News: Peru scientists work to save Amazon Page 4
Opinion: The downsides to the popularity of the English language Page 10
Sports: Football triumphs over Utah State Page 11
Life: Lana Del Rey’s new album is sharp and poetic Page 17
Old Gold&Black
WAKE FOREST’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1916 VOL. 106, NO. 2
T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 019 “Cover s the campus like the magnolias”
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WSSU joins WFU band for halftime show Football onlookers last Friday witnessed a show of solidarity between neighbor universities BY LILLIAN JOHNSON Editor-in-Chief johnlg16@wfu.edu
The moment the second quarter buzzer hits zero at BB&T Field is typically when the student section thins out. But, last Friday night, the student section remained fuller than usual, as students and fans alike witnessed a unique and exciting halftime performance. For the first time ever, two collegiate marching bands graced the field. The Spirit of the Old Gold and Black (SOTOGAB), Wake Forest’s marching band, was joined by the Red Sea of Sound, Winston Salem State University’s (WSSU) marching band.
See Music, Page 6 Will May/Old Gold & Black
Wake Forest’s Office of Wellbeing celebrated Thrive’s anniversary with Arrive and Thrive, a celebration on Manchester Plaza featuring a dunk tank, food, caricature artists, dogs, massages, games and prizes.
WFU Thrive turns five The Office ofWellbeing celebrated the fifth anniversary of Thrive with Arrive and Thrive event BY WILL MAY News Editor mayws16@wfu.edu
The Wake Forest Office of Wellbeing’s Thrive initiative celebrated its fifth anniversary on Wednesday. Arrive and Thrive was an empowering and exciting event held for students, faculty and staff on Manchester Plaza featuring a dunk tank, food and dogs. “Our work supports everybody in the campus community, students, faculty, and staff, to show up fully,” said Malika Roman Isler, director of Wellbeing. “I’d say our mission is really to provide the opportunities for people to know more, and
know better, and have the skills and resources to care for all of who they are while they are members of this community and beyond.” Thrive seeks to comprehensively address the health problems that pervade college campuses. Many students today especially struggle with mental health: per the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment, 29.5% of college students reported feeling overwhelming anxiety in fall 2018. Penn State’s Center for Collegiate Mental Health reports that 35.8% of students in the United States received mental health services from 2017 to 2018. Roman Isler characterized the initiative’s development and introduction in 2014 as the next logical step for any elite academic institution to make.
“This is supposed to be the time of life when people are expanding their ways of thinking, their exposures to new ideas and contributing to the development of those ideas in others,” she said. “What better time to give people the space to create who they are and to have support from an institutional level than while you’re in college?” Thrive’s iconic logo, a leaf composed of eight differently-colored pieces, represents the eight distinct categories of its wellbeing focus: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual wellbeing. Since its inception, it has offered over 953 programs and partnered with more than 145 offices, departments and organizations.
See Thrive, Page 4
Corey D. B. Walker discusses slavery Walker delivered an address about slavery and its legacy as it pertains to Wake Forest BY CAROLINE WALKER Asst. News Editor walkct18@wfu.edu
Corey D. B. Walker, a visiting professor of leadership studies and the humanities at the University of Richmond and a former dean at Winston-Salem State University, delivered an address titled “My Skin as Legacy: Towards an Ethics of Slavery, Race and Memory” on Wednesday in the Porter Byrum Welcome Center. Walker’s speech was the first part of a new lecture series that is a part of Wake Forest University’s Slavery, Race and Memory Project. See Walker, Page 5
OGB
“ Thrive positively impacts the community This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board.
Everyone handles change and stress differently, and no one should feel like their concerns do not deserve to be heard."
Five years ago, Wake Forest introduced the Thrive initiative, designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills and perspective to live healthy and fulfilling lives at Wake Forest. On Sept. 4, the university recognized the fifth anniversary of the initiative at a celebration on Manchester Plaza, which included food, music, activities, merchandise and representation from various campus organizations involved with student wellbeing. The Editorial Board of the Old Gold & Black commends the Office of Wellbeing for their concern with
all facets of student health. Indeed, Thrive recognizes that eight dimensions of wellbeing — emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual — play into students' abilities to live healthy and meaningful lives in college, and we appreciate the university's balanced approach to all eight. At the same time, we understand that wellbeing is a highly complex
Old Gold &Black
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSIT Y SINCE 1916 LILLIAN JOHNSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF johnlg16@wfu.edu
REN SCHMITT PRINT MANAGING EDITOR schmwm16@wfu.edu
>> NEWS Will May, mayws16@wfu.edu Assistant: Caroline Walker, walkct18@ wfu.edu
>> SPORTS Rafael Lima, limara17@wfu. edu
>> OPINION Kyle Ferrer, ferrka16@wfu.edu
>> LIFE Emily Beauchamp, beauea17@ wfu.edu
>> DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR Mary-Hallet Culbreth, culbmh16@wfu.edu
>> ADVISER Phoebe Zerwick, zerwicp@wfu.
and individualized phenomenon. Every student's journey towards happiness is different, and while some Thrive initiatives, such as yoga workshops and Puppies on the Quad, may be helpful to some students, many students face challenges that require much more serious intervention. Thus, the Editorial Board would like to reiterate that Thrive initiatives, while often beneficial, should not be interpreted as a substitute for serious professional help if you need it. In addition, Thrive website states, "Your wellbeing is, and always will be, your responsibility." While we
agree that taking charge of your happiness is important, the Editorial Board also stresses that if you find it difficult to adjust to the transition that accompanies going to college, it is not your fault. Everyone handles change and stress differently, and no one should feel like their concerns do not deserve to be heard. If you need help, seek it. While Wake Forest can be an amazing place, it certainly comes with its share of stressors. Thrive represents a thorough effort to address the struggles of college life, and every student is welcome to utilize Thrive's resources if they need them.
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News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, September 5, 2019 | Page 3
Deacon Profile: Nathan Peifer
BY CAROLINE WALKER Asst. News Editor walkct18@wfu.edu
Nathan Peifer works for the Wake Forest Office of Sustainability as the WFU Campus Garden manager and the Campus as Lab pilot program manager. He currently oversees the efforts toward sustainable agriculture practiced at Campus Garden, which has recently been planted in preparations for the fall growing season. He holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Pennsylvania State University, a Master’s of Divinity degree from the Wake Forest University School of Divinity and a Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture from Central Carolina Community College. He also has had prior experience as a WFU Campus Garden intern during the summer of 2012. When did you first become interested in sustainability?
I remember sponsoring a rainforest and learning about recycling in elementary school. I toured a water treatment facility in middle school and did outdoor adventure camps in the summers. I think I signed a petition of support for the Kyoto Protocol when I was in college. It wasn't until I was a graduate student at the School of Divinity that I started to think about all those experiences collectively as “sustainability.” Since 2010, Photo courtesy of Nathan Peifer's Facebook sustainability has become a rich concept for me, As manager, Nathan Peifer oversees Campus Garden's sustainable initiatives, stemsomething that touches all aspects of life. ming from his prior experience working as an intern in the summer of 2012. How did you become involved in the WFU 4 to 6 p.m. or ask their professor to schedule a growing something beautiful and delicious — if class tour. Very simply, we take carbon out of the I'm doing it well. I'm always learning something, Campus Garden? air and store it in the soil by applying compost either a lesson from the garden or from a volunI met Gloria Muday in the Campus Garden one and mulch, growing cover crops and reducing or teer. A volunteer taught me how to prepare and afternoon while I was a Divinity student. I tried eliminating tillage. The more organic matter we eat the tender stalk and leaves of the squash plant to grow a little garden my first spring in Winston- can incorporate into the garden soil, the health- last week. It's a prickly plant, so I never would Salem. It didn't go well, so I was looking for some ier and more resilient it becomes. Soil organisms have thought to eat it! I'm constantly learning, gardening guidance. I really wanted a chance to thrive under these conditions and play a vital role and I get to share that with students every week. practice growing food, so I talked with Dr. Mu- in fertility and water retention. A lot of visitors Is there anything in particular that you are day, Dean Gail O'Day in the Divinity School and ask if we're Certified Organic. The certification Dedee DeLongpre Johnston, Chief Sustainability program isn't designed for small gardens, but, looking forward to as the fall growing season Officer. We created an internship for me during yes, we use organic techniques, which means no begins? synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. the summer of 2012. It changed my life. We are growing 160 feet of sweet potatoes Could you explain how the WFU Campus What is your favorite part of working in the and 320 feet each of broccoli, carrots and green Garden displays key tenets of sustainable ag- garden? beans. The goal is to harvest everything for Camriculture? pus Kitchen so they can use the produce to cook I play in the garden. It doesn't feel like work. Turkeypalooza meals. We've got a bunch of class If folks want to learn more about these practices, I get to be outside, engaging all my senses. I feel projects happening in the garden too, so I'm exthey can volunteer in the garden on Sundays from productive, bringing a kind of order to the land, cited to see what the students produce.
POLICE BEAT
Larceny notified. Report filed at 12:50 a.m. on Aug 30. • Unknown subject(s) took victim's scooter that was • Offender had consumed alcohol in residence left on porch overnight Sunday in Deacon Place. Report on Whicker Acres Lane and required transport to filed at 8:58 p.m. on Aug 27. WFUBMC. CD notified. Report filed at 1:37 a.m. on Aug 30. Underage Consumption/Drunkenness • Offender was intoxicated underage and fell, cutting eye in Babcock. Transported to Forsyth. Offender • Offender was found unconscious in bed in Magnolia, was also in possession of alcohol. Report filed at 6:25 surrounded by vomit. Was transported to WFUBMC. p.m. on Aug 30. Report filed 1:37 a.m. on Aug 29. • Offender had consumed alcohol and was sitting • Offender had been drinking at a Chi Psi house and on curb outside of Olin in Lot D. Report filed at 9:11 was transported to WFUBMC. Roommate had also pm on Aug 30. been drinking. Numerous empty containers observed • Offender had consumed alcohol and was transported in their room in Luter. 24 unopened cans of alcoholic to Student Health from Babcock. No prior contact. beverages were poured down the sink. Report filed at Report filed at 10:56 p.m. on Aug 30. 2:04 a.m. on Aug 29. • Offender consumed alcohol and punch and was • Underage drinking discovered after fire alarm went transported to Forsyth. Report filed at 1:40 a.m. on off in Taylor. Report filed at 10:50 p.m. on Aug 29. Aug 31. • Assist ALE with student arrests at Last Resort. CD • Students were drinking in the parking lot of Village
Tavern. Citation issued to one offender. Report filed at 7:45 p.m. on Aug 31. • Offender had consumed alcohol underage in Davis. No charges, transported to WFUBMC. Report filed at 11:38 p.m. on Aug 31. • Offender had consumed alcohol underage at the DKE house. Transported to Student Health from Magnolia. Citation issued. Report filed at 2:10 a.m. on Sept 1. Vandalism • Unknown suspect(s) painted graffiti on cistern at Reynolda House. Report filed at 11:21 p.m. on August 26. • Unknown person damaged side mirror of victims vehicle in Lot Q. Report filed at 7:48 p.m. on August 26. • Offenders were observed tearing name tags off of several doors of the fourth floor in Angelou. Report filed at 12:16 a.m. on August 27.
Page 4 |Thursday, September 5, 2019
Old Gold & Black | News
Thrive: campus celebrates initiative Continued from Page 1
Roman Isler said that she was especially proud of their Peer Education initiative, a program in which students would educate other students about Thrive’s goals, thus developing leadership and community between them. Over 80 students have gone through training. She characterized students’ responses to Thrive as overwhelmingly positive, a sentiment measured largely through a multitude of surveys, administered to students before and after Thrive programs to measure development in knowledge and skills. She also said Thrive participates in the National College Health Assessment every other year. While Thrive’s initiatives have been largely successful, Roman Isler also clarified that some are more difficult to reach. She said many students still are unaware of the Office of Wellbeing’s activities, a sentiment shared by students.
“I saw the signs,” said senior Liam DeStefano. “I saw the signs and advertisements all over campus, but I never really engaged with what it entailed. I would just see the logo around.” DeStefano said he first learned what Thrive was when he attended Arrive and Thrive on Wednesday. He speculated that he would have been more likely to be engaged if he didn’t have such a busy schedule. Roman Isler recommends that students should do their best to learn about Thrive. “Come by and see us,” she said. The Office of Wellbeing is currently located in Reynolds 321.However, it may not be there forever. The organization is currently in the midst of some major structural and strategic changes as of July 1, under the new leadership of James Raper, from the University Counseling Center. Roman Isler said she was not able to discuss specifics about the future, as they are currently in development.
Although Thrive’s future may be in doubt for some, many remain optimistic. “This is a time of great stress for college students. It has been wonderful to see our Thrive program
flourish and provide models of integrated living for students, staff and faculty,” said President Nathan Hatch during a speech at the Arrive and Thrive event. “This is a wonderful day.”
