News: ZSR librarians oppose proctoring services Page 4
Opinion: University action regarding virus fails students Page 9
Sports: Receiver Sage Surratt foregoes football season Page 10
Life: Taylor Swift releases surprise album folklore Page 16
Old Gold&Black
WAKE FOREST’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1916 VOL. 107, NO. 1
T H U R S DAY, AU G U ST 27 , 2 0 2 0 “Cover s the campus like the magnolias”
wfuogb.com
WFU releases COVID19 dashboard As of Aug. 26, the university has identified 11 total positive COVID-19 cases on campus BY OLIVIA FIELD Editor-in-Chief fielor17@wfu.edu
“I was getting emails up until today for the classes I had today about which way we were going to have class, online or in person, so I was a little confused,” Irvin said. “It’s hard because it’s up to each professor and how they want to communicate. I got emails from some every day this week, but heard from others for the first time today.” However, for freshman Sophia Iltis, the day went better than she expected it would. Though both her classes were online, she is eager to get into a routine rather than roam around campus. “We went over the syllabus and what the semester will look like based on COVID,” she said. Iltis opted to attend both her online classes from her dorm room, whereas freshman Sydney Smith sat outside Benson and tuned into her virtual classroom.
In preparation for the start of the semester, Wake Forest released their COVID-19 dashboard on Aug. 25 with an operating level of Yellow. With 11 total recorded cases since Aug. 17, this number and other measures such as capacity of resources and community compliance will allow Wake Forest’s campus to function under the normal coronavirus restraints and signifies that “transmission is manageable.” The dashboard, which will be updated every weekday, displays a bar chart of daily case counts among students, faculty and staff who “interact with the Reynolda Campus.” The decision not to delineate between students and employees is distinct from other universities’ dashboards. UNC Chapel Hill’s tracker includes positive case count, campus testing, campus housing occupancy and PPE availability. Duke University’s dashboard includes data on students and employees, and whether or not they were tested via random survey or based on contact tracing or symptoms. University of Miami has a count of how many students are in quarantine and isolation, as well as hospitalizations. Notre Dame university delineates between undergraduate and graduate populations, and NC State separates students and employees in positive case counts. “Our goal is to provide valuable information that helps people understand what is happening in our community so they can make good decisions. We studied dashboards from many other institutions and learned a great deal about the nuances of all the variables that can be reported,” said Mark Petersen, Vice President for University Advancement. “In consultation with our infectious disease experts, we settled on keeping the first iteration of our dashboard simple and clear. We are open to adding more information as the semester unfolds as we hear from the campus what would be most useful.”
See Classes, Page 5
See Dashboard, Page 6
Katie Fox / Old Gold & Black
Among the numerous changes made to guarantee social distancing, the ZSR Library atrium’s traditionally collective study spaces were rearranged in favor of more individualized stations.
FDOC reflects bleak sociallydistant reality on campus Threatened by COVID-19, students experience unusually quiet first day of classes BY ELIZABETH MALINE Online Managing Editor malied17@wfu.edu It’s 3:15 p.m. on the first day of classes, affectionately known as FDOC. On a typical FDOC in the fall, students rush out of the doors of Greene and Tribble halls, flood the quad and Benson courtyard after their 2:00 p.m. classes. They hug their friends and reunite with their classmates after the summer hiatus. They wave hello to their professors, join impromptu frisbee games, or lie on picnic blankets, relaxing after a busy and scorching hot August day in Winston-Salem. Sometimes, they even bump into and strike up a conversation with someone they don’t know.
This is not what campus looked like on Wednesday. Instead, 3:15 p.m. struck and a handful of students trickled out of buildings. Students seemingly hanging out at the Benson patio tables were actually attending their online classes. During what would typicallly be the busiest time of day on campus, six people could be spotted on the lower quad. And of course, they were all wearing masks, hesitant to interact with those outside their immediate social circles. Many students now dream of the casual FDOC interactions they once took for granted. “It’s a little sad because I don’t see as many people out and about talking and laughing like I used to,” said junior Rachel Irvin. “I’m sure it’s very hard for the freshmen.” Irvin also expressed her frustration about the confusion surrounding her first day of classes.
OGB
“ Student action is critical to protecting workers This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.
Wear your mask correctly in Benson, in the Pit and walking around campus. Protect those who make Wake Forest home. "
Marking the first days of classes, the Reynolda cabinet and academic deans sent a heartfelt letter to students: “We Believe in You. Each of you individually, and all of you collectively.” The Editorial Board of the Old Gold & Black echoes this statement from our university: it’s up to us students to fulfill our goal of staying on campus until November. As of Aug. 26, the positive case count at Wake Forest is 11. We, like many students, were initially surprised at the low number reflected in the dashboard. However, this count in no way confirms that there are no other cases on campus. Even further, it can only do so much to inform what tomorrow will look like. So, what does this mean? Students must stay vigilant
and informed, and should recognize that the next two weeks will either allow for Wake Forest to be a national success story or another version of Notre Dame and UNC Chapel Hill. While we at the Old Gold & Black always work to ground our reporting in reality, that doesn’t mean that we support pessimism. As much as comedy is a great way to cope with challenges, we implore students to retire the countdown jokes, freshman blame and asking each other how long we think we're going to be here.
Instead, we should all embrace the privilege of getting a chance to make campus life work. We don’t discount the social hardships that come with physical distancing, but we also must concede that making an effort to follow the guidelines over the next two weeks will make or break our chances of staying here. Even further, we should not only be following the guidelines for ourselves, but also for those in our community. Many of our on campus workers are from the Black and LatinX communities in Winston-Salem, which have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. According to Forsyth County Health Department, as of Aug. 22, 67.1% of cases in Forsyth County are attributed to
minority populations. The people who feed us and keep our campus clean are working overtime to make sure we have the amenities needed to succeed. Further, if the decision is made to lockdown or even close campus, these members of our community will be left unemployed yet again. So, clean up after yourself. Wear your mask correctly in Benson University Center, in the Pit and even just while walking around campus. These are the ultimate signs of respect you can show for our essential workers. Let's come together to protect those who make Wake Forest home. Let’s “Show Humanitate” not only for ourselves or our closest friends, but for the members of the university community who work hardest for us.
Old Gold&Black
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSIT Y SINCE 1916 OLIVIA FIELD
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF fielor17@wfu.edu
CHARLIE BENEDICT
BUSINESS MANAGER
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EMILY BEAUCHAMP
ELIZABETH MALINE
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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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News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, August 27, 2020 | Page 3
Deacon Profile: Sarah Esstman
of our neighboring universities here in North Carolina suggest that spread is really going to be driven by undergrads interacting with each other in social contexts. I totally empathize with where students are. You know, you're in college, you want to go to parties, you want to be able to meet up with your friends and you want to have dinner together. But my fear is that if students don’t stop those behaviors, we're going to have enough positive cases that the university will be forced to close.
BY CAROLINE WALKER Staff Writer walkct18@wfu.edu
Sarah McDonald Esstman has a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunity from Vanderbilt University Medical School and a B.S. in biology from Florida State University. Her academic interest in biology centers around rotavirus replication and evolution, which has led her to run a virology research lab and become an associate professor of biology at Wake Forest University.
Why did you become interested in researching rotaviruses? When I started my Ph.D. program at Vanderbilt, I was intent on becoming a cancer biologist and I learned during my cancer biology classes that some viruses cause cancer. So, I took a rotation working in a biology lab to learn a little bit more and just kind of fell in love with viruses. The virology lab I happened to work in was with a lab that was studying coronaviruses, which at the time, were common causes of the common cold and mild upper respiratory infections, nothing major. I ended up joining that lab and did my Ph.D. dissertation research on coronaviruses. During that time span was when the OG SARS happened — Sars-Cov-1. We were shocked, you know, we're like, ‘Oh my gosh, it's a coronavirus. That's crazy.’ For me, it really underscored the importance of basic biology research on viruses. I was very interested in the virus that still caused a lot of disease in humans, but was not as well studied as coronaviruses. Rotaviruses cause severe diarrhea and vomiting in kids. When I started my rotavirus research, it was estimated that half a million kids each year were dying from rotavirus infections. We're all pretty aware of numbers now. We know that we're hitting upwards of almost a million deaths from this coronavirus, but you can imagine rotavirus was killing half a million kids every single year for decades. It was like the most life-threatening virus that no one had ever heard of. That's why I started studying rotaviruses and that's what my lab works on still to this day. I have an active research lab at Wake Downtown and we have federal grants to answer basic questions about rotavirus.
How do you plan to conduct your classes and engage students during this difficult time?
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University
How does the COVID pandemic compare to the rotavirus problem? I think what we're experiencing with coronavirus is above and beyond what, you know, is the worst pandemic that we've experienced in modern history. Rotaviruses are endemic pathogens, meaning that it wasn’t like they came out of nowhere. You know, they came out of a bat and spread throughout the world, so it has just kind of been around for as long as we can remember. This coronavirus pandemic is really novel in not only the rate of spread, but also the disparity of disease and the pathogenesis in different people. Some people don't experience hardly any disease at all and then some experience really severe life-threatening disease. What it really helped me understand is we really need to be prepared for anything related to viral families. This pandemic also is one that reminds me of how important it is for all different types of fields to work together. Because as fast as the scientists are trying to work to develop vaccines and antiviral drugs, there needs to be
a lot of help with public health epidemiologists to understand and help at least convince us that these infection control measures are really important. There are ways to mitigate the spread without antiviral drugs — and those are the things that we're asking everyone to do, which is wear face coverings, wash their hands and stay six feet apart. What do you think is the likelihood that COVID-19 could spread throughout our campus via multiple clusters? I think that it's going to really depend upon the students. I very much trust that the faculty members are taking it really seriously. A lot of the faculty members kind of represent a more vulnerable population than students as far as the severity of disease, so I think we're a little bit more scared. How it spreads is probably going to be a reflection of how seriously students take the precautions in their social time. I don't think classroom spread is going to be a big deal, but I do worry. The recent closures of some
My classes will be fully online. My decision for that wasn't necessarily driven by infection control measures, because I think that classrooms represent a very low risk transmission scenario. That said, I have three kids, and it wasn't clear if they were going back to school at all. A lot of my decisions were driven by the practicality of having to be home on a lot of days with my kids and then also this idea of ‘if we do need to pivot online or if I get sick, what is the easiest kind of course of action?’ For me, it was to develop a fully online class, for all of those reasons. As far as maintaining interactions, my class will as much as possible be offered synchronously. All of the same principles that I hold near and dear such as being a really good educator, as far as connecting with students, making sure that they understand the material and crafting out a lot of time to have one-on-one meetings with students as needed, is really what I hope to do. Is there anything that you are looking forward to this fall? I like interacting with students, even if it's virtually. So, one of the things that I'm kind of excited about is that moving my class online has opened up a lot of seats in my biology course. It’s the largest class I’ve ever taught at Wake Forest, but I'm excited that I'm going to have the opportunity to reach more students. I'm also hopeful that we can all pull together. I think we're all leaning on each other a lot. I think we're all giving each other a level of grace and flexibility that sometimes we previously didn't. So, I think we can see each other in different lights.
