9/08/22 Full Edition

Despite a recent rise in cases,

Hope Zhu, Aine Pierre, Christa Dutton Staff Writer, Online Managing Editor, News Editor

e university has disabled the COVID-19 case dash board; however, the Old Gold & Black has con rmed that Student Health Services (SHS) has reported 30 current ac tive cases as of Monday night, according to Vice President for Campus Life Dr. Shea Kidd Brown.

e 30 active cases are a decrease from last week, during which there was a peak of about 95 active cases. Since Aug. 17, 207 cases have been reported, according to Kidd Brown, compared with 316 cases this time during the spring 2022 semester. e active case numbers represent cases across all of Wake Forest’s undergraduate and postgraduate schools except for the medical school. Kidd Brown also noted that the actual case count may be higher because SHS, who is tracking cases, says their numbers are less reliable since some students are self-testing or not reporting to SHS.

Kidd Brown explained that, in the administration’s view, the number of positive cases no longer serves as a useful metric as the university shifts from viewing COVID-19 as a pandemic to an endemic.

“Due to changes in testing, reporting, contact tracing and the reduced severity of the disease among a highly vaccinated community, the number of positive cases is no longer a useful indicator of the overall health of our cam pus,” Kidd Brown said. “ e dashboard previously served as a tool when we were managing a crisis. As COVID-19 becomes endemic, we are embedding care, support and monitoring within existing systems.”

However, the university continues to monitor cases and expects the case count to decline as the semester progresses.

“We are closely monitoring cases that emerge from testing at Student Health Services as well as those that are reported to us by students,” Director of Student Health Services Dr. Cecil Price said. “We saw an increase over the rst couple weeks of classes, which was anticipated, and we expect cases to decline as we enter the fall season.”

Sophomore Icy Zhang reported having COVID-19 symptoms to Student Health during the rst week of class. Zhang expressed how she has received little support from the university.

“I feel like the support is limited especially when they are largely dependent on the students and their friends themselves,” Zhang said. “ e most important resource I would like from the university is the self-test kits for when I was having a hard time getting up from bed and walking to the Wellbeing Center, which the university advised me to do.”

Dr. Dan Locklair is a professor of music at Wake Forest and has had students miss his class due to being sick with COVID-19. Lately, he has also noticed more students wear ing their masks to class because of the surge. Locklair expressed that the university has done a respectable job so far in their pandemic response, but he is unsure why the university chose to remove the dashboard.

“It was a useful tool over the pandemic period just to simply see what our condition was here, but I’m not sure what the thinking was behind it,” Locklair said. “I only have to think ‘well, they’ve certainly been on top of every thing else in the past and done it right.’ ere must have been a good reason to do away with it.”

He continued: “It’s always handy for people to have barometers to see. Of course, if the information that the barometer is giving you is not accurate, then it’s kind of like getting a phony weather forecast.”

e university has a limited number of private rooms available for isolation and are reserving those rooms for the most vulnerable. Most students who contract CO VID-19 are not removed from their living spaces.

“We are approaching our isolation protocols this fall in much the same way a household would provide support to a family member with an illness,” Assistant Vice Presi dent for Campus Life and Dean of Residence Life and Housing Matt Cli ord said. “Roommates who are living with a student who has tested positive for COVID-19 can protect themselves by staying current with recom mended vaccines and wearing a well- tting mask when together.”

e surge in cases has a ected di erent campus orga nizations. e theater department is one of them. e COVID-19 outbreak poses challenges to the department as they prepare for the rst show of the season, “ is Girl Laughs, is Girl Cries, is Girl Does Nothing”.

Before rehearsal on Aug. 30 — two weeks from the opening night — several people involved with the pro duction tested positive for COVID-19. According to Da vis, the department asked Student Health Services if there were any protocols to follow during an outbreak within a population on campus, they were told there was none, since the university had shifted to treating COVID-19 like an endemic.

“ e challenge is twofold,” Brook Davis, Professor of Acting and the production’s director, said. “I want to keep everyone as safe as possible during the rehearsal process, but I also have a time crunch with opening night right around the corner.”

For the past week, the production team has been required to test for COVID-19 before rehearsal and wear a mask at all times when not present on stage. e cast is rehearsing on the patio outside Scales Art Center until

they resume normal rehearsal on Sept. 5.

“I think everyone is struggling to gure out what the best practices are right now,” Davis said. “It’s a real challenge to g ure out what we should be doing at this particular time. I’m sure the university is struggling with it as well. ”

e rise in cases is not isolated to Wake For est’s campus either. e Winston-Sa lem Journal reported that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has categorized For syth County COVID-19 levels as high. e CDC recommendation for counties with high levels is masks in indoor public spaces, as well as public transportation, regardless of vac cination status.

“ e good news is we know how to navigate this,” Kidd Brown said. “Each of us has experienced the pandemic in unique and similar ways for more than two years. As a campus community, the strategies we have used during this period have been very e ec tive, and with continued teamwork and partner ships, we will keep the health of our campus at the center. I encourage students to practice self-care while remaining mindful of the greater campus community as we work to keep one another healthy.”

University o cials still urge stu dents to take preventative measures like hand-washing and masking if that makes the students feel more comfortable. Chris Ohl, an infectious disease specialist at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital and COVID-19 advisor to Wake Forest, encourages students to also stay up to date on vaccinations.

“A vaccine booster that targets the current circulating variants BA.4 and BA.5 will become available the third week of September,” Ohl said. “ is booster has con siderably greater immune activity against these variants which will likely still predominate as we go through the fall and winter viral season. All people are encouraged to get boosted this fall.”

BA.4 and BA.5 are sub-variants of Omicron which has been classi ed by the Center for Disease Control and Pre vention (CDC) as a “variant of concern”, meaning there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility and severity. Antibodies generated by previous infection and vaccina tions are also less e ective against variants of concern.

Students with COVID-19 concerns, whether that be symptoms, a positive test or general questions should visit the Student Health Service COVID website and the isolation website for more information.

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>> NEWS

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>> OPINION

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The Old Gold & Black is published Thursdays during the school year, except during exam inations, summer and holiday periods, by Triangle Printing of Durham. © 2021 WFU Media Board. All rights reserved. The views expressed in all editorials and advertise ments contained within this publication do not necessarily refect the opinions of the OGB. As part of our commitment to reporting news fairly and accurately, we will not remove any previously published content. If an error in either our online or print content is brought to our attention, we will revise the originally published article with an appended correction. In order to facilitate thoughtful and appropriate debate, profane, vulgar, or infammatory comments on our website are not allowed and will be deleted. For more information on our comment ing policy, please see our website. We reserve the right to reject advertisements deemed inap propriate. Our full policy, and how to advertise with the OGB, can be found on our website.

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>> CORRECTIONS

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The Biden Administration executes a student loan forgiveness plan

The plan outlines federal student debt cancellation, currently amounting to $32 billion

Maddie Stopyra Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Aug. 24, the Biden Administration an nounced a three-part plan to address student loan debt. To mitigate the nancial burden caused by the CO VID-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden and his team aim to not only signi cant ly decrease monthly loan payments but also to provide debt cancellation for cur rent students and alumni who received federal loans before June 30, 2022.

rough the expansion of current debt forgiveness programs, the Biden administration has canceled almost $32 billion of the $1.6 trillion student loan borrowers collectively owe the federal government. In e orts to increase this number, Biden and the Department of Education have extended the pause on federal student loan payments and implemented a debt forgiveness plan.

e hold on loan payments has been extended through December 31, 2022, with payments resuming on January 1, 2023. Federal student loan borrowers who make less than $125,000 annually are eligible for up to $10,000 of loan for giveness. Households who earn less than $250,000 also qualify for this sum.

Despite the promise of loan forgive ness, Wake Forest alumni Tommy Tay lor expressed doubt about the e ective ness of Biden’s plan.

“I should say up front that I don't personally have any student loans, but from the outside, to me this seems like an attempt to drum up excitement going into the midterms,” Taylor said. “ e administration promised movement on this during the campaign, and they want to be able to claim progress going into the election. Obviously, a lot of people will get relief from their loans, but the plan doesn't really address the systemic problems that created this crisis in the rst place, that is — in my opinion — the cultural obsession with higher edu cation, the high interest rates on these loans that prevent people from making

progress on them, the out-of-control tu ition increases — which Wake Forest is certainly guilty of— and the fact that it's basically impossible to declare bank ruptcy based on student loans.”

Taylor continued: “Until you deal with those and I'm sure other issues peo ple will continue to end up in the same position those people whose loans are being forgiven are in.”

Low-income students and borrowers that are out of school may be signi cantly a ected by Biden’s debt cancella tion plan. ose who meet the income criteria and have received a Pell grant are eligible to receive up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness. According to the Depart ment of Education’s Federal Student Aid O ce, Pell grants are awarded to stu dents who “display exceptional nancial need and have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree”. Along side low-income students and alumni, some rst-generation students will ben e t from the $20,000 debt cancellation.

Carol Torres is the adviser of First in the Forest, a resource program for rst-generation students at Wake For est. When asked about the e ect Biden’s plan will have on rst-generation stu dents, Torres explained how the plan may bring peace of mind to students and graduates.

“With this plan in place, hopefully students can graduate and not have to worry about compromising basic living needs, such as being able to a ord food or housing, in order to pay o their stu dent loans,” Torres said.

Because the Department of Educa tion already has income information, almost eight million borrowers may automatically receive loan forgiveness. For those who need to send their in come information to the Department of Education or are unsure if the depart ment has their data, an application will be launched in early October and will close on Dec. 31. Applicants can expect to receive loan forgiveness within four to six weeks. ose whose loan balance exceeds their forgiveness amount may be

eligible for a repayment plan.

Alongside debt relief, the Biden admin istration plans to implement a new repay ment plan that will cut monthly loan pay ments in half. As opposed to the current 10%, borrowers may pay up to 5% of their discretionary income each month. Discretionary income is de ned as the di erence between a household’s annual income and 150% of the poverty guide lines. Eligibility for this new repayment plan has not been determined. Addition ally, Biden aims to forgive loan balances after 10 years of payments for borrowers with original loan balances of $12,000 or less. is timeline is in contrast to the cur rent 20-year mark.

e nal facet of the President’s student debt plan focuses on controlling higher education costs.

Biden signed a signi cant increase to the maximum Pell Grant through the American Rescue Plan. Almost $40 bil lion was given to higher education institu tions, which is the largest increase to the Pell Grant in more than a decade. e Department of Education is taking action by releasing an annual watch list of college programs with high debt levels. is pub lication will provide information to in coming students regarding the debt they could potentially incur. rough public access to information and new enforce ment units in the O ce of Federal Stu dent Aid, the Biden Administration and the Department of Education can keep institutions accountable in their pricing.