Will May/ Old Gold & Black
President Nathan Hatch spoke at the celebration, congratulating the Office of Wellbeing’s skillful leadership during Thrive’s brief duration.
Madre de Dios’ plan to save the Amazon Wake Forest students traveled with professors to Peru this summer to report on climate change BY JULIANA MARINO Staff Writer marijt16@wfu.edu
The air is hot and sticky. Roots a foot high protrude across the trail. Above, a maze of leaves comprises the rainforest canopy. After trudging two hours through muddy streams and overgrown trails in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, Wake Forest undergraduate students reach an impasse. In front, a mesh of intertwining palm leaves partly shades a view of the Manu River. Using the palm trunks as guides, the students carefully maneuver their way down the slippery decline onto the shore alongside the flowing water. Endless rainforest lines both sides of the river. Scarlet macaws fly overhead. One student points to a large tree across the river, drawn by the sound of rustling leaves. A fruiting fig tree across the river is an oasis during the peak of this dry season, according to Wake Forest biology professor Miles Silman. A variety of bird and primate species, such as capuchin monkeys and white-throated toucans ravage through the fig tree’s top branches. “You are currently standing in the largest remaining tropical wilderness on the planet,” says Silman, as the students stare through their binoculars, trying to catch glimpses of the feeding frenzy. Less than 24 hours prior, the group spent two days travelling down the
Manu to reach Cocha Cashu Biological Station, a world-renowned field site located in Manu National Park in southern Peru. No roads jut through the endless carpet of green vegetation. The only way to reach this pristine landscape is a two-day journey on a narrow, wooden boat. With little human impact, Manu National Park is regarded as a biodiverse hotspot in which over a 1,000 species of birds exist and interact alongside over 1,300 species of butterflies and over 160
species of mammals. From the lone jaguar, to the group of tapir, to the endless line of army ants, down to the nutrients cycling throughout the soil, this complex ecosystem depends on the ability of each layering component and process to function without disturbance. Maintaining the balance of this ecosystem is not only vital to support Manu’s biodiversity, but is also necessary for offsetting the impact of global climate, according to tropical biologist John Kricher. In a recently published article, Yale School of Forestry and En-
vironmental Studies estimated that the forests in the Amazon basin store 90140 tons of carbon. By intaking vast amounts of carbon dioxide, plants in the Amazon rainforest help reduce the rate of global warming. While traveling down the river allowed the students to observe the immense flora and fauna that thrive in this ecosystem, it also exposed the students to the stark reality of the current threats this biodiverse hotspot is facing.
See Peru, Page 6
Lucy Nelson / Old Gold & Black
A site used for illegal gold mining along the Manu River in Madre de Dios, Peru. Illegal mining has deforested 115,000 hectares, causing mercury to leak into the water and wreaking havoc upon the habitat.
News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, September 5, 2019 |Page 5
Walker: Lecture focuses on slavery’s legacy
Continued from Page 1
This series advances Wake Forest’s commitment to exploring issues of race, along with the university’s recent launch of the Slavery, Race and Memory Project website and earlier decision to join the Universities Studying Slavery consortium. The co-chair of Wake Forest’s Slavery, Race and Memory project, Kami Chavis, introduced Walker’s speech by commenting on the purpose of the lecture series and the project. “It is important to understand the university’s relationship and linkages to slavery because they can and do have implications for today,” Chavis said. Centering on this issue of delving into Wake Forest’s history pertaining to racee, Walker began his talk by looking at the way in which students at Wake Forest have held discussions about race and slavery in an academic environment in the past. Walker reminded the audience of the institution’s relations in respect to slavery, citing a series of conversations about the ethics and politics behind slavery and race that students conducted on Wake Forest’s campus between 1840 and 1860. Many of the questions that students posed then, like one asking whether it was probable that slavery could be abolished in the United States, were answered resoundingly in the affirmative. This was intended to demonstrate a primary commitment to talking collectively about issues of slavery and moving
forward to a more human-centric model liberty with that of slavery, challenging thur Jafa for “forcing us to see the flesh the audience to ponder the vestiges of and not the bodies” in a representative art of higher education. Continuing this historical call to ac- slavery and questions surrounding race form that brought elements of humanity tion, Walker encouraged students, facul- within the context of American society. into the discussion of race. “[This work] forces a confrontation Expanding on this principle of aesthetic ty, and other members of the Wake Forest community to confront the concept with the very flesh of slavery, the flesh and ethics, Walker explained that academof the Constitution and the flesh of the ic institutions like Wake Forest are tasked of race within academic institutions. “The question of slavery is not new, nation,” Walker said. “The flesh consti- with “creating and curating a critical space but rather one that is deeply engrained tutes the horizons of the new political for ethical responses to the flesh.” Walker’s vision of studying and respondwithin the fabric of the institution,” community.” In this respect, Walker promoted an ing to the institution’s history of race and Walker said. To respond to this issue, Walker ex- ethical discussion of slavery and race slavery inspired the audience, leading the plained that the university must express that is human-centric and embraces the audience to give him a standing ovation. One of the attendees, junior Jenn Ryan, willingness to probe the complexity of multi-dimensionality and complexity of blackness. pointed toward the realistic implications race and intentionally take steps toward To exemplify this goal, Walker showed as one explanation for the resonance of resolving outstanding issues. a video and commended the work of Ar- Walker’s speech. Walker also intimated that talks and consortiums that examine race and the history of slavery are powerless without the moral resolve and determination to attack the institutions that perpetuate racial inequality and injustice. He corroborated this argument by citiring W.E.B. Du Bois’ work, The Suppression of the African Slave Trade, and explained that African-American history has demonstrated that “the failure to suppress the African slave trade was due to unwillingness.” To advance from this historical state of indifference to a modern one of compassion for humans of all colors and races, Walker advocated for people begin to think about the diverse and complex meanings of slavery, race and memory within the context of American institutions. Walker then referenced Life of William Photo courtesy of Wake Forest News Grimes as a work that forces Americans Corey D. B. Walker, the inaugural speaker for this lecture series, to reconcile the American notion of promotes an ethics-based discussion about the legacy of slavery.
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Old Gold & Black | News
Page 6 | Thursday, September 5, 2019
Music brings neighbor universities together Continued from Page 1
For members of the audience and of both bands, this historic first will last in their memory as a thrilling opener to the 2019 Demon Deacon football season. “Big moments for our band is what we expect,” said Michael Magruder, director of bands and professor of music at WSSU. “I mentioned to them that being at Wake Forest [for opening night] was another ‘big moment.’” In a historic performance, the Red Sea of Sound kicked off the halftime show by performing “Applause” by Lady Gaga, accompanied visually by their flag line, known as Silky Smooth, and dance line, known as Scarlet Lace. SOTOGAB then merged with the Red Sea of Sound on the field, alternating players from each band across the rows. Together, the bands performed a medley of Stevie Wonder’s hits, including “Sir Duke” and “Superstition.” The songs fit in well with SOTOGAB’s Motown-themed show, part of which they showcased following the combined portion of the halftime show. “We had many goals for this event, but one of them was to entertain our fans and we did just that,” said Timothy Heath, director of athletic bands for Wake Forest. Before the night kicked off, the two bands got to know each other, both musically and personally, at a pre-game practice. While SOTOGAB members were warming up for practice, the Red Sea of Sound marched into the stadium, giving a kind of mini-performance. The Red Sea of Sound utilizes a show style of marching, with a high step, whereas SOTOGAB follows a military style, with a roll step. Myles Moore, a senior at WSSU and the head drum major of the Red Sea of Sound, enjoyed the opportunity to have a combined rehearsal, for it allowed the two bands to get used to each other’s different styles. “I really liked how adaptable SOTOGAB was,” Moore said. “I’m sure
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics Communications
The Red Sea of Sound and the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black came together Friday night for an energetic halftime performance. The band members bonded with one another during combined rehearsals. everything I did during the rehearsal [as a drum major] wasn’t the same as how they normally do it. As soon as I told them what was going to be done, they did it just like my band.” During the game, the Red Sea of Sound filled in the stands behind SOTOGAB. They played a few tunes throughout the game, entertaining the members of SOTOGAB, who are used to being the entertainers. “[The Red Sea of Sound] truly brought a whole new fan experience to BB&T, and I’m very grateful for their enthusiasm and participation,” said senior and SOTOGAB drum major Skylar Liang. “Their sound quality, music choice and marching style was something we’ve not had
here, and it’s definitely something we won’t forget and would love to see again.” While the combined performance brought a new level of excitement to the game, the purpose of the collaboration went beyond game-time hype. “While this was a historic moment for both Wake Forest and WinstonSalem State University, we believe that the camaraderie and the collaboration had a deeper meaning,” said Magruder. “I believe that everyone in attendance understood why we were there and the purpose of our visit.” The day before the game, WSSU Chancellor Elwood Robinson interviewed the band directors and a drum major from each band on his
radio show. Heath explained that the chancellor asked the drum majors what they thought about the broader significance of the performance and their answers exemplified both aspects of the combined performance. “Myles [Moore] said that even though both bands have different styles, they would be inside BB&T Stadium for the exact same purpose — to please the crows and play good music that would make someone happy,” Heath said. “Ali [Kitterman] spoke about music being a universal language and said it is a meeting ground at which we all unite … saying she thought the collaboration could be a really good step in unifying the city of Winston-Salem.”
WAKE IN A WEEK Author Rajia Hassib Visits Time: Friday, Sep. 6 at 4 p.m. Location: ZSR Library Special Collections & Archives Author Rajia Hassib will be hosted by the ZSR Library on Friday, in the Special Collections & Archives room. Come on down to learn more about her writing process for her new novel, A Pure Heart. aWake All Night Time: Saturday, Sep. 7 at 9 p.m. Location: Benson University Center Come out for a great, late night of carnival games, attractions, novelties, scrumptious food and great raffle prizes open to all Wake Forest students. This event helps promote diversity and inclusiveness on campus among the student body.
Fulbright Celebration Day and Concert Time: Monday, Sep. 9 at 3 p.m. Location: Brendle Recital Hall, Scales Fine Arts Center Students, faculty and Fulbright alumni are convening in Brendle Recital Hall on Monday for a social and to recruit potential candidates. There will be information sessions, a reception and a free piano concert courtesy of Pamela Howland.
Identities on Campus: Rhodes Scholar Lian Najami Time: Thursday, Sep. 12 at 7 p.m. Location: Wait Chapel Lian Najami, the first Arab-Israeli Rhodes Scholar, will speak in Wait Chapel on “Identities on Campus” and her background growing up in Israel. A workshop on developing methods of living in a “shared existence” space will follow.
Let’s Taco-bout Sustainability Time: Tuesday, Sep. 10 at 5:15 p.m. Location: Benson University Center, third floor rotunda Students who are eager to learn more about sustainability will love this event. Come by to chat with the Office of Sustainability’s team of student leaders and munch on free tacos and burritos!
WFU Football vs. North Carolina Time: Friday, Sep. 13 at 6 p.m. Location: BB&T Field Come over to BB&T field next Friday to cheer on the Demon Deacons as they take on the North Carolina Tar Heels. Our Deacs need your support in this intense rivalry!
News | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, September 5, 2019 |Page 7
Peru: Scientists work to restore rainforest Continued from Page 4
Piles of stones and pools of contaminated water become a part of the landscape farther down the river, replacing pockets of rainforest where lush trees once stood. Illegal mining has plagued the region of Madre de Dios since the price of gold increased from $1,000 per ounce to $2,000 per ounce in 2008, according to Peruvian tropical biologist Cesar Ascorra. After 10 years of illegal mining, the damage has been done. One hundred and fifteen thousand hectares have been deforested in Madre de Dios, according to Ascorra. That is 20% larger than all of New York City. Mercury from the mining has entered the soil and water, causing a massive public health crisis for the local population, according to Claudia Vega, coordinator of Peru’s one and only mercury lab. “We are destroying the planet at a rate faster than the Earth’s natural processes can handle,” Silman said. “The question becomes what is the world we want on the other side?” For many people in Madre de Dios, the destruction has not eliminated all traces of hope. Policies and projects are being formed to ensure the world on the other side has a protected and sustainable rainforest. New perspectives, old policies At the start of 2019, the Peruvian government issued a six-month state of emergency, Operation Mercurio, in Madres de Dios, according to a Guardian article published in March 2019. 1500 police and military officers raided the region with orders to shutdown illegal gold mining. An estimated 40,000 illegal miners worked in La Pampa before the raid, and of that number, most have since left the region seeking work in other areas or started mining legally, according to the current Governor of Madre de Dios, Luis Hidalgo Okimura. When Okimura took office in January 2019, he was unaware of the national government’s plan to raid La Pampa; however, he regarded Operation Mercurio as a “necessary step” in the intervention process. While most of the illegal mining has been shut down, the aftermath still remains. “There is an economic recession in Madre de Dios,” said Okimura. “It’s visible that hotels, restaurants and other businesses that were used by people who had money from illegal gold mining have come down tremendously throughout the whole region.” Tourism has also dropped by 40% since the start of Operation Mercurio, according to Okimura. Now as the state of emergency comes to an end, the governor is faced with the impending challenge of how to rebuild the region’s economy. Madre de Dios has a history of integrating mining with government action. Hidalgo’s predecessor, Luis Otsuka, was a gold miner and leader of Madre de Dios’ mining federation.
