few. And those hands have quite the grip. Over the last 115 years, the NCAA took it upon itself to organize tournaments and championships, sign broadcasting agreements for radio and later television, and codify rules and systems – such as drug-testing programs – to ensure fair play between all member institutions. (except for Notre Dame football ... ) That’s all well and good — mutually beneficial, one might even say. But what’s isn't mutually beneficial? The notion of amateurism: the truth of the matter is today’s student-athletes are expected to spend as much time on the field – and out of the classroom – as the professionals are; the one-size-fitsall approach regarding eligibility and financial aid (among other standards): it may have been prudent back in 1906, but is wholly inefficient today given the more than 450,000 students at 1,200
schools in three divisions the organization oversees. The sentiment that the NCAA serves the best interest of the student-athletes is a cockamamie one. If the students were the priority, there’d be measures assuring their health and safety — both physical and mental — were being properly addressed during their collegiate careers and after it ends, too; there’d be programs preparing the 99% who won’t go to the pros for life after the final whistle; there’d be systems in place to compensate these workers (because let’s call them what they are) for the work they’re doing. But wait, you say — that system is here! With the recent rule changes that went into effect on July 1, 2021, regarding name, image and likeness (NIL), the NCAA has unequivocally outlived its purpose. Even before the Supreme Court’s 9-0 ruling in the NCAA v. Alston case — which stated that the NCAA rules limiting the educational-related benefits institutions could provide to their student-athletes violated anti-trust laws — the strangle-hold was already weakening. With the door now open to NIL activity (but policy specifics left up to the discretion of individual universities) the ability of the NCAA to enforce and
regulate the structure it was originally intended to uphold has been dampened beyond repair. Universities will champion the demise of the NCAA — it’s inevitable. In fact, it’s already happening. Just this year, Texas and Oklahoma bid farewell to the Big-12 and formally joined the SEC — in respect to the idea of the ‘Superconference’ it’s no longer a question of ‘if,’ but of ‘when’ — and college football’s re-alignment wheel shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. You don’t have to be a detective to figure out why — it all comes down to money. It always has. Yes. Always. Consider this: In 2019, the NCAA generated over $1 billion in revenue — primarily from broadcasting rights for the College Football Playoffs and March Madness. That seems like a lot of money until you see that, in that same year, the NCAA’s member intuitions reported almost $19 billion in total revenue. The NCAA is a relic of the past. If it wasn’t, the commissioners who represent the five biggest conferences in college athletics wouldn’t have penned a letter to Congress in 2020 imploring a federal ruling to regulate NIL-related endorsements. “Time is of the essence,” the letter reads. That’s an understatement though because, for the NCAA, time is running out.
some future trips estimating up to three days in orbit. Space tourism is projected to be a vast market, with Bank of America estimating revenue and market growth up to 2.7 trillion dollars in the next 30 years. The asking price for a special trip for a Space X’s flight is around 200 million dollars, while Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic trips range from $200,000 to $400,000. While many supporters of space tourism advocate that space is for all, these numbers say otherwise — excluding those who are not part of a high socioeconomic class. This absurd amount of money should be redirected to the maintenance and rehabilitation of communities on Earth, especially since space tourism has caused dire environmental consequences. My biggest concerns with these recent space exploits are environmental in nature. Both orbital and suborbital rockets are powered by hybrid engines burned by rubber, which can leave clouds of soot in the upper layers of the stratosphere. As more trips are taken, this soot accumulates, increasing pollution levels. Currently, there is not sufficient evidence on
the effects of soot pollution caused by space tourism; however, scientists are still concerned about the potential long-term effects. However, do we want to go there? With the collapse of ecosystems, extinction of animals and ongoing plastic accumulation, is space tourism worth the risks? Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, recently quoted that “We need some of the world’s greatest brains and minds fixed on trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live.” I agree with this. Don’t get me wrong, I love space, and I think it’s fascinating. However, if people want to explore technology and evolve, should that desire be spent investing in saving our Earth and supporting future generations? There’s part of me that’s hopeful and excited. Maybe it’s the inner science fiction nerd in me. Space is incredible, and there’s so much to be explored. Maybe one day, we will get to the point as a society where we have the resources and education to travel to the stars safely without damaging our planet. However right now, I believe our focus should be directed downwards from the stars, focused on saving planet Earth.
“ the Final Frontier later Let's explore Space Travel
Bezos, Branson and Musk begin a space race, ignoring our only frontier Bella Ortley-Guthrie Contributing Columnist ortlbs21@wfu.edu
As the great Captain Kirk from Star Trek once said, “Space [is] the final frontier.” This line stuck with me as a child, as I became enraptured with science-fiction shows and books, such as Ender’s Game, Star Wars and Star Trek. I remember seeing spaceships flying from Earth, past asteroids to other planets and worlds. This technology appeared terrifying but exciting. Now, exploring the ‘final frontier’ is not so much a fantastical idea seen in television but presents itself as a striking reality. In the past few years, advancing technology has created a billionaire space race between three key players — Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk. This dueling space war’s success has made headway, with Musk sending
”Now, exploring the ‘final fronteir’ is not so much a fantastical idea seen in television but presents itself as a striking reality.”