“I personally think this is a great start toward making higher education equi table for all students,” Torres said. “At one point in time receiving a higher education was obtainable for the average American with a minimum wage job, and now it’s an investment with a very high cost — monetarily and beyond."

More information about Biden’s stu dent debt plan and individual eligibil ity for loan forgiveness can be found at https://www.whitehouse.gov.

Contact Maddie Stopyra at stopmf21@wfu.edu

POLICE BEAT

Underage Consumption/Drug Abuse:

• Students possessed and consumed alcohol underage in Kitchin. e report was led at 10:43 p.m. on Aug. 19.

$1, 600, 000, 000, 000 studentborrowersloan

• An underage student consumed an amount of alcohol that required transportation to the hospital from Davis. e report was led at 11:08 p.m. on Aug. 20.

• A resident advisor reported a distrubance with possible alcohol in Dogwood Hall. e student was found to have two cans of Busch Light. e report was led at 10:40 p.m. on Aug. 24.

• A resident advisor reported the odor of marijuana in Dogwood Hall. e student was found to be in possession. e report was led at 11:00 p.m. on Aug. 25.

• A student was kicked out of Last Resort for underage drinking. e report was led at 12:31 a.m. on Aug. 26.

• A resident advisor reported students involved in alcohol use on the basement level of Collins Hall and a student was in possession of alcohol. e report was led at 10:19 p.m. on Aug. 26.

• A student was found to be in possession of beer in their room in Dogwood Hall. e report was led at 11:15 p.m. on Aug. 26.

• A student was underage and intoxicated in Luter Hall. e student was assessed by Forsyth EMS unit 20 and allowed to return to room. e report was led at 3:20 a.m. on Aug. 28.

Miscellaneous:

• Unknown student(s) spray painted images on cistern in Reynolda Gardens. e report was led at 9:32 a.m. on Aug. 23.

• Unknown student(s) entered a storage room in Worrell Hall. e report was led at 2:45 p.m. on Aug. 23.

• Unknown student(s) removed victims license plate from a parked car in Reynolda Village. e report was led at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 23.

• Unknown student(s) removed victims backpack from the Men’s Locker room on the second oor of Reynolds Gym. e report was led at 11:35 p.m. on Aug. 23.

• Unknown student(s) removed several posted signs from various locations on campus. e report was led at 2:00 p.m. on Aug. 26.

• A fake ID was turned into WFUPD in Luter Hall and the student admitted to purchasing the ID. e report was led at 3:35 p.m. on Aug. 26.

• A student pulled on the plastic cover of a re alarm pull station in Collins Hall and set o a trouble alarm. e report was led at 9:05 p.m. on Aug. 27.

• WFUPD assisted WSPD on a disturbance call where WFU students were having a loud party on Howell St. e report was led at 1:17 a.m. on Aug. 28.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia commons

Repairers of the Breach emphasizes the importance of voting in the upcoming midterm elections

Breanna Laws Staff Writer

On Monday, Aug. 29, Repairers of the Breach, a non-pro t organization dedicated to promoting morally-based decisions at the ballot, hosted a gath ering to encourage low-wage workers to vote in the 2022 midterm elections.

is event was held at Union Baptist Church in Winston-Salem as part of their voter mobilization tour and fea tured several speakers. ese individu als discussed current economic issues and why they believe voting is impera tive for the upcoming election.

In addition to these individual testi monies, Rev. William Barber II took the stage to express the message of Repairers of the Breach. Barber is the founder of Repairers of the Breach, as well as the former president of the North Carolina Division of the Na tional Association for the Advance ment of Colored People (NAACP).

“ e right to vote is born out of struggle,” Barber said. “Voting is a moral issue, and voting is a gift from God.”

Barber referenced Biblical texts in describing and de ning what a vote is. He references the Hebrew word “kol,” which means both “vote” and “voice” when translated to English.

Echoing the messages of the person al stories shared at the event, Barber provided several statistics to demon strate the severity of poverty within the nation. According to Barber, 43% of Americans were labeled as being “low wealth” individuals before the pandemic. To be classi ed as “low wealth,” one must live within $2,000 of nancial ruin at any given time.

Barber believes that the cause of these issues has to do with govern mental policy decisions which hold up the richest individuals and push down the poorest. According to Barber, there are three individuals in America which have more money than the en tire bottom 50% of the nation.

“Bene cent provision to the poor, the unfortunate and the orphan is the rst duty of a civilized state,” Barber said. “Your vote is not support; your vote is a command. If politicians won’t listen to you — make them.”

Barber closed his piece of the event with one nal word of encouragement — urging the audience to use their right to vote in this election cycle. “If we ever needed to vote for democracy and justice, we sure do need to vote now,” he said.

Barber re ected on his time operat ing Repairers of the Breach, saying “[I have learned] a lot of humility.” He considers himself a man of faith and admires all those who struggle daily but still believe that things could be better.

“Every piece of negative public pol icy is changeable, [and] we can only change what we face,” Barber told the

Old Gold & Black. “All the numbers I listed tonight have faces, bodies, dreams, destinies and stories.”

Leslie Brewer, a resident of Stokes County, was the rst speaker of the event to share a personal testimony. Brewer grew up near an electric power station. Her family had little funds and purchased a home in this commu nity due to low property costs. How ever, they found out that the reason for this dip in value was due to the copious amount of coal ash polluting the air.

Due to abortive procedures not being covered by her insurance, she could not a ord the several-hundred-dollar procedure.

“Choice is a privilege,” she said.

As her closing message, Hensel en couraged audience members to vote to enact change in reproductive rights policies and parental leave.

“You vote… because if you don’t, someone will use their vote against you,” she said.

e next speaker was Sangria Noble, coordinator for the NC Second Chance

She spoke about her struggles in gain ing nancial stability — going as far as to donate her plasma for money when necessary. She lives o of $582 a month with general assistance. De spite being declared disabled by the state of Minnesota three times, she is still denied many bene ts by the fed eral government.

“[It] is immoral to be forced to live this way,” Henry said. “Poverty is a policy choice in the richest nation in the world … scarcity is a massive lie.”

Henry believes that her challenges are primarily due to policy surround ing federal general assistance pro grams, citing the fact that these pro grams have not adjusted for in ation, nor increased during the pandemic.

e fth speaker was Beth Schafer, working with Raise Up, an organiza tion ghting for union rights. Work ing since she was 16 years old, Schafer now works 64 hours a week, yet still faces eviction every month.

“ e federal minimum wage is sen tencing us to poverty,” Schafer said.

e federal minimum wage — which has not increased in thirteen years — is cited by Schafer as being a primary cause of her nancial struggles.

In closing her contribution, Schafer invites listeners to action.

“Low wage workers…we run this country — Keep organizing and keep working,” Schafer said. is statement is further backed by the event orga nizers, who released statistics on lowincome voters in a press release. ese statistics showed that, on a national level, of the 158 million people who voted in 2020, over 50 million were low-income.

However, there are many voters miss ing these opportunities. In the same press release, a study titled “Waking the Sleeping Giant: Low-Income Vot ers and the 2020 Elections” was cited.

“Big companies knew they could come here and take advantage of peo ple like us,” Brewer said.

She raised four out of ve children in the same location in which she grew up — it is a source of pollution. Her fth child was raised about 20 min utes out of the area, and he became her only child with no breathing is sues. Brewer’s grandparents, who also lived in the area, both died of lung disease as a result of the coal ash pol lution.

e second speaker of the evening was Nicole Hensel, a reproductive jus tice advocate. Hensel testi ed to her story of struggling to raise her child as a young mother. When she became a mom at 19, Hensel worked two jobs yet still struggled to make ends meet. She and her husband would share a singular meal a day to feed their child.

According to Hensel, she had no choice but to bring a child into her world, despite being poverty-stricken.

Alliance. e NC Second Chance Al liance is an organization dedicated to raising awareness of criminal records and their impediment to an individu al’s attempts to reenter society.

Noble is a former inmate at the North Carolina Correctional Institu tion for Women. Upon her release, she describes the challenge of not feeling like part of society due to her inability to vote.

“I was out of prison, but I was still in prison,” she said.

It was not until the passing of the North Carolina Senate Bill 562 that Noble regained the ability to vote in elections. is act — more common ly known as the Second Chance Act — expanded eligibility by expunging nonviolent misdemeanor convictions. “I am [now] a part of society,” said Noble.

e following speaker was Vivian Henry, a Minnesota resident work ing with the Poor People’s Campaign.

e study revealed that there are 3.4 million low-income people in North Carolina who are eligible to vote, but only 2.2 million voted in the 2020 presidential election. Meaning that over one-third of this population did not vote. Part of the mission of Re pairers of the Bridge is lling in this gap.

At the conclusion of each testimony, the audience would loudly chant the phrase, “Somebody’s been hurting our people and it’s gone on far too long, and we won’t be silent anymore.”

Repairers of the Breach will be con tinuing their North Carolina voter mobilization tour, as well as advanc ing their community outreach e orts as the voting season quickly approach es. For more information on how to vote in your local election, you can visit www.usa.gov/how-to-vote to gain insight into election day voting, early voting and absentee ballots.

Rev. William Barber shares his insights on economic issues and emphasizes the importance of voting.

Through various speakers, the non-proft organization highlighted the vitality of low-wage workers’ votes

Breanna Laws/Old Gold & Black

Chase Bagnall-Koger, bagncm21@wfu.edu

Meredith Prince, prinmc21@wfu.edu

Asst: Una Wilson, wilsui20@wfu.edu

DEACON PROFILE

Charlie Marconi

CHASE BAGNALL-KOGER Features Editor

Junior Charlie Marconi sits across from me at a picnic table out side of Benson, scrolling through his recent outgoing and missed phone calls. As he does, one name ashes on his phone more than the others: Emily Waldo, one of the many “life-long friends” he made while biking 4,400 miles from Seattle, WA to Washington DC this summer for a Pi Kappa Phi-a liated philanthropy event dubbed “ e Journey of Hope.”

e Journey of Hope brings together brothers from di erent Pi Kappa Phi chapters to bike across the United States with the goal of raising money for the fraternity’s philanthropy initiative: e Abil ity Experience. Since its establishment in 1997, this nonpro t’s mission statement has been to “use shared experiences to support people with disabilities and develop the men of Pi Kappa Phi into servant leaders” by instilling in them a passion for public service.

Wake Forest University’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter — of which Mar coni is a Founding Father — was established in 2020, making it the university’s newest fraternity. Marconi is the rst member of this chapter to take part in the trip, although two more Wake Forest-a liated brothers now plan to join the Journey in 2023.

“In January, I realized that I didn’t want an internship this sum mer and that this was an opportunity to do something crazy hard and fun and meaningful,” Marconi said. “So I signed up, and my chapter brothers bought me my equipment since I was the rst one to do it. en I just trained for a few months and I was ready to start.”

