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The Special Committee for Commemoration begins work

Volume 120, Issue 4

October 20, 2021

Tavie Kittredge ‘24 questions Davidson’s abbreviated semesters going forward

Vic Fleming ‘73 is back with this week’s crossword, Not a Bad Goal

The Yowl presents Parents Weekend: Reflections and Woes

New Sculpture Installed in Wall Courtyard Artificial Rock #119 is the first campus sculpture by an Asian artist

ANIKA BANERJEE ‘24 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

he scholar’s rocks are collected by educated scholars in traditional Chinese culture and thus has been a sign of privilege,” said Yunyue Zhang ‘23. The sculpture “transcends time and culture and allows the viewers to reflect on the present,” she continued. On October 22, 2021, there will be a dedication ceremony for Artificial Rock #119. In 2007, Davidson began their Campus Sculpture Project, which showcases sculptures by numerous artists with diverse styles and cultures. This piece by artist Zhan Wang, which will soon join the collection, will be the first sculpture created by an Asian artist in the Campus Sculpture Program. Zhan Wang is a Chinese contemporary artist specializing in multimedia installations, photography, and most notably, sculpture. In 1995, Wang began his series of Artificial Rocks which are a symbol of China’s past and are modeled after scholar’s rocks. These natural rocks have varying shapes and sizes that make them unique. Wang takes these rocks and covers them in stainless steel which puts a modern spin on an ancient concept. His technique showcases China’s reposition from a land that relied on nature to an urban state. There is historical gravitas to an art piece like this one as well. “The appreciation and collection of special rocks to embellish gardens has been well-established since the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) in China,” said Dr. Rosaline Kyo, a professor of art and Chinese studies. “During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), smaller versions, called scholar’s rocks, were collected, displayed, and appreciated within scholars’ studios. Paintings, facsimiles, commentaries, poems, and novels have been created about garden rocks and scholar’s rocks.” Lia Newman, director and curator of the Van Every Smith gallery, addressed this addition to the outdoor sculpture collection. “The outdoor collection is challenging to grow, because there are many considerations when a

work of art will be installed ‘permanently’ on campus,” she said. When acquiring an art piece that is essentially permanent to Davidson, there are many considerations to keep in mind. Newman believes that it is long overdue to have work by a Chinese artist on campus, as well as artists from. “It’s a goal of ours to grow the collection in such a way that the identities of the artists represented are reflective of our campus community,” she said. This sculpture, which was modeled after the Chinese Scholar Rocks, was acquired to commemorate Gill Holland, an emeritus professor of English. “When Dr. Holland’s family expressed interest in helping us acquire a work of art to honor him and his wife Siri, a work by Zhan Wang seemed like a perfect fit given Dr. Holland’s interest in Chinese art and poetry,” said Newman. Newman spoke of how Holland studied Mandarin and classical Chinese at Stanford University as well as in Taiwan and Beijing. On his three sabbatical leaves, he chose to return to China and spend his time there. While Holland taught and studied English and American literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, he also published a book of translated classical Chinese poetry along with two books of his own poems. Kyo broke down the history and artistic significance behind this sculpture. She said that Zhan Wang uses stainless steel sheets to cover large garden rocks, and his goal is to spark reflection on the contemporary world. Kyo referenced a statement from Zhan Wang, in which he said, “The material’s glittering surface, ostentatious glamour, and illusory appearance make it an ideal medium to convey new dreams.” Kyo contends that this addition to our sculpture collection will serve to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. She claims that there is a certain level of comfort that comes from having a piece of your culture, race, or ethnicity displayed on campus—there is a feeling of belonging that can be created by this art’s

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Artificial Rock #119 sculpted by Zhan Wang. Photo by Sydney Schertz ‘24.

New Mental Health Club Combats Burnout, Lack of Counselors BAILEY MAIERSON ‘25 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

nationwide pandemic. Online classes. Students spiraling. In the face of such chaos, two sophomores created Davidson’s first mental health club on campus, Minds Do Matter. Annabelle Ross ‘24 and Cece Woo ‘24 were compelled to start the mental health advocacy club after learning how overbooked the on-campus counselors are. Since there are currently only six counselors, one of their first tasks was emailing Dean McCrae about increasing the number of counselors on campus. “Having to wait two weeks to meet with a counselor is not feasible for students, yet paying an outside counselor is also

not financially feasible for many students,” Woo said. “[The students] end up having to choose between financial security and their literal well-being.” Director of Student Health and Well-Being Dr. David Graham is the faculty advisor of Minds Do Matter. As advisor, Graham will meet with the executive board of the club and work to program campus initiatives focusing on Mental Health Awareness. The club’s three big goals—education, awareness or advocacy, and support—will guide Graham, Woo, and Ross as they work to change the course of mental health on campus. To jumpstart Minds Do Matter, Ross and Woo took to surveying students about what they wish to see in the club as it progresses. So far, the two have created a student training series—how mental health is viewed in different cultures and immigrant families, how to support a friend in crisis, how to

deal with mental health and eating houses, sororities, and fraternities—as a means of fostering discussions. “It’s really important to view mental health in the context of a lot of different identities and communities, so within Greek life, athletic teams, ethnic communities, and various gender sexual identities,” Woo said. Minds Do Matter has future plans to collaborate with the Mental Health Ambassadors and counseling department to make resources more available to students. “Unless [a student] signs up for an appointment, [they] don’t really know who the counselors are or what happens in a therapy session, especially if it is [a student’s] first time going to one,” Ross said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

News

College to Recognize Exploited Labor

Board of Trustees Announces Special Committee on Commemoration SOHAN GADE ‘23 (HE/HIM) SENIOR STAFF WRITER

n October 4th, Davidson students received an email from Board of Trustees Chair Alison Hall Mauzé ‘84 about the Special Committee on Commemoration. Mauzé wrote that the committee “has been tasked by the Board of Trustees with planning a permanent commemorative site, including the possibility of a commissioned work of art, to honor the contributions of enslaved people and others whose labor was exploited on our campus.” The Commemoration Committee posted its timeline to recommend how to properly honor the exploited labor of enslaved people on Davidson’s campus. The timeline started with an initial campus site visit scheduled for last June and ends with the final selection of a work in October 2022. The Committee consists of several Davidson alumni and four consulting members from the faculty and staff, including Jeff Prince, Director of Major Gifts, and Lia Newman, Director of Van Every/Smith Galleries. Together, they held workshops to develop the Request for Qualifications for artists applying to design a commemorative piece. “Art can not only bring us together in dialogue around difficult issues, but I believe it can lead to healing and growth,” said Newman. Charlotte City Council Member and Davidson alumnus Braxton Winston ‘07 commented on the physical reminders of exploited labor on Davidson’s campus. He explained, “[it] was just one of those physical representations of what I expected to be coming.” Professor of History and member of the Commission of Race and Slavery Dr. Rose Stremlau explained the need to properly define “history” when engaging in debates concerning commemorative markers of historical people or events. “I always begin these conversations by emphasizing that street signs, building names, statues, et cetera, are not history. History is the study of the past based on the surviving evidentiary record. It is a practice that is ongoing and not a static thing that can be preserved, intact, or erased. Many critics of the removal of signs, statues, et cetera, call that ‘erasing history.’ It

is not,” said Dr. Stremlau. Moreover, she noted that the nature and perception of historical markers evolves with time.“Different aspects of the past inspire us, move us, and matter to us compared to those who lived in other times. [...] The people who erected those statues were making powerful statements about the dominance of white men (and to some degree women) in their own time.” Students and alumni have engaged in related conversations regarding the commemoration of white supremacists or Confederate soldiers on campus. During the spring of 2020, a stu-