POLICE BEAT COVID-19 Violation/Underage Consumption • Resident Adviser (RA) called officers about a resident exceeding the four-people room capacity at Huffman. Upon arrival, officers observed nine people in the room. Students were told to leave because of social distancing and mask wearing protocols. The report was filed on Aug. 18 at 10:40 p.m. • RA advised officers that there were five people in a dorm room at Collins. The report was filed on Aug. 19 at 4:43 p.m.The room owner claimed that he thought as long as there was less than 10 people, it was okay. • Offender violated room guest policy and possessed alcohol underage at Collins. The report was filed on Aug. 20 at 10:07 p.m.
• Officers responded to a call reporting students playing a drinking game with alcohol at South. Approximately 15 beers were located and guest policy was violated with three guest in a room with two roomates. The report was filed on Aug. 20 at 10:55 p.m. • Offender tried to enter the wrong house at Marlowe Dr. and had consumed alcohol underage. WSPD issued citation for False ID and underage consumption. The report was filed at 8:07 a.m. Miscellaneous • WFU police assisted WSPD with a loud music call at Ranch Dr. The report was filed on Aug. 23 at 9:34 p.m.
Old Gold & Black | News
Page 4 | Thursday, August 27, 2020
NC State, UNC serve as warning signs UNC and NC State serve as cautionary tales of the impacts of large social gatherings BY JESSICA MARK Asst. News Editor markjf19@wfu.edu The recent decisions by UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State to shift all undergraduate classes online has many Wake Forest students wondering whether their university will soon follow suit. UNC’s reopening guidelines included all the basic precautions: social distancing, masks, the self-monitoring of symptoms and size limits on gatherings. A week after classes began, however, UNC’s quarantine dorm was almost filled to capacity. Outbreaks grew, and UNC had to revise its plan to keep students safe. With over 500 students in quarantine and isolation, NC State took the same measure on Aug. 20. In the aftermath of these events, President Nathan Hatch sent a message to Wake Forest students on Friday, Aug. 21, warning them about the high stakes under which the school is operating this semester. “Our success relies on each person doing their part,” Hatch said. “Please remember as we go into the weekend, one large
gathering, one party that infects a large number of people, can close us down.” The university’s Our Way Forward plan underscores how the entire community has a responsibility to adhere to the guidelines outlined on the site. That includes students wearing masks and social distancing, but also includes the university’s administration embracing the reality that the college experience transcends the classroom. The student experience at Wake Forest is just as much a social experience, where one feels a sense of community and inclusion, as it is an academic experience. Hatch’s cautionary words capture a very small part of the reality on campus and, like the initial plan at UNC-Chapel Hill, will likely not be sufficient to protect against outbreaks. Freshmen came to campus last week yearning to make new friends. Upperclassmen reunited after having their spring semester cut short. The temptation to socialize and gather in groups is high. In addition, as both students and administrators know, the first week of classes is notorious for parties as the intensity of classes has not yet kicked in. The challenges facing the Wake Forest community are exacerbated by actions taken to de-densify residence halls. With an increased amount of students living off-campus, the university has less control over student activity.
Students at other universities have taken an activist approach against their school’s reopening plans. At UNC, students, faculty and campus workers gathered to protest the university’s reopening. The protesters began with a moment of silence for those who passed away from COVID-19, and they then laid on the quad for over 30 minutes. Lying down was intended to send a message of accountability: when the Chapel Hill community became infected with COVID-19, the university would be accountable. The reality of living on campus through the current pandemic is clear: there is risk. The extent of that risk will likely hinge on collective efforts to work together and be transparent about what is taking place on campus, but there is no way to completely shield students from the spread of the virus at Wake Forest. With multiple college campuses in close proximity to Wake Forest having to make dramatic changes to their semester plans, the question for the Reynolda campus community is obvious — will the university go remote? Will the current approach to the virus be sufficient, or will it result in outbreaks even greater than those seen elsewhere? Although circumstances may seem discouraging, there is a potential silver lining: Wake Forest has the ability to learn from the experiences of other schools. In fact, on
Tuesday, the university implemented new safety measures. These measures include surveillance testing and a campus operating color-coded status system. There are five colors included in the status system: Green, Yellow, Orange, Red and Purple. Each color indicates a different level of viral presence in the Wake Forest community. Depending on the color/operating level of the university, different restrictions will be implemented (to learn more about the dashboard, turn to page 1). As of Aug. 26, the university’s operating level is Yellow, which signifies the campus will be operating under “new normal” restrictions. The WFU administration also released a COVID-19 dashboard that sets forth the amount of positive, laboratory-verified test results that have been communicated to the university. As of Aug. 26, the dashboard confirms 11 cases, with four of those over the last five days. The university was not clear about how many tests were performed in order to confirm these positive cases. In a message to the campus community on Aug. 25, Hatch explained the purpose behind the new initiatives. “These three measures will aid our ability to be prepared, stay informed and remain healthy,” Hatch said. However, in the midst of new school closures throughout North Carolina, the question still remains: will these measures be enough to keep all Wake Forest students safe?
ZSR pens letter against proctoring services ZSR Librarians Assembly urges university not to use facial recognition proctoring BY AINE PIERRE Contributing Writer pierav20@wfu.edu Members of the Z. Smith Reynolds (ZSR) Librarians’ Assembly voted on July 23 to approve a statement urging the university not to use test monitoring technology that used facial recognition to detect academic dishonesty. The ZSR assembly was especially concerned about studies that demonstrated racial and gender biases, among others in what certain monitoring software identified as cheating. The statement followed discussion in an exploratory group chartered by the university’s COVID-19 planning team to explore options for exam software. “Facial recognition and face detection technologies have been shown to display gender and skin-type biases that more frequently mis-identify women and Black, Indigenous and People of Color and present significant challenges to trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming students,” wrote the assembly in their statement. The assembly also noted that students who do not have access to private, quiet work areas may also be adversely affected by monitoring systems. The statement by the librarians’ assembly was a proactive measure, according to the statement’s author and ZSR employee Kyle Denlinger, who served on the exploratory committee.
“The statement … was an effort on the librarians’ part was an effort to get out ahead of these systems,” Denlinger said. The issue of test proctoring is not unique to Wake Forest, either. The transfer to online learning (and online test proctoring as a result) have raised concerns about security and privacy nationwide. An April article in the Washington Post told the story of a University of Florida student who vomited during a test and was not allowed by her proctor to log off and clean up. Stories like these fuel the concerns Denlinger and his colleagues have of services like Proctorio and ProctorU. “The professional ethics of librarians tend to [intersect] with privacy issues … which these systems have. There are a lot of privacy concerns,” Denlinger said. As of now, the Schools of Business and Law have adopted school-wide policies on test proctoring and are utilizing software that does not raise the privacy and discrimination concerns mentioned by the assembly. The college currently does not have any such policy because it covers a much wider range of departments and faculty than the professional schools, according to Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Anthony Marsh. “In the college we have 29 academic departments and it’s not quite as easy … with that diversity of departments to … develop a policy on software when we haven’t broadly discussed the issue as a faculty,” Marsh said, although he noted that he “would not be surprised” if those discussions did come up as the semester progresses. The lack of a universal policy in the college does mean the department of Information Services (IS) will be unable to
monitor the software individual professors use, or how they use them, according to Hannah Inzko, the university’s senior director of academic technology and member of the exploratory committee. However, IS is offering guidance on alternatives to proctoring software to professors. “We do work with faculty on alternatives to using exam software … but that’s about as much as we can do without having a clear policy,” Inzko said. For students who are concerned about the use of what they feel are discriminatory or invasive softwares, Marsh noted that
there are lines of communication open to the professors or the dean’s office. With no official guidelines governing test monitoring in the college, department chairs will be able to dictate their departments’ test monitoring. In the Classics, Physics and Political Science Departments, there will be no standard policy for proctoring, allowing individual professors total freedom, according to their respective chairs. The Classics Department, for its part, has endorsed the ZSR librarians’ statement and has agreed not to use the systems with which the librarians take issue.
Katie Fox/ Old Gold & Black
The use of facial recognition proctoring services can be a source of bias against minority students and an intrusion into student’s private spaces.
News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, August 27, 2020 |Page 5
Classes: students find new normal Continued from Page 1
“If you asked me a year ago how I thought my first day of college would be, I definitely would not be thinking it would be like this,” Smith said. “But considering everything that’s going on and having finished my senior year [of high school] online, I was expecting it to go this way.” Senior Mariana Trabanino also explained that her expectations for the semester are realistic, not high or low. She described her first day of classes as “anticlimactic” and “low-energy” compared to previous years. “Wake is all about the student-teacher ratio being so small and classes being super intimate so this is kind of strange,” Trabanino said. “It’s a lot to take in.” However, she found comfort in knowing that she and most of her upperclassmen peers already experienced online learning at the end of the spring semester. “We ended last semester the same way we are starting this one,” she said. Though Trabanino is embarking on her final year at the university and is well immersed in her course of study, freshmen Mitchell Hark and John Krouse are facing the challenges that come with online learning as they begin their academic careers at the university. “You can’t really connect with your teacher right away,” Krouse said. “It’s going to be tough to build a connection with them.” His professors emphasized the fluid nature of the semester, and that expectations will likely change from week to week. For Hark, the day went exactly as he expected.
Katie Fox/Old Gold & Black
Study rooms, usually lively with students chatter and fierce debates, are now limited to individual student use, making for a quick snapshot of life in a socially distant semester. “This is what happened at the end of high school for us,” he said. Students will undoubtedly face obstacles as the semester progresses, but professors are still learning the ropes of online learning as well. For professor Rajan Puri of the Mathematics and Statistics department, internet problems plagued his first day of teaching.
“I had to start my class today on Zoom on my phone due to problems with my internet,” he said. “But later in the class I was able to switch over to my computer.” This is just professor Puri’s second year of teaching at the university, but the difference between last year and this year is stark for him. “Face to face versus online learning, it’s a totally new experience,” he said. “We
don’t get that one-to-one interaction with students.” He has also found that students are generally less engaged and less motivated to work in this new environment. This year’s FDOC was the first of many days of distant learning. As students and professors navigate and adapt to the online learning landscape, there is no mistaking that the start of the semester is a bleak one.
Katie Fox/Old Gold & Black
(Left) Two students stop for a socially distanced chat in between classes. (Right) With limited studying spaces on campus, the tables on the third floor of Benson University Center will surely become prime real estate for studying and online classes.
Old Gold & Black | News
Page 6 | Thursday, August 27, 2020
Dashboard: operating levels released
Continued from Page 1
Petersen explained that, while transparency is critical, “when the situation appears under control and the numbers are low, it can give a false sense that the virus is not present.” The possibility for students relaxing too much can be seen in Notre Dame’s coronavirus data. On Aug. 15, there were four positive cases. Two days later, Notre Dame saw three consecutive days averaging 90 new cases each. Not soon after, their campus was on heavy lockdown to stem the spread of the virus. In regards to what data the university can release, there are two legal guidances at work: the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), alongside other federal and state laws. FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of students’ “educational” and “treatment” records. On the other hand, HIPAA “is a federal law that requires the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the pa-
tient’s consent or knowledge,” as defined by the Center for Disease Control. More specifically, HIPAA includes a Privacy Rule which “requires covered entities [in this case, the university] to protect individuals’ health records and other identifiable health information by requiring appropriate safeguards to protect privacy, and setting limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made of such information without patient authorization.” Cheryl Walker, the executive director of News & Communication, specifically noted that the confidentiality laws outlined in HIPAA “prevent the university from disclosing any identifying information about affected individuals.” As explained by the Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services, “many schools, even those that are HIPAA covered entities, are not required to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule because the only health records maintained by the school are ‘education records’ or ‘treatment records’ of eligible students under FERPA.” However, the privacy rule still applies to employees of the university.
