The
Davidsonian
Independent Student Journalism Since 1914
inside
davidsonian.com
New committee to decide fate of recently vacated PC house #12
Volume 120, Issue 11
February 16, 2022
2
Queer athletes reflect on Davidson experience
5
Head cartoonist Richard Farrell ‘22 shares his passion for illustrations
6
8
Summit makes Obama proud with switch to no extra cost on alt milks (Yowl, 8)
Qdoba Chain Comes to Campus
After many delays the long-awaited eating option finally opens for business CHARLOTTE SPEARS ‘24 (SHE/HERS) STAFF WRITER
A
fter a year and a half of COVID and construction delays, Qdoba opened its doors on February 1, 2022. The new restaurant serves take-out Mexican-style cuisine from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. everyday. According to Pinky Varghese, the Director of Dining Services, Qdoba serves around 500 people per day. “So far, I am very impressed,” Varghese said. “They are holding up nicely, and the place looks very nice. Everyone likes it so far.” The chain, which has 750 other locations across the U.S., did not make its way to Davidson seamlessly. According to Varghese, COVID, construction issues, the approval process, and supply chain issues contributed to the delay. Despite staffing challenges, Qdoba operates at full capacity with 19 workers. Last semester, Varghese said it “was impossible” to find people to work. But now, they are getting applicants. According to Varghese, quick and easy eating is one of the most important qualities in campus dining. “It only takes 30 seconds for someone to go through the food line,” Varghese said. “Speed of service is the most important aspect of dining on a college campus, because you are coming after athletic training, or you are running from class to class, or going to a meeting. So, we don’t want people waiting 30 minutes for food. So we wanted fast, healthy, and bold flavored food.” The response from students has been overall positive. Jonathon Hammond ‘24 felt like it met the needs of athletes at Davidson. Abby Adams ‘24 said it was well-organized. Drew Nickels ‘23 thought of it as a great change of pace, albeit expensive. Ronan Towell, sophomore class president, has enjoyed Qdoba so far, but would have rather seen a more local brand. “I think that there’s a part of me that feels like we would’ve been better suited if we used a smaller business instead of a national
brand,” Towell said. “I wish it had been a local business to give it that opportunity, but I think overall it could have been a lot worse. It could have been a Chick-Fil-A, so they did a pretty good job at picking something that seems very neutral.” Richard Terry, the Director of Auxiliary Services, said the origin of the new Qdoba came after a student survey indicated a desire for more options for fresh food and Mexican-styled cuisine. According to Terry, the Qdoba model “checked all of those boxes.” Terry knew that Davidson needed more options in terms of dining. “One of the challenges for any small college in dining is variety,” Terry said. “Large universities have all the brands, all the options, but they also have 25,000 students as their market. But we needed to introduce another concept. We needed something fresh and tasty using the least amount of real estate possible and the most efficient equipment.” Shawn An ‘24 serves on the Dining Advisory Committee, and held reservations about the idea when it was proposed during the committee’s first meeting last year. “When we were told it was going to be in the building in between Baker and Union, I was pretty skeptical, I’ll be honest,.” An said. “It’s a small building. I wasn’t sure how they were going to accommodate orders, let alone have a full, functional kitchen. I was even more skeptical when I heard there were going to be delays due to some important part of the building being missing and having to be reordered.” Now, however, An sees the new option as a return to normalcy in a post-pandemic world. “Things are becoming more normal than they have been, and so many students haven’t seen the full extent of Davidson dining,” An said. “To have another option come in and break up the monotony of how dining can be sometimes is something new, exciting, hot, familiar and quick.” After two weeks of service, An is excited about Qdoba’s future. “Seeing it all come together now, it’s pretty rewarding, pretty cool to see what they have been able to do,” An said.
Top: Qdoba employees making food. Bottom: a sign in the new Qdoba building. Photos by Bailey Maierson ‘25 Terry is also optimistic about this change to traditional services. “Granted we’ve been open for a week, but
so far it’s gone really well and maybe that means we take another step in that direction at some point,” Terry said.
These events have been a great source of community, as well as pride. After attending the Caribbean Family Dinner Night, Saladin stated that “it was nice to see a bridge between my race as an African-American woman and my ethnicity as a Haitian woman.” These events create the opportunity to celebrate both community and identity. All BSC events are open to the entire Davidson community. “We don’t want anyone to feel like they aren’t welcome,” said BSC’s Black History Month Chair Kennedy Petties ‘23. “Our primary goal is to serve the Black students of Davidson, but there’s no reason to say that we can’t involve the rest of the Davidson campus.” Black or not, all students have a place at Black History Month events. Allies
can voice their support by showing up for the BSC and Davidson’s Black community. All BSC events have community and culture in mind, aiming to create conversations about what it means to be Black at Davidson. In addition to Family Dinners, movie screenings, and trivia, the BSC is planning a handful of events to display Black culture to the rest of Davidson’s campus. On Saturday, February 19th, the BSC will host the Black History Month Fashion Show in the Student Union. From hoop earrings to sneaker culture, Blackness and fashion have been intertwined since as early as the Harlem Renaissance. This fashion show will highlight how the college and
BSC Hosts Black History Month Events
ANAYA PATEL‘25 (SHE/THEY) STAFF WRITER
W
e’re halfway through Black History Month, and the Davidson community has been busy commemorating Black history. As a predominantly white institution (PWI), celebrating Black History Month is one small way the Davidson community can not only show support to marginalized student communities, but celebrate them. “As a minority on campus and in the Davidson community, it is important to celebrate this month so others like me feel welcomed and appreciated in a space that is predominantly white,” stated Black Student Coalition (BSC) officer Kenzie Leonard ‘24.