And so, with two sparsely-packed bags containing only clothes, a toothbrush and shampoo, Marconi boarded a plane from his

hometown of Boston to Seattle to begin the rst leg of the journey. e participants’ daily routine for the duration of the trip be gan with a 4 a.m.wakeup call; they huddled around a whiteboard that detailed the intended route for the day before hitting the road to bike anywhere from 50-130 miles. After a six-to-ten-hour ride, they scoped out a local YMCA to shower at before crashing for the night at local organizations, often sleeping in churches or on the oor of high school gymnasiums. And then they got up and did it again. And again, nearly every day for over two months.

To stay on schedule, the team only took unscheduled for im minent safety concerns: lightning storms and temperatures over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, both of which occurred during the jour ney. e rain that swept over Washington during the rst week of the trip and the 110-degree weather the team later experienced during a 127-mile-long ride in Arkansas were just part of the expe rience — parts that contributed to the mental, as well as physical, challenge.

Out of the 67 days they were on the road, 30 of them involved a “Friendship Visit,” in which the Pi Kappa Phi brothers met with people from di erent disability advocacy organizations across the nation, including several Ark Foundation and Lion’s Club chap ters as well as local nonpro ts. e fraternity typically contributed a grant of between $500 and $1,000 to the groups during these social visits.

“People told us that it’s kind of like Christmas when the Journey of Hope team comes through,” Maconi said. “People [in these or ganizations] were always super excited to see us and it’s a fun way to make new friends and show our support.”

It was at one of these events that Marconi was introduced to Waldo, a woman involved with the Special Olympics of Colorado

After the brothers left Denver to continue their journey, Waldo continued to call them every day before they began their bike ride; their morning started at 4:00 a.m. in every time zone, meaning that by the time the team was in the Appalachian region, Waldo was calling them daily at 2:00 a.m. mountain time.

By the time the Journey of Hope concluded, Marconi had raised the most money of the participants; the $22,500 he was able to raise was a product of his networking and fundraising e orts over the past six months.

“I reached out to almost all the contacts in my personal life — family, friends and friends of friends, anyone who might be willing to donate,” Marconi said. “ ere was a lot of sending emails and calling people to explain what I was going to do with my summer. I reached the minimum goal of $6,500 within three weeks and decided to keep [fundraising]... Raising more money for people with disabilities can’t hurt.”

As Marconi begins the fall semester of his junior year, he notes that the lessons imprinted upon him during the Journey of Hope ring more true than ever.

“I used to use this all the time to get to class,” Marconi said, gesturing to the longboard resting against his chair. “But now that I’m back on campus, I like to walk to class.”

He continued: “We learned that it doesn’t matter how long it takes to get where you’re going; it’s more about how you spend that time thinking, taking in your surroundings and fully experiencing whatever is happening. So now I like to walk and notice what’s go ing on around me… Living in the moment is valuable – and that might sound cheesy, but it gets less cheesy once you do it.”

Contact Chase Bagnall-Koger at bagncm21@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of Charlie Marconi

The downfall of Alula Arbor

Rapid campus expansion destroys student art installation

they’re looking forward to,” Goff said.

there,” Ramona described.

In the face of campus expansion, an interactive art installation for environmental awareness has been destroyed to pave the way for a new parking lot.

The installation, Alula Arbor, was a student-led art project intended to give students an isolated space on campus to connect with themselves, others and the natural world around them. The construction is part of an expansion of the university’s athletics complex.

In October 2021, Wake Forest students Marie Claire Goff and Ramona Suris were tasked with creating an art installation for their Public Arts course. Filled with endless creative ideas, Goff ultimately wanted a sustainability-oriented space for students to connect with the peaceful seclusion of nature. Similarly, Suris explored ways to create a mental health space for stu dents to take a break from campus life. The pair’s ideas ft together perfectly, eventually creating the beautiful space once known as Alula Arbor.

Alula Arbor resided near the cross-country trails behind the Miller Center, placed at the top of a hill. “It was on the periphery of campus, purposefully so you can feel like you’re taking a break from campus activ ity,” Goff said.

The installation began with a walking trail up the hill, lined with painted signs. Each sign displayed an inspirational quote to mark the importance of the environment and connect the audience to the surround ing nature.

“[One sign] read: ‘When the last fsh is caught, the last tree cut, and the last river polluted, only then will man realize he can’t eat money.’” Goff said. “It was an ancient Native American saying, and it really adds to the irony of things now,”

After following the signs up the hill, the trail leads to the main portion of the installation: a gather ing space around a white oak tree, fondly named Alula. “The semicircle is centered around the main tree, Alula, which means ‘new begin nings’,” Goff said.

Suris recalled establishing this idea of new beginnings with Alula itself, stating, “We knew we wanted to center it around a new tree because that meant rejuvenation and regeneration, a space where there is growth, change, and life.”

“There’s a circle of prayer fags surrounding the area. At the opening of the exhibit, we had every one write [on the fags] their hopes and dreams for the space, gratitudes for the Earth, or just something

From the fags to the paint, all of the materials used to construct the installation were recycled. The seats were made of old or unusable tires, the paints were unwanted or incorrectly mixed, and the fags were made from recycled papers and fabrics—everything was repurposed.

To retain authenticity for the space, the artists avoid ed media advertising much as possible. “We didn’t want to have something that was so over-publicized to the point where it didn’t feel authentic. It was just a place where people could feel like they found it on their own and connected with it in their own way.”

Ultimately, Alula Arbor was used for gatherings, class lectures, dates, yoga classes, or just a general space for students to feel at peace with themselves and others. According to Goff, “The goal of the space was to be community-oriented, a space for vulnerability to cultivate genuine connection.”

“I was blown away by students’ interactions with [Alula Arbor]. I found myself up there often, whether to take a rest or bawl my eyes out. And almost every time I went up, there was another person

Outdoor spaces such as these are crucial for our con nection to the natural world. To the artists, “The space is where you can meditate, take a break, and feel con nected to the Earth.” Goff and Suris presented students with an opportunity to refect on nature’s infuence— and, in turn, refect on our infuence on nature.

Then, less than a year after the creation of the instal lation, construction began.

After pouring time, effort, and love into the project, Goff and Suris were told that the installation was be ing removed to expand upon the Athletics facilities, a construction project known as the McCreary Addition. In the near future, the space once used for students to fnd serenity in nature will soon be an additional park ing lot.

“I feel a lot of frustration towards it,” Suris said. “It makes me sad that the space is no longer going to be there, because I think it was a little piece of magic on campus.”

According to Goff, the situation is flled with tragic irony: “At the top of the trail, there’s a stop sign that says ‘STOP, LOOK BEYOND,’ facing the construc tion. Then you look out, and you can see a bulldozer right behind that.”

Suris has since graduated, but she encourages stu dents to be inspired by the project and its downfall to make their own space. “Everything on campus needs to start with a conversation. In a world where there is a lot of tension and a lot of conficting opinions, creating a space for these conversations to happen is square one.”

As a current senior, Goff is working with the Of fce of Sustainability and other faculty to relocate Alula Arbor or create new, similar spaces. Despite her frustration with the project’s removal, she encourages students to continue fghting for the environment.

“We need to realize that we are attached to [na ture]. I am just as living as that tree. It has to be mutual respect, and that’s how we learn to fght for everything living,” Goff urges students. “But you can’t just tell someone to under stand that. You have to be willing to go out and connect with nature in order to be a part of it. It’s a message that’s just words unless people are self-motivated to go and act.”

Contact Anna Beim at schmac21@wfu.edu

ANNA BEIM

Contributing Writer

“The Porch” combines comfort food and atmosphere

TENLEY PARR Contributing Writer

Most students at Wake Forest are familiar with e Porch Kitchen & Cantina, common ly referred to as ‘ e Porch.’ Nestled deep in downtown Winston-Salem, o of W North west Boulevard, the restaurant has gained im pressive popularity amongst students in the past decade. Both the Tex-Mex cuisine and the lively atmosphere draw crowds all nights of the week.

Claire Calvin opened the restaurant in 2014 as an extension of her meal delivery service, “Dinners on the Porch.” According to Calvin, the original business concept was conceived out of a perceived demand for fresh, home-cooked meals without the hassle of grocery shopping or going out to a restaurant. After about a year, her passion for food and for this new business led her to establish a conventional-style restau rant that she named “ e Porch,” as a nod to its predecessor. e menu, Calvin says, is in spired by her time in Houston, Texas, and her desire to bring some of that unique Tex-Mex avor to North Carolina.

When asked about her plans and expecta tions for e Porch when rst opening, Calvin reveals that she had not anticipated so much attention from college students.

“I think it all happened very organically,” Calvin said.

While the business was never intentionally

marketed towards this demographic, the casual and festive ambience, comfort food, and its proximity to the Wake Forest campus all make it a prime dinner spot for students. It may be surprising that what started as a meal service and later a family-friendly Tex-Mex establish ment, has become a hot-spot for young adults, but it maintains its reputation as a destination for all ages.

e Porch is known for its comforting at mosphere. Calvin attributes this in part to the sta , and describes the work environment as “tight-knit” and collaborative. She claims that the crew is very much a team, and each individual brings a unique energy to the restau rant. “It’s just a very inclusive, very welcoming group of people,” she explains. Calvin, herself, can often be found on the oor Friday and Sat urday nights. She has a very hands-on owner ship style and “is always there in some capac ity,” in addition to juggling her responsibilities as a mother and her other businesses.

e menu itself includes a wide variety of dishes, ranging from the “Dirty, Spicy Tots” to “Dr. Pepper Pot Pie” to a “Petaluma Salad.” ere is an option for everyone, whether you are in the mood for an adventurous combina tion of Southern comfort and Mexican, a salad or rice bowl, or just an old-fashioned taco plate.

e Porch also boasts a fairly extensive drink menu, which comprises many classic cock tails and some unique, local choices, such as the “Millworks Lawnmower,” made with gin,

lemon, simple syrup, mint, and ginger beer, and the “Salem Drop Martini,” a mix of lemon juice, herbal simple syrup, and vodka. One of Calvin’s own favorites, the “Sweet Pete Pu y Tacos,” is the epitome of Tex-Mex: a fried chicken taco drizzled with Texas Pete honey.

e hype amongst Wake Forest students is undeniable, as is proven by the increase in patronage during the school year. Calvin ex pressed her excitement for the students’ return to Winston-Salem this week, as she is looking forward to the visits. Sophomore Sadie Nipon calls e Porch her “go-to” dinner destination, and says: “It’s so hard to nd time to get o campus, so when you do, you want it to be worth it. e Porch never disappoints.”