A Hackney and Moale Co. postcard from 1910 of Old Chambers. Courtesy of Archives and Special Collections dent-led petition to rename Chambers Hall circulated, citing archival evidence that Maxwell Chambers owned enslaved people. In his Perspectives piece, former Davidson political science professor William E. Jackson Jr. ‘57 discussed the plaque beside Main Street highlighting Woodrow Wilson’s year of study at Davidson. Princeton University, Wilson’s alma mater, announced that it would remove Wilson’s name from

its School of Public and International Affairs. Jackson urged Davidson to follow suit.“The College should petition N.C. authorities to remove the historical marker on Main Street that bears his name,” he wrote. The city of Charlotte created a Legacy Committee last year with similar aims. For example, the Committee voted to rename a number of streets in Charlotte named after Confederate leaders and white supremacists. Jefferson Davis Street, the first of nine streets to be changed, was renamed in September. Winston expressed that much remains to be done to properly commemorate the history of Black people in Charlotte. “Inequity in our county, Mecklenburg County, and in Charlotte has been exacerbated over the years. A lot of institutions like the city of Charlotte, like Davidson College, are putting a lot of effort into actions to counteract that exacerbation,” said Winston. When commenting on Davidson’s progress, Winston approved of the campus community’s direction under President Quillen. “It’s been amazing to see the changes that have occurred. When I got to Davidson, there was something like six to eight Black students in my class,” he said. Winston then expanded on two different milestones for the Black community at Davidson, the first being the creation of the Africana Studies department in 2014. “Part of my frustration was figuring out my academic home. There wasn’t [a department dedicated towards] African American studies, there was not even a minor,” said Winston. The second milestone was the formation of a chapter for Davidson’s first Black fraternity—the Alphas—during Winston’s time at Davidson. Though he was not a fraternity brother, Winston acknowledged the difficulties in bringing the organization to campus. “I was there with [them] through the years that it was brought [to Davidson]. [We] tried and tried and eventually brought [it] on campus, and it was hard,” said Winston. Winston also encouraged Davidson students to create change in the community and advocate for progress. “The student body should recognize that as well. Recognize the power that you have,” said Winston.

Fall has Flung: Fun Upcoming Events A Taste of Davidson

Davidson College Theatre Department Haunted House

Fall Festival

October 23rd, 5:00-10:00pm

October 23rd, 8:30-11:00pm

November 13th, 12:00-3:00pm

“This annual event is a fall festival to celebrate the flavors of Davidson and will feature food and beverages from our great restaurants as well as music by ACE Party Band [...] Admission to the event is free. Local restaurants will offer tastes of some of their most popular menu items for a small fee.” -Town of Davidson website

“The Davidson Theater Department is hosting its first ever haunted house!!! Stop by the south side of Cunningham on September 23rd from 8:30-11:00 p.m. It’s first come first serve and slots are open to six people at a time. If you want to reserve a spot for the Haunted House or join the scaring team email sphawkins@ davidson.edu” -Spencer Hawkins ‘23

“PCC, SGA, and the BSC will be hosting a fall festival. There will be free food trucks, lawn games and music on the old tennis courts! This is a great opportunity to spend time with your people and make new friends, too! All students are welcome. Reach out to Anika Banerjee for more information.” -Grace Hall ‘22

3 Artificial Rock #119 To Be Unveiled Friday

October 20, 2021

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 presence on campus. “When students, staff, and faculty see a part of their culture or know that a public sculptural work on campus was created by someone of the same race or ethnicity as themselves, it can foster a feeling of belonging that they had not felt before” Kyo said. Zhang emphasizes the importance of this sculpture on campus. She believes that this sculpture conveys a culture that is very different from that of the United States. She also speaks to how the reflective quality of the rock sparks thought and contemplation of one’s own experiences. Additionally, she addressed how the sculpture is a critique of how mankind has digressed from our symbiotic relationship with nature to the wholesale abuse of natural resources. Zhang says that our transition from nature to mechanized manufacturing has become the status quo, but distancing ourselves from nature is not a good idea.

Although she stresses that she cannot speak for all Asian and Asian American students on campus, Zhang felt as though this sculpture will be like a piece of her home on campus. “I feel like this sculpture is a statement for the school, a plentiful press statement that we are standing together—‘we support Asians and Asian Americans, and also international students,’” said Zhang. “I just saw this morning that the Chinese Embassy published another article warning all the Chinese students, or rather all the Chinese citizens in the US, to be cautious because there were two attacks in the past week on Chinese students,” stated Zhang. After briefly searching on Google for more information about the attacks, Zhang was unable to find anything. She argues how the lack of media coverage has displayed how the US has become rather scrutinizing of Chinese culture. “The lack of media coverage shows the lack of attention and interest in general to international students, and Chinese students in particular. This relates to the Chinese exclusion act of 1882, and more recently, how Chinese student’s US visa block-

age under the Trump-era,” said Zhang. “We are not welcomed in US because we were the carriers of ‘kungflu,’ we face rejections at home because we were not there when the pandemic was the worst in China and now we are coming back with the potential of bringing virus with us,” she explained. Zhang highlights how this sculpture will serve to remind people of the importance of Chinese culture and how they are not simply political tools. Additionally, the sculpture serves to prompt discussion and thought around some of the struggles and dangers that other cultures face. Zhang believes that art provides other cultures with the ability to express themselves, and take control over their own narrative. She argues that the US has a tendency to take other countries’ narratives and deliver it under their own message which distorts the truth. Davidson, however, cherishes an attitude that values celebration and inclusivity, with more of an emphasis on the former, said Zhang. This sculpture is a celebration of culture and, according to Zhang, “this sculpture begins to put some cultures on equal ground and celebrates the differences.”

