Davidsonian 10-19-22

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The Bungalows Affordable Housing Complex to be sold

Volume 121, Issue 5

October 19, 2022

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Drew Patterson ‘24 provides an alternate perspective on recent DCI speaking event

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Nummit’s recent music as reviewed by Grace McGuire ‘25 and Mills Jordan ‘25

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The Yowl questions whether Davidson has killed the Lorax

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New Town Center in Davidson, Built for Everyone MILLS JORDAN ‘25 (HE/HIM) STAFF WRITER

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n the heart of Davidson, the sights and sounds of construction permeate throughout 251 South Street: chop saws buzz, drills whir, and hammers pound. Hard hats, ladders, boxes of furniture, and teams of construction workers dot the scene. Within the next few months, this busy setting will be home to Davidson’s new Town Center.

Planning for the renovation of a new Town Center at the site of the former Davidson IB Middle School began in 2019. The current Town Hall will transition to serving just the Davidson Police Department and Fire Station 1. The $14 million project originated from a need to increase office space to support the town’s growing staff.

Mayor Rusty Knox, describing the current Town Hall, remarked, “We’re out of room here. The town has grown. This building was dedicated in the ‘80s, so it’s thirty years old.

We were a town of about 5,000 people. Now, we’re a town of about 15,000. Our staff has grown.”

Currently, various departments of the municipal staff are located in buildings across town. Mayor Knox even noted that “our police officers have to write their reports in their car” due to a lack of office space.

In many ways, this project dually highlights the innovation and the tradition of the town of Davidson. As the town grows and changes, this building will meet modern needs while also retaining the charm, history, and sense of community that Davidson has prided itself on. Half of the Town Center will serve as community space to host performers, local artists, and nonprofit meetings. Even the construction of the town center has shown great attention to detail in the historical preservation of a school building that once educated many in Davidson.

Over the last few years, Austin Nantz, the Assistant Town Manager of Davidson, has

overseen the construction project.

“I’m working with the architects, the construction managers, and the project managers. Really, just to keep things going, to manage [the] budget, and to try to manage [the] schedule as best we can,” she said.

The project, originally slated to be completed

by September 2022, will finish a few months behind schedule: the ribbon cutting will most likely occur in January. Overall, the process has gone smoothly, but global supply chain disruptions and the unforeseen challenges of repurposing an older building have resulted in some delays. For example, the Town Center requires modern electrical and data cords.

“Figuring out how to do that and maintain a historic aesthetic [...] you know, we’ve had to do some workarounds,” she said.

Throughout the entire building, the historic aesthetic has been preserved with resourceful and innovative techniques, taking advantage of anything left from the old school.

“We bought all the wooden chairs in the school. The wooden folding chairs were fixed.

We had all those repurposed. We’re gonna use them,” Mayor Knox said.

Aside from enthusiasm surrounding historical preservation, Nantz emphasized her excitement for the community space.

“We’re gonna have so much room. Right now, we just don’t have the space to offer to community groups, but we will have so many different options in this new building that will be available to the community,” she said.

The space includes multiple community rooms for meetings or speaker events as well as an auditorium for larger performances.

Mayor Knox, who sings and plays guitar himself, expressed particular enthusiasm towards the auditorium.

“Who doesn’t want to eat at Kindred then come up and see a show on Friday night?

That’s what I’m going to push for: regional bands, spoken word, poet laureates,” he explained.

Both Mayor Knox and Nantz see

Construction of the interior for the future Town Center. Photo by Mills Jordan ‘25 opportunities for Davidson students to use this space as well, ranging from community service meetings with town residents to student performers.

Outside the building’s walls, around 2.5 acres of property remain. While no decisions have been made yet as to how the remaining property will be used, Mayor Knox hopes to see it address another lasting community need: affordable housing. “[The 251 committee] will reconvene sometime down the road and discuss what we do with the rest of the property. For me, I’m a big advocate of affordable housing. To be able

to put six duplexes there, right in the middle of town, just makes sense to me.”

Across each aspect of this project, the town’s leaders have sought to serve the community.

From the abundance of community space, to the emphasis on history, to the potential for future affordable housing, 251 South St. will hopefully have something for everyone.

Mayor Knox emphasized, “for me, it’s a town center, not just a town hall, because it’s for everybody. That’s the goal, this is for everybody.”

the gym and […] to see the gym transform is really amazing.”

She added, “I think back then, she just said ‘let’s educate these kids,’ but now if [Ada Jenkins] could see how far it’s gotten […] who wouldn’t be proud of that type of legacy that continues to have roots and continues to serve the community?”

The renovated gym will be a center for athletic opportunity, community growth, and even creativity. Not only will the gym floors be refurbished, but also the walls: the donation included resources for a painted mural. The mural in completion will depict the branching aspects of the Ada Jenkins community.

However, the mural’s creation will also be a homage to the community of Ada Jenkins: two Davidson College community members are heading the design.

“I was told that there was going to be a mural happening at Ada Jenkins and I was interested in finding students to facilitate it,” said Katie St. Clair, Assistant Professor of

Art at Davidson. “The goal is that all of these people can come together to work on a project that visualizes what it’s actually like in the community.”

Marquia Humphries ‘22, a co-designer of the mural, threw herself into the conception of the mural because, like so many others, she found acceptance, purpose, and a home at Ada Jenkins.

“I volunteered at Ada Jenkins for sophomore, junior and senior year working with arts enrichment,” Humpries said. “I would facilitate art lessons for the students usually related to the curriculum, and then sometimes it would be activities just to get the students to relax after the day because at that point, they’ve been in school since 7 a.m. and they just need a mental break […]

Art enrichment at Ada Jenkins highlighted that there is literally no right or wrong way to do ‘art.’ It’s just getting the students to participate

Ada Jenkins Welcomes New Art, New Court

BELLE MCKISSICK STALEY ‘26 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

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he original Ada Jenkins Center building—the wooden school house of Davidson Colored School—was burned down in the 1930s. Instead of shutting down, principal Ada Jenkins herself rallied the community to rebuild. In a seldom told version of the story, it is said that when her plea for support was originally ignored, Ada Jenkins marched to Davidson College and began carrying the college’s loose bricks to her own school. While the “truth” in this variation is speculated, both versions depict the present reality: since the completion of the brick schoolhouse of Ada Jenkins—now called Ada Jenkins Families and Careers Development Center—in 1937, the building is a permanent haven for education.

“Going back to the history, our namesake Davidson Colored School, it has always been

all about educating,” explained Leslie Wilson, Director of Education Services at Ada Jenkins Center. “I always try to make sure learning is fun. It is all about making it interesting and making it applicable to what really is going on today—in today’s life and [the kids’] lives.

We want students to understand that learning can take you to different places. You can work for NASA or you can be an architect or you can be a basketball player.”