Additionally, Black History Month is an opportunity to put anti-racist efforts at the forefront of conversations. According to BSC officer Bernice Saladin ‘24, “As a Black person, your activism never stops.” Because our school is a PWI, it can be easy to believe students live in a bubble-free from racial violence. “However, Black students constantly see and carry these social justice issues.” Black History Month is another method of recognizing these differences and educating oneself about racial justice matters. The BSC has been hard at work planning events for all of Davidson’s students: a service event for breast cancer awareness, a Black-ish brunch with the Upsilon Mu Deltas, and Candles, Candy, and Crafts on Valentine’s Day.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
News
2
Committee Formed to Reassign PC House #12
BILAL RAZZAK ‘24 (HE/HIM) CO SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
H
aving previously housed the Sigma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Order (KA), Patterson Court House #12 is currently being redesigned. With the fraternity’s departure from campus, the college looks to find a new purpose for this under-utilized space on campus. To effectively re-establish the house’s purpose, Davidson’s administration assembled a committee—a group of faculty, students, and staff. Members of the team include: Molly Sherrill ‘22; Cheyanne Morris ‘23; Claire Pearce ‘23; Emily Paton ‘24; Anaya Patel ‘25; Emily Eisenstadt, Student Activities; Leslie Urban, Physical Plant; Andrea Domingue, Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion; Morgan Kee, College Relations; Raquel Dailey, Betty and B. Frank Matthews II ’49 Center for Career Development; and Beth Adams, Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The team, armed with this responsibility, aims to repurpose the space in a way which fits with Davidson’s values. While spaces on Patterson Court are primarily utilized by the Greek life organizations that make up Patterson Court Council, the committee hopes to discuss a diverse range of uses. In order to achieve this, the committee has created a campaign on Idea Trek with the guiding principles and values of “access and equity, community and connection, Flexibility, inclusivity, mission-aligned action, intentionality and transparency, and feasibility,” said Anaya Patel ‘25. By collecting ideas from the com-
munity, they hope to create a space which can best suit the needs of the student body, faculty, and staff Patel commented on the difficulties of redesigning the space. “The biggest challenge so far has been establishing community guidelines that fit the team’s different styles, backgrounds, and values. We ultimately settled on these guiding values and principles: access & equity, community & connection, flexibility, inclusivity, mission-aligned actions, intentionality & transparency, and feasibility. These values will guide how we vote on different ideas and take them through different stages.” Patel was quick to point out, “We’re currently in Stage 1: Idea Intake and, as ideas ripple in, we’ll move to Gate 1: Idea Screen, as so on. This just shows the general process.” When asked about the history of the house, committee member Emily Paton ‘24 responded: “It was used for the old KA fraternity, which is one of the many fraternities on campus. While they didn’t officially disband, they were told they couldn’t have their house space on campus.” Furthermore, Paton commented on certain aspects of the process: “I really like how you can comment on other people’s and upvote things. It’s very transparent for the whole community. That’s the whole goal of it. And while I do have my own ideas of what could be helpful, that’s not why I’m here. I want to see what other people are thinking and facilitate their voice in our school’s social community […] There are a lot of groups who don’t have spaces; a lot of groups that aren’t represented
properly. The goal of the project is to build a better social community.” Similarly, Molly Sherrill ‘22 noted incoming challenges. “Once we get ideas […] that’s when it’ll be difficult. However, we haven’t actually had to deal with the logistics of that yet.” As Davidson’s community starts to give ideas, the committee will have a better idea of what will best help the faculty, students, and staff. The integration of this new committee
lery. The R.O.O.T.S. Showcase will take Blackness and culture a step further by highlighting Black talent and art. From poetry and spoken word to dance and photography, art has historically been an integral medium for cultivating community, joy, and even resistance. “At the R.O.O.T.S. Showcase, you can see what the Davidson students have to offer,” Petties added. All events will be announced on the Davidson BSC Instagram @davidsonbsc, so be on the lookout for more information on their
page. Though events for Black History Month have surpassed expectations so far, it has not been without struggle. Navigating Davidson’s policies regarding COVID-19 has proven both difficult and contradictory. According to Pettie, “there are no guidelines to what a ‘large event’ is, and places like the BSC seem to have separate rules to follow than communal spaces like Union or even [Patterson Court] organizations.” Specifically, the BSC has had trouble securing permission for food events. “Even
PC House #12, which formerly hosted the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. Photos by Sydney Schertz‘24 will benefit the community by allowing for the input of a variety of perspectives on a new campus institution. The committee hopes to effectively translate the community of Davidson’s voice into important decisions made on campus. Students interested in submitting ideas related to shaping the future of the house to be considered by the committee should visit https:// davidson.ideascale.com/c/campaigns/30109/ about.
Upcoming Black History Month Events
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 fashion have been intertwined since as early as the Harlem Renaissance. This fashion show will highlight how the college and student fashion is shaped by that history. “Attending this fashion show is a great opportunity to witness culture at Davidson,” said Petties. The BSC is also organizing the R.O.O.T.S. Showcase for February 27th in the Lilly Gal-
so,” said Pettie, “everyone has been very accommodating, especially the Student Activities office.” Black History Month is only 28 days, so spend each day acknowledging blackness. Celebrate with Davidson’s Black community by attending BSC’s Fashion Show and R.O.O.T.S. Showcase, or do your part to deconstruct your own privileges by educating yourself on racial justice issues and anti-blackness.
Judy Heumann Named 2022 Reynolds Lecturer KEVIN GARCIA-GALINDO ‘24 (HE/HIM) STAFF WRITER
A
t the tail end of January, The Davidson Disability Alliance (DDA) announced Judy Heumann as the 2022 Reynolds Lecturer. Heumann is an internationally-recognized disability rights activist known for her veracious defense of the civil rights of disabled people across the world. Heumann is known as the mother of disability rights due to her activism work, most notably, she took part in the 1977 San Francisco
was defined outside of the medical field and created basic operational principles to eliminate disability discrimination among organizations and employers. Her protests were so effective that the HEW department held a congressional hearing and with the support of senators like Alan Cranston (D-CA) and Harrison Williams (D-NY), the legislation was passed. The event will be co-sponsored by DDA and promises to be an exciting event to highlight the contributions of Americans with disabilities. Ellie Lipp ‘22, the co-president of DDA, noted that “oftentimes, especially in the past three years, disabled voices have not really
“Disabled voices have not really been heard on campus.” Ellie Lipp, DDA Co-President sit-ins for the implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973— a predecessor to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She also played an instrumental role in achieving the implementation of section 504, in 1977, four years after the passing of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 created innumerable opportunities for many disabled Americans. Disability
been heard on campus.” What is particularly exciting for DDA and its members is that Judy Heumann’s activism is often focused on listening to the youth, asking questions like “What is this next generation thinking? How do they want to shape disability advocacy?” Lipp hopes that the lecture will help answer many of these essential questions that young activists like her have.
Lipp and her fellow DDA co-president Sarah Todd Hammer ‘24 both pointed out that DDA was not involved in the decision to bring Heumann to campus. Heumann was originally scheduled to be the Reynolds lecturer in the Spring of 2020 but it was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic; she was set to come the weekend after students were all sent home. Lipp and Hammer both found out about Heumann’s potential visit through Dr. Ann Fox’s Fall 2021 class ENG 271: Disability and Literature. Dr. Fox was enthusiastic about having her students involved in bringing Heumann and collected a list of names to send off to Dr. Wertheimer, Jr. Professor of History, who worked to bring Heumann to campus. Hammer said that having Heumann on campus will help DDA gain greater recognition on campus and build anticipation for the many events that they are planning. She is especially excited about having more people come to DDA events like DDA community lunches, disability trivia, and screenings of movies like Crip Camp. Lipp said that she would be interested in finding out how Heumann will continue her work. “The majority of society doesn’t necessarily value her voice as easily as others…How is she still so positive and so energized? How does she take care of herself in a world that refuses to listen sometimes?” said Lipp. However, Lipp remains optimistic. “As
[Heumann] often puts it, this is the work she wants us to continue. She puts that responsibility on to younger people like Sarah and I and everyone because it is our job to make the world more accessible and more inclusive.”