Okimura is one of the first governors in over 10 years with reforestation on the forefront of his political agenda. After spending 25 years living in Brazil and witnessing how the state of Acre established sustainable reforestation and economic practices, Okimura offers a refreshed and hopeful perspective. “My idea since taking office has been to open the door for NGO’s so that Madre de Dios can receive funding [for sustainable practices],” Okimura said. Part of his economic vision for Madre de Dios is based on increasing exports of Brazil nuts and cacao, while also attracting higher influxes of tourists to the area. At the end of May, Okimura met with Chinese business delegates in Nanchang, China to promote Madre de Dios as a biodiverse travel destination. Currently, mining accounts for 60% of the Madre de Dios economy. Hidalgo Juliana Marino/Old Gold & Black hopes that by increasing exports and ex- Madre de Dios Governor Luis Hidalgo Okimura explains the extreme panding tourism that number will de- impact of illegal gold mining and his plan to help the area recover. crease to 40% by the end of his first term. CINCIA is now trying to provide While Okimura offers a new economic team about the potential risks of bringing perspective, many of the current mining in non-native species, Alférez acknowl- Madre de Dios locals with a simple and policies remain vague. For example, the edged that while eucalyptus leaves release cheap way of making biochar. The most that harm other plants, the euca- successful method is filling Brazil nut national government of Peru requires le- toxins lyptus seeds cannot spread on their own. gal miners to reforest mined land; how- As a result, the team does not plant the husks in metal drums and setting the orever, the law does not specify how the re- eucalyptus near native species. ganic material on fire. 45 small holes are forestation process needs to be executed. While new species are tested out in the punctured at the bottom of the drum to Although Okimura discussed the im- experimental plots, the successful seeds eliminate all carbon emissions during the portance of reforesting mined lands, he are mass planted in the nursery, the pro- production process. was unclear regarding the details of the duction site for supplying a mined area Through outreach programs organized reforestation process. He was also unsure with the number of trees it needs to beby CINCIA’s Communications Departabout who would enforce closure policies come reforested. That number is 1,100 ment, this method is being shared with and guarantee miners actively fulfill refor- plants per hectare, according to Ascorra. legal miners as well as the Association of Along with researching tree species, sciestation requirements. entists at CINCIA are also working on Chocolate producers in Madre de Dios, ways to revitalize degraded soil. Using or- according to Ascorra. How to grow a rainforest 101 ganic materials, such as Brazil nut husks Peruvian indigenous leader Walter The first step in rebuilding a rainfor- and sawdust from timber mills, scientists Quertehuari dreams that one day “the est is identifying where the reforestation produce biochar, a sediment that removes value of a standing forest is higher than process needs to occur. By flying drones heavy metals, such as mercury, from the the value of a forest destroyed.” over mined areas, geographic information soil. CINCIA is trying to turn that dream “We can clean the [contaminated] area systems (GIS) specialists at CINCIA, the around the plants with the biochar,” As- into a reality. Center for Amazonian Science and Inno- corra said. “The most important thing is that you vation are able to digitally map out where By absorbing toxic materials, the bio- have seen something really negative, minnew trees need to be planted, according to char restores the soil’s nutrients and waing, but you have also seen an opportuGIS specialist Jorge Caballero. ter retention capacity, according to Duke As the drone team compiles the maps, University graduate student and biogeo- nity for change,” said Martha Torez, who scientists working in CINCIA’s nursery chemist Jaqueline Gerson, who studies works in CINCA’s Program of Education and experimental tree plots research what the impact of mercury on the environ- and Communication. “You don’t have to types of tree species will survive in the soil ment. leave sad. There is hope.” after it has been mined and depleted of nutrients. 74 different plant species, native and exotic, have been tested in experimental reforestation plots that span 42 hectares, according to Reforestation Technician Jesús Alférez. One species that has proven to be especially successfully is eucalyptus. A fastgrowing Australian gum tree, eucalyptus offers environmental and economic values. Within one year, some of the eucalyptus trees grew up to 45 feet, and within 10 years, miners can cut down the eucalyptus and sell the wood, according to Alférez. “Miners are more interested in reforestation when you explain that the species will eventually generate profit over time,” Ascorra said. “We are incentivizing reforJuliana Marino/ Old Gold & Black estation.” When Wake Forest biology student CINCIA’s National Director Cesar Ascorra holds out a handful of biochar Cameron Munley asked the reforestation (left) and a handful of Brazil nut husks (right). Both are valuable to sell.
OPINION
T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 9
PAG E 8
Online Editor:
at : w w w. w f u o g b . c o m
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OLD GOLD & BLACK
The views expressed in all opinion columns represent those of the article’s author, not the opinions of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board
Critical theory“can illuminate vital intersectionality Pedagogy
Interdisciplinary learning can help foster an empathetic, broadly educated perspective
Jack Portman
Staff Columnist porttjt17@wfu.edu I imagine that grappling with how best to approach pedagogy characterizes a great amount of discussion on university campuses. Conversations about what themes to emphasize and what vocabulary to underscore seemingly must occur, even if the conversation is maintained by a singular interlocutor, silently mulling whether or not to highlight Kenneth Waltz’s Man, the State, and War on a given PowerPoint slide. I sometimes wonder how these conversations unfold: surely a professor’s academic specialty colors the material they present, but to what extent? How much of a given curriculum is structured according to widely regarded norms on the state of an academic subject, and how much is subject to the informed whims and academic interests of the lecturer? Most often when I feel dissatisfied
Transgressing disciplinary boundaries to draw upon theory found in other fields has the effect of widening the analytical scope.” with a lecture, it is due to a yearning for more context — often political and historical context to better understand why conditions are as they are presently, and why conditions were as they were in the past. This context is valuable; it better illustrates the economic, social and political forces acting around the world to maintain what we consider normal and to catalyze what we consider revolutionary. By addressing international politics in gender studies, and gender studies in international politics, valuable con- text about how gendered people experience and participate within political systems can inform larger themes of patriarchy and sexual politics. Transgressing disciplinary boundaries to draw upon theory found in other fields has the effect of widening the analytical scope of a lecture by allowing for the consideration of multiple axes of identity and the differential political, economic and social experiences therein. Cross-disciplinary examinations also contribute to political and economic accountability. A discussion of the Amazon rainforest
fires in an ecology lecture may bring about mentions of the Brazilian government’s weak regulatory capacities. The onus of the tragic environmental destruction could be placed squarely on Brazil’s inability to manage and protect its resources (even going so far as to promote deforestation to increase business in lumber). However, a deeper exploration of politics in the western hemisphere could explore the United States’ role in over- throwing Brazilian President João Goulart in a 1964 coup d’état and the effects of unregulated global free trade in economically straining states in the global south. A deeper knowledge of the political and economic factors that contributed to the turmoil facing Brazil would provide useful insight for understanding the preconditions resulting in Brazil’s poor resource management and offer context for similar ecological crises. By expanding the purview of a discussion of rainforest fires from a purely ecological perspective to a broader socio-political scale, the fires become a manifestation of global economic and trade issues and their effect of political stability in the global south, rather than purely a symbol of Brazilian governmental ineptitude. A cross-disciplinary praxis for addressing the economic and political forces which shape our world may provide a helpful critical lens for
understanding forms of oppression in American and global politics as well. As Wake Forest strives to properly acknowledge its connection to slavery while simultaneously grappling with contemporary racial issues on campus, discussions about required classes in “diversity” and ethnic studies frequently seem incomplete. Rather, a more holistic incorporation of critical theory across all disciplines would provide a more contextualized and academically rigorous investigation. Furthermore, applying critical studies — that is, addressing race, gender, sexuality and the ideological and hegemonic structures which interpolate these classifications — within the majors we choose for ourselves will contextualize the investigation such that the resulting conclusions become applicable to the careers we find ourselves in after college. By contextualizing studies of economics, business, history, politics and environmental issues within broader discussions of ideology, global commerce and neoliberalism, the subjects we study can be elevated from the perceptible vacuum in which they are presented. The fundamental interconnection between the disciplines will allow students to inform our precise academic interests with the necessary social and political contexts to situate our learning within our politicized world.
The foot feels like a minute deity, commander of limitless speed, skipping the body through space with little effort. But the fundamental imbalance lies in the dangling toe’s deliverance of a full-bodied experience. As cars smother snatches of road, the person inside looks toward a kind of futurity, a near-present glowing with beacons of experience. When traversed by foot, these lines, these city blocks, can be charitable, unraveling their beauty in a collage of provocative detail — smoke twirling down from balconies with straw men over their iron, posters taped to light-poles advertising sweaty bands in caves, dubious exercise trials, local art. The cacophony of horns and engines are happily cast away into a brutal unreality. But the car’s means, incommensurate with our own expectant ends, shape cognition. The loose bloom of an ambler’s mind piece-meals reality through unfolding visual minutia, the driver through the galloping linearity of a machine and its false promise. An urban grid, one that accepts and demands motorvehicular travel, reduces the complexity of movement through space. The driver’s horded time eventually explodes in a blast of instance and event, at the end of the road, and the mind can only react to circumstance instead of live along a continuum of reflection. When we walk, we flinch into a kind of intensification, a mode of being where thoughts seem generated by the rhythms of lived experience. The car stifles these barely perceptible breaths, as do trains. Planes
substitute the 30,000-foot sub- lime as a pictorial likeness, overwhelming with visual pleasure anything genuinely human. Urban living can distill experience into a bud, never to become a flower. Cars dart across interstates, broil in traffic or pull out of parking lots aimed at a location. The journey shrinks into a compression of instants, blinking into a colossal network of indifference. While the drivable city claims eclectic opportunities splayed out across its veins, it usually means getting to a place and feeling anxious about all the other places. Thoughtparalysis can become the dominant disposition. Twain’s spatial and temporal axiom sketches a tight-knit community and a vaguely imagined one. Urban evolution, though it improved our connectivity, expanded culture and promised social gifts, stunts our playful capacity to think with its ever-shining horizon. The brain mimics the machine. Previously hissing with invention, it degenerates into sputtering forth banalities. Isolation inside a speeding bullet, paired with glancing hellos and pregnant unrealities, entrenches us in human ignorance. The benefit of a village comes from the impact of kinetic ideation, motion as an engine for nuanced creation and intimate relation. A dialogue between man and his environment disposes him toward granular discovery, of his self and of others. Twain does not want to erase the urban experience, he just wants to subtract the human static, partly through the simple task of learning to walk again.
“ compresses time into facile instance Urban existence Conditioning
Motor vehicular travel deletes the unspooling revelations of walking through a city
Kyle Ferrer
Staff Columnist ferrka16@wfu.edu
What does it mean to live in a city? How does it define the texture of human experience? Mark Twain said, “Human nature cannot be studied in cities except at a disadvantage — a village is the place. [In a village] you can know your man inside and out — in a city you but know his crust.” The crux of Twain’s point seems to lie in the overstimulation endemic to the cityscape, the sprawl of cultural promise that ultimately necessitates superficial relations. Compared to the intimate everydayness of a village — where the cobbler eats with the clergyman and leans on the country doctor — the city seems like an expansive illusion. The inevitable entanglement of the local forms an ideal communion, at least when contrasted with the impenetrable legions of citydwellers. The idea of fleeting greetings versus intimate clarity is predicated upon the rewards of
Urban evolution, though it improved our connectivity, expanded culture and promised social gifts, stunts our playful capacity to think.” tighter space, and how that space relates to time. The larger the space, the less people are able to engage on a deep and meaningful level. Fair enough. Yet Twain may seem utopian, even ignorant if one only thinks of him as an advocate for urban minimization, an obvious impossibility. But he seems less desirous of societal regression than for spiritual revival. The debate about what it means to relate and emote, to understand each other, will always remain central. And what of the motor vehicle as a factor of urban experience? How does a car exacerbate the opacity of life in a city? Feet on pavement, or even the clop of horses’ hooves, pulsate impact through the body as a physical reminder of place, and as a first-degree calculus of expended energy. Not that the roar of an engine doesn’t remind us of burning power, but that power remains at a remove. The pedal, with only the slightest pressure, propels our sitting stillness in a truncated, distorted and effortless thrill through space and time that, while convenient, snips the cognitive harmony between foot traffic and thought. It seems, also, that driving erodes coincidence. Streets become vectors, neutrally connecting locations without extended, exploratory interim.