“The university has taken care to comply with its obligations under FERPA, and therefore, is not disclosing identifiable information about students who may test positive for the virus. FERPA does apply to information about students who are residing off-campus as well, so the university does not differentiate between how information about on-campus and off-campus students is protected,” said Wake Forest Deputy General Counsel Dina Marty. “The university has not identified the role of individuals who are associated with the university and who test positive in an effort to protect the privacy of those individuals.” Outside of personal information, there are other measures that the university can include in the dashboard such as the amount of quarantine and isolation rooms available, as well as the amount of tests administered. Alongside the dashboard, Wake Forest has also outlined multiple different levels of operation. “Containment of COVID-19 requires a campus community that is committed
to working together to reinforce the plans contained in Our Way Forward,” said President Nathan Hatch in an Aug. 25 email. “To that end, we have developed a color-coded system to provide a summary view of the state of viral infection in our population and our ability to contain it.” The most lenient operation level is Green, in which masks and social distancing would still be required but allow for more in-person gatherings and additional employees to return to campus. Currently, campus is in Yellow — meaning that the university is continuing with the base plans for the semester that are currently in motion. If the situation worsens, campus will shift to “Orange” and more courses will be moved online and in-person gatherings will be further reduced. Next is Red, which would reflect the current state of Notre Dame, as all classes would be online and campus activities would be suspended for at least two weeks. The final level is Purple, which would amount to university-wide activities being suspended and a reduction of the campus population.
Students share quarantine hotel experience What the official Wake Forest quarantine experience is like, as told by international students BY RAFAEL LIMA News Editor limara17@wfu.edu
If you have been on social media lately, odds are you have seen one of the many food unveiling Tik Toks of New York University students opening lunch boxes to find a packaged croissant and a bag of Doritos as their quarantine “meal.” Quarantine meal delivery is a reality that is here to stay as part of the college student experience, for as long as COVID-19 is a threat in every open college campus. At Wake Forest, although not as dramatic as with NYU students, some international students, including yours truly, have been going through a similar full quarantine experience over the past few weeks at the Best Western Plus Hotel, the university’s official quarantine facility. International students have been required to quarantine for at least two weeks prior to arriving on campus, as per CDC guidelines, making for a beta trial of the campus residency that all students would like to avoid this upcoming semester. All students are assigned to individual rooms with the university guaranteeing basic services such as meal delivery three times a day and weekly laundry pickups. So far, however, students have voiced their concerns about their lack of food choices and odd delivery times. “[The] first thing that threw me off was the time that [Wake Forest] delivered food. I am grateful that they do,
but they deliver it at weird times. For have suggested a meal order platform that Each room has at least an individual bathexample, dinner is at 4 p.m., which is at least allows them to either select or at room, a twin XL size bed, a study desk, TV odd, especially for us international stu- least customize their Deacon Dining meal, and mini fridge. Wake Forest has also prodents who are used to eating later,” said allowing them to swap sides or pick a des- vided rooms with microwaves after the inisophomore João Pinheiro. “[The food] is ert for example. On Monday, Aug. 24, tial student complaints about having to eat not what I am used to eating on campus, Wake Forest announced it would provide their meals cold. “For a first time [quarantining] experience because on campus at least you get to students with snacks and groceries delivery choose what you’ll eat. Here they deliver service from the 336 Market on campus in both for me and Wake Forest as well, they are managing it well. They could have manaddition to the three daily meals. very specific things.” In terms of facilities, despite the prospect aged it better at the beginning, but certain Prior to students arriving, the university asked them to fill out a one-time of staying in the same room for two weeks, things you just cannot predict,” Mendes food delivery form indicating their di- the room settings are quite satisfying and said. “They should have thought about the etary restrictions and preferences, be- could arguably be even seen as an upgrade microwave situation sooner, for example. sides the form, students have little say over some on campus housing arrange- They just delivered the microwaves after 10 over what is on the menu and when the ments, especially when compared to older days into my quarantine. But the overall exmeals will be delivered to them. Some residence halls like Bostwick and Johnson. perience has been good.” international students have also complained that they found themselves either having to eat their warm meal at an unorthodox time or waiting for their usual dining time with a cold meal. Additionally, with no outside delivery allowed, students are solely reliant on what is brough to them by Deacon Dining, which was especially troublesome on Aug. 18, when the scheduled dinner was not delivered and there were no further explanations. “There was one time that they didn’t deliver our dinner for the whole hotel. It is kind of a problem because many students probably don’t have a lot of snacks in their rooms,” said junior Raniery Mendes. “Also, we are not supposed to leave our rooms and that evening we had to leave our rooms to pick up food, otherwise, we would not have had dinner.” University employees ultimately allowed students to order outside food, breaking two previously established Rafael Lima / Old Gold & Black quarantine rules due to a lack of food Students are expected to stay in their rooms at all times during their in the hotel for students. Some students quarantine, unless when meeting with medical or health care providers.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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How to safely exercise outside during a pandemic Wearing a mask while exercising can be a hassle, but it is the safest available option BY MAGGIE BURNS Science &Technology Editor burnme17@wfu.edu
As if cardiovascular exercise wasn’t hard enough already, now we’re being asked to wear masks while doing it anywhere on campus. While this requirement might seem stringent, there is significant backing from researchers and scientists that says wearing a mask while in public is the safest way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 -— but that doesn’t make it any easier to go for a morning jog on the cross country trails while wearing a mask. As you may know by now, COVID-19 spreads from person to person through droplets. The Food and Drug Administration explains that infected droplets can be spread through sneezing, coughing and even just through talking. If one person is infected and sprays droplets to another person in one of those forms then the virus will spread from the original host to the new person — this happens when neither party is wearing a mask and are within six feet of each other. An article in Healthline explains that “the moist, warm air combined with turbulent air flow from exercising may create an environment in which droplets can spread readily.” For most people, doing any kind of cardiovascular exercise causes us to breathe more heavily, which can
therefore increase the probability of spreading the virus more than if someone is breathing at a normal rate. Being in any sort of public space during a global pandemic has become a daunting activity, but there are a few ways that you can exercise outside while also abiding by the safest guidelines to protect yourself and others from infection. According to the World Health Organization, the first step to making sure you’re fit to participate in outdoor activities is to make sure you do not have a fever, difficulty breathPhoto courtesy of Riley Herriman/WFU ing, or a cough – if this is the case you should stay at home to rest and Students exercise and play games on the quad while wearing masks to seek medical attention as always. If ensure safety while participating in socially distanced outdoor activities. you’re symptom free, WHO says that Here’s some advice from an article might come in contact with, the next steps to safe outdoor exerpublished in NPR by Marc Silver pull down your mask and leave cise are: that outlines some more ways to be it until you spot someone, then Wash your hands well before, dur- safe when participating in outdoor put it back on properly. ing and after you exercise. If you activities and exercise: • Wash your mask and your don't have access to soap and water • Separate yourself from others hands after you’re done. during your exercise, you can use an with at least 12 feet of distance Under extreme circumstances, we alcohol based hand sanitizer. if you are not going to wear a must learn to adapt in order to slow The Centers for Disease Control mask infection rates, and that means wearand prevention also says that wearing • Pick a time and a place when ing a mask at nearly all times. If you a mask, frequently hand washing and you know you won’t be in close choose to exercise outside without a practicing safe distancing are the best contact with people — avoid mask on, take measures like social ways to protect yourself and others going to the most crowded distancing and hand washing to the — these are also the requirements parks at the same time as ev- extreme. If you are choosing to exerfor participating in any activities on eryone else. cise while wearing your mask, still be campus. • Avoid touching areas that many sure that you are wearing it properly If you’re thinking about exercising other people likely touch, such and following all other guidelines to off of campus property and you are as park benches or railings. ensure safety for all. • If you’re running with a mask not going to wear a mask, know that Although it may be a hassle, the on, stop and look around safest way to exercise in the midst of you are taking a risk, but there are ahead and behind you. If you COVID-19, whether inside or out, still a few ways you can try to be as safe as possible. can’t see anyone at all that you is with a mask on.
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Source: https://ourwayforward.wfu.edu/covid-19-dashboard/
OPINION
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a t : w w w. w f u o g b . c o m E D IT O R : J a c k P o r t m a n , p o r t j t 17 @ w f u . e d u A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R S : R y a n K i n g , k i n g r m 17 @ w f u . e d u Alexandra Karlinchak, karlae18@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
The views expressed in all opinion columns represent those of the article’s author, not the opinions of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board
“ vote for progressive change Women should Gender Politics
Women voters must act in their own interest if they want to see positive change
Kate Federer
Staff Columnist fedekm18@wfu.edu This summer, when the Black Lives Matter movement got its deserved attention on social media, a particular statement went viral. It read: “Not every Trump supporter is racist, but all of them decided that racism isn’t a deal breaker.” This made me wonder what other things Trump supporters completely overlook. And by just looking in the mirror and being cognisant of my gender, I thought of all the sexism that his voter base often just blindly accepts, especially women themselves. Thirty-nine percent of Donald Trump’s votes came from women in 2016, even after he was exposed for yelling “grab her by the Pussy,” but why? How exactly are women benefiting in regards to his policies and the levels of respect that they receive for being fans of Trump?
action he makes sets an example for the people of the United States on how to behave and treat others. His blatant sexism and anger towards women show many that it is alright to go back in time in the progress of equality. For example, his attacks on 17-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg show that it is alright to denounce young women with a political passion and drive to make their own futures better. How do mothers and young female adults see that and feel okay with the suppression of progress? Would they denounce their own daughters and not pursue what they think is right themselves because they see the President doing the same? I am a firm believer that feminism is not a bad word, but I am still not in the majority of society with that mindset. The term often still has connotations of hatred towards men and the ideology that females should be superior to males and do not take the true definition of feminism, equality between the sexes, into account when voting. Some women are in such fear of appearing as an “angry man hater” that they do not vote or take action in their own best
interest in order to seem attractive and likable towards men and stay within society’s norm (now lessening) of compliance with males. For centuries, men have voted on their own accounts with mostly little to no thought for the rights and progression of their female counterparts, so why don’t all women do the same now and vote for what is going to supply them the most benefits? It is perplexing that women would not want to support candidates that fight for equal pay (between everyone, not just white men and women), access to affordable reproductive healthcare (not all that Planned Parenthood does are abortions) and decency and respect towards women in not only political positions, but all occupations and lifestyles. According to polls, more women are leaning away from Trump’s vote towards Biden’s, but polls are not a guaranteed indicator of election results, as we all saw in 2016. Women need to use the power of their ballots, whether mail-in or in person, to show Trump and his followers that his behavior is less than intolerable, but a political and progressive obstacle. Blindly voting for a sexist president due to one’s own internalized misogyny isn’t excusable anymore given the unlimited ability to stay educated and informed of the regressive policies and behavior our leader promotes.