Disability rights activist and 2022 Reynolds Lecturer Judy Heumann. Photo credit InStyle
February 16, 2022
‘Cats Stats Expands Beyond Davidson
ERIN SIMARD ‘23 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER
C
ats Stats serves an essential part in energizing the Davidson community and connecting it to many of the athletic teams on campus. Many know the group for its strong social media presence, which provides the broader Davidson community with a steady stream of digestible analytics and blog posts surrounding our athletic teams’ performance. However, most students rarely see the intense work of this organization. Established in 2013, the self-described “Home of Davidson Sports Analytics” was born out of an idea presented to Dr. Tim Chartier, Davidson’s Joseph R. Morton Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science. Along with a fellow mathematics student, two student managers of the men’s basketball team asked for Dr. Chartier’s support in designing a project which would provide analytical reports to the coaching staff of the men’s basketball team. The group organized itself as a research project under the direction of Dr. Chartier. According to Chartier, Bob McKillop, head coach of the men’s basketball team, ran a very successful program but it didn’t have anything ‘Cats Stats could to offer. Chartier outlined the process of launching the project. “I told the [students] that I was very willing to try… So, we contacted two assistant coaches—Will Reigel and Matt McKillop—and we met every week for two months prior to the season, developing the analytics that we would offer, all of which are still offered,” said Chartier. “It took considerable work because at the time, analytics wasn’t really done a lot at the
NBA level…, and there was very little sports analytics [happening at the collegiate level] at all,” Chartier stated. However, in the fall of 2021, as the organization began to rejuvenate following the pandemic, Dr. Chartier recognized an opportunity to transition the group into an autonomous organization run entirely by students, for the sake of the longevity of the project. Now an advisor, Dr. Chartier has turned over the reins to a board of students, chaired by President Morgan Martin ‘23 and Vice President Drew Beamer ‘24. Martin and Beamer lead a group which has grown exponentially since its origin in 2013, now standing at about 60 members. The group has become such a success that it has been asked to consult not only for Davidson’s athletic organizations, but for several professional national organizations, including the NBA, NFL, and NASCAR. Recently, members of the organization have been involved in the joint construction of a data-collection tool with analysts within the Charlotte Hornets organization, according to Beamer, who was heavily involved with the project. After a successful relaunch and revamping of their social media presence, the current focus of the group has settled on structural reorganization in the hopes of becoming more accessible to every athletic team on campus. According to Martin, the group is particularly looking to strengthen its relationships with teams beyond its original charter, and to upgrade their scouting technique. With additional manpower, the group has expanded to provide reports to the women’s basketball, football, women’s and men’s soccer, volleyball, baseball, women’s and men’s swimming, field hockey, and the lacrosse team. “We want to be able to serve any sport at Davidson that wants the analytics we can pro-
Looking to be the next SGA correspondent? Email Kaizad Irani at kairani@davidson.edu!
3
‘Cats Stats students hard at work. Photo courtesy of Professor Tim Chartier vide,” explains Beamer. Another significant aim of the group is the direct involvement of student athletes within the computational work that they do, as some athletes have found that doing so provides them with a new perspective and can improve their strategy on the field. “We see that when the athletes actually see the analytics,” Martin said, “they also [can begin] improving their strategies in new ways.” Most importantly, Beamer and Martin are setting their sights on investing in the futures of the students within the group. Martin shared that she, in addition to the considerable amount of work she already does, has been locating alumni within professional sports organizations in the effort to translate the national renown the organization
holds into stable career paths for those who have and continue to build the project. ‘Cats Stats’ work won’t end there. With the chances of the Davidson men’s basketball team making the NCAA’s March Madness tournament looking better than it has in years, ‘Cats Stats may be able to step into the national spotlight in a new way in the coming weeks. To keep up with the work ‘Cats Stats does, visit their website (https://catsstats.timchartier.com/media/) and follow them on Instagram and Twitter (@catsstats). The group will be placing new members in April– to get involved, email them then at catsstats2013@ gmail.com.
Crime Log
Time Reported
Description/Location
02/013/22 at 18:44 hrs Hit and Run
Belk Lot, Further Investigation
02/13/2022 at 01:14 hrs Underage Consumption Chidsey, Dean Referral
FEBRUARY 10
Takeaways
Attendance
KAIZAD IRANI ‘22 (HE/HIM) SGA CORRESPONDENT
63%
OR 17 27
of Alcohol Underage 02/05/2022 at 17:45 hrs Poss. Belk, Dean Referral of Vehicle 02/04/2022 at 19:00 hrs Larceny Stowe, Unfounded
Absent (excused): Anaya Patel ‘25, Nasir Jean-Paul ‘24, Emma Melton ‘24, Kaia Larsen ‘24 Absent (unexcused): Georgia Hall ‘25, Quincy Weary ‘23, Lauren Bennett ‘23,
01/18/2022 at 17:31 hrs Injury to Real Property (Field)
Ben Santiago ‘22, Yunah Han ‘22, Tsega-Ab Abera ‘22 Oops! Impov Group requested approximately $60,000 from the Activities Tax Council (ATC) to invite singing duo Chloe x Halle to campus this spring Oops proposed that Chloe x Halle could host a Q&A regarding freedom of speech Some ATC members were hesitant to approve the budget request, arguing it would not be a proper allocation of funds Some felt unsure about what the duo would speak about as there is no prior history of them speaking about freedom of speech SGA ultimately approved the request, hoping it would be a groundbreaking event that students would benefit from attending Ronan Towell ‘24 successfully proposed a change to the bylaws, requesting that the Common Ground Chair be a voting member of SGA and dropping the Common Ground appointments from 5 to 4 representatives Ronan Towell ‘24 successfully proposed changing the bylaws to include gender neutral language Jackson Bracy, Jess Villiger, and Hanting Wang were elected to serve as Senior Senators Steve Mirabello ‘25 created the “Green Fund,” a committee that would assess funding requests and distribute grants for student sustainability projects SGA approved funding the pilot program using the $1,000 initially allocated in their budget for Winterfest 2022, which was canceled Senator Wren Healy ‘23 successfully proposed a minor change to the bylaws clarifying language about the procedure of elections This was President Brandon Harris’ last meeting as SGA President, with elections ocuring in a couple of weeks
Practice Soccer Field, Inactive
01/16/2022 at 11:00 hrs Larceny Misdemeanor (bicycle)
Belk, Inactive
01/14/2022 at 13:59 hrs
Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia/ Poss. of Controlled Substance Irwin, Dean Referral
Perspectives
4
The Impact of Language Barriers on International Students’ Experience in American Universities
Where are accommodations for non-native English speakers?
