the davidsonian
OCTOBER 1, 2014 VOL. 106 ISSUE 2
The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914
Sexual misconduct task force reviews policies A group of selected students, faculty and staff reexamine the college’s procedures for sexual misconduct
NEWS Dean of Students encourages students to address Yik Yak. 2 Perspectives dinner gives platform for students to talk back. 3 LIVING PAGE 8DAVIDSON
JORDAN SISKIND-WEISS Staff Writer
Art exhibit explores the social stigma of being HIV/AIDS positive. 4
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ast spring, in response to students’ growing concern about sexual assault on campus, the administration created a task force to reexamine the college’s sexual misconduct policy. After students voiced the need for a change—through marches, demonstrations and letters—the administration quickly took action. “We were immediately open to the idea…it was a pretty quick decision to agree to form a task force to formally look at the policy and make recommendations for revisions,” said Sarah Phillips, Vice President and General Counsel to the President. Phillips coordinates the task force. “We knew it would be a more inclusive way of doing the work we had been doing,” she added. In an attempt to assemble a task force representing a range of perspectives and experiences, Phillips pulled from groups of students, faculty and staff members who were approved by President Carol Quillen. “We wanted to make sure that we felt like we had a range of voices on the committee, and it was imperative that we had each of the campus constituencies represented, especially students,” Phillips noted. When students returned to campus in the fall, they received an email from Dean of Studnets Tom Shandley illuminating the group’s mission: “to review our policy and practices for responding to reports of sexual assault and to make recommendations for policy revisions to the student conduct council.” Over the past few summers, a different committee has convened to work on Davidson’s sexual misconduct policy, maintaining its relevance in relation to federal guidelines and legislation created by other schools. With new guidelines issued by the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education and
Inside
Student performance comments on diverse sexual experiences on campus. 5 PERSPECTIVES Madeline Driscoll explains the problem with Davidson’s perfectionist atmosphere. 6
Last May, students marched across campus to demonstrate solidarity with sexual assault victims and to call attention to issues of sexual violence. Photo courtesy of Todd Sumlin. the Campus Save Act, there was already an immediate need to make revisions to Davidson’s policy. On September 23, Dean Shandley sent another email to Davidson students and faculty alerting the community of changes that were made to the policy in accordance to new federal regulation. The first change addresses the capacity to which “[d]ifferent employees on campus have different abilities to maintain a student’s confidentiality.” The second revision allows the college to determine when “interim and non-disciplinary measures are necessary to ensure a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for students.” The latter would be imposed by the Dean of Students. There have been two reports of sexual assault on campus after the
amendment was made to the college Red Book (student handbook), which allows for confidentiality and anonymity in instances of sexual assault. Because the task force cannot disclose names or specific cases, they understand that they cannot be fully transparent with the Davidson community. However, the group welcomes input from students and faculty. Two open forums will be held throughout the remainder of the semester for community members to voice their opinions on Davidson’s sexual misconduct policy. “We intentionally set them at one per month so we can benefit from these con-
TASK FORCE | Page 3
Sam Riehl and Hampton Stall talk student and alumni giving in response to John Eun. 7 THE YOWL The four most effective eyecontact avoiding techniques you need to know! 9 SPORTS Men’s soccer beats #2 ranked UVA. 10 The famed Red Sox-Yankees rivalry has withered. 11
Newly installed video cameras catch thieves Chief of Police comments on recent thefts
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CONNOR HAYCOX Guest Writer
n just the first half of the semester, the campus has witnessed three separate instances of larceny involving electronic devices. Two reports of stolen personal computers from the Little Library and the Chambers building were made on September 15, while a third was issued on September 18 concerning a theft in the Visual Arts Center. To say that theft is completely absent from the honor-bound college is unrealistic, but the rapid succession of such crimes is unsettling to both students and staff members. Todd Sigler, Chief of the Davidson College Campus Police, remarked that the “low incidence” of crimes on campus actually instigates a “low level of self-protection,” which unfortunately facilitates theft. Chief Sigler added, “[It is] kind of known that Davidson is not very security-conscious.” This knowl-
edge, combined with Davidson’s relatively open campus and proximity to the interstate, increases the potential for larceny on college property. However, administrators, students and staff are not defenseless. As Sigler explained, in most of the main buildings on campus, namely Chambers, the VAC and the Library, are “recently-installed video cameras,” which, while limited in number, are designed to apprehend perpetrators of reported crimes. The Department of Public Safety is able to rewind footage according to the approximate time of the theft in an attempt to identify the offender(s). According to Sigler, the system has found success. The thefts on campus are evidently “tied to a couple of individuals who were able to be ID’d” by the cameras in the library and
CAMPUS THEFTS | Page 2
Students help make the 2014 Homecoming another success. Photo by Shea Parikh.
Homecoming King & Queen Stewy Robertson and Stella Dadson accept their crown and tiara
News
Page 2 October 1, 2014
Dean encourages students to take control of Yik Yak Administration continues to allow access Yik Yak on the College’s secure network George Brisbon meets with students to discuss issues of race and inclusiveness on campus. Photo courtesy of Lawton Kariher.
Multicultural House hosts F first TUSK Talk of the year Guest speaker George Brisbon discusses Historically Black Colleges and Universities
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LAWTON KARIHER Guest Writer
ast Wednesday, the Multicultural House hosted a “TUSK” Talk, which stands for “Together Undertaking and Sharing Knowledge.” The talk took place in the basement of the building where a group of students gathered to hear and discuss information regarding HBCUs—Historically Black Colleges or Universities. North Carolina alone is home to eleven HBCUs, including the first in the South, Shaw University. The discussion focused primarily on the stigmas, benefits and disadvantages surrounding such institutions. George Brisbon, the Assistant of Marketing and Promotions at Davidson, led the discussion. A graduate of South Carolina State University, Mr. Brisbon quickly became active in student activities despite having only joined the Davidson staff earlier this fall. Brisbon began by explaining that there are a multitude of misconceptions surrounding HBCUs, including their reputation as party schools that are not academically rigorous. The difficulties that HBCUs face come from a variety of different sources. In addition to the perceptions surrounding HBCUs, Brisbon also explained that the media holds such institutions to higher standards than other, comparable institutions that are predominately white. Furthermore, state governments are unwilling to fund as many programs in HBCUs as their counterparts. Brisbon noted specifically that South Carolina State University was refused a loan from the state for academic resources, while the University of South Carolina was given a multi-million dollar sum for the construction of an indoor football training facility. Brisbon also argued that there are many similarities between HBCUs and small liberal arts
schools such as Davidson. Both HBCUs and Davidson are focused on student-oriented learning by providing small classroom sizes and more intimate relationships with professors. However, while students at HBCUs are very academically rigorous, Brisbon said that many perceived her counterparts at Davidson as all, “books, books, books.” Despite similar academic structures, Brisbon says some African-American students feel a greater disconnect with Davidson than they do with HBCUs. In opening up the floor for discussion, some Davidson students noted that there simply are not as many relatable traditions at Davidson as there are at HBCUs. Most notably, students cited the vibrant and inclusive homecomings at other institutions. One student commented on North Carolina A&T State University homecomings, which fosters larger, more lively, and all-encompassing homecomings. Davidson currently offers several programs in conjunction with other HBCUs including semester long academic courses with Howard University and Morehouse College. The college also offers five positions in the Davidson Research Initiative to students from HBCUs. Other multicultural institutions on campus include the Black Student Coalition (BSC) and the Multicultural Center in the Alvarez College Union. In spite of, such efforts, several students cited that they would have preferred to attend an HBCU if Davidson had not offered them financial aid packages. Currently, such sentiments may not be well known or understood amongst students at Davidson. With such concerns still being voiced by minority students, Davidson still has a long march ahead before becoming completely inclusive.
KATE MCNAUGHTON Guest Writer
urman University, located in Greenville, South Carolina, is the bastion of Yik Yak, the app that can make you laugh hysterically, become unapologetically angry, depressingly sad or all of this at the same time. Brooks Buffington and Tyler Droll, recent alums of the university, created the social media app to be a “virtual bulletin board” for college students across the country, according to the Huffington Post. However, recently high school and middle school students have been using Yik Yak for taunting, teasing and bullying, much to the chagrin of Buffington and Droll. In Chicago, there were such severe instances of cyber bulling that the app was blocked for the entire city, an act that was facilitated by Buffington and Droll. “Using the app the way we intended it to be used requires a certain amount of maturity and responsibility; we were idealistic about who possessed that,” Buffington said. As a result of the app, students’ lack of maturity and social responsibility has been questioned on college campuses across the country. In fact, much like other colleges, Davidson has become engrossed in debate about how to use Yik Yak. The question arose after slings of hurtful words aimed at President Quillen, the football team and SAE, became major components of the daily feed. Davidson is not alone. Another institution close to home, Wake Forest University, recently experienced similar
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problems with Yik Yak, which spurred debate about restricting the app’s use on campus. The Wake Forest administration decided against it. Davidson does not currently have an administrative policy on Yik Yak as it comes through the College’s online server. The College feels that it would be directly against our First Amendment right to block the app while on campus. However, that does not mean that derogatory language and poor etiquette through the app is being actively encouraged. “I can’t think of anything that has a more destructive capacity to a community. It’s racist. It’s sexist. It’s abusive,” Dean Shandley said during a one-on-one interview. In fact, the administration feels that there should be an appeal to the community since the Yak is “an individual choice,” that can be righted through one’s own actions. Additionally, the administration feels that their efforts would be trivial: as “if Yik Yak went away, there’d probably be something else.” Such thinking is perfectly valid, as there has been steady growth in social media apps in recent years. Thus, the administration is choosing to leave the issue of abusive language on Yik Yak in the hands of Davidson students. “I’d be thrilled if the student body fought back,” Shandley said. “If it’s not called, it never will be.” The College does not believe it should make this decision for its students by simply blocking the application.