only feel like, but more importantly live as, an equal counterpart to men. I refuse to be reduced to a product of discrimination and inequality and live under the bitterness of it. Yet, who is not a man/woman of his/ her times? The same principle applies to racism: How does one fight for his/her rights without “spoiling” their life and reducing it to a product of discrimination and inequality? I realize that this is a sensitive topic, and of course this is privilege talking — I’ve not faced significant or enough discrimination, and that is why I can sit here and say “how do we stay unaffected?” Of course it is virtually impossible to stay unaffected. I am more reluctant about letting boys pay for me even if I’ve paid for him numerous times before, out of the fear that I am not being “independent.” And I am scared that if I say yes to something my boyfriend wants I am succumbing to him. And I find myself without these fears when I am dating a girl: in these relationships I feel comfortable giving and accepting. When I was a kid, my parents have always told me that whining about how unfair and stupid certain rules are is use-
less. They reminded me that it is more important to think about maneuvering these conditions and avoiding getting hurt. Yet studying in an international school and in the U.S. has taught me to fight, to fight for the things I deserve, to fight against taking the consequences of something that is not my fault; to be angry, angry so that I will do something, angry so that something will change. It would, of course, be wonderful to not have the problem of inequality in the first place — we could have more eased nerves and less political correctness. However, in an imperfect country, society and world, what do we do? I think it is important to see both sides. It is impossible to ignore the imperfect reality, the inequalities and discriminations — and we shouldn’t, because that is the only way that it will ever change for the better. Yet, should we not allow some space and leeway for a better and improved future? So that we don’t forget that we have more things in common than different, so that we don’t fall into the trap of identity politics, so that we don’t avoid having real conversations out of the fear of offending someone. We can have it better one day, only by beliving and acting like it.
Some women are in such fear of The above quotes and scenarios do not appearing as an ‘angry man hater’ even begin to reveal Trump’s feelings towards that they do not vote or take ac- women and the place he believes they hold in tion in their own best interest ...” American society. Every public statement and For a little bit of background and since I have just quoted a statement by Trump from before he was elected, I would like to share some of the words President Trump has uttered about women since he was named Commander-in-Chief. In 2018 in regards to the #MeToo Movement that brought to light the disgusting normality of sexual assault of women in the workforce, he said, “It is a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something you may not be guilty of … Women are doing great.” He constantly refers to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as “Nervous Nancy” to degrade her in replacement of negotiation skills. In August alone he attacked Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, sarcastically calling her a “real beauty” (why is her appearance mentioned at all?) and claiming she knows nothing about the economy, despite her graduating cum laude from Boston University. Finally, Trump tweeted this August that “Suburban Housewives” will be in support of his plan to roll back vast lower-income housing plans. That label of women alone screams that his brain has not left the 1950s.
“ can complicate relationships Gender politics Patriarchal Attitudes
Constantly counterbalancing gender inequality eliminates opportunities to live without it
Shuqi Zheng
Guest Columnist zhens18@wfu.edu
I got into a somewhat heated debate with one of my best friends, who felt that I alway take “the guy’s side” and think from his perspective whenever she complains about a “boy” problem. I like to think that I try to be as impartial as possible most of the time, however I realized that I do tend to do that, regardless of whether it is the right thing to do in the that situation. She said that I tend to try to “understand” and “find excuses” for the boy by saying “I might do the same if I were him” or “think about if you were him.” She said that I always try to paint a picture of the girl and the boy being the same, existing on an equal playing field — but that
Studying in an international school and in the U.S. has taught me to fight, to fight for the things I deserve ...” is just not the case. She said that guys ought to do more in relationships, such as paying more, avoiding selfishness and apologizing first (to a reasonable extent) because society already favors men just for being men. This is an interesting point that I’d not considered before. Our society, despite recent progress towards gender equality, is still a patriarchal one. We shouldn’t live as if these differences and privileges do not exist, because they do. Maybe a more realistic way of being independent, or rather, being “woke,” is to not be a “strong, independent woman” but rather to acknowledge that men and women are not viewed equally and to fight for our rights by letting guys “do more.” My personal philosophy had always been that even though I knew gender inequality is real, I refused to live under the shadow of it because I do not wish to live with that mindset. If I were to, I could lose the only opportunity to not
Opinion | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, August 27, 2020 | Page 9
“ fails as platform for change Social media Social Media
The appeal of influencers lays in a yearning for distraction rather than engagement
Connor McNeely Staff Columnist mcnecb19@wfu.edu
From the dawn of time until the creation of Tik Tok, social influencers have dominated society in one form or another. It’s an undisputed fact that people have always and will always uplift individuals as examples, icons, or even idols to model their behavior after. They act as cultural beacons, and often have a role in creating the culture in which we live. These cultural influencers are everywhere you look in today’s world. In the West, people are all pitted in ruthless opposition to each other, all because of these social movements and their figureheads. The United States has endured possibly the most radical campaigns of change in its 244-year history without actually changing anything. It could be that this is because the citizens of the United States believe that the presidential election is the most decisive and far reaching reform they can achieve. Or maybe it could be that these grassroots movements simply do not hold enough financial power to implement change.
The concept of a vlogger is directly indicative of the late stage of capitalism in which we live ." The remarkable success of Donald Trump and his 2016 presidential campaign warrants attention in this field of social influence. The raw power of his simplified communication and ability to reach his target audience stands as an impressive achievement, one that stretches across the different strata of our society. The simple truth is that most people desire to live in a black and white world. You either want the President to be put behind bars or you want the protestors in jail. You either praise the police for their efforts to stop crime or you condemn them for signing up for a racist system. You either say Black Lives Matter or you say All Lives Matter (or you’re silent). Few examine what made these events what they are. Fewer still examine what, and who caused Donald Trump to be the man he is today. But thankfully, more are discovering how injustice permeates law enforcement and more are learning about what conditions of inequality caused the protestors to make the sacrifices that they did. They’re finding the root of the issue. The solution lies in fixing the conditions that made these horrible actions possible. Although their presence is not even close to the level of seriousness that the preceding political influencers embody, social media and Youtube influenc-
ers — celebrities included — present a what it is? We try, in painstaking fashcompelling example to examine. Their ion to mold social media into a force influence over the younger generation for justice and change. But what we don’t realize is that of America is probably stronger than any other social or political figure in it wasn’t made to be that way. It was made to distract you. It was made to the past. The concept of a vlogger is directly make you happy. And it has failed. indicative of the late stage of capitalism in which we live. It shows how entertainment has absorbed the focus of the nation, and the working class. If you think about it, Tik Tok stars like the D’amelio sisters have practically received a random inheritance of millions and millions of dollars, just to live their lives. And everyone is urged to watch. Now, I know it’s not their fault, and they shouldn’t be criticized for something that they consider to be their life’s big success. Who is to say I, or any of us would think any differently, or act any differently than they did? I know I often sound like the old guy griping at the younger generation in this column, but to be fair, this is the opinion section and you’re reading this because you want to hear my controversial opinion. I personally don’t see why people are so obsessed with this kind of entertainment. Those who accidentally come into fame usually possess no extraordinary talent and are not intelligent beyond measure. Instead, they are made into extremely attractive and engrossing products that absorb the precious little amount of free time that we have. Photo Courtesy of Dreamstime/TNS What if, for a moment, we just TikTok is a social media platform constopped and looked at social media for ducive to video sharing and editing.
“ University action regarding virus fails students Letter to the Editor
Let me start by saying that I fully acknowledge and appreciate the vast amount of resources and support that I received during my five years as a Wake Forest undergrad. Attending this university saved me in a lot of ways, and for that, I’ll forever be grateful. Another thing that I appreciate is the level of free speech that students have, especially the student-led newspaper. Without that, I wouldn’t be able to write this article on how flabbergasted and disgusted I am with university officials who are pretending that having students on campus is safe. Surely a university with a motto that literally translates to “for humanity” wouldn’t jeopardize the health and wellbeing of students, faculty, staff and members of the community that surround the university, right? It wouldn’t blatantly ignore fact- based science (and common sense, to be honest) that suggests having persons on campus could quite literally kill someone, would it? As a for-profit university, of course it would. There are a plethora of reasons for why campus shouldn’t be open, but I’ll stick to those that I feel are most pertinent, starting with the logistical inconveniences. Moving on to campus is in the
To the officials who had the power to do the right thing by keeping campus closed and consciously chose not to, shame on you." top 10 biggest pains in the ass about the college process. For some students, it’s also an extra expense for them that they barely can afford. While the majority of the affluent student population would have no financial problem packing everything up and going right back home, a last-minute move out would be unattainable for to some, trapping them on an infected campus or posing a huge and unnecessary financial strain. Another reason is the faculty and staff. A large portion of professors, administrators, custodians and other staff positions are older and more vulnerable to the coronavirus. Furthermore, many university employees who aren’t professors or administrators are Black and low-income, doubling up on the potential risk of serious complications. I always had a soft spot for the staff because I used to watch some of them have to clean up after pretentious adults who showed little decency and respect for them by leaving huge messes for them to
clean up. Now they have to worry about pretentious adults who could literally get them seriously ill. Winston-Salem as a city is vulnerable, with a poverty level of 20.6% that is 1.5 times the poverty rate at the state level. 55% of residents make less than $50k a year. The University is irresponsible not only for jeopardizing its faculty, staff and vulnerable students, but also for jeopardizing the entire city as students will inevitably flock to the few public spaces that are open. While I sympathize with the colleges who may very well have to close with the loss of revenue, Wake Forest is not on that list being that it has an endowment worth a little over $1 billion. They have the money to cushion the financial losses of another remote semester, as well as provide as much resources to students during the fall semester to make the spring semester all the more better. But they chose to endanger people to keep the cash flow. I know that many students will read this article and scoff, not giving a damn about the risks being posed to others, because they want their college experience. Here’s a dose of reality: it’s not about you. The fun experiences that come with college are not and will never be more
valuable than other people’s health. All of this could have waited. To the officials who had the power to do the right thing by keeping campus closed and consciously chose not to, shame on you. You’ve misled students and parents into thinking that you can operate campus safely and mitigate whatever outbreak may occur. They will find out soon enough that that’s not the case. There will be parties without masks or social distancing. There will still be people who are gross and don’t wash their hands often or at all. There will be asymptomatic students walking around slowly spreading the virus until outbreaks are out of hand, and things go back to remote learning. Families who purchased that tuition insurance that’s been semiaggressively promoted throughout the summer will shrug off the inconvenience, while those who couldn’t afford it will loose their money. As I see other colleges renege on their in-person plans, I wonder how many people have to get sick, how bad do they have to get sick and who it is that has to get sick for the university to do the right thing. None of this is Pro Humanitate and I’m so disappointed in my alma mater. - Kasy Heath ('20)
SPORTS
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Online at: www.wfuogb.com Twitter: @sports_ogb Editors: Ben Conroy, conrbd19@wfu.edu Will Zimmerman, zimmwj19@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Sage Surratt to opt out of 2020 football season After a decorated collegiate career, star wideout Sage Surratt is headed to the NFL BY BEN CONROY Sports Editor conrbd19@wfu.edu Few players in the NCAA last year were more explosive or effective at the wide receiver position than senior Sage Surratt. He racked up 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season, including a monster three-touchdown performance against Louisville. Some of his other accolades in just the past season included an All-ACC first team selection along with a whopping five games of over 100 receiving yards. Such accomplishments landed him plenty of time in the national spotlight and certainly turned the heads of NFL scouts everywhere. His efforts headlined a Wake Forest offense that proved to be prolific at times; with mobile threat Jamie Newman under center, the Demon Deacons were a force to be reckoned with in the ACC. The Deacs suffered a few unfortunate blows in the offseason, as Newman opted to transfer to Georgia in hopes of earning the starting spot there during his final year of eligibility. Fellow 1000-yard wide receiver Kendall Hinton graduated from
Wake Forest and is currently a member of the Denver Broncos, and in the blink of an eye two of Wake Forest’s most potent offensive weapons vanished. The Deacs’ coaching staff was already scrambling to right the ship when the most devasting blow of all hit our feeds; Surratt wouldn’t be suiting up for the Demon Deacons this season. On Aug. 19, Surratt took to Instagram to announce that he would be exercising the right to opt out of the 2020-2021 campaign, forfeiting his final year of eligibility amidst concerns regarding COVID-19. His message, although somber in nature, was incredibly heartfelt and genuine. Surratt expressed his profound appreciation for his time both as an athlete and a student at Wake Forest, stating that the university had “forever transformed his life.” He sent his thanks and well wishes to a long list of groups that included coaches, faculty, staff, trainers and fans, speaking fondly of his time and experience in all aspects of life Photo credit courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics Website as a Demon Deacon. He wrote that he was Wake Forest standout wide receiver and soon to be NFL prospect Sage incredibly appreciative for the dedication Surratt evades a tackler in a past contest against Tulane University. and commitment of his teammates, that competing with them had helped mold him est offense. He manufactured big plays his shoes. Surratt’s time at Wake Forest into the dominant player we all know him with ease, carving up defenses and leav- proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that to be. It was humbling as a fellow student to ing defensive backs in the dust in the he’s prepared to excel on Sundays very hear just how much Surratt’s time at Wake process. His veteran presence in the soon, and he’ll have Demon Deacon nalocker room will be missed, and the De- tion in his corner when he does. I know Forest meant to him. Simply put, it just won’t be possible to mon Deacons will have to begin search- I speak for all of Wake Forest when I say replace Sage Surratt within the Wake For- ing for one or several individuals to fill to Surratt, thank you and good luck.