G
SKY LUO ‘25 (HE/HIM)
lobalization has dramatically facilitated international exchange, among which is the massive flow of international students to the United States seeking higher education. Scholars believe it constitutes a crucial momentum for global understanding and economic growth. A consequent topic frequently examined is the experience of those international students in the United States who don’t speak English as their mother tongue. In this article, I will focus on the language barrier — the problem at the forefront of international students’ lives — and its impact on their communication, academic stress, acculturation, and mental well-being. Upon arrival in the United States, the foremost challenge for most international students is their inadequacy in English comprehension and expression. While passing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) requirement, international students usually lack real-life proficiency and political, social, and cultural contexts to keep up with fast-paced expressions — especially informal references like slangs — by native speakers, who usually don’t slow down to accommodate international students. Meanwhile, international students often encounter difficulties with self-expression. Overshadowed by native speakers’ superior language proficiency, they might be discouraged or even intimidated from actively engaging in conversations. Consequently, international students might be less talkative and expressive speaking English, which could hinder them from making local friends and adapting to this
new foreign environment and constrain them to a small circle with their co-nationals. In turn, local students might also disengage from their international fellows as they perceive their international counterparts as introverted or even indifferent. The aforementioned conditions could negatively influence international students’ mental well-being. Without adequate English proficiency, international students are more likely to experience a more significant personal-enacted identity gap—that is, the discrepancy between an individual’s self-view and expressed identity perceived by others1 as they struggle with authentic self-expression in English. Jung et al. find that this identity discrepancy significantly predicts international students’ depression levels. Meanwhile, the inability to engage in healthy interaction and befriend local students could foster a sense of ostracization and even discrimination of international students by their local counterparts, which is also proved to predict depression.2 That is, the language barrier has great potential to endanger international students’ mental well-being by exposing them to a greater risk of depression which in turn could cause disinterest in daily activities, a sense of meaninglessness and hopelessness, loss of appetite, disruption of sleep cycle, suicidal ideation, etc. These psychological disorders are disruptive, or even destructive in the worst case, for a normal life. Language barriers can also produce misunderstandings not only on the level of personal relationships but also politics and ideologies. International students from countries with different predominant views on human rights issues could be less sensitive about feminism,
LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality, etc. It renders them prone to making unintentional yet offensive comments and thus unnecessary misunderstanding and conflicts that could have them alienated by local students who feel offended. For those international students unaware of their inadvertent offense, they might be baffled, and for those aware of their mistakes, they might become too cautious about expressing themselves freely. Either way, acculturation and healthy communication between international and local students are impeded. The failure to communicate international students’ conflicting innate ideologies as opposed to liberal American thinking could widen the mentioned identity gap. Frustrated by the listed interactive failures, international students may withdraw from forming close relationships with local Americans3 and become more vulnerable to mental illnesses out of a lack of social support from having few friends.4 Language is also a chief obstacle for international students to perform well academically. In college, students are usually expected to complete intensive reading and writing assignments and pass challenging examinations, which is already overwhelming even for local students, not to mention their international fellows caught in the struggle of adaptation. The inadequate language proficiency also manifests itself during lectures, where international students might have a harder time keeping up with the pace of learning, taking notes, and interacting with questions and ideas. As a result, international students have to devote more time and effort to learning and are under tremendous academic pressure than American students. Along with financial burden and
expectations from home, the enormous stress could seriously endanger their mental health. Although evidence suggests that the language barrier has adverse impacts on international students’ experience studying in the United States, there are still limitations to this conclusion. As online platforms and social media render English education and Western culture more accessible, international students could acquire a decent level of English proficiency and Westernization that enable them to better navigate through the social, cultural, and academic life in the United States. Nevertheless, it doesn’t eclipse the importance for colleges to actively offer international students assistance to weather the adaptation challenges. Colleges should devote more to examining and improving international students’ mental well-being, organizing acculturation activities that reduce cultural and social misunderstandings, and academic consulting. For instance, colleges could assign each international student a health and academic advisor and an upperclassman international student as a cultural consultant. As globalization continues to play an increasingly prominent role, further research will be needed to keep up to date our understanding of the experience of the enlarging group of international students in the United States.
Sky Luo (he/him) is an intended Computer Science and Economics double major from Dongguan, China. He can be reached for comment at skluo@davidson.edu.
“Colleges should devote more to examining and improving international students’ mental well-being, organizing acculturation activities that reduce cultural and social misunderstandings, and academic consulting.” 1
2 3 4
Jung, E., Hecht, M. L., & Wadsworth, B. C. (2007). “The role of identity in international students’ psychological well-being in the United States: A model of depression level, identity gaps, discrimination, and acculturation.” International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 31(5), 605–624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2007.04.001 Williams, K. D. (2007). “Ostracism.” Annual Review of Psychology, 58(1), 425–452. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.58.110405.085641 Mori, S. C. (2000). “Addressing the mental health concerns of international students.” Journal of Counseling & Development, 78(2), 137–144. Jung et al., “international students’ psychological well-being,” 605-624.
The
Davidsonian 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
Staff
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
The Davidsonian is currently recruiting new writers to join our staff! Email Brigid McCarthy at brmccarthy@davidson.edu or Katie Stewart at kastewart@davidson.edu for more information on how to put your own pen to paper.
Sports
5
Player Profile: Luka Brajkovic ‘22
VICTOR TAYLOR ‘24 (HE/HIM) STAFF WRITER
D
avidson Men’s Basketball has enjoyed a quality season so far, with a record of 21-4 and 11-2 in A-10 play. In other words, the ‘Cats are winners of 19 of their last 21 games. It has been a team effort, with four starters averaging double figures, but Luka Brajkovic ‘22 has been an integral part of where the team finds itself now, especially in conference play. The 6’-10” center from Feldkirch, Austria has averaged 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in 13 A-10 contests so far this year, putting himself in position to be recognized as one of the top players in the conference, and possibly the A-10 Player of the Year award come the end of the year. The Davidsonian sat down with Luka to discuss his performance so far this season, what he thinks of his team, and what the ‘Cats have in store for the rest of the year. Victor Taylor ‘24: How do you think your senior season has gone so far compared to last year? Luka Brajkovic ‘22: This year I’ve made a big jump compared to my junior year. With a lot of great players leaving the program, like Kellan [Grady] ‘21, Carter [Collins] ‘21, and Bates [Jones] ‘21, it opened up an opportunity for me to take more responsibility on the court. Statistically, it’s obvious that I’ve improved a lot compared to my previous years at Davidson. The main thing that stands out to
me is how much more fun I have on the court with these guys and that definitely helps my performance and attitude a lot.