Those budding basketball players are in luck. This September, the Center announced that Steph Curry’s non-profit Eat. Learn. Play, in partnership with Summit Foundation and Under Armour, were funding a renovation of the Ada Jenkins gym. A portion of the history of the Ada Jenkins Center will not be lost through the act of renovation; rather, the purpose of the space will be revitalized.

“My mother actually attended the Ada Jenkins center,” explained Kateaka Brown, the Education Services Assistant Director at Ada Jenkins. “I hear a lot of stories about

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Features

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Bungalows to Hit the Market: Affordable Complex Faces Uncertainty NADA SHOREIBAH ‘23 (SHE/HER) FEATURES EDITOR

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ast month, a letter from Gerald Wright, Executive Director of the Davidson Housing Coalition (DHC), rocked the residents of The Bungalows. The letter delivered the news that the 32-unit affordable multiplex would be listed for sale sometime this fall. With the listing and possible sale of the property impending, residents are concerned that ongoing maintenance issues will not be prioritized or, worse, that a change in ownership might make their home financially unattainable.

Though nonprofits DHC and Mosaic Development Group oversee The Bungalows through the company Excel Property Management, they are not majority owners.

The Town of Davidson granted the property to DHC in 1999 to support local affordable housing initiatives. The same day, DHC deeded 99.9 percent of the project to anonymous investors under the title Davidson Limited Partnership I. The partnership allows the private investors to profit from the LowIncome Housing Tax Credit, a federal tax reduction granted for investments into affordable rental housing, while the minorityowning entities manage the property. Since the 20-year tax credit window has closed, Davidson LP I no longer benefits from their end of the deal.

“The intention was the private investor would exit, and DHC and Mosaic would assume ownership,” said former mayor John Woods as quoted in a recent article by Lee Sullivan. “But for some reason, it was not put in writing.” The original contract between DHC and Davidson LP I does not grant the right of first refusal, which would have put DHC first in line to purchase the property, meaning that the Bungalows will go directly on the public market.

“We want to make you aware of this situation and assure you that it is DHC’s goal to secure ownership of The Bungalows and to maintain its affordability,” wrote Wright to the residents. “Upon completion of this negotiation, we do not anticipate there would be a great deal of change to your ability to call The Bungalows home. Please know that any newly formed partnership would be required to keep The Bungalows affordable for its residents.” In an “FAQs” section at the bottom of the letter, Wright added that once the property was listed, DHC was told to “expect closing within 3 to 6 months.”

Technically speaking, it is true that the affordability of The Bungalows is contractually protected for the next decade.

The 1999 agreement between the Town and DHC stipulates that the land must be used for affordable housing projects until 2030, with an automatic three-year extension. According to Woods, an additional deed restriction requires that housing on the land remain affordable indefinitely. However, the second condition of the contract reads that the property “may be used for such other public purposes as is approved by the Grantor, which approval shall be spread upon the minutes of a meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Davidson.”

In practice, the designation “affordable housing” does not always live up to its promise.

North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) guidelines cap rent for Bungalows residents at 50 percent of Area Median Income (AMI). Rent has historically stayed below this limit, which Wright informed residents of in his letter. What residents do not know is how far below 50 percent AMI their current rent falls, or which figure their current rent is based on. Their current landlords could be using the 2018 AMI, while new owners might use the post-census 2022 number. In the event that a new owner raises rent to the NCHFA limit, A sign at The Bungalows. Photo by Nada Shoreibah ‘23 residents are uninformed about how significant the jump would be. Meanwhile, Davidson’s average household income, already more than continually ignored issues that threatened both homes. Specifically, they will be attainable for safety and quality of life, residents pushed for a those who earn between 80 and 120 percent double the state average, continues to rise.

This uncertainty about rent is a growing county inspection late in 2021. The inspectors of AMI. DHC has committed $1.2 million to source of anxiety for Bungalows residents. uncovered 36 Davidson Minimum Housing the project.

For Lynda, the announcement stirred “What’s the possibility that our rent could go Code violations, which The Bungalows’ overseers began addressing three months later. questions and doubts. “How are you going up 50 or 100 dollars?” said Anne, who has The limited scope of the Code meant repairs to purchase that, but then you don’t have lived at the Bungalows for three years. “You not encompassed by it, like aging blinds, the money for maintenance here, and you’re can have a small percentage of people that make a lot of money, and that really wrecks stovetops, and heating systems, continued to saying that the majority owner won’t accept the offer that you’re putting in? How much are it for low-income people. It drives up that be postponed.

Lynda noted that now, maintenance issues you offering? It just doesn’t sound right.” median and all of a sudden our noses are under and delays have begun to build up again. After At the end of his letter, Wright assured the water.” the peripheral storms that came with Hurricane community that there were plans to “set up a Some residents rely on rental assistance Ian, she noticed a water stain expanding below resident meeting once we have more direction vouchers provided by Section 8 of the Housing the electrical switches in her living room from the majority partner on the process.”

Act of 1937. While accepting payment through vouchers is typical in Mecklenburg County, from a leak behind the wall. Fearing the risk Anne, Lynda, and other residents are anxious there are no agreements in place to ensure that of getting electrocuted, she requested for the to know more about what lies ahead for The the potential new landlords of the Bungalows switch to be inspected. “I’m still waiting,” she Bungalows, but have low expectations when it said. “Stuff like that [is] kind of piecemeal. comes to clear communication. “We’ve been would follow suit.

At the Davidson Board of Commissioners They don’t do what I consider preventative hearing that,” said Anne. “On June 9th they on September 27, Wright reiterated DHC’s maintenance. They just wait until something said they would start having regular tenant meetings; we hadn’t had them before that intent to secure the Bungalows. Long-time breaks and it’s an emergency.”

An upcoming DHC project next door has and we haven’t had a meeting since. The only resident Lynda is skeptical, given that she has repeatedly heard cost cited as a limitation to furthered the sense of neglect and distrust other meeting we had here was before code addressing maintenance issues. “If you want amongst Bungalows residents. Neighboring enforcement came.” to purchase this property,” she asked, “what The Bungalows is a tract of land that formerly are you going to purchase it with if you’re not housed the site of Hoke Lumber. Last year, The names of Bungalows residents have been spending money to keep up the maintenance?” the town board approved a proposal from changed for anonymity. When emailed for Receiving quality maintenance has been a Alliance Group to build 81 townhouses on comment, Gerald Wright stated he was unable persistent struggle for Bungalows residents, as the property. Through a partnership with to provide information beyond the letter on covered in two previous Davidsonian articles the Town and the Davidson Community the Bungalows sale “as a requirement of

by Ian Macel ‘24 and Hunter Callaway ‘22. Foundation (DCF), DHC will acquire eight our current negotiations with the Limited When former maintenance contractor Jack Orr of these units as income-restricted, affordable Partner.”

Learning and Community Center Gets an Upgrade CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and start thinking.”

The completed mural will portray the interlacing, unique community which Ada Jenkins encompasses, reflecting its nature as a place of learning through growth, creation, and support.