“ e vibes are unmatched, and you can al most always bet you’ll run into other groups of Wake kids on the weekends,” claims sopho more Claire Whitworth. Even during the move-in periods or on parents’ weekend, it is a popular spot for students who want to show friends and family Winston-Salem.

e Porch will continue to be a Wake Forest student favorite, with its hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. While the character of the restaurant adds tremendously to the experience, anyone looking to enjoy any of the delicious dishes from home can also take advantage of the delivery and pickup options o ered. e Porch can be found on both Instagram and Facebook, where it boasts over fteen thousand followers on both. Cal

vin is very open to suggestions and encourages input and new ideas from students. She also discussed her plans to open another restaurant – scheduled to open in the spring of 2023 – in Winston-Salem that she believes will be even more attractive to the college-aged popula tion. e tradition of e Porch is likely here to stay, however, as Wake Forest students will continue to uphold it.

Contact Tenley Parr at parrts21@wfu.edu

Conversations, reckoning and vegetables grow in the Three Sisters Garden

Development

BELLA ORTLEY-GUTHRIE Staff Writer

Between the buildings of Palmer and Picco lo, tall wooden poles and metal wires encircle a plot of dirt, woodchips, and straw. Inside the gate, shovels sit upright above overturned soil. Like the speckles of grass emerging from the earth, a new garden is emerging on campus: e ree Sisters Garden. Piloted by Nathan Peifer, head of Campus Garden, and Jill Perry, the senior project manager for Wake Forest Facilities, the ree Sisters Garden will be a space of growth; for plants, community, his torical awareness, and wellbeing. In Fall 2021, Perry began the process of working with Peifer to revamp the old Volleyball court between Palmer and Piccolo as a food garden.

One of the goals of the project would be to enable the garden to qualify as a Local Food Production Credit and allow the two surrounding buildings, now home to classes in anthropology and environmental studies, to work towards receiving a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certi cate. Buildings with this certi ca tion can accumulate and earn points in their e orts to address issues like water consump tion, biodiversity and energy e ciency. Spaces involved in this program accrue points and credits by partaking in certain activities like creating sustainable environments or using reusable materials

.”It [LEED] tracks a number of things from energy reduction, energy e ciency, water re duction, water consumption, reduction, ma terials, recycled materials, sustainably harvest ed materials,” Peifer said. “ at’s a priority for our construction team is LEED certi ca tion for all new buildings.”

A team of students, alumni and adminis trators work together both inside and outside

the garden to bring the project to life. Former student Josh Malin and current students Katie Bullock, and Meilyn Norman are working to develop programs, proposals, goals and edu cational platforms surrounding the emerging garden.

As the garden evolves, so will the name of the space.

“ at’s some of the work Meilyn is going to do—exploring what kind of name honors the indigenous wisdom that we’re borrowing and learning from,” Peifer said. “So it might not be the ree Sisters Garden forever.”

ough the garden looks bare now, the team plans to begin loosening the soil and in corporating organic matter. From there, they hope to plant cover crops to support the soil’s structure and bacteria to aid in future plant production. In the future, the team will or ganize volunteer sign-ups where students can volunteer at ree Sisters.

e future of the garden, with mulch walk ways and rich greenery, will be made possible through partnerships with organizations such as the Eastern Band of Cherokee, which has a seed bank in Oklahoma. Another potential collaboration is with the Catawba, who have a seed bank in Old Salem — a historical district in downtown Winston-Salem— that employs their own horticulturist and seed keeper.

While the goals and planting of the garden are still in the making, Peifer hopes that the ree Sisters Garden will cultivate conversa tions around anthropology, the environment, and Indigenous history.

“Because of the Garden’s proximity to the anthropology department, Lam Museum and Environment and Sustainability Program, I kind of think of the space as these the crops from the Americas-that are instrumental in feeding many, many cultures around the world,” Peifer said.

Working with Assistant Director of the

ter will help this garden raise that kind of awareness… is one way in which the uni versity can live out its commitment to land recognition.”

To Learn More and to Get Involved Con tact Nathan Peifert: peifernl@wfu.edu

“ e university has a land recognition statement,

those [native]communities

still with us; there are indigenous na tions in North Carolina and Virginia and South Carolina,” Peifer said. “And so our partnership with the intercultural cen

Or visit: https://sustainability.wfu.edu/ get-involved/campus-garden/

Contact Bella Ortley-Guthrie at ortlbs21@wfu.edu

Intercultural Center Savannah Baber and others at her o ce, Peifer hopes to create programming that cultivates conversation around land recognition and Indigenous cultures. Raising awareness about indig enous communities is going to be the pri mary goal.

and

are

The local Winston-Salem tex-mex restaurant remains popular amongst Wake Forest students

of Wake Forest’s newest garden aims to bring community together

The Porch Kitchen and Cantina boasts a comforting environment.

The Three Sisters Garden provides the Wake Forest commu nity with a space for growth of plants, community and wellbeing.

Bella Ortley-Guthrie/ Old Gold & Black

Photo courtesy of Blue Skies for Me Please

Sophie Guymon, guymsm20@wfu.edu

Maryam Khanum, khanmg20@wfu.edu

The F-Word

Beach Weekend coolers are setting us back

Marta Zach Contributing Columnist

The scene is set as follows: you’re lying face down in a green-water Myrtle Beach pool, the muffled sound of “Pepas” by Farruko, your going-out an them, blares through a waterlogged speaker.

All that remains in your memory is the beautiful cooler that you painted instead of doing your biol ogy homework. The fraternity brother who chose to bring you sheds a single tear. Actually, it was just sweat. But he fears not! There is retribution over the horizon: the next girl he decides to bring next year will paint a cooler just as good. The show must go on.

reciprocated: if you knit a sweater hoping to im press your significant other, they will lose interest and break up with you, as it occurs to them that they would not knit you a sweater.

Would the man you’re painting a cooler for do the same for you?

“I’m not an artist,” he’d say, because he’s a guy, and “guys don’t paint”.

You aren’t an artist either, though — you’re premed. But you took the time to buy paint, to sit down, trace sketches and make the cooler look quite good. He’ll compliment the bottles of Tito’s that you stocked it with. You didn’t want to bring Aristocrat, because that is just the cheap stuff that frat guys give to girls in basements.

That’s how easy it is: he chooses a girl he finds pretty from a pool of available candidates. She agrees, because on college campuses, getting to go to a beach weekend is construed as validation.

Someone is cool if they get to go to this exclusive fraternity event. She’ll make the cooler and fill it to the brim with food and alcohol in exchange for get ting to sleep on a communal couch with no blan ket. The cooler ends up in Narnia.

Yes, he paid for her to come. But he would have paid for the next girl, too. It is a transactional ex change that benefits one party a lot more than the other.

PhotocourtesyofSratStar

" It seems untameable, Kat Stratford-esque, even shrew-like to openly condemn ... the Beach Weekend. But ... events like beach weekends tend to objectify women and thrive upon a male-centric college culture."

I don’t believe in hyperbolizing pessimism or cynically describing situations that I disagree with as inherently negative. Greek life can be incredibly fun. As far as I know, most people don’t regret be ing a part of Greek organizations on campus. Some boys treat girls splendidly, whether those girls are just friends or their girlfriends. Beach weekends al low for a particular type of bond to form — the kind created only in small spaces and through spontaneous and rogue adventures.

It seems untameable, Kat-Stratford-esque, even shrew-like to openly condemn what is supposed to be an exciting and seemingly almost integral part of a well-rounded college experience: The Beach Weekend. But I find that the girls who are asked to these events often put in the excessive, unrequited effort. Events like beach weekends tend to objec tify women and thrive upon a male-centric college culture.

Painted coolers remind me of the sweater curse, which is an analogy to describe regard that is not

College hookup culture isn’t composed of awful men and subservient women, but it tends to sway in the favor of men, where women are viewed as attainable and disposable.

I’ve noticed this trend, which is applicable to all aspects of life: the world tends to worsen in the midst of complacency. What is being perpetuated remains alive and well, and that often makes it hard to see what is right before us or how it may not serve us. When we are inconspicuously forced to disregard our own discomfort in order to not get left behind as the entity of the group barrels for ward, we don’t stop to think about what the reper cussions of this are or what we are subtly but surely sacrificing in order to meet social demands.

Your guy friends aren’t terrible people for want ing to bring you to a beach or mountain weekend. Being close with members of a certain fraternity doesn’t make you anything other than a great friend

many askers are well-intentioned.

But my advice is this: next time he asks you to come to a beach weekend, do not compromise on your comfort, or time or effort unless you know that your company is valued. Only paint a cooler if you truly love painting coolers. Each situation is subjective: be familiar with what it means to say yes, but also be capable of standing behind the “no” that you are entitled to.

Some might argue that beach weekends are for the brothers and that being a date is just for fun. That rings true, but, with that being said, do not let your company be disposable. If he wants a date to a brotherhood event, he ought to treat you as such.

Your worth is not determined by how many guys call you pretty or want to hook up with you. You are the coolest girl in the world because you de cide to be, not because you are chosen for this or for that. Your prospects are in your future, not on some arbitrary roster.

Always choose you — your time and effort and company are incredibly valuable and truly irre placeable.

who offers special companionship that is valued by the members of that chapter. Being someone’s date to a beach weekend can be incredibly fun, and

Contact Marta Zach at zachm20@wfu.edu

Women should not have to compromise their time and comfort to receive male approval

Censorship

As Meta evolves, it should place more trust in its users

The New York Times reported that Meta hid a story about Hunter Biden’s laptop, fearing it was misinformation

Conor Metzger Staff Columnist

What happens when you introduce an idea that makes people think their lives could turn into “ e Matrix”? You do an interview circuit with all the major podcasts in the world. is is where we nd Mark Zuckerberg as he pivots his company, Meta — formerly known as Facebook — to fo cus on creating a better virtual experience within the “Metaverse”.

I will admit, I was skeptical of the Meta verse at rst. We should all be cautious of change and push back a little, because the best ideas are able to survive dissent. What changed my mind was listening to Zucker berg on the Lex Fridman Podcast, where he presented his vision for where his company will go in a simple, realistic manner. Now, Zuckerberg has taken on the largest podcast

in the world with the hope of easing every body’s mind.

I would highly encourage everyone to listen to Zuckerberg’s interview on e Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), available exclu sively on Spotify. At the beginning of the interview, Zuckerberg explained some new Meta technology, such as a VR headset fo cused on providing a more social experience. Rogan and Zuckerberg also talked about the importance of activity and having some

and Fox News, while more left-leaning out lets like CNN tried to cater to their audi ences by either discrediting it or downplay ing it.

However, this past January, the New York Times published an article claiming that the story was true and authenticated some of the emails found on the laptop. Zuckerberg explained his side by saying that the FBI ap proached them in the leadup to the 2020 election and asked them to suppress the story. eir fear was that it was Russian pro paganda meant to turn the election in Presi dent Trump’s favor. Facebook obliged, doing this by algorithmic means so that the story didn’t appear in many people’s feeds. Twitter prevented the story from being shared at all. Zuckerberg expressed regret for this decision but explained that he trusted the FBI at the time and felt it was the right call.

