04/04/24 Full Edition

Old Gold&Black “Covers the campus like the magnolias”

VOL 110 , NO. 13

APRIL 4, 2024

WA K E F O R E S T ’ S S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 1 6

Wake Forest Chabad and Hillel host Faces of October 7 event MARIA SILVEIRA News Editor

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

Campaigning begins for 2024 Student Government elections Voting begins on The Link on April 9 MADDIE STOPYRA Editor-In-Chief Candidates running for executive and senator positions in Student Government have begun campaigning for office. Voting will open on The Link at 12 p.m. on April 9 and students can cast their votes until 11:59 a.m. on April 10.

There are four executive offices on this year’s ballot — student body president, speaker of the house, treasurer and secretary. Senior Jackson Buttler, Michael Walsh, Tim Erday and Marta Zach currently hold these positions, respectively. Their term will end on the last day of classes on May 1, and the new officers will assume their positions.

This is the second year that the Elections Commission, an independent group of students not involved in Student Government, will oversee the election.

According to the Elections Packet, which details the rules and regulations of the elections, the group is responsible for “[ensuring] that the elections are fair and equitable, [enforcing] all campaign rules, and [investigating] and [addressing] all campaign violations.”

“We take our role seriously and look forward to a smooth election season,” Chair of the Elections Commission Claire Hopkins said.

Student Body President Jackson Buttler expressed his excitement for the next Student Government leaders.

“The upcoming year promises to be a defining one for our community, with the 2024 national election, the continued redevelopment of Beatty Street and ongoing university changes setting the stage for impactful leadership,” Buttler said. “I have high hopes for the next

executive board, whoever they may be, to navigate these challenges and lead our student body through these particularly challenging times.”

Here are the candidates for the 2024 Student Government (SG) elections.

President Junior Hannah Elluru is running uncontested for study body president. In a written statement, she shared that her platform can be broken down into three main categories.

“My platform is student-centered, focusing on three main points: uplifting student voices, fostering diversity, equity and inclusion and prioritizing Pro Humanitate,” Elluru said. “My vision for our university champions building relationships and community on and off campus; all with the aim to keep Wake Forest moving forward. I am passionate about being an advocate for my peers and want to usher in a new and impactful chapter at Wake Forest.”

Speaker of the House Like Elluru, Speaker of the House Candidate Wyatt Strassmann is running uncontested. He explained that his experience in Student Government helped him identify key aspects of Wake Forest that he could improve as speaker of the house.

“Since my freshman year, being involved in various Student Government leadership roles has given me a unique perspective on representing the student body,” Strassmann said. “There's a lot of

work to do, and as speaker of the house, I will connect SG to our community, make our campus more accessible and sustainable and improve the student experience. I'm excited about this election and the opportunity to fight for each and every member of our community as I have been for the last three years.”

On Tuesday, March 26, Wake Forest faculty, staff and students gathered in the Annenberg Hall for the Faces of October 7 event to hear Lee Sasi share her experience at the Nova Music Festival in Southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Wake Forest Hillel and Chabad hosted the event. Wake Forest’s Hillel International Israel Intern Ella Sadikman explained that hearing from Sasi is important for the broader Wake Forest community.

“In the wake of Oct. 7, it's been tremendously hard for so many students across the nation with so many different identities, including Muslim students, Arab students and Jewish students all across the board,” Sadikman said. “For us as leaders of our Jewish organizations and communities on campus, we felt that it was really important to provide the opportunity to learn about what happened on Oct. 7 and hear the personal story of somebody who was a part of that event.”

See October 7, Page 3

Treasurer Juniors Shelby Balmer and Micah Bozkurtian are running to be the Student Government treasurer. Balmer explained that although she is away from Wake Forest’s campus this semester participating in Wake Washington, her community at Wake Forest has provided strong support for her campaign.

“I’m really passionate about Student Government and [the Student Budget Advisory Committee (SBAC)],” Balmer said. “I’ve been working with the current Treasurer as his Deputy Director of Finance this year, so I feel confident in my ability to handle the role if I'm elected.”

She continued: “My main election platform is diversifying SBAC and creating more pathways to funding. I really want to reach out to organizations and groups on campus that feel underserved and underrepresented, so everything I have done in my campaign is meant to welcome as many people as possible into what can be an intimidating world!”

Bozkurtian stated that he would prioritize balance as treasurer.

Josh Stein pitches his vision for North Carolina JAMES WATSON Arts & Culture Editor On Friday, March 22, the Old Gold & Black alongside several other student publications, were invited to sit down virtually with North Carolina Attorney General and Democratic nominee for Governor Josh Stein.

Stein became the Democratic nominee for Governor earlier in March, running to succeed the current governor, Governor Roy Cooper, who is at the end of his allotted two terms.

Stein is set to face off against Republican Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, whose inflammatory rhetoric has made the race one of the most closely watched going into the fall. Stein says that when voters compare his and Robinson’s competing visions for the state, the difference is “stark.”

See Elections, Page 3

See Stein, Page 4

What's Inside NEWS Wake Forest celebrates Holi Page Five

FEATURES ROTC: Challenge and Camaraderie Page Eight

ENVIRONMENT Spring Equinox unites campus and community Page Nine

OPINION Palestine advocates should vote Biden Page Thirteen

SPORTS Tar Heels dominate Baseball at home Page Fifteen

ARTS & CULTURE 2024 Oscars: Snubs and Dubs Page Seventeen

Old Gold & Black This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Committee

Graduation is for celebration, not regrets COVID-19 should not take the spotlight on graduation day When COVID-19 shut down the entire world, the class of 2024 was in the midst of their college decision process and a couple of months away from their high school graduations. Upon arriving at Wake Forest their freshman year, they were made to social distance during a pinnacle time in their lives when typically students are encouraged to socialize and make connections.

Many of their trajectories took unexpected turns and they were left to deal with mass uncertainty.

Now they’re preparing to walk across the stage and experience their long-awaited and, for most of them, first ever graduation ceremony. Certainly, many will reflect on their unpredictable journey — on

their collective strength during struggles, dress. Our only words of advice to Dr. Coon their positivity in difficult times and hen would be to take on an uplifting tone on their ability to make the best out of and speak optimistically about the future nothing. As much as graduation may be a rather than reflect on the terrible sacrifices moment for the class that were made due to of 2024 to think back COVID-19.

A celebration of to the times of the Graduation is a pandemic, however, time to look forward accomplishments should to the future and to it should not, and cannot, take the spot- not be filled with could’ve, celebrate the hard light. work each student has should've or would’ve.

Dr. Mandy K. Codone, as well as the hen, Director for the friendships they have Centers for Disease formed during their Control and Prevention, is set to deliver time in university. It’s a time to reflect on the commencement address. She is an ac- this special time in their lives when they complished health expert and leader and got to live only a few doors down from will undoubtedly give an incredible ad- most of their friends and have group din-

ners every night at The Pit. Their memories and experiences have shaped who they are today. A celebration of accomplishments should not be filled with could’ve, should've or would’ve. It is about not regretting the process and the journey.

At the bare minimum, the class of 2024 deserves the sense of normalcy they never had. We encourage them to look back on their time at Wake Forest and all of the challenges that came with it with a sense of pride. More importantly, though, we hope they look toward their future with hope and excitement, and that the challenges they faced do not overshadow all of the good they have experienced throughout their college years.

Old Gold&Black THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY SINCE 1916

MADDIE STOPYRA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF stopmf21@wfu.edu

BREANNA LAWS

SHAILA PRASAD

EVAN HARRIS

RYDER SOLBERG

MANAGING EDITOR

DEPUTY EDITOR

MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

BUSINESS MANAGER

lawsbn21@wfu.edu

prassp21@wfu.edu

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>> NEWS Claire O'Brien, obricc22@wfu.edu Maria Silveira, silvmt23@wfu.edu >> FEATURES Natasha Heisenberg, heisng20@wfu.edu >> ENVIRONMENT Ella Klein, kleiek22@wfu.edu Addison Schmidt, schmac21@wfu.edu >> OPINION Virginia Noone, noonvc21@wfu.edu Dillon Clark, clardj22@wfu.edu >> SPORTS Andrew Braun, brauar23@wfu.edu Sean Kennedy, kennsm21@wfu.edu

>> ARTS & CULTURE Lydia Derris, derrlf23@wfu.edu James Watson, watsjc22@wfu.edu

>> PHOTO Isabella Parolini, paroir22@wfu.edu >> VIDEO Jack Perez, perejw22@wfu.edu >> SOCIAL MEDIA Lucy Roberts, robels20@wfu.edu >> COPY CHIEF Alex Keating, keatam23@wfu.edu >> WEBMASTER Christina Tran, tranth21@wfu.edu >> ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Ava Cofiell, cofiac20@wfu.edu >> EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Breanna Laws (Chair), lawsbn21@wfu.edu

Virginia Noone, noonvc21@wfu.edu Dillon Clark, clardj22@wfu.edu Gray Lowder, lowdag23@wfu.edu Jacob Graff, grafje20@wfu.edu Carter Mcdonald, mcdocd23@wfu.edu

>> ADVISER Pheobe Zerwick, zerwicp@wfu.edu

Want to write for us? Email wfuogb@gmail.com

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The Old Gold & Black is published Thursdays during the school year, except during examinations, summer and holiday periods, by Triangle Web Printing of Durham. The views expressed in all opinion pieces and advertisements contained within this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Old Gold & Black. As part of our commitment to reporting news fairly and accurately, we will not remove any previously published content online unless it is retracted. If an error in either our online or print content is brought to our attention, we will revise the originally published article with an appended correction. In order to facilitate thoughtful and appropriate debate, profane, vulgar, or inflammatory comments on our website are not allowed and will be deleted. Comments which incite violence, target individuals in a form of cyber bullying, or which promote ideas which vilify marginalized communities will be deleted, and proper authorities may be notified and involved. >> SUBMISSIONS The OGB welcomes submissions in the form of story tips, columns and letters to the editor.

Letters to the editor should be fewer than 500 words, and columns should be around 500 words. Send yours via e-mail to stopmf21@wfu.edu the Monday before publication. We reserve the right to edit all letters for length and clarity. No anonymous letters will be printed. >> ONLINE MEDIA Web: wfuogb.com Facebook: facebook.com/ogb1916 X (Twitter): @wfuogb Instagram: @wfuogb TikTok: @wfuogb Sports X (Twitter): @wfuogbsports

News | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, April 4, 2024 | Page 3

October 7: Survivor of Hamas attack shares her experience been killed.

“Every shot echoed in your ear ten times Sasi is one of the survivors of the Palmore; everything was louder, more inestinian militant group Hamas’ surprise tense,” Sasi said. attack on Oct. 7 at the music festival and Sasi shared that her uncle died during Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip — a the attack and that she was one of nine Palestinian territory that Israel and Egypt people in the bomb shelter who survived. have blockaded for 16 years (Editor’s Note: Since then, she has continuously spoken The Old Gold & Black follows AP Style out about her experience in the media guidance, which is to refer to Hamas as and advocates for those who have lost a militant group). The attacks resulted in their lives as a result of the ongoing Israelthe death of roughly 1,200 people and the Hamas war. capture of 240 people. In response, Israel “I’m not gonna shut up because it hapcarried out air strikes and sent troops into pened to me as an American girl on vaGaza. The Gazan Health Ministry says cation … I have the right to be upset; I Israel’s offensive, precipitated by Hamas’ have the right to speak my mind,” Sasi attack, has resulted in the death of over said. “Don’t be afraid to be a Jew, don’t be 30,000 people. afraid to show your pride.”

During the event, Sasi explained that After Sasi recounted her story, she she is originally from Los Angeles, Calif., shared personal photos and videos taken and she traveled to Israel for over a month at the festival before the attacks, inside around the time of the attack to visit the shelter and immediately after being friends and family who lived there. rescued. Following Oct. 7 she posted one According to Sasi, her cousin was one of video taken inside the shelter that went viral on social media, which she made as a final goodbye to her mother, who was not at the festival. From one short video revealing the inside of the small area, she was able to assist in the identification process of missing people and identify the bodies of six people who had died in the shelter.

The event transitioned into a Q&A facilitated by Chloe Mazo, president of Chabad, and Sadikman. The two asked Sasi a series of questions such as how she has coped since Oct. 7.

“I find that speaking really helps, in moderation of course, and spending time with other survivors,” Sasi said. “I’ve noticed you heal by bonding with trauma …

Photo courtesy of @chabadwake on Instagram it’s healing to spend time with people you relate to.” Ǥ Mazo and Sadikman also asked Sasi

Continued from Page 1

the organizers and performers at the Nova Music Festival, and Sasi extended her stay in Israel to attend. She recounted her experience at the festival the night before the attack.

“It was very magical, very special … it was a wonderful night,” Sasi said.

As the sun rose on the morning of Oct. 7, Sasi recalled looking up into the sky and seeing rockets, which she first believed to be fireworks. Following the initial rocket strikes, Sasi and some of her family members ran to their car and located a nearby bomb shelter. Sasi said that the bomb shelter built for roughly 10 people was filled with 30-40 festival goers, including herself and her uncle.

Over these seven hours, multiple Hamas militants fired into the short hallway entrance of the shelter and threw in grenades and Molotov cocktails. Sasi recalled the experience of being trapped in the small, cement bomb shelter and hiding for seven hours under the bodies of those who had

what college students can do to continue supporting her and the community.

“Seek the truth and facts,” Sasi said. “It’s important to support the Jewish people … just support each other.”

Sadikman shared with the Old Gold & Black the process of organizing the event through the Faces of October 7 organization.