New Club Minds Do Matter Emphasizes Mental Health CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Alexis Fintchre, Counselor and Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Outreach, works with the six sophomore Mental Health Ambassadors. Fintchre explained the training timeline of the ambassadors. “In October, the ambassadors will have training in suicide prevention and become certified peer educatiors,” Fintchre said. In the spring, ambassadors will carry out counseling initiatives, programming, and projects, ranging from stress man-

agement and resiliency to talking about healthy interpersonal relationships, disordered eating, and anxiety reduction strategies.” As a counselor, Fintchre mentioned how critical it is that students participate and engage with the content that will be presented, whether it be in classrooms and friend groups or taking this information back home to their families. “I’m hoping this doesn’t just stay on campus, but [that] it’s able to be continued talking points for people that might not have a lot of experience talking about their own health and well-being,” Fintchre said.

According to Active Minds, a non-profit focused on mental health issues, 39% of students in college experience a significant mental health issue, and 67% of people between 18-24 do not seek treatment for anxiety or depression. Graham explains that Minds Do Matter offers students a transformative space to speak freely about their health. Though the club could not be showcased in the fall, students can keep an eye out for it at the spring activities fair. “Annabelle and Cece starting this club sends a strong message to students that we all have a role to play in enhancing the well-being of students on campus,” Graham stated.

Crime Log

Time Reported

The

DavidsonianStaff Editors-in-Chief News Editors Features Editor Senior Political Correspondent Perspectives Editor Arts and Culture Editor Sports Editor Living Davidson Editor Yowl Editors Photographer Web Editor Cartoonist Senior Copy Editors Multimedia Editor Social Media Manager Business Manager Design Editors

Hope Anderson ‘22, Nada Shoreibah ‘23 Katie Stewart ‘23, Erin Papakostas ‘23 Ben Pate ‘22 Hunter Callaway ‘22 Ross Hickman ‘22 Julieta Lessne ‘24 Varun Maheshwari ‘23 Nora Klein ‘24 Josie Hovis ‘23, Emma Begley-Collier ‘25 Sydney Schertz ‘24 Ben Gordon-Sniffen ‘23 Richard Farrell ‘22 Grace Hwang ‘24, Brigid McCarthy ‘25 Jared Herr ‘22 Hailey Tsuda ‘24 Landon Schabes ‘22 Bailey Maierson ‘25, Brigid McCarthy ‘25, Isabelle Easter ‘25

Description/Location

10/10/2021 at 1145 hrs

Possesion of a Controlled Substance

10/12/2021 at 0553 hrs

Posession of Drug Paraphernalia

10/16/2021 at 2123 hrs

Assault on Female (non-students)

10/17/2021 at 1752 hrs

Harassment

10/17/2021 at 1940 hrs

Larceny Felony (money)

Chidsey, Dean Referral

Union, Requires Further Investigation

Rich Stadium, Prosecution Declined Davidson College, Requires Further Investigation Davidson College, Requires Further Investigation

Help us out: have you or someone you know committed a crime and gotten away with it? You may be entitled to a feature in The Davidsonian’s Crime Log! Email davidsonian@davidson.edu with the details The Davidsonian does not support committing crimes.

Perspectives

When we say your donations are life changing, we really mean it.

Short Semesters: A Diminished Education

Donations you make will help us provide:

Give Us More Time to Make the Most of Davidson TAVIE KITTREDGE ‘24 (SHE/HER)

ow many weeks are in a semester? At Davidson, I’m never quite sure. Before my freshman semester in the fall of 2020, Davidson College was open about the fact that they were switching from a 15-week semester to a 13-week semester. This change would allow students to travel home for Thanksgiving without risking bringing COVID-19 back to school. I questioned this reasoning, as finals and most classes were virtual already, so students probably could have done their last two weeks of school from home, like our 100% virtual peers. Still, since college during pre-vaccine COVID was exhausting and wifi accessibility couldn’t be guaranteed, I didn’t have a problem with our shortened time. Since that first semester, communication and reasoning around the lengths of our semesters have been murkier. In spring 2021, the 13-week semester stuck around, despite Thanksgiving not being a factor. Still, there were other reasons that a shorter semester made sense. Virtual classes were mentally draining, it would be odd to have semesters with different lengths in one year, and the school was spending extra money on COVID testing. So I understood why sacrifices had to be made. But they were indeed sacrifices. On top of the diminished effectiveness of online learning, we lost over 13% of each semester. Not only did we lose out on about a month of education that first year, but we dealt with classes being crammed into shorter timeframes. Especially in the beginning, as professors compressed 15 weeks of material down into 13 weeks, this gave a stressed, unrelenting air to the classroom. In the final weeks of a semester, professors would complain about how they’d had to

drop units or entire books from their syllabi. Additionally, the social scene on campus was not perfect amidst peak-COVID restrictions, but we were around people our own age, and able to join clubs and build relationships. We lost weeks of valuable social and extracurricular time. Finally, we paid the same tuition for 13 weeks as we would have for 15 weeks the year before. This academic year, the 13-week semester continued without announcement or explanation. Most classes are in person, the vaccine is mandatory, and the school no longer pays for universal, weekly COVID testing. Further, we were allowed to leave and come back during fall break, so the travel aspect of Thanksgiving couldn’t be the problem. Why are we losing four weeks of education this school year? Why will I be sitting at home for two full months this winter break? I have no idea. Students participating in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years will lose a total of eight weeks of education due to the shift to the 13-week calendar. This is the equivalent of if in 2019 Davidson had declared that all seniors would graduate only seven weeks into their final semester. In total, we’ve lost 53% of a 15-week semester, or 62% of a 13-week semester. There have been no announcements about going back to the 15-week semester, but the academic calendars for 2022-23 and 2023-24 have been posted on the Davidson website. If I did my math correctly (always a real risk), we will have 15-week semesters in my final two years at Davidson. Next year, for example, our fall classes will run from August 22nd to December 7th instead of from August 23rd to November 23rd. I thank the administration for this decision. There’s no way to gain back lost time. I value this community and my time spent in it, and I mourn every one of the eight weeks of time at Davidson I will never recover. But we can make sure that, in the future, the school actually provides the

Clean water

Food supplies

Medical supplies

Clothing

“Students participating in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years will lose a total of...

weeks of education due to the shift to the 13-week calendar. This is the equivalent of if in 2019 Davidson had declared that all seniors would graduate only

weeks into their final semester. In total, we’ve lost

53%

of a 15-week semester, or

62%

of a 13-week semester.”

15-week semesters I expected when I committed to Davidson. I decided to come to college because I think my education is valuable. I don’t want to lose any more of it. Tavie Kittredge (she/her) is an intended computer science major from Portland, Oregon. She can be reached for comment at takittredge@davidson.edu.