Is there propaganda out there? Yes, and sometimes it becomes dangerous enough to in uence elections and cause harm to oth ers. But when you censor information, you are stopping people from even developing the skills to decide what is true. When the task of discerning what is true and untrue is left to a select group of individuals, politics and biases inevitably get in the way, burying minority opinions.

Stories like this should not be censored. A better approach would be to allow the story to be shown, albeit maybe with a disclaimer that it could be propaganda. Spotify has done something similar with podcasts that discuss COVID-19 in an attempt to not suppress minority opinions about the pan demic and to instead give people all the facts so they can make their own decision.

kind of physical release outside of work. e part of the interview that garnered the most attention, however, was the revelation that the FBI approached Facebook and Twitter during the 2020 election, asking tech com panies to suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story.

is story revolved around Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, and a laptop that allegedly contained emails concerning corrupt business dealings between Russian, Chinese and American o cials. When this story rst broke, it was covered by rightleaning news outlets like the New York Post

is, of course, is a rather startling revela tion. ere was a major news story that was suppressed due to fear that it would nega tively a ect one side of the election. What actually happened was that a signi cant, true story did not reach people’s attention due to government interference. Censorship is a topic that I have voiced issues with in the past. One of the principal arguments in its favor is that the government and the se lect few who run tech companies are better equipped to decide what is true and what is not. However, the Hunter Biden story dem onstrates that this is not the case.

Social Media

Children

Breanna Laws Staff Columnist

ough harmless in its intentions, posting chil dren on highly popularized platforms may cause more harm than good.

Recently, a controversy over the TikTok ac count @wren.eleanor has many parents recon sidering how they present their children on social media. is account is run by Wren’s mom, Jac quelyn, and they primarily post dress-up and dayin-the-life videos.

Wren, three, now has 17.4 million followers on this platform – this publicity has led to ma jor public controversy. Many commenters have expressed their concerns for Wren’s safety, due to information regarding her presence on child por nography websites.

e following is a compilation of comments that were left on various videos on Wren’s account. ese comments, though not containing profan ity, may be disturbing to some audiences, as they heavily imply the sexualization of this young girl:

In addition to these disturbing comments, some of Wren’s TikTok videos have been speculated to be posted on child pornography websites. Many older men have been seen reacting to Wren’s videos — par ticularly videos of her doing “taste tests” with her mom. Commenters request di erent foods for her to try, which have included hot dogs, cu cumbers and pickles.

Some of the top searches for Wren on Tik Tok have been “Wren Eleanor Tampon,” “Wren Eleanor Eating Corndog” and “Wren Eleanor Swimsuit”. For these results to be at the top, multiple users must have searched for the same terms.

e nal aspect causing audience concern is the sheer number of people who have saved and shared videos of this young girl. On a video of her taking a bath, there are over 60,000 saves and 19,000 shares. is is in comparison to only 14,000 comments on the video. Additionally, videos of Wren in the bath or wearing older kids' clothing have noticeably more saves than her other videos.

In light of this controversy, many TikTok “in uencers” and other parents have begun blurring out their children’s faces. Some have even deleted previous posts of their

children and stopped posting them in general. ese parents deem this a necessary step in pro tecting their child’s privacy, but many believe that this is an overreaction.

Being from a small town, I can con dently say that almost every parent posts their children on social media platforms. I was always posted to my parents’ Facebook account, and still am to this day. However, my parents do not have over 17 million people viewing pictures of their children.

lieve the tween pride in your chil dren and exploita tion be comes relevant. Private social media ac counts in which you con

My hope is that this revelation by Zuck erberg will capture more people’s attention, enabling them to see the errors that gov ernment and tech companies have made. I don’t think that the FBI, Twitter or Meta had any malicious intent when suppressing the Hunter Biden story. However, I do think that Americans should be more cognizant of what information they are seeing and not seeing, and learn how to make informed de cisions. If we can’t, the government is right in taking this power away from us.

Contact Conor Metzger at metzcr19@wfu.edu

trol who views your images are what are most often used by the average family. It is much easier to manage your child’s online presence in a way that is healthy and unlikely to cause any unforeseen harm.

In a statement released by Wren’s mother, Jacquelyn, she claims that there is no way to control “creeps” online and that these types of people are everywhere in society. e latter half of this statement holds a lot of truth, which is exactly why taking extreme measures to protect our children online is crucial.

Concerning Jacquelyn’s claim that there is no way to control these types of people online, she is completely incorrect. ere is a way to prevent adults who engage in sexual misconduct with minors from sexualizing your child’s content: stop giving these individuals content to sexual ize.

Expressing pride in your children can easily be done through private platforms in which you control who follows you. To claim that you need an overtly public platform to do this is a meager excuse for you to continue to pro t at your child’s expense.

While Wren’s case is currently in the spot light, there are many children facing exploi tation and sexualization. e Every Child Protected Against Tra cking Coalition is an international e ort to educate people on the dangers of child exploitation, as well as advocate for a ected children. To explore their resources, you can visit www.ecpatusa.org/. Contact Breanna Laws at lawsbn21@wfu.edu

Lex Fridman Podcast #267 with Mark Zuckerberg (Feb. 26).

The Joe Rogan Experience #1863 with Mark Zuckerberg (Aug. 25).

Democracy

Electric bull riding is an apt metaphor for democracy

Cap McLiney Staff Columnist

roughout the course of history, hu manity has found many ways to entertain itself. I won’t even attempt to justify, prove or otherwise suggest the importance nor even the existence of these types of activi ties within this article. As a human being reading this, I am going to take a leap of faith in assuming that you are aware of the prestige held by sports in our society. One of the less-considered such sports is elec tric bull riding.

e 1980 lm “Urban Cowboy” – fea turing John Travolta and Debra Winger – was a hit lm that propelled the elec tric bull into the focus of popular culture. While there were electric bulls prior to this moment, it was this lm that intro duced them as an attraction in bars, clubs and common social settings. Within one of the opening scenes of the lm, Winger asks Travolta if he ‘is a real cowboy’ or not. To which Travolta responds with a suave line:

“Well it depends on what you think a real cowboy is.”

It was upon hearing this line recently that I was prompted to consider just what the philosophical implications of the looming electric bull might be. I have de

cided that the electric bull uniquely repre sents democracy in America. I am aware

rst electric bulls were made in the

Politics

1930s to allow to tinue practice

due to the presence of unpredictable animals. Certainly, non-electric bucking ap paratuses existed prior to the 30s. ese consisted of a barrel suspended by two to four ropes that would then be tugged on by other men to simulate bucking bron cos or bulls. Nonetheless, we are more concerned with modern electric bull rid ing.

We all know that if you mess with the bull, you get the horns — that is, if you provoke someone, you can expect an ag gressive reaction. But, if you mess with the electric bull … what happens? For some, picking the latter ght might mean getting viciously tossed into the corner at Whiskey Dawgs in front of all your friends. For others who might be more coordinated, the electric bull might bring glory as they make it through round after round to prove they truly are country at heart. For myself … the electric bull gave me a broken thumb and pinky, a sore shoulder and a dash of personal re ection.

Regardless of one’s degree of technical competency, good judgment or overall character, however, they are treated the same on the electric bull. Anyone has a chance to hop on and give the iron beast a ride. I encourage you to do so the next chance you have, regardless of your abil ity. And if not the electric bull, nd a new way to work out of your comfort zone sometime soon.

Contact Cap McLiney at mclicp19@wfu.edu

Liz Cheney defended democracy; she lost her job for it

Maryam Khanum Opinion Editor

On Aug. 16, 2022, the erce con ict between former President Donald Trump and Rep. Liz Cheney nally came to a head in Wyoming’s GOP primary election. Cheney, who once chaired the House Republican Conference, lost by a stunning 37 points to Trump-backed challenger Harriet Hageman. Hageman is now the Republican candidate up for election to represent Wyoming’s AtLarge congressional district.

Just two years ago, this loss would have come as a shock to both Republi cans and Democrats across the nation. Cheney, who formerly held the thirdhighest position in House Republican leadership and is the daughter of a for mer Vice President, was a force to be reckoned with within the GOP. Having been sworn in in 2017, the Republican up-and-comer rapidly climbed the ranks to head the House Republican Confer ence just two years later. When she re fused to vote to decertify the results of

the 2020 election in integral swing states and exhibited her opposition to Trump, Cheney cemented herself as Trump’s highest-pro le Republican opponent.

She did this while also willingly anger ing her constituents in her home state of Wyoming, a state that gave Trump 70% of the vote in 2020. To add further in sult to injury, she voted to impeach for mer President Trump for inciting an in surrection following the Jan. 6 riots and served as vice chair of the select commit tee investigating these attacks.

“Two years ago, I won this primary with 73% of the vote.” Cheney said. “I could easily have done the same again.”

And she’s right.

Realistically, Cheney knew this was going to happen. Trump won the state she represented by almost 70% of the vote both times he ran, and Cheney voted with him 93% of the time over the course of her career, per Five ir tyEight. Cheney could easily have cho sen to align herself with Trump and therefore retain the favor of the state of Wyoming. She acknowledged this in her concession speech. However, she also ac knowledged that what the choice would have required from her was incredibly egregious.

“ e path was clear,” she said. “But it

would have required that I go along with President Trump’s lie about the 2020 election. It would have required that I enable his ongoing e orts to unravel our democratic system and attack the foun dations of our republic. at is a path I could not and would not take.”

After su ering this overwhelming de feat, Cheney hinted at a potential run for president in an interview on NBC’s Today Show. e representative revealed that she was considering becoming a Re publican challenger to former President Trump’s “4 more in 24” campaign. By doing this, she has inadvertently made herself the face of one of the largest vot ing blocs keeping Trump from reassum ing the presidency— the “Never Trump” Republicans.

Winning is a long shot for Cheney despite being from her family’s Repub lican dynasty — the state of Wyoming has demonstrated that. But if she runs, Cheney will redirect a large proportion of Republican voters who aim to vote red and cannot accept Trump’s candi dacy. Cheney essentially represents the moderate Republicans — her centrist views and complex political history make her somewhat of a red counterpart to Joe Biden. Considering the fact that she is still on the select committee and

another hearing is upcoming in Sep tember, Cheney still retains the ability to disparage Trump by recommending criminal charges.

Cheney has consistently been a con troversial gure in American politics throughout her career. She praised the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe vs. Wade, endangering the right to an abortion despite 61% of Americans expressing support for the precedent (PBS). is was seemingly not the most democratic stance she could have taken. In addition to this, she voted for the bi partisan gun safety bill in June, despite the state of Wyoming ranking second in the nation for gun ownership and a ma jority of House Republicans opposing the bill. However, her forthright criti cisms of a candidate her constituents adore so much demonstrate her own limits and her unwillingness to under mine the precedent of democracy in which she believes so strongly. Whether you agree with her or not, Liz Cheney has exhibited bipartisan respect towards the democratic process, respect which desperately needs to return to American politics.