“I think that anytime art is brought into a community where meeting basic needs is challenging, I actually think that’s when creativity does its job the best,” said St. Clair.

“I think it’s all about believing in yourself […]

From what I’ve seen, Ada Jenkins creates those support systems for people who wouldn’t have had them. And I think that’s a pretty special moment of ‘what’s possible.’”

The community surrounding the Ada Jenkins Center, like its brick schoolhouse setting, has been able to remain solid despite any situation. However, akin to the renovation of the building, the community constantly grows to effectively meet the needs of the present reality.

“A couple of decades in and we’re going strong, and it hasn’t always looked the

Sketches of the future Ada Jenkins mural. Graphic by Marquia Humphries ‘22 same,” said Josh Kiser, the Facilities and Volunteers Manager. “We’ve had to grow as an organization to meet needs, even just since COVID. However, the longevity of this organization is mirrored in Miss Jenkins’ legacy and just the school’s legacy and what it means to the community. Ada Jenkins lends to a living, breathing example of growth.”

Growth is forefronted through the Ada

Jenkins legacy, the renovation of its gym, the learning program and interwoven into the conception of the mural. The mural will be painted on three removable canvases instead of directly on the wall. By painting the Ada Jenkins mural on ‘revitalizable’ canvases, the mural is better able to convey the only permanent service at Ada Jenkins: teaching in the present in order to facilitate future learning.

“It’s all about providing hope for a future,” said Kiser. “ Meeting a need today while providing hope for tomorrow. So for me, this mural represents hope. The kids, being able to see Steph Curry [and the art] on that wall will give motivation and aspirations to something bigger than what the kids ever even thought to dream of happening.”

News Midterm Election Guide for Davidson Students MADELINE RICHARD ‘26 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

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avidson students can make their voice heard in the upcoming North Carolina midterms by voting. There are some important things to keep in mind as the election approaches, particularly in regards to voter registration, the numerous ways to vote, and informational resources.

If students are not already registered to vote in North Carolina and want to change their registration from their home state to North Carolina, they must complete a paper voter registration form. The Center for Political Engagement (CPE) can provide students with these forms. The form contains specific formatting rules; all Davidson addresses are at 209 Ridge Road, and students must put their PO box number. Although the voter registration deadline was October 14, students can still go to an early voting site for same-day registration.

Early voting at Cornelius Town Hall opens on October 20 and continues until November 5. A benefit to early voting is fewer crowds and more scheduling flexibility. Thanks to the CPE coordinating several voter shuttles, this is an accessible option.

Midterm Election Day on November 8 is a popular option, with the CPE also offering golf cart shuttles to the local polling site, the Davidson K-8 School. In case students won’t be in Davidson during the election, absentee ballots can be requested any time before November 1.

Campus organizations, like the CPE, are working to help students cast their ballots and enhance political engagement. Collaborations with Davidson College Democrats, Davidson College Republicans, and Davidson College Libertarians are encouraging student voting.

Since reproductive rights are a major issue on the ballot this year, Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) is focused on voter education too. The Union Board will also host

Midterm Election Deadlines October 20th - Early voting opens November 1st - Absentee ballot request period closes

November 5th - Early voting closes

November 8th - Midterm election day

an election watch party, so students can stay updated on poll results.

Student organizations, Davidson faculty, and online resources can help students stay informed about issues on the ballot. The Center for Political Engagement has informational events, and another resource is the political science department. Professor Greg Snyder in the religious studies department runs the Precinct 206 Democrats, a group focused on improving election information accessibility; the organization publishes newsletters and has volunteer opportunities. Twitter pages and candidate websites are useful election information sources as well.

Sode Smith ’23, treasurer of the Davidson College Democrats, highlighted the importance of voter engagement on the local level. When recalling her first time voting, she reflected that “I kind of wish that I had done a little bit more research into the local election […] a lot of candidates were proposing policies that I would have supported.” While

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Agenda

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SOPHIE DUBARD ‘26 (SHE/HER) SGA CORRESPONDENT

Takeaways

10/02/22 hrs

Brigid McCarthy ‘25, Katie Stewart ‘23 Georgia Hall ‘25 Nada Shoreibah ‘23 Gray Eisler ‘24, Bilal Razzak ‘25 David Sowinski ‘25 Campbell Walker ‘25 Andrew Elkadi ‘23, Varun Maheshwari ‘23 Nora Klein ‘24 Josie Hovis ‘23, Skylar Linker ‘25 Bailey Maierson ‘25 Ben Gordon-Sniffen ‘23 Sahana Athreya ‘25 Sierra Brown ‘25 Isabelle Easter ‘25, Bailey Maierson ‘25 Anaya Patel ‘25

OCTOBER 13, 2022

Attendance

Description/Location

these local races may seem small, they matter.

Their outcomes affect the policies closest to campus, so researching candidates beforehand is important. It’s also valuable to look beyond political affiliation, as candidates across all parties might propose policies that students support.

Davidson is in an incredibly contested district. Here in district 98, where many races are decided by between 400 and 1000 votes, student voices matter. Jack Magner ’23, President of the CPE, commented “your vote probably matters more here than almost anywhere else in the country.” Each student can have a significant impact on the local, state, and national levels, meaning that political engagement is crucial.

Magner puts it well: “if you are politically informed […] it changes the way that you see the entire world.” Political engagement helps students understand the past, present, and future of their community, and the 2022 midterms are a perfect way to get involved.

The

Crime Log Time Reported

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1.Call to Order 2.Announcements/Community Updates 3.Committee Work Airport shuttle services sponsored by SGA for Thanksgiving and winter breaks to be publicized via social media Discussion on how to make the “Safe Ride Van” more accessible and known to students (communicating with RAs, posting flyers, connecting with PCC leadership, making the van more distinguishable) Committee of SGA members to be created to meet with the ATC (Activities Tax Council) and provide funding to clubs who present to SGA xxxSGA official Instagram to be used to spread information about committee work and the Davidson Green Fund, to conduct polls, and to have once-per-week story takeovers by SGA members Kappa Alpha Psi to host a clothing/food drive with support from SGA and other PCCs to set up boxes around campus Sophomore and junior SGA senator vacancies to be filled within the next week: applications to be sent in by Wednesday, with blurbs to be sent in by Thursday morning and introductions to be completed during Thursday’s SGA meeting Committee of SGA members to meet with Dr. David Graham, director of counseling, to discuss counseling services

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Perspectives

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Addressing the Effect of Protest A view from inside the DCI’s divisive event DREW PATTERSON ‘24 (HE/HIM)

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t 3:00 p.m. on September 29, while I was getting food at the Alvarez Student Union, I noticed a flyer sitting on each of the tables which advertised a protest of an event being held by the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI) later that day.

The flyer accused Dr. Melissa Moschella, one of the speakers, of being a “transphobic, racist, white cisgender woman” and the DCI of “constructing a conversation […] about whether or not Trans/Queer/BIPOC folks should have HISTORIES OR EXIST.” The poster opposed her with such intense vitriol that I felt it was unlikely to be an accurate portrayal of an event that got approval on our campus; so, I decided to attend myself and determine if all the fuss had any sort of basis at all.