“Not only did we lose out on about a month of education that first year, but we dealt with classes being crammed into shorter timeframes. Especially in the beginning, as professors compressed 15 weeks of material down into 13 weeks, this gave a stressed, unrelenting air to the classroom.”

Thinking Critically about Davidson Dining Services

What is Pushing People out of our Community? SAMANTHA EWING ‘23 (SHE/HER) PERSPECTIVES COLUMNIST AND SENIOR STAFF WRITER

rom nostalgia about the Union quesadillas to the seemingly neverending wait for the new Qdoba location, our recent lack of dining options has dominated conversation amongst us as a student body. Several times a week, I hear my peers discussing our limited dining options on campus, many bonding over the mutual distaste for Commons as our main option. It seems that everyone has some grasp on the concept that led to this depletion: we lost a lot of dining service workers due to Davidson College’s vaccine mandate. On one hand, I can agree with most of those who have expressed frustration about the issue of vaccine refusal. Several of my peers and professors have made comments to me directly about how they view the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccination. Between the information found on the CDC Website and the full rather than emergency FDA approval of the Pfizer option, our reasons to believe in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine are stronger than ever. Especially with the delta variant, the pandemic continues to spread and is far from over.

However, I think it is crucial that we examine the issue from a lens beyond this new mandate being the sole reason for workers leaving. In an email sent to all Davidson students on August 26th, 2021, the school stated that “we will now require a vaccine of all students, faculty and staff.” With this mandate applying not just to Dining Services, but to all students, faculty, and staff, why haven’t we lost a larger portion of our professors and students to the same cause? Perhaps we should begin to think critically about what incentives the students and professors have to stay at Davidson that dining service employees do not. I want to acknowledge that I am not a dining service employee and thus, I cannot write with a complete understanding of their perspective. However, I can address the situation with the knowledge that I do have: while interviewing Director of Dining Services, Pinky Varghese, for an article I wrote earlier this semester, I learned that there were 40 job openings to work at Union with only one applicant at the beginning of the semester. In contrast, Davidson has retained most of its student body with over 550 new students in the class of 2025. Likewise, we have not faced nearly as much strife with the retention of faculty and administrative staff, as surely we would have noticed the absence of our favorite professors and advisors. This disparity begs the question: what sets

the dining service workers’ positions apart? Before we continue to vent about our lack of dining options, we should reflect on and further investigate the possible reasons behind it. If we are going to complain about the unwillingness to get vaccinated, we should also

knowledge about the dining service employee conditions. Maybe these questions are not particularly relevant to the current situation, but regardless, I think asking them is a good place to start. It’s alarming to me how quick we are to mourn the loss of quesadillas without con-

What are the wages for dining service workers, and are they enough for employees to live safely and feel valued? What privileges are offered to students that made getting the vaccination a feasible decision for over 98% of us that may not be extended to dining service employees? ask ourselves why there might not have been enough incentive for workers to stay even with the mandate. Are dining service workers receiving the same communication about the vaccine and public health as we are as students? What are the wages for dining service workers, and are they enough for employees to live safely and feel valued? What privileges are offered to students that made getting the vaccination a feasible decision for over 98% of us that may not be extended to dining service employees? Once again, as a student, I have limited

sidering the loss of community members who for one reason or another did not decide to stay. I hope we can all begin to challenge our views on issues with such a high emotional charge; it’s important going forward that we think critically to ensure we are considering perspectives outside of our own that would otherwise go unacknowledged. Samantha Ewing (she/her) is an English major from Atlanta, Georgia. She can be reached for comment at saewing@davidson. edu.

Sports

Men’s Tennis Hot Heading Into Tail End of Fall Season ANNIE HIRSHMAN ‘24 (SHE/HER) SPORTS WRITER

he fall season for the Davidson Men’s Tennis team has been nothing short of spectacular. After losing five seniors last spring, almost half the team, the four new freshmen had big shoes to fill and have done just that. Captain Sam Kavarana ‘22 called the start to the season “one of the best falls that we’ve had.” That is due in part to Sam himself, as Max Kachkarov ‘24 calls Kavarana the “translator” who does an excellent job at communicating the coaches’ overall message and keeping the team accountable. “Our guys are competing well and [we’ve had] great energy from the young guys, so definitely a good start,” commented Head Coach Drew Barrett. He refers to the four freshmen as a “great group of guys, really energetic, and outgoing,” remarking on how they pick up on the personality that last year’s seniors possessed so strongly. Kavarana carries on this optimistic outlook, saying with the utmost confidence that “they all bring really good energy to the team and they’re all super committed to tennis.” At the Queens’ Two-Day Invitational, the ‘Cats earned four doubles victories and ten total singles wins. The entire lineup played well with hard-earned wins on both singles and doubles from Kachkarov and Alejandro Solares ‘24. The ‘Cats also boasted strong freshman debuts from Juan Camilo Perez Gongora ‘25, Nico Pinzon ‘25, Udday Singh ‘25 and Luca Lovrich ‘25 — who combined won three singles matches and one doubles match. Notably, Singh is still currently undefeated in singles matches throughout the fall season. ‘Cats had strong shoes to fill following their success at the Queens Invitational. Their results at the Davidson Tournament clearly showed that they stepped up to the task at hand. On the singles courts the ‘Cats smoothly defeated the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs and Solares continued his triumph with three victories. Brooks Green ‘22 has lived up to his role as a leader in which guys on the team “look up to him,” as stated by Barrett, through earning

two wins. Singh had back to back victories, proving that the freshmen are ones to watch. The doubles court was no different. Three duos produced three wins against the Queens Royals. The allstar duos of Solares and Kachkarov, Pinzon and Gongora, Jerry Wang ‘24 and Singh, all produced convincing victories, showing how the young ‘Cats team are a force to be reckoned with this season. Continuing his success against the Royals, Kavarana won three matches. Gongora also was able to pick up two great wins. Day two was nothing short of success as the ‘Cats picked up seven wins. The previous pairs from day ones all picked up predominant wins against Gardner-Webb. Keeping the mojo going, Solares and Kachkarov had solid performances in the singles matches against UNC- Asheville. While both fell behind in the first set, both bounced back and found success in the second and third, each picking up two wins. Green and Pinzon also picked up two wins against Asheville. The ‘Cats were able to show Asheville what team truly ruled North Carolina. Overall a great tournament for Davidson. The ‘Cats had a stellar tournament at the UNCG Invitational last weekend. The team battled strong competitors such as Elon, UNC Asheville, and UNC-Greensboro. On Saturday, Kachkarov had a great day on the singles court, defeating both Elon’s and Asheville’s top players. The freshmen were nothing shy of outstanding, as Singh, Pinzon, and Lovrich all picked up victories on both Saturday and Sunday. Despite the recent success, Kachkarov states that “there is always room for improvement” displaying the ‘Cats hard work ethic and desire to always improve their game and get better everyday. Looking ahead, Coach Barrett discussed the team’s future. Doubles-wise, recent victories have led Barrett to state that the ‘Cats are going to be “pretty tough this year.” He adds that “it’s looking to be like we might be able to make some noise.” Hopefully these next few weekends are met with as much success as the

Top: Will Clark ‘23 serves in his match at the Davidson Tournament. Bottom: Team Captain Sam Kavarana ‘22 Poses for the camera after his match at the Davidson Tournament. Photos by Dani Gariglio, Assisant Director of Athletic Communications. previous few. Kachkarov discusses how future matches against predominant schools such as an upcoming match against SEC and ACC powerhouse schools at the Wake Forest Invitational “is the fun part about training.” To summarize, being able to pull off huge upsets is what makes sports competitive and training worth it.