Opinion | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, September 5, 2019 | Page 9
“ Corporate profit stalls the climate debate Climate Change
The urgency of effective climate policy increasing daily as corporations resist change
Kate Federer
Staff Columnist fedek18@wfu.edu With each generation, the center of an election’s agenda surrounds something pressing to that era. For the 1930s, it was what to do about the Great Depression and the impending World War. In the 1970s it was the Middle East, drugs and the fallout of the Civil Rights Movement. For the elections of the 2000s, there have been ongoing discussions of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, healthcare and taxes, but the one concept that is often avoided or only slightly addressed is the environment. There has been a heavy misconception over the past few decades that the planet and its worrisome condition is an issue that only Democrats focus on, and even when they do, their plans are not as concrete as the nation and the world needs. In reality, this is not only a leftist problem, but a national concern that should be included in the narratives of both Republicans and Democrats, rather than a yell for help from the Green Party that is muffled and muted by talking points around war and tax cuts in the current “us versus them” climate. The environmental policy in place for President Donald Trump’s administration is not exactly a progressive structure, but a regressive
We see now before us a linguistic catastrophe, perpetuated by our ever-growing 'happy ignorance' as a vast and diverse population." one. His “America First Energy Plan” that pushes the United States to continue to use fossil fuels as an exclusive energy source could reverse the steps forward the nation has made toward a permanent switch to renewable energy. Trump claimed on Aug. 13 that one day the “wind will go off,” but as long as the sun still shines, both solar and wind power can remain a useful energy source. Once solar, wind, geothermal and other methods of capturing energy are invested in, their supply is not a further concern. As of 2019, the United States spends $649 billion dollars annually in fossil fuel subsidies, according to Forbes. Although the Trump administration sees vitality in cutting various programs and decreasing funding to try to reduce the national debt, it finds no problem with being the second biggest subsidizer of fossil fuels globally, behind only China. Beyond the stress on the environment thanks to the contribution of fossil fuels, there has been no national push to reduce waste, especially in regard to plastic. The ban of single-use plastics is up to individual state legislatures, and as of now, only eight states have official plastic bans. It is clear that this should be a federal issue if there is to be a stronger push toward a solution. To make matters worse, the United States exited the Paris Agreement, a crucial idea by the United Nations to combat climate change from greenhouse gas emissions. Without this,
there is no greater organization to hold the United States accountable for its damaging decisions and habits. This authority needs to come from within from a better presidential administration in 2020. Unfortunately, business and profit are what is holding politicians back from retracting our harmful environmental impact. This can only be feasible in the future for a limited time, as the Earth is already experiencing a crisis. The number of years we have left is debated by scientists, but regardless, current events should be a wake-up call to all. With the burning in the Amazon rainforest the past three weeks, appeal to corporations and excessive investments in outdated sources need to be put to the side. Markets and economies shift over the centuries, and the United States can-
not halt its environmental efforts because jobs and where we’ve traditionally concentrated our finances will need to adjust. President Trump is attempting to assure those employed by the companies behind planet-destroying products when he should be encouraging innovation in more eco-friendly endeavors. The candidates for this election need to state the positives of acting toward a cleaner planet and how this will directly affect everyone, regardless of party affiliation or status. Presidents in the past have been successful in promoting environmental awareness, like Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and others, with membership of differering parties, too. It would not be too late for this round of candidates to reverse a cycle that is killing us and certainly not "Making America Great Again."
Photo courtesy of MCTCampus
“ smarts and warmth to the race Warren brings Presidential Politics
Substantive policy and genuine energy catapults her to the top of the presidential list of hopefuls
Amanda Wilcox
Staff Columnist wilcaf16@wfu.edu
As the Democratic presidential primary campaign heated up earlier this year, I have to admit that I was not, at first, convinced by Elizabeth Warren. First, I was concerned when last fall, she promoted the results of a DNA test revealing that she has some Native American ancestry dating back six to 10 generations. From an outside perspective, it appeared as if she had appropriated a Cherokee identity in order to settle a political controversy, specifically President Donald Trump disgracefully referring to her as “Pocahontas.” Second, I thought that she was a firebrand who shot from the hip a little too readily. It seemed inevitable that she would shoot herself in the foot. I surmised that her radical — verging on abrasive — approach risked driving some voters away. Third, I worried about her relative political inexperience; she was first elected
It should be taken for granted in a presidential race, but Warren actually has ideas, and hers are detailed, daring and ambitious..." to the U.S. Senate in 2012, which means that even South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg has more elected political experience than she. I knew she was second to none when it came to financial regulation, but I doubted her command of domestic and foreign policy. Now, I’ve reevaluated my judgment on all three counts, and Warren’s steady upward trajectory in the polls suggests that the electorate has come to a similar consensus. According to RealClearPolitics’ latest polling data, Warren now commands 16.9 % of support among likely Democratic voters — leapfrogging Sen. Bernie Sanders for second place behind former Vice President Joe Biden. She’s done more than just prove me wrong. In fact, I’m convinced that she’s Democrats’ best hope. (For what it’s worth, I have adhered a Warren sticker to my laptop lid that would be a huge pain to peel off ). Regarding her DNA test and apparent appropriation of Cherokee ancestry, she made a big-time mistake. But rarely have I seen politicians address their mistakes as honestly and with as much humility as Warren did. She said that she
has listened to and learned from Native communities, developing a historically extensive policy agenda to help Native Americans in the process. Together with Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM), she has presented a list of policy proposals that would tackle issues from housing to the opioid crisis in Native communities. Warren has also called for expanding the ability of tribal nations to prosecute non-Natives who commit crimes on their land. Importantly, however, Warren’s candidacy has become the gold standard for a policy-driven campaign. It should be taken for granted in a presidential race, but Warren actually has ideas, and hers are detailed, daring and ambitious — so much that “she’s got a plan for that” has become its own meme. (Some supporters joke that Warren even has a plan to fix their love lives). True, by flooding the market with reams of honest, meticulously detailed policy proposals, she foregoes the visionary, Aaron Sorkinian image that often commands the most attention in breathless, horse-race coverage, but she’s shaping the debate. Single-handedly, she has lifted elevated the Democratic primary beyond a mere pissing contest over who hates Donald Trump the most. Even if she is not the eventual nominee, she’s done a public service.
No matter your politics, I encourage you to pull out your phone, get a snack and take an hour to give Warren’s plans a serious read, as they are far too numerous and nuanced to adequately recount in a single column. For just about every grave threat Americans face today — and there are many — she presents a reasonable theory about the root causes of the problem as well as a creative, comprehensive and thoughtful vision for how to solve it. Her plans focus on five primary objectives: ending corruption in Washington, rebuilding the middle class, strengthening our democracy, repairing the broken justice system and practicing a foreign policy that works for all Americans. And unlike some of her colleagues in the race, she has a plan to pay for everything on her list, as her Ultra-Millionaire Tax would yield $2.75 trillion over the next ten years, enough for the “big structural change” that she promises. Warren’s compassionate, warm style and smart, policy-driven substance are a breath of fresh air amidst politics that often focus singularly on the orange visage of one narcissistic man. The country she envisions is also worlds away from that envisioned by our dysfunctional, dishonest, corrupt and self-serving president. I’d like to live in Elizabeth Warren’s America.
Opinion | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, September 5, 2019 | Page 10
“ of English incites complacency The ubiquity Linguistic Isolation
While English remains the most widely spoken language, it's proliferation detracts from disparate cultures
Olivia Field
Staff Columnist fielor17@wfu.edu While studying in France this past summer, I was determined to put my French skills to the test. Whether ordering a drink at a bar or saying hi to fellow classmates, I tried my best to avoid using English. Although I literally flew thousands of miles across the ocean to immerse myself in a culture with a different tongue, I found myself speaking and being spoken to in English much more than desired. For the most part, this was due to my strong accent, causing the bi/trilingual people of France to immediately respond in English out of politeness. However, there is a much more uncomfortable issue here than my level of embarrassment after trying and failing to speak French: the dominating presence of English as the lingua franca. In their most recent issue, The New Yorker published an article titled “The Mystery of People Who Speak Dozens of Languages.” While following a hyperpolyglot, an individual who speaks upwards of six languages fluently, the author, Judith Thurman, explores the mindsets of these people and the small international community in which they
The nuances and particulate nature of the world's languages, all 6,909 of them ... are going to be slowly wiped out..." exist. One particular note in the article stood out to me — hyperpolyglots are often reluctant or unwilling to speak in English. Thurman explained that many of them “resent [English’s] status as a global bully language.” These hyperpolyglots are right; the English language is a bully. It creeps up in times of weakness (possible miscommunication, lack of confidence in speaking skills, etc.) and forces itself upon communicators. Many of the American students I spent time with in France reverted to English because they weren’t confident in their French skills, and many of the French people I became friends with or spoke to felt pressured to speak in English to me (despite the fact that they knew I was there to learn). The harm this creates goes farther than affecting me, a monolinguist, wanting to learn a new language — English’s über dominance over linguistics has already and will continue to erode cultures around the world. In a previous piece for the opinion section, I wrote about how understanding multiple languages can change your worldview. Every language has words that cannot be translated directly into another, becoming a priceless gem within the realm of communication. Take the French word "chez," for example. Translating to “at the home of ” or “on someone’s home
turf,” that one word functions simply and uniquely within that language. Or, look at Xhosa, a South African language in which tonal differences can completely change the meaning of a word. Xhosa is defined by a clicking noise, written as "c," "x" or "q," where each written letter holds place for five to six tonally distinct sounds. The nuances and particulate nature of the world’s languages, all 6,909 of them (according to the 2009 Ethnologue), are going to be slowly wiped out as English continues to become the hegemonic form of communication. Of course, there is the obvious positive of having such a dominant lingua franca: the gift of communication. More than ever, people across the globe have been able to communicate thanks to the wide-
spread presence of English. However, this positive can only be defined as such for so long. After time, English’s influence will begin to phase out less popular languages. Younger generations, for example, may be less apt to learn their native tongue with English being seen as more useful. Unfortunately, we aren’t all hyperpolyglots who can dedicate their lives to the linguistic and cultural importance of different spoken forms of communication. Ultimately, the only thing we can really do to slow the erasure of languages is to learn and respect others. Don’t be mad at the fact that you have to complete a language requirement at Wake Forest, and don’t expect everyone to speak English.
Photo courtesy of MCTCampus
“ Too many filmakers depend on digital effects Technicalities
While CGI allows filmakers to create fantastic worlds, it leaves some films feeling hollow
Ellis Schmitt
Staff Columnist schmeh18@wfu.edu When Avengers: Endgame, a veritable smorgasbord of successful franchises, was released on April 26 of this year, it dominated the box office in both domestic and foreign markets. As the summer progressed, it finally dethroned James Cameron’s Avatar to be come the highest grossing film of all time. Upon hearing this news, I was curious what other cinematic treasures had reached the lofty heights of one of the highest grossing films of all time. According to Box Office Mojo, not adjusted for inflation, all of the top ten highest grossing films are digital effects heavy blockbusters: e.g. Star War: The Force Awakens. This fact brings me to my reason for this piece: I am tired of CGI For those of you who are unaware, CGI, or computer-generated imagery, is the use
Practical effects, by nature of being corporeal creations, offer something that special effects simply cannot." of digitally created graphics and effects within film. Now, reader, do not misconstrue my message. I am as much a fan of the M.C.U. and the Star Wars universe as any young nerd can be; however, the onslaught of computer-generated characters, sets and even costumes has begun to wear down even my avid obsession with these franchises. The use of CGI has been a long-standing practice within cinema, first used in the film Westworld in 1973, but it did not begin to become ubiquitous in film until the close of the 20th century with the release of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park in widely regarded as the first successful use of CGI to render lifelike digital creatures in a live action film. While Jurassic Park was lauded for its CGI, there are only 14 minutes of digitally rendered dinosaurs within the film’s over two hour run time. To the surprise of many, most of the time the dinosaurs are on the screen they are done so through the use of practical, or
non-digital, effects. Many of Jurassic Park's most iconic scenes, such as the claustrophobic velociraptor kitchen scene, were done mainly using animatronics and costumes. Practical effects used to be a staple of filmmaking simply because digital effects were not viable for use. Despite this, filmmakers were able to use practical effects to achieve their goals. Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and John Carpenter’s The Thing created awe and horror-inspiring films through their creative use of practical effects. Practical effects, by nature of being corporeal creations, offer something that special effects simply cannot. The actors can directly interact with these creations, producing a sense of tangibility that often feels lacking in special-effects-driven films. In many cases, over-reliance on CGI can cause a film to feel hollow, even though the screen is filled with details. Concurrently, as CGI technology continues to advance, films that utilize early versions of CGI can feel dated upon modern viewings. Practical effect-driven films, on the other hand, circumvent this dating. For fear of sounding like a cinematic luddite, I will offer up an olive branch to the world of computer-generated imagery. CGI does allow filmmakers to create set pieces and characters that simply would not be
possible through practical effects. In these instances, the use of CGI is warranted; however, it should not be used as a crutch to bolster the world of filmmakers too lazy to build a set. If a film does need CGI, it is important to blend these elements with practical effects to allow the world to feel grounded and tangible. The epitome of successfully blending both CGI and practical effects is director Christopher Nolan. Perhaps the greatest example of this blending comes from the film Inception. Inception features mind-blowing digital effects, but Nolan, likely taking inspiration from Kubrick, had a rotating hallway built for the iconic spinning hotel fight scene. In creating this set, Nolan allows his film, about entering people’s dreams, to feel somewhat grounded in reality. As I begin to step off of my soapbox, I have some closing remarks. CGI has allowed filmmakers to create worlds and characters that could not have existed even 10 years ago. While this advancement is impressive, it should not overshadow the usefulness and importance of practical effects in film. In order for a film to stand the test of time, in my opinion, both practical and digital effects should be utilized to ground even the most fantastic of films.