four non-trained astronauts into space, Bezos’s Blue Origin sending eight people and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic rocketing off four other individuals. And this isn’t all. Future plans are underway, with Blue Origin launching a new crew, and SpaceX launching a space mission in 2022 called AX-1. Two types of rockets are being used: suborbital and orbital rockets, which are differentiated by their travel length and price. Orbital rockets blast off at a rate that allows them to remain in orbit, while suborbital rockets must go below the orbit. Both passengers on these rockets experience weightlessness, but the suborbital rocket’s weightlessness is more from a freefall experience. This freefall is seen as the rocket reaches a certain height below orbit, then begins to drift back down, creating a sense of free fall and weightlessness. Additionally, a trip on an orbital rocket is much longer, with
SPORTS
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Online at: www.wfuogb.com Twitter: @sports_ogb Editors: Essex Thayer, thayse20@wfu.edu Christina DeNovio, denoca20@wfu.edu
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Duke: Reflecting on 8-0 record, Top-10 rank Continued from Page 1 On the next play, Hartman found freshman wide receiver Ke'Shawn Williams streaking down the field for 37 yards. Once inside Duke territory, Hartman took over. After completing two passes for 16 yards, he drifted to the left side of the pocket, looking for a receiver. With none open, he sprinted into the open field, going 26 yards for the touchdown. For the first time in the game, the following Duke drive tested the Wake Forest defense. Over the course of five and a half minutes, Holmberg and the Blue Devils marched 71 yards down the field to the Wake Forest 13-yard line. On fourth down, the Wake Forest defense locked down the receivers and forced an incompletion, causing their second turnover on downs of the game. Leading by 14, Hartman starred again on the ensuing drive. On two consecutive completions, the offense gained 22 yards. Then, Hartman sprinted down the field for a 42-yard gain to the Duke six-yard line. Inside the red zone, Wake Forest took to the ground in an attempt to punch the ball into the end zone. On the first two efforts, the Demon Deacons only gained two yards. On third down, Hartman called his own number, gaining the final four yards for the score. Trailing by three touchdowns, Duke's following drive began promisingly when Holmberg found receiver Eli Pancol for a 23-yard reception. Then, Durant took off on the run. For much of the play, it looked as if he might score, but at the Wake Forest 45-yard line, defensive back Gavin Holmes wrestled the ball free. Traveon Redd scooped up the loose ball and returned possession to the Demon Deacons. The third turnover of the game was indicative of a complete and total dominating performance from a Wake Forest defense that was looking to redefine themselves after a poor performance
against Army. Against Duke, the defense only allowed 315 total yards. After the game, Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson was satisfied with his team's performance. "That [game] breaks a two or three week streak in which [our defense] didn't play up to their capabilities," Clawson said. "I thought they played hard today. They played with a lot of energy. They had a lot of pride." Looking to go up by four touchdowns, Hartman began the ensuing drive by completing three straight passes for 50 yards to move into the red zone. After a five-yard gain from freshman running back Justice Ellison, Hartman found Williams on a pick-route for the threeyard touchdown. Following Duke's three-and-out, Wake Forest got the ball right back. Hartman once again gained a chunk play on a 39-yard completion to freshman wide receiver Jahmal Banks. From there, the drive stalled, bringing kicker Nick Sciba onto the field for his first field goal attempt of the game. In the midst of a 24-kick conversion streak, Sciba faltered, missing wide left of the goalposts from 26 yards out. Following the Sciba miss, both teams went three-and-out, leading into the end of the half. At halftime, Wake Forest looked well on their way to a blowout victory, leading by 28. To begin the second half, the Wake Forest defense picked right back up where they left off, forcing another three-and-out for the Duke offense. A misfire from Duke punter Porter Wilson saw the Wake Forest offense take over at their 45-yard line. From there, Hartman reignited his connection with redshirt junior wide receiver A.T. Perry, completing two consecutive passes to him for a total of 45 yards. After the two completions, BealSmith handled the rest. After running through the line of scrimmage, Beal-Smith bumped to the
Photo courtesy of Grant Halveston/Getty Images
Redshirt junior linebacker D.J. Taylor holds eight fingers in the air to signify Wake Forest's first ever 8-0 record in program history.
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Hartman led Wake Forest with 402 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. right side of the field and hustled into the end zone. Before scoring, Beal-Smith turned to the student section on his right and pumped his arms, igniting the packed stands into a frenzy. After securing one first down, Duke was again denied by the Demon Deacon defense on three straight downs. In a sign of surrender, Duke punted on fourth down. On first down of the ensuing drive, redshirt sophomore running back Christian Turner kick-started the Wake Forest offense by rushing for 48 yards. Inside Duke territory, Hartman completed two passes to Williams and Banks for 27 yards. Following the completions, the offense was unable to get into the end zone, bringing Sciba out for his second field goal attempt of the game. This time, he was successful, giving the Demon Deacons a 38-0 lead. After another Duke three-and-out, Wake Forest registered the final blow. On third down, Hartman found Perry over the middle for a 37-yard completion. After the completion, Hartman threw one final pass, a touchdown to redshirt freshman Taylor Morin. Leading 45-0 early in the fourth quarter, Wake Forest pulled their starters. Midway through the final quarter, backup quarterback Riley Leonard led the Blue Devils on their lone scoring drive of the game. After a 39-yard completion to Calhoun, Leonard rushed into the end zone for the two-yard score. After Duke's first score of the game, backup quarterback Michael Kern and backup running backs Quinton Cooley and Ahmani Marshall ran out the remaining seven minutes on the clock, securing the 45-7 victory for the Demon Deacons. In his opening message to the media after the game, Clawson expressed grati-
tude for a student section later recognized as the largest in Wake Forest history. In total, 4,233 students — dressed in all black — attended the game. They represented nearly 80% of the student body. "I really want to thank our students," Clawson said. "That's the biggest student crowd in the history of Wake Forest football. And boy, they made a difference." "When we took the field, we saw that student crowd, and they were active, and they were loud," Clawson continued. "I can't tell you how much that means to our football team. Our players felt it, our coaches and our staff, too. It makes a difference." The students who attended the game were also excited by the success of the team and all the support they have garnered. "It's insane," freshman Sean Kennedy said. "I was able to see photos of our student section on Twitter and it looked enormous. [We went] all the way into the top deck. It's really great to see the amount of support that the team has." After the win, there is still much ahead for Wake Forest. On Saturday, the Demon Deacons will face North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Despite being the No. 9 team in the nation according to the College Football Playoff rankings, Wake Forest are two-and-a-half-point underdogs in the matchup. At 8-0 and in the top 10, both for the first time ever, Wake Forest controls their own destiny. Winning the rest of their games would clinch an ACC Championship appearance for their first time since 2006. From there, anything is possible, including a College Football Playoff berth. For now, the week ahead is all that matters. Hartman's mantra: "1-0 every week." Add those ones up, and they might just equal a championship.