Overall, Coach Barrett thinks “that anything’s possible” against these types of opponents if the team keeps a clear mind, responds well to pressure, and gives themselves a chance to reveal success. As Kavarana summarized, “It’ll be an exciting year with these guys.”

The How and Why Behind Davidson’s $45 Million Athletic Renovation

CAMERON KRAKOWIAK ‘24 (HE/HIM) tain facilities that support the mission and scholar-athlete experience.” This plan doesn’t SPORTS WRITER

n September 9th, Davidson announced their mission to renovate and create new spaces for the football and lacrosse teams, leaving behind and renovating the nearly century-old Richardson Stadium. This investment didn’t come without a price tag, as Davidson’s project will result in a hefty 45-million-dollar investment, leaving some on campus curious and inquisitive where the money for this project came from, after the monetary loss the college suffered during the COVID-19 year and why the project was happening. Unfortunately, after multiple repeated inquiries asking for the donors’ names to all different administrators, we were told that these names were confidential and to remain as such, at the college’s and donors’ discretion to eventually reveal. In discussing the why in terms of this project, Director of Athletics Chris Clunie ‘06 discussed how in his first year here in 2018, his program was developing a “Strategic Foundation” for athletics called ‘Athletics Done Right.’ In Davidson’s ‘Athletics Done Right’ mission statement it focused on how the college’s facilities are an integral part of building a community that supports Student Athletics. It states a plan to “build, renovate and main-

just relate to the new renovation project but to other parts of Davidson’s facilities. Clunie mentioned projects that are happening now to help renovate some of the older facilities, such as the pool. President Carol Quillen spoke deeply about the reasoning for the new development and why it is imperative for the “holistic education” for the students: “We want our students to be able to develop their athletic potential to the fullest. Most of them are not going to be professional athletes.

that part of what we do here, just like we need the facilities to support other other educational co-curricular activities [...] And that means you probably shouldn’t be playing in a 100 year old stadium.” Clunie elaborated about the study Davidson did to see what needs to be renovated, explaining, “The feasibility study helped us realize what needs to be done. And given the right moment, time, funding momentum, this is what we would do, right?” The funding and development Clunie described outlines a lot of ways in which Davidson alumni, families and donors want to get

“Most of our coaches think of themselves as educators [...] and they’re part of a holistic education here at Davidson.” -President Carol Quillen That’s not why they’re here. They’re here because playing sports has educational value. And the skills you learn in playing sports, like the skills you learn in learning how to play an instrument, or learning how to be a good actor or doing anything that’s hard — the skills you learn are life skills, right? And so most of our coaches think of themselves as educators [...] and they’re part of a holistic education here at Davidson. So we need the facilities to support

Game of the Week: Field Hockey

involved. He said the funding for the project didn’t come overnight from all families but was a process over time: “So, development essentially is fundraising. It involves stewardship. Like building relationships with people, it involves conversations around support for the college or athletics or whatever it may be. It involves formal meetings where ‘Hey, we’re gonna meet with you about a specific project and come to you

with a specific ask’ but also it involves informal meetings, ‘Hey, you’re part of our gridiron club.’ It’s our Booster Club for football and I catch you for five minutes and just catch [you] up on the game this past Saturday.” The fundraising is happening in multiple different ways and there are different variations of it. Clunie spoke about how donors get involved by asking questions such as: “What’s your biggest need right now? Is it scholarships? Is it facilities? Is it equipment?” On the other hand, he said “sometimes it’s us going to them and saying, like, ‘Hey, does this interest you? Do you want to be engaged?’ [...] It happens in a myriad of ways.” Clunie spoke about the relationships between the donors and the school with the process of development: “Development is cultivating these relationships and working to build these sorts of partnerships with parents, with alums, with donors, with former scholar athletes, whatever it may be, who love Davidson and want to support Davidson, that want to give back in impactful ways. It happens in a number of different ways.” Davidson was able to scout the facilities and realize what needed to be changed, but much needed help from the donors has facilitated this revamp in Davidson Athletics for athletes to enjoy and thrive off of for the next several years.

This Friday the ‘Cats will continue A-10 action in Philadelphia against #11 Saint Joseph’s. The team will look to get their first A-10 conference win this Friday before returning home for their final A-10 competition against St. Louis on October 29. The ‘Cats are currently 2-12 overall and 0-4 in conference play.

Arts and Culture

Finding a Voice Through Movement

CAMPBELL WALKER ‘25 (SHE/HER)

or many, dance is a method of expression that allows the choreographer to tell a story through movement. In the Silvestre Dance Technique, storytelling is held in the highest regard. Tamara Williams, the Assistant Professor of Dance at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, brought this technique to Davidson in a master class. She used this space as an opportunity to teach dancers about the core ideas of the movement style and the importance of personal expression and introspection. World-renowned dancer and choreographer Rosangela Silvestre codified her own technique by incorporating aspects of various types of dance into one movement style. After observing social injustices and the silencing of minority groups in Brazil, she aspired to give a voice to the oppressed and share with them a way to tell their stories through dance. She taught her technique to provide a method of emotional storytelling for those who couldn’t otherwise share their experiences. As she spread her technique worldwide, she became a mentor for many, including Tamara Williams, who adopted Silvestre’s technique and began to teach classes of her own. A core value of Silvestre Technique is the importance of the four elements: water, earth, fire, and air. Each element has certain types of movement that correspond to its characteristics in nature. Water consists of fluid and continuous movement, with emphasis on contractions. Earth incorporates grounding exercises, such as moving on the floor or with bent knees. Turns and spirals correspond to the wind, while jumps and sharp movements correspond to fire. In order to manifest these movements, Williams taught the dancers at Davidson about where the elements are located around the body. She asked them to envision a box around themselves, and she explained that each element is connected to one of the four corners of the box. She then led them in a sequence in which they moved in the direction of each corner while engaging in steps from the corresponding element. This exercise symbolized a conversation with nature and an act of appreciation for each element.