“Amit, who’s the Israel fellow, and I were planning on hosting something like this,” Sadikman said. “We wanted to bring an event like this to campus just to provide a learning opportunity for any students that wanted to participate in it. Eventually, Amit was the one who contacted the organization that allows these speakers to travel around and sponsors them speaking in different places.”

While discussing the primary purpose of hosting the event, Mazo expressed the weight of Oct. 7 and the ongoing war.

“Most people just see this as a political conflict,” Mazo said. “But to us, it’s much more than that. It’s also part of our roots.

It hits close to home. Oct. 7 was a devastating event for the entire Jewish community and the greater communities.”

Freshman attendee Sadie Oreck explained the importance of listening to the voices of those affected by the attack on Oct. 7.

“Not really that many people know about the details of the event on Oct. 7,” Oreck said. “I think [Sasi’s story] was just really eye-opening to what those people went through on that day, especially to have the ability to hear someone who was actually there.”

Contact Maria Silveira at silvmt23@wfu.edu

ǣ ϐ ͳ Continued from Page 1 “Empowering clubs with ample funding while keeping Student Government approachable and casual is my mission as treasurer,” Bozkurtian said. “Let’s strike that balance — we’re in college, not Congress.”

Secretary There are two candidates for the secretary position — Junior Bayla Sheshadri and Sophomore Blake Sterling. Sheshadri expressed that she would prioritize students in her five-point platform.

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to run for Student Government secretary,” Sheshadri said. “Throughout my three years in Student Government, I have learned to be a passionate advocate for students and a strong leader. As secretary, my priority would be you.”

She continued: “My platform consists of five major points: increasing student engagement and access to Student Government (both [the executive board] and

senators), bettering collaboration with student organizations, prioritizing student safety, bettering campus accessibility and getting important information from the administration to students promptly.”

Sterling stated that communication is crucial for a successful secretary.

“In my upcoming campaign for [Wake Forest] Student Government secretary, I am deeply passionate about incorporating energy and enthusiasm into our leadership journey,” Sterling said. “I want to not only increase Student Government participation but promote diversity by celebrating our unique identities through fostering increased communication between SG and various clubs around campus.”

She continued: “External communication is just one way to improve SG, [and] I would love to also strengthen current relationships between the SG governing body and its various affiliate branches of the [SBAC] and Student Organizations Judicial Assembly (SOJA). I know next year will be wonderful, let’s do it together!”

Class Senators Alongside voting for executive officers, students will have the opportunity to choose their class senators. Here are the candidates for senators Class of 2025 Lillie Davenport Maureen Murray Stella Ross Class of 2026 Salvatore Cascio Nandini Dube Theresa Murphy Samantha Servin Amaya Williams Class of 2027 Shrihan Atluri Hailey Auster Kaitlyn Bernas Ayden Boucher

POLICE BEAT • •

A Honda Civic was taken from the PVA of Magnolia Residence Hall. The report was filed at 7:02 p.m. on March 27.

A record album was reported missing from room A43 in Farrell Hall. The report was filed at 4:09 p.m. on March 29.

Maddox Braue Jazlynn Carela Dylan Flack Mary Brooks Hall Cate Hardin Angela Jung Eliza Kalina Emily Kilgallen Kevin Lee Evan Lichtenstein Thomas Long Gray Lowder Maximillian Mattiko Carter McDonald Camille Rogers Hanna Shakarov Alex Shen Jaxson Williams The results of the elections will be announced by Student Government on April 10 after 12 p.m. Students can hear more from candidates running for executive offices at the candidate’s debate at 7 p.m. on April 7 in the ZSR auditorium.

Contact Maddie Stopyra at stopmf21@wfu.edu

Page 4|Thursday, April 4, 2024

Old Gold & Black|News

Stein: Democratic nominee speaks with student publications Continued from Page 1 He cited previous statements in which Robinson describes members of the LGBTQ+ community as ‘filth’ and a sermon where he compared them to “what the cows leave behind” and “maggots.”

Education After Stein gave opening remarks, student publications were able to ask Stein questions about this campaign and platform. The Old Gold & Black asked about Stein’s response to Leandro vs. N.C. — a landmark public education state case that the new Republican-majority North Carolina Supreme Court re-heard elements of in February.

Leandro affirmed the right to a “sound basic education” for children in the state.

Decades later, unsatisfied with the state’s compliance in promoting that right, the N.C. Supreme Court ordered the legislature to adopt elements of the Comprehensive Remedial Plan, or “Leandro Plan,” in 2021.

The ambitious “Leandro Plan” requires over $5 billion in spending for public schools through 2028. But the legislature has failed to keep up the pace. The state’s high court once again ordered the funds transfer in 2022 — but the court’s ideological makeup was changed soon after, as a Republican majority took control of the court.

Republican Senate President Phil Berger and Speaker of the House Tim Moore took the case back to court, arguing the legislature alone has discretion over education spending.

Now, the Leandro funding hangs in the balance.

The Old Gold & Black asked Stein how he as Governor would respond if Leandro was overturned. He expressed his frustration that the plan was back in court again, arguing that the decision had already been affirmed and the money was ready to be spent.

“Right now we as a state are underfunding all of that,” Stein said. “And in essence undermining the quality of public education being delivered in North Carolina. We are No. 49 in the country in what we spend on K-12 as a share of our state’s economy, which is a disgrace. We’re No. 46 in starting teachers pay – lower than every neighboring state.”

He continued: “The pay is not adequate.

So Leandro is a great opportunity for us to do right by the students. My office was part of negotiating the resolution along with the governor and plaintiffs to come up with this comprehensive plan. That is billions of dollars over an eight year period of time. It can get North Carolina back up to where it needs to be, and we can recruit and retain excellent teachers and fill all the necessary other school personnel staffing shortages that we need to, and it matters.”

Mental Health

Photo courtesy of Josh Stein for North Carolina

Josh Stein sits down with multiple student publications to discuss his priorities for the state.

Last week, The Old Gold & Black alongside eight other collegiate newsrooms published “A Statewide Issue,” a collaborative reporting project unpacking the mental health crisis endured by young North Carolinians across the state.

UNC Charlotte’s Niner Times, a partner in that project, asked the Attorney General about how his ad-

ministration will prioritize mental health both on the state and university levels.

Stein highlighted his record as Attorney General, launching lawsuits against Juul, Meta and other companies he said enabled anxiety and depression among young people. He explained that the mental health crisis is a symptom of a broader need for more investment in public education.

“I talked in my last answer about public education and the deficiency of the state’s investment in social workers and nurses and counselors and our high schools,” Stein said. “We’ve got to connect with young people where they are to help them deal with the stresses of life.”

He also celebrated Governor Cooper’s expansion of medicare coverage in 2023 as a vital part of his mission to combat the state’s mental health challenges.

“We not only delivered or made available health care to 600,000 North Carolinians who didn’t have health insurance — which by the way that helps them pay for health care, including mental health care — but unlocked $1.6 billion incentive payment from the federal government, which the Department of Health and Human Services and the legislature have allocated towards mental health because we do not have an adequate mental health care system in the state,” Stein said.

Housing Another significant issue the state faces, housing, was featured prominently in the discussion.

North Carolina is experiencing an explosion of economic growth driven by highprofile investments from the manufacturing and tech sectors. In 2023, CNBC ranked North Carolina as the best state for business for the second consecutive year.

At the same time, home prices are increasing year-over-year in North Carolina by 5.6%. And in terms of low-income affordable housing, city governments across the state are struggling to keep up — especially in Winston-Salem.

This month will mark the first time in two years that Winston-Salem has opened

up low-income Section 8 housing vouchers for enrollment. The city currently estimates they are short 16,000 units.

“We have got to increase the supply of housing, and when I say increase the supply of housing I mean of every kind: single-family housing, duplexes, triplexes, condominiums, apartments, high-end apartments, medium-end departments and low-end apartments,” Stein said.

Stein says that the state can and should be doing more to encourage local governments to prioritize housing construction.

“They are the ones who have zoning requirements,” he said. “They’re the ones who have set the rules for construction in their communities. And what I want is for the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency to have a chunk of money that goes to local governments that incentivize the construction of more and varied types of housing.”

Though it hasn’t been a full month since “Super Tuesday,” North Carolina’s election season has already proven a busy one – especially with the state’s Republican-favored district maps still embroiled in ongoing litigation. Stein says that when you crunch the numbers, there’s more that unites us than divides. Gerrymandering, he says, attempts to convince us otherwise and incentivizes extremism.

“The legislature can engage in abusive, egregious partisan gerrymandering, and there’s nothing that the state constitution can do about it. That is a real problem. Because what gerrymandering does is it drives people to their extreme because you’re not worried about losing a general election in a competitive election,” Stein said.

“There are a lot of people of different parties who see the world similarly and find opportunities for compromise. Today in Congress, there is zero.”

The Old Gold & Black will be reaching out to candidates, including Robinson, for similar interviews ahead of the 2024 election.

James Watson at watsjc22@wfu.edu

Winston-Salem City Council approves Polo Road improvement project Upgrades to pedestrian saftey will be made on Polo Road JESSICA BARRY Contributing Writer The Winston-Salem City Council passed a resolution on Monday, April 1 awarding an over 3 million dollar contract to improve pedestrian infrastructure along Polo Road.

A 1.35-mile-long stretch of Polo Road between its intersections with University Parkway and Ransom Road — which runs along Wake Forest’s campus — will see upgrades to pedestrian safety, including the addition of pedestrian and vehicle signals and the construction of a new sidewalk.

The corridor will also see new traffic islands, traffic signs, repaving and improvements to erosion control and stormwater drainage.

Part of the $3,478,778.75 project includes $380,000 that will be reallocated from a previously passed Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements project. The Project Budget Ordinance was originally approved on June 20, 2023.

The improvement project is designed by HDR, Inc., an employee-owned design and engineering corporation.

After two rounds of advertising, a bid for completing the improvement project was received from Atlantic Contracting Company of Greensboro, N.C. on Feb. 15 for $3,478,778.75. A contract will be awarded to Atlantic Contracting Company in that amount, executed by the City Manager and City Clerk on behalf of the City of Winston-Salem.

Atlantic Contracting Company agreed to

the specifications of subcontracting goals set by the City: they will subcontract 11% of the contract with minority-owned businesses and 7% of the contract with womenowned businesses.

The resolution comes a month after the Winston-Salem Department of Transportation constructed a crosswalk at the intersection of Long Drive and University Parkway. The Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) reported that over the last five years, there have been two traffic accidents at the intersection.

The initial round of bidding closed on Jan. 25 — just one day before the accident on Jan 26. Bidding was reopened on Feb. 15 when Atlantic Contracting subsequently made their winning offer.

City Council did not respond to the Old

Gold & Black’s request for comment.

Students voiced their support for the improvements, citing continued safety concerns. Freshman Julia Davis cited the stretch of Polo Rd. that does not have sidewalks as a needed improvement.

“I think they should add better sidewalks, so there are better places for the pedestrians to walk instead of on the actual road,” freshman Julia Davis said.

Another freshman, Clio Rao, stated that prioritizing safety is critical in any city.

“I think that putting up legislation that goes toward promoting safety is a good move for Winston-Salem… and I think it’s an overdue initiative.”

Contact Jessica Barry at barrjc23@wfu.edu

Thursday, April 4, 2024 | Page 5

News | Old Gold & Black

Blossoming in color: Wake Forest celebrates Holi Co-hosts HSA and SASA bring Hindu springtime celebration to campus SHAILA PRASAD Deputy Editor On March 30, members of the Wake Forest community gathered on Manchester Plaza to celebrate the Hindu festival Holi. Hosted by the Hindu Student Association (HSA) and the South Asian Student Association (SASA), one of the first sunny days of the year brought a large crowd.

Holi is known around the world for its colored powder (“gulal”) and water gun (“pichkari”) fights.

Rooted in Hinduism, the festival of color marks the beginning of spring, symbolizes new beginnings and celebrates the love between Hindu gods Radha and Krishna.

“One thing I really appreciate about celebrating on campus is that everyone who doesn’t celebrate or isn’t familiar with the culture is so appreciative,” President of HSA Meera Doran said. “Having the space and chance to celebrate can give you a taste of what you’re missing at home.”

The celebration began with musical performances from student organizations, including Deacon Dhamaal, Momentum, Lost In Translation (L.I.T), Innuendo and a solo dance performance from sophomore Priya Mendiratta. Attendees gathered around the fire pits in Manchester Plaza to watch, and others stood in line for Indian food from local restaurant Curry and Noodle.

“Performing is always super fun,” Doran said. “I’m one of the choreographers for Deacon Dhamaal, and it’s always satisfying when it goes well.”

With Bollywood music curated by Wake Radio playing in the background and the smell of gulab jamun, an Indian dessert, in the air, graduate student Ahan Swamy couldn’t help but think of home.

“I used to celebrate Holi a lot [in India], but being disconnected from home, celebrating here really reestablishes that connection,” Swamy said.

Ananya Lal, a senior from New Delhi, India who is a member of both SASA and HSA, commented on

the curiosity that her non-Indian friends expressed.

“They were apprehensive at first, but each year I’ve brought them they’ve always loved it,” Lal said.

“I get text messages saying, ‘What was that?’ and ‘What was that dessert that we ate?’”