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Thursday, November 4, 2021 | Page 11
Alumnus gives $20 million to football program A new football complex is set to be built courtesy of Bob McCreary’s generosity BY CHRISTINA DENOVIO Sports Editor denoca20@wfu.edu
The Wake Forest athletic program just scored a major win. One of the university’s most generous donors (in fact the largest donor in Wake Forest athletics history), Bob McCreary, has donated $20 million. The money will go towards the McCreary Football Complex, which is set to feature updated locker rooms, training rooms and common spaces. The 60,000-square-foot structure will connect to the McCreary Field House and the Sutton Sports Performance Center. Thanks to McCreary, the complex will establish Wake Forest’s on-campus football facility infrastructure as one of the best in the country. The complex will serve as more than just a building — its purpose is to foster camaraderie and team chemistry. Bob McCreary arrived at Wake Forest in 1957 after earning a football scholar-
ship, which he credits as changing his life’s trajectory. From rural Caldwell Country, McCreary thanks Wake Forest professors, coaches and athletic trainer “Doc” Martin for much of his success in college and beyond. “Bob McCreary’s personal story, generous spirit and passion for excellence continue to inspire the Wake Forest community,” Wake Forest President Susan R. Wente said. The 6’5” Wake Forest alum played professional football for the Dallas Cowboys before entering the furniture industry. In the 1980s, McCreary and his wife Michele founded McCreary Modern, a North Carolina-based manufacturer of premier upholstered furniture. McCreary has kept his alma mater in mind through his career successes. The McCreary Football Complex will replace the Mark C. Pruitt Football Center’s Peahead Walker Football Locker Room, which was finished in 1988. McCreary was honored at the annual Homecoming football game on Oct. 30, in which the Demon Deacons notched a resounding 45-7 victory over ACC opponent Duke. The team now holds a historic 8-0 record.
“This is about creating a home for the football players,” McCreary said. “For these young men to be together and to share thoughts and ideas after a practice or a game is important. That is how you build relationships.” Plans for the new facility include a player lounge with a nutrition station, locker space for 130 student-athletes, a recovery area, an entertainment area, football athletic training/treatment space, an equipment center and a loading dock. Alongside this list, the complex will offer a multipurpose space which can seat up to 200 individuals for team gatherings, meals and other activities for all programs. “Bob McCreary is the ultimate champion for Wake Forest Athletics,” Wake Forest Director of Athletics John Currie said. “While we are extraordinarily grateful for his financial support, Bob’s leadership role throughout the broader university community continues to inspire generations of Demon Deacons. In line with our vision of being a model intercollegiate athletics program, Bob himself models the limitless aspirations of our students and university community.”
In 2008, McCreary received the Gene Hooks Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors former athletes for their integrity, charity and leadership. Five years later, he was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame. McCreary received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016, and in 2019, he was honored as an ACC football legend. “Throughout my eight years at Wake Forest, Bob McCreary’s transformational leadership and generosity has helped build the foundation for our program to compete at the highest level,” Head Coach Dave Clawson said. Clawson continued: “From McCreary Field House, Sutton Sports Performance Center and the Christian McCreary Nutrition Zone, the commitment to provide the best facilities to help our student-athletes on and off the field have allowed us the ability to recruit young men that make our university community proud Overall, Bob’s generous support of our football program has been unparalleled.” With the development of this complex, Wake Forest begins the 4th Quarter drive that will complete the Athletics quadrant of Wake Forest’s Reynolda campus.
Women’s soccer upsets No. 2 Blue Devils The Demon Deacons triumph over Duke to move on to tournament semifinals BY CHARLES HORN Staff Writer horncs18@wfu.edu It’s rare for a team to not hang their heads after conceding a late goal, to cheer on and encourage each other, to immediately return to the fray. It is even rarer to beat the No. 2 team in the country on their home turf — where
they have lost just once all season — in the quarterfinals of the NCAA’s most difficult soccer tournament. Yet, on Sunday, under the lights of Duke’s Koskinen Stadium, in weather that reminded you that the season had changed from summer to fall, the Wake Forest women’s soccer team did all that and more, toppling the Blue Devils 2-1. Tenacity and grit are the buzzwords that fill coach’s speeches across every sport, but this season they have rung true for the Deacs. Both at home and away, the team has fought until the last minute, going to overtime on multiple
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
The women’s soccer team celebrates after defeating Duke in the first round of the ACC tournament. Next up is Florida State on Nov. 5.
occasions and only losing by more than a goal once, a 2-0 loss at home to Duke. Grad-transfer Jennifer Mehta, a former Big East Offensive Player of the Year at Georgetown, has exemplified this competitive drive. Even so, nothing she had done this season to date could compare to the long sprint down the right-hand side she made Sunday that proved decisive for the Deacs. Mehta had opened the scoring in the first half, as elegant link-up play led to freshman Nikayla Small — recently returned from the Canadian National Team’s training camp — finding space in the box. Her left-footed cross whizzed through the crisp fall air, meeting an onrushing Mehta who gave the Deacs the lead. Even this early goal was an impressive feat, as Duke had not conceded in five matches, including an earlier win over Wake Forest The Demon Deacon’s pressed relentlessly, taking the game to Duke and recording eight shots to the Blue Devils’ five in the first half. Such a style was a clear departure from the two teams’ previous meeting, where Wake Forest’s press was disjointed at times and nonexistent at others. Head Coach Tony da Luz, in his 25th season at the helm, made tough lineup choices. He chose to bring Small off the bench and deploy her on the flanks rather than through the center. Throughout the match, a mesmerizing battle unfolded between freshman Zara Chavoshi and Duke’s freshman star Michelle Cooper. Cooper’s speed and skill makes her one of the most difficult players to defend in the country. Yet, Chavoshi’s performance was near perfect. The freshman defender was everywhere, stepping into midfield to win
50-50 balls and denying Cooper the space she needed to attack the Demon Deacons’ goal. Cooper’s skill did prove too much for the Deacs in the 84th minute when she turned past Chavoshi and executed a move that culminated in Olivia Migli slotting the ball past sophomore keeper Kaitlyn Parks. To concede late against a top-ranked team — in a match in which you have lead for nearly fifty minutes — could understandably cause shoulders to sink with fatigue. Yet, when the Deacs kicked off, they had one objective: retaking the lead as fast as possible. The Deacs charged forward, with Mehta driving towards the end line and firing a cross into a dangerous position in hopes of finding the foot of a teammate. It was not a teammate that Mehta found, but rather Duke’s Emily Royson who inadvertently directed the ball into her own net. Within just seconds, Wake Forest had re-taken the lead, beginning a mad scramble to finish out the game, one which exemplified the defensive resilience exhibited by the Deacs throughout the season to date. As the final whistle blew, the traveling Wake Forest fans erupted as the team stormed the field, embracing in an ecstatic celebration befitting of the Herculean task they had just completed. Of course, in the ACC Tournament, the tests just keep coming. Next up is a trip to Cary N.C., where No. 3 Florida State awaits in the semifinals. Unlike Wake Forest, Florida State enjoyed a first-round bye. On on the other side of the bracket, Clemson will face Virginia in the other semifinal match.