Silvestre dance classes have a foundation of spirituality, nature, and finding harmony with one’s past, present, and future. To begin the Davidson masterclass, Williams asked the dancers to walk in a circle around themselves. Then, she explained that if they walked in a counterclockwise circle, they were reflecting on the past, and if they walked in a clockwise circle, they were looking to the future. This tool helped the dancers clarify their mindset for introspective exercises later in the class. For instance, in a successive exercise, she emphasized the importance of the dancers grounding themselves and finding their roots by acknowledging their ancestors and personal histories. The location in which the masterclass took place, Cunningham Lawn, heavily impacted the curriculum. At one point during class she asked the dancers to move to the rhythm of nature. After the exercise had concluded she asked what “the rhythm of nature” meant to each dancer, and she received a wide variety of responses: some said they danced to the sound of the cicadas, others said they listened to the wind, while some dancers created their own rhythm. Allowing the dancers to connect their movement to the environment surrounding them transformed the exercise from an activity into a fully immersive experience, in which their classroom was just as influential as the physical aspect of the choreography. Throughout class, Williams emphasized the importance of the dancers finding their own voice through their movement and telling their personal stories. One of Rosangela Silvestre’s goals in creating this technique was to give a voice to silenced groups, and Williams exemplified this value in her teaching by encouraging the class to engage in conversations with themselves, evaluating their core beliefs, and pacifying internal turmoil. Rather than focusing on the physical accuracy and appearance of the sequences, Silvestre Technique encourages dancers to focus on introspection and discovering themselves through movement. Campbell Walker ‘25 (she/her) is an intended neuroscience major from Dallas, Texas and can be reached for comment at cawalker1@davidson.edu.

Tamara Williams teaching the masterclass. Image courtesy Claire Tatum ‘24.

The Perfect Outfit Is The One You Choose elements, but I gravitate more to my business casual attire. Wearing a smooth turtleneck combined with sleek plaid pants, matching loafers, and a belt to complement the clothing items always make me feel like I’m walking on air. I have a diverse sense of style; I love rocking my casual fits, but when it comes down to it, I will show out with my business casual attire. Though it may seem as if this was all a positive experience for me, it was not so. One factor that carries a large weight in how we dress is our external environment: youth and young adults in particular might be more afraid of potential scrutiny. We often gossip about the appearances of others, especially how they are

magazine, scrolling through social media, or seeing someone from afar, you can find inspiration or personal joy based on the styles that catch your eye. You can either replicate those elements or raise their own personal fashion scope, but what matters most is that these style choices are ones that make you happy. In response to these positive influences, I started wearing the clothes that I liked again. I didn’t want outside criticisms to change who I was and what I wanted to do. As my own person, I have control over my actions and how I go about them. As long as I’m happy with what I’m wearing, then that is all that matters.

“I didn’t want outside criticisms to change who I was and what I wanted to do.”

A picture of Fashion Club with club founder, Ted Pasquette ‘24, seated at the table (second from the left). Image courtesy Ricardo Pinnock ‘22.

TED PASQUETTE ‘24 (HE/HIM)

ashion Club is a group on Davidson’s campus where confidence is your best outfit. My fashion journey has been far from linear: it started with the preppy outfits imposed upon me by my parents and then traversed into the casual athletic items that I would amass in my closet in high school. I now find myself still occasionally wearing these same

dressed. It is very easy to allow outside influences to dictate the way we dress ourselves. For this reason, it’s very important to distinguish positive influences from negative ones. Negative influences often fall within the realm of critiques coming from others about your own personal style. These critiques might be so influential that individuals let them dictate how they dress. By letting these negative influences affect you, you give those critiques the ability to control your emotions. As a result, you decide to neglect your own personal style and start dressing similarly to your detractors, hoping they will no longer tear your personal well-being down. Fair enough; they do leave you alone, but you find yourself within a homogenous group that you personally don’t want to be a part of. I fell down this hole myself. I had my individual sense of style that I enjoyed rocking every day, but I would get laughs or comments demeaning my choice of clothing. I heard remarks such as “What type of shoes are those?” or “Can’t you buy better clothes?” It made me feel like there was a right way to dress and I let those ideals limit my style. I decided to utilize more athletic gear and basketball shoes because those were the items that my peers wore. Although when I made the switch I did receive more positive comments, deep down from within me I knew I was wearing those items not because of my own desires, but because of the words of others. It wasn’t what I personally wanted. In contrast, positive influences are those that capture your mind and allow you to incorporate different elements into your own personal fashion. Whether flipping through the pages of a

In my junior year of high school, I took the initiative to create a Fashion Club with the help of my peers to reinforce the idea that self confidence is our best outfit. I wanted everyone to understand that they too should not let discouraging outside influences dictate the way they dress. I wanted to create a space where we can talk about fashion, what it means to us, and showcase our confidence to the outside world through our fashion. Fortunately, I was able to bring Fashion Club to Davidson’s campus in the spring semester of 2021. We meet every Friday for Fashion Fridays, where members of the club dress up and come together to take pictures. Fashion Spotlights take place every Monday and Wednesday; one member of the club is highlighted on an Instagram post and they describe what fashion means to them. The club has a current running Instagram page under the name @davidson.fc. In a place as academically rigorous as Davidson, having an organization in which members can come out with positive energy and express themselves is well needed. I aspire for Fashion Club to continue to promote confidence and self-expression, and to hopefully impact others who may find themselves in the same place I was. Ted Pasquette ‘24 (he/him/his) is a chemistry major from Miami, Florida. Ted can be reached for comment at tepasquette@ davidson.edu.

Living Davidson

Across 1 Group denial 6 With 12-Down, author of “Dusk, Night, Dawn” 10 Actor Holbrook 13 Attractive smell 14 Means of entry 15 Stretch named for a president 16 Start of a quotation from “Dusk, Night, Dawn” 18 Kind of sleep during which dreams appear 19 HBO rival 20 ___ hall 21 Yoko of music and art 22 Orbital path 25 Davidson Village ___ (Depot Street boutique hotel) 27 Pick up the tab for 29 Arizona necktie 31 Drudge of yore 34 2nd banana 35 Caught a few winks 37 Means of entry 39 Part 2 of the quotation 43 Rage 44 Doesn’t spoil, as food 46 Reverberation 49 Executive Director of Career Development Jeanne-Marie 51 Rough file 52 Concise 54 Once possessed 56 Lie, ___, lain 57 Amorous murmur 58 ___ v. Wade 61 Dessert from an oven 63 Jean of Dadaist art 64 End of the quotation 69 Pay___ (e-commerce facilitator) 70 ___ David (presidential retreat) 71 Eyelashes 72 She, in Lisbon 73 Golf course hazard

