News: Student workers receive the COVID-19 vaccine Page 4
Opinion: Pandemic response shows healthy democracy Page 8
Sports: Deacon Spotlight: Freshman tennis player Luciano Tacchi Page 13
Life: Meme war rages amongst student body Page 16
Old Gold&Black
WAKE FOREST’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1916 VO L . 107 , N O . 17
T H U R S DAY, M A RC H 4 , 2 0 21 “Cover s the campus like the magnolias”
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University will transition to Yellow Two weeks after "Dark Orange" status, the university is optimistic about falling COVID-19 cases BY JACK BRADLEY Contributing Writer bradjc20@wfu.edu Almost two weeks after the University’s initial transition from “Dark Orange” operating status, and almost one week after Governor Cooper lifted North Carolina’s 10 p.m. curfew, the university intends to transition to Yellow operating status. An advance copy of an email that will be sent to students was obtained by the Old Gold & Black. This emai reads that the university intends to switch to Yellow status within the next week or so. For the moment, the COVID-19 panic and empty campus of a few weeks ago have been replaced with students lounging on the quad and a more hopeful outlook for the future. What was a stressful and tumultuous time for many students, faculty, staff and administrators seems to have shifted into a period of quasi-relaxation.
See Yellow, Page 4 Katie Fox/Old Gold & Black
Results from tests conducted on Feb. 15 and 16 were delayed for days, according to several students. Some students had been COVID-positive for several days before being informed by BioReference and Wake Forest.
Wake Forest mishandled hundreds of COVID-19 tests Weather issues, among other factors, delayed the return of COVID-19 test results for days BY ELIZABETH MALINE Senior Writer malied17@wfu.edu Amidst the whirlwind of COVID-19 news over the past few weeks, many students waited days on end for results from their random asymptomatic COVID-19 tests administered by the university. After coronavirus cases began to creep up at the start of this semester, the university altered the asymptomatic testing policy and began to test the entire undergraduate population each week, rather than only a random sample, which amounted to roughly one-third of the
population. Students normally receive their results in an email from BioReference Lab, the university’s lab partner, 36 to 48 hours after a test is administered. “We noticed during the week of Feb. 15 and 16 that we hadn’t received results,” Dr. Cecil Price, Director of Student Health Services (SHS) said. “We called the lab and asked what was happening, and they said they hadn’t received any samples.” Per Price, the samples had always arrived at the lab the next day without fail. Dr. Price grew concerned, as samples must be tested within 72 hours of collection in order to be considered valid. Though he claims the university packed and refrigerated the samples correctly, they still had not arrived at the lab. He later learned that due to the winter storm, FedEx experienced problems get-
Floor caves in during off-campus party Dozens of people were at the residence, which is leased by brothers of Chi Psi fraternity BY AINE PIERRE News Editor pierav20@wfu.edu
ting the shipments to the lab in Gaithersburg, Md. The company was prioritizing shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine. On Feb. 17, students who were administered COVID-19 tests on Feb. 15 and 16 received an email from the Office of Communications and External Relations saying that “weather issues” delayed the arrival of the test samples from BioReference Lab. The posting of the results would therefore be delayed as well. In the meantime, Dr. Price and SHS made plans to get the test samples from Feb. 18 and Feb. 19 to the lab in a more timely fashion given the nature of the winter storm (for which the university decided to cancel classes on Feb. 18). According to Dr. Price, a university employee personally drove the samples to the lab to ensure their arrival.
There was no fire burning on the dance floor, but there was a gaping hole when the Winston-Salem police and fire departments arrived on the scene of an off-campus party involving Wake Forest students on Palm Dr. Saturday night. The party took place at an off-campus house, 948 Palm Drive, which was rented by four members of Wake Forest’s chapter of the Chi Psi Fraternity. It has been estimated that dozens of people attended the event. No social distancing or mask-wearing was evident at the party, a fact which is the basis of an investigation being conducted by the university into the circumstances of the function.
See Tests, Page 5
See Party, Page 6
OGB
“ breath, Demon Deacons Take a deep This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.
We here at the Old Gold & Black sincerely hope you enjoyed all 24 hours of your spring break earlier this week. If there’s one thing that’s certain, it is that we could all use a few moments to decompress. Life seems to be moving at an ever-increasing pace around Wake Forest these days — if you feel like assignments and obligations are stacking up, know you are not alone. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of all that is happening in our community these days, which makes it all the more important to set time aside for yourself each day and keep things in perspective. With some midterms already underway and others lurking just around the corner, stress levels appear to be mounting across campus.
Most importantly, cut yourself a break once in a while ... you're doing great, and you're right where you're supposed to be." As stressors pile up and the nights of studying grow longer, we encourage you all to watch out for your fellow Demon Deacons. Check up on your friends, close the textbooks for a while and enjoy the North Carolina sunshine. Most importantly, cut yourself a break every once in a while. There are no established guidelines on how to deal with the fallout from a global pandemic — however you’ve chosen to cope with this bizarre reality is just fine (so long as it does not endanger
yourself or anyone else!). You’re doing great, and you’re right where you’re supposed to be. Now is also a time for hope. Coronavirus case numbers have stabilized following the outbreak earlier this semester, and positive news about vaccine distribution seems to emerge every day. Just this week, Governor Cooper announced that Group 3 essential workers would be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This is incredible news that impacts staff, faculty members and even a number of student workers. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, and humanity has finally begun to link arms and march toward it. Freshman and sophomore students have yet to experience all that Wake
Forest has to offer come springtime, so as the weather warms and semblances of normalcy slowly return, let us take the time to be appreciative. To be appreciative of our peers who have weathered this storm alongside us, who have celebrated the ups and downs of a college-experience to which no other generation will be able to relate. To be appreciative of our faculty, whose support and commitment to our endeavors has remained constant from the time we first moved online. To be appreciative of the staff and administrators who have worked tirelessly to ensure not only our safety, but also that the best is made out of a less-than-ideal situation. To be appreciative of the moment, which will come and go before we know it.
Old Gold&Black
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSIT Y SINCE 1916 ALEXANDRA KARLINCHAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF karlae18@wfu.edu
BEN CONROY PRINT MANAGING EDITOR conrbd19@wfu.edu
>> NEWS
Cate Pitterle, pittcj20@wfu.edu Aine Pierre, pierav20@wfu.edu
>> OPINION
Connor Mcneely, mcnecb19@wfu.edu
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Christina DeNovio, denoca20@wfu.edu Essex Thayer, thayse20@wfu.edu
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The Old Gold & Black is published Thursdays during the school year, except during examinations, summer and holiday periods, by Triangle Printing of Durham. © 2014 WFU Media Board. All rights reserved. The views expressed in all editorials and advertisements contained within this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the OGB. As part of our commitment to reporting news fairly and accurately, we will not remove any previously published content. If an error in either our online or print content is brought to our attention, we will revise the originally published article with an appended correction. In order to facilitate thoughtful and appropriate debate, profane, vulgar, or inflammatory comments on our website are not allowed and will be deleted. For more information on our commenting policy, please see our website. We reserve the right to reject advertisements deemed inappropriate. Our full policy, and how to advertise with the OGB, can be found on our website.
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Old Gold & Black | News
Deacon Profile: Charles Iacovou
vative and affordable programs to those learners to help them continue to progress. The beauty of focusing our school in Charlotte is that we can create offerings that really speak to the specific learning needs of that community.
BY COOPER SULLIVAN Staff Writer sullcg20@wfu.edu
Dr. Charles Iacovou was recently named the Vice Provost of Wake Forest’s Charlotte programs and the Dean of the School of Professional Studies. He previously served as the Dean of the Business School. As the Professional School’s inaugural dean, Iacovou has been integral in Wake Forest’s expansion. He has been at Wake Forest since 2001 and received his doctorate from the University of British Columbia.
In addition to receiving the title of dean, you have been named as Vice Provost of the Charlotte programs. What do you hope the future is going to look like for the school as a whole?
The first thing I want to talk about is your path to Wake Forest. How did you get here? Back in 2000, the year before my wife and I arrived in Winston-Salem, two good friends reached out to me and [asked if I would be interested in joining them at Wake Forest] to help establish a faculty group that focused on information technology. That was my background. Those two friends, one of them was my undergraduate mentor, Professor Ron Thompson, and the other was a professor who hired me at Georgetown and had since moved to Wake Forest. Both of them were here and they were looking for a third colleague to join them as they were forming the new faculty group on information technology, so they invited me to join them. So, as you can tell, friendships, connections and relationships matter, and this is a good example of where I was fortunate enough to have friends and mentors to consider me for this opportunity. You’ve spent your last seven years as the Dean of the Business School. What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of during your time there? First off, let me just say that while the role of the dean is to act as a figurehead of the school, the real work of the dean is to work with the team of faculty and staff and help shape the path, the trajectory and the future of the school. So, while there is great work that happened during those years, I certainly don’t deserve much of the credit for it. We always had a strong business school at Wake Forest over the years. I felt that in the past seven years, we furthered the academic excellence that we had at the school by evolving our programs to reflect the changes in the rapidly changing business world.
Photo courtesy of Charles Iacovou
You are transitioning to a new school, the School of Professional Studies. How has that transition been for you?
We offer two degree programs there and several non-degree programs. That will be very helpful as we launch our new school.
In some ways my prior work at the business school and in the broader university [has helped] because my administrative leadership roles have given me the opportunity to work on initiatives that truly were university-wide. Beyond the walls of Farrell Hall, if you will. So those experiences really helped me get a better appreciation of the strengths that we have as a university, not just as a business school. Those experiences and those relationships will help me shape the future of the School of Professional Studies because we want to build it as an integrative unit that represents the best of Wake Forest. And that’s true across all of our schools. Having said that, the business school has had a presence in Charlotte for 20 years. We have had direct experience in delivering progress to the Charlotte community.
What is the School of Professional Studies? Who is it targeted towards? Basically, schools of professional studies focus on adult learners and working professionals typically. As they progress through their careers or pivot careers, they may need additional education experiences and credentials that they had not secured. It could be certificates, single courses, bootcamps or whole degrees that enable them to progress as they advance in their professions. We are one of a few top universities that didn't have a school of professional studies until now. In fact, by my count we were one of four schools in the top 30 that didn't have a program or a school like the one that we are about to launch. These schools focus on adult learners so they offer short, flexible, inno-
That’s a great question. The School of Professional Studies is a piece of a much larger puzzle that speaks to the expanded vision about the presence of Wake Forest in the [Charlotte] community. What we hope to achieve in the next five or ten years really has to do with the needs of the community. Charlotte is a thriving city, growing every day with an unbelievable business and professional base of amazing organizations and thought leaders. It also, like many other cities, has [challenges]. If you look at statistics of social upward mobility, you quickly will discover that there are groups in Charlotte that are left behind and don’t get access to a great education like the one that we can offer, which can help them move forward in their careers. Marginalized communities are left behind despite the amazing growth and potential of Charlotte. It is our hope that through the establishment of the medical school, the establishment of the School of Professional Studies and the addition of new programs by other academic units, we will speak to that need and help lift up the community across the whole Charlotte area and beyond. Is there anything else you would like to add? One thing I want to emphasize is that [our] presence in Charlotte is meant to represent the whole university. We hope that our expansion there will provide opportunities for students like you to be able to benefit from the richness of that community and expand educational opportunities while bringing the best of WinstonSalem, our great faculty and our great staff expertise into the Charlotte community. We view this Charlotte expansion as an integrative part of the whole university umbrella we've been working on to make sure that Wake Forest is well-positioned for a brighter future. Editorial Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
POLICE BEAT COVID-19 Violations/Underage Consumption
• Offender was in violation of the COVID-19 guest policy in Polo Hall. The report was filed on Feb. 23 at 11:31 p.m. • Police responded to a noise complaint in Huffman Hall. Offenders were reported to be playing beer pong underage and were in violation of the COVID-19 guest policy. The report was filed on Feb. 26 at 10:48 p.m. • Offender had consumed alcohol underage and needed medical assistance in Collins Hall. Transported to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. The report was filed on Feb. 26 at 11:26 p.m. • An off-campus party was reported on Palm Dr. The first floor collapsed in the living room. WFUPD reported no injuries. The report was filed on Feb. 27 at 1:40 a.m. • Winston-Salem Police responded to a disturbance at Brookwood Dr. residence, heard loud music and cited a student. Offender admitted to having 35 people at the house for a birthday party. The report was filed on Feb. 27 at 4:44 p.m.
• Offender had consumed alcohol underage in Babcock Hall but was sober and allowed to stay in room. The report was filed on Feb. 28 at 2:45 a.m. Miscellaneous
• Athletics personnel discovered a laptop and a printer missing from scorer/radio room. The report was filed on Feb. 22 at 10:26 a.m. • Unknown subject took Kenwood Stereo and iPhone charger from an unlocked vehicle on Student Drive. The report was filed on Feb. 22 at 4:40 p.m. • Student reported receiving email and text about an administrative assistant job at the university. It was determined to be a scam. The report was filed on Feb. 22 at 7:21 p.m. • Victim reported a male trying to ask for money. The subject trespassed on university property. The report was filed on Feb. 26 at 7:28 p.m. • Offender was in possession of marijuana paraphernalia in Johnson Hall. The report was filed on Feb. 28 at 4:12 a.m.
News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, March 4, 2021|Page 4
Yellow: University optimistic as cases fall Continued from Page 1
“We have truly flattened the curve, and that’s what we were looking for. [This allows us to] provide a more welcoming, freer environment for students,” Vice President for Campus Life Penny Rue said. This comes after last month’s student protests of the controversial quarantinein-place policy. This policy instructed students who were exposed to COVID-19 to quarantine in empty rooms in residence halls. However, on-campus COVID-19 cases have since decreased significantly, and administration has been closely monitoring the situation through weekly asymptomatic testing. “The [metric] that matters the most to me is our asymptomatic cases,” Rue said, “and we’re down to very small percentages of asymptomatic positives.” And down they are. According to the COVID-19 dashboard, prevalence of the virus is estimated at 0.5% as of Feb. 28. This drop in cases has allowed for the recent reopening of the Benson Center and the ZSR Library, as well as the ability to dine-in at dining halls. “I feel like campus came back to life,” freshman Lauren Franques said. “It reminds me of when I toured Wake Forest, seeing everyone hang out in the Pit and ZSR again.”