The food and performances were followed by the distribution of water guns and two packets of colored powder per person. Most attendIsabella Parolini/Old Gold & Black ees had a white The Deacon Dhamaal student dance group showcased a variety of dances at T-shirt provided the annual Holi celebration on Manchester Plaza on Saturday, March 31. by the organizers and sunglasses to but because we started planning so early, we did a protect their eyes. After a quick group picture, the great job of fixing every issue.” chaos began. the fun, some Hindu students shed light The fights lasted for almost an hour, with attendees onAmidst the purpose of an event like Holi. going back to grab more colored powder and refill Both Lal and former HSA President Aman Khemtheir guns. Smiles filled Manchester Plaza and the lani attended the Un Encanto OLAS Formal hosted empty bucket of water only left attendees wanting by the Organization of Latin American Students more. the night before and emphasized the importance of When asked about the experience planning the showing up to celebrate other cultures on a campus event, Doran explained the months of preparation they believe lacks adequate diversity. that goes into the four-hour celebration. Alongside “A lot of people from campus are from small, rural co-hosting with SASA, service fraternity Alpha Phi towns, and they don’t know anything besides their Omega (APO) also helped out. bubble,” Khemlani said. “You can’t blame them; [Lal “We started planning in December,” Doran said. and I] don’t know stuff about other cultures. But “It felt like everything that could’ve gone wrong did, experiences like Holi and the OLAS formal are some of the best ways to expose yourself to different food, music and traditions.”

Sophomore Alizeh Chamadri, secretary of SASA, explained how as a Muslim student of Indian ethnicity from Atlanta, GA., she felt she had a different perspective from others attending the event.

“Last year was my first time [celebrating] Holi,” Chamradi said, while explaining how her favorite part of this year’s event was getting a cooler of ice poured on her by her friends, which she admitted was also simultaneously “terrible.”

She continued: “It was fun to see how my Hindu friends celebrated the holiday and how it brought them so much joy. I felt honored to be a part of it, it was amazing.”

Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students Matt Clifford also attended the event. Although disappointed to have missed the colors, he encouraged students to continue stretching their comfort zones outside of the classroom.

“Wake Forest is committed and steeped in the liberal arts tradition, which means we’re trying in the classroom to expose [students] to different ways of thinking,” Clifford said. “Why should that stop there?”

Senior Mia Handler echoed Clifford’s sentiments and was grateful to have the opportunity to experience other cultures.

“Part of being in college is trying new things,” Handler said, covered head to toe in colored powder. “I feel like if you’re a curious person, which … I hope you are, you just want to learn more about the Isabella Parolini/Old Gold & Black world.”

During the Holi celebration, students were given packets of colored powder known as “gulal” to be thrown in the air to represent new beginnings, and the start of the spring season.

Contact Shaila Prasad at prassp21@wfu.edu

FEATURES

PAGE 6 THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2024

Natasha Heisenberg, heisng20@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

Island time in Georgia A glimpse into spring break with Outdoor Pursuits ADDISON SCHMIDT Environment Editor

Each time I step outside of my comfort zone and explore new outdoor experiences, I am overwhelmed by its profound impact on my mental well-being.

Overcoming challenges alongside others — especially those whom I may not have known well previously — improves my self-esteem drastically each time and forms unique connections otherwise unattainable.

It was with this in mind that I decided to forgo a restful week away from “Work Forest” in favor of embarking upon a physically arduous backpacking trip led by Outdoor Pursuits along the Georgia coast this spring break.

Trips vary by year, but this year’s included a backpacking trip to Catalina Island, Calif., Joshua Tree National Park, Calif. and Cumberland Island, Ga. I chose the Cumberland Island trip due mainly to its lack of airplane travel (I have had horrible luck with planes lately) and its relatively inexpensive price tag.

Cumberland Island is a National Seashore located just north of the Florida-Georgia border (or line, if you’re the band). It features towering trees covered in Spanish moss, the remains of burned nineteenthcentury estates, armadillos rustling in the woods, wild horses and a preserved Southeastern coastal landscape unlike any I had ever seen before, even though I frequented the North Carolina and South Carolina coasts throughout my childhood.

It was cold and pouring rain at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 9 when I and 11 other Wake Forest students departed from the Outdoor Pursuits garage on the

bottom floor of the Sutton Center. It was a less-thanideal start to a trip that was set to consist of surfing, backpacking and al- most total immersion in the outdoors.

That afternoon we arrived at a campground on Tybee Island where we would spend the next three nights. After setting up our tents, we huddled around picnic tables and munched on Goldfish. We walked ten minutes to the beach, where we partook in a rousing round of hacky sack despite the wind and cold.

On Sunday, a few of us braved the morning with a frigid swim in ill-fitting, sleeveless wetsuits designed for whitewater kayaking. We lasted 10-15 minutes in the water before braving the even colder land again.

We returned to the campsite for lunch before heading off on our second activity of the day: biking.

Biking was a replacement activity for what was initially supposed to be a surf lesson. A complete and utter lack of waves along the shore that afternoon completely squashed that plan and led us to a haphazard but adventurous bike ride along the busy highway on Tybee Island. Cars whizzed past our group of eight (three people chose to hike instead of bike) at 50 miles per hour while we trudged along.

On our way back toward the bike shop, we stopped at a craft market where we watched a man paint impressive scenes of Savannah using only a pallet knife and perused between booths of handmade jewelry.

Monday was spent in the city of Savannah, which is located just over the bridge from Tybee Island on the mainland. It was my first-ever visit, and the epiphytic Spanish moss blanketing the city’s trees didn’t disappoint. Our fears that the plant was invasive were

unfounded, and a quick Google search confirmed that its presence was actually an indicator of a native species thriving in a clean-air environment. We reveled in its presence even more after that.

In Savannah, a group of two friends and I walked from Forsyth Park through downtown and toward the banks of the Savannah River, which separates Georgia and South Carolina. Along the way, we enjoyed our first non-bagged coffee in days, browsed inside a bookstore, visited the historic Catholic Cathedral and took a mid-afternoon taco break. After meeting up with the rest of our troop for dinner, we headed back for an early night to prepare for our departure for Cumberland Island.

The drive from Savannah to St. Mary’s is around two hours long, and we were booked on the 9 a.m. ferry to the island. To avoid missing the boat, we left Tybee Island at 5:30 a.m. As they graciously drove the vans toward the Florida border, many of us napped in the backseats.

Arriving on Cumberland Island was an end to the anticipation we had all been holding onto for days, and it did not disappoint.

Sunny skies and warmer weather greeted us as we left our packs at SeaCamp and walked a mile toward the ruins of the old estate. The history buffs among us were entranced by the structure, but the bugs in that area near the river were rampant — this wouldn’t be the last time we encountered their wrath.

We walked back to SeaCamp, ate lunch and departed upon our backpacking adventure. Tuesday was our longest day by far, clocking a lengthy 7.5 miles along the Parallel Trail and toward Yankee Paradise

Addison Schmidt/Old Gold & Black

The Cumberland Island landscape is characterized by trees covered in Spanish moss, which provide shade for hikers and campers during the day. Students on the Cumberland Island spring break trip grew accustomed to the presence of this moss throughout the island.

Thursday, April 4, 2024 | Page 7

Features | Old Gold & Black

Addison Schmidt/Old Gold & Black

Students on the Cumberland Island trip were able to watch the sunset over the river from their campsite, Brickhill Bluff, on the second night. The Outdoor Pursuits trip allowed Wake Forest students to reconnect with nature during their week-long break.

— our first campsite.

The walk was stunning albeit somewhat uneventful. The trees reminded us of our guest status on an island where nature abounds; we pointed out armadillos left and right, and I fell back into my age-old habit of questioning if a small green crust at the bottom of a tree was lichen or fungi .

Upon our arrival, we took a short-lived break before leaving our packs to walk a mile to the beach.

Although I was a bit exhausted, and my feet were already screaming in pain from a long day of walking, the trek was worth it when we arrived and found we

were the only people in sight. The broad strand of beach was flanked by dunes that led back into the forest, creating a landscape that was both a marvel and a reminder to me of the value of protecting native areas.

Wednesday consisted only of a brief three-mile walk northward to Brickhill Bluff, a campsite next to the river. The sunset that evening was stunning, but the bugs forced us into our tents early. In our haste to get away from them, we left our trash bag on the ground — a mistake that led to some frightful sounds that evening as raccoons helped themselves to

Addison Schmidt/Old Gold & Black

Participants of this year's spring break trip to Cumberland Island walk along the beach. Outdoor Pursuits ran two other trips in addition to the Cumberland Island trip, all led by students.

our leftovers. The next morning all of our trash was splayed out in the woods next to the campsite, and a small hole emerged in the only trash bag we had on an island with strict pack-out rules.

On Thursday we were supposed to walk around 5.5 miles back southward to Hickory Hill, a site just south of Yankee Paradise where we stayed the first night. After a couple of hours of hiking, however, we arrived and decided to keep walking another two miles southward to Stafford Beach.

We arrived at the Stafford Beach campsite and quickly realized that our permit wouldn’t allow us to camp there. Still, the temperature had warmed up significantly and hovered around 80 degrees — perfect beach weather — and we were determined to make the best of our trek.

The vibes were at an all time high that afternoon despite our exhaustion; we lounged for hours, went for a swim, ate dinner, had dance battles and played hacky sack. As the sun began to set, we set off along the beach toward Hickory Hill farther north. My legs were lead, but golden hour kept morale high through the longest two miles of my life.

Friday morning we struggled through our final five miles back to SeaCamp. Upon arrival, we secured a spot on the earlier ferry back to the mainland, took a group picture and hobbled onto the ferry.

We spent our last night in a cozy Airbnb and took our first showers in days. Dinner that night was luxurious, and I’ll never forget when we were sitting on the roof playing a round of hot seat when it suddenly began pouring rain.

In the days since our return to Wake Forest, I find myself eternally grateful for my time in Georgia alongside my fellow students– despite the nine blisters I acquired on my feet in the process. We tackled challenging situations and laughed together even though many of us didn’t know each other’s names at the beginning of the trip.

Despite its challenges, I never regret the time I spend outdoors and my trip to Cumberland Island was no exception. For those considering it, I can’t recommend Outdoor Pursuits trips enough. Whether you go on a day trip during the semester or a weeklong spring break trip, you are bound to make countless unforgettable memories.

Contact Addison Schmidt at schmac21@wfu.edu

Page 8 | Thursday, April 4, 2024

Old Gold & Black | Features

ROTC: Challenge and camaraderie :DNH )RUHVW¶V 5HVHUYH 2I¿FHU 7UDLQLQJ &RUSV FUHDWHV FRPPXQLW\ JULIA KNOWLES Contributing Writer

If ROTC ever crosses someone’s mind, it might conjure up the image of students in full army gear — and that’s it.

Few understand what ROTC truly entails.

ROTC, or Reserve Officer Training Corps, offers a path to commission as an army officer upon graduation. It’s one of several routes to becoming a military officer, emphasizing leadership in both civilian and military spheres.

Emma Sabin, a senior in charge of fundraising and recruitment, explains that ROTC’s ultimate aim is commissioning — graduating as an officer.

“Typically, in order to become an officer, the defining factor is that you have a military-based college education,” Sabin said. “That’s what ROTC is for.”

While that sounds intimidating to many, ROTC is a lot more like a club than one might think. Sabin described freshman year — the beginning — as an introductory experience, consisting of integration into the army lifestyle and training on how to be a good cadet.

“As you work up, there are opportunities for you to assume leadership positions and actually practice some of the things that you’re learning about because the ROTC motto is ‘Leadership Excellence,’” Sabin said.

The motto is evidently ingrained into the senior class of ROTC, who lead and organize most of the training events, with some help from the Cadre — active duty Army personnel that oversee the entire program. The leadership positions that the seniors hold are called staff positions.

So what does becoming a member of ROTC entail?

Nick Dowling, senior and army active, described the process as different than most. Dowling came into college Rocio Vasquez/Old Gold & Black without any idea of what ROTC was.

Wake Forest ROTC members gather in the Magnolia Room for this year’s annual “I didn’t know about the army,” Dowling said. “I didn’t Military Ball, which serves as a celebration for all battalions in the military. come from a military family at all. I was planning on playing college soccer. And then, at the last minute, I didn’t, and do tactical exercises, small scale combat scenarios and Mountain man and I came here, and I didn’t have a team or anything like tasks like a rappel tower, which consists of cadets making that.”

In addition to the daily activities for ROTC, cadets par- their way down a tower with a harness.

Dowling joined ROTC because he heard they worked ticipate in various events. Junior Abby Costello is in charge Costello recalled one of these training events in particular out, so he emailed the first person he saw on the website of organizing the Ranger Company and Mountain Man, because it was raining very hard that day.

“I remember my freshman year, at the end of our day they and asked, “Hey, can I come and work out with you guys two of ROTC’s biggest events.

“The Ranger Company is a competition that happens came up with several boxes of pizza,” Costello said. “So we to see what it’s like?”

Dowling ended up getting a scholarship after a year and every October, which trains young cadets to take positions had a little pizza party in this shell of a town. And so we’re a half and has even become battalion commander, which of leadership by focusing on different army skills,” Costello sitting there, desolate in the woods, and it’s pouring rain, but everybody is in a great mood, because now you have said. in club terms is similar to the president. pizza. Really a mood booster. Food after being outside for Costello is also in charge of organizing the Mountain “I always say, if someone would have told me coming two days is life changing.”

Man for the Wake Forest ROTC group, which is a march into college that I would be in the position I am today, I’d This life-changing bond is especially evident during in honor of a first lieutenant who was killed in action in Iraq have said they were crazy,” Dowling said. “So you never on June 16, 2007. events like the Military Ball, hosted this year in the Magknow what can happen if you just keep an open mind and There are several ways to participate in this yearly event, nolia Room. The Military Ball acts as a customary gathertry new things.” which takes place in Gatlinburg, Tenn.: a marathon ruck, ing for every battalion in the military, serving to strengthen a half marathon ruck, a marathon run and a half marathon connections with one another beyond a formal training enA day in the life of a cadet run. Costello described the event as very fulfilling. vironment.