Men's Soccer: Zarris prepares for return to field Aristotle Zarris has faced a uniquely challenging road to recovery from his ACL injury BY CHARLES HORN Staff Writer horncs18@wfu.edu
It was the last game of the regular season when Aristotle Zarris’ life changed in an instant. Minutes earlier, Zarris was wheeling away from the Louisville net, celebrating his goal that put the Deacs up by two and effectively sealed the win against the ACC rival. The celebration turned into devastation when Zarris fell to the turf clutching his knee with an injury that was later revealed to be an ACL tear. Two surgeries, eight-months, and one pandemic later, Zarris is calmly reflective of the ongoing process towards recovery that pushed him in ways he never expected. Zarris had just gotten his brace off in time for spring break when the world, and his lengthy rehabilitation process, came face-to-face with the pandemic. At that moment, Zarris was faced with a difficult choice that would have serious implications for his future as a soccer player. “I was given the option to stay on campus and do rehab,” Zarris recalls. “I
told the coach, I didn’t want to be stuck on campus all by myself and do rehab … it’d be too difficult and depressing.” Balancing the mental and physical fatigue associated with a long recovery from a serious injury is a predicament that no athlete wants to find themselves in, so Zarris made the decision that was best for him. That decision meant a return to Sarasota, Fla. and his family, but also a departure from the five-daysa-week specialized care he had been receiving from the trainers at Wake Forest. Back in high school, Zarris had torn his other ACL, so when he returned home he called the clinic where he had rehabbed several years ago but was told that they weren't in a position to take in any new clients. For the next two weeks, Zarris received no physical therapy, so he made up his own regiment of home exercises. Although he knew that this work was not allowing him to achieve the same progress he had been making with trainers at Wake Forest, it was better than nothing. When his father suggested that he reach out to the clinic again, Zarris was informed that since he had been in Florida for two weeks he could come to the facility. “It was like a ghost town,” Zarris remembers. The previously bustling clinic was nearly empty when he returned. The mandatory mask usage policies and
a total lack of hands on care made this rehab experience starkly different from his first. Zarris also noted that the intensity of the therapy paled in comparison to the arduous but productive care he had received back at Wake Forest. “I remember getting there and thinking — not that it was easy because rehab is never easy — but that I wasn’t being pushed the same way the trainers at Wake push.” So, when the phone call came from his coach inviting him back to campus in early June as one of several athletes recovering from injuries, the decision was easy. Working closely with trainer Niles Fleet, Zarris returned to a drastically different rehab experience than that which he had left three months ago. Where he once could scan in at will, Zarris found himself waiting for a staff-member to open a door. Once he began running again, Zarris pushed through the discomfort under a hot mask in the brutal North Carolina summer; over time, his work paid off as he gradually grew stronger and stronger. Zarris is confident he made the right choice about returning to campus, “I wasn’t too worried … I was happy just to be back.” Zarris lived alone before being joined by teammate and fellow ACL recoveree, Justin McMaster, so he passed the time between rehab sessions by taking
courses during both Summer Sessions. He also spent some time in the kitchen, “I’ve kind of learned to cook, I’m not too bad, my mom taught me some things.” As the weeks passed, Zarris could feel the progress, as strength returned to his leg and he began to steadily return to the form that has made him one of Wake Forest’s most dangerous attackers. While more athletes have trickled back to campus in spaced out waves and under similarly stringent coronavirus-related restrictions, the season itself remained in jeopardy. “From a team perspective, it’s frustrating since there’s so much uncertainty,” he says. But even when Olympic sports were pushed back many seasons, which gave Zarris more time to recover, his focus did not waver from his top priority: the success of the team. Zarris remains dedicated to returning to the pitch whenever he can; and, his resilience to recover from such a difficult injury in the midst of a global pandemic stands as a testament to his resolve. Today, he looks to the future with cautious optimism. He’s urging fellow students to follow the new sets of rules so that the Wake Forest community can return to a sense of normalcy, and hopefully the soccer team can soon return to business as usual at Spry.
Sports | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, August 27, 2020 | Page 11
Deacon Spotlight: Emilia Migliaccio Emilia is a senior from Cary, N.C. and a member of the Wake Forest women’s golf team BY WILL ZIMMERMAN Sports Editor zimmwj19@wfu.edu After a tremendous performance at the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in August, where she finished in fifth place among all players, Emilia Migliaccio is preparing for her final year of collegiate golf come springtime. Here, she discusses how the pandemic has affected her life as a student-athlete, the tall expectations for herself and the team during the upcoming season, and much more. The Old Gold & Black's sports editor Will Zimmerman spoke with Migliaccio about hopes for the season and the opportunity to compete for a national championship later this year. Will Zimmerman: How has COVID affected your training and practicing routines over the past few months? Emilia Migliaccio: It was definitely a challenge to stay motivated towards the beginning of the pandemic because I didn't have a tournament for many months, but I was lucky that I could still go to my golf course to play and practice. I turned the summer into a positive by really tightening up my game in all areas. WZ: How has the women's golf team been dealing with all the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming seasons for collegiate athletics? EM: We have been motivating each other to keep working hard until we are able to compete again. We are lucky that each person on our team has a hardworking mindset and is willing to do anything to make the team better. They are amazing girls!
WZ: What kind of expectations do you have for your personal game as well as that of the team for the upcoming season? EM: If we end up playing our spring season, our team is extremely motivated to be national champions. We finished runner-up two years ago and were unable to compete for them this year due to the pandemic. For me, I know when I am fully motivated to win, my personal goals will fall into place.
WZ: Do you have plans for playing amateur or professional golf beyond college? EM: Yes, I plan on pursuing my professional career next year after I graduate. My goal is to be the number one amateur before I graduate and then to become the number one LPGA player.
WZ: Is that the kind of mentality you had when you beat out Megan Schofill in extended holes to advance to the quarterfinals at the U.S. amateur event? EM: I remember being really focused on the present moment and thinking what can I do right now? Well, I can commit to this shot and get it as close as possible or get the perfect speed to make this putt. I've been in situations like that before and had been successful, so it was also helpful to draw back on those moments. WZ: What advice would you give to freshmen student-athletes regarding balancing athletics, their schoolwork and their social life? EM: It takes at least a semester to get it right. Embrace the uncertainty and the challenges. Make sure to know what your goals are both on and off the field, that way you can get back on track when distractions inevitably get in the way. WZ: Do you have any pre-match routines? EM: I always go over the first three holes in my head and meditate the night before I play to get into a good headspace before going to bed. In the morning, I like to activate all the muscles in my body, which usually takes about five minutes, and then read my devotional before I leave my hotel room. When warming up I like to start with my short game before moving onto putting, and finishing with swinging.
Photo credit courtesy of Wake Forest Women's Golf
If there's a season this spring, Migliaccio will be a force across the collegiate golf landscape.
Deacon football awaits a season unlike any other As a new team, Wake Forest has many unanswered questions coming into the 2020 season BY JOHN MANOS Staff Writer manojd18@wfu.edu
Demon Deacon John Wolford, while Smenda may be able to not only fill the vacuum left by Strnad, but dominate in it. But what about the newly revised schedule? Wake Forest starts off the year, as mentioned earlier, with a grueling task of facing Clemson. The Tigers are just as imposing this upcoming season as they have been in the past; star QB Trevor Lawrence is still at the helm and the Tigers boast a defensive line that has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. Even with the talented Kenneth Walker III as running back, Wake Forest lacks the power in the backfield that Cade Carney brought to the table which may cause issues for Clawson. Hartman will have to
Last year, Wake Forest football showed glimpses of high level play with a 5-1 start. Now with the pandemic, Sage Surratt’s opting out, and Clemson slated as the first opponent of the 2020 season, there are a lot of questions that need answers. In 2019, Coach Dave Clawson’s leadership and the offense’s outstanding athleticism led Wake Forest to a great start. However, injuries weighed heavily on the Deacons –– resulting in an 8-5 record that left much to be desired. This year, everything seems different. The largest depressions in the team will be left by departed players: Justin Strnad (LB), Jamie Newman (QB) and Sage Surratt (WR). While Strnad’s time was up here in Winston-Salem, Surratt and Newman decided that they wanted to take different routes to the NFL. Newman’s route was to go to play at University of Georgia, while Surratt decided to opt out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL draft. Bright spots on the team however, are returning stars, redshirt senior Carlos Basham Jr. (DL), junior Sam Hartman (QB) and junior Ryan Smenda Jr. (ILB). Basham is drawing national attention as one Photo courtesy of Wake Forest football of the best defenders in college football while the other two have proven to be more than worthy of their Quarterback Sam Hartman will have a lot on roles. Hartman plays frighteningly similar to former his plate during the upcoming football season.
put on an exceptional passing performance to keep Clemson’s defense on their heels and give the Deacons a chance. Other uphill battles throughout the year will come against Notre Dame in Charlotte, then against Virginia at home and one more time against North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Wake Forest’s schedule last year showed how difficult ACC play can really be and in 2020, it may only add to that point. Looking on the bright side, if anyone knows how to beat good teams and keep the Deacs in the spotlight, it is Clawson. Since he showed up in 2014, he has taken his team to four consecutive bowl games (beginning in 2016), winning three. He has forged a path for RPO (run pass option) offenses in point production and he can recruit exceptionally. Wake Forest will have to utilize offensive potential in young WRs Donavon Greene and Nolan Groulx. On top of that, QB Hartman and HB Walker III will have to chip in enough rushing yards per game to keep defenses guessing. As for the schedule this year –– it is only really different in two main ways: it is comprised of 10 games instead of 12, and it is now saturated with in-conference play that will count for much more than games last year like Utah State or Elon. This means that the margin for error no longer exists. While the task seems intimidating, Wake Forest has a chance to prove to themselves and the nation that they are a legitimate threat in the power five, especially if they can avoid injuries. Simply put, with Hartman at the helm of the offense and Basham as the centerpiece of the defense, Wake Forest possesses no less talent than last year. If injuries are avoided (for the most part), they can possibly come away with an even better record.