Like Franques, many students seem to appreciate the change of scenery provided by the eased restrictions. Some students, on the other hand, are apprehensive about the future of campus life. “The past few weeks were really uncertain and stressful, and I’m not sure we’ll be able to stay where we are currently,” freshman Jarlem López Morel said.
In spite of the uncertainty, others are confident that the current downward trend in campus-wide COVID-19 cases will continue. “People really want to stay on campus this semester,” freshman Trey Roark said, “and I honestly think that we can make it to Yellow if we keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
Vice President for Campus Life Penny Rue reiterated that students must continue to wear masks, avoid large social gatherings and monitor themselves for symptoms in order to best facilitate a transition into Yellow operating status. By keeping these practices in mind, students can ensure that the “dark orange” nightmare is truly a thing of the past.
Katie Fox/Old Gold & Black
As COVID-19 cases fall following a large spike, university officials plan to loosen restrictions in a transition to Yellow operating status. Prevalence of the virus is estimated to be 0.5% as of Feb. 28.
Student workers become vaccine eligible Many student workers meet the qualifications for vaccination Under Phase 3 of N.C.’s plan BY ALEXANDRA KARLINCHAK Editor-in-Chief karlae18@wfu.edu
While the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines for frontline Group 3 workers was not meant to begin until March 10, North Carolina is well ahead of schedule. On March 3, it was announced that all Group 3 essential workers would be made eligible for the coronavirus vaccine. As highlighted in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce,” Group 3 includes all in-person workers who serve in one of the eight following categories: critical manufacturing, essential goods, food and agricultural, government and community services, health care, public safety, transportation or education. For Wake Forest faculty, staff and student-workers, these new inoculation guidelines mean that the majority of the school’s workforce qualifies for the COVID-19 vaccine. Based on Group 3 guidelines, all in-person university personnel including, but not limited to, IT specialists, administrators, operational
staff members, food service providers, professors, counselors and health care providers have been given the metaphorical COVID-19 vaccination green light. Included in that group of university employees are some of the unsung heroes of the school — Residential Advisors and other essential, in-person student employees. A sophomore RA who preferred to remain anonymous said they received an email on Tuesday night from Dean of Residence Life and Housing Matt Clifford. This email confirmed that RAs would be eligible for vaccination as of Wednesday, March 3. The RA said that a number of other RAs had already scheduled their appointments through Walgreens and Novant Health’s vaccination program. This individual plans on receiving their first vaccine dose sometime next week. “After we received that email from Dean Clifford, we got another on Wednesday from HR highlighting the same thing,” the RA said. “[The email from HR] asked us to fill out a form that determined whether or not we were eligible for the vaccine. From my understanding, the form is to help collect and prioritize people if [and when] Wake begins their own vaccination program.” But RAs and student workers are not the only Wake Forest community members who will be receiving
their COVID-19 vaccination within the next few days. An email provided to the Old Gold & Black via a Wake Forest faculty member showcased a message that was sent out on Tuesday at around 7 p.m. That message encouraged “eligible faculty members” to schedule a vaccination appointment with an outside provider. “While the university works on plans to implement our own vaccination clinic, we also continue to work with Wake Forest Baptist Health to identify more immediate opportunities for faculty, staff, and affiliate colleagues to get vaccinated,” the email reads. The email concludes by reminding faculty members that while the vaccine is not required by the university, it is highly encouraged that all employees be vaccinated. Even Wake Forest students who do not work directly for the university have taken advantage of N.C.’s new vaccine distribution plan. Sophomores Ansley Henderson and Elizabeth Dutton each work as respective Instacart and Doordash drivers in Winston-Salem and received emails from the North Carolina Department of Health informing them that they were eligible to be vaccinated if they so wished. The two girls drove to Lexington, N.C. and were vaccinated around 4 p.m. on March 3.
“I am really excited that I got to get the vaccine, but I am more thankful that all the workers who enter residence halls daily are getting vaccinated too,” Henderson said. “If anything, I wish they would have been eligible a lot sooner than just today.” Several students feel excited about new vaccine guidelines, as a number of students believe that the sooner things go back to normal, the better. “Although we are at risk for another spike and will be [for quite some time], we’re looking at the potential of having a great and somewhat normal fall semester,” the RA said. “And I couldn’t be more excited for that.”
Katie Fox/Old Gold & Black
Wake Forest has told student workers they may receive the vaccine.
News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, March 4, 2021|Page 5
Tests: Students received results days later Continued from Page 1
The lab later notified Dr. Price that the samples from Feb. 15 and 16 still had not arrived. After consulting with Dr. Chris Ohl, an infectious disease specialist at Wake Forest Baptist Health, as well as the medical director of the Forsyth Health Department, Dr. Price and the lab agreed that the samples — whether positive or negative — should be invalidated. It could not be ensured the samples were kept in the proper condition or temperature while awaiting shipment with FedEx, and the time gap between collection and lab testing would be too large. However, Dr. Price took comfort in the knowledge that each of the students whose samples were rejected would be tested again in a matter of days as part of the asymptomatic testing cycle. He did not immediately see a need to bring everyone back in for testing. Yet, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, senior Kit Burroughs woke up with an email from BioReference Lab, notifying her that her test from Feb. 15 had come back positive, eight days later. “Once I received my positive test eight days late from Student Health, that’s when the frustration started,” Burroughs said. “I called Student Health, not the other way around, to tell them I was positive and they told me that there was confusion with our samples, so I needed to come in for re-testing.” SHS was unaware that the results had been released until Burroughs and other students who tested positive contacted SHS. The Old Gold & Black spoke with 16 students who also received their results from the 15 and 16 on the 22 or 23, though others have yet to receive any results. “We immediately said, what on earth is going on? We had to get answers as quickly as possible,” Dr. Price said. “We were frustrated and confused by that because the lab didn’t do what they said they would do. The lab should not have run them.” SHS was not expecting to receive any results from that testing sample, since the lab had told them the results would be rejected. Therefore, they had not been on the lookout for these results. Burroughs, who visited SHS that morning, said that from her perspective, SHS “generally did not really understand what was happening.” Dr. Price also said, “we were scrambling and wanted to provide a clear message.” According to Dr. Price, roughly 30 tests from a sample of around 200 were positive. While waiting for results, five or six of those students had developed symptoms and were confirmed to be positive for COVID-19. That left just over 20 students who could potentially be positive. Under Dr. Ohl’s guidance, SHS contacted the rest of those impacted directly, rather than sending another mass email, and invited them to take another COVID-19 test to confirm which were “real positives versus fake positives.” This prompted the university to issue a statement to Resident Advisers, which was posted on Our Way Forward several days later. However, it was never sent to the impacted students. “Our partners in the Student Health Service are in active consultation with both our lab partner and with public health experts about the validity of these tests and how we move forward,” the email stated. “We believe the risk to our communities to be low from this situation.” After re-testing the impacted students, it was determined by Dr. Price that students who tested negative and did not have symptoms must have received false positives. For those who tested positive, it could be assumed that their first test was accurate. Roughly three-fourths of the tests came back positive again, while the remainder came back negative. Burroughs claims she was led to believe by a nurse and a doctor that her test could very well have been a false positive. Still, she was instructed to isolate until she received results from her second test. However, Burroughs notes that her friend was told not to quarantine while she waited for her second results and was cleared to attend an in-person class that same day. She suspects this might have been because she was experiencing symptoms while her friend was not. But both Burroughs and her friend tested positive again on Feb. 23. Panic ensued as they realized the possibility that they had unknowingly been spreading the virus over the course of the eight days while waiting for their results. Though she is not currently enrolled in any in-person classes, Burroughs had gone to friends’ houses and out to dinner throughout that week. “Finally, I get a call two days later. Not only am I definitely positive, but based on my viral load, I had had COVID-19 for the last ten days,” Burroughs said. “Imagine knowing that in the midst of this pandemic, you were a super-spreader despite how careful you had been and multiple reassurances from Wake that you were negative!”
Katie Fox/Old Gold & Black
Students were notified via email that they had tested positive for COVID-19 up to ten days after the date of their test, leading to widespread worry that they may have unknowingly spread the virus. Burroughs was not alone. A sophomore who requested to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution, but whose identity is known to the Old Gold & Black, witnessed a suitemate receive a positive result Feb. 22, seven days after their initial test on Feb. 15. The individual will be referred to as “Charlie,” a gender-neutral pseudonym. According to Charlie, the suitemate was “roaming around campus” for seven days before being notified that the COVID-19 test had come back positive. The suitemate was not experiencing symptoms. “[The suitemate] ended up infecting over five people that I personally know of, and however many more I don’t,” Charlie said. Charlie expressed frustration surrounding the university’s handling of the situation. “What is the purpose of testing the student body if COVID positive people are not being removed from the equation as soon as possible? Seven days is outrageous and ‘weather delays’ is an inexcusable answer. Look at every northeast school that deals with snowstorms or weather-related issues very frequently,” Charlie said. “I think the school has an obligation to the student body to be efficient in their testing. Otherwise testing is fairly pointless.” Dr. Price admits he was worried that students had been positive for days without knowing, and shared in students’ concerns. “That was very frustrating for students and I understand that, I understand that completely,” Dr. Price said. “We would have much rather known this earlier than later and I thought, ‘Oh my word, the numbers could increase’.” However, Dr. Price insists that they did not, and that there is “no evidence of a mini-surge” related to this mishap. “We would have seen a big difference already, and we haven’t,” he said. “Our overall numbers are excellent.” To add to the miscommunication, the Forsyth Health Department received information about these tests as reported by BioReference Lab, but was not aware of the situation. According to Dr. Price, all labs that process COVID-19 tests are required to report data to the state as well. The department independently began reaching out to students for contact tracing, which added to students’ confusion. “I told her [a representative from the health department] the situation with my potential false positive test,” Burroughs said. Though Burroughs was told by Student Health that she did not need to quarantine after Feb. 25 since it had already been ten days after her initial positive test, Forsyth Health Department told Burroughs that based on when her symptoms ended, she was advised to quarantine until Feb. 28. Dr. Price regrets not asking students about their symptom onset and basing their isolation off of that timeline. He also wishes SHS was able to better and more quickly communicate with the health department so as not to confuse students. “It was a timing issue, and we were trying to stay on top of this for these students,” he said. “We should obviously have filled them in with the testing and what Dr. Ohl said.” In addition to students who tested positive, this situation has impacted countless other students like Charlie, who have been required by the school to quarantine due to exposure. For each of these students, their 14-day quarantine began not when the
initial tests were administered on Feb. 15 or 16, but instead when the results were released roughly one week later. According to Dr. Price, quarantine begins on the most recent day of exposure, rather than when an initial test was administered. Had the samples not been delayed and had students learned earlier of their exposure to other positive students, they would have been able to begin quarantining earlier. Charlie began quarantining due to exposure Feb. 23 and is expected to quarantine until March 9, even though her suitemate first tested positive on Feb. 15. “From a student’s perspective, it feels that every week there are new made up rules that have not been verified or have been proven to be wrong, such as the 14-day quarantine policy,” Charlie said. The CDC proposes that individuals can stop quarantining after day ten or even after day seven if they don’t test positive after day five, though “local public health authorities make the final decisions.” The university has changed its quarantine guidelines several times over the course of the year. As a result of the 14-day quarantine mandated by the university, Charlie spent their 20th birthday quarantine alone in a room. “So I’m definitely pretty upset about the situation,” Charlie said. “It’s pretty [expletive] up, frankly.” Senior Lizzy Herbst, one of Burroughs’ suitemates, was told to begin quarantining on Feb. 25 despite the fact that Burroughs first tested positive on Feb. 15. She expressed concerns about the dates of her quarantine to an individual at the Wake Forest call center after calling SHS, but was not given the explanation she sought. “The dates made no sense because I could have potentially been spreading COVID-19 for the previous two weeks if I had it, and they are making me quarantine when I wouldn’t even be contagious or have it anymore,” Herbst said. After Herbst said she would keep calling until “the university listened,” she received a call from Dean of Students Adam Goldstein. “In a very aggressive and threatening tone, he said that if I kept calling he would ‘have to ask and tell me to stop’,” Herbst said. “He called back later and was super nice because he probably realized or was told that he can’t talk to students like that.” Herbst does not recall Dean Goldstein apologizing to her. Dean Goldstein did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “The confusion amidst this whole thing was aggravating and disappointing,” Burroughs said. They should have retested us immediately after the mixup.” “It was really frustrating for them and for us,” Price said. “I can’t be as frustrated as the students, but I was right there next to them.” SHS has now switched from using FedEx to a more reliable courier service that the lab provided at a discount due to the error. The lab also apologized to Dr. Price. Fortunately, the courier service has been delivering samples to the lab at a faster rate than FedEx had, so students are now receiving results one day earlier. Price describes this as a “great advantage,” enabling all parties to learn even sooner if an individual is positive. “We didn’t want this to happen,” Price said. “It had not happened before and we made changes so it won’t happen again.”
Old Gold & Black | News
Page 6 | Thursday, March 4, 2021
Party: Function lands fraternity in hot water Continued from Page 1
Wake Forest announced in a statement that a student group had been placed under interim suspension pending this investigation of potential COVID-19 protocol violations by Wake Forest students. Chi Psi confirmed to the Old Gold & Black Wednesday afternoon that they are part of that investigation and plan to cooperate, which likely means that it is this organization that was suspended. “We know that a floor collapsed during a gathering at an off-campus home rented by four Chi Psi members,” said Jeremy Dorn, a spokesperson from the National Chi Psi Fraternity. “It is our understanding that the gathering grew beyond current COVID-19 crowd limits, but the gathering was not sanctioned nor planned by the Wake Forest chapter of Chi Psi Fraternity.” According to earlier reporting from the Old Gold & Black, Chi Psi will not be able to hold any events, conduct chapter meetings or wear letters as a suspended chapter. The floor collapsed while students were engaged in the party, and many students quickly became trapped, prompting rescue efforts by other partygoers, as seen in a now-viral video of the event. “Get out, get out, get out,” one partygoer told another who was trapped in the hole, as commotion overtook the room. Many partygoers were seen recording the incident on their phones, even as people remained stuck. Campus Police, the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) and the Winston-Salem Fire Department (WSFD) arrived on the scene at around 1:41 a.m. on Saturday, according to police reports obtained by the Old Gold & Black. No arrests were made by the WSPD, according to a spokesperson.