Contact Maryam Khanum at khanmg20@wfu.edu

The electric bull serves as an equalizer regardless of background or experience, providing valuable lessons

The Wyoming congresswoman was a rising star in the GOP until she voted to impeach former President Donald Trump

JoshReynolds/OldGold&Black

" The electric bull uniquely represents de mocracy in America ... anyone has a chance to hop on and give the iron beast a ride."

SEE page 12 for the full story

us on Twitter @wfuogbsports

OLD SPORTS

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PAGE 11 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2022

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Griffis shines as Wake Forest sails past VMI

IAN STEFFENSEN Sports Editor

The energy returned to Truist Field when Wake Forest football kicked off their season with a 44-10 victory against VMI on Thursday night. Wake Forest also set a record for student attendance for an opening night, with 3,752 stu dents attending

Expectations were high for starting quarterback Mitch Griffs, who made his frst collegiate start. Griffs’s of fense dominated, and the redshirt fresh man posted impressive numbers: 21/29 (.724), 288 passing yards and three TD passes. Griffs did struggle on his keep ers, netting -9 yards on the night.

The Demon Deacons took a while to wake up from the offseason. The defense took some time settling into coordinator Brad Lambert’s new defensive scheme, and VMI challenged them early. Yet the Demon Deacons always had an answer and forced numerous three-and-outs to put the ball in the offense’s hands. In his frst drive under center, Griffs marched his team down to the redzone until he was sacked on third down, and Wake Forest had to settle for a feld goal.

The offense was undeterred, howev er, and fnally got going when running back Christian Turner broke numerous tackles and stayed on his feet for a 35yard touchdown run. On the next drive for the Demon Deacons, the run game opened up even more opportunities, with Justice Ellison fnding a massive lane and breaking through for a 45-yard run. This placed Wake Forest right in the red zone, where the Mitch Griffs show offcially began. On third down, Griffs came under pressure but scrambled out of the pocket and found wide receiver Taylor Morin in the right corner of the endzone for his frst touchdown. After the frst quarter Wake Forest led 17-0.

On the frst drive of the second quar ter, Wake Forest was making a steady drive down the feld. But on two oc casions big plays were called back for offensive holding, and the Demon Deacons were forced to punt. Penalties were a common theme throughout the contest, especially holding penalties. On the next drive, Griffs found wide receiver A.T. Perry on the left sideline for 33 yards which brought Wake For est into the red zone. A couple of plays later, Griffs connected with Ellison for the touchdown only for it to be called back for holding yet again. The Demon Deacons were then forced to kick a feld goal to put them up 20. After a major de fensive stop on 4th down, Wake Forest received the ball in excellent feld posi tion at the 34-yard line, but once again had to settle for a feld goal to put them up 23-3 going into halftime.

Wake Forest started the second half very sloppy; another holding penalty sent them back immensely and they were forced to punt. On the punt, Ivan Mora had trouble with the snap but was able to get the punt off which dribbled down to the VMI 10-yard-line. A defen sive stop set up Griffs and the offense with great feld position. Christian Turn er continued to open up the run game for the Demon Deacons, he made a massive run of 24 yards along the right sideline to put Wake Forest in scoring position.

Three plays later, he fnally stuffed it in the endzone for his second touch down of the night. Wake Forest’s de fense was looking for their big play all night, and they thought they had it when Isaiah Wingfeld made an interception

and returned it 46 yards for the score. However, the play was called back for roughing the passer, an unforced error that cost the Demon Deacons points and momentum. VMI scored their frst touchdown of the game on their next drive and made a dent in the lead with Wake Forest still leading 30-10.

Special teams performed well; Ke’Shawn Williams had a 38-yard kick off return to start. Griffs closed out the third quarter with a stellar drive, fnding

play in all three phases of the game made this an easy one for the Demon Deacons.

Wake Forest committed seven penal ties which cost them big time. Not only did the penalties cost them big plays such as the pick six, but it also didn’t allow Clawson to play his younger guys earlier and give them the crucial time to get settled in the new environment.

Clawson was adamant that they need to iron out these sloppy mistakes, because

Donavon Greene on the frst play for 20 yards. Greene returned from injury, and was targeted eight times and fnished with 63 yards receiving. As the game progressed, Griffs’ confdence began to grow and it showed when he completed a beautiful 27-yard-pass to tight end Blake Whiteheart. Yet, on the 2 point conversion Griffs made a scramble up the middle to convert only for it to be called back for holding, and the offense had to settle for the extra point.

To start off the fourth quarter, Wake Forest’s defense fnally got their big play when Rondell Bothroyd had a strip sack to put the offense at the 29-yard line. Griffs’ fnal drive was three plays and found wide receiver Jahmal Banks, which was truly the icing on the cake for him in his debut.

Head Coach Dave Clawson discussed his quarterback’s debut performance at the postgame press conference.

“I thought Mitch played really well. I said going into it, I think we could win a lot of games with Mitch.”

Wake Forest won the game 44-10, an amazing debut from Griffs, and strong

there will be close games down the line where it could cost them. He said they will defnitely have more offcials at practice this week.

Clawson had mixed emotions about his team’s performance in his postgame press conference.

“Proud of the win, but really sloppy, penalties were awful.”

Mitch Griffs’ debut was a bright spot, and he said he had a blast out there.

“It was like playing in high school again, I haven’t really played a football game in two years,” said Griffs.

Griffs surely proved himself tonight but when asked about this in the post game he said this, “I just felt like I did my job.”

Griffs made a point of showing his belief that Sam Hartman is still the team’s leader — he’s their guy, and this is his team. Wake Forest heads to the Southeastern Conference’s Vanderbilt next Saturday, which will be another test for Griffs and the team.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Yu

Photo

The redshirt freshman passed for 288 yards in his starting debut

Contact Ian Steffensen at stefp21@wfu.edu

Wide receiver A.T. Perry marches out on the field.

Quarterback Mitch Griffs celebrates a score in the endzone. Griffs had as many incomplete passes as VMI did punts — just eight.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Yu

Tracking Demon Deacons in the NFL

Both 2021 draftees and undrafted free agents have fought onto professional rosters

AARON NATALINE Sports Editor

With the return of college football season, there is an inescapable current of excitement in seeing the Demon Deacons take the eld this year. e crack ling energy surrounding the new season is partly due to the incredible highs of last year. Wake Forest broke double-digits in the win column for the rst time since 2006, nished rst in the ACC Atlantic and took home the Gator Bowl trophy.

Transferring the excitement from the 2021-2022 season to the new slate of games that now lie ahead of Wake Forest is natural. But I think as supporters of this school’s football program, more attention should be on what occurs between seasons: our Demon Dea cons beginning their professional careers.

Keeping up with the blooming careers of former players of all Wake Forest sports supports the pro grams and keeps you in the loop. You want to let your parents know that, say, Will Zalatoris is turning heads at the U.S. Open, not the other way around.

In the same vein, I want to highlight where Wake Forest football players from last season are lined up before the new NFL season begins this week. I am honing in on those players that made 53-man rosters. ere are still Demon Deacons waiting for a club to realize their potential, but some teams (Cowboys) just don’t have the right eye for talent, I guess.

With the 140th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected one of Wake Forest’s best linemen of the last 5 years. Zach Tom went in the fourth round to the Wisconsin-based team, which also scooped up two other linemen in the draft.

e Packers saw their o ensive linemen sprout holes this o -season with the release of Billy Turner and free agency loss of Lucas Patrick. Tom’s appeal as a young talent that can make a di erence in the trenches is obvious; his athleticism allows him to be versatile. rough 37 starts with Wake Forest, the Prairieville, Louisiana native transitioned from center

to left tackle, with only 2 sacks allowed for his col legiate career. Now, the Packers currently have him listed as the second-string right tackle, so they are al ready tapping into Tom’s ability to plug into the line anywhere.

e three-time member of the ACC All-Academic Team had shown o his professional talent since his junior year, but one game in particular in 2021 sealed it for scouts. During a contest with Florida State in September, Tom did not allow a single pressure against defensive end Jermaine Johnson through 51 pass-blocking snaps. Johnson, who was drafted in the rst round this year, had to switch sides after half time, presumably because he had given Tom enough tape for game highlights in just two quarters.

Two rounds after Tom’s selection, cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor’s name was called on by the Los Angeles Char gers with the 214th pick. Taylor notched an impres sive record while at Wake Forest: the most games played by a player with 62 appearances in his ve sea sons. e Chargers thus snag a tough player whose re sume reads pure endurance, which is enticing in any professional league where availability is crucial.

Few casual fans would expect the Chargers to look for defensive backs when they aunt high-caliber players such as J.C. Jackson, Derwin James Jr., and Asante Samuel Jr. While their top backs are a di cult group to breach, Taylor poses as a swift-footed depth piece as his 4.39 40 time and agility drill performanc es impressed scouts.

Taylor’s skillset also nds him as a rising kick return er candidate for the Chargers, as the team’s current depth chart lists him as second string for the position.

is comes naturally for the former Demon Deacon, since in the season opener versus Old Dominion last year, he returned a kick 99 yards for a touchdown. When he snatched an interception in the same game, one of six in his collegiate career, Taylor became the rst Wake Forest player to secure both an intercep tion and a kick return score in the same game.

If being a fellow Demon Deacon wasn’t enough of a reason to root for a player’s career, how about those undrafted players that have fought their way onto the 53-man roster? Linebacker Luiji Vilain ts this description. While his name was not called in the 2022 NFL Draft, after four years at the University of

Michigan, Villain was drafted in the third round of the 2021 Canadian Football League. Despite being from Ottawa, Ontario, Villain decided to forfeit his spot in the CFL and play for Wake Forest as a gradu ate student last year. He preceded to lead the Demon Deacons in sacks with nine.

In May of this year, the Minnesota Vikings real ized the league had skipped over a resilient and tal ented player in Vilain and signed him onto the team, where he now holds the third-string job as outside linebacker.

Villain immediately began impressing in the pre season. Wearing #43, he earned an interception in the endzone against the Denver Broncos. en, true to his passion for generating turnovers in the endzone, Vilain recovered a fumble while the San Francisco 49ers were trying to run in the ball at the one-yard line a week later.

Luiji Vilain wasn’t the only undrafted Demon Dea con to make a nal roster this o season. In 2021, outside linebacker Luke Masterson served as a for midable force within Wake Forest’s defense. Totaling 85 tackles that season, Masterson came into his own after moving around the defense in years prior, trying out the safety and rover positions before his standout year at linebacker.

After an o -season of turning heads in training camp in Las Vegas, the Raiders added Masterson to the nal roster. e linebacker group for the Raid ers desperately requires a young talent that can cover, and Masterson provides just that as the current sec ond strong outside linebacker. 29-year-old Raiders linebacker Denzel Perryman has proven himself as a vocal leader, and under his mentorship, reigning Hula Bowl Defensive MVP Masterson is primed to learn and grow into a reliable professional football player.