I’d be thrilled if the student body fought back - Dean Shandley
Campus thefts Continued from page 1 VAC. The surveillance has been so effective as to allow the Campus Police, in conjunction with outside law enforcement agencies, to issue an arrest warrant for one of the identified thieves. Sigler is currently working with one such office to execute the warrant. Even with Campus Police working full force, it is also the students’ responsibility to safeguard their items against possible theft. Even though Davidson has the Honor Code, which Sigler described as a “wonderful concept,” he stressed that it was “designed as an academic tool,” not as a comprehensive security measure. Thus, Sigler emphasized the need for students and staff to use the Honor Code but
also to “be more vigilant about [their] surroundings” and to have a “see something, say something” mentality when going about campus. Larceny has historically not been, and should not be, an issue on the Davidson campus. However, “one [theft] is too many if it’s your stuff,” Sigler said. Should the unthinkable happen, the Campus Police are always present to provide immediate assistance. Chief Sigler emphasized, “we [the Campus Police] will always investigate…we do want people to report.” The Campus Police office is located in the basement of Tomlinson dorm. A student checks his Yak feed during a brief study break. Photo by Shea Parikh.
News Sexual Misconduct Task Force crime log Continued from page 1 versations as we revise the policy” Phillips remarked. VJ Brown ‘15, Vice President of SGA and student member of the task force acknowledged that, “…our policy is really one of the better ones as it tries to accommodate a variety of people and issues.” Brown recognizes the constraints of the task force to address directly the cases of sexual misconduct that continually arise. “The task force’s goal is the policy itself and making sure that the policy is reflective of the needs of the college,” Brown said. The prevention of sexual misconduct, however, is a task beholden to the student body. “This is everybody’s issue…I encourage people to really take advantage of different training sessions that will soon be offered,” Brown said.
Students have numerous opportunities to voice concerns and contribute to the growing dialogue. “The student conduct council has to meet twice to discuss and vote on any policy changes, and that group is encouraged to go out and discuss that policy with their peers in the community,” Phillips said. Additionally, the task force has created an email account to which community members are encouraged to voice their opinions on Davidson’s sexual misconduct policy (SMPtaskforce@davidson.edu). Both the task force and the student conduct council is committed to ensuring that every voice is heard throughout the drafting and implementation of the college’s sexual misconduct policy. “I think Dean Bray said this very nicely last spring,” Phillips said, “if even one student doesn’t feel well served by our policy then we have to reexamine it.”
Davidson Perspectives Dinner, where your voice matters New monthly dinner brings together randomlyselected students to discuss campus culture ADDIE BALENGER Co-Editor-in-Chief
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e dynamic. Your perspective matters. It’s not my Davidson; It’s our Davidson. Be vulnerable and open to others’ opinions. Truth over convention. These statements framed the inaugural Davidson Perspectives dinner last Wednesday, September 24, an event attended by twenty randomly-selected students and President Carol Quillen, hosted in her dining room. Alec Rotunda ’16, Alex Baggott ’16, Sarah Kostoryz ’17 and Haven Yang ’16 started planning this new, monthly event toward the end of this past spring semester. Through these gatherings, the creators hope to bring together a diverse group of students to facilitate conversations about individual experiences, and by doing so, to break down stereotypes and forge new understandings amongst students with peers outside of their everyday groups. “In order to confront the full Davidson experience, we must understand what individuals go through and what their experiences are,” Rotunda said. The two-hour conversation centered around two questions posed by Rotunda. First, “What were your expectations coming in to this semester, and how have they changed?” Second, “How do we want the school to change?” Baggott explained that they “structured the questions so that the answers could reflect the interests of the people who were there.” From these two questions, the students touched on many current and ongoing issues, including the student workload, school spirit, the student body’s diversity, Yik Yak and sexual assault on campus. “I was surprised that meal plan did not come up,” Baggott said. Colin Vaida ’16, an attendee at last week’s dinner, thought the conversation produced “a good exchange of different viewpoints on this campus.” These monthly dinners differ from other discussion-based events, such as Talkbacks or other forums, in that they are attended not only by those interested in one specific topic, but also by a random sample of students. Rotunda also compared this event to the sexual misconduct march held this past spring semester. While a strong show of support is important, Rotunda questions whether those who
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needed to hear the most about sexual assault were there. Those kinds of events are “well-intended, but only attended by certain realms of people who are passionate about it [the issue] already,” Rotunda said. “If we really want to make progress, we have to reach the people who aren’t passionate about it and say this is an important issue that needs to be addressed both as an institution and a student body.” While Rotunda, Baggott and Kostoryz facilitated the conversation, the randomly selected students steered the conversation from one topic to the next, offering their views on the issue at hand. In this student-led conversation, Quillen listened for the majority of the discussion, occasionally chiming in with clarifications and add-on questions. For example, when Rotunda asked what one would change about the school, one student pointed to the lack of diversity on campus, specifically the small number of African American males. In the class of 2015, only nine members are African American males. While recognizing this statistic as a problem at Davidson, Quillen added that this lack of representation is not only a Davidson problem, but also a national problem. “My vision for her [Quillen], or for any other special guest, was for her to experience the conversation just like everyone else in the room,” Rotunda said. “Since it was student-based, to not lead a lot of the conversation, but if there’s something institutionally in place, or something that she knows as a staff member that we wouldn’t know as students, to be able to clarify that.” Future dinners will feature other special guests. Rotunda hopes to recruit Jason Shaffer, Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life, for next month’s dinner. Kostoryz hopes these dinners will serve as places where students can “break free of what they feel they’re supposed to say.” In this organized safe space, students will not only voice their own opinions, but also listen to their peers’ experiences, with the ultimate goal of creating a more inclusive, understanding campus climate.
Break free of what they feel they’re supposed to say - Sarah Kostoryz
Page 3 Davidsonian.com
Time
Description / Location
9/22/2014 at 1624 hrs.
Larceny of Property (Bicycle) in Watts. Undergoing further investigation.
9/22/2014 at 1951 hrs.
Found Property (Bicycle) in Baker. Returned to owner.
9/22/2014 at 1515 hrs
Rape - Second Degree.
Undergoing further investigation. 9/23/2014 at 1623 hrs
Miscellaneous Suspicious Person in Watts. Trespassed.
9/23/2014 at 2013 hrs
Miscellaneous Suspicious Person in Library. Unfounded.
9/24/2014
Rape - Second Degree.
9/24/2014 at 1626 hrs
Larceny Felony (Bicycle) in Irwin.
Undergoing further investigation.
Undergoing further investigation. 9/24/2014 at 1324 hrs
Miscellaneous Suspicious Persons in Library. Clear by arrest.
9/24/2014 at 1850 hrs
Found Property in Tomlinson.
9/25/2014
Rape - Second Degree.
Property returned to owner.
Undergoing further investigation. 9/25/2014 at 1838 hrs
Miscellaneous Skateboarders in Chambers. Inactive.
9/26/2014 at 2214 hrs
Miscellaneous Suspicious Person in Library. Unfounded.
9/26/2014 at 0241 hrs
Miscellaneous Noise Violation at SAE. Closed/Clear.
9/26/2014 at 0337 hrs
Miscellaneous Abandoned Property. Inactive.
9/26/2014 at 0200 hrs
Assault [Aggravated] in Duke. Undergoing further investigation.
9/26/2014 at 1850 hrs
Miscellaneous Suspicous Person in Chambers. Unfounded.
9/26/2014 at 1723 hrs
Assault [Simple] in Baker Lot.
9/27/2014 at 1723 hrs
Weapon on School Property in Tomlinson.
Inactive.
Inactive. 9/28/2014
Self-Harm.
Inactive. 9/28/2014 at 0201 hrs
Underage Consumption in New Dorm. Dean referral.
living davidson
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October 1, 2014
Art Exhibit in the Visual Arts Center Tackles Social Stigmas of HIV/AIDS Professors Ann Fox and Dave Wessner curate Re/Presenting HIV/AIDS exhibition JACOB HEGE Staff Writer
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ince August 25, a vivid art exhibit has been on display in the Van Every/Smith Galleries in the Visual Arts Center. The Re/Presenting HIV/AIDS art exhibit brings a very taboo subject to our attention in an extremely honest representation. Professors Ann Fox and Dave Wessner conceived this exhibit after the success of their team teaching “Representations of HIV/AIDS” class, started in 2012. Through the exhibit, one can view artistic interpretations of the affect HIV/ AIDS has on people’s lives – whether the artist themselves suffered or knew someone who did. Turning the corner into the exhibit, the first
image to greet me was Albert Winn’s The Band-Aids Series featuring photography of various bandaged body parts. My initial impression walking into the gallery was that the art was very abrasive. The artwork stung all of my senses. Yet this was the exact intention. The
artwork hurts because the artists illustrate the pain associated with the social stigma of being HIV positive. As a culture and society, we tend to ignore or push aside the issue of HIV/AIDS because it makes us uncomfortable. Seeing the art presented in this exhibit, like a man physically damaged, made the issue that much more real. The pain from experiences of either HIV positive people or those who were affected by HIV became easily accessible through their artwork in a way that I do not typically see presented in modern media. As I continued through the exhibit, the pain felt by these artists became more and more palpable. There was an unsettling feeling in the air. All of the artwork was very powerful, but there were a
Photo by David Ramsey.
few pieces that really stuck out to me. One of these pieces was Blue in the Face III by Shyvette Williams. The piece features a plaster model of the artist’s face covered with the instructions from numerous medications the
artist had to take. To me, this piece seizes the illness and defines the artist as the health condition on her face. This highlights the fact that as a society we shun and define people based on their diseases due to a broad misunderstanding of living with a chronic disease. A similar piece I found interesting was Andrew McPhail’s Stunt Double. McPhail features a model skull covered with Band-Aids. The artist reflected on his piece, “This work brings up a lot of issues for me, about health and hurt, and the kind of obsessive hypochondria that I sometimes get living with HIV…” The skull initially seems very dark, like the place it comes from. However, the true beauty in this piece stems from how the artist took his pain and worked it into something therapeutic that could help him heal emotionally and mentally. The cross stitch by Jessica Whitbread in collaboration with Allyson Mitchell was an informative art piece that struck me. Reading “FUCK POSITIVE WOMEN,” this piece caught my attention for obvious reasons: it was bright, loud, and slightly controversial. Mitchell says about this piece, “the message of FUCK POSITIVE WOMEN is a directive – a confident and supportive message meant to relocate positive sexual energy around the bodies of HIV-positive women.” The phrase can also be taken as commentary on how HIV positive women are ‘fucked’ in society, seated in the margins of acceptance and support. It’s a piece that definitely gets people thinking. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Re/Presenting HIV/AIDS. In the Visual Arts Center, I got a chance to speak to Lia Newman, the Director and Curator of the Van Every/Smith Galleries at Davidson College. Newman told me that the purpose of the exhibit was to present a modern interpretation of HIV/AIDS and how it is represented in today’s culture and media. I think that
Fuck Positive Women, 2011, Jessica Whitbread Collaboration with Allyson Mitchell. the exhibit was very successful in that regard. The artwork brings attention to a difficult disease people live with that we tend to be othered. The exhibit will be open until October 5, 2014, and I would recommend visiting to anyone who has the chance. If you cannot make it before Sunday, there are a few pieces that will become permanent additions to the Davidson collection, namely Shan Kelley’s Disclosures series.