VT: You spent part of this summer training in Serbia with pros, how do you think that’s helped your performance this year? LB: My time in Serbia has helped me tremendously. I really developed into a new player and it shows on the court. I loved working out there a lot and met a lot of great people. I really feel that my stamina has improved a lot. In the past I used to have some issues with stamina and I was not able to play at my best for 40 minutes, but this year I’ve felt that my performance doesn’t waver, even with the amount of minutes I have to play.
VT: Obviously your performance in conference play has caused you to get mentions and buzz about being the A-10 Player of the Year. Has that crossed your mind at all? LB: No, the season has a lot more games left and thinking about that now isn’t in my focus. Anyways, I do not care if the media gives me awards or not. I care most about my family and coaches being happy with my performance and if the journalists also are happy, then that’s great. But family and coaches come first in my mind.
son and postseason play to look forward to, what are you focused on to keep producing for the team? LB: I will just try to keep playing as hard as I can and help the team win as many games as possible. We’ve had an awesome season so far and will try to keep this going because I’m having so much fun. With this talented big-man in the middle, Davidson Basketball fans have a lot to look forward to over the course of the rest of the season.
VT: With 5 more games left in the regular sea-
VT: Davidson’s offense is one that has a lot of movement and shooting, not exactly an offense that would be thought to be a great fit for a center like yourself. How have you been able to fit in this system so well this year? LB: We have a high-paced offense and try to beat opposing teams with our pace. That can be really exhausting at times for us because it requires a lot of stamina, but it is a lot more exhausting for other teams to guard us, especially big men who aren’t used to having to move around the court and guard so many screens and cuts. I take my opportunities when I can get them and it’s great to have so many guys that can worry the defense and allow me to get good touches when I work hard.
Brajkovic ‘22 takes a shot against La Salle in Davidson’s 77-69 victory on January 29th. Photo courtesy Tim Cowie.
she first came to campus she “got asked the same questions that [her] fellow teammates did, no special treatment.” Barge describes the security of having a team that supports her in whatever she does as “just an amazing feeling.” She continued her praise by applauding the welcoming atmosphere of the athletic department and coaches. Applauding her former assistant coach, Stephanie Hussey, who not only took the time to relate to her but offered her a pillar of support. She states that Hussey’s presence created a comfort in her that “if everything else fell apart, I knew I had something to fall back on.”
ic performance and that sports offers “a place to put all your worry aside” and let go of all the negative chatter and instead, just play your sport. Next, the Davidsonian sat down with reigning A10 women’s lacrosse coach of the year and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Kim Wayne. Wayne is a 2003 graduate of Syracuse University who has previously coached at James Madison University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University. She is now in her 13th year of coaching at Davidson. Wayne does not shy away from her struggles when discussing her experience. In
Being Queer in Davidson Athletics: Student and Coach Reflect ANNIE HIRSHMAN ‘24 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER
D
avidson College is a small liberal arts institution, in the heart of the American South, that promotes a high academic rigor while also maintaining 21 Division I athletic programs, boasting its famous slogan, “Athletics Done Right”. On top of its impressive reputation, Davidson strives to promote a system of inclusivity and acceptance among its campus community. But what does it truly mean to not only encourage but advance and institute inclusivity on campus grounds? The Davidsonian sat down with both a Davidson scholar-athlete and a head coach who are both a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Genna Barge ‘25, a first year from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a goalkeeper on Davidson women’s field hockey team. Barge discussed how being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community at Davidson is not only impactful, but educational as well. She argued that since the culture of Davidson field hockey is rather heteronormative, she can offer a different perspective on things and encourage young girls like her “to break out of the mold that society inflicts upon them.” Barge recognized the traditional relationship of being straight and participating in athletics, but she hopes to change the narrative. Barge hopes that one day soon that young girls will realize that their “sexuality shouldn’t define you nor should it put you in a box and restrict you.” Instead, she hopes they learn that they can be whoever they want and still be incredible at what they do. Growing up, Barge looked up to LGBTQIA+ athletes such as Sue Bird and Megan Rapino. Now a college athlete herself, Barge believes that she can serve as a role model to members of the community who wish to pursue a life in sports despite their sexuality. When asked about her individual experience with Davidson athletics, she speaks highly of the inclusivity the institution has offered her. Despite her initial fear of entering college – for reasons that go beyond just her sexuality – Barge had nothing but positive things to say of her teammates. Barge recalled when
Illustration by Richard Farrell ‘22 Life has not always been smooth sailing for athletes like Barge. Throughout her life, she recalls being subjected to unfair judgment because of her choice to not dress in a rather feminine manner. At the outset, people make snap judgments and automatically assume that one’s appearance consumes their personality. Barge speaks of how sometimes, people believe that members of the queer community are not as athletic and competent as straight athletes. But Barge disagrees, arguing that one’s sexuality does not determine their athlet-
college, while she felt comfortable with who she was, but she was not fully out. She admitted her first few years at Davidson were also not as easy as she would have liked. She was younger, her players were not her recruits, and she was new to the women’s lacrosse program and Davidson as a whole. However, Wayne states that as she has “grown in this position, my team loves me and accepts me for who I am.” She praises the athletic department for their adamant focus on bringing in diversity and promoting inclusivity. However, she care-
fully states that being in the South she is “always going to feel a little out of place. The South is not known for being very liberal and open-minded. I believe as more northerners move to Charlotte things are slowly changing, but it’s still two steps forward, one step back.” Nevertheless, Wayne makes a strong emphasis that she is proud to be a part of an institution like Davidson that prioritizes DEI efforts and makes every ‘Cat feel at home. She shared how important it is to be honest about who you are as a person and coach. She stated that “when I recruit players, I am not afraid to talk about my family and then they can make a decision off of that.” Wayne is open about herself and her family because, at the end of the day, sports are about the person and their passion for the game. She emphasized her hope for her own players to feel comfortable in their skin. In the past, many players waited until they graduated to come out, simply out of fear. She hopes that this stigma will change and that the young women that she coaches can feel comfortable enough to be who they are, without fear of judgment. She not only hopes that her own players will embrace one another with open arms, but that students on this campus will as well. Having already been at Davidson for over a dozen years, Wayne hopes to use her experience as a coach to serve as a role model to women like her and to prove to them that anything is possible as long as you work hard and have passion. More than anything though, she hopes to serve as a mentor to girls on the team struggling with their sexuality. Wayne states “I want girls to be able to come to me and talk to me.” She hopes they know they have her and that she will be able to serve as “a jumpstart for them to come to terms with who they are”. The stories of both Barge and Wayne are incredible, both pioneers in Davidson Athletics who hope to serve as role models for queer athletes in the future who look towards playing and excelling in Division 1 athletics, but feel as though their sexuality inhibits them. As Barge and Wayne would say, it doesn’t. Varun Maheshwari ‘23 and Andrew ElKadi ‘23 contributed reporting to this article.