By the time the WSPD arrived, there were no partygoers at the scene. The department declared the house unsafe for habitation. “We are following up with those involved to provide support and resources, including assistance with housing,” the university wrote in a statement obtained by Fox 8. There were no serious physical injuries, according to Campus Police’s report of the incident. There was, however, some potential psychological damage. One freshman student, whose name the Old Gold & Black has chosen to keep anonymous, posted on TikTok that she felt traumatized by the event. The TikTok has since been deleted. The student in question did not return the Old Gold & Black’s request for comment.
Students reacted swiftly. Many derided partygoers for attending a party in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and especially at a time when the positivity rate of the virus has started to come down on campus. In videos shown of the party, there were no masks worn and social distancing was not practiced. This lack of precautions could contribute to COVID-19 transmission. Many student-run meme accounts on Instagram commented on the situation by posting memes directed at Chi Psi and its brothers. The president of Wake Forest’s chapter of Chi Psi, Josh Sicignnao, declined to comment. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life did not respond immediately to questions submitted by the Old Gold & Black.
Alexandra Karlinchak/Old Gold & Black
The off-campus Chi Psi fraternity house where the floor collapsed last weekend was deemed “unsafe for habitation.” The party resulted in no arrests and no serious physical injuries.
Women’s Center shines light on masculinity “Mindful Masculinity” campaign aims to spark introspection and conversation among the student community BY ABBY BERMEO Contributing Writer bermag20@wfu.edu The Women’s Center has created a new initiative aiming to promote healthy concepts of masculinity. The campaign, officially called the Mindful Masculinity Campaign, was introduced to campus by the Women’s Center and headed by Peter Rives, an intern at the Wellbeing Center working towards his Master’s Degree in social work. Given that one of the missions of the Women’s Center is to promote gender equality, Rives, Women’s Center Director Stephanie Trilling and a group of maleidentified students decided to start a conversation about masculinity. This group of students gathered and talked about their childhoods, their fears and how these things impacted their masculinity and self-confidence. “We have had the opportunity to explore masculinity in a much deeper and more profound way than before,” said junior Michael Lopez, a participant in the group. “The hours of discussion amongst a diverse group led to countless insights and understandings.” He and many of the other participants felt welcomed in the community of male-identified people who wanted to discuss the intricacies of masculinity. After talking in this round-table format for some time, the group was able to determine how their experiences and feelings could translate into a mission to promote gender equity and an open dialogue about identity. As part of the initiative, hard-to-miss signs have been placed on Hearn Plaza with messages that include “that guy in the Pit worries about how manly you think they look,” and “that guy in your feed feels pressure to appear perfect.”
The goal of the signs, according to the leaders of the initiative, is not to entirely shift the mentalities of the young men on this campus, but simply to have people consider them. While it may appear that the signs are meant to target men, the signs are actually geared toward anyone walking by. In order to promote equality, the Women’s Center believes that people of all genders should take these signs as an introspective opportunity to think about how their actions affect themselves, others, and their identities. As a part of this effort, the Women’s Center chose not to express the idea that masculinity was “toxic,” but instead wanted to encourage a sense of reflection and self-awareness about gender that isn’t taught to many people, especially men. The signs, however, are only effective if students understand the message. Many men are confused as to the point of the signs, while many women like the idea and want to see more. “Some of these are super accurate. I hate being in the Pit alone,” said one male student, who asked to remain anonymous. “But also, I don’t get the signs at all.” Something to note is the fact that most men that the Old Gold & Black spoke to have noticed these signs, and they have indeed caused some level of introspectiveness. Comparatively, when women on campus were asked the same thing, most completely understood the point. “Honestly, I wish they did more. I don’t think men will get the point of this as they are probably conditioned to not take gender-related [issues into consideration],” one female student said. “I do like the initiative though.” In addition to feedback from students, Trilling received emails and texts from various members of the staff and faculty. Trilling said that most of the emails she got were appreciative and grateful, with male staff members expressing that they felt welcomed, heard and part of the conversation. One staff member in particular said he was really appreciative of the fact that the word “toxic” wasn’t put in front of masculinity, as he said it makes many men feel “attacked.” This was considered a success for
the WFU Women’s Center, whose goal it is to encourage healthy and open masculinity and gender identity. The Women’s Center plans on continuing this project by potentially including fraternities, sports teams and other male-dominated organizations in open dialogues about identity, masculinity and confidence.
Katie Fox/Old Gold & Black
Signs around campus on norms surrounding masculinity are a core part of the campaign.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 2 0
PAG E 7 O n l i n e at : w w w. w f u o g b . c o m E d i t o r s : Cate Pitterle, pittcj20@wfu.edu Aine Pierre, pierav20@wfu.edu
Wake biology professor earns USDA grant Dr. T.M. Anderson will study the effects of the GreatWildebeest Migration inTanzania on the spread of infectious diseases BY ANNA GARTNER Contributing Writer gartas20@wfu.edu Last week, Dr. T.M. Anderson of the biology department received funding from the United States Department of Agriculture for a research proposal. The proposal is titled “US-UK Collaboration: Transport and Trophic Effects of Transient Hosts on Infectious Disease.” It is a joint effort between researchers from not only Wake Forest, but also the University of Georgia and the University of Glasgow, to study the effects of the movement of animals on the transmission of infectious diseases. Dr. Susan Fahrbach, the biology department chair, explained that while this project is similar to many others that have already looked at the relationship between animal movements and infectious disease, “this is a very exciting project” because it goes beyond the scope of these past studies. This particular project will be conducted in Tanzania, specifically Serengeti National Park, to take advantage of the famous wildebeest migration that occurs there. Each year, the “Greatest Show on Earth” unfolds as millions of wildebeest, gazelles, zebras and other grassland animals move in a perpetual circle to follow the rain and availability of grass for grazing.
While a marvel in and of itself, the Great Wildebeest Migration is also an ideal opportunity to observe the spread of parasites in a natural environment because it is one of the last remaining global ecosystems that “still hosts a large intact animal migration,” per Asilia Africa. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, this is beneficial because it will allow for the greatest number of “animal movement scenarios” to study and glean insight from. The data collected during this experiment will hopefully be applicable to other large animal migrations, such as the recovering bison migration in the Great Plains. With this information, researchers will be able to predict the movement of parasites and infectious diseases, as well as the threat mobile animals that carry these infections may pose to livestock and other stationary animals. While this idea is obviously important for agricultural and farming purposes, the study of infectious disease is especially important considering the continued presence of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the two subjects may not be directly super-imposable, any studies that provide further information on disease transmission are valuable. “One very important reason is that the tools and principles of ecology are required to understand the spread of disease,” Fahrbach said. “Any research that helps us learn more about disease transmission is definitely of value.” This is not the first grant Dr. Anderson has received for his research proposals. In the past, he has also received other grants from the National Science Foundation and National Geographic relating to topics such as moisture gradients in savanna soil. Dr. Anderson’s research focuses
predominantly on the ecology and conservation of grassland and savanna ecosystems. Several of his current projects include investigating the effects of the landscape, plant quality and prevalence of predators on the distribution of large herbivore habitats, understanding how plant diversity is maintained in the savanna and researching the impact of plants and herbivores on nutrient availability.
Graphic courtesy of Wake Forest Department of Biology
In the past, Dr. Anderson has earned grants from the National Science Foundation and National Geographic.
NASA renames HQ after Mary W. Jackson NASA has renamed its D.C. headquarters to honor renowned mathematician, aerospace engineer and “hidden figure” Mary Jackson BY MARYAM KHANUM Contributing Writer khanmg20@wfu.edu In 1951, Mary Winston Jackson began her tenure with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) as a research mathematician. Seven years later, when NACA was superseded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Jackson became its first African American female engineer. She died in 2005 at the age of 83. Almost 70 years after the beginning of her career at NACA and just two weeks after the 16th anniversary of her death, Jackson was honored by the agency on Feb. 26, when they renamed their headquarters in Washington, D.C. in her honor. Jackson’s journey was brought to the forefront of discussions by Margot Lee Shetterly’s 2016 novel Hidden Figures: The Untold Story of the African American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race, and its subsequent film adaptation. The story details the endeavors of three African-American women (including Jackson) working in NACA’s heavily segregated Langley Research Center in 1951. Despite the racially charged obstacles they faced, each of these women played integral roles in NASA’s space exploration efforts at the peak of the Cold War in the mid20th century. Jackson, in particular, faced numerous challenges while working as an African American engineer during the Jim Crow era in Virginia. Her efforts to enlist in NASA’s training program and be promoted to engineer were obstructed by racial segregation, as the mathematics and
physics courses she had to take in order to qualify for the job were only held at the all-white Hampton High School. Determined to advance in her field, Jackson petitioned the City of Hampton to grant her permission to attend these classes. She was then able to complete her training and earn a promotion to aeronautic engineer. Jackson went on to author and co-author 12 technical papers published by both NACA and NASA. She also worked extensively to provide opportunities for women to serve as mathematicians, engineers and scientists during her time as the manager of Langley’s Federal Women’s Program. The plans to rename the Washington, D.C. headquarters were announced on June 24, 2020 by NASA’s thenadministrator, Jim Bridenstine. This act was preceded by the 2019 renaming of a portion of East Street Southwest in front of NASA Headquarters to “Hidden Figures Way,” following a bipartisan bill passed by Congress. “Mary W. Jackson was part of a group of very important women who helped NASA succeed in sending astronauts into space. Mary never accepted the status quo; she helped break barriers and open opportunities for African Americans and women in the field of engineering and technology,” Bridenstine said, per NASA’s website. “Hidden no more, we will continue to recognize the contributions of women, African Americans, and people of all backgrounds who have made NASA’s successful history of exploration possible.” This recognition follows a lengthy list of honors achieved by Jackson, both during her lifetime and posthumously. Most recently, in 2019, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the United States Congress’ highest expression of national appreciation. “She was a scientist, humanitarian, wife, mother and trailblazer who paved the way for thousands of others to succeed, not only at NASA, but throughout this nation,” Jackson’s daughter, Carolyn Lewis, told NASA.
Photo courtesy of NASA
Jackson was NASA’s first African American female engineer and an integral figure in the Space Race.
OPINION
T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 2 1
PAG E 8
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Cap's Corner
Pandemic response shows healthy democracy U.S. government response shows prioritization of decentralized decision-making BY CAP MCLINEY Assistant Opinion Editor mclicp19@wfu.edu
As this month marks roughly the oneyear point since the United States’ coronavirus response, it is important that we reflect on the past events and analyze them so that we can better understand how to confront issues of this magnitude in the future. Tragically, over half a million Americans have lost their lives amid the global pandemic. In the face of such a sorrowful reality, it is difficult to consider this result as anything but horrific. Out of respect for their lives, however, we must find the strength to separate ourselves from these intense feelings of grief so that we can adequately evaluate this reality from an objective standpoint. In doing so, one can accurately identify both the positive and negative attributes of our collective pandemic response so that the United States is best equipped to respond to other black swan events in the future. In looking at the general response towards combating the coronavirus, one cannot help but be struck by the lack of efficiency regarding a unified response on a national level. While considering this apparent fragmentation, one is led to consider two central questions. First, why was there not a more effective response? Additionally, does this lack of a centralized approach point towards the existence of a healthy republic? I propose that our domestic failure to implement any sort of sweeping national response serves as a positive indication that the federalist principles on which this nation was founded still have a profound influence on the way the United States functions. The separation of power between the state and federal governments, combined with the United States’ traditional respect for individual liberties and freedoms, is directly responsible for the latency which we have all experienced over the last year. To best understand this perceived positivity towards the United States’ pandemic response, one must consider the ramifications if opposite actions had taken place. What if the entire country had been forced to wear a mask, quarantine, stay home and abide by all COVID-19 regulations under the threat of severe legal repercussions imposed by the federal government?
Photo courtesy of Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/TNS
Washington's lawmakers have been working overtime to pass legislation and economic packages designed to be beneficial for Americans negatively effected by the pandemic.
Imagine if the national guard set up strategic checkpoints to ensure one was not traveling unnecessarily and, if individuals found to doing so, they were sent to jail. Consider a reality in which measures as extreme as these were implemented across the country overnight. COVID-19 rules would be the gospel, and any divergence from them would be taken as an offense punishable by the full force of the law. Without a doubt, that situational response would have yielded an effective result that might have eradicated the virus in a timely and efficient manner. But, had those measures been implemented, what might such measures indicate about the condition of our liberties? The answer is rather obvious: we would not have any. While the direct, short-term result might have allowed for the coronavirus to be defeated, the larger ramifications would have been anything but good. If the nation had acted as described in that hypothetical, the reality would be quite grim. Had the federal government taken such action, this would show that citizens, communities and states are not truly in possession of the agency to evaluate issues on their own and respond as they see fit. That said, I would like to urge readers to reconsider how they view our current state, while also acknowledging the egregious human loss which we have endured as a people. The past year has shown that our local institutions and the individuals who comprise them still hold the funda-
mental right to act on their own accord without authoritarian intervention from the federal government. We don’t live in a totalitarian state where vast changes can be made overnight and regulations imposed at whim. Even if those rules and punishments are designed with the common good in mind, the slope of that type of swift action grows quite slippery if localized choice is eliminated. The democratic republic in which we live was intentionally designed to be slow-moving and thorough to foster deliberation and to protect the thoughts of the individual. To use an analogy, the delicate nature of freedom under government can be best compared to the flame on top of a candle. That candle is being carried by a person who is, symbolically, the federal government. If that person responsible for keeping the candle burning decides to run too quickly or jerks around on a whim then, poof, the flame of liberty goes out. It is with that image in mind that one can begin to understand how the past year can be considered beneficial. You must first acknowledge the individual agency within an organized society to be of importance. As we evaluate and consider the nature of our collective response and plan for the future, we must think about what options can be employed so that we are best able to handle national crises while simultaneously protecting the critical individual freedoms that have made the United States a symbol of hope around the world.