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Previewing the top half of ACC basketball Duke, North Carolina and Florida State all seem primed for a shot at the ACC Title BY CHRISTIAN ODJAKJIAN Staff Writer odjact18@wfu.edu
1. Duke Duke missed the NCAA Tournament last year. That definitely will not happen again in Coach K’s final season. Smooth forwards Matthew Hurt and Jalen Johnson are the two big names that departed in the offseason, but the group still includes guards Jordan Goldwire and DJ Steward. Moreover, the Blue Devils are locked and loaded with an impressive recruiting class. Expectations are sky high for Paolo Banchero, the No. 4 overall player in the class. The 6’9” athletic beast could be a top-pick in next year’s draft. Two more five-star recruits, AJ Griffin and Trevor Keels, round out the core of incoming freshman. Jeremy Roach and Wendell Moore are back and will be important pieces in the backcourt, and center Mark Williams will look to build on his strong finish to last season. Theo John transferred in from Marquette and will provide depth on the interior. Duke is stacked with talent, and if Coach K can mesh the pieces, they should be the ACC’s cream of the crop. 2. North Carolina New Head Coach Hubert Davis has big shoes to fill following Roy Williams’ departure. The Tar Heels should be a lot better than they were last year — there are certainly some key losses, but there is a lot to love about the freshmen newcomers. The talented frontcourt of Garrison Brooks, Walker Kessler and Day’Ron Sharpe are all gone from last year. Armando Bacot is back, though, and will
continue to be a dominant force down low. The backcourt duo of Caleb Love and R.J. Davis returns, and both players are expected to take big steps forward. Sharpshooter Kerwin Walton is back, too, along with slashing wing Leaky Black. Two key transfer additions come in finesse forwards Dawson Garcia from Marquette and Brady Manek from Oklahoma. This team should be a legitimate threat come March, so the pressure is on Hubert Davis to find success. 3. Florida State Leonard Hamilton has turned this program into an ACC powerhouse in recent years. The losses of lottery pick Scottie Barnes, RaiQuan Gray, Balsa Koprivica and MJ Walker definitely hurt, but Hamilton continues to replenish his team with talent. Anthony Polite and Malik Osborne are the key returnees who will provide scoring on the wing. Two five-star freshman guards will likely start right away: Jalen Warley and Matthew Cleveland. Another key backcourt addition is Caleb Mills, a transfer from Houston and absolute bucket getter. The Seminoles also boast three seven-footers (as they always seem to do) in returner Tanor Ngom, JUCO transfer Naheem McLeod and top-50 freshman John Butler. Don’t expect this team to fall off much from where they finished last year. 4. Virginia Tech Mike Young’s Hokies have surprised in back-to-back seasons, and this is the best team he’s had yet. Bouncy wing Tyrece Radford and defensive menace Wabissa Bede are the only key losses. However, Tech brings back skilled post man Keve Aluma, scoring guards Nahiem Alleyne and Hunter
Cattoor, as well as stretch forward Justyn Mutts. The big addition is Storm Murphy, a veteran point guard who reunites with Aluma and Coach Young (they were all together at Wofford). Murphy could be the necessary piece to elevate this returning core into a season long top-25 team. 5. Virginia It would be foolish to rank UVA any lower than this with the way Tony Bennett has his teams defend and play smart basketball. The Cavaliers lost Trey Murphy to the NBA Draft, and all-conference players Sam Hauser and Jay Huff graduated. However, some under-the-radar transfer additions ensure that this roster still has top-tier talent. Jayden Gardner is an undersized but very tough forward who joins the Cavaliers from East Carolina, and he is my dark horse pick for ACC Player of the Year. Armaan Franklin is a solid and experienced wing who transferred in from Indiana. Floor general Kihei Clark — who seems like he has been there forever — will be an important veteran presence. The defense will be there, but there are some variables relating to the offensive ceiling of this team. 6. Notre Dame The Fighting Irish have had a few down seasons and haven’t reached the big dance since 2017. The team excels in its continuity, something not many teams in college basketball can boast. Interior presence Juwan Durham is gone, but that’s about it. Starters Prentiss Hubb, Dane Goodwin, Cormac Ryan and Nate Laszewski are all back. Hubb was third-team all-conference last season and should be one of the best guards in the ACC this year. Trey Wertz, who broke Wake Forest fans’ hearts with his buzzer beater in last
year’s ACC tournament, is back, too, and will be a key bench piece. Paul Atkinson is a big addition from Yale who averaged 17.6 PPG back in 2019-20. This is an NCAA Tournament-bound team. 7. Louisville Losing the backcourt of Carlik Jones and David Johnson is a tough blow for Chris Mack’s Cardinals, but new talent and some key returnees will keep this team very competitive in the ACC. Jae’lyn Withers, Samuel Williamson and Dre Davis all have starting experience, and Malik Williams is finally healthy again. The big additions for this team come via the transfer portal; Noah Locke enters from Florida where he established himself as a deadeye shooter. The backcourt will also be strengthened by Mason Faulkner, who put up big numbers at Western Carolina, and Jarrod West, an all conference player at Marshall. Junior college All-Americans, El Ellis and Sydney Curry, also join the squad. There are a lot of moving pieces here, so this is an intriguing team. 8. NC State Coach Kevin Keatts has done a good job with NC State, but the Pack usually struggle to get over the hump and join the top-half of the conference. They lose their leading scorer from last year in Devon Daniels, along with forward DJ Funderburk and guards Braxton Beverly and Shakeel Moore. Cam Hayes and Dereon Seabron are intriguing players who are looking to build off of their solid freshman campaigns. Center Manny Bates is a defensive anchor in the middle of the floor, and forward Jericole Hellems will push for all-conference honors. Wings Gregg Gant and Casey Morsell transfer in from Providence and Virginia, respectively and will add additional depth. This team has a low ceiling once again, but they will be very competitive nonetheless.
Wake Forest showcases basketball teams Both the mens’s and women’s basketball teams showed off their skills at “Deacon Jam”
BY CHRISTINA DENOVIO Sports Editor denoca20@wfu.edu
Winter is coming. As the weather cools off and fall sports come to a close, Wake Forest sports fanatics have a special time of the year to look forward to: basketball season. On Oct. 29, fans got a sneak peak at the men’s and women’sbasketball teams in a special preseason event, Deacon Jam. Held in the Varsity Arena at Reynolds Gymnasium, the event took the place of the annual President’s Ball, which had been previously scheduled for the same date. The President’s Ball has been moved to the spring semester to ensure health, safety and protection for the community.