SPORTS
T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 9
PAG E 11
Online at: www.wfuogb.com Twitter: @sports_ogb Editor: Rafael Lima, limara17@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Wake Forest wins 38-35 thriller against Utah State The Demon Deacons got their first win of the season after beating the Aggies on a shootout BY RAFAEL LIMA Sports Editor limara17@wfu.edu Long before the kickoff, you could hear the anticipation buzz at BB&T Field for the Demon Deacons' opening night clash against Utah State. Tailgate tents took over the parking lot, the freshman class raced down the football field and the excited “ohhhh" that followed the kicker as he runs to start a brand-new Wake Forest football season. After just one game in, the Demon Deacons and Clawson have been living up to the expectations. Friday night was a back-and-forth affair that saw the lead change hands nine times throughout the game. The Deacs started the game well, scoring a touchdown on a 22-yard reception by sophomore receiver Sage Surratt. Quarterback Jamie Newman, in his first season as the Deacs’ starter, was comfortable in the pocket, completing all three of his passes on the
opening drive for 42 yards and the touchdown. However, after Utah State tied the game with a seven-yard touchdown run by running back Gerold Bright, the Deacs had a hard time finding their rhythm offensively. On the following four possessions, Wake Forest had two turnovers (a fumble by Newman and a turnover on downs), a punt and only a field goal to show for. The lack of offensive production came from miscues at critical points, as the Demon Deacons were able to move the ball well but did not capitalize on promising drives. Out of the Deacs seven red-zone trips in the game, two saw them leave the field empty-handed due to turnover on downs after multiple failed attempts to punch the ball in for a touchdown. “We made a ton of mistakes tonight. There’s certainly a part of me that feels like we didn’t deserve to win that game. We gave up so many big plays on defense. Offensively, our short-yardage package was completely ineffective. But we hung in there,” Clawson said during the postgame conference. Hanging in there certainly feels like an
appropriate description for the Deacs’ performance on defense. Although they allowed a lot of explosive plays by quarterback Jordan Love, who finished the game with 416 yards and three touchdowns, the defense seemed to show up in the most critical moments, forcing a turnover on downs and intercepting Love three times. “Their quarterback [Love] is a tremendous player and [Utah State’s] a good football team. [Utah State] was physical and we were not moving them [in the trenches] and they’ve got good skill. Their offensive line, I thought played really well,” Clawson said. “You gotta give a lot of credits to our guys for just the way they keep fighting and keep competing, and I think that is a trademark of Wake Forest football.” Newman also echoed his head coach’s sentiment on his team’s resiliency after the come-from-behind victory. “I think this is a testament to our toughness. We just keep fighting until the end. That’s what our identity is. Deacon tough just keeps fighting,” Newman said. Newman finished the game with 401 yards and three touchdowns while completing 72% of his passes in what was
another great showing for the redshirt
junior.
See Football, Page 14
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications
Senior Kendall Hinton grabs the gamewinning touchdown on a fourth-and-goal.
Men's soccer starts the season with a pair of wins The Demon Deacons are once again the No. 1 ranked team in the country after wins against UCF and Creighton BY JB BLOOD Contributing Writer bloojj18@wfu.edu Some teams start off strong and then falter as the game goes on. Other teams simply never find their groove at all. Then there are teams that continuously get better throughout the game. They wear down their opponents and gain momentum with each passing minute. The No. 1 Demon Deacons men's soccer team falls into that last category. Scoring all of their goals in the second half this weekend in a 2-1 win over No. 15 UCF and a 1-0 win over Creighton, Wake Forest has proven itself as a team that plays best when it matters most. Part of the reason for the Deacs’ second half success is its depth. “We have depth and that obviously is going to help ... We got different players,"said Head Coach Bobby Muuss after the Creighton game. "Kyle Holcomb is a totally different player than Machop [Chol]. We compliment each other pretty well in that front four.” Wake Forest's depth was on display over the weekend as 18 different players saw time in the game against Creighton. Against UCF, Wake Forest didn’t get a shot off in the first half but still managed to pull out the 2-1 victory. Star midfielder Bruno Lapa opened the scoring for The Deacs in the 58th minute by creating a turnover and then beating the goalie to give them a 1-0 lead. Wake Forest’s second goal of the night was scored in the 67th minute by Kyle Holcomb off of a long pass from Michael DeShields. Holcomb beat the goalie in a one-onone situation to put Wake Forest up 2-0. UCF scored a header with under a minute left to make the final score
2-1. UCF ended the match with an 8-5 advantage in shots but Wake Forest held a 5-3 advantage in the second half. Muuss was suspended for the match due to a red card from last season’s loss against Akron in the NCAA tournament, so Steve Armas and Dane Brenner filled in as co-head coaches. The Deacs' second game of the weekend was against a tough Creighton team that drew No. 6 UNC 2-2 on Friday night in Chapel Hill. After another scoreless first half, the Deacs broke through in the second to win 1-0. The close final score didn’t reflect how dominant the Deacs were during the game. Wake Forest held 64% of the possession and had 13 shots compared to Creighton’s six. Additionally, the Deacs had four shots on target while Creighton failed to get a single one. Wake Forest was on the offensive for most of the night. 57% of the game took place in Creighton's half of the field, including 25% in their penalty box. Meanwhile, only 15% of the game occurred near the Demon Deacons' goal. Creighton played a highly aggressive and chippy game, which earned them 17 fouls and four yellow cards. Despite this barrage, the Deacs were able to keep its cool and played well throughout the match. In the first half Wake Forest had six shots and five corners but could never quite find the back of the net. The best opportunity for either team came in the 30th minute. Creighton’s Ziyad Fares was dribbling near the back line to the right side of the Demon Deacons’ goal and passed a short ball to Luke Haakenson who tapped in what looked like a goal. But, the ball went out of bounds when Fares was dribbling so the goal did not count. During the second half, Wake Forest continued to put the pressure on Creighton and finally broke through in the 76th minute with a goal by freshman forward Calvin Harris. Midfielder Bruno Lapa forced a turnover to give the Deacs possession and junior Machop Chol ended up with the ball inside the 18-yard box. Chol then gave a short cross on the ground to Harris who was a few feet in front of the goal. Harris then brilliantly kicked the
ball past the goalie’s hand on the first touch to give Wake Forest the lead and eventually the victory. When asked about the goal, Calvin Harris said, “I just saw Machop get it ... and just made sure that I got in the box and beat the defender. It felt really good scoring in front of my family and getting the winning goal for the team tonight.” Other strong performances came from junior Justin McMaster who had two shots on goal and and from goalie Andrew Pannenberg who had a clean sheet. Muuss highlighted his team’s drive after the game. “I thought it was a pretty good collective performance for 90 minutes," Muuss said. "I thought our energy was good. What makes us have energy is the way we move the ball and the tempo of our play. We did a good job of closing some outlets and were able to keep the ball in their half.” Wake Forest now stands at 2-0-0 and plays its next game on Sept. 6 at Spry Stadium against Dartmouth.
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications
Freshman Calvin Harris scored his first collegiate goal for a game-winnner against Creighton.
Page 12 | Thursday, September 5, 2019
Old Gold & Black | Sports
Previewing the first week of the NFL season After months of surprising trades and developments, the NFL finally kicks off with a Thursday-night rivalry game BY LUKE MARTIN Contributing Writer martl19@wfu.edu
A long, eventful offseason draws to an end on Thursday night, as the 199th installment of one of the most storied rivalries in professional football kicks off the regular season. I’ll preview the key matchups that will propel us from preseason nothingness into the throws of regular season action and drama. Packers at Bears — Thursday, Sept. 5, 8:20 p.m. Packers 97, Bears 95. That’s not a score prediction, even though it seems reasonable in today’s NFL. No, that’s the number of wins for each team in this rivalry series. That alone is convincing that watching this game is a great way to spend your Thursday evening. The X’s and O’s are just as compelling, as this matchup pits one of the greatest modern quarterbacks — Aaron Rodgers — against, statistically, the NFL’s best defense from a year ago. This will be a fun one to watch. Rams at Panthers — Sunday, Sept. 8, 1:00 p.m. The Los Angeles Rams finished second in the NFL
in offensive scoring last year, but still have a bad taste in their mouths after putting up just three points in a Super Bowl loss to the Patriots. They will be looking to prove a point when they come to Charlotte this Sunday, and I foresee them doing just that. Panthers fans should not lose hope, as anything can happen when the ball is in Cam Newton’s hands (whether that’s a good or a bad thing). Even in a loss, the Panthers can still prove quite a bit about themselves as NFC contenders by competing against a stacked Rams team. Colts at Chargers — Sunday, Sept. 8, 4:25 p.m. Utter shock and some regrettable booing echoed
Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/TNS
Aaron Rodgers looks to lead his Green Bay Packers to a victory in Chicago on Thursday.
throughout Indianapolis in August when Andrew Luck, the team’s 29-year-old superstar quarterback announced his retirement due to injuries. The Colts have little time to mourn, as they travel to LA to take on a Chargers team that won 12 games in the regular season last year. Fortunately for the Colts, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett is no stranger to pressure. He started two games for the Patriots in relief of Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo in 2016. The Patriots’ fans have high expectations to say the least, and Brissett managed a 1-1 record after being the third stringer just weeks before. Look for Brissett to impress if his offensive line can keep him protected. Steelers at Patriots — Sunday, Sept. 8 8:20 p.m. Two AFC favorites look to quiet the few doubters that they have in this huge matchup. The Steelers parted ways with two stars over the last year in wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell. Proving that those departures were addition by subtraction will be no small task, but veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and new No. 1 receiver Juju Smith-Schuster have the privilege of attempting to do just that against a fundamentally sound New England defense. The other sideline will produce now 42-year-old Tom Brady, eager to prove once again that he is truly an ageless football-throwing cyborg, whose sole purpose is to win football games and anger opposing fanbases. If you want to show somebody a good football game, this is the best op-
USA begins FIBA World Cup with emphatic win Even without several American basketballstars, the Americans dominated the Czech Republic in a 88-67 victory BY RAFAEL LIMA Sports Editor limara17@wfu.edu The 18th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup kicked off last Saturday in China, with squads from six continents participating in the 32-team tournament. Founded in 1950, the FIBA World Cup serves as basketball’s version of the FIFA World Cup. The tournament also acts as qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The top two teams from each of the Americas and Europe, and the top team from each of Africa, Asia and Oceania, alongside the tournament's host China, will advance to next year’s Olympics. The American team entered the tournament as a heavy favorite, despite having multiple top-level NBA stars like LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard bow out of the competition. These top-flight talents, along with dozens of others, declined to play in order to preserve their health for the upcoming NBA season. Thus, the U.S. team entered the tournament led by a mixture of younger players looking to prove their worth at an international level and veterans who hadn’t had the chance to represent their country in international play before. The Americans entered the tournament with a large chip on their shoulders. The men’s team had lost to a talented Australian team in an exhibition game prior to the tournament on Aug. 25 by a score of 98-94. The loss ended an incredible streak of 78 straight wins by the Americans in international play. They bounced back from this shocking loss to handily beat a scrappy Czech Republic team 88-67 on Saturday. The bigger, faster and more talented Americans were led by top NBA talents Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, Harrison Barnes of the Dallas Mavericks and Kemba Walker of the Celtics, who scored a combined 43 of the team’s total 88 points. Tomas Satoransky, who recently signed a contract with the Chicago Bulls in free agency, led the Czech
team with 17 points on a 54% shooting average and five assists. The Czechs surprisingly outshot the U.S. team behind the arc, 44% to 39%. The Americans feasted within the 3-point line, however, using their superior athleticism to shoot a scalding 55% within the arc, compared to 39% for the Czech team. The Czech team jumped out to an early 11-7 lead, and hung tough with the Americans throughout the first quarter. The United States led by just a three-point margin, 17-14, after the first 10 minutes of play. The Americans, led by Boston Celtic Jayson Tatum’s seven points, straightened themselves out in the second quarter by outscoring the Czechs 26-15. The Americans never relinquished their double-digit halftime lead and cruised through the second half to a 21-point victory. The Americans’ biggest competitors also handily won their first games. Cleveland Cavalier Matthew Dellavedova led the Australians to a big 108-92 victory over Canada, scoring 25 points along with five
assists and five rebounds. Spain crushed Tunisia by a score of 101-62, led by Phoenix Suns guard Ricky Rubio’s 17 points and nine assists. Additionally, the two best players in the tournament led their teams to resounding wins. The NBA’s most recent MVP and Milwaukee Buck, Giannis Antetokounmpo, led Greece to trounce Montenegro, 85-60, scoring 10 points and securing eight rebounds. 2019 All-Star and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic led the way for the Serbian team, scoring 14 points and dishing out six assists, as they absolutely dominated Angola 105-59. The United States continued their pool play on Tuesday night against Turkey, although the game ended too late to be included here. The Americans will play six total games in their first group stage against Czech Republic, Turkey, and Japan. Barring a string of surprising losses for the U.S. team, the Americans will move on to the second group stage starting next week.
Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS
Even without American stars like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Steph Curry, the Americans made easy work of the Czech team, led by Utah Jazz player Donovan Mitchell and others.
Sports | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, September 5, 2019 | Page 13
Spotlight: Justin Strnad BY RAFAEL LIMA Sports Editor limara17@wfu.edu
Coming out of East Lake High School in Florida, Justin Strnad was not one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation. His final ranking as the 1550th recruit nationally in the 2015 class, according to 247, does not do justice to his impact on the field for the Demon Deacons. In 2017, Strnad led the team in interceptions with three, the most by a Wake Forest linebacker since Aaron Curry had four in 2007. He was also fundamental in the Deacs’ Belk Bowl triumph against Texas A&M with 10 tackles, a sack, 1.5 TFL, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and a pass break-up. In 2018, he earned AllACC honors while leading the team with 105 total tackles. He also had the most double-digit tackle games with six and was the only constant presence at the linebacker spot with 1,006 snaps played over the full season. Now, Strnad looks to keep building on the program’s positive momentum and add a fourth bowl victory to his collection in 2019. Rafael Lima: The football team just came off a tough win against a strong opponent in Utah State. How do you feel about where the team is at right now? Justin Strnad: Yeah, we had a challenging first game against a great team in Utah State. They had some great players. Their quarterback [Jordan Love] is a really good player. I think it was good to go through this kind of adversity in week one. It was a back-and-forth battle, and came [down to] the fourth quarter. We were down, we had to find a way to win and we did that. So, I think it’s good to see things like [winning a close game] occur early in the season so we’re prepared as the season goes along and games get tougher. RL: You had the game-winning interception against Utah State on the last play of the game. Could you walk me through what happened in that play? JS: I was just doing my job in the framework of our defense. Our D-line did a great job in pressuring the quarterback [Love]. He rolled out and tried
to throw the ball over my head because [the man I was marking] was a little bit further in front of him. So I just jumped up and made the play. It was exciting. RL: Early in the game you almost had an interception, but you dropped it. Did that come across your
mind at all in this crucial moment? JS: Yeah, I think everybody was telling me [after the dropped interception] that I needed to make one up for that one. It was a bad drop! I mean, sometimes when
[interception opportunities] show up so easily it’s almost like unexpected. But, you gotta have those plays. Those are big plays. Luckly, I was able to get one [interception] back to help us win the game. RL: This year you’re one of the team captains. The way other players and coaches talk about you, you are definitely someone that other players look up to. How do you feel about this added responsibility? JS: It’s an honor to have the respect of my teammates and have them make me a captain. All I’m doing is trying to lead our team, bring energy to practice every day and just doing things the right way in this [football] program. So, hopefully, younger guys can see that and want to do that as they go along in this program. That’s really what builds a winning culture. You know, you get multiple people to buy [into the program’s culture] and do things that will help us win football games. RL: You mentioned building up a culture. How do you feel about where this football program is at now, compared to when you joined it in 2015? JS: I just think we have a much more stable foundation here today. We have more guys that are really bought in and love the game of football. I think this pays dividends when you’re in weeks eight and ten of the season and people are continuing to go up and watch the [game] film and do the extra things to help you win. I just think that’s where we are at right now, and that’s where we have to continue to [move toward] in order to have success. RL: This is your last year around the program, what are some of your aspirations for your career after playing for Wake Forest? JS: I hope to play at the next level. Playing in the NFL has been a dream of mine since I was little. After the NFL, I hope to stick around football in some way, probably as personnel in a front office or work with broadcasting.
Personal Profile Hometown: Palm Harbor, Fla. Class: Redshirt Senior Accomplishments - All-ACC Honorable Men-
tion in 2018
- Team-leading 105 total tackles in 2018 - Team-leading three interceptions in 2017 - 2019 Team Captain - Game-winning interception against Utah State - Back-to-back-to-back bowl champion between 2016 and 2018
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications
Deac Notes Women’s soccer stays undefeated with 3-0 win over Charlotte
Two Deacs are elected to the ACC’s Team of the Week after win against Utah State
With three second-half goals, the Demon Deacons got their fourth win of the season agaist UNC Charlotte at Transamerica Field on Sunday Night. The Deacs opened the score in the 48th minute with a successful penalty kick by Madison Hammond. Abby McNamara and Giovanna DeMarco increased the advantage for a comfortable win. The Deacs will now face VCU on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Spry Stadium.
Quarterback Jamie Newman and wide receiver Sage Surratt were elected as members of the ACC’s Team of the Week for their perfomaces in week one against Utah State. Newman threw for 401 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning pass to receiver Kendall Hinton on a fourthand-goal. Surratt caught seven receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications
Thursday, September 5, 2019 |Page 14
Old Gold & Black | Sports
Football: Deacs win season opener
Continued from Page 11
But, no performance on Friday night embodied the “Deacon tough” mentality more than Kendall Hinton’s. Hinton was originally recruited to play quarterback for the Demon Deacons, but after three years of personal problems, injuries and sitting behind alum John Wolford, Hinton decided to make a switch to wide receiver in 2018 to earn more playing time. It was a season full of ups and downs for Hinton, who was mostly featured as the backup to break-out, All-ACC receiver Greg Dortch. Hinton considered transferring from Wake Forest at the end of the 2018 season and entered the NCAA transfer portal, almost assured of a move out of WinstonSalem. Ultimately, Hinton was convinced by Clawson to come back for his last year with the promise of a better year in 2019. Thus, the Utah State game was made pivotal for Hinton and his career at Wake Forest. The Deacs received the ball back with 2:19 remaining on the clock, trailing by four points, having to move the ball 89 yards down the field with no timeouts remaining. After an incredible 70-yard catch-and-run by Surratt, the Deacs found themselves at Utah State’s
one-yard line with four opportunities to knock it in for the much-needed touchdown. It seemed like a given that Wake Forest was going to score. However, their earlier short-yardage problems came back to haunt them, as running back Cade Carney tried three times to run the ball up the middle and three times found a blue-and-white wall to stop him. “We ran the ball three times and lost a yard. Part of me, after that third [unsuccessful run] play, was ready for the press conference to say ‘if you can’t get a yard, you don’t deserve to win,” Clawson said. Yet, on fourth down, Newman snapped the ball, looked to his left and didn’t find anything. He looked to his right and saw Hinton fading towards the right corner of the end zone. Newman threw it high to Hinton, who had to use all of his 6-feet-tall stature to go up and catch the ball with two defenders draped all over him. He miraculously held on to the football. All the times watching from the sidelines over the past four years, all the injuries and personal problems, all the transfer speculation during the summer led Hinton to that moment. When Wake Forest needed him the most, Hinton was there. Touchdown Demon Deacons. “I definitely thought about it [after the game]. It just makes this moment sweeter. Just being able
to play with these guys for one more year and being able to share moments like this,” said Hinton about his game-winning touchdown catch. He went from possible summer exit to game hero in just a single play. For both Wake Forest football and Hinton, they just had to keep fighting.
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletic Communications
Wide receiver Scotty Washington catches a touchdown to put the Deacs in the lead again.
Premier League: North London Derby ends in draw Tottenham jumped to a 2-0 lead on Arsenal, before the gunners fought back to force the draw BY CAMERON LIZZA Contributing Writer lizzcd17@wfu.edu
We are only four weeks into the 2019-2020 season of the English Premier League, and there has already been plenty of action. Smaller clubs like Leicester City, Everton, West Ham United and Crystal Palace are in fantastic form. This is due to the fact that they are seen alongside Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham in the top seven. However, it is too early to predict which clubs will take the coveted four Champions League spots. At first glance, this week seemed to be of average intrigue. The most exciting game was the North London Derby, where Tottenham faced Arsenal. It is always difficult to predict a match between two rivals; especially when there are top-tier talents on both sides. Spurs dominated the first half of the game, which gave them a 2-0 lead by the 40th minute. This was thanks to goals by Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane. Just before the halftime intermission, Alexandre Lacazette brought Arsenal back to life with a goal. It is difficult to overcome a 2-0 deficit at the break, so Lacazette’s goal gave Arsenal a well-needed motivation to pull through with the victory. In the 71st minute, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalized the score after a beautiful pass from Guendouzi. The match concluded as a 2-2 draw, which left neither club satisfied. Although this match may have featured the biggest clubs, it was not the most exciting match of the week.
When people saw that Wolves were set to face Everton at Goodison Park, they did not anticipate the action-packed game that followed. Last season, both teams were fighting for the Europa League spot that was eventually won by Wolverhampton. With many talented players making their way into both rosters, like Moise Kean, Patrick Cutrone, Alex Iwobi and Jesus Vallejo, a similar race for the Europa League should take place once again. As early as the fifth minute, Richarlison capitalized after a mistake off of the Wolves’ back line. Before Everton could use the momentum, Romain Saïss equalized the score four minutes afterwards, in the ninth minute. Only three minutes later, Alex Iwobi scored a header to hand the lead back to Everton. The next goal was not until Raúl Jiménez scored in the 75th on a set piece. Once again, Everton dominated the lead, when Richarlison placed a header in the back of the net. For the rest of the match, Wolves did everything they could to equalize the score, but they couldn’t get past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Several teams were disappointed by the result, mainly Manchester United, as they drew against Southampton. The Reds took the lead in the 10th minute with a beautiful goal from Daniel James, but the Southampton back line stayed strong for the rest of the game. In the 58th minute, Jannik Vestergaard, scored the equalizer leaving the Red Devils in disbelief. Chelsea continued to disappoint as they drew against newly promoted Sheffield United. The young Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham scored a brace, but a late own goal by Kurt Zouma conceded the draw to Sheffield United. Unsurprisingly, both Manchester City and Liverpool dominated their matches this week. Although Liverpool are at the top of the table, an exciting title race similar to last year’s should take place once again. The other matches showed Leicester City de-
feating Bournemouth 3-0, Crystal Palace defeating Aston Villa 1-0 and West Ham United defeating Norwich City 2-0. Next week there are a few matches that can make an impact on the table. Leicester City is traveling to face Manchester United, Chelsea looks to restart with an important match against Wolves. On Monday, there will be another Derby in London as Aston Villa and West Ham United go head-to-head.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Liverpool holds the only perfect record in the Premier League with four wins in four games.