Opinion | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, March 4, 2021 | Page 9
Sophomores“ experience spring as freshmen Campus Life
Sophomores will share their first spring semester with current class of freshmen Ansley McNeel
Staff Columnist mcnear19@wfu.edu
At this point, it would generally be a safe assumption that sophomores know more than freshmen about what it’s like to be a student at Wake Forest. This year, however, I believe that sophomores are essentially freshmen once again now that we are approaching a portion of the spring semester that we have yet to experience on campus. When the outbreak of COVID-19 forced colleges to send home students, it was almost exactly a year ago from this week. This means that from this point and onwards, sophomores are almost no
...sophomores are almost no more experienced in living on campus in spring than the freshmen are. ” more experienced in springtime at Wake Forest than the freshmen are. This may seem like a small and trivial point to make. After all, who cares that we have not seen spring as sophomores? We lived here a whole semester before that. My argument is this: sophomores, do you truly know what a regular day looked like pre-COVID-19 in late March? Do you know what it's like to watch WFU sports that are active druing the spring season, only? Do you know what the last day of class looks like on campus when it is warm and sunny out? Have you attended Waken-Shake? Have you really experienced all of the hallmarks of Wake Forest until you have been here for the whole year? Last year’s freshmen had to watch the magnolia trees bloom on the Wake Forest Instagram page, just as the current freshmen did. Last year’s freshmen watched the quad-cam and dreamt of a better future
to come — just as the current freshmen did. Last year’s freshmen watched spring in the Forest unfold from our childhood homes just as the current freshmen did. We all have had the same level of firsthand spring experience. These traditions and experiences may not seem important when compared to the long amount of time that current sophomores have spent on campus before many freshmen had even committed to attending Wake Forest. However, this semester is starting to feel different to me. Every day in this past week, it has been beautiful outside. People have begun to do their homework outside at the quad tables. When I see these things I feel a sense of newness, I don’t know what to expect next from our student body, and I have felt some of the anticipation that accompanied each day of my own freshman year. Today, I got to sign up for my very first Wake-N-Shake, an event that I have been looking forward to since before I was even a student. I live in Taylor Residence Hall, which is full of freshmen this year because of the COVID-19 student density policies.
Being surrounded by the freshmen at all times makes me realize how few the differences are between us. Some of the freshmen even know of some things about campus that I didn’t, like what the best order at Camino or Campus Grounds is. Many of them are in my divisional classes as well. As non-freshmen, we love to pretend that we know more about life than the freshmen do. In reality, this is sometimes not true at all. I might even say I know less about what I want to do in my life than I did when I first stepped on campus in the fall of 2019. Since we do not even rush until the second semester, it is also true that many of the current sophomores did not get the chance to draw close to many other upperclassmen, who might have served as guides or mentors for them. In these ways, I see myself as quite similar to the freshmen on campus right now. And in many ways, this is a unifying, positive mindset that most of us could benefit from. We are all just trying our best to find our place and enjoy as much of Wake Forest’s campus life as we can.
online followings. And even then, I’m selling Twitter short. The fact is that I’m a Twitter greenhorn. I’ve just recently stumbled upon the app’s colossal upside. So many ordinary kids, working adults, and retired people have been given a virtual megaphone with which they can dispense quality content — content with which established media companies must compete. Some of this change is remarkably beneficial. Underneath anyone’s surface-level understanding of Twitter, there are entire communities teeming with positive personal connection and representation. There’s a Black Twitter, a journalism Twitter, a k-pop Twitter, a feminist Twitter among many more. The list is getting longer by the day. These communities are places where individuals craft their own identities, make meaningful relationships and solve significant life obstacles with literal miracles. Those in a life-threatening pinch for money go to Twitter, among other apps. They go to the community that isn’t there for them in-person. I can’t tell you how many times within my short stay on Twitter that I’ve seen a user’s life completely turned around as a result of one viral tweet and thousands of donations. Yet, herein lies the problem (and the only purpose for me writing anything about Twitter as a complete entity). Like every other rewarding aspect of society, we’ve got to introduce a little bit of capi-
talism into the equation at some point. Free resources and communication are a no-no, especially when they grant anyone access to privileged information. For a recent example, take Reddit’s WallStreetBets, a forum where average people joined forces to pull off a massive short-squeeze which caused $70 billion in losses for the short positions of U.S. firms. Twitter has recently announced the “Super Follows” payment feature. You remember all those tweets asking how Twitter was free? Here’s the answer. In the near future, you’re probably going to have to pay $4.99 or more to look at certain tweets or fleets, depending on how much the Twitter user charges for a subscription. It’s a slam-dunk, Trojan-horse business proposal for the Twitter execs and their fearless long-bearded leader. On the one hand, everyone’s going to want those small-time Twitter creators to finally get their due in the form of paid subscriptions, but on the other hand, there’s going to be a price wall for necessary news information and anything else that might’ve been advantageous in the past. The goal of corporations has always been to increase total revenue in the most efficient way possible, not to cater to the rights and liberties of the people who depend upon them. If you care about the internet and the freedom that it provides, you’ll stand up and protest this new feature.
“ Twitter unleashes harmful new payment feature Social Media
Twitter's new "Super Follows" feature represents grave threat to internet freedom Connor McNeely Opinion Editor mcnecb19@wfu.edu
At one point in our lives, we have all taken something for granted. Maybe you never thanked that high school teacher who inspired you to pursue your current major or dream career. Perhaps you had a friend that you never truly appreciated until they left. It could even be true that you never thanked your grandmother after she spoiled you for so many years. If you’re a normal person, some of these cases if not all of them might apply to you. However, if you’re someone like me — they’re all true in a more technical sense. The tricky thing is, none of these examples are relevant to me anymore. Instead, their sentiments have been combined into a single, all-powerful, despotic entity more cunning than Machiavelli, funnier than 2000s-era Will Ferrell and, at times, more saint-like than Mother Teresa. I know what you’re thinking. That’s a bold trio — probably the boldest assemblage of virtue to ever grace the pages of the Old
Twitter ... the vast treasury of knowledge, humor and wisdom that so many take for granted.”
Gold & Black. Questions ought to be running through your head. Questions like: who or what could supplant such auspicious characters? How could something with so much to offer be available to you, of all people? The answer, my friends, is quite clear and not at all unexpected: Twitter, the platinum plateau of social media — cocreated by one of the lost dwarves of Erebor — is that chief achievement of all virtual society and the vast treasury of knowledge, humor and wisdom that so many of us take for granted. Something like 75% of all online humor is supplied by Twitter and the wonderful miscreants that frolick through its blogging chains. People are continually inspired by the things that they see on the app. Movie ideas, illustrations, financial advice — you name it. Twitter has both the potential to brighten your life and to darken it, depending on where you choose to go and what you are searching for. Now, for common users, there are regular people who have been elevated as famous citizens of Twitter. Their backbone is mostly humor. Accounts like @abbygov, @CaucausianJames and @bocxtop are just a few examples of Twitter creators that have capitalized on large
SPORTS
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Online at: www.wfuogb.com Twitter: @sports_ogb Editors: Essex Thayer, thayse20@wfu.edu Christina DeNovio, denoca20@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Baseball goes 1-3 in second week Wake Forest falls to Coastal Carolina, then loses two of three against Notre Dame BY JAKE STUART Assistant Sports Editor stuaja20@wfu.edu Tuesday, Feb. 23- Wake Forest 1, Coastal Carolina 4 Wake Forest freshman pitcher Rhett Lowder threw an absolute gem against Coastal Carolina in his first start, but it was not enough, as the Demon Deacons fell in extra innings. Lowder is ranked as the No. 491 recruit in the nation by Perfect Game, the No. 12 prospect in North Carolina and was twice named the pitcher of the year in both the conference and the county. On Tuesday, he went six innings and tossed ten strikeouts while only giving up two hits and one run. His exceptional performance placed him at No. 8 in Baseball America’s "Week One Freshman of the Year Watch." Furthermore, Wake Forest struck out 20 batters in 12 innings, the most by a Wake Forest pitching staff since stats were first tracked in 1999. In a game that lasted four and a half hours, Coastal Carolina opened the scoring in the sixth inning with a solo home run to right-center from Makenzie Pate. The Demon Deacons answered in the eighth inning off a double to right-center from junior Michael Turconi, which scored sophomore Pierce Bennett. The game would go to extra innings all tied up at one. It was Coastal Carolina that would ultimately break free in the twelfth inning with the bases loaded. Wake Forest pitcher Brennan Oxford walked Coastal Carolina
outfielder Parker Chavers home with nobody out. He would strike out the next batter before walking in two more runners and making the score 4-1 in favor of the Chanticleers. The hill was too steep for Wake Forest to climb, and they dropped to 2-2. Wake Forest left nine runners on base during the game. After scoring 27 runs in the three-game series against Northeastern, Wake Forest was only able to accrue one run against Coastal Carolina. Saturday, Feb. 27 (Game 1)- Wake Forest 10, Notre Dame 8 Wake Forest overcame a 7-2 deficit to take game one against Notre Dame in a high-scoring affair. The game, which was originally scheduled for Friday, was postponed to Saturday afternoon following a rainstorm in the Winston-Salem area. Notre Dame first baseman Niko Kavadas opened up the scoring in the first inning with a two-run home run. The Demon Deacons answered back in the bottom of the second inning off a single from freshman Lucas Costello which made the score 2-1. But there was Kavadas again, this time outdoing his earlier heroics, blasting a three-run home run to make the score 5-1 in favor of Notre Dame. Despite the slow start from junior Wake Forest starting pitcher Ryan Cusick, the home runs from Kavadas were the only runs Cusick would surrender all day. Cusick finished the day with a stellar 12 strikeouts in 5.1 innings. He gave up only four hits, three walks and the five runs. Not often does a pitcher get a win and hit a home run in the same game, especially at the college level. Wake Forest senior Cole McNamee did just that and then some.
Granted, he only pitched against one batter in the eighth inning, but it was at a crucial point for the Demon Deacons. McNamee also blasted a solo home run in the sixth inning, and added another base hit to further solidify his huge day. His home run brought Wake Forest within three in the sixth inning with the score 5-2. Notre Dame would add a pair of runs off a David Lamanna single in the seventh inning to extend the lead to 7-2. Wake Forest bounced back in the seventh with a solo home run from senior Chris Lanzilli. Freshman Brock Wilken, who started his tenure with the Demon Deacons with a game-winning home run on opening day, proved to be clutch once again. He launched a ball to left-center field that sent home senior Shane Muntz and made the score 7-5. The scoring wouldn’t end there, though. An eighth-inning rally was exactly what the doctor ordered for Wake Forest. The bats came alive and the Demon Deacons scored five runs behind four hits from Muntz, Wilken, Costello and Turconi. Freshman Camden Minacci stepped in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and picked up his second save of the season.