Deacon Jam marked the official beginning of the 2021-22 basketball season. The event allowed for students to get acquainted with coaches of the men’s and women’s teams — Steve Forbes and Jen Hoover — and meet the players. Alongside getting to know the teams and staff, those who attended had the opportunity to watch a dunk contest, a three-point shooting contest and other activities. Cheerleader Amanda Berrios described her experience at the event: “Deacon Jam was honestly a really electric atmosphere, mostly because both teams haven’t been able to perform in front of people since before the pandemic.” Berrios continued: “You could tell how energetic and excited the players are for this season simply by how much they were hyping up the crowd and each other. I’m really looking forward to basketball season after watching both the team’s during Deacon Jam.”
Men’s basketball player Robert McCray, a 6’4” freshman from Columbia, S.C. took home the title in the dunk contest with an epic in between the legs slam. McCray has proven he is a player to watch out for. He has shown incredible athleticism at the mock NBA Combine, where he recorded a 42-inch max vertical leap. Apart from winning the dunk contest, the freshman was ranked the No. 11 combo guard nationally by 247Sports. Deacon Jam was just one of many events to occur over Homecoming Weekend. The field hockey team lost a close game to Boston College on Oct. 29 by a score of 2-1. Men’s soccer recorded a 2-0 win over Syracuse that same night, with goals coming from freshman Babcar Niang and senior Kyle Holcomb. Perhaps most impressively, women’s soccer upset No. 2 Duke by a score of 2-1 in the quarterfinal of the ACC Championship.
Fall sports teams have had a strong run thus far, setting the standards high for the winter teams. For the first game of the season, the women’s basketball team is set to face Mercer on the road on Nov. 9. The men play an exhibition game against Winston-Salem State on Nov. 5 at home in the LJVM Coliseum. Their first official contest of the season will occur at home on Nov. 10 against William & Mary.
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
Freshman guard Robert McCray was named the dunk contest champion.
Sports | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, November 4, 2021 | Page 13
College football intensifies in Week 9 Michigan vs. MSU turned into a nail-biter, but MSU held on with a 4-point lead BY ADAM BARROW Staff Writer barrae21@wfu.edu College football’s extremely chaotic season continued on Saturday. Week 9’s marquee matchups delivered on the hype, and multiple teams in the top 25 fell to unranked opponents. The week’s biggest game was a rivalry matchup between No. 6 Michigan and No. 8 Michigan State. Michigan got up to a 30-14 lead in the third quarter, but the Spartans were able to ride a phenomenal performance from running back Kenneth Walker III to a comeback win. Walker III rushed for 197 yards and five touchdowns, the last of which gave Michigan State a 37-33 lead and secured the win. Michigan played a great game, generating 552 yards on offense. However, they had to settle for field goals on four different trips to the red zone and turned the ball over twice in the fourth quarter, all of which helped MSU complete their comeback. No. 18 Auburn beat No. 10 Ole Miss 31-20, securing their second straight win
against a ranked SEC West opponent. Quarterback Bo Nix had one of his best games as a Tiger, throwing for 276 yards and a touchdown. He added two more scores on the ground. On the other hand, Ole Miss quarterback and Heisman hopeful Matt Corrall had a rare game with no passing touchdowns and what was only his second interception of the year. Additionally, he threw an incompletion on fourth down on three different red zone possessions in the second half, spoiling any chances of an Ole Miss comeback. No. 5 Ohio State faced their first real challenge since their loss to Oregon in No. 20 Penn State and pulled out a 3324 victory. Penn State bounced back from their inept performance against Illinois and kept it close against the Buckeyes, but kicker Noah Ruggles drilled two field goals in the fourth quarter to help Ohio State come away with the victory. Upsets abounded on Saturday, with six ranked teams being taken down by unranked opponents. No. 9 Iowa lost 27-7 to Wisconsin, whose defense forced three turnovers, held Iowa scoreless in the first half and limited the Hawkeyes to 24 rushing yards on the day. This was the second loss in a row to an unranked opponent for Iowa, who prior to this game had climbed all the way to No. 2 in the polls.
No. 12 Kentucky also suffered its second loss in a row, this time to Mississippi State. Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers had an extraordinarily accurate day, completing 36 of his 39 passes. Their defense picked off Kentucky quarterback Will Levis three times while also recovering a fumble. Kentucky now falls to 6-2 after a promising undefeated start. In the ACC, Miami defeated No. 17 Pitt in an epic quarterback duel. Heisman candidate Kenny Pickett threw for a school record 519 yards for Pitt, but also tossed two interceptions. For Miami, redshirt freshman and former backup Tyler Van Dyke threw for 426 yards and three touchdowns. It was enough for the Hurricanes to come away with a 38-34 win. Houston upset No. 19 SMU 44-37 on a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown with 17 seconds left, immediately following a game-tying field goal by SMU. Houston quarterback Clayton Tune threw for a personal record 412 yards, and the Cougars were able to ruin SMU’s dreams of an undefeated season. No. 21 San Diego State also left the ranks of the undefeated when they were upset 30-20 by Fresno State, who got their second win against a ranked team on the year. Fresno State jumped out to a 20-0 lead and forced three turnovers over the
course of the game, and quarterback Jake Haener continued his dominance with his sixth 300-yard passing game of the year. West Virginia’s offense came alive against No. 22 Iowa State, resulting in a 38-31 victory. Quarterback Jarrett Doege threw for three touchdowns, and running back Leddie Brown added two on the ground for WVU. Iowa State got 167 rushing yards out of star back Breece Hall. A last second pass from Cyclones quarterback Brock Purdy was batted down in the end zone, allowing West Virginia to secure the win. For the most part, the rest of the nation’s top teams took care of business. No. 1 Georgia rolled to a 34-7 win against rival Florida and ended up clinching the SEC East title once Kentucky lost. The Bulldogs are now guranteed a spot in the SEC Championship Game. Additionally, No. 4 Oklahoma finally had the complete performance they had been waiting for in their 52-21 rout of Texas Tech. True freshman quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 402 yards and six touchdowns. Season-opening starter Spencer Rattler did play exceptionally in garbage time, too, receiving a standing ovation from Oklahoma’s home crowd.