“I didn’t think I’d be able to do 26 miles in a day with a The ball provides cadets with the opportunity to eat toFor Sabin, a typical Thursday begins with physical train- 35-pound pack on,” Costello said. “It was a lot of fun getting gether and listen to the insights of seasoned military meming (PT) at 5:55 a.m., including gym workouts or rucks, to walk with some of my friends.” bers. Events like the Military Ball truly cement the recurwhich are long walks with a 35-pound bag. Following PT, Costello estimated that their group has rucked about 60 ring sentiment expressed by members of ROTC — they’re Sabin joins senior staff meetings to coordinate events and miles over the past month to month-and-a-half. a family. attends military science class focused on leadership. After Anna Brooker, senior and army active, said such programs breakfast, Sabin tackles her classes. At 2 p.m., senior cadets have greatly increased her confidence. Brooker noted that “Better citizens and better leaders” go to their lab to practice tactical leadership exercises. And she used to have great difficulty with public speaking, but now she is very comfortable with it. Many of the things that after 5 p.m., they’re done.

For those involved, ROTC is a community of integrity, a Despite this seemingly enormous list of responsibilities, she has done in ROTC have made the rest of her life seem place where cadets work together to become better as indiDowling describes involvement in ROTC as being up to much easier in comparison. viduals and as a unit. There’s an atmosphere of camaraderie “It’s like, ‘Yeah, I’ve done this amplified, times two and that permeates wherever they are and a deep-seated sense of the cadet. “You could come in as a cadet and just do, you know, the bare minimum stuff, which is fine — showing way worse — in the rain before — so it’s not even that bad,’ community and comfort coming from hours on end spent training and working together. up to PT, your class and the lab, and that’s about it,” Dowl- you know?” Brooker said.

Brooker recommended that “everyone finds a group that ing said.

Fostering community pushes them out of their comfort zone and that helps them He emphasized that while ROTC is a big time commitbecome better — better citizens and better leaders.” ment, there is always time to focus on other things.

ROTC isn’t only about the strenuous rucks or military Costello echoed this sentiment.

“One thing I think people think is that when you’re in labs. Costello described one of her most memorable expe“We’ve got a really great community,” Costello said. “It’s ROTC, we have so much stuff, and this is all that we do,” riences, field training exercises (FTX), as a team bonding pretty small. It’s close knit. But even within here, we have so Dowling said. “But any new cadets that come in, one of the exercise. many opportunities to be in individual leadership positions. biggest things that we emphasize is [to] get out there, join FTX is run by Brooker and consists of training and team I think everyone here works very hard to take care of each clubs, join Greek life, fraternities, sororities — whatever it building. These training events are conducted for one weekmight be — because we want you to be a well-rounded end each semester, from Friday morning through Sunday other and to better each other as a whole.” person. Don’t just make this the only thing that you do.” afternoon. Oftentimes, ROTC members will go to a fort Contact Julia Knowles at knowja23@wfu.edu

ENVIRONMENT OLD GOLD & BLACK

Ella Klein, kleiek22@wfu.edu Addison Schmidt, schmac21@wfu.edu

PAGE 9 THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2024

Winston-Salem blooms at Spring Equinox celebration $QQXDO 2I¿FH RI 6XVWDLQDELOLW\ HYHQW XQLWHV FDPSXV DQG FRPPXQLW\ TOWNE MOORES Contributing Writer Editor’s note: Environment Editor Ella Klein was one of the organizers of this event. She did not assist in the editing process of this article. Edits done by a section editor were completed by Addison Schmidt.

As you’ve likely noticed from the blooming flowers around campus and herds of students sunbathing on the Quad, spring has arrived! On Sunday, March 24, the Office of Sustainability celebrated its arrival by hosting its annual Spring Equinox Celebration.

The parking lot in front of the Wake Forest Campus Garden off Polo Road was packed with cars, all full of people eager to begin the celebration of a new season. The weather was beautiful, with the sun shining down on community members and students as they roamed from table to table, sipping on tea from the World Tea Association (WTA) and collaging using scraps collected by the Second Hand Art Collective (SHAC), a Winston-Salem-based nonprofit that collects and re-sells gently used art supplies.

Each year the Office of Sustainability hosts its annual Spring Equinox Celebration at the Campus Garden to kick off Wake Forest’s annual Earth Month celebration, which runs from mid-March to the end of April.

Throughout the month, the Office of Sustainability hosts many events to promote sustainability in conjunction with departments and organizations on campus. This year, the Earth Month lineup includes a Climate Justice Panel Discussion with environmental justice scholar-activists, a backpacking trip hosted by the Outdoor Pursuits, a buy-nothing sale, multiple environmentoriented film screenings and more.

Senior Campus Garden intern Mia Handler stated that the Spring Equinox Celebration is her favorite event each year due to the large number

of people it draws to the garden.

“Our volunteer hours for the Campus Gardens are great, and it’s awesome to see people there, but you are usually seeing the same faces,” Handler said. “This is my favorite event because it brings new people to the garden and really fosters a sense of community.”

Handler has been involved with the Campus Garden since her freshman year, but this is only her third time attending the Spring Equinox Festival due to the COVID-19 outbreak during her freshman year.

She stressed the importance of the Spring Equinox when it comes to fostering a sustainable community at Wake Forest.

“Wake [Forest] has some amazing events but doesn’t [usually] focus on sustainability events,” Handler said. “Sustainability doesn’t get brought to the mainstream. But that’s exactly what this event does.”

The Office of Sustainability collaborates with organizations across campus and throughout Winston-Salem to host the celebration. The Office of Sustainability’s Communications and Event Coordinator Jay Sauerman mentioned the interconnectedness of the event.

“This event has a lot of organizations from [Wake Forest’s] campus and the greater community coming together,” Sauerman noted.

This year, on-campus organizations including Wake Radio, the Birding and Conservation Society and ZSR Library attended the festival. There were also some nonprofits from around WinstonSalem such as the Piedmont Environmental Alliance, an organization that works to educate the Winston-Salem community on sustainability initiatives, as well as the aforementioned SHAC. First-time coordinator Sauerman expressed her excitement and gratitude regarding the festival.

“It’s great to celebrate with the greater campus,” Sauerman said. “The Spring Equinox Festival is an opportunity for students to get involved with

James Watson/Old Gold & Black

Participants painted upcyclced records at the Spring Equinox festival. Booths from multiple student and campus organizations were present, all with upcylcing activities.

James Watson/Old Gold & Black

Students, staff, faculty, along with community members were all invited to attend.

sustainability on campus.”

The organizations at the festival provided many sustainable and unique activities for students, ranging from making your own body scrub out of coffee grounds, brown sugar and essential oils, making Campus Garden buttons, painting scratched second-hand records and to petting a lamb. This year, a special stand run by Campus Garden interns asked attendees to suggest names for the chicks (presented at the event in their cage) that will occupy the garden’s coop as they grow older.

In addition to a variety of activities, the event also featured a robust menu of plant-based food.

Tables were covered with a variety of foods including black bean and sweet potato quesadillas, chocolate-dipped strawberries and vegan brownies.

While the tables of activities lined the yard, benches were set up in front of the band SCOBY, which provided entertainment for the festival.

Many students sat with their food and enjoyed the music and the scenery of the garden.

Senior Kristin Taylor has been a part of the Campus Garden leadership team since her junior year. She originally started out as a once-weekly Connect and Cultivate leader but enjoyed her time at the garden so much that she applied to be an intern this year.

When asked what the Spring Equinox Celebration means to her and the Wake Forest community, Taylor mentioned celebration and connection as two of her main takeaways.

“The Spring Equinox is an opportunity for students to gather with [other members of ] the Wake Forest community and enjoy the advent of spring,” Taylor said, adding that “it allows students to gain exposure to several of the organizations and student groups at their disposal and connect with new people.”

Taylor emphasized the impact that the Campus Garden and the Spring Equinox Celebration have had on her experience at Wake Forest.

“To me, the Spring Equinox [Festival] has always served as an important reminder of just how many resources are at our fingertips and how beautiful our garden space is on the cusp of spring.”

Contact Towne Moores at moortv22@wfu.edu

Page 10| Thursday, April 4, 2024

Old Gold & Black | Environment

Climate panel opens up environmental discussions The Environmental Program hosts discussion featuring climate justice activists ELLA KLEIN & ADDISON SCHMIDT Environtment Editors Editor’s note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

On Friday, March 22, the Environment and Sustainability Studies program hosted a Climate Justice Panel Discussion. Four scholaractivist justice panelists joined: Arielle King, José Saucedo, Leah Thomas and Alexis Raeana. Environment Editors Addison Schmidt and Ella Klein sat down to discuss the panel and the discussions incited around it.

King is an environmental justice educator and strategist, who hosts a podcast called the Joy Report, centering her climate activism around intersectionality and optimism.

Thomas is an author and activist who founded the Intersectional Environmentalist, coining the term incorporating justice into sustainability. Raeana is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe and the Eastern Regional Manager of Down Home NC. Saucedo is a Winston-Salem-based activist who works with PowerUP NC WinstonSalem as the Regional Community Field Organizer.

Addison Schmidt: So we went to the talk two Fridays ago, and I found it incredibly insightful.

I thought there was a wonderful lineup of people. I’ve been wanting to ask, what was your favorite part of the talk?

Ella Klein: I was excited in general. I’ve had some classes where the Intersectional Environmentalist was my textbook. I’ve read [Thomas’] work for so long; it was exciting to see her in-person. I wasn’t as familiar with the other panelists, but I feel that the panel did a great job of helping you get to know them.

Schmidt: I appreciated hearing from [more well-known] names like Thomas and King. It was super exciting. However, I also really enjoyed the perspective of José Saucedo and Alexis Raeana, the two more local panelists –– especially José, because he does his work here in Winston-Salem.

Klein: I was also excited to hear from [Saucedo]. I feel like I’ve gotten involved in environmental circles in Winston, but it reminded me that there are still many more environmental activists for me to meet in town.

Schmidt: That’s one great thing about the reporting we are trying to push, whether through your [article about the] Weaver fire or others, that focus on the community.

Likewise, the environmental pro-

gram has a focus now on getting out more in the community and involving students, which I think is incredibly important.

Klein: I agree. I also thought it was amazing that the panelists emphasized the point of community so much. [Raeana] brought up that awesome point about how community organizing is the way to go with environmental activism, and that’s such an undervalued point.

Schmidt: We’re in [an] interesting space right now, from my perspective, in the environmental movement. So many people are starting to become aware of environmental issues and want to get involved in activism; however, people aren’t exactly sure how to do that. Community organizing sounds more complicated than the go-to of urban gardening or other forms of individualized action. I’m happy we’re in this space where people are recognizing the importance of community action and coalition building, while also seeing individual action is important.

Klein: I can’t emphasize [enough] to people the point of community building. A lot of the time, that does come from volunteering in a community garden. You meet so many great people and can really build connections. It’s a way for me to further my activism as an environmentalist and as a journalist.

Honestly, I don’t think you can be a fully unbiased journalist, especially with environmental reporting.

Schmidt: No, I would agree.

That’s something I think about a lot –– it’s kind of a myth.

Klein: Honestly, it’s why I like the field so much. It’s a section of journalism that accepts the humanity of writing. It’s so essential to keep your personhood in there, especially when you’re talking about environmental reporting. They gave us a shout-out at the end of the panel, and it reminded me that I do the best work when I keep my community in my stories.

Schmidt: I agree. It was great to hear that people in the community were reading our work. One thing King talks about is the concept of radical imagination.

“It’s about living in the world as it is and daring to believe that something else is possible,” King said.

That stuck with me because I think that we get doom and gloom in the environmental movement.

Honestly, it’s hard not to. Some of our reporting has been going along with it, because there are other things, like the spring equinox. I like that we try [to] focus on the joy in the environment because, ultimately, that’s why we’re protecting it. Of course, we need it to survive, but it goes beyond that, you know?

Klein: I loved listening to King. I think it’s fun to see someone who’s having so much fun with their activism. When you are talking to your peers and community members about environmentalism, it’s important to not approach it with a scarcity mindset.

Tell them we could have so much green space, and all connect with nature. All of our animals could be cared for. We could be amazing stewards of the earth. We could live in a utopia, which is a radical concept to some people. It was wonderful they talked about that and tied it back to the community.

Schmidt: I think that links to when Saucedo was talking about barriers to environmental justice organizing, [and] he mentioned education. A lot of people who are most affected by environmental issues don’t have the terminology or the resources to talk about in the form of environmental justice.

It’s really powerful, and that goes along with the point you emphasize about community organizing.

Klein: [Saucedo] is just a cool guy. I’m excited that there are these awesome activists out there in Winston-Salem fighting for the cause. What he was talking about is a definite barrier. Especially here, it’s sometimes hard to get the people who are impacted most involved – it takes time, energy, education and resources — all luxuries that I feel so many people don’t have.

Schmidt: Yeah. I would love to see more synergy between [Winston-Salem] and Wake [Forest], especially on the environmental front. As the environmental program expands, there’s a big opportunity for that.

Klein: In all honesty, I think it’ll be a difficult time for the University to get the environmental community in WinstonSalem fully on their side. I think we’ll see that happen one day, and I would love for it to come to fruition. However, I do think it would have to come with a lot of institutional changes that I’m not sure if the University even knows how to make — but I would love to see them.