Old Gold & Black | Sports
Page 12 | Thursday, August 27, 2020
Things are heating up in the NBA bubble As the first round of the NBA playoffs comes to an end, here are a few takes from the first four games BY HASSAN LADIWALA Contributing Writer ladiha17@wfu.edu Time Running Out for Embiid, 76ers
rebounds and 13 assists on 18-31 shooting, including the game winning step back three. Oh, and he did all of that on a sprained ankle. Luka has made it abundantly clear that his time is now, he’s here to stay, and he doesn’t care about the Lakers-Clippers WCF matchup that we’ve been dreaming of all season long. The Wild, Wild, East The first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs is over and of the four teams who advanced, the only
Just 24 hours after being swept by the Boston Celtics, the 76ers relieved head coach Brett Brown of his duties. This marks the end of a frustrating season for a team that many predicted would be representing the Eastern Conference in the Finals this year. Injuries, inconsistent effort from young superstars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and an inability to install a successful half-court offense saw an immensely talented 76ers team woefully underperform on their way to a first-round playoff exit. GM Elton Brand certainly has his work cut out for him this summer, with moving Al Horford’s contract at the top of the list.
Toronto Raptors Led by Nick Nurse and one of the deepest benches in the NBA, the Toronto Raptors actually managed to have a better record this year than they did last year with Kawhi Leonard on the roster. They combine San Antonio Spurs style ball movement with three-point threats at all five positions and a hard-nosed defense, making them very difficult to match up with. Ultimately, I don’t think I’d bet against Nick Nurse in a seven game series. Milwaukee Bucks
Luka’s Postseason Magic Puts the League on Notice Let me be clear, what Luka Doncic has done in his first career postseason is incredible, spectacular, inspiring, unbelievable and all of the above. Most people saw the Clippers-Mavs first round playoff series as a mere formality, believing the Mavs would be tossed aside in four or five games by Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and co. and that young, Luka Doncic would have to learn from experience how difficult winning in the postseason is. However, Luka didn’t want to hear any of it. Through the first four games of the series, the Mavericks find themselves tied with the Clippers at two games apiece. Luka is averaging a 31-point triple double; he just dropped 43 points, 17
team to have lost a game so far is the number one seed, the Milwaukee Bucks. Before last season, LeBron James held a stranglehold over the Eastern conference, making it to the finals, eight years in a row and now with Kawhi Leonard also in the Western Conference, the Eastern conference is finally wide open, with the four remaining teams all having a fairly decent chance to make the finals in my opinion. Below I’ve included my own analysis of two of the contenders in the Eastern Conference. I’ll be doing more teams from both conferences as the postseason goes on.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/TNS
Luka’s been fantastic, but if he and the Mavs want to move on, there’s much work ahead.
They have Giannis Antetokounmpo, the reigning two-time MVP, the most dominant force we’ve seen on an NBA court since Shaquille O’Neal and a historically great defense. Who’s picking against them? Well, not so fast. In last year’s playoffs, down the stretch of a close game the ball would be in Kris Middleton’s hands instead of the MVP’s, partly due to Giannis’ lack of a jump shot. This season, we’ve seen minimal improvement from Giannis when it comes to his off-the-dribble jump shooting and I think that in a close game that could really hurt them. Giannis’s immense value is in what he does over the course of a 48 minute game, however in the last minute of a game, there are about 10 guys in the NBA I would want with the ball in their hands instead of him.
Expectations are high for women’s soccer With Tony da Luz at the helm and a slew of talent across the roster, the sky is the limit for women’s soccer BY SAM WEXLER Senior Writer wexlsn17@wfu.edu Entering his 24th season as the head coach of the Wake Forest Women’s Soccer team, there isn’t a lot that Tony da Luz hasn’t seen. Under his tutelage, the Deacs have been to 19 NCAA tournaments, won the 2010 ACC Championship, and went to the College Cup in 2011. In fact, Da Luz’s 263 program wins are best for the third most among ACC coaches since 1987. This upcoming season though, will be unlike any other in the past 23 years. With the COVID-19 pandemic upending college athletics, the Demon Deacons will have to deal with more obstacles than usual. Last season, Wake Forest finished with a record of 6-8-4 which included an ACC record of 1-6-3. Although the Deacs lost more than they won last year, seven of their eight losses came by only one goal and two of those losses were in overtime. Additionally, the team began the season winning its first four and five of its first six, games which included a win over then 19th ranked Santa Clara. The ACC is widely considered one of, if not the best, conference in women’s collegiate soccer and is filled with perennial powerhouses like 21-time national champion UNC. Indeed, in a season where conference play will be more important than usual, the Deacs have their work cut out for them. Wake Forest lost a lot of talent from last season and is looking to replace four of their leading scorers
from last year. While the team will miss stars like forwards Hulda Arnarsdottir, Hayley Younginer, Estelle Laurier and defender Madison Hammond, there is still a ton of talent on this year’s squad. Returning at forward is ultra skilled senior Ryanne Brown. Brown formerly played for the US Under-17 National Team and was the 20th ranked recruit in the 2017 class. Last season Brown, who is from Indianapolis, Indiana, started 15 games and scored three goals and recorded three assists. Another name to watch out for this season is senior Hannah Betfort. Betfort, plays defense and hails from from Charleston, South Carolina started 16 games last season and led the team with five assists while providing rock-solid defense. Junior, Giovanna DeMarco is set to be a key playmaker for the Deacs in the midfield. DeMarco, who was the no. 117 ranked recruit coming out of high school, started all 20 games her freshman year and was second on the team with four goals. She was also named to the All-ACC Academic and Freshman teams that season. Last year DeMarco missed the first three games of the season with an injury, but still started 12 games and recorded two goals. Redshirt junior Sofia Rossi will also be a key player in the Deac’s midfield. After starting 15 and playing in all 18 games last season, Rossi recorded three assists including a key one against Santa Clara. In goal, redshirt sophomore Mia Raben is expected to see time after starting four games last season and recording 19 saves. Overall, the Wake Forest Women’s Soccer team has the experience and skill to compete in the ACC. The big question for the Deacs this season is if they can flip the switch and edge out victories and ties in games like the ones they lost by one goal last year. With the high level of competition in the ACC, that is far easier said than done. But, the Deac’s lethal
mix of a coach with decades of experience and some of the most talented and hardest working players in the country gives them a real possibility of turning this season into something special.
Photo credit coutesey of Wake Women’s Soccer
The Deac’s are gearing up for the fall season, but player safety remains a major concern.
Thursday, August 27, 2020 |Page 13
Old Gold & Black | Sports
Men’s Soccer: Deacs look to own the ACC With plenty of returning veteran talent on the squad, WFU Men’s soccer is poised to make a run at the ACC championship BY JB BLOOD Staff Writer bloojj18@wfu.edu Despite a season that is bound to be unlike any other, the Wake Forest Men’s Soccer team is primed to make the most of the circumstances. Returning a strong core of experienced players along with some younger guys who are ready to take the next step, the Demon Deacons enter the season as one of the favorites to take home the ACC title. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA has postponed all fall championships to the spring leaving the Deacs with only the ACC championship to compete for this fall. While the ACC schedule has not been announced yet, the season will start no earlier than Sept. 10 and teams will play a minimum of six games. Additionally, while in the past 12 teams qualified for the ACC tournament, this year only the top four teams will be invited to the ACC Championship on November 13 and 15. The Deacs are led by their legend-in-the-making head coach Bobby Muuss. Entering his 6th season leading the program, he already has four ACC Coach of the Year awards, two ACC Championships, two College Cup appearances and one runner up finish. In that timespan, Wake Forest also leads the nation with 89 wins. Indeed, under Muuss’s strong recruiting eye, excellent development skills and brilliant tactics, the Deacs have become one of the best programs in the world of collegiate soccer. After finishing last season ranked third in the country after losses in the ACC and College Cup semifinals and a 16-5-2 overall record, Wake Forest is looking to bring home the hardware this season. First, the Deacs must replace star midfielder Bruno Lapa, defensive stalwart Alistair Johnson and strong midfielder Joey DeZart who all graduated and are now playing professionally. Lapa finished last season with 10 goals and an All-ACC first team selection, Johnson received All-ACC third team honors
and was drafted 11th overall in the MLS Superdraft, while DeZart received an All-ACC tournament selection and was drafted 31st overall in the MLS Superdraft. Luckily for the Deacs, the cupboard has been left anything but bare. All-ACC freshman team selection Calvin Harris returns for his sophomore year as one of the best scorers and most electric players on the team. After finishing third in goals scored last season with six, Harris is a key player in the offensive juggernaut that is Wake Forest soccer. Adding to the offensive firepower is junior forward Kyle Holcomb who finished second on the team in scoring last year with nine goals. Additionally, last year’s team leader in assists, senior midfielder/forward Machop Chol returns as one of the most experienced players on the roster. Justin McMaster is also a name to watch out for as the senior midfielder/forward looks to build on his strong season last year in which he scored two game winning goals.
At midfield, the Deacs return a stacked lineup. Junior playmaker Aristotle Zarris looks to return to top form after an injury kept him out of the College Cup run. Isaiah Parente is another high achieving junior midfielder who will help Wake Forest control the pace of play. Finally, former high school Gatorade Player of the Year, sophomore Omar Hernandez is looking to build upon a strong freshman season in which he scored one goal and had four assists. Michael Deshields and Nico Benalcazar return to anchor a defense that only allowed 17 goals all of last season. In goal, redshirt junior Andrew Pannenberg is coming off a stellar season in which he had 50 saves, nine shutouts, and earned All-ACC third team honors. Despite the uncertainties surrounding the season, Wake Forest has the talent, depth and big game experience to turn an unideal situation into an unforgettable year.