second, third and fourth innings to tie the game up at four. But, in the seventh inning, a wild pitch from freshman Crawford Wade gave the lead back to Notre Dame. The Demon Deacons looked to capitalize at the bottom of the ninth, down just one run with a runner on first, but Lanzilli grounded into a double play, ending Wake Forest’s chances of a win. Junior starting pitcher William Fleming went six innings for Wake Forest, striking out eight batters, while allowing four runs on five hits and two walks. The top of the order dominated for the Demon Deacons, with the first four batters Costello, Turconi, Lanzilli and Seymour coming up with seven of the team's eight total hits. But these were not enough. "Obviously it was disappointing to not find a way to win that second game," said Head Coach Tom Walter. "It’s just hard to sweep a doubleheader. We had some chances. Once we got to 4-4, we were in great shape to win the game." Sunday, Feb. 28 (Game 3)- Wake Forest 0, Notre Dame 10
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons never got the bats going at David Couch Ballpark Sunday and suffered a tough loss to An early grand slam by Notre Dame end the series against the Fighting Irish. The beginning-of-game woes continued proved too much for Wake Forest to handle in a tight contest to round out the for Wake Forest, as they surrendered three runs in the first inning. The Demon Deadoubleheader. In the nightcap on Saturday, the Irish cons gave up two runs in the first inning got out to an early lead. Notre Dame load- of the Saturday afternoon game, and then ed the bases with two outs in the first in- another four runs in the first inning of ning, and Alex Brait launched a home run game two in the series. A pair of singles from Jared Miller and to left field — just like that it was 4-0. Wake Forest would climb their way David LaManna gave the Fighting Irish a back into the contest, scoring runs in the 2-0 lead, and one more run was added on an Alex Brait groundout to second base. The Demon Deacons were forced to go to the bullpen early, as the starting pitcher, junior Shane Smith, was pulled from the game due to an apparent injury. This is scary news for Wake Forest, who announced Saturday night that senior starting pitcher Antonio Menendez is done for the season. Wake Forest’s starting rotation went from five viable starters down to just three, only two weeks into the season. Freshman Rhett Lowder, originally scheduled to pitch Wednesday against Western Carolina, was brought into the game in the third inning to replace Shane Smith for the Demon Deacons. In a tough spot, Lowder gave up three runs on a bases-clearing double by Brooks Coetzee. The score was now 6-0 in favor of Notre Dame. Coetzee was not done, and in the fifth inning, he doubled to left field sending two more runners home and making the score 8-0. An error led to two more runs for Notre Dame and that was how the game finished. The Demon Deacons will now have Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics some time off, as COVID has riddled the Sophomore infielder Michael Turconi batting against Notre Dame. Turconi has 12 hits in 29 plate appearances, program. The team was forced to cancel good for a .414 batting average. He has started all of Wake Forest's seven games this season. their next four games. Saturday, Feb. 27 (Game 2)- Wake Forest 4, Notre Dame 5
Opinion | Old Gold & Black
Gaming
Thursday, March 4, 2021 | Page 10
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Women in video game community face an uphill climb Female Super Smash Bros. players still face challenges of discrimination Isabella Mason Staff Columnist masoif20@wfu.edu
The video game series, Super Smash Bros. has had an incredible evolution over the years. To give you a brief history of these drastic changes, Super Smash Bros. (1991) was originally released for the Nintendo 64 gaming console and remained relevant until Super Smash Bros. Melee was released for the GameCube in 2001. Both were popularly received and achieved widespread critical acclaim. Super Smash Bros. remains a game with a huge audience even to this day. In 2008, Super Smash Bros. Brawl was released for the Wii, and in 2014 Smash was released once again for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Finally, in 2018, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was released for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo’s flagship console. The new and improved gameplay garnered universal praise from the gaming community and cemented the Smash video game series as one of the major party games. Super
... it is inarguable that any issue concerning a lack of accountability is of the utmost importance.” Smash Bros. is a great series of games and has a vast community behind it. I would say the two most active Smash Bros. communities these days are those of the Melee and Ultimate games, respectively. The 20-year assembly of the Smash community has necessitated a ton of effort and care. Groups of Smash players have fostered a spirit of organizational innovation between themselves, weaving intricate networks of competitive play that take place all over the world. These different tournaments are extremely popular. They range from tiny, lowstakes tournaments like that of the Wake Forest Esports league, to huge worldwide tournaments, like EVO, which occurs annually in Las Vegas. But in 2020, the negative aspects of the Smash community began to emerge from the woodworks. Allegations of predatory behavior from top players began to seep out from the cracks. These accusations, many of them being made towards skilled and popular players, shook the Smash community and sparked a serious conversation about accountability. While perusing the Melee subreddit, I found comments that directed
me towards a YouTube video called “Why Don’t More Women Play Smash?” It was there that I discovered a fascinating discussion about popular Melee player Mang0. Mang0 is a high-ranking Melee player who has done a lot for the Melee scene, having been an active and popular participant for over a decade. Although the problem that some in the Smash community have with him contains some nuanced elements, it is unarguable that any issue concerning a lack of accountability is of the utmost importance. Mang0 recently posted a tweet that read,“Just remember one thing, you can [expletive] my [explitive] or not watch me at all.” In Reddit comments about Mang0 — who is a very important and respected member of the Melee community — Redditors argued about the implications of this statement. In this seemingly funny and innocent tweet, Mang0 demonstrates a prevalent attitude in the Smash community regarding women and past mistakes. In other words, he’s saying, ‘I’m not owning up to my role in the community’s discourse, and if you don’t like that, then you can go away.’ It is important to understand that this controversy would not be nearly as problematic if it weren’t for the Smash community’s terrible history with women. In countless stream-
ing videos, commentators have been seencommentingonawoman’sbody in the middle of a tournament game. What I think a lot of top Smash players don’t realize is that this hint of behavior influences the young people who look up to them. For little girls who play Smash — or even 19-year-old girls like me — there is no representation within the Smash community. If you want to be great at Smash as a female, you better get ready to be a pioneer. For little boys who watch their favorite Smash players and either hear comments made about women within a stream or see that female characters are being utterly destroyed by sexualization, an example is actively being set for them to follow. The standard that is being perpetuated is that Smash is a man’s game — and with the fact that there are no top female players, this standard looks like it is set in stone. Don’t get me wrong, I love Smash and its community. Even though I consider myself to be an extremely casual player, I have made some of my closest friends this year through the Intramural Smash league. However, part of my introduction into this community has led me to realize that there is a long road of accountability ahead for all Smash organizations, and the video game community at large.
od of connecting with friends or finding out what they were up to. I would get lost trying to go off campus without the Maps app. I wouldn’t even be able to talk to my parents. There are so many more examples, but these show how intricately these devices are woven into our daily lives. Many of us are truly incapable of completing most daily activities without them. Ever since the pandemic has started, I think our society has become more reliant on technology for avenues to connect with others. I know that my screen time increased immensely, and as a result, my mental health has declined. I think social media allows us to connect, which is a good thing but makes us feel guilty or lonely, for each second of the day when we are not connecting. This in turn has fueled anxiety, depression, loneliness and other problems that college students encounter on a daily. This specific effect of social media should be very concerning. After all, don’t we want to control our social media and how it affects us, as opposed to the other way around? As college students, we already have a million other responsibilities that fight for our attention and time throughout the day. We have to think about classes,
friends, family, our health, COVID-19 regulations and our futures. Overuse of social media simply provides an additional competitor for our time, and frankly, one we could do without. I cannot help but wonder, what would happen if we usedthetimewespentendlesslyscrolling through social media to improve on other areas of our lives? Would we do better in our classes?Would we enjoy the little moments with our friends? Would we read a book, go outside or learn a new skill that would enrich our personal lives? Perhaps not, but, I am sure we can all think of other activities that are more useful, more productive and more worthwhile to spend our energy on. After setting restrictions for my time on social media, I felt relieved. I felt like I was taking one step in the right direction, away from the addictive nature of technology, and making a choice to better myself. I have begun leaving my phone in the room when going to say hello to suitemates or putting it in my backpack as I walk to class. In these decisions, I have realized that controlling social media’s addictive nature does not have to be painful or extreme. Rather, it can take the form of simple everyday choices that help to regain control.
Social media“ presents obstacle to quality time Social Media
Daily restrictions on social media usage can lead to healthy lifestyle changes Jessica Schmidt
Staff Columnist schmja19@wfu.edu
Recently, I had to watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix for a class. I had heard of this docudrama before watching it and knew from others’ reactions that it had the specific effect of making people want to delete their social media accounts. I was not surprised that it had this effect on people. Throughout the documentary, various former executives, employees and creators of the behemoth technology industries like Google or Facebook shared information about the dangers of the technology they helped to create. While I could not bring myself to completely abandon my social media presence, I did go to the screen report on my phone to set time limits for various apps to help monitor and diminish my usage.
Ever since the pandemic has started, I think our society has become more reliant on technology...” In the documentary, we are the label that is used to describe the consumers of the technology market was brought up: users. It is only in technology and illicit drugs in which people are referred to as users. This especially stood out to me because of the phrase that captures technology’s addicting and manipulative effects. We, as a society, are users of technology, a drug that can be as harmful as any other illegal substance. The docudrama also shared how the technology industry profits from human futures and makes its money based on how efficiently and effectively it can trap you on the platform for x-number of hours per day. I have never truly thought about the idea that we as users are the ones being sold to these various advertisers. It is because of them that our social media is free. Although humans are individuals and free beings — or at least we tend to think we are — it is clear that our societal libertieshavebeenrecreatedaroundtheuseof technology. If I went without my phone for a week, I would have no other meth-
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Old Gold & Black | Sports
Women’s basketball drops two on the road Wake Forest suffers two losses, hindering their NCAA Tournament aspirations BY ESSEX THAYER Sports Editor thayse20@wfu.edu
Miami (FL) 69 - Wake Forest 67 Despite an all-out fourth-quarter push from Wake Forest, Miami pulled out a win in Coral-Gables, dealing a devastating blow to the Demon Deacons’ quest to return to the NCAA Tournament. Wake Forest was led by senior Ivana Raca, who scored 22 points, securing her seventh 20-plus game of the season. Wake Forest got off to a hot start in the first quarter, with junior Christina Morra driving in for a lay-up and the foul, giving the Demon Deacons an early 3-0 lead. From that point on, though, Wake Forest struggled mightily to find points, only scoring five in the following five minutes. With 2:29 remaining in the quarter, two points from Conti at the foul line helped settle the rattled Wake Forest offense. With the offense settled, the Demon Deacons began to tear into the Miami lead, which was as high as nine in the quarter. With just over a minute remaining in the quarter, Conti nailed a three-pointer to bring Wake Forest within three points. The quarter ended with that same deficit. The Demon Deacons stayed right on the Hurricanes’ tail for much of the second quarter. With 4:41 remaining before halftime, Conti found a wide-open sophomore Olivia Summiel. She made an easy lay-up to bring the Deacons within two points. 90 seconds later, Spear found Raca for a three-pointer
from the top of the key, giving Wake Forest their first lead since early in the first quarter. From that point on, Miami closed the half on an 8-2 run, leading 32-28 at halftime. The Demon Deacons began the third quarter on a 5-2 run, capped off by an and-one conversion from sophomore Alexandria Scruggs to give Wake Forest the lead. Miami responded with a streak of their own, scoring the next seven points to widen their lead to eight. Wake Forest stayed in the game with a pair of three-pointers from Scruggs, closing the gap to 49-47. The hot-streak from the sophomore forced Miami to call a timeout at the 2:58 mark. Despite multiple Wake Forest chances to take the lead at the end of the quarter, Miami hung on, bringing them into the final period with a slim four-point edge. Raca kept the Demon Deacons within striking distance, scoring a bucket from the elbow at the 6:37 mark before scoring two from the free-throw line on the following possession. With 3:17 left in the game, Wake Forest finally snatched back the lead with a five-foot floater from Raca. The senior’s shot capped off a 12-3 run that began with the Demon Deacons trailing by eight points. Unfortunately for Wake Forest, the Hurricanes found a way to close the game on a run in response, scoring seven points to Wake Forest’s four. This left Miami with a two-point lead and a slim win at the final buzzer. At the postgame press conference, Head Coach Jen Hoover lamented some of her team’s early mistakes. “I just did not think our defensive details were good from the jump,” Hoover said. “This team is going to fight … If we lock into the details early, we do not have to fight for our lives, and tonight we were in a fight for our lives.”
Florida State 59 - Wake Forest 51 Despite leading going into the fourth quarter, Wake Forest dropped their regular-season finale in Tallahassee on Feb. 28. Raca once again led the Demon Deacons with 19 points. With eight points, Conti hit a milestone, becoming the 29th player in program history to cross the 1000-point barrier. In the first quarter, Raca got the ball rolling for the Demon Deacons, scoring on Wake Forest’s first two possessions. Raca continued to lead the Demon Deacons through the game’s early stages, converting nine of Wake Forest’s first 11 points. The end of the first quarter found the teams square at 11. Going into the second quarter, Florida State began to respect Raca’s scoring prowess, collapsing on her early when she received the ball. As a result, many other Demon Deacons had open opportunities for shots. Scruggs and Spear took advantage of those openings, scoring three straight three-pointers on a 9-0 run for Wake Forest, giving them a five-point lead with just over five minutes remaining in the half. To end the half, Florida State completed a six-point run, giving the Demon Deacons a tight two-point lead as the teams returned to the locker rooms. Conti kickstarted the Wake Forest offense two minutes into the third quarter, hitting a three-pointer from the right corner, giving the Demon Deacons a four-point lead. That three-pointer was the shot that put Conti over the 1000 point mark. With less than three minutes left in the quarter, Spear drove hard towards the basket, drawing contact on the made lay-up. She converted from the free-throw line to cap off the andone, extending the Wake Forest lead to six. The Seminoles ended the quarter on a quick four-point run, giving the De-
mon Deacons a two-point lead going into the final period of play. The final quarter of Wake Forest’s regular season began with a defensive battle, with both teams combining for only ten points in the first five minutes. From there, Florida State turned on the burners, ending the game on a 13-7 run to win the game by six. Wake Forest was outrebounded by 18 in the game, which Hoover harped on in the postgame press conference. “It was just a rough night all around. The game was won by rebounds, bottom line … If you are going to get outrebounded by 18, you are not going to win,” she said. The two-loss road trip puts the Demon Deacons in a very precarious position going into the ACC Tournament. They will certainly need to make a deep run to be considered for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1988. They face off against North Carolina to start the tournament on March 4.
Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
Guard Gina Conti shooting a threepoint jumper against Florida State.
Demarcus Cousins’ future remains uncertain
Cousins’ career may be coming to an end following his release from the Houston Rockets BY CONOR ROBBINS Contributing Writer robbcm19@wfu.edu
The Houston Rockets waived center Demarcus Cousins on Feb. 23 in an effort to promote floor spacing and continue to enhance a small ball pedigree that had been a hallmark of the franchise throughout Mike D’antoni’s tenure. Cousins, who suffered a torn ACL in the 2019 offseason, had stints of productivity as a backup big on an overhauled Houston roster. However, his back-tobasket style of play, slow legs on defense and 33 percent clip from beyond the arc have left the four-time all-star without a home for the second time in two seasons. Meanwhile, the surprising play of Most Improved Player of the Year candidate Christian Wood has provided Rocket’s management with the necessary confidence to undergo a full rebuild and youth movement following the depar-
ture of James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in January. Cousins quickly became a necessary casualty of this process, as Wood quickly proved to be the younger and more versatile of the two centers. It’s not all cloudy skies for “Boogie” however, as many playoff contenders are likely to pursue the veteran’s services as a means of filling the increasingly important role of the “glue guy,” an important roster player, as we enter the stretch run of a coronavirus shortened season where depth and dependability are more important than ever. NBA media and blog boys alike have had a grand time speculating about Cousins’ next destination. Could a reunion be in order with the likes of the Golden State Warriors or Los Angeles Lakers? Could the big man look to elevate a middling playoff contender such as the New York Knicks or Charlotte Hornets? Or does Boogie chase that elusive ring one last time with the likes of the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat or Los Angeles Clippers? At 30 years old, Cousins is justifiably removed from his days of producing at
an All-NBA level following achilles and ACL injuries in quick succession. The perseverance of the 11-year veteran to continue to recover and compete at the highest level demonstrates a passion for the game that has allowed him to garner so much success. However, Cousins’ next destination may provide him with his toughest test yet. Less than four years ago, Cousins was considered one of the best players in the entire league. Now, the free-agent runs the risk of becoming a dinosaur in a modern NBA where the center position demands a player who can stretch the floor and also enforce on the inside. Look no further than 26-year-old centers Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, who are battling night in and night out with their fast pace and floor-stretching abilities to become the first centers to win league MVP since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000. Will Cousins join a graveyard of young centers, such as Roy Hibbert and Andrew Bynum, who couldn’t live up to their AllNBA play, or does one of the toughest guys that this generation has ever seen still have one more punch left in him?
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/TNS
Cousins at the rim while playing against the Sacramento Kings.