Schmidt: I agree. Again, I enjoyed the talk. It was such a great opportunity to learn from the panelists and brought up so many great discussions. I hope that the university will do more things related to environmental justice in the future.

Contact Ella Klein at kleiek22@wfu.edu and Addison Schmidt at schmac21@wfu.edu

Secondhand stories

Bargain bounties and bountiful bins BEZA ZELALEM Staff Columnist

Hello my thrifty friends! For those of you tuning in this week, I feel the need to make a quick PSA. I’ve heard throughout my time at Wake Forest that many people think thrifting is dirty and unsanitary. I’m not sure why this misconception is being spread around — I can assure you thrifting is a safe, sustainable practice.

News flash: you can simply wash the clothes!

Wash them twice if it’ll make you feel better.

My advice is to get over your fear of used clothes and get some hands-on experience. To truly conquer your qualms, dive right in the deep end and visit your nearest Goodwill bins. This can be a bit more intimidating than simply frequenting your nearest vintage store, where everything is neatly organized on racks and already curated to fit what’s trendy.

The bins are where you truly get to experience thrifting at its greatest. Sifting through all kinds of items and experimenting with various styles creates a thrifters high like no other. I’ve personally found some of my absolute favorite pieces from the bins. Does it take more effort? Yes, but it’s all the more rewarding!

If you’re truly worried about cleanliness, here’s a tip from me: take a pair of gloves! Doing this will ensure you stay clean while digging, if that’s a true concern of yours.

I remember my first time at a Goodwill bin store. To be completely transparent, I was overwhelmed by the piles of clothes.

However, this feeling soon faded as I found my first gem. Since then, the thrill of finding a unique piece after some meticulous digging hasn’t gotten old. There’s never a dull moment when you’re at the bins.

If you need more incentive than the opportunity to find one-of-akind pieces, everything you buy is priced by the pound, which is one of the cheapest ways to get cute clothes around.

I advise you all to stop being scared and take the plunge. I can assure you that you won’t regret it, especially if you grab an iced coffee and some friends beforehand!

Contact Beza Zelalem at zelam22@wfu.edu

OPINION OLD GOLD & BLACK

Virginia Noone, noonvc21@wfu.edu Dillon Clark, clardj22@wfu.edu

PAGE 11 THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2024

The views expressed in all opinion columns represent those of the article’s author, not the opinions of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board

In-person rush will be less painful than the hybrid model Rip off the Band-Aid that is sorority recruitment VIRGINIA NOONE Opinion Editor

Sorority rush is gross and uncomfortable. No matter how the Panhellenic Council tries to spin it or how many staged videos of girls hugging their “forever sisters” get posted on Instagram stories, no one in their right mind can claim that rush isn’t utterly terrible for both current members and potential new members (PNMs).

As my final year at Wake Forest quickly approaches, I look back incredibly fondly on my experience in my sorority. From participating in philanthropy events to attending ridiculously themed date functions, I’ve had a really good time with some incredible women. Yet each January, my stomach twists as we begin the rush process that involves four rounds of conversations with PNMs in which current members must judge whether they are deserving of a bid to their sorority based on subjective first impressions.

No matter how much I’ve tried to do mental gymnastics and tell myself that I’m judging teenage girls based on whether they’re a “good fit” and not if they’re a “good person,” it just feels wrong — even if the outcome of joining a sorority turns out to be a net positive experience.

Currently, each Panhellenic chapter is voting on whether to return to a pre-Covid format where rush is entirely in-person and is finished within a week. The decision will be finalized on April 3 after each chapter submits their two collective votes.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Wake Forest Panhellenic Council has adopted a hybrid

format for rush where the first two rounds take place over Zoom and then all current members and PNMs travel back to campus before classes begin to complete the last two rounds before bids are given. With this model, this year’s rush process stretched from Jan. 10 with bids given out after a week of classes on Jan. 22.

If we return to a fully in-person model, rush will tentatively take place from Jan. 7 through Jan. 12. It would be four rounds held over five consecutive days with bid day being the Sunday before classes begin for the spring semester.

Although there are certain benefits to the hybrid model — such as enjoying a longer break, more access for members virtually and more flexibility overall — opting for an inperson model would sufficiently rip off the painful bandage of rush.

The hybrid model unnecessarily prolongs the rush process — subsequently adding unneeded stress to PNMs while also making rush feel less personal and engaging. It is nice to be able to Zoom from the comfort of your own home while in sweatpants, but in doing so, PNMs are missing out on gauging each chapter’s overall disposition and energy. They also are unable to see what girls will potentially be in their pledge class until the final rounds.

Having never done in-person rush myself, I phoned my biological sister before casting my vote that’ll determine the future of my sorority sisters.

My sister is two years older than me and was the last pledge class to rush at Villanova University before the pandemic hit. She graduated last year

after serving as Vice President of the Zeta Alpha chapter of Delta Gamma and now attends the London School of Economics. When I told her about Wake Forest Panhellenic Council’s predicament, she originally laughed.

“You really called me to ask for my opinion on sorority rush?” she asked jokingly. “You know how little anyone thinks about Greek life after they graduate, right?”

And although I know she’s certainly right about that, I pushed for an answer anyway.

When she rushed in person, it was highly intense and outright challenging. She remembered the awkwardness of returning to the freshmen dorms each night and debriefing with other girls. After some rounds she was cut from sororities she liked and on other days her friends were cut from the ones she still had. It was brutal, but it was over quickly and before classes started.

“Why would you ever want to prolong a bad experience?” she asked.

Rush is undoubtedly unpleasant for all parties, and although it may be more comfortable and convenient for current members to ride out the process from their own homes, you should be voting for what’s best for the majority of future PNMs and not only for yourself.

On a more holistic level, that is what Greek life is all about — recognizing that our decisions involve more than ourselves and that the right decision, as inconvenient as it may be, is better for the collective welfare of future members.

Contact Virginia Noone at noonvc21@wfu.edu

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

“Each January, my stomach twists as we begin the rush process that involves four rounds of conversations with PNMs in which ȏ Ȑ ϐ Ǥdz

Page 12 | Thursday, April 4, 2024

Old Gold & Black | Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Wake Forest’s South Asian community is multifaceted and growing together ANUSHA VORA Former president of SASA Earlier this month, Ameera Moinuddin, a Staff Columnist for the Old Gold & Black, wrote an opinion article titled “Wake Forest’s South Asian community feels divided.”

As a past president of the South Asian Students Association (SASA) for two years at Wake Forest, I want to voice my thoughts on our community and comment on some of the claims made in the aforementioned article. I want to start by thanking Ameera for expressing her thoughts and sharing her experience.

As my four years at this university close, I reflect on my membership and leadership as a South Asian student.

I have witnessed moments of unbridled joy, celebration and teary-eyed conversations that left me heartbroken. I think about the times I have stood still and looked at a packed Holiday Fest dance floor where I see the sense of comfort and belonging wash over students’ faces as they jam out to “Desi Girl” shamelessly. I think about the collaboration event with the Women’s Center last year — Chai & Chat — which led conversation with women in SASA and reflected on their insecurities and struggles about everything from mental health stigma to body hair to bringing smelly Indian food to school for lunch.

This brings me to my first point about Devi Vishwakumar, the lead female character in the hit Netflix series, “Never Have I Ever.” Devi’s character captures some aspects of growing up in the United States discussed in that Women’s Center and SASA conversation last year. Particularly in the episode titled, “Never Have I Ever… felt super Indian,” when Devi is in a coffee shop in a half-sari and asked to take a picture with a little girl who calls her “Princess Jasmine.” This part of the episode perfectly captures the embarrassment that one feels when getting looked at like a character in a costume when no one else is.

These moments, along with so many others, such as not feeling Indian enough, being fearful of not fitting in, and her classic Desi overprotective mom, are why this show was so special to South Asians in the United States.

Another notable element of the show is the significance I do not think this is exclusive to South Asians. Like of the one Indian love interest for Devi: Nirdesh, or Des. so many others, I have worked hard to strike a balance Last year, Wake Forest graciously sent me and other to embrace the sorority girl from Tennessee, the hardleaders of SASA and Hindu Student Association (HSA) working pre-medical student and the girl who holds her to Yale University for the South Asian Youth Initiative South Asian culture deeply and close to her heart. conference, where I met actor Anirudh Pisharody, who Regarding Holiday Fest: This event has been a longplays Des on the show. He told us how his character was time tradition and celebration of South Asian festivals one of the first times a South Asian male was shown as hosted by SASA in an effort to be as non-denominational attractive and popular rather than the nerdy and ugly and inclusive of as many South Asians as possible. While reputation they usually uphold. the holidays might be “seemingly unrelated,” I can It is essential to recognize that this show painted assure you that this event is carefully curated to reflect Desi people in a primarily positive light and as people a cohesive South Asian celebration meant to be shared who could be the hero. Despite her flaws of being self- with the whole school. SASA is a non-denominational deprecating initially, Devi grows to be proud of her culture organization that hosts this event with several celebrations as the seasons go on. I felt tremendous recognition while in an effort to be inclusive of all South Asians rather watching this show, and it remains one of my favorites than just those who celebrate specific festivals. For that for the feeling it gives me. I commend Mindy Kaling for purpose, the Hindu Students Association and Muslim her efforts in sharing her story.

Students Association hosted several specific events for Now, let’s move on to the next point regarding the Diwali, Eid and Ramadan during those holidays. In fact, Wake Forest community. I’d like to clarify some points this past year, the HSA hosted 8 events specifically for about the events at the university. It saddens me to Diwali and Navratri, including crafts, food and Garba.

Overall, I just wanted you to know that as a university hear about the perceived divide between South-Asian American and South-Asian international students. and a South Asian community, many, many people have While I acknowledge that this has been an ongoing worked very hard to create our space in this community. issue, there has been progress, albeit imperfect. When I SASA is the largest it has ever been, with over 200 came to Wake Forest, I wanted to become the president members and growing. The university has supported our of SASA to better the experience of students who felt far community more and more over the years due to the tireless efforts of student and faculty advocates. While it from their South Asian homes.

When my parents first came to the United States, they is imperfect, tremendous progress has been made, which came to the University of Chicago and spent their first should be acknowledged and celebrated. Efforts must Diwali and Holi celebrating with the university SASA. be made on both ends for our campus to be better for They grew close to many incredible international and everyone and for relationships to form. These voices are local students they considered family by the end. In fact, important and valuable if used to promote growth over the president of SASA at the time grew so close to our criticism.

This organization and its people made Wake Forest a family that she eventually became my aunt and one of my favorite people on Earth. It is because of the home place where I could thrive and appreciate the different away from home that SASA gave my family that I wanted facets of myself. I hope others also feel that and continue to give back as president and cultivate a community that to proudly represent the South Asian community. After was so deeply appreciated when my parents immigrated all, it is easier to explore elsewhere when you have a home to return to. here.

With that being said, people have to be more intentional about embracing their cultures. One must be comfortable Contact Anusha Vora at enough in one’s own skin to balance one’s identity, but voraa20@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of Neicy Myers

From left to right: Aksh Patel, Priya Mendiratta, Shruthi Ananth, Alizeh Chamadia, Jeevan Graywal, Kyan Patel, Sahria Desai, Sonia Luhana, Dhruvi Patel (top row), Shaan Mehta, Alistair Norwood, Anusha Vora, Meera Doran, Brinda Laddha and Aastha Shukla.

Opinion | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, April 4, 2024 | Page 13

Americans advocating for Palestinians should vote for Joe Biden Not voting for Joe Biden in the 2024 election hurts, not helps, the Palestinian cause JACOB GRAFF Staff Columnist

The best path forward for Palestinian peace rests with President Joe Biden.

Voting for President Biden in 2024 might seem counterintuitive; after all, it is he who has presided over the United States government as the current tragedy in Gaza continues to unfold. But in an election with a likely binary choice between Biden and Trump, the Biden Administration has positioned itself as the best of two bad options and, therefore, is the clear choice for single-issue Palestinian voters this November.

Netanyahu, not Biden, should take full blame for Gaza The U.S. and Israel have mutually reinforcing geopolitical goals. Israel is a stable democracy functioning as a bulwark against Iranian influence, which alone ensures that under any president, America will never abandon Israel nor refrain from providing it the resources it needs to sustain itself in a hostile Middle East.

To that end, it is unlikely that a sitting U.S. President would publicly call for a permanent ceasefire as Palestinian activists have demanded. It is an unreasonable demand to make publicly and puts the onus on Israel to cease hostilities while an active Hamas remains a viable threat to Israeli citizens.

However, those who call for a ceasefire are fundamentally angling for immediate and long-term peace in the region. The Biden Administration has realized these interests in its diplomacy from the beginning of its efforts, and they continue to inform the administration’s goals today.

Just a month after the Oct. 7 massacre, Biden publicly and forcefully pushed for a multi-day pause in fighting from Israel to facilitate hostage negotiations — a position which was rejected by Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government.

That same month, President Biden sent Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to the Middle East as part of a concerted administrative and diplomatic effort to “[prevent] the spread of the conflict and [implement] breaks in Israeli bombardments to benefit civilians in Gaza.”

Secret diplomacy, where “American envoys on the ground are…quietly making the administration’s case” is “a strategy that officials and analysts say may ultimately prove to be more effective” than the loud and demanding strategy that activists have pushed Biden to take.

And yet the bombings have not stopped, and innocent Gazans continue to suffer. If the efforts made by the Biden Administration have failed, it is not due to failures within the U.S. government; it is because Netanyahu, the Israeli leader whom Biden has had a notoriously fraught relationship with even before Oct. 7, has rejected America’s plans.