Family tradition turned inside out in The 100-Foot Journey Helen Mirren and Om Puri shine in a portrayal of the delightful nuances of food and cooking
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THE BEAT 1.1
CATHERINE O’DONNELL Living Davidson Editor
ast: Helen Mirren, Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon, Om Puri
Director: Lasse Hallström Producers: Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Juliet Blake Synopsis: Manish Dayal stars as the culinary prodigy Hassan Haji in a story about family, food and cooking. Hassan and his family are forced to evacuate their home in India after a ruthless fire stole Hassan’s mother, their home, and restaurant. The Indian family’s wheels break at a small town in the south of France where they open up a restaurant across the street, 100 feet, from a Michelin rated French eatery. Madame Mallory played by Helen Mirren, the owner of the French restaurant, gives Hassan and his family a wild trip through French cuisine that ends in something bigger than a fight between neighbors. Review: Within 72 hours, I watched The 100-Foot Journey twice. Yes, I paid twice— that was the lousy part. Though I doubt most of you will go to see this movie twice, it may be worth seeing once. It is a film that attempts to make you feel good and it succeeds in doing so. As papers loom and midterms begin to set
in, take two hours for yourself and your brain. If you enjoy food and cooking, I would recommend filling that time with this film. The movie begins with a chaotic market scene in which Hassan and his mother buy a bushel of the colorful, porcupine-esque sea urchins. While the film is bookended with sea urchin imagery, vibrant images of market produce continuously flash as if they were on a conveyor belt. The colors, sizes, and proximity of the food on the screen are enough to make anyone hungry. Somehow my buttered popcorn didn’t do the trick. Though downright predictable, the plot develops as Hassan’s cooking skills relocate from his Indian family to the realm of French cooking. Intrigued by the five sauces of French cooking— béchamel, hollandaise, tomat, espagnole, and veloute—Hassan spends his downtime reading about French cooking and quickly masters the foundation of French cuisine. His ability to lunge from Indian to French cuisine is just the start to his culinary pursuits. Helen Mirren appears as spunky as ever in the film and while her character is initially cast as the villain, Madame Mallory’s malevolence wanes. Replaced with gratitude and emotion, the interplay between Madame Mallory and Hassan’s father, Papa, played by Om Puri, is a delightful and compelling one. Fun to watch, these two veterans proved they know how to act.
The film runs for a good 2½ hours so if you’re not a food enthusiast like myself who could see the movie for a third time, it gets a little long. Yet the wonderful relationships forged through food in the film are a great reason to watch it. And if that doesn’t convince you to go, the #foodporn is definitely worth it.
FT. BEN KRAUSS 1. Ptolemy -- Aphex Twin 2. Romancing the Stone -- Omar S 3. So Will Be Now -- John Talabot 4. Metamorphosis No. 2 -- Philip Glass 5. Mongol (original mix) -- Ten Walls 6. Track 15 -- Jai Paul 7. Ellipsis -- Joy Orbison 8. NYC -- Burial 9. Diamonds on the Soles of her Soles of her Shoes (Ame edit)
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Paul Simon 10. This is how we Walk on the Moon - Arthur Russel Courtesy Photo.
Living Davidson
Page 5 Davidsonian.com
“Let’s Talk About Sex� provides a platform for conversations about intimacy and gender roles Performance covers seldom talked-about themes for young adults COLIN BYE Guest Writer
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here have been few times at Davidson where I have felt such pride at the strength and willingness of my peers to open themselves for an essential cause. This feeling hit me last week when I attended the “Let’s Talk About Sex� performance in Tyler-Tallman Hall. It was a performance put on by a diverse group of Davidson students with the purpose of getting us to talk about one of the most taboo, yet essential parts of relationships in our society: sex. Put together in roughly a week under the direction of Joan Lipkin, “Let’s Talk About Sex� allowed for a discussion on stage that shared anonymous stories straight out of Davidson with an audience. What started out as a group of people in pajamas at a slumber party ripe with stuffed animals and pillows turned into an in depth conversation about different aspects of sex, relationships, and gender. With topics ranging from the inherent male privilege in the “walk of shame� (Or as Dylan Goodman put it, “Stride with Pride�) to how we define our sexual mani-
festos, the audience was able to listen to accounts of Davidson students and hear about how their experiences have affected the lives of those involved. Along with a dialogue that at times echoed so many of our own personal experiences, there were plenty of tasteful innuendos and jokes to keep the atmosphere light and comfortable. As previously mentioned, the slumber party setting of the performance was perfect in keeping things casual between the actors and the audience. As they made the transition from topic to topic the ensemble would use music
October starts national breast cancer awareness month
such as “Brave� by Sara Bareilles accompanied by a choreographed routine, starting each theme off with a unique flavor. Making a statement about how the media portrays gender roles while at the same time moving to a new and relevant topic? Genius. After the performance I spoke to the performers about the development of the piece and was blown away. I couldn’t believe the group of people that had just put on such a thought-provoking production started it less than a week
beforehand. One week to share their experiences anonymously. One week for their voices to be compiled into a script. One week to prepare dance routines and music. But apparently one week was all they needed to make a unique and impactful piece of art. I would also like to emphasize that the beauty of this piece wasn’t only in the preparation or delivery of lines, it was in the honesty of the performers and how it communicated to the audience. From sexperts to beginners to those in committed relationships, there was something to learn or relate to at every point throughout the show. Although I wasn’t a part of the performance I can definitely say that I feel like a part of the process. Creating the message was half of the work. Unfortunately objectification, prejudice, and intolerance are all real and very present on this campus. There is a power in individual discussions that is often overlooked. That’s where we come in. I encourage all of you to ask questions and find people with whom you can comfortably talk about the complexity of sex and all that it entails.
THE CHEW 1.1 Roasted Salmon with Vietnamese Caramel Sauce Adapted from Kristin Miglore, Food52
Support funding for breast cancer research through campus-wide events this month KATE SANFORD Guest Writer
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his month’s schedule of events offers something for everyone: sports games, a lecture series, and plenty of social fundraisers. The ladies of Connor House invite you to participate in as many of this month’s events as you can—and all for an incredible
cause! From singing karaoke to watching the Davidson women’s soccer game, you can be a part of making a difference. All proceeds from the following schedule of events will be donated directly to Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test, an organization that funds promising researchers working towards better, and earlier, methods of detection.
OCTOBER
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Wear pink all day to kick off BCA month!
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Think Pink at New Summit
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Ingredients RXQFH VDOPRQ ÀOOHWV 1/2 cup soft brown sugar 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon freshly grated Salt and black pepper ginger (from ginger root) 3 tablespoons soy sauce Juice of 1 lime WDEOHVSRRQV ÀVK VDXFH Steamed rice, to serve \RX FDQ ÀQG DW DQ LQWHUQDtional market, I ended up using oyter sauce instead but it isn’t the same)
1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Drizzle the salmon with the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 11-12 minutes, until the salmon is just opaque in the center. 2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat while the salmon is roasting. Add the VR\ VDXFH ÀVK VDXFH EURZQ VXJDU JLQJHU DQG OLPH MXLFH DQG VWLU WRJHWKHU until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is syrupy. 3. Serve the salmon on steamed rice and generously drizzle the sauce over.
perspectives
page 6 October 1, 2014
Our problem with perfection MADELINE NEWTON DRISCOLL
I
have never, not once, felt good enough at Davidson. When I say this to people, which is often, they typically reply conspiratorially excited “Me neither!â€? It’s as if we’re sharing some deep, dark secret. I’ve shared this sentiment sobbing, and I’ve shared it yelling, I’m now sharing it daily‌in a generally more emotionally stable manner‌ but sharing nonetheless. I came to Davidson as a confident, driven, intelligent, white, middle-class Midwestern girl (this is both to set up my story and to share that this is my background, what shapes my experiences). My first semester here almost killed me. I say that more literally than you read that originally. The pressures I felt here made me feel a need to be as athletic as the D1 athletes, as smart as the invisible 500, as social as a second-semester senior, as pretty as your stereotypical southern #srat girl‌ the list really goes on and on. Running through all of these pressures, however, is the common thread of appearance. Everyone around me appeared to be all of these things, easily, effortlessly. They were good enough, better than good enough, they were perfect. And I was not. I wasn’t even close to being enough. So, basically, that’s the story of how I went home last winter break and had a certifiable breakdown. Immediately after being sad, I got mad. Really mad. I was mad at myself, and I wanted to be mad at what had made me feel this way‌ and think this way. A large part of it is the societal pressure that falls upon many of the categories I assign to myself, but an equally important, and far more direct influence was Davidson’s campus
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culture. Davidson’s culture insists on emphasizing the perception of perfection rather than the reality of excellence. The perception I see people fighting to maintain allows no room for unburdening yourself of your struggles and failures—unless you drop a casual joke about it, and shove it under the rug with everything else that “doesn’t really matterâ€? because it didn’t visibly break your façade. We share struggles when we feel like they won’t wash out our entire sandcastle lives with a wave of people perceiving us as struggling. Only when our struggles contribute to the narrative of easy, natural success are we okay with sharing them. Only when they are anecdotal and basically meaningless do we verbalize them. Think for a moment: how many times have you shared how stressed you are about that test tomorrow? We do that here almost daily. Now, how many times have you shared how truly fearful you are of failing said test, knowing that you want this professor to be your major advisor? We couch our deepest fears and insecurities in small, easily digestible, anecdotes so we can “relateâ€? to each other. Are we really connecting to each other when we don’t trust each other enough to share our fear of not doing, scoring, trying‌. Being enough? Perfection is so narrowly defined that the pressures to conform to it override our relationships, our interests, ourselves. We end up focusing more on what other people think we are, and working to fulfill those perceived expectations instead of truly discovering who we are, and what we can do—in failure and in success.