Thursday, September 5, 2019 |Page 15
Old Gold & Black | Sports
Verlander adds third no-hitter to career resume
The Astros star’s domination of Toronto and third career no-hitter put him in historic company BY REN SCHMITT Print Managing Editor schmwm16@wfu.edu
Though Astros starter Justin Verlander already seemed a worthy candidate for the 2019 AL Cy Young award, his performance against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday thrust him ahead of the competition and added an exclamation point to his Hall of Fame-worthy career. Thirty-six-year-old Verlander turned in one of the greatest performances of his career, striking out 14, walking just one and earning his third career no-hitter. It was his first since 2011, which coincidentally also took place in Toronto, though Verlander was still wearing a Tigers uniform at the time. Not all no-hitters are created equally, as some rely much far more on luck than others. Verlander’s outing on Sunday, though, was as worthy of the results as a no-hitter can be. Per Craig Edwards of FanGraphs, just two of the batted balls during the game had an expected hit percentage above 12%, effectively preventing any contact that would necessitate a no-hitter saving defensive gem. The list of pitchers with three or more no-hitters is short and impressive, including just Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Bob Feller, Cy Young, Larry Corcoran, and now, Justin Verlander. Verlander began to slip into the background of the baseball landscape during some of the Tigers’ down years, but when he was traded to Houston at the end of August in 2017, he quickly reestablished himself as an authentic ace, posting a 1.06 ERA in his five September starts. From there, he etched his name in
Houston Astros history by leading the team to its first World Series win. Recognizing the importance of his contributions — and realizing that his elbow seems immune to the effects of age — the Astros signed Verlander to a two-year, $66 million contract extension that runs through 2021. Perhaps there was some concern heading into 2019 that he would have to show the effects of age eventually, but somehow, he continues to pitch as well as ever. Verlander’s 2019 numbers already looked impressive, but his no-hitter helps make them jump off the page even more. He now owns a 2.56 ERA, an 11.98 K/9 and 5.2 fWAR. He also looks poised to eclipse
the 200 innings mark for the 12th time in his career, strengthening his reputation as a veritable workhorse. He now needs just 37 strikeouts to reach the coveted career total of 3000, and he also has 221 career wins, making him a candidate to reach 250 wins — a more modern standard for evaluating greatness than the 300-win mark. His career renaissance began years ago, but his ability to pitch in the upper-90s late into games at age 36 still defies understanding. The Astros effectively wrapped up their division weeks ago, and with Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke representing the 1-2-3 in their postseason rotation, they have cause to feel confident about their shot at winning another World Series.
John Kuntz/cleveland.com/TNS
Justin Verlander threw his third career no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, making him a frontrunner for the Cy Young Award out of the American League.
The Raptors won a championship; now what? After winning a title in 2018-2019, the Raptors face a season of uncertainties after the departure of their franchise player BY NIKO KOLEV Staff Writer kolens18@wfu.edu
With their first NBA championship under their belt, the Toronto Raptors have finished the 2018-2019 NBA season on a high note. After losing Kawhi Leonard in free agency, a gamble that the Raptors’ organization was well aware of when they traded for Leonard with the Spurs, how will the team fare in the 2019-2020 season without their MVP-caliber talent? Looking at the roster, there are some bright spots for Toronto fans. Pascal Siakam, 2018’s winner of the Most Improved Player award, showcased his massive upscale in talent and skill during the playoffs. As a valuable contributor and scorer when Leonard was taking a break or not making shots, Siakam has certainly shown All-Star potential. But can he be the primary scorer on a winning playoff team that has a chance to go deep into the playoffs? Unfortunately, Siakam’s defense and scoring ability can be somewhat inconsistent at times. With NBA defenses now well aware of his talent, he will be guarded much more closely this season. His potential is growing but at this point in time he is just not the clutch shot-maker that any championship-caliber team needs. I can see him becoming a Jimmy Butler-type of player in the league over the upcoming years. Siakam could
be good enough to maybe carry a bad team to the playoffs, but not good enough to be the primary scorer on a championship team. Certainly, one of the Raptors’ roster issues is the ages of its players. Kyle Lowry is a 33-year-old and not getting any younger. He proved to be valuable to a contending team, but his body is losing the race with age. Another key part of the Raptors’ championship roster was Marc Gasol. The 34-year-old has a history of dealing with injuries. He had stretches during his time in Memphis when he was playing at an all-star level, but then he got injured shortly after. Marc Gasol’s defensive ability and prowess adds a lot to this Raptors and is not to be overlooked that he has a very high defensive IQ. Something that made him a terrific addition to the Raptors team is that he developed a somewhat consistent 3-point shot. If he can maintain that usefulness as he ages, then the Raptors will have made a great decision by extending his contract. Rounding out the veteran starting lineup are Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet. Ibaka is getting up there in age at 29-years-old but still has some left in the tank. Unfortunately, he has not been as much of a contributor to the team when it comes to scoring, but his defense is an important part of the Raptors’ arsenal. Fred VanVleet lit the basketball world on fire with his flashy 3-point shots during the NBA playoffs. He certainly has proved himself as a vital scorer to this Raptors’ team. His defense can be very good at times, and the fact that he is 25-years-old and already showing to be a good to great contributor is fantastic for the Raptors. Part of the main issue that has been evident with the Raptors for the last five years, until when they acquired
Leonard, is that they lacked the star power to succeed in the playoffs. They had the skill and talent to play very well during the regular season, but could not seem to replicate that. And with Leonard gone, will the Choke Raptors that Lebron-dominated team be back to where it was in the Eastern Conference? 2018 might have been the title year for the Raptors, but 2019 will tell us a lot about the future of this franchise.
Getty Images/TNS
Kawhi Leonard took the Raptors to the promised land. Now, they have to adjust to life without him.
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New film creates immersive space The Peanut Butter Falcon combines themes of brotherhood and hardship by exploring the dynamic between main protagonists Zak and Tyler BY KYLE FERRER Opinion Editor ferrka16@wfu.edu Films about or involving disabled characters walk a tricky line between establishing an egalitarian intimacy and chastising audiences for their own insensitivity. A film’s potential message can often masquerade as a venerable reason to exist, confusing art and aesthetics with ideological fervor, but convincing ideas always require some sort of aesthetic persuasion to endure. Thankfully, The Peanut Butter Falcon, an endearing backwater bromance between an outlaw (Shia LaBeouf ) and a man with Down syndrome (Zak Gottsagen), tells of a coincidental communion rather than a banal moral awakening. Tyler (LaBeouf ) and Zak (Gottsagen) do not change each other as much as they bounce off each other, offering fresh eyes to each’s distinct despair. One helps the other slice through his own hard-heartedness and return to an empathetic core, avoiding one-sided revelation for a downplayed renaissance. Zak (Gottsagen) is a 22-year-old man with Down syndrome, living in an old folks’ home and clinging to a dream of becoming a professional wrestler. To do so, he thinks he must attend a training school run by the infamous Saltwater Redneck (a gimmicky, WWE-type infused with the hulking kindness of Thomas Haden Church). So swayed is Zak by the school’s promotional video that he stages an escape, is caught and gets labeled a “flight risk.” As the film lengthens, we realize “flight risk” means more than just liable to flee. It means Zak, deemed incompetent and burdensome by society, becomes a risk if let live a full life. We soon meet Tyler (Shia LaBeouf ), a local Ph oto North Carolina crabber illegally reeling in co urt catch. After Tyler is beat by the violent, esy of vindictive thugs (John Hawkes, im db slimy as ever) whose load he .co m filched, he burns all their catching equipment and flees. Zak, nearby, soon manages a second
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
breakout, slipping the auspices of his kind but idealistic caretaker Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) and ends up hiding in the same boat Tyler hijacks to orchestrate his own escape. Eleanor, charged by her simpleton boss, must track Zak down to avoid involving the real authorities. The two men begin a journey, after Tyler learns Zak himself is a runaway, to help Zak become a wrestler, and, in a premise ripped right from Huck Finn, drift downstream on a makeshift raft. At times, the raft is shot against such gilded twilight and with such rippling torsion it looks like “The Raft of the Medusa.” At others, its carried lazily downstream as viewers conjure meanness from the surrounding density, like an Alligator Alley version of Apocalypse Now. Oozing a kind of back-country menace, the film is peopled with the same sort of malnourished, chainsmoking malingerers as Netflix’s Bloodline, although Falcon takes place in the similarly sticky heat of the North Carolina instead of the Florida Keys. Crocodiles glide through the murk, bugs create an airborne impasto and water, all around, slaps up against nearly every shot. The dampness hangs on people like a weight, eventually absorbed into a pervasive and enfeebling madness. At least that’s what the inevitable, weather-fed aesthetics of Falcon imply, making Tyler and Zak’s return to lucidity doubly heroic. Shia LaBeouf, perhaps the most garrulous man in Hollywood, remains as intense as ever, so convincing in his role that I was half-persuaded the film was just found footage of LaBeouf himself in disrepair. He has always been a stunningly instinctive actor, without even a whiff of hesitance, who entrances audiences with h i s
wisecracking rhapsodies. In Falcon, his words reign down like bits of astral matter — brusque, quick-witted flecks of fire, received by Zak as novel instances of friendship. Zak responds with a full-throated innocence and awe that breaks Tyler down into a more thoughtful version of himself. A character (and man) with little pretense, Tyler engulfs Zak in the raw energy of communion, dug in by Zak’s reflective responses. Note: LaBeouf even spits a string of his iconic, sameword directives as he implores a boat to “Gogogogogo!,” reifying my Transformers nostalgia and cementing him in the exclamatory canon. There also exists in Falcon a kind of observant, visual engagement reminiscent of Alan Parker’s films. From Mississippi Burning, where Parker lingers on peripheral faces to show the racial animus suffusing the film, to Angel Heart, where the capital of standing-water, New Orleans, is shot as a collage of steamy streets squirming with rakish characters that send Mickey Rourke off sanity’s cliff. In Falcon, similarly minute observations collect into an immersive space unique to the film. Pointed shots of stoic storks and snatching crabs, cow licked reeds and groaning flotsam, intercede as aesthetic enhancements. The film is just as interested in bodies moving among a stagnant, bilious swampland as it is with scripted dialogue. “Likeness is the problem of men,” Richard Powers says in The Overstory, which perfectly characterizes Zak’s disadvantage and Tyler’s remediation of it. Zak, Tyler says, simply cannot do some things that others can, but gets consigned to a kind of slightly condescending care instead of a natural life. Having lost a brother (Jon Bernthal, perfect in fraternity) to drunk driving (shown to us in flashback, as Tyler nods off at the wheel), we understand Tyler’s tenuous moral choices as pain-addled wandering and guilt. Zak helps return Tyler from tragic quitter to attentive friend; Tyler breaks Zak out of insulated embarrassment into considerate adulthood. Those who feel guilt weld themselves to pain, foisting it upon their conscience as eternal punishment, and sometimes it is only the strange, unsolicited perspective of others than can resuscitate us.
Thursday, September 5, 2019 | Page 17
Life | Old Gold & Black
Album Review | Norman F**king Rockwell!
THE HOT New album’s lyrics are elegant LIST Lana Del Rey’s newest album is centered around her vocals and sound BY MADISON ZEHMER Staff Writer zehmml16@wfu.edu Since the success of her single “Video Games” in 2011, Elizabeth Grant, better known by her stage name Lana Del Rey, has remained an enigmatic and often controversial figure in popular music. She is known for her many references to pop culture from earlier generations, her love of Americana and her glorification of glamorous lifestyles. Her music style has varied greatly; her first studio album, Born to Die (2012), was heavily influenced by hip-hop and triphop, while her second album, Ultraviolence (2014), channeled classic rock. Her following albums combined these (and other) styles. Del Rey’s hybrid musical style is unlike anyone else’s in music right now, though her influence on artists like Billie Eilish cannot be understated. On Aug. 30, Del Rey released her fifth full-length studio album, Norman F**king Rockwell!, abbreviated as NFR!. The album, produced by Jack Antonoff, the producer of Lorde’s Melodrama (2017), the lead singer of “Bleachers” and the producer of many of Taylor Swift’s songs, is Del Rey’s best yet. The lyricism is sharp and poetic,
the melodies are gorgeous and Antonoff’s production is excellent. It’s apparent that Del Rey’s songwriting and performance abilities have greatly improved since the beginning of her career. From a musical perspective, the majority of the songs on NFR! are centered around piano and vocals. Still, the rock, folk, pop and hip-hop influences shine through. From a lyrical perspective, NFR! is much more introspective, self-aware and assertive than her previous albums, which demonstrates Del Rey’s evolution as a musician and person. Compared to her previous works, her sincerity is notable. Although the album still contains many Lana-isms, such as “If he’s a serial killer, then what’s the worst / That could happen to a girl who’s
Photo courtesy of amazon.com
New album Norman F**king Rockwell! was released on Aug. 30.