Arts and Culture
6
Inclusivity in the Hiplet Ballerinas
FLORA KONZ ‘25 (SHE/HER)
T
he Hiplet Ballerinas are a dance troupe that fuse classical pointe technique with urban dance styles including hip-hop, African, and Latin dance, in order to make ballet accessible to all. The group is a division of the Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center, created in 2007 by Artistic Director Homer Hans Bryant. They performed in Davidson on February 8th in the Duke Family Performance Hall. Their performance began with “It’s Hiplet,” in which four dancers clad in white sequined crop tops and skirts entered the stage en pointe. As an introduction to the dance style of hiplet (pronounced “hip-lay”), the dancers performed hip-hop moves while wearing pointe shoes. The piece was set to a song that said a few words about hiplet dance, in the voice of Artistic Director Homer Hans Bryant. Their third dance, entitled “Be Free,” was set to a music remix of Aretha Franklin, and featured a trio of dancers en pointe in simple red dresses. This piece’s simple colored background focused attention on the dancers and incorporated more ballet technique. Another memorable dance was “Rhythm The Soul of Life,” which featured images from Africa as the backdrop. En pointe, the dancers showcased the diaspora of African American dance with different African and Afro-Caribbean dance techniques interwoven with classical ballet and pointe. “From Ballet to Hiplet” highlighted how ballet and hip-hop can come together, beginning with a tango-esque duet that alluded to the classical ballet Swan Lake. The music transitioned to a hip-hop remix, and the
dancers transitioned from ballet technique to hip-hop, connecting the two styles. While isolating parts of their bodies through hip-hop techniques, the dancers performed the wing movements well-known in Swan Lake. In “Missing You,” which also featured the music of Aretha Franklin, contemporary choreography evoked an emotional romantic journey. This piece was unique with only one performer at the beginning, who began dancing on a bench with a starry night sky backdrop. About halfway through, amidst the R&B sounds of the song “Chain of Fools,” she danced off the bench and grew in emotional expression. At the end of the number, the rest of the dancers rejoined the soloist onstage and helped her to stand, exhibiting the power of female love and sisterhood. Finally, the short film “Because Of Them We Can”’ honored the African American female dancers who paved the way for the Hiplet Ballerinas and other dancers of today to express themselves in this art form. Featuring performers such as Joséphine Baker, Carmen de Lavallade, and Raven Wilkinson, the film demonstrated the increasing inclusion in dance. However, there is still discrimination over race in the dance world, as the current Hiplet dancers described in the video of their America’s Got Talent audition from 2019. Dancer Alexandria Franklin explained how the opportunity to dance wasn’t always there for her and the others, because growing up, she was talented but didn’t realize what was “missing.” The constant discrimination over her skin color caused her to think she “wasn’t good enough” in terms of her ability. The goal of the Hiplet Ballerinas is to show little girls that they don’t have to fit any “mold.”
This performance was unusual and interactive. The fusion of ballet, a white European-dominated dance form, and urban hip-hop, spearheaded by African Americans, creates a style of dance that encourages self-expression, accessibility, and unity. The performance was fun not only to watch, but also to participate in: the dancers encouraged clapping during the pieces, an action discouraged in classical ballet, which led to an enthusiastic audience creating rhythm over which the ballerinas moved. The coming of the Hiplet Ballerinas to Davidson encourages inclusivity and accessibility in our school community. The body positivity emphasized through hip-hop technique adds a level of gender empowerment not common
to ballet, which typically promotes innocent, restrained movements that can prevent young dancers from learning how to express themselves. The Ballerinas demonstrate how an art form can be open to anyone, regardless of race or other discriminating factors, and this idea can be extended into various areas at Davidson. The organizations, programs, and fields of study at our school should always seek to be more inclusive, and the Hiplet Ballerinas are a wonderful example of this. Flora Konz ‘25 (she/her) is an intended English major from Asheville, NC. She can be reached for comment at flkonz@davidson.edu.
The Hiplet Ballerinas performing. Image courtesy of their website and photographed by Peter Dervin.
Artist Spotlight: Richard Farrell ‘22 Davidsonian Cartoonist Reflects on Career RICHARD FARRELL ‘22 (HE/HIM) How long have you worked with the Davidsonian and how did you become involved with the publication? I’ve been working for the Davidsonian since my freshman year! I attended the activities fair and noticed they did not have a cartoonist. Illustration has always been a passion of mine, so this open position was a great opportunity to apply this passion. Have you been an artist all your life? What sparked your interest in art? I have been creating art since I was a toddler. My mom was an art teacher and is a fantastic artist herself. I also loved reading growing up, and the book cover illustrations from the Magic Treehouse series and the Hardy Boys fascinated me. The way this art supplemented the literature was so powerful, and I wanted to pursue that. What is your favorite medium? When I first entered Davidson, digital art was my favorite medium.. Recently, though, I’ve been working with pen and ink drawings. An advantage of digital art is that undoing mistakes is easy. I’ve found that the finality of the pen and ink medium, which I initially considered daunting, is actually an opportunity to become more deliberate and strategic in my creative process. What has been your favorite part of illustrating for the Davidsonian? I think most illustrators walk a tightrope between being literal and being creatively expressive. This is a difficult space to navigate, but I love the challenges it poses. I am afforded the agency to bring humor and stylistic risks to some of my illustrations while opting for more literal representations in others.
All illustrations by Richard Farrell ‘22
What would you say has been the most challenging aspect of illustrating for the Davidsonian? Are there any pieces that you found particularly challenging to create?
The more reverent articles—such as obituaries, updates on campus controversies, and personal perspectives—are tough to illustrate. Cartoons often imply humor, but this is not always a tactful approach. Applying the cartoon medium to more serious situations is not easy. While discerning what is appropriate can be challenging, this is a challenge all artists undergo while deciding on their subject matter. How has your work changed throughout your years at Davidson and with the Davidsonian? I think I’ve grown more confident and more decisive in my work. I do not second guess myself as often as I did my freshman year, which comes with experience and the emergence of a definitive personal style. Do you have a favorite piece that has been published in the Davidsonian? I designed the Davidsonian logo, which was an engaging challenge. As far as article illustrations go, there was an article about YikYak last semester. The illustration I created was the giant Yak mascot looming over campus, Godzilla style, which was super fun to draw and supplemented the article well. As you prepare to graduate do you have plans to continue pursuing art or publishing creative works? I have lots of non-Davidsonian work that will be displayed at my student show from March 9-22nd at the Visual Arts Center. After I graduate, I plan on pursuing illustration fulltime. Richard Farrell ‘22 (he/him) is a Studio Art major from Plainsboro, New Jersey. He can be reached for comment at rifarrell@davidson.edu.