Perfection is so narrowly GHĂ€ QHG WKDW WKH SUHVVXUHV to conform to LW RYHUULGH RXU UHODWLRQVKLSV RXU LQWHUHVWV RXUVHOYHV
Madeline Newton Driscoll ’17 is an English major from St. Paul, Minnesota. Please contact her at madriscoll@davidson.edu
the davidsonian staff editors-in-chief
news editor LD editor
Addie Balenger Jonathan Marchuk Michelle Wan Matt Landini Catherine O’Donnell
perspectives editor
Will Weisgerber
yowl editor
Charles Pennell
sports editors
Mike D’Andrea Ethan Faust
photographer
Shea Parikh
media editor
Ned Ukrop
business manager
Katy Boyle
circulation manager
Ricki Hollins
Tife Odumosu ’17 is undeclared from Lagos, Nigeria. Contact him at boodumosu@davidson.edu
Inclusivity, it’s a Davidson thing BEN CALLINDER
I
nclusivity—I think that’s the first word that hit home after my visit to Davidson. It’s also the reason I was able to make the decision to go against my parents’ wishes and attend a school in the South. Today, I can honestly say that I am more than happy with that decision. Over the course of the past three years I have matured incredibly. I know, surprising, but a lot of that growth stems from the relationships that I have built with everyone on campus. It’s amazing how much you learn about someone through conversations in different parts of campus, whether they take place in class, in Commons, down the hill during an intense game of pong, or even at Summit when a five minute coffee run turns into a full-blown conversation about the benefits of getting your own personal Segway for the sometimes dreadfully awkward walks around campus. But I digress, so yes, inclusivity—IT MATTERS. Without inclusivity, I think Davidson would be a drastically different campus, which is why I, like so many others, think that the proposed meal plan changes will in fact change life on campus. Initially, I thought it was a great idea! I get to eat meals with my non-Greek affiliated friends and my friends from other fraternities and eating-houses. I also thought it was a great way to build on-campus inclusivity to ensure that everyone felt like they were a part of something bigger than themselves. Honestly, I want the proposed meal plan changes to work. It seems like a great way to make campus even more inclusive, but when I stopped to take a closer look at the proposal, I thought about how different things could be financially for a number of students. Trying to meet the cost of a Commons meal plan and paying dues to an organization is no simple task.
I couldn’t imagine life without some of my closest friends down-the-hill, and I also can’t imagine someone being put in a situation where they would have to decide against joining an organization on campus because they couldn’t make ends meet financially. So here I am, halfway around the world in Prague where the USD goes a little further, and I’m concerned about life at Davidson. Despite not being on campus to get a sense of students’ reactions to the proposed meal plan changes, I do think it’s important that we take the time to ensure that whatever policy we put in place sustains an environment of inclusivity on campus. Can you guess what word resonated when I had conversations about the proposed meal plan changes with alumni? (If you guessed “inclusivity� then you were right). If there is any way that we can make this policy work financially while ensuring that we preserve the nature of the culture on campus—then sign me up. But if that’s not possible I would like to think that we won’t infringe on the experiences of future Davidson alumni. I’m all for doing my own laundry and I’m all for unlimited access to the library, but I’m definitely not for compromising on changing people’s access to the limited social life we have on campus. It’s inevitable that college expenses will increase over the years, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take the time to really think about the impact this will have on campus. I leave you with this final quote from Jerry Seinfeld: “Dogs have no money. Isn’t that amazing? They’re broke their entire lives. But they get through. You know why dogs have no money?...No Pockets.� This is my attempt at eliminating pockets on campus. Ben Callinder ’16 is a political science major from Queens, New York. Please contact him at becallinder@davidson.edu
Perspectives
page 7 Davidsonian.com
Sustaining the Davidson experience SAM RIEHL & HAMPTON STALL
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n his recent article “Davidson, stop asking me for money,” John Eun ‘14 cites the gracious Davidson community, relationships among his first-year hallmates and a diverse group of friends as valuable and memorable parts of his Davidson experience. Eun fails to acknowledge, however, that alumni giving provides the very foundation on which these Davidson hallmarks are further built, sustained and improved. Without alumni giving, the Senior Class Gift and student involvement with The Davidson Trust, Davidson would not have the resources to provide the Davidson experience that Eun praises. The cost to educate each Davidson student is $8,732 more than the “sticker price” on our tuition bills, and alumni giving helps to bridge this 15% cost difference. While Davidson’s endowment may be smaller than those of many peer institutions, the loyalty of our alumni enables us to stand out among our peers. Alumni gifts to The Fund for Davidson are absolutely critical to sustaining the way we function, and fortunately, Davidson alumni consistently rise to the occasion and generously participate in annual giving. A 2011 survey put Davidson’s 9-year average alumni giving rate at 61%, trumping the rates of 38.2% for the Top50 US Private colleges, 25.9% for US private colleges, and 12.5% for all US colleges and uni-
versities. This impressive figure illustrates our Davidson. President Quillen’s challenges enlongstanding tradition of alumni loyalty-a loy- able Senior Class Gift contributions to grow alty that begins with the Senior Class Gift. in size and make an even greater impact; this In the early 2000s, the Senior Class Gift year, seniors have the opportunity to secure an shifted from a tangible campus installment additional $20,000 if they exceed 90% partici(imagine a bench with a class plaque) to a class pation. Eun rhetorically asks how many senior contribution to The Fund for Davidson (FFD). gifts are $1 bills given at the doors of seThis important shift has allowed great nior apartments, but the average flexibility in giving: seniors have senior gift from last year’s the option to donate directly class was actually over to the Davidson Athletic $20. Senior Class Gift Fund (and a specific agents’ door-toteam), The Trust, the door tactics make Davidson Research up only one small Initiative, the Arts, part of the way and a number of the senior gift other important is gathered, campus efforts. and rather Gifts can also be than conductmade in honor of ing fundraisfaculty, staff and ing exclusively peers in order to online, agents thank them for their of both the Seimpact on a student’s nior Class Gift and experience. The diversiDinner at Davidson ty of giving opportunities (D@D) prefer to take a FY 2014 Budgeted enables seniors to contribute more personal approach. Revenues to something meaningful and Everyone who works for eiclosely connected to their time at Dather of these organizations volunvidson. FFD is comprised of current use dollars, teers their time and believes in the mission of meaning that gifts are immediately put to use on Davidson. While participation goals and moncampus; thus, seniors enjoy the benefits of their etary success are important to the Senior Class own philanthropy before graduating. Gift and D@D, education and awareness lie at Donations of any size are valuable by add- the core of these groups’ missions. ing to the overall alumni participation rate, a Giving back to Davidson, whether as an metric many larger foundations use when de- alumnus or as a current student, serves as a way ciding to award grants or make a large gift to to say thank you. Though every student’s four
years at Davidson may not be perfect, the students, faculty and experiences here change us and shape us. We encourage you to think of an important cause, worthwhile experience or lifealtering moment that occurred for you at Davidson, and consider the way in which alumni giving made that possible for you. Giving to The Trust, for example, might bring a student to campus who will further your cause, become the president of your favorite organization, or benefit from your favorite academic department. Davidson’s statement of purpose states, “The primary purpose of Davidson College is to assist students in developing humane instincts and disciplined and creative minds for lives of leadership and service.” Eun highlights alumni “lives of leadership and service” in his article, but in doing so, he forgets the way in which giving back to the college is a way to lead and serve Davidson, a way to ensure that the experience we’ve had here can continue for those who come after, and ultimately, a way to build future generations of Davidson leaders and community servants. Sam Riehl ’15 is an art history major from Baltimore, Maryland. He is also the Senior Class Gift Co-Chair. Please contact him at sariehl@davidson.edu Hampton Stall ’15 is a political science and Arab studies major from Greenville, South Carolina. He is also the Vice-Chair of the Dinner at Davidson Planning Committee. Please contact him at hastall@davidson.edu
Coal and honor-A freshman’s perspective Yik Yak: The mobile app that is more on why Davidson should divest important than you might think EVANS SCHMEDTJE
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n a warm June morning in central Appalachia, our youth group construction team took hammers and crowbars to a rickety old home’s 100 year compilation of linoleum, hardwood, carpet and tile. As we labored to remove the multi-layered flooring, the noonday sun seeped through the masking-tape window, revealing a fine black dust rising in large clouds throughout the room. The dust silently invaded our eyes, skin and lungs. Soon it became difficult to breathe, and members of our crew started coughing blackened phlegm. Literally 10 yards from the backdoor sat Norfolk and Southern rail cars filled with coal. This black filth was coal dust, I realized, exposed after gradually collecting in the floorboards for decades. But when I took another look around, I realized the invasive effects of the dust weren’t all physical. I heard Peggy, the homeowner, talk to a friend on the phone, worried about food stamps. I watched Peggy’s pregnant granddaughter, hardly older than I was, sadly observe our work from afar. I saw Thad, the family patriarch, unemployed and awkwardly unsure of how to help. This coal dust hadn’t simply permeated the physical confines of Peggy’s home. It had invaded its economic, social, emotional and spiritual sanctity. Coal mining began in Peggy’s small town of Wise County, Virginia in 1880 and continues today. So far, 25% of the land in the entire county has been destroyed by strip mining. Many of the local ridges have fallen victim to mountaintop removal. In 2012 the Virginia City Hybrid Center was completed, a 600 megawatt coal burning facility whose “hybrid” status refers to its capability of burning wood, likely sourced from nearby deforestation efforts. Though Dominion Power claims the Virginia City Hybrid Center brings 258 million dollars annually to the economy of Wise, the County Profile states the local poverty
rate is 108% higher than average for the state of Virginia and the average per capita income is only 59% of the rest of the state. In 2004, a halfton boulder from an A&G Coal Corporation strip mine fell on a local family’s home and killed their three year old son. These mines are literally too close for comfort, invading the homes of locals to their detriment. It is consistently clear that the coal industry of Wise has a pattern of lying, cheating and stealing. Their “hybrid” façade, their indifference towards safety, even their illusion of economic prosperity continue to deceive residents and outsiders alike. When I arrived on Davidson’s campus as a freshman this fall, I was shocked to learn that 2-3% of our endowment, some 15 million dollars, is invested in fossil fuel companies. Though the administration resists transparency when it comes to the college’s investments, it is chilling to think that my own school is actively supporting parasitic fossil fuel corporations like those in Wise. Clearly, this is not just an issue of morals, environmental awareness or social justice - it is an issue of honor. If we at Davidson are to continue to proclaim an honor code that condemns lying, cheating, stealing and the tolerance of those who do, then I suggest our administration take a good, long look at the beneficiaries of our investments. To be frank, it is inexcusable that Davidson continues to advertise its Honor Code yet simultaneously contributes financially to the institutions who are drilling our oceans, fracking our foundations, blasting our mountaintops and deforesting our wilds. When I think back to Peggy’s small home, to Wise County and to the parasitic nature of fossil fuels, the truth of the matter is incredibly clear; Davidson College is honor-bound to divest. Evans Schmedtje ’18 is undeclared from Roanoke, Virginia. Please contact her at evschmedtje@davidson.edu