Unexpected results continue in NFL Week 8 Saints defeat NFC South rivals Buccaneers, but Tampa Bay still leads the division
If Week 8 of the 2021 NFL season taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected, as football fans were treated to a series of gritty underdog victories that came down to the wire. If you didn’t have the privilege of being glued to a television screen throughout your Halloween Sunday, however, I’ve got you covered. Here, we’ll recap the biggest games, players and moments, which encapsulated another thrilling slate of football.
Aaron Rodgers proved once again that as long as he is the one taking snaps under center, his Green Bay Packers can win on any given day. Rodgers (184 yds, 2 TDs) controlled the game through all four quarters, linking up with seven different receivers, while leaning on a heavy dose of Aaron Jones (15 carries for 59 yds) and A.J. Dillon (16 carries for 78 yards) rushes. The game’s biggest moment came with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter when a potential go-ahead Kyler Murray touchdown sailed into the hands of Packers cornerback Rasual Douglas to seal the game. Douglas, who was on the Cardinals practice squad mere months ago, proved a deserving game ball candidate as his clutch play spurred the Packers to their seventh straight victory.
Green Bay def. Arizona 24-21 In a game in which the Packers were missing three of their starting receivers,
Tennessee def. Indianapolis 31-28 In a game with significant implications in the AFC South divisional race, the Ti-
BY CONOR ROBBINS Staff Writer robbcm19@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of Getty Images/Sean Gardner
New Orleans backup QB Trevor Siemian came in after Jameis Winston suffered a torn ACL. Sieman threw for 159 yards and one TD.
tans asserted themselves as both divisional and AFC frontrunners following a comeback victory in overtime. The afternoon started off perfectly for Carson Wentz and company when the first-year Colts quarterback found Michael Pittman Jr. twice in the end zone for the game’s first two touchdowns. The Titans would then go on to score 17 unanswered points, thanks to the chemistry between Ryan Tannehill and player of the game A.J. Brown. (10 REC, 155 yds, 1 TD). With the game at a 24-24 deadlock and a little over a minute and a half remaining in the fourth quarter, Wentz threw a head-scratching pick-six from his own end zone. After receiving some good luck to help force overtime, Wentz went on to throw another interception in the third series of the extra period to seal the Colts’ fate.
yards (259) and QB rating (34.9). All things considered, the second-year quarterback kept his team in the game with three touchdown passes, and a 31-20 lead with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter. And then Mike White happened.
New York Jets def. Cincinnati 34-31 Following a 41-point loss to the Patriots in Week 7, the Mike White-led Jets showed a great deal of resurgence in a closely-fought home contest. Playing in only the second game of his career, White was magnificent, completing 37 of his whopping 45 attempts, to go along with three touchdowns and two interceptions. The backup signal-caller was also aided by a standout performance from rookie running back Michael Carter, who logged 172 all-purpose yards, including 77 on the ground and a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Bengals failed to look like a team that came into Week 8 with the best record in the AFC. Red flags for the visitors began on the ground, where Joe Mixon tallied 33 yards on an abysmal 2.4 yards per carry. The inconsistent running game meant that Joe Burrow had his work cut out for him, leading to season lows in terms of
New Orleans def. Tampa Bay 36-27 Saints quarterback Jameis Winston may have the left the game early, but the New Orleans defense stood tall until the final whistle, recovering a fumble and intercepting quarterback Tom Brady twice. The most notable of these three turnovers was a game winning pick-six from Saints cornerback P.J. Williams to seal the game and rob the G.O.A.T. of his latest comefrom-behind victory out of the two-minute drill. Backup Trevor Siemian did just enough in relief of Winston, accounting for 159 yards and a touchdown on 16/29 passing. The Saints marched on to a 5-2 record. Brady got it done through the air, as per usual, going 28/40 for 375 yards and four touchdowns. A weak running game, in combination with three turnovers, simply wasn’t enough to get the job done for a Bucaneers squad that no longer controls its own destiny in the NFC South.
New England def. Los Angeles 27-24 Quarterbacks Mac Jones and Justin Herbert were an identical 18/35 on the afternoon, posting 218 and 223 yards, respectively. Both teams matched each other stride for stride until a momentumshifting pick-six by Patriot’s safety Adrian Phillips with 10:15 left in the fourth quarter gave the visitors a 24-17 lead. New England Kicker Nick Folk would proceed to make his fourth field goal of the game on the ensuing Patriots position to make it a two-score game and put things out of reach once and for all.
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OLD GOLD & BLACK
Art | Watercolor
Reminiscing on my relationship with art Art can be an expression of creativity but also an approach to life and emotions BY SELINNA TRAN Life Editor transn19@wfu.edu From the young age of three, toddler Selinna was scribbling and doodling on anything she could get her hands on. From old newspapers to junk mail, my means of fun was to create. And that's not to say that these were illustrious or thought-provoking creations, but rather adolescent depictions of what my brain saw and translated to paper. Now, as a 20-year-old, I still find myself filling up all of the blank space in my class notebooks and papers with random doodles and drawing. Art has always provided solace and comfort for me. My favorite medium — which I discovered through my years of experimentation with various art forms — has to be watercolor. The simple strokes that result from a combination of concentrated pigment
and water result in a relaxing and beautiful art medium. Many people with childhood memories of the chalky, messy and muddled pans of watercolor that were given to us in grade school probably preemptively shy away from the medium. For me, I figured out the perfect combination of water and paint to create a smooth finish that fueled my love for the medium.
Many different artists that I watched on YouTube (Kasey Golden, Danica Sills, ashiyaart) were inspirations for me throughout high school as I learned different techniques from each of them. I recall being pushed to explore and develop my passion for art in my own time, as a hobby. For me, art was never a means for ascendancy or success in life, only an avocation when I had free time. Still, I continued to pursue my love for art and tried to incorporate it into different aspects of my life. Even if it was not to become my career, I still pushed to further develop my artistic endeavors. Another important aspect of art, for me, is being able to share and bring happiness to others with my art. My love language is showing people I care through dedicating time and energy toward creating and giving. As a result, I have always tried to use my love for creating to give to those around me, whether that be handwriting and drawing letters for the ZSR staff to thank them for their efforts, or illustrating portraits for friends. Photo courtesy of Selinna Tran Ultimately, though, art has been a way for A watercolor piece of a four piece me to reflect and grow as a person. My art set, illustrating the steps of healing. has allowed me to explore the intricacies of
Photo courtesy of Selinna Tran
A digital piece, illustrated on a whim, of a royal octopus on a turtle. my life and my experiences. From filling up sketchbook pages during times of emotional mutability to spending countless hours on a single piece that has helped me through tough times, art has been a place of amenity and peace for me. Art has also been a bridge for my relationship between nature and humanity — fostering the way I understand myself and the world around me. As I develop and further my academic and professional career, I still want to hold onto my steadfast love to create and give, to further these notions of growth and life.