Photo credit courtesy of Wake Forest Men’s Soccer Twitter Account
The Wake Forest Men’s Soccer squad prepares for an exciting, albeit strange 2020 season with some socially distanced daytime traning on the practice fields adjacent to Spry Stadium.
Bayern wins sixth Champions League title Bayern Munchen eeked out a 1-0 victory in this years UEFA Champions League final to take home the title BY CHARLES HORN Staff Writer horncs18@wfu.edu When the final whistle blew and the players rushed the field, fans across the globe rejoiced at the historic victory. It’s too bad none of them could have been there to see it. The Champions League concluded in an empty stadium in Lisbon, more than 2,000 miles from the original final venue located in Istanbul. The season was historic, unlike any in the 65 year history of the league. And while it concluded with a final that failed to live up to expectations of excitement, it undoubtedly showcased two of the continent’s greatest teams. The strange circumstances did little to suppress the celebrations for Bayern Munich as they captured their sixth European title over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), capping a treble that seemed out of the picture just nine months ago under the struggling manager, Niko Kovač. After a shocking 5-1 defeat in November, 2019, Bayern fired Kovač, and appointed Hansi Flick, a former Bayern player and assistant manager for the German national team, as interim manager. Flick’s interim status was short-lived; when he implemented a high press strategy that created the most dominant team in European soccer, the term “interim” was removed from the title. Since Flick’s taken over, Bayern have won 91% of their matches and haven’t lost a game since the new year. After surging back to the top of the German table, they
captured an elusive domestic double by winning the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal. Yet it was in European competition that Bayern truly demonstrated the extent of their dominance. Throughout the competition they won all 11 of their matches and scored 43 goals while conceding a meager eight. Before the pandemic interrupted their season, Bayern battered Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge, in large part due to the pacey Alphonso Davies destruction of Cesar Azpilicueta down the right side. Nearly six months later, the sides met again for the much-delayed second leg. Bayern didn’t miss a beat and put four past the struggling Blues. In the Quarterfinals, Bayern met FC Barcelona, who were coming off a disappointing second-place finish to Real Madrid in La Liga. After a back and forth opening 10 minutes that saw both sides score, Bayern ripped apart the capitulating Catalonians, putting a historic eight goals past the helpless Ter Stegen in the Barcelona net. After a slightly nervy semifinal against French upstarts Lyon, whose story deserves more than a slight mention, the true test awaited Bayern in the final: PSG. Coming off a domestic treble, PSG had scored two late goals to send off Atalanta in the quarterfinals before a comfortable 3-0 win against RB Leipzig sent them to the final. The squad, bolstered by the $400 million duo of Mbappé and Neymar, was poised to wreak havoc on Bayern’s high press. However, for a game promising attacking brilliance and high pressing, Sunday’s final proved ultimately disappointing. PSG had the best opportunities in the first half but fizzled in the second half under Bayern’s stifling press. Neymar and Mbappé hardly had the ball
at their feet and were rendered unusually ineffective. Ultimately, it was Joshua Kimmich who pushed up from right back in the 59th minute and found himself in acres of space at the corner of the box. A well placed lofted cross aimed at the back post found Kingsley Coman who placed a header expertly past Navas for the deciding goal. Born in Paris to a diehard PSG fan for a father, Coman joined PSG at the age of 9, becoming their youngest ever debutant at 16 before joining Juventus at 18. Coman has won a title every year since 2014, joining Bayern on loan in 2015 after one season in Turin before joining permanently in 2017. Throughout the match, the pacey Coman tormented PSG’s German right back Thilo Kehrer, blowing past him frequently before the Frenchmen was substituted for Ivan Perišić in the 68th minute. When the final whistle blew, Neymar collapsed to the ground, and was consoled by Bayern defender David Alaba. Along with fellow star attackers Mbappe and Di Maria, the trio were left to stew over a host of missed opportunities that had given a brief spark of hope to the Parisian faithful. In goal for Bayern, Manuel Neuer was remarkable, his performance headlined by a fantastic double save denying Neymar in the first half. His outstanding performance, and the failings of PSG, were capped in the 90th minute when a hopelessly offside Mbappe was unable to beat Neuer despite there not being a defender in the same hemisphere. PSG’s new season begins this week, with little time to lick their wounds and recover from the disappointment of the weekend. Bayern return to the pitch on Sept. 11, hoping to continue their historic run of form and extend their recent dominance into the new year.
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Album Review | boy pablo
boy pablo drops EP ahead of album release boy pablo’s recent music videos and EPs all follow similar themes of summer love BY ELLY HONAKER Contributing Writer honaer18@wfu.edu
All lulling guitars and sincerity, boy pablo (Nicolas Muñoz), remains a fixture of the bedroom pop movement. He helped define the scene aesthetically and sonically with a viral music video for “Everytime” in 2017 akin to Mac Demarco visually and with the virality that launched a celebrity similar to that of Clairo’s “Pretty Girl.” Now Muñoz is on the heels of two highly successful EPs in 2017 and 2018 and is currently dropping singles in preparation for his fulllength album release Wachito Rico this upcoming October. The six songs released as singles from the new album appear to have a salve applied to a sound once rigid with youth, although still reliant on the jubilant guitars and carefree croonings reticent of many indie acts, there are some elements of his work that always manage to set him apart from similar artists. In those simple lyrics, which seem to come as text conversations on a teenage girl’s phone, boy pablo still manages to further hone in on an artistic vision. Though still battling some shortcomings lyrically, he has successfully navigated the shift from a sweatshirted kid
making music in his basement to a fully fledged multiinstrumentalist, and provides the imagery of a soft boy whose vulnerability is his triumph. His music comes as immediate sensation, the sunny haze of a summer dream world. It’s evident with his latest releases and music videos that the immature flirtations expressed in 2018’s Soy Pablo have blossomed into young adult relationships with Wachito Rico, The songs with visual components, “hey girl” and “honey” explore youthful love through a peach tint. With “hey girl,” Muñoz expresses the anxiety of being in love with someone whose reciprocation of affection is unknown. He captures that fleeting feeling when the expression of passion finally occurs and those moments of tumult while waiting for response. “Honey” seems to pick up the story shortly thereafter — it is the daydreams that result from requited love and is one of the more lyrically potent efforts. The music videos that accompany these songs play out these scenes and expand upon the signature lyrical simplicity of Muñoz by creating a fully flushed out world. This world Muñoz creates alongside the music displays an awareness of how visual association helps hurdle the ephemera so commonplace in the roving hoard of indie musicians. It assists in setting apart a shallow poetical endeavour from an ocean of other such attempts. It capitalizes on the visceral, allowing an artistic vision to realize itself beyond the words that in many ways hold back this young musician from transcendent artistic expression. By providing the music with an expansive world steeped in warmth, it’s possible for visual cues to do the heavy lifting of con-
Photo courtesy of amazon.com
The cover of boy pablo’s future album, set to be released in October. necting the listener emotionally when lyrics may be a hindrance. It exists as a storyline forever playing in the mind. When the words aren’t reaching you beyond the moments you’re listening it, the idea is that you might wander within the visual world. Though these recent singles maintain the candy-like sweetness of past lyrical expressions that might make listeners twinge at times, it is obvious that Munoz has found depth in the sonic and visual aspects of his art and focuses his energy there. By harnessing the power of YouTube virality and visual story-telling, boy pablo ensures that he retains the capability of standing apart from other artists within his genre, and this is why he remains ensconced in every bedroom pop playlist out there.
Video Game Review | Ghost of Tsushima
New, exclusive PS4 game is a blast to play New game, Ghost of Tsushima is so much fun to play, gamers should cherish every second BY CONNOR MCNEELY Staff Writer mcnecb19@wfu.edu
In the rapidly expanding genre of open world action and adventure games, Ghost of Tsushima finds its mark in the unique setting of feudal Japan and in the wellcrafted story and game mechanics. This is no Assassin’s Creed in Japan, nor is it close to adventure titles like The Witcher. Based on the historical battle of Tsushima during the Mongol invasion of Japan, the story of Ghost of Tsushima is a fictional account that centers around the character of Jin Sakai, one of the only remaining noble samurai on the island who must defend its inhabitants against the ruthless invasion force led Khotun Khan, a cousin of the famed Kublai Khan. The main story is a journey across the island of Tsushima — which is shrouded by mystery and an optimal amount of side quests. The map itself stands on the cornerstone of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and is a faithful representation of the Japanese countryside. Every environment
offers variety and the Onsens (mountaintop views) warrant a return even after you have completed them. Your clothing customization is perfectly suitable for the size of the game and gives a dizzying variety of headbands, helmets, hats and suits of armor to wear. You can compose haikus in serenity, collect relics to learn the history of Tsushima, cut through bamboo (Tameshigiri) with your katana to increase ability and so much more. But the area in which Ghost of Tsushima truly succeeds is combat. Although this system bears some familiarity to the Batman: Arkham games or maybe Assassin’s Creed 3, it yields far more complexity. The timing system in the individual battles help to make one of the only authentic swordplay experiences in video games. Every fight felt cinematic. I enjoyed the combat so much that I’m sure in a couple years I’ll hop on the game again just to engross myself in an eight to one fight just for the fun of it. However, even though I was blown away by the action in this game, one of the major complaints I have lies with the duel feature. Despite your inexperience with the combat system, it is fairly easy to pick out your duel opponent’s fighting pattern and easily defeat him/her. This is a pervasive issue that extends past the dueling and into the general nature of Ghost of Tsushima itself.
If you are obsessed with the game, or even moderately enjoy it, you’ll dig into the game and want more than it can offer. Like many games in the past the original Assassins Creed titles, Red Dead Redemption most of the adventures you find yourself in on the island of Tsushima are finite, so you had better ration them as you continue through your journey. Especially because there is no new game plus feature or any DLC excepting the newly announced multiplayer feature to this date. This is not a damning critique of the gameplay, bu trather a healthy warning that this game is so much fun to play that you’ll want to savor every hour of action. I won’t give away anything too significant about the story. The acting isn’t over the top and Daisuke Tsuji impresses with his performance as the stoic, yet conflicted Jin Sakai. The writers behind Ghost hand over an instantly enthralling conflict between tradition and survival a seemingly eternal argument in the history of Japan. When the samurai fight the backstabbing Mongols with honor, it almost guarantees defeat. Who is to say honor and the tradition of Tsushima mean anything at all if it cannot ensure its own survival? This compelling thematic conversation of morality vs. survival echoes throughout time and into our troubled world today. I’ve never rated anything I’ve reviewed before in the Old Gold & Black, but this game was so enjoyable that it deserves a 10/10 rating. I guarantee you will have fun.