JACOB HEGE
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hen I first got to Davidson I was so excited. Everyone is so nice here and no one seems to judge anyone else. Then within the first few days I made the decision to download this really popular app on my phone. Yik Yak – the app I hate that I love. We all know how it works: people post anonymous messages and other users can “up” or “down” it depending on how they feel about said message. At first, the app seemed harmless. The posts were funny and besides the occasional friendly poke at the new freshman, no one seemed to be targeting anybody. Slowly, however, more and more offensive postings appeared. The façade was beginning to fade. There are several ways you can look at Yik Yak. When I first set out to write this article I was going to discuss how Yik Yak does nothing for us but tear each other down and promote slacktivism (complaining anonymously about the meal plan/ laundry situation does nothing). However, despite my initial strong feelings against the app, I cannot draw myself away from reading what my fellow Davidsonians are saying, whether it’s about their commons-induced stomachache, most recent failed sexual conquests or the insane squirrels taking over our campus. Most of these posts are harmless jokes that students can all relate to and crack up about. Where Yik Yak goes wrong, however, is in its anonymity. Amidst these hilarious inside jokes amongst the students, there is a plethora of hate-fueled posts from our fellow students hiding behind the touch-screen keyboard of their iPhones. I’m not going to quote any of these posts because we’ve all seen them - repeating them does nothing productive, and if you were here last semester you know just how bad they can get. When I originally downloaded the app I was very hesitant and didn’t like it that much. Now, I
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can hardly go a day without checking what people are saying. Since my initial position against the app I got to thinking and I’ve realized that the majority of posts are actually very funny and harmless. I thoroughly enjoy reading my Yik Yak feed most of the time. That being said, there are still some posts that I can’t believe I am reading - especially here at oh-so-friendly Davidson. However, the hate on Yik Yak is also not just this destructive obtrusion on our student body, but something much more important for our community. Here at Davidson we like to think we are separated from the outside world; we strive to create a community that cultivates intelligent, passionate and caring individuals that are conscious of the world around them and working to make positive changes. Most people probably recognize this idea as the “Davidson Bubble”. Yik Yak’s always-looming presence across campus shows us something more about ourselves. It shows us that even within this so-called “Bubble” we are not as disconnected from the ignorance, bullying and insensitive nature of the outside world as we like to believe. Sure, walking around campus and viewing students’ social media pages we can see this sense of pride and caring for our community, but when students are given an outlet devoid of claiming their opinions publicly, we see that our community really is still not perfect. This is why I say I hate that I love Yik Yak. It’s entertaining but also opens doors for unfair attacks. So even though the app can become hateful, I think it is still beneficial and important for us to see the hate posted by our peers to remind us that there is still improvement to be made in the community at Davidson - THANKS QUILLEN.
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Jacob Hege ’18 is undeclared from Durham, North Carolina. Please contact him at jahege@davidson.edu
Perspectives
page 8 October 1, 2014
Davidson’s cultural overpass STRAT SCHOCK
I
believe that I have a different perspective on social life than most people. It could just be my personality, or it could be that I’ve been fortunate enough to go places most people haven’t. I think the latter is more likely. I was born just outside of Detroit, Michigan, but I’ve had the unique privilege of living in China, Scotland, Sweden and England. In short, I’m what many people call a Third Culture Kid. This gives me a unique perspective on Davidson’s social scene because I can relate to both the International and National communities, but unfortunately sometimes neither. Generally though, I like to think that I get along with both groups just fine. I’ve noticed, however, that it’s difficult to get along with both groups at the same time, not because the two groups have different morals or values, but because they are rarely together. Of course, I am a freshman so I’m no expert on the Davidson social scene, but in my experience,
seeing Internationals study or eat with nationals is a rarer occurrence than it should be. A popular argument for the lack of togetherness among the two groups is International Orientation. Personally, I loved International orientation because I got to meet new and interesting people, some from countries I’d never heard of, and understand how to deal with specific International issues like what to do during holidays and what to do for transportation. However, the argument goes that at International orientation, Internationals make friends and have little incentive to make more friends once regular orientation comes around. This, to an extent, is true. I know many Internationals who established firm friend groups and did not venture out or embrace the rest of Davidson. I’ll admit that I was no exception to this self-exclusion at the beginning of the year. At International Orientation, I remember forming strong relationships with many people who seemed to relate to me, but perhaps our friendships were too strong. For about the first week of school I was reluctant to sit at a lunch table with a group I didn’t fully understand or relate to, and I was not about to throw myself into a group that I thought
might reject or misunderstand my background. Now, thankfully, I’ve branched out and I know lots of people on both sides of the cultural spectrum. I don’t necessarily blame those of us who went through International Orientation though. I think that even if International Orientation didn’t exist, Internationals would still group together and establish fixed friend groups. People will drift to what they know, and although most International students are not completely alike, they tend to think that they are. The reason for detachment is much more innate than an orientation. Some people think that other reasons for division are the differences in culture and language. I think language is something that can be immediately dismissed as a difference at Davidson, because English is a requirement for acceptance; everyone speaks it. However, culture is a variance, but it’s not as extreme as we may think. My understanding is that culture is something that everyone can stand to gain from. It’s something that can be so varied, so outrageous and yet, so attractive to many people. It seems to me that many people, especially at Davidson, love discovering little social nuances from different areas
of the world because they love to learn; that’s probably why most people choose to study abroad. Additionally, these small diversities help us learn more about ourselves and what defines us in our culture. However, it’s also easy to see how cultural difference can sometimes be off-putting because it has a habit of pulling people out of their comfort zone. But, at least for me, culture has never been something preventative; it’s never stopped me from making friends or meeting new people. In fact, many times it’s had the opposite effect. Ultimately, I believe both International and National students are guilty because as people we often fail, or are sometimes scared, to interact with what we don’t know. The only solution is to step out of our comfort zone and meet people who are new and different. So next time you meet someone from a different background or a different culture, reach out to them. You’ll probably learn something new and interesting, and you might even make a friend. Strat Schock ’18 is undeclared from Detroit, Michigan. Please contact him at stschock@ davidson.edu
Why are we walking on water? The NFL’s road to redemption SPENCER BALLANTYNE
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his past weekend, more than 400,000 people turned out for the “People’s Climate March� in New York, just days before many of the world’s leaders are expected to deliberate environmental action at the UN Climate Summit. Event coordinators are hailing the turnout as the “largest climate march in history.� In response, The White House has promised to “show the world that the U.S. is leading on climate change, and to call on other leaders to step up to the plate,� John Podesta, counselor to the president, told reporters on Thursday. Now, one may think – do we really need a march to raise awareness about global climate change? At this point, this whole discussion is rather hackneyed. One would think people around the world are now acutely aware of the existence of climate change and its disastrous effects on the environment. Well, here is why we need this march. Global warming is accepted almost everywhere but this one place called “The United States House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.� This is true. Last week, this Committee on Science held a hearing on President Obama’s plan to shrink carbon emission plans thirty percent by 2030. The hearing’s Sisyphus was Presidential Science Advisor John Holdren, charged with the unending task of pushing a million pounds of ignorance and corruption up a mountain. Leaders of our government and the Republican Party shot questions towards Holdren in almost comedic fashion. Texas Republican Steve Stockman led the charge against scientific fact with identical rhetoric that climate change deniers have been using since day one. For instance, in this hearing, Indiana Republican Larry Buschon stated that, “Of all the Climatologists whose career depends on the climate changing to keep themselves publishing articles, yes, I could read that but I do not believe it.� Consequently, it seems that Congressman Buschon is skeptical of the scientists claims because it is their profession rather than something they simply do for fun. Moreover, since we’re talking about the influence money might have
on climate change opinion, can you guess whom Representative Buschon’s three biggest campaign donors are? Murray Energy, Kock Enterprises, and Peabody Energy. To allay Rep. Buschon’s disquiets, those three well-funded companies would love to disprove climate change to the satisfaction of the scientific community at large. However, unlike our honest politicians, these scientists’ morals cannot be bought by oil and gas. The very fact that the leaders of the Committee of Science, Space, and Technology continue to repudiate the existence of global warming is frightening. However, there is a reason why they continue to stay so ignorant – Money. In 2012 alone, Oil and Gas companies gave over 50 million dollars to Republicans (6 million to Democrats); our politicians depend on it. Additionally, these tactics seem eerily reminiscent of tobacco companies’ fervent denial of the mal effects of cigarettes several decades ago. If Obama wants to so valiantly save our planet by cutting carbon emissions and thereby cutting profits from these oil and gas companies, he won’t receive Republican support. Well, maybe some Republican support. Currently, 3 percent of Republican members of Congress have gone on record accepting the fact that people are causing global warming; that is a grand total of eight Republican non-deniers in both the House and Senate. This includes Representative Michael Grimm of New York, who while laudably sensible on this issue, is also under arraignment for perjury and tax fraud. So, it may push 2 percent in January. In Congress, Republican environmentalists appear to be terrified of what should be the most rudimentary environmental issue possible. The Whitehouse blames the Supreme Court’s verdict on campaign finance that gives the energy barons carte blanche when it comes to spending on election campaigns. Furthermore, there’s certainly no way to tick off mega-donors like the fabled Koch brothers faster than to suggest the globe is warming. It is all incredibly sad. The American public is tired of hearing about climate change debate. What they aren’t hearing, however, is why it continues. Spencer Ballantyne ’18 is undeclared from Stuart, Florida. Please contact him at spballantyne@davidson.edu
A deceptively reclusive campus
D
JORDAN SISKIND-WEISS