Sports | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, March 4, 2021 | Page 13
Deacon Spotlight: Luciano Tacchi BY CHRISTINA DENOVIO Sports Editor denoca20@wfu.edu
Joining the Wake Forest men’s tennis team all the way from Bella Vista, Argentina, Luciano Tacchi is a freshman new to campus this semester. Born in Córdoba before moving to Bella Vista, Tacchi attended Instituto Santa Rita for high school. He won eight tournament titles — three of which came in 2018 — and ranked as high as No. 20 in ITF Junior World Tennis rankings. With aspirations of playing professionally, he has made it his mission to dominate his opponents during his time playing for Wake Forest. So far, he’s done just that. Tacchi is currently undefeated; his first four wins at singles came against Wofford (6-4, 7-5), The Citadel (61, 6-0), NC Wesleyan (6-3, 6-1) and Davidson (6-2, 1-6, 6-3). New to campus and from a foreign country, Tacchi is still adjusting to the Wake Forest community, but his early success is a good omen for the rest of his career here. Christina DeNovio: How did you get into tennis? Luciano Tacchi: I started playing because my grandfather played. The courts were next to my home. I played more, and more and more. El deporte me empezó a gustar mucho, y después de eso, nunca paré. (I started to like the sport a lot, and after that, I never stopped). I was six years old when I started. CD: What made you choose to play tennis at Wake Forest? LT: I think this is the best place where I can improve my tennis and become a professional tennis player. CD: How is the cultural shift between Argentina and the U.S., especially North Carolina? LT: It’s different. Now in Argentina, it’s summer, here it’s winter. The thing I miss most is the food. That’s the thing that’s the most different. The other things are pretty much the same. I feel very comfortable here.
CD: Do you have any personal goals for your LT: La verdad que no tengo ningún ritual antes de los partidos. A veces escucho música. (The time at Wake Forest? truth is that I don’t have any type of rituals before LT: My goal is just to be the best tennis player I playing a match. Sometimes I like to listen to mucan be. To win everything here, and after Wake sic.) Forest, to become a professional tennis player. CD: How do you balance schoolwork, classes, CD: At what age did you realize you wanted to practice and a social life? Can you describe what your days are like? play professional tennis? LT: Normally in the morning I have my classes. I try to study at that time. Then, we practice in the afternoon. Then, when I come back from practice, I’ll study or I’ll go work with the tutors. After that, I’ll eat with the guys or maybe go play CD: How would you describe being a part of some games. Wake Forest’s tennis team? CD: Have you had a bad practice since you’ve LT: It’s amazing. All the players and the coaches, been here? If you have, what would be your plan they know so much about tennis. They are great to come back better? people. I think that’s most important to me. All Since I’ve been here, I haven’t had a bad my teammates are great tennis players and great LT: practice. But if I do, I think I would talk to the people too. I feel very comfortable here. I feel coach about area I’m failing in. That way like a part of the team, part of the league, part the next day which I can change that and have a better of the group of guys. Being my first semester on practice. campus, that is very important to me. CD: What do you think distinguishes you from CD: How did it feel to win both of your first two other players, on and off the court? matches? LT: I think a good thing about being a clay court LT: It was amazing. To get two victories, it was player is that in our game, we have grind. We very nice. That made me feel very confident in like playing long points, fighting. Eso es mi myself. It was very nice to start off with two vic- juego. (That’s my game.) But, the most difficult tories. thing for me. When we play indoors, is I have to adjust my game and be more aggressive. If I CD: What does a typical practice look like? play my game, it’s difficult to win points or to get comfortable in the match. It can be good [at LT: We have group practices, where we practice times], but sometimes [it’s] not good. with all the teammates. Then, if we want, we can have individual practice. So, I’m trying to have CD: Do you ever think about what kind of proboth because both are important. I think the in- fession you would like to pursue once your tendividual practices are very good because it’s just nis career ends? the coaches and me. I can practice whatever I want. LT: La verdad que por ahora siempre pienso en el tenis y es en lo que quiero estar involucrado CD: Do you have any type of pre-game rituals todos los días. (The truth is that for now, I always before stepping on the court? think about tennis. It’s what I want to do everyday.) LT: Decidí a la edad de los 13 años cuando dejé mi ciudad para dedicarme full time al tenis. (I decided at 13 years old when I left the city I grew up in to dedicate myself full time to tennis.)
CD: What have you learned since being a part of the team? LT: I’m learning about my teammates, the way that they play. I think that I’m learning to be more aggressive, to serve better, finish the point at the net, to be more complete with my game. In Argentina, we are not used to finishing the point at the net, or playing at the net. I think that is the biggest change in my game. CD: What have you learned from your teammates? LT: I always try to watch the guys from here [the United States] because they were raised here, playing on indoor courts, on hard courts. I’m trying to see how they move on the court, how they play. Every time I watch them, I learn something. CD: How is the game different here in North Carolina as compared to Argentina? LT: I think that the biggest change is that we only play on clay courts back home, and we play on hard courts here. I need to learn how to improve my play on hard courts to improve my game.
Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
Luciano Tacchi looking off to his teammates’ courts during his singles match against the Davidson Wildcats on Feb. 28 at the Wake Forest Tennis Center.
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Old Gold & Black | Sports
Tiger Woods injured in car accident Woods suffered life-threatening injuries, including compound fractures, in a one-car crash BY NICK HAYMAN Contributing Writer haymnh19@wfu.edu On Tuesday, Feb 23, Tiger Woods was involved in a one-car accident in Los Angeles while on his way to a video shoot with Golf Digest at Rolling Hills Country Club. At 7:12 a.m. PST, Woods’ 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV veered onto the wrong side of the road and crashed into a nearby hillside. Woods was the only person in the car when the accident occurred. LA County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Carlos Gonzalez was the first to arrive on the scene. “It’s very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive,” Gonzalez said. The interior of the car remained intact and the LACSD confirmed that Woods was wearing his seatbelt when the crash occurred. The seatbelt and the deployment of the airbags were essential in preventing the accident from being fatal. Gonzalez and other first responders reported that Woods showed no signs of impairment and was “calm and lucid” when the authorities arrived. The LACSD is treating the crash as an accident and is not considering any charges against Woods. Per Golf Digest, the golfer suffered “comminuted open fractures to the upper and lower portions of his tibia and fibula in his right leg, as well as damage to the ankle bones and trauma to the muscle and soft tissue of the leg.” After the crash, Woods was rushed to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he spent most of the day in major surgery. As reported by Golf Digest, “Woods’ right leg was stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia. Screws and pins were used to stabilize the bones in the foot and ankle.”
Considering the long, intensive surgeries that Woods underwent, it is doubtful that he tees it up on TV anytime soon. This is obviously devastating for golf fans, who were looking forward to seeing Woods make his return to golf in April at the Masters. While many were saddened that Woods would have to spend an even longer time away from professional golf, others have spoken out and said that this should be the least of our concerns. Four-time major winner and Woods’ friend Rory McIlroy emphasized this message. “At this stage I think everyone should just be grateful that he’s here, that he’s alive, that his kids haven’t lost their dad,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. Golf is so far from the equation right now, it’s not even on the map at this point.” McIlroy’s insights were a good reminder that Tiger Woods is so much more than just a golfer.
Support for Woods has continued to flood in since last Tuesday. Former president Barack Obama, Serena Williams, Jack Nicklaus, Alex Rodriguez and many more extended their prayers to the Woods family. Most notably, dozens of players at the WGC Workday Championship wore red and black on Sunday to support Woods. Players such as McIlroy, Jason Day, Tony Finau, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed and Phil Mickelson all donned Tiger’s iconic red shirt and black pants during their Sunday rounds. On Sunday, Woods acknowledged the outpour of love and support. “It is hard to explain how touching today was when I turned on the TV and saw the red shirts,” Woods said. “To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time.”
Jamie Squire/Getty Images/TNS
Woods watches his shot at the PGA Championship at TPC Harding in 2020. He will likely be unable to compete in the 2021 edition of the tournament.
JJ Watt surprises, chooses to sign with Arizona Watt was expected to pursue teams such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Green Bay, but instead, chose the guaranteed money BY NICO PANOS Contributing Writer panonc19@wfu.edu
with $9 million more in incentives — indeed, Watt is getting fed well in this deal. Why might Watt have chosen the Cardinals over other NFL powers who look much closer to Super Bowl berths? Well, for starters, a good paycheck is usually something no mortal man can pass up, especially given the high-risk situation Watt finds himself in after missing 32 of the possible 80 games over the past five seasons. Also, he is joining a defense that already has a top-tier pass-rusher in Chandler Jones. This creates a scary combo on the defensive side of the ball for the Cardinals.
Finally, an interesting point can be made concerning the role former Houston Texan and current Cardinal wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins may have had in leveraging Watt away from other potential suitors. Though no official sources have confirmed this a possibility, it is quite intriguing to consider the effect this past relationship may have had on Watt’s decision. It is unquestionably going to be odd seeing Watt in the Cardinal red, but if this past Super Bowl has taught us anything, an old star moving to a historically poor team may just end in an NFL title.
As one of the most renowned defensive players in the league, 32-year-old defensive end JJ Watt commands respect. Though his play has regressed over the past few years, any team would like to have a figure like Watt in their locker room. This is not the first star Houston Texan wanting to jump off of the broken saddle. Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson’s frustration with the organization has been brought out and into the open as he looks for a ticket out of Houston. Watt recently demanded his release from the organization, becoming an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his illustrious career. Much speculation has been made as to where the three-time Defensive Player of the Year would decide to go. Some predicted Watt would return to his roots in Wisconsin and help the Green Bay Packers get over the NFC Championship Game hurdle. Others have been excited about the possibility of Watt joining his skilled younger brother TJ in the Steel City of Pittsburgh in the growing rebirth of the Steel Curtain defense. The now diminishing New England Patriots may have also had a shot to land Watt as they look to bounce back after a down year. On Twitter, Watt surprised many around the league by posting a picture of himself in an Arizona Cardinals shirt Peter Aiken/Getty Images/TNS while lifting weights. While it is a surprising choice, sources say that his con- Watt’s departure signals a time of reckoning in Houston. If the Texans trade Deshaun tract spans two years and has $23 million guaranteed, Watson, they will have lost three generational talents in the span of two years.
Page 15| Thursday, March 4, 2021
Old Gold & Black | Sports
Women’s golf wins first tournament of the year Wake Forest got off to a hot start in tournament play placing first in the Palmetto Intercollegiate in South Carolina BY BRY RICHARDS Contributing Writer richbn19@wfu.edu
Due to COVID-19 and ACC regulations, the discontinued fall 2020 season proved to be no problem for the Wake Forest women’s golf team, who was on fire during the Palmetto Intercollegiate. Despite playing in the rain and howling wind, the women’s golf team managed to persevere — powering their way to a team win while clinching two of the top three individual spots, courtesy of sophomores Rachel Kuehn and Lauren Walsh. The 28-stroke margin of victory over second -place Virginia was the largest in program history. With their final round 1-under score of 287, Wake Forest asserted dominance by being the only team to shoot even or under par in a single round. The team accomplished this in both the second and final rounds. “This team has a lot of depth,” Wake Forest Head Coach Kim Lewellen stated following the tournament. “Any one of the players can step up and win an individual title, which makes for a strong Wake Forest team.” Step up and win an individual title they did, with Walsh achieving her second straight runnerup finish with a 72 in the final round and a 1-over, 217 finish. The only person to place higher was Kuehn, who took home her second individual title after winning the ANIKA Intercollegiate in fall 2019. After carding birdies on her first two holes of the back nine, Kuehn shot even par the rest of the way to hold the top spot.
Picture Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
The Wake Forest Women’s Golf Team, headlined by Rachel Kuehn, takes home the Palmetto Intercollegiate team title on Feb. 22 by a margin of 28 strokes.
Lewellen also stated how thrilled she was with how the team competed. “They work hard, they root for each other and are so excited to be back on the course after such a long sabbatical,” she said. “We are looking forward to a short turnaround and competing next week against another strong field at South Carolina.” Senior Emilia Migliaccio played her best outing of the season, finishing in fifth place. After the first round, Migliaccio jumped 11 spots on the
leaderboard, marking her best finish since March 2020, when she took home the individual title at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate. Senior Siyun Liu finished in a tie for the No. 13 spot for the second consecutive time this spring, with her best score coming in the first round. Freshman Mimi Rhodes had her best performance of the event on the final 18, shooting even par to jump 13 spots on the board. After sitting tied for No. 38 after the first 36 holes, she finished the event tied for No. 25.
Timberwolves hire Chris Finch as new coach Finch replaces Ryan Saunders, son of former Timberwolves’ owner, as head coach in Minnesota BY CHRISTINA DENOVIO Sports Editor denoca20@wfu.edu
Ryan Saunders, the son of the late owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Flip Saunders, got his first job as an NBA coach in Washington, D.C. as an assistant coach with the Wizards in 2009. He coached there for six years before taking the same position in Minnesota. After former head coach Tom Thibodeau was fired in 2019, he took over as the interim head coach and became the head coach the following season. At the time, Saunders was the youngest head coach in the entire league at 33 years old. During his tenure as head coach, the Timberwolves went 43-94, finishing with the third-worst record in the league during that time. They won the draft lottery, and selected Anthony Edwards, an athletic forward out of the University of Georgia. Toronto Raptors assistant coach Chris Finch became the new head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 21 when former head coach Ryan Saunders was fired after starting the season a league-worst 7-24, and having one of the worst-rated offenses in the league. Finch was in his first season with the Raptors. He spent the last three seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans and was coaching overseas before accepting a job as a head coach in the G-League for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2009. In his first season as a
Vipers coach, the team went 34-16, which was good for first place in their conference, and earned the team their first-ever playoff berth. They eventually won the G-League championship. Following that successful season, he received G-League Coach of the Year honors. Finch has bounced around the NBA as an elite assistant coach for several teams. He had stops with the Houston Rockets, the Denver Nuggets and the New Orleans Pelicans before finally being hired by the Raptors this past offseason. He is known for playing a significant role in developing multiple NBA stars, including Nuggets star big-man Nikola Jokic. He also played a role in developing the big-men tandem of Anthony Davis and Demarcus Cousins in New Orleans. He is considered by other coaches around the league to be an offensive mastermind and has played a massive role in the big jump the Raptors offense took this season. Through 31 games this season, the Raptors saw their half-court offense improve from No. 16 in the NBA, to being in the top ten. The Timberwolves have some young talent, with recently drafted No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards, guard D’Angelo Russell and big man Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way. Despite these pieces, they have the worst record in the NBA at 7-28 and are currently on an eight-game losing streak. Injuries have hindered Towns and Russell. They have only played nine games together in the last two years and haven’t been able to form the on-court chemistry that so many duos in the NBA have. So far, the Timberwolves offense is ranked No. 28 in the league this season, scoring just 105.7 points
per 100 possessions. Malik Beasley, one of the premier scorers on the team averaging close to 17 points a game, was just suspended for 12 games for off-thecourt issues. Finch has his work cut out for him, and it will not be easy to turn one of the worst teams in the NBA into a Western Conference contender. Perhaps Russell and Towns will get healthy and the Timberwolves will make a run for the playoffs in April. Only time will tell.