NOT A BAD GOAL

Crosswords by Victor Fleming ‘73

74 “The Book of Songs” author Heinrich

Down 1 “Count me out” 2 ___ pro nobis 3 “Up” side 4 “Ball!” callers 5 Greet 6 “Classified” listings 7 American-born Jordanian queen 8 ___ the wiser 9 Assemble 10 “Hogan’s ___” 11 Concert sites 12 See 6-Across 17 Accelerator particles 22 Six-pack units 23 Caramel candy brand 24 Bass or treble 26 Tot’s desire, often 28 Ameriquest Field ballplayer 30 Choose 32 Openly enthusiastic 33 “By the way,” in a text 36 Fri. preceder 38 Calligraphy need 40 Hit the wrong button, say 41 Close, as an envelope 42 Res ___ loquitur 45 Catch sight of 46 Avoid capture 47 Designed for group singing 48 Ado 50 Afternoon snoozes 53 Area of land 55 You can dig it 59 Poet Khayyám 60 “Harry Potter” actress Watson 62 Falco of the screen 65 Pos., to neg., e.g. 66 2001 Will Smith biopic 67 Yang’s opposite 68 It’s next to PDT, on Patterson Court

notes

Last Week’s Answers:

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Marquia Humphries Q: What is your name, class year and major? A: My name is Marquia Humphries. My graduation year is 2022 and my major is Studio Art. Q: What got you into art in the first place?

SAHANA ATHREYA ‘25 (SHE/HER) We Are Wildcats is a human-interest column that aims to share the extraordinary within the ordinary at Davidson College and to showcase the inspiring things that make each and every Wildcat unique. If you wish to be featured or know someone whose story needs to be heard, please feel free to contact saathreya@davidson.edu! Stay tuned for future stories! This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

A: I’ve always been pretty interested in drawing. I have this family dictionary in my house, and I can go back and see all the scribbles from when I was a little kid. I would doodle on literally any sheet of paper I could find. But I think what made it take off for me was in high school; I had a teacher who took the time to teach me how to paint, and [she] gave me a lot of opportunities to do bigger paintings. Really, she was like my second mom. She used to buy me Subway for lunch and stuff like that too. She really instilled [it] in me and just, you know, gave me a chance to learn, and I fell in love with it. Q: How would you describe your creation process? A: So one of the main things I do with my art is I start with collages. I think for me, collage has been pretty important because I feel like that’s how identity is formed; it’s sort of bits and pieces of your own personal experience, and over time, you keep things, you lose things, some things get amplified, and that’s who you are. So it’s this nice medium that you

can use that feels less permanent. I feel like when I’m painting, or I make a sculpture or something, you do it, and then it’s done; there are no additions that you can make to it. But with a collage you can continue to add and build and remove things, and it stays fluid. Q: Not to ask you that dreaded question, but do you know what your plans are for the future? A: Not quite yet. I think my goal right now is to get my website up and start networking. I’ve been going out to Charlotte a lot more and connecting with some artists out there, and it was exciting to see a bunch of specifically black artists out there. I think most of them have other jobs or they’re further along in their artist’s career, so now they’ve saved up enough for art. I’m thinking that next year I’m going to want to take a gap year and just stay here in this area. Q: Have any other academic disciplines fed into the way that you created your art? A: I would say the biggest one was when I took Art Activism in the Environment with Dr Garcia-Peacock in my Sophomore year. In that class we learned a lot about Latinx artists who were using their art for activism and protests, and we looked at monuments as well, but all of it was connected back to the environment, like about preservation and how we can keep these spaces well taken care of. That fed

into my advanced painting class because at the end of that course we had to do an independent study project, and I ended up focusing on hog farming in eastern North Carolina because I’m from North Carolina. There’s a lot of floods during hurricane season and there’s lots of farms and hogs everywhere, so I chose to focus on that. A lot of these hog farms are located in low-income, minority communities, and those hogs die because no one really moves them—there’s just too many to move in that amount of time. So that’s how that fed into my work. Q: Do you have any advice for prospective studio art majors or students interested in art? A: I think the biggest thing for me has been networking and finding mentors. It’s been a big part of not only growing my personal practice and finding what subjects I’m interested in but also just learning about the possibilities. As an art major, the first thing you hear when you tell someone that you’re majoring in art is, “Oh, what are you going to do with that?” and it’s discouraging and scary because it’s a realistic question. But getting to know people who are majoring in art and either doing it full time or having it as some sort of creative adjacent job is nice to see because I think a lot of times you can lose your passion for it, or just feel like it’s not a feasible thing to live off of, so having mentors is always nice.

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inside

yowl.com/whenyourehereyourefamily

Highlights from Wildcat Weekend: Crate Race with Dad

October 20, 2021

Lowlights from Wildcat Weekend: Saw Your Dad Transported

Page Chug! Chug! Chug! Page Oh God

New Kitchen Opens in Belk; Promptly Burned Down by Second Belk Page What’s That Smell

Things My Dad Said This Weekend That Will Haunt My Memory Forever

love my Dad, don’t get me wrong. But man, watching him interact with other parents and my friends, especially after a year of isolation where he only talked to my mom and our dog, was one of the most painful things I’ve gone through in a while… and I had to watch the baseball guys strip at HART. Here’s a couple of things my own father (and mother and brother) said this weekend.

- Dad: “So, you sure about a major in English? I just talked to my old Economics professor and he said he’d take you on if you want.”

- To set the scene: awkward silence in a big group of people and then the wind starts blowing. “Huh,” he said “That’s the thing about wind, it blows and then it just stops. What makes it stop?”

- Mom: “Why aren’t you more involved in your Eating House? Maybe you should run for president. Oh that’s a great idea - run for president of Warner.”

- My dad walks up to a parent he’s never met before. She (the other parent) goes to shake his hand. My dad: “MY HANDS ARE WET!” and holds both of his hands up over his head.

- Dad: “That tree wasn’t here when I went here.”

- My dad, an alum of Davidson College: “The Spencer Weinstein Center? That used to be the brotherhood of Pi Kappa Alpha. That’s a damn shame.”

- Dad: “Take your brother to F” - Mom: “Take your brother to F” - Brother: “I don’t want to go to F”

- Dad: “Let’s all get matching sweatshirts and then walk around campus.” - My Good Friend’s Dad: “Did you know that phat also stands for ‘pretty hot and tasty’? The more you know!”

- Special Edition from my Mom, also an alum: “When I went here, we had a party every year called the ‘Pimps & Prostitutes’ dance. Rusk hosted.”