As NBC reported in November, “frustration is building among administration officials who have repeatedly appealed to Netanyahu and his government to take more action to protect Palestinian civilians and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.”

Such struggles for common ground have not abated since. In January, Netanyahu “denounced the very proposal [for permanent peace] the Americans saw as a potential opening to a negotiated solution.”

Intrinsically connected to the ongoing brutality faced by the Palestinians is both domestic and international politics. I believe Palestinian activists lose sight of this broader context with their calls denouncing President Biden and his administration for their alleged acquiescence with Israeli violence.

These accusations are misdirected.

“Mr. Blinken has been trying to secure a cease-fire in Gaza, a release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and, eventually, a broader peace process for the region.

But one stumbling block during his visit seemed to be the considerable domestic political pressures facing the Israeli prime minister” according to reporting by the

New York Times.

President Biden cannot control the right-wing factions within the Israeli government that are furthering mass violence. In response, he and his administration have proven themselves to be consistent advocates for change to the Israeli government’s current approach.

Whether it be the early examples of behind-the-scenes negotiations, to Biden’s most recent endorsement of Sen. Schumer’s calls for a new Israeli government (which assuredly was made in consultation with the White House), President Biden’s actions are aimed at achieving short-term and long-term peace in the region. It is Israel, and its right-wing government, that continues to resist such pressures in the furtherance of their all-consuming war with Hamas.

The actions listed above characterize a diplomatic approach based on achieving real aims for Palestinian safety and sovereignty while preserving Israel’s right to defend itself. Palestinian activists would do well to recognize that the true impediment to long-term peace is Netanyahu and his right-wing political coalition, not President Biden.

If Netanyahu was not leading the Israeli government, and President Biden’s desires had become reality, the h o s t a g e s would have been released, and fewer Palestinians would have died.

The same cannot be said, however, if former President Donald Trump became president in 2024.

A Trump presidency would be worse for Palestinians While Trump’s response to Oct. 7 cannot be definitively known, he has shown himself to be, time and time again, personally and politically unsympathetic to the Palestinian plight.

He has called on university presidents to ban Palestinian protesters from college campuses, arguing that their advocacy is antisemitic.

His administration created and promoted a so-called “Mideast peace plan” that “discard[ed] the longtime goal of granting the Palestinians a wholly autonomous state.” The plan, rejected by the Palestinians immediately, was not viewed as “a serious blueprint for peace,” but as a “political document by a president” working in tandem with Israel.

In 2018, the Trump Administration refused to dispense “$200 million in funding set aside for aid to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.”

Moreover, during Trump’s presidency, Palestinian leadership felt so alienated and ignored that diplomatic relations between the two sides ceased, creating a stark contrast to the Biden Administration’s efforts to include Gaza’s governing authority in all potential paths to peace.

All of these efforts were a part of a concerted campaign for Trump to become, as he was and is proud to proclaim, the most pro-Israel U.S. president ever.

There is no reason to believe this orientation would not remain in place were he to win a second term in 2024. In fact, there is evidence his administration would permit Israel to wage deadly war on Palestinians at a scale not yet seen in the current iteration of the conflict.

There are few who can predict what a current or future Trump presidency would look like for Israel and Palestine better than David Friedman, Trump’s former ambassador to Israel. In recent interviews, he has happily dispelled any remaining doubt that President Biden’s policies were worse for Gaza and better for Israel than Trump’s would have been and would be if elected.

“The Trump administration would have given Israel free reign to defend itself,” Friedman said in May 2021, after Hamas fired more than 4,000 rockets at Israeli population centers. “Free reign” is the antithesis of the Biden Administration’s current diplomatic strategy.

In recent months, Friedman has doubled down on his argument that a Trump Administration would have imposed fewer restrictions on the Israel Defense

Forces’ military operations in Gaza.

The Biden Administration is “to some extent hampering the war effort by this desire to force Israel to engage in I think what [Biden] refers to as ‘lowintensity combat’… that’s sort of the kind of messaging that America has been giving Israel,” Friedman said in a recent discussion with Israel’s Channel 12.

Alas, Trump himself told Israeli officials to “do whatever is necessary” to win the war in Gaza.

That phrase might as well become the tagline of a future Trump presidency.

Voting considerations demand simplification This argument is not intended to minimize the seriousness of the current humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. While President Biden has been in office, more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military and more are likely to follow.

For those who see the 2024 elections as a potential turning point in U.S. policy towards Palestine, their vote must be used to send a message. However, too many are refusing to participate in real considerations and are contorting themselves into an ideological and illogical stance against voting at all.

“How can my vote be most effective in bringing about long-term peace for Gazans?”

That is the singular consideration that must guide Palestinian activists in 2024. Not voting for President Biden or Donald Trump does nothing but ensure that other, less sympathetic Americans will exercise influence over Palestinian policy.

While it sends a message of dissatisfaction, Palestinian activists must not be satisfied with symbolic posturing. After all, that is what not voting is at its core. It is imperative to recognize that if the two candidates have differing policies, that difference will be expressed in fewer Palestinians killed and more humanitarian aid received.

That consideration must remain at the forefront for activists who are worried about the deteriorating plight of Gaza under Israeli attacks — because there are only two people who have the possibility of guiding American policy regarding Gaza.

Either Joe Biden or Donald Trump will be president in 2024, and Palestinian activists must make an educated guess as to whose policies will be worse for Gazans.

Arguing for the “lesser of two evils” is a tired cliche, but its message is fitting in the current moment.

Palestinian activists must continue their advocacy through the 2024 election by putting President Biden’s name at the top of their ballot.

Contact Kiarra Crayton at stilmk23@wfu.edu

SPORTS

PAGE 14 THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2024

Follow us on X and IG @wfuogbsports OLD GOLD & BLACK

Sean Kennedy, kennsm21@wfu.edu Andrew Braun, brauar23@wfu.edu

MBB faces slew of transfer portal exits 6L[ 'HPRQ 'HDFRQV OHDYH +HDG &RDFK 6WHYH )RUEHV SURJUDP UHVXOWLQJ LQ ¿YH PRUH RSHQ VFKRODUVKLSV SEAN KENNEDY & ANDREW BRAUN Sports Editors

Editor's Note: This article is a culmination of five Old Gold & Black articles published on wfuogb.com, headlined "Breaking: Kevin 'Boopie' Miller enters Transfer Portal," "Damari Monsanto enters transfer portal," "Wake Forest forward Zach Keller enters NCAA Transfer Portal," "Jao Ituka enters transfer portal after injuryplagued stint at Wake Forest" and "Wake Forest freshman Aaron Clark enters NCAA Transfer Portal."

Since the NCAA Transfer Portal opened on March 18th, numerous transfers have left from their respective programs in pursuit of new opportunities, including from the Wake Forest Men’s Basketball team, where six contributors have departed from Head Coach Steve Forbes’ program.

KEVIN “BOOPIE” MILLER Miller came to Wake Forest as a redshirt sophomore via Central Michigan. Miller started all but two games for the Chippewas in the 2021-22 season; however, the guard suffered a broken foot the following season. Despite playing (and starting) four games into the campaign, Miller sat out the remainder of the Chippewas’ 2022-23 season and entered the transfer portal last March.

After committing to Wake Forest during the 2023 transfer period, Miller became a mainstay in the Demon Deacons’ 2023-24 lineup, starting all 35 games at the point guard position. Over the course of the season, Miller posted per-game averages of 15.6

points. 3.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He shot 49.6% from the field throughout the season and 36.9% from behind-the-arc.

Miller notched a career-high 31 points during this year’s NIT first-round win against the Appalachian State Mountaineers. The guard also notched singlegame career highs in rebounds (8, at Florida State) and steals (4, ACCT vs. Pitt) during his single season in a Demon Deacon uniform. Miller scored his 1,000th career point during an NIT loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.

Miller enters the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining.

DAMARI MONSANTO Monsanto, a sharpshooting wing, was initially scouted as a three-star recruit out of Western High School near Pembroke Pines, Fla. Though recruited by a few “Power 6” programs, including Texas Tech and Kansas State, he chose to play under current Wake Forest Head Coach Steve Forbes at East Tennessee State.

After redshirting his first year, Monsanto leaped into a prominent role for the Mountaineers during the 2020-21 season, leading his team in rebounds per game (7.3) and becoming the second-highest scorer on the team (11.8 ppg).

After entering the transfer portal the following offseason, Monsanto — then a redshirt sophomore — chose to follow Forbes to Wake Forest. Despite much hype around his arrival, the guard suffered an early setback. In June 2021, Monsanto suffered a torn achilles, initially thought to be season-ending. A positive recovery time allowed for Monsanto to be cleared by doctors in January 2022, and he earned a reserve role in which he averaged 7.3 points per game.

Monsanto performed at peak levels during the following 2022-23 season, electrifying the Demon Deacon crowd with a career-high in points per game (13.3) and 3-pointers per game (3.2). Monsanto started in 21 of his 27 games on the season, including a 28-point performance at Notre Dame.

Disaster struck later that season, however, as Monsanto suffered a torn patellar tendon in a mid-February game at NC State. His recovery from the season-ending injury was expected to allow him to return early during this season, but Forbes revealed later on that Monsanto suffered another setback, halting him from returning until later on in the season. As Monsanto eased back into playing shape, he uncharacteristically struggled, shooting career-low averages from both the field (34.0 FG%) and three-point line (34.7% 3PT).

Monsanto’s playing time slowly decreased over the course of February and March, having played a season-high 23 minutes at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium in early February. Since, the guard had steadily played less often, playing only five minutes in his final appearance in a Demon Deacon uniform.

After his departure was announced, Monsanto tweeted out: “Wake [Forest] fans and staff I couldn’t say thank you enough for opening up and making me feel at home and supporting me through all the highs and lows.”

ZACH KELLER

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

Starting Point Guard Kevin "Boopie" Miller celebrates a three-pointer taken during the NIT.

Keller started in eleven games during his two seasons with the Demon Deacons, averaging two rebounds and two points per game during the 2023-24 season.

A highly-touted prospect out in the 2022 recruiting

class, Keller committed to Wake Forest from ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch, Colo. He was rated a four-star prospect and named the No. 10 best forward in the nation by 247Sports. He joined the Demon Deacons under Forbes for their 2022-23 campaign.

In his sophomore year, Keller became more involved in the team’s rotation. In his 27 games during the 2023-24 season, Keller had five games in which he recorded five or more rebounds. That included a season-high 10-point, five-rebound outing against Utah prior to ACC play.

JAO ITUKA Originally recruited to play for the Marist Red Foxes in Poughkeepsie, NY, Ituka was named MAAC Rookie of the Year during his 15.3 PPG freshman season. He then transferred to Wake Forest for the 202223 season alongside former guard Tyree Appleby and senior forward Andrew Carr, where he was anticipated to be an essential guard on the roster.

Unfortunately for Ituka, several injuries would keep him off of the court during both of his seasons at Wake Forest. After being named a captain, he played in just six times during his first season at Wake Forest before having his campaign cut short by a looming knee injury. It was decided then that Ituka’s first season as a Demon Deacon would end in order to rehabilitate him for the following 2023-24 season.

While Ituka then eyed a return to the lineup, an off-season knee injury this September ended up sidelining him for yet another year. After not playing any this year, Forbes announced on Jan. 12 that Ituka would medically redshirt this year.

AARON CLARK As a recruit from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., Clark was rated as a four-star recruit by rivals. com and a three-star by 247Sports. Clark committed to Wake Forest as the first official signee of the Demon Deacons’ 2023 recruiting class.

In his freshman year at Wake Forest, Clark played in seven games during the 2023-24 season. He recorded one steals, two blocks, and one assist in his first year.

Before committing to Wake Forest, Clark won the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup as a member of Team USA U-19. Throughout the competition, he averaged 14.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

MATTHEW MARSH Marsh was recruited out of Europe along with fellow Englishman Cameron Hildreth in Forbes’ 2021 recruiting class. Marsh, whose slender frame allowed him to connect often on alley-oop opportunities with former Associated Press ACC Player of the Year Tyree Appleby, was an efficient presence inside, shooting 81.4% from the field throughout his collegiate career so far.

Marsh’s best season was during the 2022-23 campaign, where the center started in 16 out of 30 of his appearances. He averaged 6.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game throughout the season, and he posted career game-highs in points (14, Loyola Marymount) and rebounds (11, LSU) during the same season.

Contact Sean Kennedy at kennsm21@wfu.edu and Andrew Braun at braua23@wfu.edu

Sports | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, April 4, 2024 | Page 15

Tar Heels dominate Baseball at home 7KH 'HPRQ 'HDFRQV ZHUH VZHSW DW KRPH IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH VLQFH

ANDREW BRAUN Sports Editor Wake Forest’s offensive efforts continue to be erased by late struggles at the mound.

The No. 21 Demon Deacons (17-10, 4-8) were swept

by No. 10 North Carolina (25-4, 10-2) this weekend, as Wake Forest allowed the Tar Heels to score ten or more runs in two of their three games.

1RUWK &DUROLQD ¿UVW RYHUFDPH :DNH )RUHVW¶V 19-strikeout performance at the mound on Friday night, hitting four home runs to move past the Demon Deacons 6-5.

Junior right-handed pitcher Chase Burns started at the mound for Wake Forest on Friday night. Despite DOORZLQJ VL[ UXQV LQ KLV ¿UVW ORVV DV D 'HPRQ 'HDFRQ Burns still tied a career-high 14 strikeouts. That’s his fourth straight game pitching 12 or more strikeouts.