avidson students are often touted not only for academic excellence, but the exceptional quality of their character. With such a prominent honor code, the college tends to attract students who posses a strong moral compass from which they rarely waver. This is not to say that we don’t occasionally behave poorly, but I regard this community as one that is self-aware, comprised of individuals who strive to do what is right, as opposed to what is easy. This is why I view certain, negative elements of our social
culture to be contrary to our overall collective consciousness. During my freshman year, I noticed that despite our reputation as a warm, welcoming community, many students would prefer to walk quickly or act distracted rather than engage in conversation with a peer or classmate. While initially I found this element of our social culture to be isolating, I have since accepted it as a cultural norm; perhaps this is because, well into my fourth year at Davidson, I have not witnessed much of a change. In fact, I recognize that I too contribute to the problem. I imagine that I’m not the only person who has noticed this trend. At what point will we ask ourselves why this has become the norm and, further-
type of policy, the maximum punishment for domestic violence would not be limited to six games (as is currently the case). The punishment for this crime he allegations of domestic needs to be stronger – perhaps an entire year, at miniviolence against Ray Rice, mum half the season. This would help avoid punishGreg Hardy, Adrian Peterments of questionable severity. The second option son (accused of child abuse), and that the NFL has is to combine PED use, domestic Ray McDonald are very grave. In fact, these allegations are the primary culprit of my violence, DUIs, etc. into one category. For the first oflack of enthusiasm (and many others’) for the NFL fense, a six-game suspension occurs. For the second this year. These players are people that we look up offense, the player is banned for two years from the to: we cheer for them every weekend and young league. If, after two years, the player has held down children look up to them as role models. It becomes another job, he may attempt to come back. While a societal problem and not just a “sports� problem this system is Draconian, it certainly provides an incentive for players to avoid getting when the people that children view into trouble. I find it hard to believe as role models are accused of heithat many players would risk their nous crimes. NFL careers – and millions of dolWhile the accused players have :KLOH WKH DFlars – to engage in illegal activities. not upheld the standard for profeskey to both of these opsional conduct, the NFL has not FXVHG SOD\HUV tionsThe is that the legal process must been perfect in handling this probout before judgment is passed lem. This is probably the worst part KDYH QRW XSKHOG play or suspensions occur. The NFL is of the entire controversy. By iniWKH VWDQGDUG currently subjected to mob rule. tially suspending Ray Rice for only Players are being judged and are retwo games, the NFL insulted everyquired to prove their innocence. If IRU SURIHVVLRQDO one who cares about human rights. these players are guilty of the crimes Once the media got wind of this FRQGXFW WKH they are accused of, they deserve ‘punishment,’ Pandora’s Box was to be suspended for a long time. opened. Every act of misconduct is 1)/ KDV QRW However, the NFL is trampling our going to be scrutinized under a miConstitution by pre-judging playcroscope. This increased attention EHHQ SHUIHFW LQ ers. These men are not having their has compounded the problem; the in court nor trial by an imparNFL is now scared that any punishKDQGOLQJ WKLV day tial jury prior to being punished. As ment it hands down is going to be terrible and heinous as these crimes critiqued because they are going SUREOHP are, the players’ trials need to occur too soft on players. This explains why Ray Rice has been suspended indefinitely, and before they are judged. If these men are found guilty, is part of the reason why Adrian Peterson and Greg their suspensions should occur immediately. HowHardy are not being allowed to play until their trials ever, the mob rule that surrounds the NFL is dangerare complete (the teams suspended the players, but ous not only to the league, but to our society. If we let the NFL would likely have handed down a suspen- this happen here, the long-term societal implications could result in pre-judging the accused, who, in some sion otherwise). In my view, the NFL has two clear options to re- cases, are falsely accused. We must let the legal prodeem itself. Option one is straightforward: handle cess play out.
WADE LEACH
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each offense on a case-by-case basis, without having a set suspension for a given offense. This remedy provides for a punishment appropriate for the offense that is committed. For instance, if the NFL had this
more, what can we do to change it? Why is it that after I meet someone on Martin Court on a Friday night, I am rarely afforded the opportunity to converse with them while wearing my backpack, in broad daylight? It is surely evident to most Davidson students that repercussions of alcohol hold a great deal of this anti-social burden. Booze acts as a social lubricant at parties, but it doesn’t seem to help us much after the fact. Perhaps it’s that we’re embarrassed of what we said, or we aren’t really as outgoing as we seemed with a red cup in hand, but we can only use drunkenness as a crutch for so long. Now this is not to say that we should hold each other to the standard of unconditional friendliness—often our schedules are too booked to factor in lengthy conversations and we all reserve the right to have a bad day (let us rid ourselves of the notion that as a Davidson student you must be “fine� all the
Wade Leach ’16 is history and political science major from Charlotte, North Carolina. Please contact him at waleach@davidson.edu time). There is a difference however between being blinded by academic stress and intentionally looking down at your phone so as to avoid intrapersonal communication; no text message on your way out of chambers is really that urgent. By perpetuating this cold-shouldered epidemic, we are also slighting ourselves of the opportunity to engage with interesting, like-minded people. We would all feel more comfortable in our own community if we genuinely knew more about a wider array of people. In depth, personal conversations should not be reserved for the Armfield courtyard. Davidson’s campus, uphill from Martin Court, holds promise for productive conversations too. Jordan Siskind-Weiss ’15 is an english major from New York, New York. Please contact her at josiskindweiss@davidson.edu
THE BUTT CHIN ISSUE This bar
HAS A DIAMOND IN IT
Group of Blazed Candy Crush Addicts Building Supercollider On Exit 28 Overpass
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Pumpkin Spice Four Loko Revolutionizes Atmosphere At Nation’s Starbuckses
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Jeter Says Storied Career Was All A Prelude to American Ninja Warrior Appearance
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Aspiring Sea Captain Wears Belt Embroidered With Nautical Flags
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Weirdly Intense Running PE Prof. Keeps Mentioning Pet Rottweiler
Billions of Greenhouse Gas Rights Activists Demonstrate to Hasten Climate Change
Twelve Year Old Exposes The Shawshank Redemption for the Boring Trash That It Is
Although an anti-climate change rally of 300,000 people in New York last week attracted much of the media’s attention, most of the world’s inhabitants participated in informal, loosely organized forms of collective action to express their desire for climate change to speed up. While their chosen form of protest ranged from leaving the lights on all night to burning trash for fun, the majority of human beings managed to forcefully send the message that they demanded the acceleration of global warming. In one notable example, this Monday millions of New Yorkers took to the streets in a wide variety of gas-powered vehicles; honking their horns, shouting and releasing tons of greenhouse gases in a massive show of support for irreversible environmental harm. Apparently undeterred by logistical snarls and rampant in-fighting, the pro-climate change protesters demonstrated on Tuesday as well, and will likely continue to rally until the rising sea swallows
Avid skateboarder and local twelve-year-old Timothy Stevens said that he was “super disappointed” by The Shawshank Redemption following a forced screening of the film with his father last Friday. “Dad had said the movie was one of his favorites, but I don’t see why,” Timothy said on Friday after the credits had finished rolling. “I couldn’t wait to get out of there.” The film, which boasts an oppressive run time of 142 minutes, was apparently too long for the twelve year old, forcing him to resort to frequent bathroom breaks in order to maintain his waning sanity. “Every time I came back into the room people were still just talking. No shooting, no guns. Just talking.” Though some characters do shoot each other in the film, it seems that Timothy missed these moments while taking refuge on the toilet. “I don’t even really know what the movie was about,” said the teen. “Some guy kills his wife, then he goes to jail, then he breaks out and its “All I know is that when the Teen raining. Big deal. There Choice Awards come around, this was one part that looked like there was gonna be a piece of crap will not be getting fight, but mom made me my vote.” cover my eyes. I heard someone say the word ‘penis,’ but mom and dad won’t tell me what happened.” Timothy claimed that Shawshank’s distinct lack of ninjas, transformers and explosions prevented director Frank Darabont’s film from being at least somewhat enjoyable. “Not once does an army of robot aliens fly down from the moon to take over earth. Not. Once. How am I supposed to relate to a movie like that?” Timothy also took issue with the film’s cast, which notably does not include Shia LeBeouf, but instead features a number of other actors who are most certainly not Shia LeBeouf. “I dunno why dad thought I’d like a movie full of old people,” said Stevens. “All I know is that when the Teen Choice Awards come around this year, this piece of crap will not be getting my vote.” Despite the numerous issues that plague Shawshank, Timothy found one redeeming quality: “The girl on the poster in the jail was super hot, kind of like a blonde Megan Fox.” It is unknown how many hours of skateboarding, playing Call of Duty and drinking Mountain Dew it will take for Timothy to erase the stain of The Shawshank Redemption from his mind, but it is likely that the road to recovery will be a long one. Hopefully the upcoming release of Transformers 7: Rise of the Silver Surfer will undo the damage that has been done to his fragile mind, though only time will tell.
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Catholic Church Appoints Patron Saint of Visiting Professors And Hung-over Baristas Page 11
MLB Wildcard To Be Decided By Rock/ Paper/Scissors; Selig: “Cutch Always Throws Rock”
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Dating Davidson Matching Students Based ON How Much Reading They Still Have To Do
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Policy Changed to Allow Only Chicago Bulls Flags
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Overheard At Davidson
“I didn’t go to the meeting because I assumed it would be in the afternoon.”
THE DAVIDSONIAN
This Issue Brought to You By: Insomnia
In an awe-inspiring display of solidarity and collective will, billions of humans took to the streets to display their support for rising global temperatures and extreme weather events. the borough of Manhattan. “No, of course I don’t want climate change,” said one greenhouse gas rights activist -- as her SUV idled at a stop light, eating a hamburger with its own sizable carbon footprint -- in an inventive mode of protest made all the more compelling because of the dissonance between her speech and her actions. She was surely heartened by the forceful presence of millions of like-minded citizens who proudly neglected to take public transportation or carpool, thereby letting lawmakers know that they would not tolerate any government action that attempted to curb environmental harm. “Message received,” said one political strategist, as he watched news footage of crowds of commuters expressing their disdain for earth-friendly activities. “After that climate change march in NYC, some people on the campaign thought we might want to take a greener stance. Luckily, the actions of the brave souls who turn out in support of global warming—many of whom have been participating in such rallies since childhood—showed us the light.” At press time, a Davidsonian humor editor was throwing away a plastic bottle in the regular trash in a subtle, but powerful, act of solidarity with climate change deniers.