Humor | Immortal Snail
The immortal snail is coming for you ... slowly Your life is only a matter of days — sooner or later, the immortal snail is coming BY EMILY BEBENEK Staff Writer bebeek20@wfu.edu
I know he’s coming for me. It’s been too long. First I lost count of the days, then the months, then the years, and finally the centuries. I don’t know how much more I can take. He’s coming for me, and there will be no way to escape the moment when he finally catches up. I have taken every precaution. The salt blocks to replace the bricks, the remote location, even the mice and squirrels I keep as pets. Yet, still, the fear persists. Am I right to be afraid? Or should I be welcoming my inevitable end? I do not know. The doorbell rings and I shoot out of my seat, grabbing the glass Tupperware that I always keep beside me, something to buy me a few minutes should my adversary appear. I slowly approach the salt door, peering hesitantly through the peephole. It is the delivery man, wearing his usual confused look. I never bothered to explain my situation anymore - I’ve escaped far too many insane asylums because of it. I unlock the door as quickly as I can, but the 17th lock catches and I spend a few minutes trying to unstick it.
I can almost see the delivery man roll his eyes. After the last lock clicks back I peer around the door. “Delivery for Smith,” he says. I give a furtive nod, snatching the clipboard and scribbling my signature as fast as I can. Every moment exposed is a moment my death could finally catch up to me. I waste no time snatching the package and slamming the door behind me. Sighing in relief, I set the package down on the table and watch through the peephole to make sure the delivery man leaves. As soon as his truck is out of sight, I turn back to the table. Safe again. But that’s
when I notice the rip in the side, a rip that wasn’t there a few moments ago. My hand clutches the bottle of repellent that never leaves my pocket. He’s here. My eyes drift slowly over the living room, looking for anything out of place. Where could he be hiding? After I clear the living room, I search the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom. Nothing. Reluctantly, I descend to the basement, pushing open the door. It squeals on rusted hinges, swinging open to reveal a dark room of cobwebs. I flip the light switch and there he is, staring at me from the
Selinna Tran/ Old Gold & Black
Don't be fooled by the easygoing nature of the snail, the immortal snail's only goal in life is to end yours. Watch your back at all times.
middle of the room. He makes no move to approach me, and so I let my eyes rove over the walls around him. Covering every inch of them are photos of the ones I’ve lost, precious memories spanning millennia. By the time I turn my gaze back to him, a single tear has slipped down my cheek. Suddenly, miraculously, he speaks. “Are you ready to meet your end, human?” I stare at the snail in awe. He sounds exactly like Morgan Freeman. “Are you ... God?” I ask him. He looks back at me impassively. I cannot tell if he’s nodding or if his head is simply bowing under the weight of his eyestalks. I take one step forward, then another. Is this it? Am I finally ready to go? When my foot finally taps him on his shell, the world disappears into a dazzling array of golden sparks. I smile, ready to see everyone I ever loved in the afterlife, but suddenly, I feel myself squished and compressed. This doesn’t feel like heaven. When the dizzying motion stops, I sway a bit. Something feels wrong. Everything looks huge. Is heaven a realm of giants? “This is the price of your immortality,” the disembodied voice of the Morgan Freeman-snail says. “Thank you for releasing me. I shall see you soon. Or not.” He laughs before a gust of wind blows past. I blink as it dawns on me. I am the snail. And I am trapped here until I catch my replacement. My eyestalks quiver in horror. This is going to be a long millennium.
Life | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, November 4, 2021 | Page 15
Film |"Dune"
"Dune" film adaptation releases THE HOT LIST Packed with an A-list cast, the release of "Dune" was highly anticipated BY BEN WILCOX Staff Writer wilcbr19@wfu.edu
"Dune", by Frank Herbert, is a book that many considered unadaptable. Several attempts have been made — the most notable adaptation to this point (mostly for its troubled production) was David Lynch’s "Dune", released in 1984. However, I can say with a fairly high degree of confidence, that this version of "Dune", directed by Denis Villeneuve, will be the definitive film version of the acclaimed novel. This is only part one of the adaptation, as is explicitly shown in the opening title. It was incredibly enjoyable as part one of a series, but I believe it should have been better advertised to set proper expectations. Denis Villeneuve has been one of the greatest working directors of the last decade. From "Prisoners" and "Enemy"
&
— two personal favorites of mine — to "Arrival" and "Blade Runner 2049", Villeneuve has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to give gravity and scale to both small personal dramas and broad science-fiction epics. When it was announced that he would be directing "Dune", expectations were high. I would say that those lofty expectations were met in the first installment of the "Dune" film series. The film has a unique aesthetic that allows the viewer to feel immersed in this futuristic world. "Dune" accurately captures both the scale and gravity laid out in Frank Herbert’s novel. A personal critique of many movies and series set in outer space is that whole planets are often condensed into just one town or city. This film makes the planet of Arrakis feel like the all-encompassing desert that it is. "Dune" is a truly beautiful film to watch on the big screen. From here on out, the plot of the movie will be discussed so I would highly recommend going out and reading the book or watching this movie first. "Dune" sets the background of the complex politics of an intergalactic em-
pire. The film opens with the House Atreides being assigned as caretakers of the planet Arrakis, the only planet with spice, an extremely valuable resource. From this sentence alone, it quickly becomes evident why many considered this sprawling epic to be unadaptable. Paul Atreides — the heir to House Atreides — has been shown to have certain abilities such as “the voice” that his mother taught him. She has been slowly bringing him along, teaching him the ways of her people. However, her people — the Bene Gesserit — have an ulterior motive to establish this messianic figure as a son of one of these powerful houses. In the transfer of power on Arrakis, the House Harkonnen (the former rulers) lay waste to House Atreides, leaving Paul and his mother to die in the desert. This movie ends on a fairly incomplete note, promising a more intricate analysis of the idea of a "white savior", family politics and more. However, this movie really spends most of its runtime laying the groundwork for what’s to come. I would wholeheartedly recommend going out to see this film.