While enjoying the unrolling of the 2022-2023 NFL season, be sure to keep an eye on these four De mon Deacons who served as vital parts of our sen sational season last year. ey have secured the op portunity not many college players reach to support them in their ongoing careers.

Contact Aaron Nataline at nataae21@wfu.edu

Offensive tackle Zach Tom (No. 50) fights off pressure versus Florida State in 2021.

Photo Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

Linebacker Luke Masterson received the Defensive Most Valuable Player award at the Hula Bowl following his last season with Wake Forest, in which he lead the team in total tackles.

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

Adam Coil, coilat21@wfu.edu Josie Scratchard, scraja20@wfu.edu

Jordan Peele pushes boundaries with "Nope"

COOPER SULLIVAN Multimedia Managing Editor

I do not like horror lms. I forgot this fact when the trailers before “Nope” started playing. I took my hat, lowered the brim to cover my eyes and told my friends to tell me when they were done. Once the movie I actually wanted to see started, my eyes were glued to the big screen for the next two hours.

Unlike Jordan Peele’s previous projects — which I watched years after their theatrical release, on a laptop, in my bedroom, with the lights on — I was going into the dark theater with absolutely no knowledge about what I was going to witness outside of a single word: “aliens”.

Six months after inheriting the family’s com mercial horse-wrangling business in the South ern California valley, OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer) are forced to loan out horses to the nearby Wild West-themed amusement park run by former child actor Ricky “Jupe” Park (Ste ven Yeun). One evening, a mys terious presence envelops the val ley, spooking the remaining horses

The

and cutting power to the house. On the o chance that this phenomenon is intergalactic, the siblings head into town to purchase a high-tech surveil lance system, not only to gure out what is really happening but to capture “the Oprah shot”, so all the fame and riches would follow.

“Nope” is not the traditional horror lm, and while there are elements of similarity between this lm, “Get Out” and “Us”, “Nope” pushes the boundaries of Peele’s lms and the horror genre as a whole. Many of the hair-raising scenes take place during the daytime, allowing for beautiful shots of the Agua Dulce gulch to be experienced by the audience. However, just because a lot of the shots happen out in the open doesn’t mean the shots are

clear as day. Not only are OJ, Emerald, Jupe, a lo cal surveillance system installer Angel (Brandon Perea) and Hollywood cinematographer Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott) trying to capture a good shot of this extraterrestrial force on camera, but the entire audience is as well. I was craning my neck, moving around in my seat, trying to see past the black borders of the screen, forgetting that I was not actually a part of the movie but merely a spec tator.

Many critics of “Nope” say that the lm isn’t scary enough, that the storylines have no connec tion and that there isn’t enough explanation into the antagonistic force — named “Jean Jacket”. I would argue that withholding information and

forcing the viewer to not know why something is happening is terrifying in its own right. What the lm lacks in jumpscares, mystique brings fear right back into the equation. And the jumpscares that are in the lm…yeah, they work.

Putting the horror and thriller aspects of “Nope” aside, and looking at it simply as an eco nomic investment, the movie experience is well worth the watch. e chemistry between Kaluuya and Palmer is so strong and natural that it makes you reevaluate your relationship with your own siblings. e e ortless emotion each actor conveys is just the right amount — neither exaggerated nor understated — which, if not perfect, can de tract from the narrative experience. e comedic relief of Angel, and any joke written in the script, is never forced and perfectly placed. I was thor oughly entertained the entire time, and when I walked out of the theater, I was glad I went — which should be the goal for every time you spend a semester’s worth of tuition at AMC.

Peele has now written, produced and directed three lms. After each previous release, he was celebrated and lauded for his work, its cultural impact and improved skills as an auteur. In a rela tively short time, we consider them to be impor tant cinematic works. “Nope” deserves the exact same response.

Contact Cooper Sullivan at sullcg20@wfu.edu

MELINA TRAIFOROS Staff Writer

Are you a freshman starving through syl labus week, a sophomore addicted to Village Juice or an upperclassman draining your bank account at Trader Joe’s for overpriced micro wave potstickers? Let me introduce you to the magical world of Pit dining!

Ask any of my friends — I am a Pit enthu siast. e plethora of options and limitless sec ond helpings make it a staple for on-campus dining. Pitsgiving, at which students enjoy tur key and other anksgiving favorites, should be its own national holiday (it’s currently ninety days away, not that anyone’s counting). Here are some tips you should know to have a successful experience at the Pit.

Your most valuable asset is the Wake For

est Dining website. Learn it — live by it. Add the menu page to your home screen. It organizes the daily meal options by the Pit’s many serving stations. Perusing before the 6:30 dinner rush lets you make decisions pre emptively, allowing for easy navigation upon arrival and revealing any ingredients that might turn your stomach.

Once you’ve done your homework, swipe in. Say hello to the employees at the register — they’re friendly! Find a booth without too many suspicious food smears and pour a glass of Tractor Sweet Tea Lemonade (seriously, it’s amazing).

ose who prefer simple dining should check out Pastabilites and Hearthstone Fresh

ly Made Pizza on the Pit’s right side, which is also home to the beloved frozen yogurt station and Oreo top pings. If you left buttered noodles and cheese pizza in middle school, Southern Kitchen o ers a reliable spread — so long as you don’t hear any faint clucking when you cut into your chicken. If pho and fajitas are more your style, join the juniors who made studying abroad in Barcelona a person ality trait at the International Station.

Also, shrimp. Avoid it at all costs. I know someone who was wiped out by Pit gumbo for three days.

For those with dietary restrictions, Vegan Station and the new Allgood station are your spots. e latter serves options free of the top eight food allergens, and Vegan Station chana masala is one of my favorite Pit o erings. If none of this sounds appetizing, Performance Dining salads and Marketplace Deli sand wiches are an easy go-to. You can always stick a wrap with cheese in the panini press for a quick quesadilla!

If it happens to be between 7-11 a.m., that means Pit breakfast. Enjoy a delightful bu et of quiche, bacon, biscuits and hash browns. If a watery omelet sounds appetizing, you can build your own, although I would rec ommend asking for them scrambled instead. Head left for self-serve bagels, toast and waf es (ask for a fried egg for avocado toast or try chicken and wa es during dinnertime) and right for Black & Gold Grill pancakes, french toast and croissant sandwiches. Smoothies at the yogurt station are an omen for a good day.

The southern kitchen serves a wide array of healthy, tasty meals on the go.

e Pit’s nest feature is the Spice Wall. If your meat and veggies taste under-seasoned, a little BBQ rib rub usually does the trick. Sea soned salt elevates your eggs, and Greek Freak is a must-try for pasta. You can also do what I do and drown everything in cayenne pepper, but — either way — this station makes you feel like the fanciest college student in the Pied mont Triad.

Now that you have an array of slightly dif ferently shaped plates and bowls, walk around aimlessly looking for a fork and try not to leave your bagel in the toaster. It will catch on re. is brings me to my nal tip: indulge in the Pit Sit. Surrounded by a dozen oating conver sations and a weird and unplaceable smell, I feel equipped to tackle the work I procrastinated to write this article. I may be there right now.

Contact Melina Traiforos at traimg21@wfu.edu

The flm triumphs without employing traditional horror techniques

Photo courtesy of IMDb

Set in the Agua Dulce Desert, Jordan Peele's "Nope" is completely unlike anything we've seen before from the celebrated director of "Get Out" and "US".

Virginia Noone/ Old Gold & Black

Virginia Noone/ Old Gold & Black

Students line up at the "Pastabilities" station, where they can choose from penne, cavatappi, linguine and more, as well as an array of toppings and sauces.

HBO releases 'Game of Thrones' prequel

'House of the Dragon' continues the 'Game of Thrones' legacy

VIRGINIA NOONE Photography Editor

HBO has produced a new series based on George R.R. Martin’s novel “Fire & Blood”, serving as a prequel to the renowned “Game of Thrones” series. The frst three episodes launch view ers back into the kingdom of Westeros, where dragons scorch armies, families feud for the iron throne and war is al ways on the precipice. As opposed to the original series, "House of the Drag on" focuses primarily on House Tar garyen and its war of succession. The series begins with the narrator setting the stage by noting that “the only thing that could tear down the House of the Dragon was itself.”

In episode one, “The Heirs of the Dragon”, we’re introduced to King Viserys, his extremely pregnant wife, and most importantly, his only child,

Princess Rhaenys. Princess Rhaenys is strikingly similar to the beloved Daen erys Targaryen from the original series in her spirit and appearance. Through out the episode, Rhaenys and her best friend Alicent observe the tournament the King throws to celebrate the poten tial birth of a male heir. Competing in the tournament, and to be named heir, is Prince Daemon. Played by Matt Smith — who is known for his role as Dr. Who — Prince Daemon is cold and unwelcomed by most of the court.

In the most violent scene of the frst episode, the king must choose between his wife’s life and the life of the child to whom she is actively giving birth. The queen screams, “please, no!” As the king holds down her arm, the me dieval doctors cut the baby out of her womb and she bleeds out. This scene felt particularly gruesome amidst the recent loss of reproductive rights in certain states. It also marks the end of

the happy family dynamic, as the infant son dies shortly after from complica tions. Princess Rhaenys quickly loses her upbeat, childlike nature that most 15-year old’s have but is named heir to the iron throne in the end.

The frst episode presents a series of dilemmas involving morality, tradition and family. These questions also per sisted throughout the original series, so it isn’t surprising to see similar motifs. That being said, the way in which the female characters are being portrayed feels slightly less one-dimensional while still holding true to the social climate of the "Game of Thrones" uni verse. Even the prostitute, who is large ly a side character with whom Prince Daemon has a relationship, is given screentime to share her backstory and add layers to her character.

The second episode, “The Rogue Prince”, serves primarily as a buildup to the third, more action-packed episode.

Considering the kinds of stories worth apologizing for

problematic material

Focusing on Prince Daemon’s illegal occupation of Dragonstone, King Vis erys’s pressure to remarry and Princess Rhaenys' struggle for political respect; — most of the hour is occupied with dialogue and expansion of characters. The scene that feels the most shock ing is when the practically elderly king takes a stroll with a twelve-year-old potential new bride, but it was even too creepy for the series to follow through with. Instead, the king marries Alicent, Rhaenys' childhood best friend, after her father encouraged her to console the king in light of his wife’s tragic death. So… still pretty creepy, but the show has crossed signifcantly worse boundaries so we’ll let it slide.

To read about the newly released epi sode three, head to wfuogb.com.