The 4 Most Effective Ways to Avoid Incidental, Awkward Eye Contact Around Campus Get Mom to Lead You Around, Covering Your Eyes Your Davidson Honor Section
Editor: Charles Pennell Writers: Paul “PH Test” Henderson Des “No Nose” Gowski That guy who doesn’t do anything on staff. Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian. Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth. Word.
Sayonara, embarrassment! If you’re worried about running into passersby, maybe you think you need somebody to lead you safely to class and meals, and since Seeing Eye dogs remain a luxury for the blind, who better than Mom to steer you across campus? The only thing better than her familiar grip on your shoulder and the smell of her special shampoo in your nose is the knowledge that your chiller approach will make you the coolest kid on campus.
The Double-Eye Patch Maneuver
This one is tried and true. Sure, you might crash into some lampposts or trip over a few small children, but sometimes that’s the price of greatness. And due to advances in medical technology, you can now get these show stoppers in corduroy and madras!
Transfer to A School for the Blind
Sure, you picked Davidson for the academics, but if you can’t stand the long walk down the main Chambers hallway with an acquaintance approaching, what’s the point? Slap together a few transfer essays, and bingo bongo, you’ll be worry-free in no time. Watch out though, voice recognition jitters might be worse than you expect.
Barricade Yourself In Your Room
So you decided not to transfer and your Mom won’t return your calls, huh? In that case, wait until you’re alone and then slap a few 2x4’s across your doorframe. Screws, bolts, nails – whatever will keep your prying roommate and other Looky Lous from ever making eye contact again. If you’re thinking ahead, you might want to make sure you have an adequate stockpile of food and a Netflix-enabled laptop first, but if an eye contact emergency comes a’callin’ there might be nothing to do but dive into your room, secure your trusty padlocks and start the long wait for Fall Break.
sports
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October 1, 2014
Bill Simmons Men’s Soccer upsets #2 UVA on the road is the hero Wildcats make a powerful statement to the rest of the country sports needs AUSTIN NEWSOME
Writer suspended for Goodell criticism R. THOMAS CHAFIN Staff Writer
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t seems like the NFL can only dig a deeper hole for itself. The PR catastrophe of the Ray Rice case has gone from a smudge on Rice’s reputation to a potentially league-wide conspiracy. A notable reporter, Bill Simmons, spoke out against the league’s punitive system, and his network silenced him. When did ESPN—America’s most prominent sports network—become North Korea? The Ray Rice case, in case you need a refresher, began with a blunder by the NFL, and the blame has gradually moved up the chain of command. First off, whoever sees a video of a woman falling out of an elevator from apparent physical violence and a man fleeing from the scene, and only punishes him with a two-game suspension deserves to be fired. The scary thing is that this was not an individual’s ignorance. A two-game suspension is the standard punishment for domestic violence, whereas smoking weed twice can get you suspended for a year. Thankfully, the media jumped on this case. The onslaught of criticism publicly shamed the NFL into reconsidering their punishment. Then TMZ released a graphic video of Ray Rice striking his fiancé. This video transformed a two-game suspension into a possibly career-ending punishment. Thank goodness TMZ released the video just in time, right? Plot twist: authorities sent this video to the NFL in April. When asked if this was true, the president of the NFL said no one in his office had seen it until its public release in September. There are two possible explanations for his claim: either the NFL is so backwards and oblivious and incompetent that they failed to screen the video after receiving it, or Goodell is a corrupt liar who values the career of a single player over the physical safety of women across the country. Bill Simmons thinks Goodell is a dirty liar. And he said as much in his podcast last week. It might not help that Simmons did so within a profanity-laced rant, but the result of his tirade was a three-week suspension. One of modern sports journalism’s most colorful voices suffers for saying what all right-minded people know. Simmons’s podcast has smeared many major names in sports, but when he touched Roger Goodell, and dared ESPN to suspend him, the network had no choice. Perhaps the most frightening aspect of this situation is that Simmons was not silenced by the NFL, but by ESPN. Due to the fact that ESPN owns his website, which covers a wide range of subjects beyond sports, the major sports network is within its rights to ban him for three weeks. But in what sense is Simmons not obeying his “obligations” to ESPN with his comments? ESPN should be encouraging this type of transparent journalism, not silencing it. The NFL has had its shining armor peeled away to show a dark world of cover-ups and corruption. The ban of Bill Simmons shows that the dirty side of sports is not going to stand back while the press does their job.
Check out Davidsonian.com for the 4th page of this week’s sports section
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Staff Writer
ews of the Davidson Men’s Soccer Team prevailing over #2 ranked University of Virginia Cavaliers spread like wildfire on campus last Wednesday night. Despite the game being on the road, students everywhere were filled with pride and excitement as they found out. The #20 ranked Wildcats travelled to Charlottesville, VA on a rainy night last week to play one of the very toughest teams in the country. Davidson found themselves in a 1-0 deficit after the first half of play. However, the Cats had opened the game with a span of 30 seconds that included three shots on goal, and took some confidence to the break. The beginning of the second half saw a jolt of renewed energy in the Wildcats, who promptly scored two goals just seven minutes apart. The game would finish with Davidson on top, 2-1, despite the Cavaliers outshooting the Wildcats 15-10, with 9 total shots in the second
half alone. Davidson goalkeeper Matt Pacifici ’16 saved a total of six shots, triple that of the Cavalier keeper. Max Riehemann ’15, who netted the Wildcats second goal to give Davidson the lead and eventually the victory, described the change in strategy that led to the goal: “The game against UVA was actually the first game after changing my role on corners; instead of making a run from the top of the 18, I started in front of the keeper to make it harder for him to break up the play.” The corner kick that came in from defender John Pace ’15 was on target, and midfielder Alan Reiter ’15 challenged for the ball, causing the keeper to mishandle it. “I found myself in a good position with the ball at my feet, where all I had to do was put it on frame, and I made sure that was the case,” Riehemann said. Captain Kristian Garciaméndez-Rowold ’15 expressed his pride in the Davidson side: “We were away and still fought our way back from behind.” Playing against what Soccer America
ranked as the second best team, the Wildcats found a way to win, and remain undefeated with five wins, zero losses, and two ties. In official NCAA RPI, Davidson now ranks 3rd in the country. So how will this win affect the rest of the season? Garciaméndez-Rowold mentioned a “game-by-game” mentality that doesn’t focus too heavily on past or future games. “We aren’t trying to get ahead of ourselves,” he said. It’s given the team what he called a “new-kidon-the-block mentality.” “We want to make a statement to the rest of the teams in the A10,” Garciaméndez-Rowold added. Riehemann echoed such feelings when he expressed the team’s attitude in moving forward from the win over UVA. “Rather than being complacent, it makes us want more. We have targets on our backs and we’re going to get everyone’s best.” But Riehemann described it as an exciting challenge, especially with this season being the inaugural campaign in the Atlantic 10.
Davidson Men’s Soccer was all smiles after upsetting the second ranked team in the country on the road this past week. Atlantic 10 play begins this weekend against Dayton. Photo courtesy of Davidson Athletics.
What to expect from the NHL this year Lucas Mykulak previews the 2014-2015 NHL season Lucas Mykulak Staff Writer
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ome of you may find this hard to believe, but it has been over three months since Alec Martinez shocked the New York Rangers with his Finals-winning wrist shot in game five. While I’m excited to start watching hockey, I am, perhaps, more excited to be writing this article. Why, you ask? Because my predictions for last year’s Stanley Cup Finals were offensively bad. My 57-year-old mother, who has seen a grand total of four hockey games in her life, humored me and filled out a Finals bracket. She didn’t just beat me; she eviscerated me. For this reason, I promise to be better. Let’s look at one potential surprise and one potential disappointment in each conference for the upcoming season. For the past three years, Lord Stanley’s Cup has remained in the Western Conference where, some might argue, it truly belongs. It pains me to admit it, but the Western Conference is stacked. It has three legitimate Cup contenders in the state of California, along with the powerhouse Central division and the Blackhawks, Avalanche, Blues and Stars. Having learned last summer to never bet against the Kings, I’m putting my money on the San Jose Sharks to disappoint this year. Of course Marleau, Couture and Pavelski all have
the potential to net 25 or more goals, and Tomas Hertl could rack in between 50 and 60 points. The Sharks overall, however, are doomed to disappoint, with trade rumors buzzing around big names and Jumbo Joe Thornton no longer bearing the captain’s “C.” In the Eastern Conference, look for a big drop off for the New York Rangers. The reigning Eastern Conference Champions still have their fantastic goalie, Henrik Lundqvist, as well as exciting players like Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan. But there will be no way to replace the grit of Brian Boyle on the fourth line, the skill of Benoit Pouliot or the toughness of Anton Stralman on the blueline. With these names supplanted by a crop of weaker players, it shouldn’t surprise you if the Rangers miss the playoffs in this upcoming season. If you’re looking for a team to get behind in the Western Conference, I would strongly suggest the Dallas Stars. I have a soft spot in my heart for Tyler Seguin from his days in Boston, but he legitimately has a chance to be one of the best players in the NHL. Alongside Seguin, the Stars skate Jamie Benn, who might be the best player in the league that nobody cares to notice. He broke our hearts in Sochi as a member of Team Canada, and many analysts have him pegged for a top-five finish in fantasy points this season. In addition to these two studs, the Stars also acquired Ales
Hemsky and Jason Spezza over the summer, and look to start the potential Vezina winner, Kari Lehtonen, between the pipes. Mark my words: the Dallas Stars will represent the Western Conference when it’s all said and done. The Eastern Conference offers several teams for the casual NHL fan to start supporting before they become too popular. First among them are the Florida Panthers and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Keep your eyes on the Tampa Bay Lightning, though; they will be better than last year and have a chance to win the Eastern Conference. As a Bruins fan, I am terrified of the Lightning. Steven Stamkos is one of the only players in the entire league worth mentioning in the same breath as Sidney Crosby, but Stamkos is exponentially more appealing because he doesn’t whine or flop. Despite a preseason injury, rookie Jonathan Drouin will win the Calder Trophy. That’s not a prediction or a guess. That’s a fact. I’d be willing to bet all the money in my bank account (roughly $79) on it. On top of all that, the Lightning will start Ben Bishop, who is itching to have a breakout year, in net. To see all some of these predictions come true, tune in on October 8th and watch the beginning of what promises to be another exciting NHL season.