Parents Steal the Show at Oops

Disclaimer: Written by an Oopsie

avidson’s own Oops improv comedy troupe welcomed parents, relatives, friends, acquaintances, and a couple randos to a one-time-only open rehearsal last Saturday. The event kicked off when Co-President Jared Herr exclaimed, “Participation from the audience is strongly encouraged but absolutely not required.” With that, every parent present (either from a common desire to spend more time with their precious angels or a begrudging acceptance that they should encourage their kids’ weird hobbies) called upon the spirits of comics from days gone by to imbue them with the unadulterated humor today’s SNL cast only wishes they could capture. Meanwhile, the young performers on stage faced their own dilemma… one that might vindicate them from the imminent eclipsing of talent. How the f**k would they bridge both the generational/ experiential gap presented by their Boomer/Davidson-disengaged audience? Would mummy-kins laugh at bits about the Goose Murder of 2002? Would pee-paw respond with his hearty belly laugh or a polite chuckle if someone made a joke about Humes-cest?? The resulting dynamic of restrained youngin and surprisingly skilled guardian established an underdog dynamic worthy of Watchmojo’s Top 10 Most Savage Non-Lethal Takedowns. Picture this: the improv game begins; student says something innocuous, immediately followed by a zinger from pop-pop. A knee-slapper. A genuinely inspired, perfectly timed, beautifully delivered quip. A single tear falls from Aunt Jeneane’s cheek as she remembers the day she first fell in love with her dear pop-pop and his special wit. (#marriagerekindled). Even friends of friends were able to contribute inordinate amounts of humor. Who would have thunk a highschool friend from hometown Lexington could capture the art of the callback...and on their first go no less! A recording of the rehearsal was sent to researchers at the International Sociological Association in the hopes that they could explain the abnormal spike in comedic inspiration. They released the following statement: “We observed visceral comedic talent, one that was likely dormant from birth...but the collective presentation of such humor is one that will never be repeated during our lifetime. It will henceforth be known as the Seinfeld phenomenon.” Editor’s Note: Writers from the Yowl have reached out to the International Sociological Association on behalf of Oops, asking that they rename the phenomenon to something cooler. “Seinfeld wasn’t that funny,” says Oops Sam (the Younger).

The

Yowl

WRITERS Beagle Lollier A. Oregano Just Is What It Is Double Legacy Squire of Shack

The “Rancid” Wildcat Weekend Issue

When You Give a Skunk a Cookie... Page What’s That Smell

Goodbye Earl: What to do About That One Male Friend With a God Awful Patronizing Savior Complex Page Jesus

Conversation Starters for You and Friends’ Parents

as Parent’s Weekend kind of hard? Find yourself with no sense of where to take the conversation next? Unsure of what to say when confronted with human adults not ages 1822? Parent’s weekend can be full of awkward small talk and excessive smiling and nodding. If you are looking to take conversations with parents to a deeper level, here is a conversation guide to get a jump start on next year’s Parent’s Weekend. “Hi, [insert friend’s name]’s mom! how was [insert friend’s name]’s birth for you? Cesarean or no?” Moms love to be asked questions about childbirth and this topic alone should extend the conversation for a good half hour, birth-video watching time not included. “Where was [insert friend’s name] conceived?” This is a solid go-to question because follow-ups are usually welcome, more detail can always be extracted. “On a scale of one to ten how emotionally bonded do you feel with [insert friend’s name] and why?” Make sure to compare that answer with your friend’s parent’s parents too! Intergenerational emotional unavailability is a classic. “How is your marriage with [insert friend’s name]’s dad?” Try to ask this one while your friend is not in the room, just in case. “Did you ever experiment with your sexuality in college, and if so, were all of your questions answered?” Moms will jump to answer this one, but make sure to not leave out the dads! Never too late to realize a bisexual awakening and to help facilitate that process is a beautiful thing. “Have you ever tried a gravity bong?” This is a great one because it leads straight to, “Do you want to try a gravity bong?” With the help of this handy guide, you just might get an invite to the [insert friend’s last name] Thanksgiving dinner! Good luck conversing.

Rekindled Kindred Connection

arents Weekend. Mom has come to visit. You are excited. You walk her around campus, show her where all your classes are, introduce her to your best friends, and take her to the soccer game. You decide to go out for a nice dinner at Kindred. The two of you sit down and order a $70 appetizer. You are having a casual conversation explaining the concept of Cutler to your mom when suddenly you are taken over by dread. Sheer horror runs through your body as the guy you hooked up with last weekend and his dad sit down at the table next to you. You feel paralyzed. You and the guy give each other an awkward nod. “Who is that?” Mom asks. You cringe. “Oh just someone I know from class,” you respond, and then try to change the conversation. But Mom is stuck. “HELLO!” she says, looking at the other table. They both turn. The guy you hooked up with has a blank expression on his face. What is he thinking? “Are you friends with my daughter?” Mom asks. You cannot take this anymore. You excuse yourself to go to the bathroom. You walk out the back of the restaurant, hyperventilating. This cannot be real. You can’t go back in there. You must do something drastic. Next to you is the breaker box for the restaurant and a union board umbrella on the ground. Here goes, you think. You pick it up and hit the breaker box with all your strength. Sparks fly; there is smoke. And then there is a loud beep, and all the lights in the restaurant go out. We will be able to leave now so it is going to be okay, you think. But it is not going to be okay. While sparks were flying by the breaker box, they were also flying inside, between your mom and the guy you hooked up with’s dad. You come back to the two of them flirting, having a great conversation. You and the guy you hooked up with look at each other, both in disbelief. *** Five years later: you and the guy you hooked up with are still staring at each other in disbelief, but this time across the aisle of a wedding: your mom and his dad are getting married at DCPC! You and the guy you hooked up with are going to be step siblings. Davidson really does create those lifelong connections.

But Seriously, You Don’t Have to Be a Lesbian to Write for Us It has come to the attention of The Yowl staff that last edition’s “Things That Sound Like Euphemisms for Gay Sex That Aren’t” caused quite the kerfuffle in the Davidson community. Accusations of exclusivity and discrimination abounded concerning The Yowl’s ‘entirely lesbian-run affair,’ but I am here to assure you that anyone can write for The Yowl. PSYCH!!! You gullible fools thought we were making change. We lied! This is a campus take-over! Prepare for earring collections in ever trophy case in Baker, the lesbian flag covering every bulletin board in Chambers, and mandatory undercuts for the entire student body!!! We at The Yowl are now possibly the most inclusive group on campus, maybe even more so than our neighbors downstairs at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. They’re the ones who hosted a Bisexuals-and-Pansexuals-only Pancake Breakfast, how exclusive and hypocritical! P.S. If any of you concerned readers out there care for the truth, this author is not even a lesbian, just a humble pansexual.

Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian. Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.