Contact Virginia Noone at noonvc21@wfu.edu

Astrology Forecast

JUDY ASSAAD Contributing Writer

ADAM COIL Life Editor

Should a book destroy itself, or should it destroy the world it’s situated in? Are movies meant to clarify the world, or are they meant to confuse us and make us ask the kinds of questions we didn’t previously know existed? ese are rigid binaries — I know — but if you’re like me, you probably view one of the most valuable gifts of art as its abil ity to muddle us up inside, to stir us like a bowl of batter so that we may emerge from the oven more fully formed than we could have been otherwise.

e movie “ e Wolf of Wall Street” is worth studying here because it is a popular movie that has also sparked a lot of debate from critics. It’s particularly valuable to me because I genuinely loved this movie at one point. Looking back on it, I feel pretty fortunate that it didn’t have a longerlasting impact on me.

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s ad aptation of Jordan Belfort’s memoir has pretty much everything that a middle school kid could want — it’s exhilarating, it provides a glimpse into a life out of reach, it’s hilarious and, of course, it has Margot Robbie. A lot of what makes this movie so dangerous is that it’s practically awless in its quest to entertain. It combines a star-studded cast, a plot only believable because it actually hap pened and the vision of one of Hollywood's most celebrated directors. Even when I was rewatching the movie to write this article, I felt myself being sucked in and caught up in the total grandeur of it all. Belfort’s “I’m not leaving” speech is still one of the most exhilarating moments I’ve ever witnessed on the big screen.

ere have been plenty of people quick to jump in and defend the portrayal of Belfort in this mov ie, saying that Belfort getting o a way to point out how the workings of the world favor the rich, that the closing shot puts the blame on us as a society for engendering someone like Belfort and secretly rooting for him. I have heard that the over-the-top quality of it all is itself the ge nius of the movie, and I have seen DiCaprio claim that the movie is a satirical, black comedy. But I don’t subscribe to any of this, and I think defend ing this movie is just as naïve as investing in one of Belfort's penny stocks.

e movie is a celebration of wealth in America, and it upholds the idea that as long as you have enough money, you can do whatever you want. Essentially, the movie reinforces the idea that mon ey is a virtue for three hours straight and not once does it try to punch back. Belfort’s greed and van ity are in no way condemned — he seems happy and healthy, and he is never actually knocked o of the heroic pedestal that the movie places him on. If you look closely, the only critique that the movie has for Belfort is that he could have been a little bit smarter at hiding his criminal activity.

e tale lacks realness; it isn't sobering. I feel all the more con dent making these claims because to me, it’s no coincidence that the people who love this movie tend to be people who in some way admire Belfort.

I want to compare “ e Wolf of Wall Street” with something that I think exempli es how to appropriately deal with controversial subject mat ter — “In nite Jest”. “In nite Jest” is a 1,079-page behemoth of a book that shares Scorcese’s desire to capture something about being American, dealing with addiction and the odd conundrum of actual ly getting what you’ve always wanted. But instead of glorifying, sensationalizing and putting destruc tive behaviors on a pedestal, it attacks everything we think we know about success, drugs, entertain ment and money with an unmatched critical eye.

With Hideous Men” is practically a male manip ulator playbook, showing exactly how sick and twisted a lot of men can be when it comes to their views of women, as well as how they go about manipulating them into doing what they want.

I think Wallace is so important to today’s age, to a generation guided by placeholders, synecdo ches and empty symbols, because he was one of the bravest and most talented writers at explor ing the depths of what it means to be human — all kinds of human. He is a useful tool to us because he considered one of his most valuable tools as a writer to be his faith in the vast, hidden inner workings behind the blank gaze of strang ers. He was someone who understood what it meant to be alone, to eat yourself up with your own thoughts, to own complications so extensive that they would be impossible for anyone else to comprehend.

A lot of creators today want to cover di cult subject matter, but they aren’t willing to put in the work or sacri ce the revenue to do so respon sibly. “ e Wolf of Wall Street” is like hand ing a bunch of kids unlabeled chemicals and no safety equipment, and telling them to go have fun. Wallace, on the other hand, takes o his lab coat and shows you the acidic burns on his arms and the cuts on his hands — having been through a serious drug issue before, he was committed

I am not arguing that art is a moralizing force or that art should teach us how to live. But I am saying that when we’re deciding what controversial subject matter we are going to apol ogize for, we should consider whether that piece of art arms us with whatever is necessary to see through the lies that it purports. If a story is go ing to make us root for a villain, it should ask us why we're doing so — think "Breaking Bad". If a story is going to indulge in pleasure and exploi tation, we should demand that it engender new questions and emotions within us that force us to gather ourselves and ponder. We have to be con stantly on our toes, scouting, making sure that what we consume hasn't actually been consum

On September 9, Mercury is going into retrograde in the sign of Libra. DO NOT PANIC! This is not one of those scary mercury retrogrades where all of your evil exes come back to wreak havoc! Libra is a peaceful sign that is associated with harmony and beauty. Use this as a time to take things slow. Do not rush into any new commitments. Focus on yourself. Also, make sure to back up all of your devices.

Aries: Keep slaying, you are doing great. (I am Aries.)

Taurus: Improve yourself. Gemini: Try out blue eyeshadow. Cancer: Quit entertaining people with mommy issues.

Leo: Literally shut up. Delete Tinder. Go off the grid.

Virgo: Why are you reading this? GO TAKE A SHOWER!

Libra: Stop talking behind other people’s backs. You will get caught.

Scorpio: Hit up the baddie you fumbled last year.

Sagittarius: Get in your car and don’t stop driving.

Capricorn: Ask the alt shawty out.

Aquarius: Play "Animal Crossing" with your partner.

Pisces: Emulate Lana Del Rey vinyl vibes.

circles. I nd this funny because Wallace has done more for furthering feminist studies than most re alize. His short story collection “Brief Interviews

Contact Adam Coil at coilat21@wfu.edu

Contact Judy Assaad at assaj20@wfu.edu

'The Wolf of Wall Street' and 'Infinite Jest' epitomize the opposing ways creators approach

‘Blue Velvet’ defnes the American South

What Wilmington, the 1898 Coup and David Lynch mean to me

JAMES WATSON Contributing Writer

If you were to ask me what my favorite movie of all time is, I would easily say “Blue Velvet”. David Lynch’s 1986 surrealist, neo-noir is a feat of American filmmaking and culture. My rever ence for this film comes not just from the film itself, but from a deeply experiential perspective. “Blue Velvet” is one of the 400-or-so productions that were filmed in Wilmington, North Caro lina — just four hours southeast of Wake Forest. Wilmington has also been my home for the last 17 years, but one viewing experience of this film in September of 2020 dramatically changed the way I viewed the place I called my hometown. For obvious reasons, the year 2020 was a challenging year to be a theatergoer. The pause of the traditional theatrical experience created a vacuum that people understandably wanted to fill. Enter: the drive-in movie — a relic of Americana long outmoded by the infinitely better modern megaplex, equipped with luxury stadium seating and the pervasive scent of butter. Wilmington was fortunate enough to be one of those communities that re animated the long-forgotten corpse of the drivein and they just so happened to do a screening of a little movie from 1986 called “Blue Velvet”. With historic downtown Wilmington lit by the setting late summer sun, my dad and I sat in our car on top of the community college parking deck, enthralled by a film that defined our city better than anyone had ever been able to before.

Much like Winston-Salem, Wilmington is an industrial hub with a special reverence for the arts. At the center of the port city’s downtown is Thalian Hall. Thalian is a historic performing arts center that shares space with city hall. This intersection of arts, com

merce and politics is the heart of Wilmington’s identity. But much like the town of Lumberton, the central location of “Blue Velvet”, something very sinister lurks beneath the surface of the coastal city’s charming exterior.

Part of what makes “Blue Velvet” so effective is its relatively simple premise. It does not diverge far from a typical noir film, but it’s a genre that director David Lynch knows well. Yet, he con tinuously subverts the genre, injecting an unset tling form of surrealism that burrows deep into your subconscious. There is a pervasive dramatic tension that threatens to explode into pure evil at any moment, and it often does. But Lynch knows how to restrain his work — even the im plication of violence is enough to create a fore boding atmosphere unlike any other. One of the things I find most fascinating about Lynch as a director is that he becomes engrossed in real-world imagery and then attempts to dissect it through filmmaking and cin ematic art. For example, the darkness of “Blue Velvet” appears to be inspired by a real-life encounter Lynch had as a child. Isabella Rossellini, who plays the film’s principal charac ter — the tortured lounge sing er Dorothy Valens, recently explained on the A24 podcast: “David told me that one day when he came back from school he saw a woman naked walk ing down the street and he started to cry because he understood that some thing very wrong had happened…and that was the image that fragmented.”

Of all Lynch’s films, “Blue Velvet” is the most thematically impressive. He explores the idea of duality in suburbia, that a shining exterior con ceals a hidden underworld. Lynch establishes this idea by juxtaposing the establishing shot of pristine roses against a white picket fence and a shot of beetles contorting in dead grass while a haunting low-end hum invades the soundscape. Lynch is very clearly explaining the foundational

duality of America — we may be a country of tremendous wealth, power and opportunity but our destiny was forged through labor exploita tion and violence. In short, look just beneath the surface and you’ll be horrified by what you find.

While this idea is directly appli cable to America and the American South, it is also a reflection of Wilmington’s DNA. An un fortunately little-known fact about Wilmington is that it was the site of the first and only successful coup d’etat in United States history. In 1898, a violent insurrec tion perpetuated by a white supremacist army overthrew Wilmington’s progressive government. The mob killed hundreds of Black Wilmingtonians and displaced thousands more. The demography was radically transformed overnight, and Wilmington was forever scarred by this violence. Today, you can’t be in the city without noticing how geographically disparate the Black and white populations are. This was not accidental.

As the movie unfolded that September night,

I connected with “Blue Velvet’’ in a way I hadn’t connected with a film before. I was shocked at how often I had driven by locations that were cen tral to the movie on a regular basis. Suddenly, it felt as if a strange power had consumed my city. I was horrified to realize how inseparable the dark ness of the film was from my hometown. Nothing quite looked the same. More than just the movie’s filming location, Wilmington is themati cally symbolic of everything Lynch is attempting to do in “Blue Velvet”. It is a living, breathing representation of the shameful darkness Americans try to bury.

“Blue Velvet” would very likely be one of my favorite works even without my own lived experience in Wilmington. But with the added perspective of the city’s his tory, the film becomes something entirely differ ent. “Blue Velvet” is more than a film. It is a cul tural artifact that dissects the darkest moments of American history.

Contact James Watson at watsjc22@wfu.edu Illustrations by Caroline Suber at subece21@wfu.edu

James Watson/ Old Gold & Black

In 2020, when the world was somehow even stranger, movie fans flocked to drive-in theatres where they could view movies from the safety of their cars.

Ella Klein, freshman

Roxie Ray, senior

Claudia Vasbinder, sophomore

Virginia Wooten and Nikolai Chechkin, seniors

Tatum Pike and Leanna Bernish, juniors