My initial assumption was that the protest was purely some sort of partisan protest, and speaking with protesters later seemed to confirm that. One of them told me that they opposed the event because the framing “ignored the fundamental issues of race and gender.” I followed up by asking why they opposed this particular speaker so much, and they listed a number of opinions Dr. Moschella held: opposition to abortion, keeping sexual content out of all classes which are not sexual education, and a few others. I asked, “Aren’t those just generic right-wing positions?” and they replied, “Yes.” I arrived a bit early to get the chance to talk with other early arrivals. An African American student told me that he similarly came because the controversy surrounding the event drove him to go to see what it was about. A professor who used to work in our psychology department told me she had gotten a positive recommendation about DCI events from a friend.

I also asked Dr. Graham Bullock, Director of the DCI, what the event was about. He informed me that the topic of discussion was parental vs. state rights in education (“Teaching about Social Issues—whose role is it?”). Just before 7:00 p.m. he went outside inviting the protesters into the event, where they would have the chance to say their piece.

Few, if any, of the protesters took advantage of the offer, which struck me as odd, since voicing their opinions seemed to be their goal.

At 7:06 p.m., Dr. Bullock introduced the panel moderator, Associate Professor of Philosophy Dr. Daniel Layman, who in turn introduced the two panelists, Dr. Moschella and Professor Derek W. Black. The moderator explained that the topic for the night’s discussion was very broad, and there were probably as many positions as there were people to hold them, but that they had elected to go with only two panelists in order to center the event on the subsequent small group discussions. The panel was intended only as a primer, meant to introduce the topic and the major ideas within, rather than specific policy positions.

Dr. Moschella began the panel by explaining where parental rights over their children come from (including the rights of adoptive parents). She explained that since they are the ones directly responsible for the child’s needs and well-being during their formative years, they have the greatest knowledge about the child’s needs and preferences, and moreover have a built-in interest in the child’s success, development, and well-being.

Therefore, she argued, it is natural that the parents should have the ultimate say over their child’s education. Professor Black proceeded to outline the reason for states to have say over children’s education. From the Pierce v. Society of Sisters Supreme Court case, the reason for State involvement in education is its interest in what is “plainly essential for good citizenship.” In other words, the state has

an interest in ensuring a certain base-line of competency/knowledge in each of its citizens to ensure they are able to navigate society, do their civic duties, and be a productive member of their communities.

To simplify their positions, I might describe Dr. Moschella as believing that state authority is/should be ultimately bounded by parental authority. Professor Black, meanwhile, might be best described as believing that parental authority is ultimately bounded by state authority, which itself is ultimately bounded

from the mountaintops probably envisioned by the protester, the incident would be better described as a minor nuisance.

The meat of the event, however, was of course not the panel, but the moderated small group discussion after it. Each group was about 5-6 people and a trained moderator, who led us through a series of discussion questions which narrowed in on more specific issues than the panel discussed. These questions included things like “Should the State teach about sexuality?” “How should schools handle racial

“Contrary to the heroic moment of revelation shouted from the mountaintops probably envisioned by the protester, the incident would be better described as a minor nuisance.” by the constitution and political realities.

None of the topics which the protesters listed as being problematic (in a document that could be found through a link on their fliers) came up during the panel. In fact, said topics were only brought up by the protesters themselves when one of them hijacked the Zoom call to read through a list of quotes from Dr. Moschella, which I recognized from the document. Aside from being annoyed at the interruption of Professor Black’s comments (why they did not choose to interrupt Dr. Moschella is beyond me), I was disappointed by the lack of creativity. They didn’t choose to say anything you couldn’t have seen by looking at their document. So it was no surprise that the general reaction in the room was confusion followed by an annoyed impatience as they waited for the people hosting the event to get things back under control. Contrary to the heroic moment of revelation shouted

issues?” “Is racial awareness a good thing, does it depend on the level of awareness?” and “Who has the best ability to determine what a child needs to learn?” Each person at my table had differing opinions on each of these topics, none of which had only two answers. The moderator ensured that everyone had a chance to speak on each question we discussed, and a chance to respond to others as well. Discussion remained respectful and I felt it to be enlightening. Everyone at my table left the event feeling happy that they had come to the event, myself included. All in all, it was a pretty good use of a Thursday night.

Drew Patterson (he/him) is an English and mathematics double major from Indio, CA. Drew can be reached for comment at drpatterson@davidson.edu.

A Football Field in Lieu of Student Well-being Administration’s priorities kindle concern SAMANTHA EWING ‘23 PERSPECTIVES COLUMNIST

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s Davidson students, we all learned last semester about the upcoming construction plans for a football stadium next to the Satellite parking lot. I remember listening to a guest speaker in SGA discuss these construction plans last semester after they were first announced. As my peers began to ask questions, concerns with the school’s intentions in undertaking this project began to surface. As someone who has invested time and effort through SGA into advocating for the needs and concerns of the student body, I am disappointed with these plans for a new stadium and concerned about the impact this construction is having on the student body.

After talking with my peers about the future stadium, it’s evident to me that many student perspectives were not considered during the planning process. Disc golf, for instance, lost 9 holes from their course to the construction.

Although they have been working on a design for a new course with the physical plant, they have no realistic estimate for the timeline of the construction, jeopardizing the traction that their organization has built over the last couple of years. Many of my friends have also expressed concerns about the environmental factors of the field’s construction—this smallscale deforestation has eliminated a significant amount of campus trees and caused light and noise pollution.

Additionally, I am worried about how the location of this construction is impacting students in nearby dorms. Last year, I decided to apply for a single in the housing lottery because I knew that for my mental health, it would be best for me to live alone somewhere quiet and relatively remote. I had a great experience living in Knox, but I cannot help but think about the current students living in IAK (Irwin, Akers, and Knox Halls) who might have sought that housing option in vain for the same reasons. According to Davidson’s website, 56 out of the 72 rooms in IAK dorms are being used as singles. With single rooms

constituting 77% of the IAK’s residence capacity, I am also thinking about the disproportionate effect this construction and consequent pollution might have on students with single room accommodations.

Furthermore, lack of parking availability has long been a topic of conversation amongst Davidson students; over the last couple of years, finding parking on campus has already felt like a struggle. Unfortunately, with the construction this year, parking has become even less accessible. With the renovations to the lot behind Jamieson and the missing satellite spots from the construction, there have been days when my friends have been unable to find parking on campus at all. With the construction eliminating a significant amount of spots, the issue has been further aggravated. Not only have students been left with no other option but to park illegally, they have been facing consistent unavoidable fines despite having paid for year-long parking passes.

All of these tangible concerns have been on my mind, but above all I believe

the construction plans are reflective of the administration’s warped priorities where important decisions are being made. At another SGA meeting last semester, one of the deans came as a guest speaker to talk about what issues students think should be prioritized.