Living Davidson Dog Daze
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. Sahana: Lydia Catterall is the president of Dance Ensemble, and having been in Bhangra with her, I can tell you she’s a brilliant dancer. I’m excited to have her share her journey with dance. So Lydia, when did you start dancing? Lydia: Kind of when I got to Davidson. I danced in my room before that, and I did two musicals at school where I got to dance a lot. So I knew that I could pick up choreography easily. But that was about all that I knew. And I
65 Arranges, as a table for lunch (4) 66 Back with a wager (5)
Sahana: That’s such a sweet origin story. So if not tap and ballet, what forms of dance do you enjoy? Lydia: I like groovy things. Things like ballet and modern look beautiful when other people do them, but I don’t consider myself the most graceful person. I’ve joked with my friends that most of my dance style stems from party dancing. So a lot of hips, a lot of body rolls. In this past year, I started to really like footwork-related things. For a little bit I was doing tutorials of house dancing, which is a form that uses a lot of different footwork combinations, but I didn’t get very far in that. For
Down 1 Adult 2 14-legged crustacean 3 Ohio city 4 Pet food brand 5 Brakes 6 Off the wall 7 Aunts and uncles (abbr.) 8 1960s-70s Mets star ___ Jones 9 Bride’s path 10 Battery fluid 11 Got rid of 12 Showy, skillful sorts 13 Rhythmic heart contraction 18 Next up, at Wilson Field 19 First-aid ___ 24 Bean’s support 28 Cause blushing in 30 ___-Dale (Robin Hood’s friend) 31 Group in a Chambers room 33 “Egad!” 34 Item “dropped” in an intimate convo 35 ___ Nidre (Jewish prayer) 36 With rude boldness 37 Zine piece about a top-ten grouping, say 38 Anti-skid devices 39 Circuit ___ (switch that interrupts current flow 44 Ark landing site 45 “Are you interested in doing this?” 46 Arrives, as darkness 48 Ole Miss player, familiarly (3) 49 Long stretches of time (5) 50 Dust-carrying fairy 52 Part of a sobriety program 55 “The ___ the limit!”
knew it was fun. But the only opportunities to dance around my house, like for classes, were mostly centered around ballet and tap. And I wasn’t really interested in either of those. So I just kind of didn’t engage. And I remember being a little bit dejected when I got to Davidson because one of the only dance groups I knew about was Gamut. Gamut is wonderful, but you have to have past experience in ballet, modern and jazz to join it. And I was like, oh, goodness, I’m not going to get in. Like, I won’t be able to dance here. But then I remember at the Activities Fair, [I was] walking past the Dance Ensemble table, and they just had a poster up with all the different kinds of dances they do. And there were so many! And I was asking the people about it and telling them I’d never danced before, and they said literally anybody can join. And so I went to the big meeting alone without any of my friends and was very nervous. And I very much fell in love with it. It’s become a big part of my life ever since.
notes:
56 Collapsible shelter 58 Alaska city 60 Support folk in some dorms (abbr.)
Answers:
Across 1 King with a golden touch 6 “Free Willy” swimmer 10 Players of sports (abbr.) 14 “I’m hungry ___ get-out!” 15 Hero’s place 16 Bok ___ 17 Mini-lap sitter’s minis? 20 2014 Ronson-Mars megahit “___ Funk” 21 Most compact 22 Character whose name aptly rhymes with Pooh 23 1960s militant campus org. 25 Part of a Belk Arena basket 26 One of the five W’s 27 Best or Krabappel 29 Incoming flight info 31 Hot : Cold :: Warm : ___ 32 “Key Largo” star Lauren 35 1971 Jane Fonda film 36 Parkas for dark retrievers? 39 Like nippy autumn breezes 40 Gentle hills 41 Ill-considered 42 Letters in some church names 43 Wood cutters 47 Fig. that’s not exact 48 Knock 51 Not allow 53 Comedic Charlotte 54 “From my point of view ...” 57 Lessee 59 Brief films about a combat sport competitor? 61 “The Beverly Hillbillies” character ___ May Clampett 62 1492 trio member 63 Big name in violins (5) 64 Bartender’s stock (4)
Crosswords by Victor Fleming ‘73
Last Week’s
Crossword
7
6 7 ( ( , 5 ( 1 6 , / 9 2 ( $ 6 < $ 6 + 5 & $ 6 / 2 5 ( 6 7 2 5 1 $ $ ' 6 / ( 7 6 , 7 2 2 6 ( 1 ' 7 5 ( 6
Lydia Catterall Dance Ensemble this year, I’m doing a jazz funk piece, which is essentially just a bunch of different styles. It’s really, really upbeat. Sahana: Speaking of Dance Ensemble, do you have any exciting plans for the semester? Lydia: The main thing I’m excited about is that we have so many dances offered. I’ve been told by former dance ensemble members that the spring showcase usually has more dances than the fall. Part of that is just because a lot of people don’t come into the fall semester knowing what Dance Ensemble is. And then they’ll see the showcase and maybe they’ll dip their toes in and participate in like one dance, and then realize they want to do this more. So the spring showcase typically has more, but I’ve never had a spring showcase before because COVID hit my freshman year before we could have one. So just the variety. I’m really really excited about having a Hawaiian dance, I think for the first time ever. African dance is back, which I know was always one of the most popular ones. We have Latin dance, tap Jazz, Jazz Funk, hip hop. Nick, the leader of our Bhangra team is also doing a traditional contemporary Vietnamese dance, which is really, really cool. And, you know, of course, there’s like four Kpop pieces because you can’t have Dance Ensemble without a bunch of Kpop pieces. Sahana: Do you have a role model within the dance community? Lydia: Every now and then I feel a little bit dejected because I’ve started so late. I was 18 years old before I started actually getting into
/ ( ( : $ < 7 ( 1 2 5
' 8 0 % $ 1 $ / 5 % , 5 ' ( % , * 6 5 2 6 8 . 2 1 / 2 : ( 7 $ 8 6 2 5 & 6 * 8 / $ & $ 7 3 2 / / ( 6 / $ 7 ( 7 2 1 2 $ 1 ' <
% 5 $ % 8 ( / ( / 1 ( ' 6 * < 7 0 2 5 2 $ 7 7 +
9 2 / & $ 1 , & $ 6 +
' , 7 . $
6 / $ 6 +
1 $ & + 2
2 5 6 2 1
2 ) 6 5 , $ $ 5 3
this, [so] can I even really consider myself a dancer? I joke to people that I’m a lowercase d dancer, instead of a capital D Dancer. There’s this lady, one of the instructors at a dance company called Steezy, who didn’t start dancing until she was 21 or 22. Like, had never tried it at all before. Then, she fell in love with it and got really into it. It became her career to fly around the world and teach classes. It’s okay to find new passions as you go, and to get really into those things, even if you never thought you would. Sahana: What is your favorite memory from on stage? Lydia: In Bhangra there’s this section where we had partners, and my partner was Nikhil. Everybody’s dying during that part because we’ve danced so hard up until then, and it’s a nice breather. And it just makes it really fun. And there’s this little part where you hop around and face your partner. I always made eye contact with Nikhil during that part and we were both just smiling so wide every time. I think we just had so much fun being up there. And so being able to see that reflected in another person just amplified everything. I was like, “this is amazing. I’m having so much fun. My team is having fun with me.” Lydia Catterall ‘23 is a Latin American Studies major and Computer Science minor. She can be reached for comment at lycatterall@davidson.edu.