Carlos Gonzales/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS
Towns fights through contact for a shot against the Denver Nuggets.
LIFE
T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 2 1
PAG E 16
O n l i n e at : w w w. w f u o g b . c o m e d i t o r s : S e l i n n a Tr a n , t r a n s n 1 9 @ w f u . e d u
OLD GOLD & BLACK
& M i c a h P o r t e r, p o r t m j 1 9 @ w f u , e d u A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R : J o e C h o , c h o y y 1 9 @ w f u . e d u
Meme war rages amongst students Wake Forest Instagram pages are all the talk as new accounts such as "RedCupWake" emerge against old-timers like "fake_worest"
BY COOPER SULLIVAN Staff Writer sullcg20@wfu.edu
Many have sought it out, doing whatever it took to taste a fragment of the crowning glory. A few have risen to the occasion, experiencing an utter change to their constitution after surmounting the cutthroat competition. And those who have already inherited it claimed that the transformation was essential for maintaining the elusive commodity. While reputation is subjective, some experts regard it highly, describing it as: “like worth a lot, like for real.” More coveted than food dollars or in-person classes? Perhaps. A few popular Instagram accounts believe so. The demand for internet clout these days is at an all-time high, and everyone wants a piece. When students returned to campus for the spring semester, so did the barrage of Wake Forest specific memes. Established “meme connoisseurs” like @fake_worest and @downbadfrank (formerly hailed as @farrellhallfrank) as well as the relatively newer accounts of @wakeforrestmemes and @redcupwake all contributed to this campus meme culture frenzy. These newer accounts, in particular, have also gained rapid popularity with both WFM and RedCup floating above 1100 followers. Most notably — Fake Worest, the oldest and most celebrated account with 8,524 followers — provided its audience with witty and satirical remarks on recent administrative shortcomings (to put it nicely) regarding COVID-19 as well as with the usual proclivity to champion Greek stereotypes. In October, Lord Worest, as they have requested to be called, posted a two-minute video from the celebrity-fan video-sharing website Cameo featuring "well-known," actor Johnny Sins. Let’s just say that this $109 masterclass imparted more wisdom on the student population than any education 77 grand could buy. As is the case with any competition, rivalry grows, words are said and subtweets are thrown. Back on Dec. 23, Fake Worest uploaded an “In Memoriam'' video showing the various causes of death of many second-rate meme accounts. Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel'' appropriately accompanied the post. The two-and-a-half minute montage featured inactive accounts like @prohumemeitate, @wfustarterpacks and @wfugeeds, tactically belittled its current competitors. When asked if they were worried about potential threats to the throne from RedCup or Frank, Worest simply responded: “lol not really.” Two days prior to the virtual funeral service, Farrell Hall Frank wistfully rebranded his account as “Down Bad Frank” in an attempt to widen his audience from the elite group of Business School students. Since the bold transition, Frank said he initially lost followers, but then “recouped his losses,” and gained about 1,000 followers unassociated with the university.
mystique of anonymity often associated with running a popular account. Sophomores Amy Foley, Hanna Vascancello and Johnathan Gharib all contribute to posting memes and original videos across Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. On March 1, Red Cup posted a picture of the OGB’s Hot List from the previous week, in which the Life editors ranked the top-ten Wake Forest related meme accounts, along with mentioning @fake_worest. Taking the top spot was @wfuniversity, the official university account, due to the hilarious content that the administration was putting out daily concerning ZSR being a COVID-19 hotspot and Greek life's innocence regarding outbreak origins. Personally, there was so much more that made me chuckle, but I have a word limit. The silver medal went to Red Cup, in which Foley said, “I connected that article back to Photo courtesy of @wakeforestvirgins Fake Worest because, at the beginning of the seWakeforestvirgins has amassed a following mester, they posted about us [saying we would] due to their anonymity and satirical posts. not last that long. I’m proud of how far we have “I graduated recently and I didn’t want to be come.” Down Bad Frank earned the bronze medal the washed-up graduate posting Wake Forest while Wake Forrest Memes, the meme page specific memes. Like that’s just lame no matwhich primarily caters to the freshmen, landed ter how you put it,” claimed Frank. “When [the in the No. 5 slot. Multiple inactive accounts, account] farrellhallfrank dissolved, it left a vacuum in the Wake Forest meme page [universe]. along with the two-week-old @wakeforestvirIt’s like when the Empire crumbled in Star Wars. gins account, were still ranked ahead of Fake Worest, who rounded out the list at numero And I was the meme game's Darth Vader.” Yet, one of those accounts that superseded the diez. Fake Worest called this list “a total joke” power rankings was Red Cup Wake, which was in and “as loaded as GreekRank ratings.” These comments have been met with mixed an infantile stage during the Farrell Hall Frank era. Since then, the account has garnered over reviews. Wake Forrest Memes agrees with Fake 1,700 followers and taken a new approach to fan Worest’s analysis saying that “they do not beengagement as compared to other accounts. Red long at the bottom [of the list] at all. Even Cup partnered with local brands such as Yamas though Red Cup is rising fast, they are still the and Wake Wear for giveaways and removed the top dawg.” They appreciated Red Cup and Fake Worest’s brief squabble but noted that it quickly fizzled out due to lack of responses. “I completely support the disrespect Fake Worest gets because we have beef and that has nothing to with the fact that one of their administrators broke my heart last year. The smaller accounts should continue to poke the bear. What the [expletive] are they gonna do make a meme about you?” Frank asks. “Fake Worest has posted whack content for a while and they deserve the competition. Now, whether the content these new pages are posting is any good … that’s an entirely different story,” he adds. Lastly, the 137 follower page WFVirgins, a “community that seeks to promote abstinence and virginity,” seems to have gotten their account inspiration from more popular @byuvirgin and @uncvirginity, accounts that straddle the line of seriousness and facetiousness. In a statement recently released exclusively to the OGB, the group states “it is clear that Big Meme at this school has gotten lazy after blowing up Photo courtesy of @redcupwake ... we asked ourselves, 'would it be that hard Redcupwake may be a fairly new Instagram to make funny AND original content about the page but has grown in popularity quickly. school?' I think our page speaks for itself.”
Page 17 | Thursdsay, March 4, 2021
Old Gold & Black | Life
Music | Chick Corea Memorium
Chick Corea leaves behind a jazz legacy Student explores his passion and love for jazz music in honor and inspiration of Chick Corea BY JOE CHO Assistant Life Editor choyy19@wfu.edu
On Feb. 9, Armando “Chick” Corea passed away in his Tampa Bay home from a rare form of cancer. At the age of 79, he was still very much active on his social media accounts teaching and producing his online masterclass: “The Chick Corea Academy.” Now met with his untimely death, Corea leaves only his wisdom behind. Revered by many as a virtuoso and often hailed as one of the contemporary giants of jazz, such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans, Chick Corea was nothing short of extraordinary. As a legend among the jazz community, his craft on the ivory was truly inspirational. With 67 Grammy nominations (23 of which he won) and four additional Latin Grammy awards, Chick Corea’s genius and accomplishments were products of his youthful poise and imagination. From his formative
years as an ambitious apprentice of classical and bebop to his professional years experimenting with jazz-rock, jazz fusion, Latin, avant-garde and even chamber compositions, he became a breathing, walking compendium for all things considered music. He was full of wisdom, enthusiasm and delivered invigorating sounds, which was a testament to his powerful performance. That’s why when I heard about his passing, I was shaken to my core. He was one of my heroes. Around the fall of my sophomore year of high school, I started getting serious about jazz and its unsung disposition. At that time, I religiously followed the likes of Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, J.J. Johnson and Charles Mingus — the bebop behemoths. I slowly grew out of my “jazz elitism” phase and ventured more out into the realm of funk and free-flowing fusion. It was during this time that I stumbled upon Chick Corea, a master jazz pianist and a forefather of jazz-fusion, who completely changed my insular perspective on what “good” jazz music should be instead of what great jazz music could be. Throughout my high school jazz career as a trombonist, I garnered insightful tips and inspiration from a pianist. It was through his
albums and collaborations with other maestros that I learned how to play as a considerate and tactful musician. And sometimes his album songs served no didactic purposes, just mere good, catchy headbangers like his most well-known records, “Spain,” “La Fiesta” and “Señor Mouse,” all Latin-influenced and concussive ear candies. However, as I recounted the grandeur that was his life’s work, there was one album, that truly stood out from the rest. Chick Corea’s Trilogy 2 album was his final live project with his beloved friends, Christian McBride and Brian Blade, which they decided to promote through a nationwide tour. Sticking to their roots as jazz musicians, the trio kept it minimal with upright double bass, a drum kit and a grand piano, visiting obscure cities like Patchogue, NY and Winston-Salem, NC. It was Oct. 24, 2019. I was sitting in the fourth row by the right side of the Wait Chapel completely entranced by the sounds of the live acoustic band and enamored by the man who was delicately in command of those 88 keys. Unbeknownst to me, that night would be the last time I would witness Chick Corea’s pure greatness.
Altin Gün’s sound bends genres
BY ERIC OMOROGIEVA Staff Writer omorei17@wfu.edu
Turkish psychedelic folk music isn’t always the first thought behind the composition of modern music. However, for Dutch band Altin Gün, it is not only an inspiration but the driving force that leads them through each project. Coming off of their Grammy-nominated second album Gece, the band looked for more ways to evolve as they faced a growing fanbase and acclaim from all corners of the world. Their evolution follows the navigation of Anatolian music from the late 60s on their debut album On and had led them to 80s synthpop on their recently released album Yol. The six members of Altin Gün constructed this album during the pandemic, trading demos with each other remotely. Yol released last Friday under ATO Records. Yol is sonically split into two halves. The first half has some carry-over of influence from the early 80s synthpop. These early songs are new ground for the band, and the mastery present in them highlights their overwhelming talent as musicians. “Ordunun Dereleri” and “Bulunur Mu” show this off on tracks 2 and 3, each allowing lead singers Merse Desdemir and Erdinç Ecevit Yıldız to shine. These tracks are vibrant and the perfect mix of old school and futurism. Even as Altin Gün looks to past decades of Turkish music for the inspiration of their modern music, the
TOP TEN WORST POPULAR SITCOMS: Controversy warning, but these shows are simply not funny.
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result is something that is progressive and hard to place in time. Another highlight in this half is their single “Yüce Dağ Başında,” a dance track that fuses a funky bass, claps, synths and the attractive vocals of Desdemir into a catchy tune that you might sing along to, even if you don’t understand the Turkish language. The first half, although amazing and refreshing, is perfectly matched by the latter portion. Here, the band drops off a bit of the synthpop and does what they do best: jam out. There are no limits to the funk that Altin Gün injects into these songs. Tracks 9 through 11 are the best example of this. “Sevda Olmasaydı,” is addicting because of its free-flowing instrumental, highlighted by a catchy whistle melody and its bassline. Yıldız’s vocals make the track great, but he knows his limits and avoids being overbearing, letting the band shine. At this point in the album, the band is just showing off, competing only with themselves. But, what separates these songs from those of any other band requires further elaboration as to Altin Gün’s signature style. The group’s sound works so well due to the work each band member puts in, enhancing the band’s combined chemistry and balance. The band never sounds off the mark, even their live performances of the tracks sound exactly like the recordings. Central to their sound is the Anatolian musical background that influenced all of their songs. Turkey and the Middle East have a traditional sound that is unmistakable to the ear, but once Altin Gün adds their spice on top, it sounds like something separate from the entire musical landscape.
The introduction of traditional instruments like the bağlama (played by Yıldız) provides a layer to the music that listeners don’t immediately recognize. Still, we are drawn in because of the music’s beauty. Although the band’s unique position in genre allows them to steer away from the traditional reliance on lead and bass guitar, Jasper Vulhurst (bass) and Ben Rider (lead guitar) do a fantastic job at giving these songs an added bonus. Another impressive component is that these songs are, for the most part, repurposed. The band takes old Turkish tracks and gives them a modern vibe, while still preserving their essence. Yol — a fantastic album that deserves a listen — is a standout release of early 2021. All that’s left to ponder is where Altin Gün will go next. They have really set the bar high and challenged themselves with this record, so seeing their attempt at topping it, is sure to be exciting.
Photo courtesy of Spotify
Altin Gün’s latest album, Yol, features inspiration from 80s synth pop.
Friends (sorry, it’s bad.) Dawson’s Creek
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Parks and Recreation That 70’s Show
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Seinfeld Young Sheldon
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Modern Family Fuller House
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Music Review | Altin Gün
Turkish psychedelic folk music breaks genre boundaries through synth and soul
THE HOT LIST
30 Rock The Big Bang Theory
LOCALE OF THE WEEK By: Selinna Tran
Photo courtesy of @bookmarksnc Instagram BOOKMARKS If you are a bookworm, or just desiring to finally pick up reading — Bookmarks is the place for you. Located in Winston-Salem, Bookmarks is a nonprofit and local bookstore that has brought value and culture to through a common love of books. Bookmarks features a beautiful display of books in a multitude of genres. It is a little hole in the wall that you have to check out.