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Davidsonian.com
Celebrating 20 years of Jeter’s greatness Baseball’s new Why Derek Jeter should be heralded as a hero and a role model EMMA JOHNSON
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Senior Staff Writer
was sitting with a guy by the TV in the Union watching the Yankees-Orioles game. “You a Yankees fan?” I asked. “No, Dodgers,” he replied, “but it’s Jeter.” He said it exactly right. In fact, the Yankees are my least favorite team in the majors. But Jeter has accomplished so much and is such a great role model that it doesn’t matter what my view of the Yankees is. It’s Jeter. He transcends rivalry to bind baseball fans together. Heroes are not born everyday, and not many can say they are a hero and a role model after weathering intense pressure and spotlight for 20 years. But Derek Jeter can. Athletes are some of the most scrutinized people in the world, and they contend with enor-
mous pressure to play well, earn their money and gain approval from the team and the fans. Many do not live up to that standard but fall to greed, abuse and other vices. We have seen it plenty, with abuse scandals in the NFL and in recent decades with steroids in baseball. Nothing hurts more than finding out someone you idolized was a cheater. When I found out Barry Bonds took steroids to break the all-time home-run record, I was devastated. Here was a man I looked up to as a symbol of strength and perseverance, and he was a fake. But Jeter is different. In my eyes, he is a man of extraordinary composure, passion and honor. He honored the game by playing within the rules and wowed us with phenomenal plays in the field and at the plate. He devoted his life to the game, not for the money or the fame but seemingly for the game itself. He and Cal Ripken Jr. represent everything I love about the game of baseball. They
'HUHN -HWHU ELG IDUHZHOO WR EDVHEDOO ODVW ZHHN ZLWK HPRWLRQDO ÀQDO SHUIRUPDQFHV LQ 1HZ <RUN and Boston. Photo from Getty Images.
share a devotion to a game that has the power to bring tens of thousands of people to their feet, and to create friendships among strangers. Some people dismiss baseball and its players because it is supposedly boring. But take a moment and think about what Jeter has done in his career. A regular baseball season is 162 games. Jeter has been playing in the major leagues since 1995. In total, Jeter has played 2,743 regular season games, all for the New York Yankees. He is one of only six men in history to play for the same team for 20 years. He racked up an astounding 3,461 hits in his career—imagine hitting a tiny ball flying at speeds of 80mph or higher more than 3,000 times. TThere are countless statistics demonstrating Jeter’s triumps and feats that may never be done again. In this age of baseball, where most players are concerned with which team is going to pay them the most money and give them the best opportunity to reach the post-season, Jeter showed a different kind of commitment. Yes, he played 20 years for the richest team in the MLB, and in that time, the Yankees have only been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs once (this year, ironically, by none other than the Baltimore Orioles), but he was a free agent for many of those years. He could have left if he wanted to, but some things are more important than the paycheck—and most of Jeter’s goes to charity, anyways. Love exudes from every stadium he visits. Like Mariano Rivera, he is given a parting gift as he makes his last stops in different cities. Fans give him standing ovations no matter which team they support. Jeter rises to a new level – it isn’t about the team anymore. It is about the game, and what he has done for the MLB as an organization. These people don’t come around often, and they deserve to be celebrated and honored for the work they have put in and the passion with which they play. It is going to be hard to say goodbye, especially after that walk-off single in his last game at Yankee Stadium. The league will sorely miss him, as will the hundreds of thousands of fans who have looked to him as the face of a franchise and an idol to all. No one, not even you, Keith Olbermann, has the right to say that Jeter’s departure is over-celebrated. Try playing 2,743 games and see how you fare.
America’s favorite diminishing rivalry The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry isn’t what it used it be Ethan Faust
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Sports Editor
rowing up in New England in the pre2004 era, the first thing I learned as a sports fan was to hate the Yankees. Sure, hate is a strong word and all, but we still hate the Yankees. I never quite understood it back then. I would see people wearing shirts that equated the joy we got when the Red Sox won to that which we felt when the Yankees lost. I thought those shirts were stupid. Of course I’d rather see the Red Sox win. Who cares if the Yankees lose? I’d be at a game at Fenway Park against the lowly Detroit Tigers of the early 2000s, and the Red Sox crowd would suddenly start chanting “Yankees Suck.” Or in the eighth inning, there would be a sudden cheer from the crowd. I’d hear somebody around me say, “The Yankees just lost” and realize the cheer came because the out-oftown scoreboard changed the “9” in the inning column to an “F.” The Yankees didn’t have to be anywhere near Boston to be on the minds of fans. I think it was 2003 when I truly started hating the Yankees and all their players. Around then, steroid chants started echoing around Fenway. The Yankees always won, and it was easy to hate Roger Clemens and Jason Giambi. Why wouldn’t I hate them? Things weren’t only hostile in the stands, but also on the field. Be it Karim Garcia, Don Zimmer or Clemens, there was always a clear antagonist on the field. The disdain the Red Sox had for the Yankees was real. We all know what happened in 2004 forever
changed the relationship Red Sox fans have with baseball. The Evil Empire was defeated in spectacular fashion that postseason, but so was the rivalry. Since that memorable comeback that sparked the end of an 86-year curse, the Red Sox and Yankees have played roughly 18 times a year, with no meetings in the playoffs. After meeting in two straight epic ALCSs, they haven’t played each other with a whole lot on the line. And it’s showed. ESPN and Fox might still pick up the games and bill them as rivalry games, but there isn’t the same hostility at this point. Aside from Johnny Damon and Jacoby Ellsbury switching sides, Red Sox fans don’t seem to be as invested in hating the Yankees. And save for Ryan Dempster taking it upon himself to drill Alex Rodriguez a year ago, the players certainly aren’t looking to start any fights, especially with Joba Chamberlain and Kevin Youkilis long gone. This past weekend, the Red Sox organization, fans included, staged a love fest for Derek Jeter. It was fully deserved, and the gesture showed a tremendous amount of class on the part of the front office, but would the Red Sox have done anything like that ten years ago? Certainly not. The weekend’s farewell to Jeter also got me thinking: Is there a Yankees player (other than ARod) that I can look at and say I truly hate? I have always respected Jeter, so this isn’t necessarily so much about him, but I don’t think there are any of those players left. This ambivalence toward the opposing players is in stark contrast with my Arsenal fandom. This past weekend was also the North London
Derby, a thoroughly bitter rivalry match between Arsenal and Tottenham. As I watched that match thinking about the impending Jeter ceremonies, I realized that I genuinely hated every single Tottenham player. I looked at them and instantly became angry. It reminded me of how I used to feel about the Yankees. It would be easy to say that the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry has become watered down because of how many times a year the two teams play each other. Or that nobody cares anymore because the games take too long. It would also be easy to say that Red Sox fans no longer have an inferiority complex after winning three World Series titles in the last ten years. But I think it boils down to the fact that these two teams haven’t played one another in the postseason in a decade. Bad blood starts and ends in the postseason. Sure, little things might tick everyone off in the regular season, but you can only truly learn to hate a team when you meet in the playoffs. The simple fact is that the Red Sox and Yankees haven’t had reason to hate one another. I want nothing more than for the rivalry to be reignited. Baseball is so much more fun when the players and fans are at each other’s throats. For this to happen, the Red Sox and Yankees need to improve drastically. As long as they are bottom dwellers in the AL East, nothing will change. So as Derek Jeter rides off into the sunset to loud chants of his name from Red Sox fans that booed his every mention for years, hopefully his exit will help usher in a new era of the hatred, one marked by the return of the bad blood that used to define America’s best rivalry.
superstars
Checking in on the youngsters’ progress ALEX SALVATIERRA
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Staff Writer
e are in the midst of a golden age of young baseball players. Gone are the days when older stars in their thirties like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa ruled SportsCenter. Make way for the likes of Mike Trout, Yasiel Puig and Bryce Harper. As many baseball fans are aware, Trout and Harper have been making waves as prodigies for no less than five years: Trout went 25th overall straight out of high school, and Harper decorated the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-yearold, touted as the next great American hitter. He went on to go first overall in the 2010 draft. Yasiel Puig is another story altogether. He was kidnapped and smuggled out of his home country of Cuba in 2011 to sign an MLB contract. He was not widely known to the American public until June 2013 when he made his MLB debut. These players were not simultaneously popular but they have quickly become the biggest names in baseball. Perhaps it is the crackdown on steroids, or maybe the youth systems are better than they used to be, but baseball is sliding toward youth. Trout is the most established and prominent player of this promising trio. He plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and made it big in 2012, winning the AL Rookie of the Year, the Silver Slugger award and finishing second in the AL MVP voting, all as a 21-year-old. Since then, he has earned All-Star honors three years in a row and finished second in the AL MVP voting, again to Miguel Cabrera. In 2014, he garnered a six-year, $144.5 million contract extension officially solidifying his status as a baseball superstar. 2014 has been a career year for Trout as he has established career bests in RBIs (111) and HRs (36). And yes, he can hit for both power and average as indicated by his 36 HRs and .306-career batting average. As the regular season winds to a close, Trout is staking his claim to this year’s 2014 AL MVP. Yasiel Puig has skyrocketed into the baseball spotlight. In his first week as a starting Los Angeles Dodger, he was named the NL Player of the Week, largely in part to the 27 hits he would record over his first 15 games in the league, second-most of all time. With a little over a year of experience in the MLB, he has already been named an NL All-Star and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting. His first full season as a starter, 2014 has been a fruitful one. He has recorded 165 hits, 91 runs and an OPS of .867. While some of his numbers are an evident dip in quality from his first season, he remains one of the most explosive players on the field, even if that attitude sometimes translates to off-the-field drama. He was charged with reckless driving on two occasions in April and December 2013 for driving 47 and 40 miles per hour over the speed limit, respectively. He will need to get that knack for careless behavior under control if he hopes to continue his string of success. Last but not least is the man who has been a highlight reel since high school: Bryce Harper. A sports media favorite after being drafted first in 2010, he had much to live up to. He would quickly become an NL All-Star in his first two seasons, and he also snagged Rookie-of-theYear honors. His progress has slowed as of late, though, due to a left thumb injury he sustained this April that required surgery and two months of rest. He returned to the majors on June 30, and his stats have remained stagnant since the 2012 season. Nevertheless, Harper continues to be regarded as one of the preeminent young players. But he needs to step up his batting credentials if he wants to reside among the Cabreras, Trouts and Puigs of our generation.
THE DAVIDSONIAN
David Rogers ’16 Photo by Shea Parikh
October 1, 2014