already hurt?” (“Happiness is a butterfly”), Del Rey is more willing to critically examine her messy relationships than she was earlier in her career. She appears to be less interested in putting forth a persona of tragedy and opulence and more interested in genuine reflections and observations about the state of her life and the world. Her lyrics read like a cross between confessional poetry and a heartfelt letter. One striking lyric showcases this in particular: “There’s things I want to say to you, but I’ll just let you live / like if you hold me without hurting me / you’ll be the first who ever did” (“Cinnamon Girl”). Del Rey’s honesty and vulnerability is particularly noticeable in “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have — but I have it,” one of the best songs from her entire catalogue. The moving lyric “Don’t ask if I’m happy, you know that I’m not / But at best I can say I’m not sad” stands in sharp contrast to her proclamation “I wish I was dead” on 2012’s Born to Die. Del Rey hasn’t abandoned the ennui that characterized her previous works, but she has shifted from entirely focusing on the darker things in life to acknowledging and appreciating the complexities of experience. In essence, NFR! is a sincere and poignant meditation on what it means to be alive in a tumultuous time in one’s personal life and in the world. It is a beautiful, profoundly moving, and cohesive work
Book Review | The Overstory
Novel explores the important topic of sustainability Richard Powers’ The Overstory gives a powerful voice to environmentalism BY CAROLINE WALKER Asst. News Editor walkct18@wfu.edu Richard Powers’ recent Pulitzer Prizewinning novel, The Overstory, examines environmental consciousness through the narratives of a cast of characters whose lives become undeniably intertwined, like the overlapping roots of the trees that compose the deteriorating forests that they are desperately attempting to save. To begin, there is the quintessential botanist who has dedicated her scholarly work and life to researching the connective relationship that exists among trees within the deepest recesses of the forest. Yet, Powers also challenges the conventional image of “tree-huggers,” while unexpectedly recounting the tales of how others become involved in the environmentalist movement to save the trees. One of these uniquely influential characters is a young boy who grows up in the shade of the family’s chestnut tree, mapping the continuous growth of the divine giant through a series of photographs and continuing his natural studies through later artistic representations of the tree’s natural beauty. Then, there is the girl who impulsively decides to travel in search of a nobler pur-
pose and finds herself within a shop of free tree art. During her travels to California to join the efforts of a passionate camp of environmental activists she meets a boy artist. These two make an intrepid adventure into the canopies of ancient, old-growth forests and envelop others into the fold of environmentalism as they practice compassion for and cohabitation with the environs of the natural world. In a countercultural movement against the capitalist exploitation of the natural resources, these literary figures brazenly forge the path toward environmental sustainability by leading the fight to protect the trees and the natural world. Powers expands upon this development within the context of urban life. Here, he introduces an intellectual property lawyer and his wife who struggle with the monotony of suburban living — that is, until they decide to collectively confront the societal forces that routinized their lives and attempted to enclose the natural growth of trees that they now both plant and protect. He also comments on the potential for including sustainability within the context of the increasingly technological modern world. This new-age perspective appears through the lens of the young inventor of a video game that sensationalizes a virtual reality based in environmental realism. Through individual and collective efforts, these characters demonstrate the multitude of possibilities for sustainable and intentional contributions to the preservation of mother earth, which can begin to reverse the tide of environmental destruction.
Seamlessly flowing from the stories of one character to the next, the novel embodies a collective and organic literary work that examines the breadth and depth of environmental responsibility in an increasingly diverse and complicated world. Overall, Powers issues a collective call to environmental action against the degradation of forests, especially as he employs the voices of these characters and others. The novel empowers and inspires individuals of different races, ages, occupations and interests to find meaningful ways to make an impact.
Top 10 List of Things to Replace the Quad Grass With By Amanda Wilcox Now that the grass on the quad died, the university could replace it with something fun
1.
Quad-sized trampoline Ball pit
3.
Mini golf course Helicopter landing pad
5.
Beanbags and blankets
Human-sized chess board
7.
Playpen of puppies AstroTurf
9. Giant mud puddle Plain asphalt
DRINK OF THE WEEK Is this a rip-off of a juice shop smootie? Maybe...
• Hot water • Crunchy autumn leaves
Pour hot water into your favorite mug and add a hearty helping of fallen leaves. Steep. To stay extra cozy, enjoy with your new squeeze.
Courtesy of Amanda Wilcox
Photo courtesy of amazon.com
The struggle between the modern world and the natural world continues.
Page 18 | Thursday, September 5, 2019
Old Gold & Black | Life
Lifestyle Column | Political Podcasts
Podcasts help listeners learn politics Today’s politics can be daunting, but here are five podcasts to make it easier
BY AMANDA WILCOX Online Managing Editor wilcaf16@wfu.edu Groucho Marx once wisely said, “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.” Humorous, but it totally still applies to the bonkers state of our politics today. I don’t blame you in the slightest if you are already finding keeping up with the state of the presidential race to be daunting, but it’s our civic duty to get to the polls next go-round. One of the easiest ways to both preserve your sanity and to learn what you need to know about domestic political developments is by listening to podcasts. Here are a few of the best to listen to on the treadmill, on the way to class, in the library or anywhere you have a pair of headphones. “The Daily” The New York Times’ “The Daily,” which publishes 20-minute episodes every weekday, is typically a deep dive into The New York Times’ best reporting of the day. After hosting 2016 election podcast “The RunUp,” former Times reporter Michael Barbaro pivoted to the audio space, where he examines one or two major stories per day and interviews Times reporters covering the
biggest headlines around the world. Some recent notable topics covered by “The Daily” include negotiations over a peace deal with the Taliban, the wildfires in the Amazon, the Group of 7 summit in France and song playlists at presidential campaign rallies. The podcast also featured an excellent, deeply-reported series this summer on the rise of nationalist, far-right parties in Poland, Italy and Germany. “The Argument” Another sterling addition to The New York Times’ library of podcasts is “The Argument.” Every week, three Times opinion columnists debate the latest news from across the political spectrum: Michelle Goldberg (liberal), David Leonhardt (moderate) and Ross Douthat (conservative). Their discussions are valuable because learning how the other half thinks can help you argue your perspective much more coherently, and the three columnists often find a surprising amount of common ground. In addition, Goldberg, Leonhardt and Douthat take turns ending each podcast with a non-political recommendation — from books to the best frozen yogurt shops in New York City. “The Weeds” While most podcasts tend to stick to a more cursory survey of the main headlines in the political world, Vox’s podcast “The Weeds” dives deep into the finer details of policy. Their pitch is that the “weeds” is where politics becomes policy, which has the power to shape our lives. Twice a week,
Write For... OGB Life Contact Emily Beauchamp beauea17@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of nytimes.com
“The Daily” takes a deep dive into The NewYorkTimes’ articles, “The Argument” features political debates and “Lawfare” focuses on foreign policy. Matthew Yglesias, Ezra Klein and a handful of Vox writers dig into domestic issues as diverse as international trade, Federal Reserve policy, immigration, housing and healthcare. They have also taken trips “into the weeds” with presidential candidates such as Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Julian Castro. “FiveThirtyEight Politics” If you’re interested in the numerical and analytical aspects of election politics, FiveThirtyEight’s podcast might be for you. Twice a week, Nate Silver and his team of data journalists dive into the latest political
news and issues as well as the quantitative aspects of elections and polling. The podcast will also publish “exit interviews” with Democratic candidates as they leave the race, having started with Rep. Eric Swalwell. “Lawfare” Produced in cooperation with The Brookings Institution, “Lawfare” is dense and esoteric. But it is also one of the best sources of information about foreign policy, election security and constitutional debates. “Lawfare” also published coverage of the Mueller report that was second-to-none.
Life | Old Gold & Black
Thursday, September 5, 2019 | Page 19
Conquer interviews like a pro Interviews don’t have to be daunting; all you need to do is follow these simple guidelines and use the resources that the Office of Career and Personal Development provides for us. BY EMILY BEAUCHAMP Life Editor beauea17@wfu.edu
Many students are starting to apply for jobs and internships. As a result, interview season is about to begin. However, there is no need to stress. With the help of these tips and the Office of Career and Personal Development, interviewing has never been easier. Interview Prep You may or may not already know this, but before a big interview, you need to do your homework. While this may sound terrible, doing research may be the crucial factor to landing the job. Oftentimes employers expect interviewees to come prepared with detailed knowledge of their company. It’s not like they’re going to give you a quiz or anything when you arrive, but during the interview, it’s important to flex your knowledge of the company in your questions and responses. This shows them that you are genuinely interested in working there, while it also shows great initiative and drive on your part. In addition to this, make sure you know what your career goals, strengths, weaknesses and accomplishments are. Questions I mentioned earlier that you should have questions. Don’t enter an interview expecting to be interrogated. The interview process is supposed to be a conversation. Yes, the interviewer is trying to see if you’re a good fit for their company, but you also need to make sure this company is a good fit for you. Some good questions to ask include: what are the opportunities for growth? How would you describe the work environment? It’s extremely important to get a feel for how everyday life is in the company because you don’t want to take a job with a slow-paced work environment when you need a fast-paced environment to be successful.
Behavioral Interview When I say behavioral interview, I mean the thing we all traditionally associate with interviews. These interviews are the most common type of interview among employers. As I mentioned earlier, prep for the interview. Look up facts about the company including major competitors, financials and any recent news about the company. Great places to do this are on websites such as Glassdoor, Vault and Careershift.
Phone/Virtual Interview Phone and virtual interviews are very similar to regular interviews, aside from the fact that you’re on the phone instead of in person. While a phone or virtual interview may make you feel less anxious, you should still do the same amount of prep and dress appropriately. However, there is one huge aspect of a phone interview that you need to keep in mind. There’s a good chance you’ll be video chatting with your potential employer. With that being said, make sure your room is appropriate as well. You don’t want to get halfway through and interview and have the interviewer comment on a questionable poster hanging on your wall. In addition to this, make sure your camera is at eye level. Don’t look down at the computer, as it will look awkward to the interviewer. Case Interview Case interviews are typically conducted by consulting firms, so you may or may not have heard of them. Whether you have or not, don’t let them scare you. A case interview is essentially an assessment of your thought process. The interviewer will hand you a case, typically a business problem, and you’ll be expected to use your critical thinking skills to solve it. One good way to go about this is honestly word vomit. Say your entire thought process out loud because, like I said earlier, that’s what they’re assessing.
Graphic courtesy of Emily Beauchamp
Elevator Pitch This typically refers to a brief persuasive speech typically related to selling a product. In this case, the product is you. Your elevator pitch should always be in the back of your mind because you never know who you may meet while getting your morning coffee. However, you need to make sure you have it mastered by the time you walk into your interview. This pitch should contain who you are, cite examples of experience you have in the particular field of the potential employer and detail how that experience can help the potential employer’s company. Don’t sell yourself short, either. It’s important to remember that you’re being hired to help them.
Proper Clothes This may seem obvious, but make sure you dress appropriately for the interview. I’m not saying you have to dress in a suit for every interview; it depends on the company dynamic. There are two general ways to dress: business casual and business professional. Business casual basically just means nice pants and a shirt, a dress or a skirt. However, you should not wear jeans or sun dresses. If your situation calls for a more professional look then whip out a suit jacket, dress pants or dress skirt. Make sure the suit is a solid color, and stray away from colored suits or patterns.
Page 20 | Thursday, September 5, 2019
Old Gold & Black | Life
Advertisement
If you were an Old Gold, which would you be? This quiz will determine which Old Gold option you are and why. Answer each question and tally up your responses to find out! BY EMILY BEAUCHAMP Life Editor beauea17@wfu.edu
Question 1: What sort of major do you have? A. B-School B. Humanities C. Sciences
Question 2: What region are you from? A. Southeast B. Northeast C. Midwest
Question 3: How long did you make it at the last football game? A. Halftime B. Whole time C. Football game? What football game?
Question 4: What is your meal plan? A. Unlimited B. Regular C. No meal plan
Question 5: Where is your favorite study spot on campus? A. Farrell B. Upper Quad C. ZSR Library
Question 6: What was your freshman dorm? A. Angelou B. Luter C. Bostwick
Question 7: When are you the most productive? A. The morning B. Between class C. At night
Question 8: What club are you involved in? A. Sustainability B. Water Polo C. OGB
Question 9: What’s your favorite on-campus restaurant? A. Zick’s B. Forest Greens C. Moe’s
If you received mostly A’s, then you’re the Subway Old Gold!
If you received mostly B’s, then you’re a Village Juice Old Gold!
If you received mostly C’s, then you’re the Starbucks Old Gold!
A Subway Old Gold is known for its variety of options. Just like your order, you like to surround yourself with a variety of diverse people. You’re a super friendly person that loves to be the center of attention. Your favorite activity is taking selfies, and your smile constantly lights up any room you walk into. You’re the president of every club you’re in, and that’s a lot of clubs. You’re most likely live in a Quad dorm just so you can be close to the center of campus. But sometimes you should leave the Quad and hang out elsewhere.
A Village Juice Old Gold is one of the healthiest options on campus. Like the meal, you tend to lead a very healthy lifestyle. You’re a very athletic person that enjoys being outdoors. Your favorite activity is playing frisbee on the Quad with your friends. You’re constantly running to intramural games, whether it’s to play or to cheer, and your team always wins. Your closet consists of Nike shorts and t-shirts that you received from Wake Forest sporting events. But sometimes you should branch out and try something a little sweeter.
Like the Starbucks Old Gold, you need a lot of caffeine in your life. You’re constantly staying up late hitting the midnight grind everyday of the week. You’re a super scholarly individual that does all of your homework three weeks in advance. You check Sakai like it’s your Instagram page, and you would rather email your friends than text them. Your Google Calendar contains your entire life, and it’s color coded to match your school supplies, but sometimes you should leave the library and find a better Old Gold.