The
Yowl
Irreverent student journalism since 2004. Castigat Ridendo Mores.
inside
yowl.com/rushrush
February 16, 2022
Space Jam According to Ruskies: A Cosmic, Gelatinous Spread Page Bugs Bunny
Commons: Equalizing All Ethnicities by Butchering Cultural Foods Across the Board Page Is That Really Paneer?
How to Ask CQ to Be Your Valentine Page Is That My Bestie in a Tessie
Obama’s Other Changemakers
On February 9th, Summit Coffee Enterprises published their groundbreaking article, “Changing the Way We Look at Milk” as a way of announcing to the world the fact that they had made the momentous decision to stop charging an extra dollar when you break with the lactose-loving masses and request a non-dairy milk in your beverage. They said that this decision is informed by more and more customers drinking non-dairy “alt milks,” and they want show their appreciation for these individuals making the more “environmentally conscious” choice (because we all know that shipping almond milk across the country from the farm where bees had to be trucked in to the orchard to pollinate the almond trees which creates crazy high mortality rates for bees is definitely more environmentally sound than drinking the dairy that comes from a local dairy farm partner–and this is coming from a lactose intolerant bitch). Anyway, to support their controversial decision, Summit chose to incorporate the following Barack Obama quote to inspire others to take similar leaps of faith: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” Here are some other things around campus that, like Summit’s decision not to charge extra for non-dairy milks, are also absolutely what Obama was referring to in this speech from 2008: 1. The susty-coop’s existence: thank god. Thank god there is a place for mostly white, outdoorsy people to congregate and feel at home. I know Obama would be so relieved. 2. The Davidson Dems–need I say more? Major change-makers here. 3. Davidson Basketball’s winning streak.
4. The fry type switch in Union since last semester (horrendous in this writer’s opinion) 5. Getting DoorDash dollars instead of meals delivered in quarantine. 6. The $3 raise for student employees. 7. Davidson College’s Galentine’s Day post: “To all the poetic, noble, rainbow-infused space unicorn land mermaids out there, happy Galentine’s Day!” Earth-shattering. 8. Springtime–go off, Mother Nature! Bold!
Already Tired Issue
$300 DoorDash Dollars are Enough to Make Me Make Out With Every Anti-Mask Econ Incel Boy Page Small Price to Pay
Housing Hunger Games Begin Again Page Dog Eat Dog
Leaning Out Her Window Whelp … Omicron finally got us. And on Valentine’s Day weekend no less. Couldn’t have come at a worse time. People are dropping left and right like flies. I had to get tested three different times in three days. My boyfriend has been sequestered to Wood Lodge; my side-ho to the Guest House; and my weekly booty-call for Wildcat Wednesday at the Homewood Suites. On the bright side, at least they’re all separated. And that leaves my schedule completely free to hang out with a secret admirer that outed his love for me a few days ago. Who knows? Maybe he’ll woo me enough to leapfrog my current boyfriend. I guess I really should be thanking all those anti-maskers-and-vaxers for saving me the stress. Juggling all these situationships on a daily basis is hard enough; I have no idea how I get any work done. But on a weekend dedicated to relationships, I got lucky … three times … and then a fourth. My roommate is wallowing in anger though. Not for the usual reasons, he has a girlfriend. But she was sent to the Guest House with my #2, the side-ho. In fact, I think she gave it to my roommate’s girlfriend. We did have a double sleep-over the other
night. Very romantic. No orgies allowed, but all the voyeurism a college student could hope for. But anyways, back to my roommate’s anger, he’s been going to visit her every day and night. He yells up at her things like “Rapunzel, let down your hair!” and misquotes like “Romeo, O Romeo, where ya at?” She opens her blinds and, leaning out her window, throws a surprise cupcake down at him that he doesn’t see until it’s right in front of his face and headed straight to splatter his eyes with frosting. (I laughed so hard I cried that night when he came back to the dorm.) They always talk for a few minutes and each pretend that they don’t want her to defenestrate herself and rip her clothes off mid-fall. Then he walks away, sometimes in a power move if they are having an argument. I think he told me she’s scheduled to escape Friday morning, but I myself have been feeling a little sick these last twelve hours maybe. And if I have COVID, my roommate definitely does. We accidently broke the ‘no-orgies’ rule last night when my secret admirer came over.
Hermeneutical Leaps in Landscaping It is a beautiful winter day, blue sky, sun, the birdsong travelling across campus. Birdsong is not the only thing you hear, however. A cacophony of leaf blowers and lawn mowers meets your ears. Thus, you get to be a part of the experience of Davidson College’s fervor for landscaping and nature maintenance. Of course, some maintenance is greatly appreciated to prevent slipping on leaves. But one must question what other forces are at play in this establishment’s landscaping passion. Perhaps CQ read the words of Robert Frost and made a hermeneutical leap. When Frost wrote
The
Yowl
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by,” that was an argument to in fact trodden all of the paths. By cutting every leaf of grass before it has a chance to recover from the last mowing, Davidson reminds nature to stay in its humble place, dominated by man. The college’s landscaping isn’t just for aesthetics. It is actually a subconscious reminder that we can control all things and are superior to nature. If you can make that shrub a square instead of its natural blob form, what can’t you do.
know the beauty of the industrial defying laws of nature and physics. Landscaping is the ultimate measure of dominance over Mother Earth. Of course, that is until half an inch of snow hits this campus. Then, all we can do is bear our salt and pray.
If you’ve been blessed to see the giant leaf sucking vacuum, you
WRITERS Max Capacity
If you have a hilarious or actually any quote of the week in future weeks come find a Yowl editor and tell them. Or whisper the quote to a friend like a giant game of telephone so it makes its way to the Yowl.
Josie’s To Do List
- Email Dr. Esparragoza - Renew license - Buy laundry detergent and fabric softener - Go to college store to get books for Spanish - Practice bass - Fill up bowl of ice - Get masks from Amazon locker
Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian. Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.