We discussed the possibility of supplementing the health center and adding new residential spaces but with the caveat that we would have to choose between the two given the school’s limited resources. I remember thinking then, how is this new athletic facility a priority when there are so many other tangible needs on campus? It seems absurd to me that all of these facilities need attention, while the school has instead pursued a construction project that has only proved to be harmful.

Samantha Ewing (she/her) is an English major and communication studies minor from Atlanta, GA. Samantha can be reached for comment at saewing@davidson.edu.

Sports

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Construction Projects Raise Questions from Students New Construction and Spaces for Non-Athletes on Campus

VARUN MAHESHWARI ‘23 (HE/HIM) Fitness Center, and Harry L. Vance Athletic Center. This “needs assessment” outlined the SPORTS CO-EDITOR creation of the aforementioned facilities with

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avidson College’s campus is changing, and not in small ways. In September of 2021, the “Athletics Done Right” initiative was launched, announcing “facility plans include a new stadium adjacent to field hockey’s Carol Grotnes Belk Turf Field that will serve as the home for Davidson’s football and lacrosse programs; a new fieldhouse, featuring a premier sports performance center equipped to serve all 21 Division I teams, along with an athletic training room, locker rooms for football, lacrosse and field hockey; and an enhanced track and field complex. The stadium will feature a new continuous seating concourse, state-of-the-art videoboard and improved fan amenities.”

But many students are still left wondering, where are the opportunities and spaces for non-athletes? Why is there no rec center? Why are they taking away the golf course? I set out to find some long-awaited answers to these questions.

The two leaders for Davidson’s physical changes are currently David Holthouser, Director of Facilities and Engineering, and Chris Clunie ‘06, Athletic Director. Together, they created the “Athletic Needs Assessment,” a mini-campus master plan similar to the one created in 2010 which included the creation of E. Craig Wall Jr Academic Center, Chidsey

the deadline being autumn of 2025.

When asked about the lack of a recreation center, Holthouser replied, “If the students are wanting a rec center, it needs to be spoken for in the recipe for the new campus master plan. The College needs to and will embark

can’t predict what the new campus master plan will definitely come up with. The items in the master plan have a lot of elements of pushpull to them. That input is very valuable to the process, so that we can then find solutions within that process,” affirmed Holthouser.

When asked about the par-3 golf course, Holthouser said, “Short term is that we will use the long fairway for grass parking for the

“We don’t know [what it will look like], we want students to help us figure it out. Maybe it’s a Peloton area, or a wellness studio, or more equipment and we turn the Union weight room into something else […] There are all these different options we can utilize.”

Chris Clunie ‘06, Director of Athletics on another long range master plan and that is where that needs to be injected. That’ll happen, that’ll be a part of the process.”

He stressed the importance of student input, saying that when the current master plan was formulated, student input stressed additional academic buildings, alternative social spaces, eating venues etc. giving birth to places such as Wall, Qdoba, and Summit Coffee Outpost.

“This ingredient [rec center] will go into baking the cake [new campus master plan]. I

interim. In the long term, it will be parking but to be clear, it is not a move we are making right now.” Clunie continued this sentiment saying, “ [It’s] likely going to go away. Probably going to preserve a portion of it for a pretty cool chip and putt area but the space will be needed to accommodate facility pieces, mainly traffic and parking.”

When asked about the rec center and the seemingly lack of opportunities for nonscholar athletes for athletics, Clunie replied,

“If the rec center is not in a campus master plan, it needs to be put into a campus master plan for it to be done down the road. Down the line, I think so, anything is possible. I wanna continue to support as many opportunities for students as possible.” However, he followed up with a concrete future plan to convert the current athletic weight room underneath Richardson stadium bleachers into a potential center for wellness for non-athletes. “What I do know is that the weight room will turn into something, where students will have a say and input in what it turns into,” affirmed Clunie.

He continued, “We don’t know [what it will look like], we want students to help us figure it out. Maybe it’s a Peloton area, or a wellness studio, or more equipment and we turn the Union weight room into something else […]

There are all these different options we can utilize.”

It appears that the aforementioned concerns are not lost on the campus administration.

In the short term, the weight room will be a new space for non-athletes and input will be needed and wanted for the new master plan in the future. Holthouser mentioned how the College moves in sweeping, decade-long arcs which often gives students a time disconnect in regards to facility desires, with future students enjoying current students’ efforts to better the College. In the meantime, students should continue to fight for changes to campus that they likely won’t see, but that will benefit future generations of Davidson students.

Field Hockey’s Season Begins to Wind Down VICTOR TAYLOR ‘24 (HE/HIM) SPORTS WRITER

D

avidson Field Hockey is heading toward the finish line of their season, one that has been full of rebuilding

and has emphasized the development of younger players on the team. A hot start was followed by some tough losses and a cold streak for the team. However, the team can be encouraged by a promising freshman class contributing this year, and for the return of many starters next year.

The team started the season 3-0, picking up wins against Georgetown University, Towson, and Queens University of Charlotte. This was the first time they did so since 2013, and the six goals they scored against Queens were the most since 2016. First year midfielder Sib Naaktgeboren ‘26 provided five assists wover

Anna Sharp ‘23 handles the ball in a 3-1 win over Towson on August 28th. Photo courtesy Jeff Sochko/DavidsonPhotos.com

these games; the freshman class was off to a hot start. However, things started to sour after a disappointing loss on the road to Ohio.

The team was still competing hard against ranked opponents, losing 2-1 on the road to The College of William and Mary and 2-1 in overtime to UMass-Amherst in an away game, but just could not find wins.

Over the last seven games, the defense started to struggle more as it consistently played on the road against some good squads, giving up 3 or 4 goals almost every match.

While the ‘Cats have been able to score, some of the shootouts have been too much for the team to overcome. They have four games left to play, with three coming at home. Their lone road contest will be at Saint Louis University, a team that the ‘Cats have had a great degree of success against in the past few years, providing a great opportunity for the team to pick up a conference win.

Individual bright spots for the team include points leader Charlie Kabelac ‘24, with five goals and five assists; newbies Naaktgeboren, Hannah Merritt ‘26, and Celie Constantine ‘26 who have all played extensive minutes for Davidson; and minutes played leader and defensive rock Sarah Minges ‘24, playing her first full season after an ACL tear. While next year the team will be losing important seniors like Natalie Naticchia ‘23 and Anna Sharp ‘23, the ‘Cats will also return most of their talent: an important factor in determining whether the team will make a big leap next year.

While the 3-12 record may not be enjoyable to stomach for the squad, they can take comfort in knowing that there is more to come from them next year. With development and experience, this Wildcats team has the potential to take a big leap next year and write this season off as a developmental year.

Arts and Culture

6

Wayside: Katie St. Clair in Conversation

A

GRETCHEN UPTON ‘26 (SHE/THEY)

ssistant Professor of Art Katie St. Clair exhibited her “Wayside” installations in the VAC in late September.