Burns’ start on Friday was an unfamiliar sight for Wake Forest fans used to seeing left-handed pitcher Josh Hartle open up the Demon Deacons’ weekend series. Wake Forest Baseball Coach Tom Walter said the decision to start Burns this Friday was to rest the typical weekend opener Hartle. “[Hartle’s] working on some things that gave him kind of an extra bullpen day,” Walter said. “So it was as much about just giving Josh an extra two days as it was anything else.”

North Carolina secured the series on Saturday, powering past Wake Forest 10-6 behind a massive hitting day.

In front of another record-setting crowd, the Tar +HHOV¶ RIIHQVLYH DUUD\ ZDV OHG E\ LQ¿HOGHU 3DUNV +DUEHU¶V WKUHH KRPHUV DQG RXW¿HOGHU $QWKRQ\ 'RQRIULR¶V two triples. The Demon Deacons, meanwhile, had eight of their nine batters in the lineup reach base.

Hartle returned for Wake Forest to pitch just over four innings, throwing seven strikeouts and allowing two runs. While Hartle held down the score for Wake

)RUHVW WR OHDG E\ WKH ¿IWK LQQLQJ the Tar Heels scored six runs in the two innings after he exited the game.

“Our bullpen is in a tough spot right now,” Walter said after the loss.

North Carolina completed the sweep on Sunday afternoon, but QRW ZLWKRXW D ¿JKW IURP :DNH )RUHVW WKURXJK WKH ¿QDO LQQLQJ The Demon Deacons went up 2-0 behind designated hitter Nick .XUW]¶V ¿UVW RI WZR KRPHUV RQ Sunday. The game was tied twice Photo Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics before North Carolina leapt ahead Despite only allowing one earned run, Michael Massey (pictured) by three runs through the top of and the Demon Deacons could not pull off a win in game three. the eighth inning.

Then, in a massive bottom of the As seen Sunday, Wake Forest’s struggles pitching eighth performance, Wake Forest tied the game at ten late in the game continue to give up runs at critical runs. It felt like the Demon Deacons had a chance of moments, even when the offense looks to be able to winning at least one game in the series headed into ¿UH DW ZLOO the ninth inning. Walter said he was pleased with his Following the weekend sweep, Wake Forest team’s determination throughout the game despite the dropped to No. 21 in college baseball’s top 25 proseries already being lost. grams. That’s the lowest among the eight ACC “We were playing like our lives depended on it,” schools now in the top 25.

Walter said after the game. “I’m proud of our hitters “I think this team has good baseball in front of it, and the way we battled.” but we certainly didn’t show that this weekend,” WalIn the end, Wake Forest’s hopes of saving the se- WHU VDLG DIWHU WKH VZHHS ³:H¶YH JRW WR ¿QG D ZD\ WR ries from a sweep were dashed as they allowed North turn the page and come out here on Tuesday and play Carolina to score four runs in the top of the ninth in- well against UNC Greensboro.” ning alone. By the time the Demon Deacons had the The Demon Deacons will face No. 11 Virginia chance to bat again, the offense couldn’t come up Tech in Blacksburg, Va. this weekend for their next with any more clutch hits.

ACC matchup. The Friday night game in the series The three consecutive losses represent Wake For- will be broadcasted on ACC Network.

HVW¶V ¿UVW VZHHS DW KRPH VLQFH WKH VHDVRQ ZKHQ the Virginia Tech Hokies swept the Demon Deacons &RQWDFW $QGUHZ %UDXQ DW EUDXDU #ZIX HGX in April of that year.

Katie Romhilt/OGB

Cam Nelson (22) and Marek Houston (7) celebrate a run for Wake Forest during the Demon Deacons’ 10-6 loss to Ǥ ͳͲ Ǥ ȋ Ȍ ϐ ϐ Ǥ

Page 16 | Thursday, April 4, 2024

Old Gold & Black | Sports

Men’s Golf competes in Valspar Invitational 'HPRQ 'HDFRQV IDLO WR FDSLWDOL]H RQ VWURQJ VWDUW VOLS GRZQ OHDGHUERDUG LQ ¿QDO URXQG TEE JOHNSON Contributing Writer

The Wake Forest Men’s Golf team made their way down to Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City, Fla. for the Valspar Collegiate Invitational earlier this week. The playing field was stacked for this tournament, including the likes of North Carolina, Alabama, Texas, Arizona State and Florida State. Despite the strong field of teams, the Demon Deacons managed a No. 9 finish. Although a middle of the pack finish against such strong competition is a positive for the squad, a higher finish was up for grabs.

The Demon Deacons played exceptional golf on day one, posting an impressive 564 (-2) combined over the first two rounds. Senior Michael Brennan set the pace for the squad in round one, shooting a 68 (-3). Junior Scotty Kennon also shot below par, helping Wake Forest to tie for fifth place after round one.

Junior Marshall Meisel led the charge in round two, shooting a 66 (-5) in the second round, including an impressive eagle on the front nine. Sophomore Andrew McLauchlan also eagled in round

two and posted even par to help the Demon Deacons rise up to second place after round two.

“The guys played great today and battled all day, and we are right there,” Men’s Golf Coach Jerry Haas said after day one. “If we get off to a good start tomorrow, we will have a chance at the end. A lot to play for tomorrow.”

The squad was in prime position heading into day two, in second place with all to play for in the third and final round.

However, the Demon Deacons failed to capitalize on such a great position and ended up shooting a combined 294 (+10) and slipped down to ninth place to end the invitational. All five starters posted scores over par in the final round.

Despite the third round struggles, Brennan and Meisel both still managed to finish inside the top 15 on the individual leaderboard. Brennan finished No. 5 overall, with a total score of 210 (-3).

Meisel finished tied for No. 15 with a total score of 212 (-1).

Kennon, McLauchlan, and junior Collin Adams finished tied for No. 57, tied for No. 65 and tied for No. 70, respectively. As a team, Wake Forest did

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

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their most damage on the Par 5s, shooting an average of 4.65 (-21). However, the team struggled on the Par 4s, shooting an average of 4.22 (+30). Meisel held it down for Wake Forest on the par threes, shooting a tied individual best of 2.93 (-1) Overall, the course length of 7,114 yards posed a challenge for the team this week, but the Demon Deacons showed that they can compete with the top

teams in the country at a difficult golf course.

The next tournament for Wake Forest Men’s Golf is the Calusa Cup at Calusa Pines Golf Club in Naples, Fla. The team will look to build on their showing this week and continue to work towards the ACC Championship in mid-April.

Contact Tee Johnson at johntg23@wfu.edu

MBB bows out of NIT with home loss Despite career-high 31 points from Carr, Demon Deacons struggle without Sallis, lose to Georgia SEAN KENNEDY Sports Editor The Demon Deacons were familiar with the Bulldogs, as both teams faced each other earlier on in the season at Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum. Although the home side prevailed 80-77 during the mid-November matchup, excitement filled the air in Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Arena. There was a large variable missing during that matchup, however, as Wake Forest’s Efton Reid was still going through the second-time-transfer appeals process.

Hours before tipoff, the Demon Deacons received word that star guard Hunter Sallis would be unavailable to play due to an ankle injury. Sallis, a first team All-ACC selection, proved immeasurable down the stretch for the Demon Deacons — previously scoring a team-high 18.0 points per game.

The loss of Sallis proved pivotal, as the junior’s leadership and ability to score from all three levels were both missing during the first half. Georgia shot a hot 10/17 from behind the 3-point line in the first frame, and 30/39 of the teams’ first half points have come from beyond the

Isabella Parolini/Old Gold & Black

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Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

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arc. The Bulldogs led by as much as 17 while the Demon Deacons couldn’t get anything going on the offensive end.

“Georgia made a bunch of [3-pointers] in the first half, six of those were dribble threes,” said Head Coach Steve Forbes.

“Those are hard shots to make.”

The Demon Deacons attempted to spark a comeback behind a boatload of points from forward Andrew Carr, who had 22 points in the second half alone. The team were able to crawl back near the end of the half, too.

“In the second half, we played a lot harder,” Forbes said. “I challenged them at halftime. I was really upset. We finally started getting stops.”

Despite an attempt at a comeback in the second half, the Bulldogs prevailed, 72-66.

“We just couldn’t get over the hump,” said Forbes. “Credit to Georgia for coming in here and getting a win, which is hard to do. That was our first non-conference loss since I’ve been the head coach here.”

Despite the loss, a positive came out of the game, as Carr scored a career-high 31 points and also came home with a double-double (11 rebounds). Carr has the ability to return to Wake Forest next season if he so chooses.

Contact Sean Kennedy at kennsm21@wfu.edu

ARTS & CULTURE OLD GOLD & BLACK

Lydia Derris, derrlf23@wfu.edu James Watson, watsjc22@wfu.edu

PAGE 17 THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2024

2024 Oscars: Snubs and Dubs Staff writer Ally Werstler unpacks this year's Academy Awards

ALLY WERSTLER Staff Writer 2024 was one of the best years for film in recent memory. The Cannes Film Festival in May released several incredible pictures, including Todd Haynes’ underrated “May December” and one of my favorites of the year, “Anatomy of a Fall” by Justine Triet.

In July, the infamous “Barbieheimer” was not only a historically successful box office weekend for movie theaters but also gifted audiences with two completely different yet excellent films. In the fall, Alexander Payne’s heartwarming Christmas tale “The Holdovers” and Martin Scorsese’s epic “Killers of the Flower Moon” debuted to overwhelming positive reviews. How could the Academy of Motion Pictures assemble a sufficient awards lineup and pick the category winners with so many great movies to choose from?

In this article, I will break down my opinions regarding the biggest 2024 Academy Awards wins and losses. Just like my “2023: Oscar’s Snubs and Dubs” recap from last year, I will not discuss my opinions regarding the nominee selection for simplicity’s sake.

Without further ado, the Oscar goes to…

Actor in a Leading Role Winner: Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer” Who deserved the award: Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers” Cillian Murphy was a crowd favorite for playing the titular character in renowned director Christopher Nolan’s three-hour-long historical epic drama “Oppenheimer.” While I agree that Murphy’s performance was incredible, it was not as emotionally powerful as Paul Giamatti’s staunch yet hilarious Mr. Hunham in “The Holdovers.” By the end of “The Holdovers,” I felt like I personally knew Mr. Hunham, whereas with “Oppenheimer,” I felt like there were still some pieces of the main character’s puzzle missing. Some may argue that these shortcomings demonstrate the complexity of Oppenheimer himself. However, I would point out that it is the job of the actor to fully embody the character, so that the audience knows them on a deeper level, and I think that Murphy almost achieves this feat, but Giamatti crushes it.

Actor in a Supporting Role Winner: Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer” Who deserved the award: Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer” Robert Downey Jr. without a doubt had the best performance out of the Actor in a Supporting Role category nominees. Whereas Cillian Murphy’s performance in “Oppenheimer” left some unanswered questions, Downey’s role as Lewis Strauss was fully realized. Downey Jr. is one of the best actors of his generation, and his performance as the controversial Strauss solidifies his talent. I truly cannot wait to see what Downey does next.

Actress in a Leading Role Winner: Emma Stone, “Poor Things” Who deserved the award: Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon” While I was not a fan of “Poor Things” myself, I can still recognize the acting achievements of Emma

Stone’s portrayal of the bizarre yet charming Bella Baxter. However, Lily Gladstone as Mollie Burkhart in “Killers of the Flower Moon” was far more emotionally moving than Stone’s portrayal and should therefore have won her the award. Gladstone’s loss was easily the biggest shock of the night, and the controversy is valid, as her groundbreaking performance is deserving of every imaginable praise. Simply put, Gladstone was robbed.

Actress in a Supporting Role Winner: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers” Who deserved the award: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers” One of my favorite performances of the year was Da’Vine Joy Randolph as the caring and kind Mary Lamb in “The Holdovers.” In every scene, Randolph demands the attention of the audience through her authenticity. In other words, the viewer only sees Randolph as a grieving mother trying to move forward, not an actress playing a fictional character. She embodies Lamb’s endearing persona perfectly and even learned how to smoke cigarettes to prepare for the part. Talk about commitment!

Animated Feature Film Winner: Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki, “The Boy and the Heron” Who deserved the award: Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki, “The Boy and the Heron” This year’s animated feature film category had two significant contenders: “The Boy and the Heron” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse.” While I very much enjoyed the sequel to the excellent “SpiderMan: Into the Spiderverse,” a film I gave high marks to, it falls short in comparison to “The Boy and the Heron’s” complete narrative arc. As such, “The Boy and the Heron’s” beautiful hand-drawn animation, wonderful score and accomplished narrative make this picture the deserving winner of this year’s Academy Award for Animated Feature Film.

Costume Design

Production Design Winner: “Poor Things” Who deserved the award: “Barbie” “Barbie” brought Barbie’s plastic and fantastic dreamland to life. When constructing the set, the Barbie production crew literally created a worldwide pink paint shortage because of the gargantuan amount of supplies needed to bring the iconic Dreamhouses to life. From the plastic sand to the discombobulated Weird Barbie’s home, the biggest and the smallest details in the production design are perfect. The inventive “Barbie” set proves how physical set designs are far more visually powerful than computer-generated production designs. That being said, I was incredibly disappointed to see “Poor Things,” a film that heavily relies on computer-generated imagery, win this year’s Academy Award for Best Production Design. If “Barbie” was snubbed of anything, it was easily its loss in the production design category.