Page 18 | Thursdsay, March 4, 2021
Old Gold & Black | Life
Food Review | Einstein’s Bagels
The farmhouse bagel provides indescribable flavor Student’s obsession with bagels is satiated with the farmhouse sandwich BY RAINS DRAPER Contributing Writer draptr18@wfu.edu Review: Einstein Bros. Farmhouse Bagel Price: About $7 Rating: 9.5/10 Introduction: I’m a big bagel guy. You might have inferred that from the fact that both of my articles so far have been bagel reviews. I’m not from the land of bagels up north, but we have no shortage of excellent bagel options down in Atlanta. Every Saturday morning when I was little, my siblings, my dad and I would take a short drive over to Goldberg’s Deli to pick up a dozen bagels, always containing some combination of asiago cheese, everything and cinnamon raisin, along with a tub of plain cream cheese. In most situations, I believe the more cheese there is on a bagel, the better it is. That is why, in the spring se-
mester of 2019, little freshman Rains’ heart leaped with joy when he learned that Einstein’s makes something called the “Cheesy Hashbrown Bagel.” It’s everything a bagel should be, and more: pieces of crispy potato stuck onto a chewy bagel via melted cheese. It’s beautiful, and it only reaches its full potential when it’s used as the main component of the Farmhouse Bagel Sandwich, which I will review today. Components & Presentation: Egg, thick-cut bacon, smoked ham, cheddar cheese and black pepper schmear, served sandwich-style on a cheesy hashbrown bagel. The Pros: -Incredible flavor. Between the not-toosalty, not-too-sweet ham and the black pepper schmear (Einstein’s lingo for what most people call cream cheese), the ingredients come together nicely to delight the palate. -Texture. The bacon is good and crispy, as all bacon should be (looking at you, England), and the cheesy hashbrown bagel has a nice crunch to it. Countering the crispiness are the egg and the ham, which provide some softness without making things too
soggy. Add in the chewiness of the bagel itself, and you have a real winner on your hands. The Cons: -My bagel tended to shed its hashbrowns during the eating process. -Soggy eggs. I know I said earlier that the softness of the eggs contributed to the solid overall texture of the sandwich, but there’s a very fine line between the good kind of softness and just being soggy. These eggs were just a hair over that line.
Conclusion: In last week’s review of Einstein’s Nova Lox bagel (also a very good option), I mentioned that the Farmhouse bagel is my favorite order at Einstein’s by far. I’ll go a few steps further and say it might be the second-best meal on campus, behind only the spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a. The bagel’s deliciousness breaks every boundary of flavor. I’ve given it a 9.5/10, give or take a half a point based on ever-changing factors such as freshness and temperature.
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
The farmhouse bagel includes eggs, bacon, ham and cheese on a cheesy hashbrown bagel. It promises to satisfy all of your cravings.
Media | Streaming Wars
Streaming services change media consumption
from the standard cable television season. Amazon Prime Video takes the same approach with the second season The Boys, a shift from their first season rollout. Others, like HBO Max, look to drop about BY ERIC OMOROGIEVA three episodes per week. These Staff Writer movies have challenged long-time omorei17@wfu.edu leaders like Netflix to consider adapting to shifts in consumption, March 4 marks the transition of as changing to a week-by-week CBS All Access into Paramount rollout brings more discussion and Plus, a streaming service that aims excitement for what happens next to get its feet deeper into the vast in a series. Wandavision is a recent sea of dominant media services. example that capitalizes off of this These days, streaming has become strategy, that seemingly dominata dominant form of media coning Friday’s with social media dissumption and its prominence has cussion and YouTube theory videos only increased as a result of the all day long. In order to expand pandemic’s negative effect on movthese discussions and consistently ie theaters. Hence, the excitement be the talk of the week, dropping weekly seems like a great idea. It lets fans reach the same point in the series and leaving cliffhangers that promote next week’s episode. Another ongoing competition is the battle for content. As more services pile up, every company’s goal is to create content that wins fans over. HBO Max showed this clearly with the big decision to make all Warner Bros releases stream on their service the same day they hit theaters. Netflix promised to release over 70 Netflix Original films in 2021, which tallies to more than once per week. Oscar favorites like Nomadland, Ma Rainey’s Black Photo courtesy of imdb.com Bottom and Trial of the Chicago 7 The Mandalorian opened the floodgates to mass success for Disney+ were all films that were slated to as more releases for Star Wars spin-offs are promised to fans. hit theaters for a full run but have
The amount of streaming services emerging overwhelms media consumers
across every studio and television/ movie company looking for ways to join this battle and get a piece of the pie is evident. How much can we take, though? The average American consumer initially went from binging on Netflix, to now gravitating towards Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video subscriptions. For fans, this competition within the industry has resulted in more content and more entertainment. The days of the single-season, the 13-episode rollout for shows led by Netflix seem to be waning slowly. Disney+, with its popular hit series such as The Mandalorian and Wandavision, are taking the one episode per week approach that we all know
eventually bought by a streaming service for their premiers. This March is an exciting month for streaming, which is only made possible through the massive influx of services and content. On March 5, Raya and the Last Dragon (Disney+) and Coming 2 America (Amazon) release, Cherry (Apple) releases on March 12 starring Tom Holland, March 18 brings the long-awaited four hours Snyder Cut of Justice League (HBO Max) and on March 31, the fight of the year arrives in Godzilla vs. Kong (HBO Max). Many of these are films that would have done big numbers in theaters but are now limited to streaming because of the times we live in, and the necessity for companies to have endless gripping content on their services. We are in the middle of an ever-shifting movement for streaming content, and one can only guess what will come next after we all get used to this level of consistent content. In the meantime though, it’s best to just kick back each week for something new. Ultimately, this war of streaming services is going to have extremely negative effects on consumers. Balancing costs for different platforms has always been hard for the average Americans and with these new developments, it’ll be even harder. In the end, competing media companies have now forced the hand of the viewer to make important decisions about what they really want to watch.
Life | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, March 4, 2021 | Page 19
Food |High Climate Tea
High Climate Tea offers ideal getaway k lac
Photo courtesy of William Liu
The WTA members are pictured. relaxed and enjoying a cup of tea.
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As the health and wellness industry continues to expand, people are paying more attention to their health and what they are putting into their bodies. The latest craze involves exploration of different “healthy” dietary options. With the current surge in popularity of kombuchas and seltzers within the beverage industry, I have noticed many recent trends are due to the result of an increasingly health-conscientious society.
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BY WILLIAM LIU Contributing Writer liuw19@wfu.edu
While the health and wellness industry isn’t going away anytime soon, a new page is turning for artisanal tea culture and loose-leaf teas. I believe that gongfu tea and Chinese loose-leaves will continue to gain prominence because they provide an avenue for those seeking healthy alternatives to coffee or alcohol. In addition, the presence of gongfu brewing teahouses emerging in more cities across America is facilitating its social aspect: bringing people together. Gongfu tea is a style and method of brewing tea that originated in 18th century China. In essence, gongfu means “time and effort.” I believe brewing tea in this manner allows one to practice mindfulness like the many Zen practitioners who incorporate gongfu tea as part of their mediation practice. High Climate Tea, located in Asheville, N.C, first opened during the summer of 2019. Today, it is the only artisanal teashop in North Carolina specializing in Chinese loose-leaf teas. At first glance, the physical design and layout of the teashop convey a sense of both traditionality and modernity making it very approachable and accessible for those experiencing gongfu tea for the first time. In the words of the owner, the design of this space was very intentional. He stated the design is “a marriage of multiple cultures.” It includes design philosophies from Chinese ‘feng shui,’ Japanese tearoom aesthetics and local Asheville themes. The teashop is split into two separate areas: “Tea Lounge” and “Tea Bar.” The Tea Lounge is for those who want to drink a single tea which they brew themselves. Con-
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Health and wellness starts with a beverage that has a rich culture and history — tea
Photo courtesy of William Liu
Pictured is the tea bar in High Climate Tea. The bar, which features a wall of teas provides an unforgettable experience for tea lovers. versely, the Tea Bar provides a 50-minute experience where one may choose any five teas from the wall of teas. Next, the owner will take you through the brewing process and discuss the tasting notes of each tea. When you order yourself a tea from the menu at the Tea Lounge, you are presented with your own gongfu tea utensils for brewing including a tea tray to collect the “rinse brews,” a teapot to steep the leaves in, a fairness glass to distribute the infused tea and a teacup and saucer. A personal thermos is provided with unlimited hot water. The pricing of teas on the menu in the Tea Lounge ranges from $7-$15 USD, depending on the tea you order. The Lounge offers a wide variety of teas, with a selection ranging from tisanes to green, white, oolong and pu-erh tea. The pricing for the
Tea Bar experience is a fixed $15 for 50mins and two infusions of any five flavors. During my visit, my friend and I each tried a different kind of tea at the Tea Lounge. I ordered the ’30-year aged pu-erh’ and my friend got a kind of oolong. We chatted over gongfu tea for an entire afternoon. The teas lasted a good two-hours with over 15 infusions! As you decide on your next weekend getaway, my recommendation is to visit High Climate Tea. If you are brand new to gongfu tea brewing and Chinese teas, then I recommend the Tea Bar experience. The staff is super outgoing and you will learn and experience the amazing health benefits of the teas while spending a wonderful afternoon bonding over tea by yourself or with some friends.
Food | Warm Cheesecake
The beauty of eating cheesecake warm Warm cheesecake delights with its deliciously unique flavor
I cannot recall the exact moment or day I made the discovery of warm cheesecake, but believe me, I will never return to the world of utter mediocrity or the dreadful state of mind associated with eating cold cheesecake. I also feel the need to reveal that my favorite flavor of cheesecake is lemon meringue. This may be a factor in the preference of a specific temperature, but I have never encountered a time where I have chosen cold cheesecake over warm cheesecake. This concept possibly stems from my childhood and being raised in my family’s restaurant. On our dessert menu, we used to offer cheesecake. In order to serve the
delight (the cheesecake was stored in the freezer), we had to warm it up for a little bit. Eventually, I would just let the cheesecake reach a point where it would no longer be cold and turn into a deliciously warm and gooey dessert. BY SELINNA TRAN Life Editor By now, the grimace on your face has transn19@wfu.edu probably turned into an expression of pure disbelief or discontent. But, I ask again, I understand. You read the title and your please keep an open mind. Once you try a face had a knee-jerk reaction to twist into a cheesecake that has been warmed up, you grimace of disdain. I implore you, reader, will never go back to the days where your to please hear me out and understand the spoon is left forcefully digging into a hard, beauty of a slice of warm cheesecake. There ice-like dessert. is simply so much to explore. There is a sort of comfort to warm cheesecake for me. It takes me back to being a child in my family’s restaurant watching all the customers as I sat, satisfied, with a full belly of delicious raspberry cheesecake (the best flavor we had, as we did not serve lemon meringue). That’s the beauty in food. We’re all entitled to our opinion, no matter how disgusting it may seem to someone else. For this reason, the idea of warm cheesecake holds a special place in my heart. I am almost certain that everyone has that “weird” comfort food that everyone always seems to be in disbelief about. I have Photo courtesy of El Mundo Eats friends who enjoy sriracha on watermelon Cheesecake is best served after being heated up for a small or syrup on their eggs (yuck!) but I believe amount of time to where it is warm but not hot, soft and gooey. there is a little “Chef Remy” in all of us
who chooses to embark on the adventure of mixing food groups or changing up normal food in search of a bizarre but delicious combination. In my eyes, the story and connection that I hold with the dish extend beyond the immediate gut reaction. That said, I must also acknowledge that it is one of the most delicious — if not the most delicious — desserts that I have ever had the delight of tasting. Beyond flavor, every time I eat warm cheesecake, the overwhelming sense of nostalgia and joy exudes. I ask you, reader, to consider warming up your cheesecake the next time you indulge in the dessert. Your premonitions of disgust may be fulfilled (highly doubtful) but you may also have found a dessert that is so indescribably delicious, you will never eat cheesecake that cold again. Food is meant to be experimented with! There are so many different combinations that one could create to explore flavor and tastes — the possibilities are simply endless. As disgusting as syrup sounds on eggs, I would never discount trying it because there is no harm in trying new things. I hope you gain from this article a sense of purpose to explore the vast variety of food combinations, and perhaps, warm cheesecake.
Page 20 | Thursday, February 4, 2021
Old Gold & Black | Life
LIFE [interactive] TAKE THIS QUIZ TO FIND OUT WHICH U.S. REGION YOU ARE
4. What is your major? A. Politics & International Affairs B. B-School C. Sports Management D. Biology / Chemistry E. Engineering F. Agricultural Science
1. Favorite clothing brand? A. North Face B. Vineyard Vines C. Chubbies 5. What sport did you play in highschool? D. Southern Tide E. Patagonia F. H&M A. Baseball 2. How do you pronounce “pecan”? A. “PEE-can” B./C. “PEE-KAHN” D. “pick-AHN” E./F. “pee-KAHN” 3. Which TV show do you like the most? A. The Office B. Friends C. Walking Dead D. Friday Night Lights E. Rick and Morty F. NCIS
B. Lacrosse C. Swimming D. Football E. Basketball F. Soccer
5. Favorite Fast Food Chain? A. Burger King B. Dairy Queen C. Water Sports D. Taco Bell E. Jack-in-the-Box F. McDonald’s
If you answered: Mostly A’s: Congrats, you are Boston/Northeast! The snobbiest and most sports-loving region in the U.S. You all are educated and high achieving, and are not afraid to head out into the freezing cold, as long as you’ve got your Dunkin Donuts in hand. Mostly B’s: You all are New York, where you’re either living as the life of the party in the city, or can’t wait to leave upstate. You all care about appearances, but also tend to be loyal to those you love. Little piece of advice, get your driver’s license. Mostly C’s: You may be a surfer or a skater, but you’re definitely from Florida. You have a crazy side, but everyone around you loves the energy (and the rum) you bring. Mostly D’s: South. Y’all are some of the nicest and most hospital folk this side of the Mississipi. You all grew up playing sports and probably wanted to go to Wake Forest your whole lives. Mostly E’s: West Coast best Coast, congrats to you guys because y’all are chillers. You all are big into hiking, lounging on the beach and vibing out whenever the opportunity presents itself. Mostly F’s: You are the Midwest! You all compensate for the lack of an interesting landscape with your loud personalities. Side note, not all of you can be from Chicago, tell us where you’re really from.
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