When I first walked in, about five minutes early, Katie St. Clair was talking to a group of middle school students. “Has anyone ever walked in a bog?” Shaking heads, the kids were curious and looking to their friends. “It’s a lot like walking on a water balloon,” she told them, moving her hands with a sort of buoyant rhythm. St. Clair is surrounded by her work, sculptures of debris once-suspended in ice above a yellow, cluttered canvas. She will be walking the group through her installation process in a few minutes, but now she is just talking about the world and her experiences in it. The two conversations are nearly indistinguishable.

St. Clair is an artist occupied by impermanence, by movement and nuance, and her sculptures hold these truths tangibly. The basic process: fill any half-sphere container (say, a baffle for keeping squirrels from a bird feeder) with whatever is available to you. For St. Clair that could be bones, weeds, a bird’s nest, it could be caution tape, cigarettes, plastic from the beach. The materials are selected intentionally, and in each final sphere is a clear thoughtfulness, a consideration of the world it was born from. One of the observers asks St. Clair if the presence

of plastic in her work has made her more environmentally conscious and she pauses. It’s important to her, she tells the crowd, to keep a clean and healthy planet, but she’s not a saint and she won’t pretend to be. A big part of her work is understanding the role she plays in this accumulation of waste, and to move away from that moment of judgment to find the beauty in it. She talks about the interesting colors, shapes, and textures man-made waste can have, the way it compliments and contrasts with nature, how it serves a different (and important) role. Even the colors she uses have both natural and synthetic origins—some from rocks, walnuts, and bugs, some from a factory—and this, too, is intentional. I loved this aspect of St. Clair’s work. If we are making art as a reaction to our environment, why shouldn’t we be honest about it? When did we decide that we could not hold both beauty and harm at once, that the synthetic and natural world were not innately one?

The half-sphere molds are filled the rest of the way with water, she adds pigment and freezes them. The finished shapes are then carefully selected and paired, and St. Clair drills a hole through the center of each. She threads a wire through both sides, a small loop at the bottom, and places a stick through the loop to suspend the sphere. It’s a simple process, easily reproduced. She stresses this accessibility to the crowd - her

materials are cheaply sourced, most of them you probably already have. She fills in the gaps between the two halfspheres with more natural and synthetic debris, sprays the ice with water and adds a little more dye to the outside. A canvas will sit beneath the ice as it melts in the gallery over the next 24-36 hours, dripping dye and debris, with some of the items catching and remaining suspended. But the melting ice, being

Documentation of Wayside, 2022. 8”- 12” Ice spheres above a 36”x 60” canvas. Spheres made of natural debris, trash, pigment and frozen water. Natural debris: collected from the Davidson College grounds. Trash and Marine plastic: collected from the Bishops Quarter on the west coast of Ireland. itself a natural process, is subject to a lot of variables. If more people are in the gallery, the ambient temperature is higher and the ice will melt faster. If the air conditioning is blowing above the sculpture, it will spin, impacting both the melting rate and the drip pattern. All of these factors are part of St. Clair’s philosophy of creating art that is heavily informed by the environment it exists within. None of her pieces could have happened anywhere else. They can’t be reproduced and they aren’t meant to be sold. Her work, then, becomes a rejection of consumerism, an indictment of possession, and an expansion of her goal to embrace the world as it is.

The walls surrounding her sculptures are covered in paintings, all informed by the same place the debris was collected - in this case, Ireland. Standing in the middle of the room, you’re struck with a feeling not unlike walking in a bog. This stunning expanse of life in motion, and beneath your feet, the give and push of a water balloon.

Katie St. Clair collecting plastic and seaweed in Bishops Quarter, Ireland. Photo credit: Shane Leyden

Gretchen Upton ‘26 (She/they) is an intended global literary theory major from Shreveport, LA. They can be reached for comment at grupton@davidson.edu.

Nummit Music Reviews GRACE MCGUIRE ‘25 (SHE/HER) MILLS JORDAN ‘25 (HE/HIM) WALT 1610

Monday September 5th, 3:07 PM (by Mills Jordan): In a change of pace from the morning, the afternoon’s playlist sounds more like my TikTok “For You Page” than a Spotify playlist. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Steve Lacy song.

But did I really need to hear the “Bad Habit” chorus for the twelfth time of the day? The one silver lining is its repetition makes for nice background music. This afternoon receives a 4/10.

Tuesday, September 6th, 2:04 PM (by Grace McGuire): Currently a cover of the french love song “La Vie en Rose” is playing and it is not the vibe. Nummit this is not Emily in Paris.

And right after the vibe has completely changed to an upbeat song that sounds like an offbeat version of the holiday classic “Winter Wonderland”. Where is the consistency Nummit?? I’m giving this current moment a 1/10.

Monday September 5th, 10:13 AM (by Mills Jordan): Today’s mix of drip coffee and Led Zeppelin III fueled an energetic kickstart to my morning. I’ve never flown through my Chinese 101 Quizlet set so rapidly. All the while, “Since I’ve Been Loving You” brought to the surface my perpetual fear of unrequited love. But in a cathartic sort of way. I even asked Vaughn to raise the volume. Monday’s Led Zeppelin mix easily hits a 9/10.

Tuesday, September 6th, 2:44 PM (by Mills Jordan): Today’s playlist feels a bit like a high school boy testing “indie” music to impress his crush. The last song I heard was called “Puppy Dog” by Dreamer Boy. I wish I was kidding.

Hopefully it’s the first and last time I hear it. On the bright side, the lo-fi beat and the indie whisper of the vocalist at least wasn’t pronounced enough to distract me. I’ll give it a 2/10.

Wednesday, September 7th, 12:10 ( by Grace McGuire): This is a complicated review because I was really enjoying the over 10 min classical music pieces that were being played and the baristas even took my request for my personal favorite,

“Rhapsody in Blue.” However, once the Rhapsody ended there was a rough transition to what I describe as poppy low-fi beats and I am currently not having it. A fellow patron and I requested “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” but I lack faith that it will play. I give the classical music a 9/10, but the new stuff gets a 3/10.

Thursday, October 13th, 2022 (by Grace McGuire): The Baristas seem really excited by the Halloween season because that is what was exclusively playing. And honestly, I am pretty into it too. I will say “Shrimpy in the House” was a little bit of a strange choice, and I didn’t really appreciate that.

But everything else was great, it contributed to my theory that Nummit is in fact haunted. I give it a 9/10.

Monday, October 17th, 3:03 pm (by Grace McGuire): I have spent the last two hours in Nummit and as I look back at what has been played I have a sense of pride in the Nummit baristas. They managed to smoothly transition from coffee house jazz to some lo-fi indie acoustic without any noticeable jump. I wouldn’t say the music is necessarily my first choice, but nothing about it makes me particularly upset. I give it a solid 7.5/10.