Writing (Original Screenplay) Winner: Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall” Who deserved the award: Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall” “Anatomy of a Fall” was one of my favorite films of the year, as its sharp dialogue had me on edge throughout its many twists and turns. Triet is a force to be reckoned with and someone I am looking forward to seeing more of in the near future.

Best Picture Winner: “Oppenheimer” Who deserved the award: “Oppenheimer” “Oppenheimer” is an incredible feat in every single aspect of filmmaking. Hopefully, the film’s critical and financial success will set a new precedent for Hollywood that will allow for more original movies to dominate the silver screen once again. Christopher Nolan is showing Hollywood that it’s time to bring back magic to movies, and for that alone his magnum opus “Oppenheimer” deserves the 2024 Acade m y Award for Best Picture.

Winner: Holly Waddington, “Poor Things” Who deserved the award: Jacqueline West, “Barbie” “Barbie” costume designer Jacqueline West brought hundreds of the iconic titular doll’s clothes to life. While Barbie’s costumes were coherent and imaginative, the outfits in “Poor Things,” the winner of this year’s category, were just mismatched spectacles with no substance. “Barbie” deserved this year’s golden statuette not only because the film included 2023’s most iconic outfits but also demonstrated the utmost excellence in costume craftsmanship.

Contact Ally Werstler at wersaj21@wfu.edu

Old Gold & Black |Arts & Culture Page 18|Thursday, April 4, 2024

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Thursday, April 4, 2024 | Page 19

Anything but “Immaculate” YeW DQRWKHU VKRFN YDOXH ÀRS EHULGGHQ ZLWK DHVWKHWLF GHFDGHQFH LV UHOHDVHG LYDIA DERRIS Arts & Culture Editor

This review contains spoilers.

Michael Mohan’s “Immaculate” hit theaters last week on March 22. I headed to the Grand Theatre after classes yesterday and watched the new nun thriller. Sydney Sweeney produces and stars in the film as the central protagonist who ventures out to serve in a convent in the Italian countryside after her parish outside of Detroit, Michigan closes. The film has been highly anticipated in the wake of the most recent film Sydney Sweeney in “Anyone But You.” Sweeney’s character Cecilia handed her life over to the Lord after she escaped a near-death experience in her youth after falling into a lake. Eerie things begin to occur in the convent in the late hours of the night and Sweeney falls ill, discovering she is miraculously pregnant after vowing to chastity. The cardinal and the parish priest grill her in efforts to identify whether or not Cecilia has broken her vows and deem her pregnancy a blessing from the Lord.

But the stakes then rise.

Things become dangerous for Cecilia when Sister Isabelle tries to drown Cecilia in the baths screaming that “it should have been her” that got pregnant. A hostagelike situation ensues in which Cecilia is kept at the convent against her will to ensure that the second coming of Christ is in order because everyone in the convent is convinced she is the “blessed mother.”

It is revealed that the pregnancy is in fact not miraculous and the parish priest is a spin-off Frankenstein, mad scientist

nude as they bathe and brush each other’s hair — all which contributes to aforementioned oversexualization of the characters –– causing a lack of dynamism and character development that “Immaculate” so desperately needs.

The exploitation of the woman and her oversexualization for no greater purpose or thematic exercise is a bright red neon sign, trademarking the components of a creatively impoverished film. All the while, the dialogue between characters was left largely undeveloped and no deep relationships that viewers might latch onto were formed. Gwen, portrayed by Benedetta Porcaroli, a former prostitute turned nun, displays a meek effort to take Cecilia under her wing and invoke a revolution of sorts in the convent.

However, Mohan disallows any kind of true relationship between Cecilia and Gwen to form as Tedeschi has Gwen’s Photo courtesy of Mashable tongue cut out as Cecilia watches — shedding a single tear, far removed from Sister Cecilia standing as the blessed mother veilded and gilded the situation. posing as a symbol for the convent as a reincarnate of Mary.

Fortunately, the run time is 89 minutes and the film is quite pleasant to look at. type. Father Sal Tedeschi, played by Álvaro in the forms of cross bludgeoning and The pastel blue gilded gown that Cecilia Morte, has replicated the DNA and tissue rosary strangulation. Letterboxd user dons in the church encapsulates the remnants on a stake that the convent has Elijah Wright called the film “incredibly only redeeming aesthetics in the film. in its possession. The stake was said to blasphemous and just wrong to watch.”

Gorgeous shots of the Italian countryside’s have been used to nail Christ to the cross I, however, took greater issue with how plush green hills supplemented by Italian and Tedeschi inseminated Cecilia with the incredibly boring the whole thing was. Rococo architecture and ornate stucco DNA. The length of the film consisted of drab make it all bearable. Sydney Sweeney’s There has been whirlwind interaction between fairly static characters acting was subpar and dull, but it worked controversy surrounding the film for and a subpar plot that was not only highly just fine with the subpar and dull plot. The perverting Christianity and making a predictable, but excruciatingly incomplex. film ostensibly would have worked better mockery of religion for shock-value and Cecilia is both beautiful and ditsy. Her as a collection of photos. to exploit consumerism. Audiences have interactions with all of the male characters taken issue with the film’s dispatching are tinged with oversexualization, and Contact Lydia Derris at of religious figures as murder weapons various scenes show the nuns partially derrlf23@wfu.edu

Kendrick Lamar puts Drake on blast in gossipy new Future album 'HVSLWH EHLQJ RXW IRU D PHUH IHZ ZHHNV ³:H 'RQ¶W 7UXVW <RX´ LV PDNLQJ KHDGOLQHV AMEERA MOINUDDIN Contributing Writer The long awaited release of platinum certified duo Metro Boomin and Future’s album, “We Don’t Trust You,” has left the rap world aswirl with excitement. The title of the album is derived from one of Metro’s many producer tags — “If Young Metro don’t trust you I’m gon’ shoot you,” which happens to be a lyric from a Future song.

The duo’s last collaboration before this album was nine times platinum “Mask Off,” released in 2017. Hence, a whole album with Future’s trap style vocals and Metro’s ingenious production was expected to be the rap album of the year if it had any semblance to their previous collaborations.

Future, also known by the nicknames of HNDRXX or Pluto, is currently one of the most popular rappers in the game, and perhaps the best in the ‘trap’ subcategory of rap. Known for his characteristic mumble rap style, the subjects of his songs are mostly psychedelic, drug induced fantasies, sexual encounters with women or — like many other rappers — handling fame. An ode to his versatility and a personal favorite of his tracks, “Solo,” talks of him needing to let go of someone important. This song’s quasi-emotional lyrics are paired with a beat that would make it impossible to guess that it was a breakup song, aimed at his ex-fiancee Ciara. Ultimately, no one

would classify Future as a lyrical rapper, but he modernizes the charm of trap music, a feat only previously accomplished by the likes of Lil Wayne and Jeezy, making a sound so unique it can not be duplicated.

A relatively newer character in the world of rap, Metro Boomin has become to modern rap what Timbaland was to ‘90s/2000s R&B. Metro has become an esteemed producer that has written a lengthy list of singles in addition to completing a number of joint albums with some of the leading names of modern rap. Just earlier this year, he released a record breaking collaboration with the British-born, Atlantaraised 21 Savage by the name of “The American Dream.” Perhaps the most notable project on his discography, though, is the Grammy-nominated “Heroes and Villains,” bejeweled with features by the likes of the Weeknd, Don Toliver, Travis Scott and Future.

Against a backtrack of his masterful production, it became his third album to top the Billboard 200 chart. It is also important to note that Metro has produced a vast array of songs for Drake, the Canadian rap giant that seems to be the subject of a brutal diss on one of the tracks on “We Don’t Trust You.” The sixth track on Metro and Future’s long awaited joint album seems to be the one on people’s minds (generating 7.3 million Spotify streams in a day — the most for a rap song

this year). The enormous number of streams, though, are not to any credit of either of these rap stars, but to Kendrick Lamar’s verse on which he dropped perhaps the most explicit diss of his entire career. His disses at Drake and J. Cole are not the first shots in a new feud, rather just the latest edition in a long standing Cold War between the rap greats. The first shot was fired on Lamar’s verse in Big Sean’s “Control” in 2013, in which he name drops a series of rappers including both “Jermaine Cole” and Drake. This verse broke away from years of rappers being limited to “sneak disses” and transported us back to when hip-hop stars were not afraid to launch insults at each other using whole government names. From the year 2013 to present, there have been a series of subliminal insults embedded in the lyrics of both artists. Drake threw shots in his 2013 album “Nothing Was the Same” about the fact that Lamar’s “goodkid, m.A.A.dcity” took a year to reach platinum whereas he “looked at his wrist and it’s already platinum.” Lamar’s feature on “We Don’t Trust You” is the first direct hit at the Canadian rapper since the initiation of these tensions a decade earlier.

Unlike Lamar, Future has worked with Drake multiple times in recents years with their most recent collaboration on Future’s 2022 album “I NEVER LIKED YOU.” That being said,

their relationship seems to have gotten a little icy in the past year or so, with the track on Drake’s “For All the Dogs” by the name of “What Would Pluto Do?” being allegedly directed at the trap star. Pluto, as aforementioned, is one of Future’s aliases. The lyrics of the song seem to paint Drake as someone who is inexperienced when it comes to talking to women and thinks to himself “What would Pluto do?” Without a Future feature this song just seems to be talking about Pluto’s infamous and often controversial love life behind his back.

Though he has also partnered with Drake on multiple songs, soon after the release of the album, Metro sent out a tweet with the statement “once you pick a side stay there… #WEDONTTRUSTYOU,” seemingly inciting further tensions.

Many seem to be excited at the prospects of a new hip hop rivalry, reminiscent of those between Nas and Jay-Z or the famed East Coast-West Coast beef that rocked the rap world for well over a decade.

I guess we’re all just wondering now if Drake will respond with a diss track directed at K Dot, much like how he did to Meek Mill in 2015. But will he be able to top “Like That?” Is real hiphop finally back?

Contact Ameera Moinuddin at moina23@wfu.edu

Old Gold & Black|Arts & Culture

Page 20|Thursday, April 4, 2024

The Crossword EVAN LIPETZ Staff Cruciverbalist

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“Office Blues”

By Lydia Derris The windows are closed And we are working away ‘Til Maddie is glad “Editor’s Lament”

By Maddie Stopyra Maddie is not glad In the trenches of print week The deadline looming “Conflicted”

By Cooper Sullivan Davis Road. Rooted In evil, but convenient.

I’m conflicted still.

“March Madness”

By Evan Harris My favorite sandwich The Dave’s Double from Wendy’s Is now 2 dollars

Down 1. Wake students often get lost here 2. Actress Jamil 3. Iron man, for example 4. Country wedged between Spain and France 5. Person who marks livestock with a heated iron 6. Sims 4 publisher 7. The Main Quad, officially 8. Hungarian city known for its folk art and paprika 9. Someone who performs “Fine needle aspiration cytology” (abbr.)

10. Small flute 11. Medicine for asthmatics 12. Fads 18. Technology company known for semiconductor manufacturing (abbr.)

19. An excited hello, informally 26. Space between two objects 29. Stitched 33. Popular video game racing series (abbr.)

34. Avocado side, informally 37. Study of verse and literary expression.

38. When a two-hour nap becomes three 39. Number following nine 40. Reveal or expose 41. Home of the business school 42. Message sent through internet 43. Study of body structure 44. Tree with white or pink flowers 45. Old English word for freedom

46. Wake’s home of romance (languages) 47. A person who violates 51. Something delightful or enjoyable 52. Male offspring 54. Solemn promise 63. 1st tennis grand slam of the year, for short Across 1. Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the jails. (abbr.)

4. President Lincoln, informally 7. Hong Kong currency (abbr.)

10. Stone in a pit 13. ____4, Toyota 14. Gun rights organization (abbr.)

15. Listening body part 16. India currency (abbr.)

17. Actress Staunton 19. Cut down the middle 10. Ernesto Guevara, informally 21. Home of Chick-fil-a at Wake Forest 22. Fe, element 23. Metal container often used for storing food or beverages 24.To surround or encircle 25. Resource found in the Andes (?)

27. Also known as partitioning, in science (abbr.)

28. A digital video format (abbr.)

30. Skin on a fish 31. Elephants have big ones

32. Type of palm tree 35. For in Spanish 36. Mother so Dear (abbr.)

37. Cannabis, informally 40. Not secure 43. Government agency that oversees air travel safety, initials 46. To rule 48. Device for recording video, for short 49. Not this or that 50. Performs again 53. Devastate or ruin completely 55. Observed tax rate in the income statement (abbr.)

56. Fluffy creature in League of Legends 57. Sequel to movie featured in popular Angry Birds game spinoff 58.Scientist Albert’s nickname 59. 2, 4, 34, 188, for example 60. Legally Blonde…no S 61. Apartments for many upperclassmen (abbr.)

62. Administration providing electricity to rural areas (abbr.)

63. Pub offering 64. Cow sound 65. Definitely, for short 66. Racing event involving timed laps (abbr) 67. Ancient 68. Japanese dental products (Abbr.)

Contact Evan Lipetz at lipeek22@wfu.edu

“The Death of an Editor”

By Virginia Noone “Deadlines are so hard” But I did give you a week No oxford comma please “IM Basketball”

By James Watson Two mercy rulings And then a few more forfeits Still winners (at heart) “Print Week Boba Bender”

By Breanna Laws Maddie, Shaila, Breanna Drink so much boba God bless the Momo Ashi “Trapped”

By Ella Klein The OGB is where I spent a lot of time I have lost my mind “Check your Email” Another by Cooper Sullivan Killer sudoku Partners of Logan Jacob’s Always underwhelmed