Life | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, August 27, 2020 | Page 15
Lifestyle Column| DC Comic Con
VR convention piloted by DC Comics COVID-19 restrictions fail to seperate fans of super hero and comics BY ERIC OMOROGIEVA Staff Writer omorei17@wfu.edu Last Saturday, DC Comics and Warner Bros hosted DC Fandome, a virtual showcase of movies, shows, games and more. In order to make up for missed Comic Cons all over the country, the decision was made to host all reveals in-house, with major actors such as Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Margot Robbie making appearances. From 1-9 p.m., livestreams played, revealing new content to fans, and allowing Q&A from anyone around the world. The actual makeup of Fandome was less than appealing. Due to the virtual nature, DC Comics made the interesting decision to build their own 3D virtual space where actors would either pop up on screens or be physically present and stand on the surface. This made for unattractive views, no depth, and weird positioning for actors and directors. This was obvious from the first panel, where the screens of cast and director were blocked together in the background instead of just switching between who was talking in a grid view. Although a downside from the event, it maintained as the only one. The live streams flowed seamlessly without many lags, and properly transitioned throughout the day’s events Fandome was filled with major highlights for the entertainment community. The start
of the day, Director Patty Jenkins and the cast of Wonder Woman 84 revealed the final trailer for their film which was a lightningbolt ride through the peak of the neon, synth-pop 1980s with beautiful costumes and a fierce match-up between Wonder Woman and Kristen Wiig’s Cheetah. Another notable moment was the reveal of the first trailer for Zach Snyder’s cut of the infamous 2017 Justice League, which has been begged for by fans since it’s mostly reshot version at release. The new Suicide Squad movie also revealed behind the scenes footage of the cast. There were even movies showcased that had not even begun production yet, but instead offered concept art and plot details. The Flash starring Ezra Miller and Black Adam starring Dwayne Johnson were among these films. The Flash panel was quite unique, taking fans through the history of the superhero in comic books over the last 70 years in order to show the gravity of the movie they plan to make: a time travel movie where Flash goes back in time to save his mother, which creates an alternate universe. DC Comics of course couldn’t help but showcase a ton of Batman content as well. First up was the Gotham Knights video game, which takes place in a Gotham where Batman is no longer around, and his family including Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin have to pick up the pieces and prevent the takeover of the city from its most dangerous villains. This game, which is a fourplayer co-op, allows you to play as any of the four in various missions against notable criminals such as Mr. Freeze. Finally, to close off Fandome, director Matt Reeves held a panel to discuss his upcoming The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne and Zoe Kravitz as Selena Kyle. Although the movie was only about 25% through filming up until the pandemic delays, Reeves was able to piece together a universally loved
trailer that has trended since and has been viewed over 30 million times in its first 36 hours throughout YouTube and Twitter. Pattinson’s Batman is an angry and fierce vigilante working alongside the Gotham Police to uncover a series of murders initiated by The Riddler. Overall, the event was quite the success, drawing in fans from all over the world and providing a seamless experience for checking in on a wide range of entertainment properties. Each major panel was unique in its own way. For over eight straight hours, viewers could pop on the stream at any time and be welcomed with new information or footage that could draw them in even on characters they weren’t aware of. Initiatives like Fandome provide the blueprint on how to substitute major summer in person events like E3 and Comic Con in the pandemic world.
BY NIKO KOLEV Staff Writer kolens18@wfu.edu Rap legend Nas’ 13th studio album King’s Disease has released, and is looking pretty fantastic. This album’s lyrics and line deliveries are absolutely phenomenal. Nas’ rap pedigree is on full display as he effortlessly rattles off clever metaphors and one-liners one after the other. On King’s Disease, Nas manages to interweave allusions and stories about his personal life in conjunction with analysis about the state of society today and social relationships. Topics ranging from domestic and gun violence, to social media’s effects on society today. What echoes throughout this project are the surprisingly heartfelt and optimistic ideas present. In a genre where so much of the music coming out feels hollow, aggressive and sometimes depressing, it’s refreshing to hear songs and lyrics that actually feel realistic and personal. For example, on the track “Til The War is Won” Nas is pleading with the listener about the ben-
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
Themes of unity and reliability emphasized through music and album cover
Some of our suggestions to annoy, but not seriously maim your roommate. By: Micah Porter
1.
Cover your bed with a tent and live in it for a week Get a sound machine and have it play knife sharpening noises
3.
List your room for rent on Craigslist, and give tours
5.
Collect your tears in a mason jar and keep it on your desk
7. Photo courtesy of IMDB.com
Pattinson and Kravitz co-star in 2020 Batman recreation.
Nas imparts social reform through rap efits of always fighting for the people you care about, and specifically supporting the important women in your life. The song is a direct address towards them and stresses the importance of unity and reliability. “Let’s see where the black family at/ We need each other, with bad tempers, we defeat each other.” “Til The War is Won” manages to give insight into Nas’ life and his morals as we hear what he preaches for others to do. This personal touch and characterization sets this album apart from others of today.
Top 10 Ways to Freak Out your Roommate
Step #1: Build an ant farm Step #2: Let the ants out
Get a lava lamp and start predicting the furture
Album Review | King’s Disease
Nas collaborates with rap’s greatest in all new album, King’s Disease
THE HOT LIST
This album will not be for everyone, that is for certain. To really enjoy this, it needs to be soaked in and the only focus of your attention. So much of hip hop today is pretty much just white noise with a deep bass that fills the void at parties and events. Most of the songs here are more lyrically focused and don’t use the instrumentals as a huge crutch. Plus, not being able to hear the great lyrics because of bass would be so disappointing. This is not to say that instrumentals do not matter to make a great track, quite the contrary. A small gripe with King’s Disease is that some of the instrumentals’ presences are a little too subdued. Some of the most memorable moments from this project are when the instrumental and vocals both have a very strong presence and focus. While also being memorable, some more variety in the beat sounds and samples would improve the listening experience a good bit. So, from a lyrical and personality standpoint, King’s Disease is great. It’s unfortunate, but there hasn’t been too much buzz about the project as of late, despite how famous Nas is. For context, Nas’ Illmatic album is considered by many to be one of the best rap albums ever released. Maybe the lack of buzz is because young people are not listening to older rappers like Nas as much anymore. This album may seem like an intimidating listen at first, but it’s only 38 minutes long (which is rather short), so you’ll burn through it quickly. My personal favorite track is “Spicy.” 7.5/10
Borrow your roommates password and change their schedule Slowly take one sock from each pair, until they have no matches
their university email 9. Register for every campus subscription Over time lower their matress until its on the floor
DRINK OF THE WEEK • 6 oz. or half a bottle of your favorite kombucha • 1.5 oz. of vodka or gin • 1 lime wedge • 1 sprig of mint or basil Pour your liquor of choice and lime juice into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Pour that mixture with ice into a wine glass and top with kombucha. Stir and garnish with the fresh herbs. 21+ only
Courtesy of Catherine Regen
Page 16 | Thursday, August 27, 2020
Old Gold & Black | Life
Taylor Swift releases surprise album: folklore Fans were shocked and stunned worldwide on July 24, when the singer announced she would be releasing her eighth studio album later that day
BY KHUSHI ARYA Staff Writer aryak19@wfu.edu
Taylor Swift dropped a surprise new album on July 24 after announcing it merely 16 hours before on social media. While we spent our days binging on ice cream and Netflix, Taylor Swift wrote, produced and directed an entire album and a music video. This album marks a stark difference in what we are used to getting from Swift. She usually drops hints or “Easter Eggs” long before an album releases for her fans to guess the details. Folklore, however, had no such prerelease promotion. Moreover, this album is categorized as Indie folk or alternative rock which is a bold pivot from Swift’s reputation as a country and pop singer. Despite that, it broke numerous records in terms of sales and streams, including the Guineness World Record for the biggest opening day for an album by a female artist on Spotify. Swift wrote this album in isolation in collaboration with producers Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, and the mysterious songwriter William Bowery — possibly a pseudonym for her boyfriend Joe Alwyn. The aesthetic of Folklore is reminiscent of a rustic, cozy, fall evening in a cottage. With the albums art features monochrome pictures of Swift in a forest. The lead single, “cardigan,” is similarly shot in a cabin and shows waterfalls and forests. Swift shared on Instagram how the album initially started with imagery. Being in isolation sparked her creativity, so she came up with a variety of characters whose stories she narrated through her music. This also explains the name Folklore. In Swift’s words, “A tale that becomes folklore is one that is passed down and whispered around. Sometimes even sung about. The lines between fantasy and reality blur and the boundaries between truth and fiction
Photo courtesy of amazon.com
Swift is known to change the aesthetics of her album art, and accompanying visuals to suit the themes found in the lyrics and style of her music.
become almost indiscernible. Speculation, over time, becomes fact. Myths, ghost stories and fables. Fairytales and parables. Gossip and legend. Someone’s secrets written in the sky for all to behold. I’ve told these stories to the best of my ability with all the love, wonder, and whimsy they deserve. Now it’s up to you to pass them down.” Folklore showcases Swift’s superiority as a skilled songwriter, as it is more focused on lyrics than production which differs from older albums. Not to say she hasn’t made other lyrical masterpieces, of course. The lyrics feature vivid imagery such as “high heels on cobblestones,” “battleships will sink beneath the waves” and “Drunk as they watch my shattered edges glisten.” All the songs are ballads that form their own folklore. Three of them form a teenage love triangle, as Swift mentioned in a livestream. The song “betty” is from the perspective of James, who cheated on his girlfriend Betty and is now asking for forgiveness. However, he excuses his actions by saying “I’m only 17, I don’t know anything.” The song “cardigan” is from Betty’s perspective, who reminisces on her relationship with James and admits that she knew he would come back to her in the end. Her maturity is evident in the lyric “When you are young they assume you know nothing ….But I knew everything.” She also makes a reference to Peter Pan in the lyric “You tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy.” Swift has outdone herself yet again with these lyrical parallels. Peter Pan lost Wendy because he refused to grow up, and so did James. A cardigan is a cozy article of clothing that also serves as a physical memento that people often hold on to after the end of a relationship. The story surrounding it feels relatable Photo courtesy of amazon.com Swift did all her own hair, makeup and styl- and warm. Betty recalls, “When I felt like ing for her album art and photography. an old cardigan, you put me on and told me
I was your favorite.” Who wouldn’t want to feel like someone’s favorite cardigan? Finally, we have the song “august” which narrates the third perspective of the love triangle, the girl James cheated on Betty with. It’s sad that what she called “summer love” was disregarded as “just a summer thing by James.” She knew that James wasn’t hers to begin with, yet just like any naïve teenager, she fell for him. The characters painted by Swift in Folklore are raw and vulnerable. Speaking of which, Swift writes about a non-fictional person, Rebekah Harkness, as well. She was one of the wealthiest women in America after marrying William Harkness, heir to the standard oil fortune. The song talks about how she previously owned Swift’s “holiday house” in Rhode Island. Throwing extravagant parties, she “filled the pool with champagne and sawm with the big names and blew through the money on the boys on the ballet,” and was hated by the whole town. In the last chorus, Swift shifts the focus of the song to her life and how she is “the loudest woman this town has ever seen” and that she “had a marvelous town ruining everything.” The parallels drawn between these two powerful women seemingly connected by the Rhode Island house is pure genius. Folklore embodies everything that makes Taylor Swift unique: excellent songwriting, tear-jerking songs, detailed imagery and captivating storytelling. The rustic fall vibes of this album make for a perfect listen this season. In addition to great music, you’ll get a free English class out of all the metaphors, personification, alliteration and narrative parallels in the album. Overall, Folklore is a brilliant composition that is definitely worth the listen, don’t disregard it just because it’s Swift. It’s 2020 and it’s not cool to hate Taylor Swift anymore.