Grace McGuire ‘25 (she/her) is from Cabin John, MD and can be reached for comment at grmcguire@davidson.edu.

Mills Jordan ‘25 (he/him) is from Charleston, SC and can be reached for comment at mijordan@davidson.edu.

Living Davidson PREPOSITIONAL

Crosswords by Victor Fleming ‘73

MAGGIE THRALL (SHE/HER) ‘26 We Are Wildcats is a human-winterest 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.

Can you tell me a little bit about your interests and what you’re passionate about around campus?

Lily Bryant ‘25: I’m definitely a service-oriented person.

That’s been a big driving factor for me since high school.

So I definitely wanted to join something on campus that was service-based, and that’s how I found the eating houses. My aunt actually had breast cancer, so what drew me to Connor was their organization, which I think is actually a really unpopular answer. I feel like for me, that was always my top one before I even met any of the girls purely because of my research on what organization they sponsored and worked with.

53 Attorney’s expertise 54 “Get the out of here!”

55 “... which nobody can ___!”

57 “Eat breakfast every day,” e.g.

58 Adversary

Obvious Solution:

Down 1 Kaplan Of “Welcome Back, Kotter” 2 “For sure!”

3 Canadian comedian Mort 4 Commando weapon 5 Deep in thought 6 Type of bath 7 Be sore 8 Catches sight of 9 “For ___ a jolly good fellow ...”

10 Sound system 11 “Beloved” author Morrison 12 “For children of all ___!”

13 Bouquet unit 18 Have a late meal 19 Suspension bridge support 23 Door latch 24 “Back in Black” band 25 Make amends 26 Footwear for skiers 27 Boob tube 28 1970s prime minister Edward ___ 29 Clear 30 Alvarez College ___ 31 Air for the first time 32 “Watch your ___!”

33 Stick with a knife 37 “Please, ___ of you...”

38 “True ___” 40 Play to ___ (tie) 41 “Take a chance!”

43 1994 hit for Live 44 Arequipa’s nation 47 Bassoon’s kin 48 ___ biology (area of expertise for Professor karen Bernd) 49 “’Tis a pity!”

50 Cobbler’s creation 51 Barnyard moms 52 Brand at some Canadian pumps

Stretching the

Across 1 Fill one’s tank 6 Item draped diagonally over a pageant entrant 10 Common flag symbol 14 Awe 15 Frozen drink brand 16 “For here or ___?”

17 Out of sight 20 Big picture? (abbr.)

21 Evaluates, with “up” 22 Come to mind 23 “Ich ___ ein Berliner” 24 “Honest ___” 25 Really high 33 Committed an Honor Code violation 34 Cape ___ Islands 35 Fishbowl accessory 36 Blow one’s own horn?

37 Public Policy Professor Bailey 38 Mocking comment 39 Aardvark victim 40 Aids, as in wrongdoing 41 As a ___ (together) 42 Irrelevant 45 Bol. neighbor 46 Creepy crawler 47 Central Florida city 50 Illustrious woman warrior 53 One may trip on it 56 Where deeper aspects of meaning may lurk 59 ___ Mills (erstwhile photography firm name) 60 Accelerator particles 61 Ames denizen 62 Anne Lamott’s Rule 1: “When all ___ fails, follow instructions” 63 100 centavos 64 Cranky

7

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How would you say joining an eating house has affected your social life here at Davidson?

Lily: I think it affected it in a positive way. It’s nice being able to go and get lunch there because I feel like when I go to Commons, I get a lot of social anxiety walking in alone. But in Connor when you walk in, there’s always somebody there that I feel comfortable having a conversation with. That’s been really good for me because I have totally different schedules than my friends so I never eat meals with them and I used to just not eat lunch because I would have no one to eat with. But now it’s like, I can just walk into Connor, grab a plate, and sit down and start talking with people.

way and have different types of guys in them. There’s eight frats total including two historically Black and one historically Hispanic. It’s the same with sororities. Which is why all freshmen meetings are so helpful because you do hear from every organization.

Can you explain how the process of entering an eating house works?

Lily: Basically, there’s a meeting with all of the PCC organizations in the spring, right towards the end of the first semester or the very beginning of second semester. It’s an all-freshmen meeting where e-board members from each organization come and talk. There’s a form of WildcatSync to fill out, and it just asks if you’re interested in joining an eating house. You click yes and fill out a consent form. After that I got an email like a week later that asked us to rank our eating houses. I had three best friends, so us four wanted to cluster together. You can cluster with as many people as you want: two, three, four. And then you get placed into a house after the lottery.

How do you raise money for your service?

Lily: We have multiple profit shares throughout the year with Orange Theory, Ben and Jerry’s, Chipotle. We have a 5k coming up on October 22 and we generate a lot of money through that.

We had about 120 participants last year and are expecting like, 150 this year, which is good. We usually secure sponsors, or we get a lot of donations from a lot of stores in town.

Do you know what the different eating houses are on campus and their missions?

Lily: Connor helps fight breast cancer, Warner focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness, Turner is dedicated to reproductive rights and mental health advocacy this year, and Rusk is committed to fighting hunger.

What about other PCC organizations? Do you know the eating house to frat ratio?

Lily: I would say there’s definitely less men that participate in fraternities than there are girls who participate in eating houses. All of the frats are very different in their own unique

What type of events do the eating houses host?

Lily: For Connor, we host two parties in the fall. They usually end at 12, so they don’t go super late. We also have a Connor Crush which is a fun excuse to dress up and we anonymously email boys and get them to come and hang out with us, and we have a semi formal in the fall. We also have service events.

So it’s a lot of relying on the Davidson community?

Lily: We’ve partnered a lot with the community, and I also think that there’s a lot of Connor alumni that stay in Davidson, which is super helpful. Everyone’s really motivated, and I think we do a good job of raising awareness, and, you know, getting donors and raising money: whether it’s like $5, $1, like, every bit counts.

Lastly, what advice would you give to someone wanting to join an eating house?

Lily: Definitely go to the events. There’s no alcohol served, so you can just go, and that’s a great way to meet the girls in the house. We want you to be there and we want you to find your fit. We want you to want to be in the house and want to be passionate towards what we do. So if you see that event on a Friday night, even if it’s totally out of your comfort zone, try and go for 30 minutes and just see if you like it. Go and say ‘hi’ to somebody or you know, if you’re wandering around, someone’s definitely gonna come up to you!

The

Yowl

Irreverent student journalism since 2004. Castigat Ridendo Mores.

inside

yowl.com/websiteislive

Humbled! Hearing Others’ Trivia Team Names a Constant Reminder of How Unfunny You Are Page Emily Schmitt

How to Use Your Rapidly Aging Eyesight to Avoid Making Awkward Small Talk Page Didn’t See You There

Career Center Event: How to Determine Which Morals You’re Willing to Give Up for a Livable Wage Page State Department

Breaking: Lorax Found in Critical Condition on Ridge Road

D

avidson, NC. In the early hours of Saturday, October 8, two students stumbled upon the battered orange creature. The pair who found the body, sophomores at Davidson College, were driving back from a night of wholesome fun at the establishment formerly known as “K-Pub.”