Campus Life|Campus Condomz
Covering sex week with Bevin Burns CampusCondomz provides resources like condoms around campus BY TAYLOR SCHUTT Staff Writer schutl20@wfu.edu After two years without a Wake Forest homecoming, more alumni are coming back to campus than usual. To Bevin Burns’ (‘21) advantage, this is perfect timing to promote her business and new partnership to all of the Wake Forest community. Burns’ startup promotes safer and consensual sex on Wake Forest's campus … by using condoms. The business, Campus Condomz, provides free and accessible condoms and sexual health resources around campus. Inside a small cardstock trifold with sexual health and safety resources, a gold-packaged condom is tucked in that screams Old Gold. The trifold features a Demon Deacon holding a Campus Condom and wearing a shirt saying “Yes” inside a red heart. While talking with Burns about Campus Condomz, she stated, “Our goal is quite simple … to provide education and to create conversation about safe sex practices, consent and condom usage on college campuses through humor and non-traditional means.” Let’s face it … sex is natural, but many find it uncomfortable to discuss — especially when they’re not properly educated. To change this, Burns explained, “I want to be able to deliver this typically
stigmatized information to college students who may have never learned about safe sex in a way that is not intimidating and in a way that the info would actually stick.” Burns founded Campus Condomz two years ago in a Wake Forest entrepreneurship class when she was tasked with creating a product, service or business to share as a final project.
Photo courtesy of Marco Verch
The condom is a great tool for practicing safe, consensual sex. “I had a list of about 100 ideas and we had to pitch our favorite … I had no idea what I was going to pitch, so I went up to the least intimidating looking guy and told him my idea about humorous college condoms,” Burns said. "He immediately handed me his card and told me to call him tomorrow since he thought it was the best idea of the night." After that, Burns worked with the entrepreneurship department, Deacon Springboard, StartUp Lab and numerous mentors to turn her idea into reality. Then, in Spring 2020, just as things were heating up, COVID-19 interrupted her plans.
Regarding this pause, Burns said, “I was in contact with several other schools … then COVID hit. [The] school's main goals were to keep people apart, not bring them together safely, which is one of the most important parts of Campus Condomz.” More eager than ever, Campus Condomz promoted their pilot with Trojan this past Saturday at Truist Field. But, this wasn't just any promo. Burns promoted her business in the best way Deacs know — tailgate style. “Saturday. Tailgate. Trojan X Campus Condomz Tent. We will have t-shirts, condoms, giveaways, sunglasses, chances to get on the Trojan Tiktok — you name it, we probably have it,” Burns said. Burns will be joined by a team of nine other student influencers who have helped her promote Campus Condomz around campus and through social media. Ahead of the event, Burns said, “I have been working for the past three months for this Trojan X Campus Condomz football tailgate and am so excited about it this weekend … I mean, we have so many people talking about sex and consent for the homecoming game, and who would ever expect to get free condoms, Trojan sunglasses and Trojan bags at a football game? It is all about putting this conversation into places where it wouldn't normally be had.” Burns — now a senior — plans on continuing Campus Condomz after her graduation in May 2022. When asked about the future of her business, Burns enthusiastically stated, “Campus Condomz is less about the product and more about the messaging. It really doesn't matter what we are selling, giving out, etc. as long as it gets people to talk about safe sex and consent. We are all about creating the conversation."
TOP TEN ORGANIZATIONS MORE LEGITIMATE THAN PIKAPP
By Adam Coil
1.
Two guys in a room
2.
Three blind mice
3.
The Will Zimmermen
4.
The Power Rangers
5.
The Wonder Pets
6.
The Illumina-
7.
My French class
8.
Your childhood lemonade stand
9.
NYU
10.
Fake Worest
&
Look
Christina DeNovio
Photo courtesy of Selinna Tran
Page 16 | Thursday, November 4, 2021
Old Gold & Black | Life
ARTISAN MARKET A nonprofit art market for famine relief CAMERON MICHLES Knitted Art
Photo courtesy of Cameron Michles
CHRISTIAN ESTRADA Clothing
Photo courtesy of Christian Estrada
ELIZABETH MOORMAN Watercolor
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Moorman
NICOLE NAMATH Friendship Bracelets
Photo courtesy of Nicole Namath
BY ROXIE RAY Contributing Writer rayro19@wfu.edu
The upcoming Artisan Market is a studentled nonprofit event in which student artists who have donated their works will raise money to be directed towards famine relief. The event features twelve student artists and student art groups, including clubs like the World Tea Association and the Fiber Arts club — a glimpse into the various modes of talent and creativity present within the Wake Forest community. The Artists Market is an excellent opportunity to see and buy student art, supporting the efforts of students. Beyond that, the proceeds of the event are going towards a meaningful cause! All proceeds from the event are donated to the World Food Programme. I created the Artisan Market with the intent to utilize art in a way that gives back to humanity. I was originally motivated to dedicate the proceeds to famine relief by an article I had to read for a Contemporary Moral Problems philosophy class last year. The article, “Famine Relief: The Duties We Have to Others” by Christopher Wellman, discussed the moral obligation we all have to donate to countries experiencing humanitarian crises as a downstream effect of our own consumeristic habits. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for example, is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The DRC has the highest rates of violence and sexual assault in any country since World War 2. Because of this violence and instability, the DRC has become the country with the most food insecurity in the world. But, how is the United States connected to this? There is a direct relationship between American consumer appetite and the devastating famine and violence in the DRC. The DRC has natural deposits of gold, tantalum, tin and tungsten that are controlled by armed militia groups. These groups use violence and rape as oppressive intimidation tactics to maintain control over the region. These metals of conflict are smuggled into surrounding countries, shipped to China, and finally utilized in the production of our phones, laptops, gaming consoles and cars. The U.S. sustains this market and thus sustains the systems that perpetuate violence and food insecurity. Our fundraiser is not an act of donation but rather one of payment. The payment of a debt — a payment of reparations. Our market is an opportunity not just for student artists to showcase their work, but also for the Wake Forest community to learn about our responsibilities in a world system, how our actions have downstream effects and how we can potentially reduce or amend these effects.
ROXIE OZRA Jewlery
Photo courtesy of Roxie Ray
KATHARINE COLLIE Knitted Art
Photo courtesy of Katharine Collie
WORLD TEA ASSOCIATION Tea
Photo courtesy of World Tea Association
SELINNA TRAN
Jewelry + Watercolor
Photo courtesy of Selinna Tran