Initially, there were questions regarding the identity of the victim.

“I almost didn’t see him,” said one of the students, both of whom have asked to remain anonymous. “He was just crawling across the road. My friend had to yell at me to stomp on the brakes or else we would’ve completely flattened him. We pulled over and called 911 immediately.”

The victim, orange and furry, was originally thought by first responders to be a cat—one of the firefighters mentioned it could be Garfield and that they should try to force-feed it lasagna to wake the creature up.

Paramedics soon arrived on the scene, and an ambulance rushed the victim to the hospital.

There, he was identified as the Lorax and was able to provide information to law enforcement.

The attacker was identified to be Davidson College President, Doug Hicks. Police took Hicks into custody around noon on Saturday, where he initially waived his right to legal representation. The Yowl was able to speak with him shortly after his booking.

“I don’t see what the big deal is anyway,” Hicks told reporters concerning the incident.

“He’s just a tree-hugging troublemaker. He tied himself to one of the few trees left near Satellite, and I tried to reason with him. He

The Actual Social Critique Issue

October 19, 2022

wouldn’t listen, so I took a shovel and, well,” Hicks gestured with his hands some moves we here at the Yowl will not interpret for our younger first-year readers.

I’m the real victim here,” Hicks continued, now making exaggerated hand motions. “I got blood on my pajamas—do you know how much it’ll cost to get these dry cleaned?

These are real alligator skin [pajamas— reporters believe Hicks used the word, ‘jammies’].”

The Lorax was allegedly protesting the “complete and utter” destruction of the campus woods. In just the last few months, acres of forest cover has been chopped down to make room for new athletic facilities.

Hicks was eager to speak to the allegations.

“Listen, we already lost our arboretum status a couple years ago. After that, the board just said, ‘fuck it.’ We were all in a meeting over the summer discussing what to do when I felt the music enter me. I jumped up and began stomping around. I started singing, ‘let it die, let it die. Let it shrivel up and die.’ I swear you’ve never seen a room of elderly white people get up and start dancing like they did that day. One of the trustees needs a new hip because he was moving so much.”

Police expect to file charges against Hicks in the coming days. Sources inside the court expect bail to be set at $50,000 and that the college’s endowment will be used to cover the cost. The victim is currently recuperating in a Charlotte hospital and will be released later this week. Consider donating to the Lorax’s gofundme, or as is his request, donate to the WWF.

Union Board Just to Play ABBA Soundtrack on Repeat Next Year Instead of Hiring Fall Fling Band Page Gimme Gimme

Education Abroad Office: Increase Your Mental Health by Leaving Campus and Going Far, Far Away Page Vienna Waits

Smoothin’ Around the Dance Floor

O

ne of the things nobody tells you about college is that it’s necessary to craft a large repertoire of dance moves, large enough to keep you going for three hours while your classmates scream, jump, step, and grunt to songs you haven’t heard in years since you only listen to underground, indie artists. Of course, having approximately zero people on the dance floor the whole first hour makes it more bearable, but there’s only so many times you can do the sprinkler before you feel silly—and that’s once.

Fear not, though, as here’s some tips and tricks on how to drag out those hours on the dance floor (for next year).

the dance floor and go to the porta parties in the dark abyss. Use this privacy to rewatch the entire movie, paying special attention to the cast’s step-bystep breakdown of the choreography to all the songs you know and love.

Better yet, perform all of the dances in the porta potty so that way you’re extra prepared when you hit the floor again. Once you’re back, perform all the dances in sequential order from the movie. No one will be able to rival this.

Play cornhole for two hours with someone you don’t know. This is

actually a successful way to make new friends and avoid draining yourself on the dance floor, sources confirm. The circular nature of cornhole means the game could continue in perpetuity and the fact that neither of you know each other and are too scared to speak up and say you want this to end definitely solidifies that. After the dance ends, forcing your cornhole game to end too, you’ll go your separate ways but still feel the need to wave and make small talk when you see them all over campus. Just remember: you’ll always have cornhole <3

Go hard. Rest. Go hard.

Repeat.

Shed your inhibitions and get down and get dirty. Use up all your energy in blitzes on the dance floor. Do the cabbage patch, sprinkler, and raise the roof all at once. When you’re resting, just stand there.

Don’t even sway. Maybe spit on the ground too like the fête freak you are.

Rewatch the dance-along version of High School Musical. Briefly leave

Now that WALT is Mainstream, I’m Joining a Frat to Connect with the New Alt Community on Campus

W

hen looking around Martin Court on Friday night, it was easy to pick out the WALT party as the biggest rager on the block: white dudes with floppy hair wearing skinny jeans and hastily– applied eyeliner/marker? spilled out into the yard outside the back of Flowe. The theme, “emo,” was quite well followed by attendees.

When speaking to junior April Lorraine, she said, “You know, most people have fishnets of some sort in their standard outfit rotation at this point. You see that chick over there? Yeah, that’s just what she wore to class today.”

While moshing to “I’m Just a Kid” by

The

Yowl

WRITERS Sky Lars BGS Joseph

Simple Plan and looking around the room, it was clear that people only knew the refrain lyrics, probably just absorbed through osmosis when the song blew up on TikTok last year (I’m people).

I could go up to anyone and ask, “Hey, do you have a cig?” and the closest thing I got to a no was an offer to hit a mango-flavored juul. Actually, as I write this, I am smelling cigarette smoke. Nicotine is cool again, and immediately any desire I have to smoke has left my body.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Darty all day and narty all night.”

--Fall fling attendee

I knew I couldn’t be the only one feeling a little dejected at the emo party. WALT, once an incestuous and closed-off group of real weirdos and pariahs, has become… mainstream. In my endless quest for individuality, I know I must now look elsewhere to insert my extremely niche personality.

It pains me to say it, but I will be participating in this year’s frat rush process. I am really hoping to get a bid for Phi Delt–considering it’s mostly football players, they’re utterly

disconnected from the majority of party culture on campus and really do their own thing, dictated by the practice schedule.

That’s so niche! I’m hoping to get a super hot lacrosse girlfriend to complete the commitment to alternative campus culture.

The wardrobe shift won’t be hard–5-inch inseam shorts have actually made it as the universal garment for hot weather male apparel, from the NYC gay club to Alabama country club, so I should be set.

Commons Controversy Yowlers, we have a serious issue happening in our very own dining hall. Every day, we walk into Commons playing total Russian roulette with the consistency of the ranch. Yes, ranch dressing. Some days it’s thick and goopy, just like we like it, and some days it’s thin and watery, like some is being syphoned off in the back and then watered down to go out to the public, a la a high-schooler watering down their parents’ vodka. All we’re asking for is a little consistency!

(Badum-chh)

Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian.

Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.