November 17th, 2021

The

Davidsonian

Independent Student Journalism Since 1914

inside

davidsonian.com

Newly formed network connects Asian, South Asian and Pacific Islander students and alumni

Volume 120, Issue 8

November 17, 2021

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Gabby Morreale ‘23: Davidson student culture overlooks disabled peers

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The man behind the crossword: an exclusive interview with Vic Fleming ‘73

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The Yowl invites you to go places going nowhere with choose your own adventure

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COVID Response Team Boosts Additional Dose Booster Shots Encouraged for Students and Staff as Vaccine Immunity Wanes ANIKA BANERJEE ‘24 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER ANNA NEWMAN ‘25 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

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s Davidson approaches Thanksgiving and eventually winter break, the college must prepare against COVID-19 and the variants that could be brought to campus from student and faculty travel. With the campus vaccination rate for students at 99%, and faculty at 98.5% according to the COVID Response Team, the way to maintain campus safety will be through booster shots.

“As you know, booster shots are available, and federal health officials have emphasized that immunity from your original vaccination diminishes over time and that booster shots are important for continued protection against the virus. We encourage all of you to get a booster shot,” stated the COVID Response Team. As with any endemic virus, such as the flu, measles, or mumps, booster shots help contain the spread of the virus, which is Davidson’s goal.

Dr. Robert Lutz, the medical and sports physician at Davidson, explained that federal health officials have data to show that the strength of the vaccine wears down over time, and that is why booster shots are a necessity. “With the end of the semester rapidly approaching, this is a great time to get a booster,” said Dr. Lutz. “Getting a booster dose makes travelling to see friends and family over the holidays safer for you and older or at-risk family members and sets us up for a successful return to campus in January.”

To be eligible for the booster, students must be eighteen years or older. Those who initially received the Pfizer or Modern vaccine are eligible for a booster six months after their second shot. For those who received Johnson & Johnson, the booster is recommended two months post the initial shot.

While some of the apprehension towards the vaccine comes from the potential side effects that it could cause, Dr. Lutz stated, “The

booster’s [side effects] are very similar to the symptoms some people experienced after the initial set—possibly even milder. The most commonly reported side effects include fatigue, injection site pain and headaches.”

Research has shown that booster shots train your body to recognize the virus and defend itself. As Davidson is a small community, receiving the booster can help provide the population with herd immunity. Also, the benefits of getting the booster shot are not just limited to the Davidson College community, but extend to the surrounding town.

Keeping the campus safe is critical to the Davidson community, and for those reasons, Dr. Lutz said, “We ask that students, staff and faculty keep up the preventive measures that are helping keep us safe even when they are off campus for the upcoming break. As with all things, we are prepared to adjust as circumstances change.”

On campus, students have curbed the spread of the virus by wearing masks indoors, getting vaccinated, and abiding by campus guidelines; however, this does not remove the threat of the virus. Biology professor Dr. Dave Wessner stressed the importance of continuing to take measures to avoid a spike in cases while enjoying time with family. “Even the original version of the virus had a high rate of transmission. The variants that we’ve seen, like the Delta, have a really high rate of transmission, which is much greater than we see typically with influenza. The severity of the disease is much greater than we typically see with influenza,” said Dr. Wessner.

The data has shown that COVID-19 spreads fastest in areas with low ventilation and high concentrations of people, so Dr. Wessner suggests that “if you have members of your family who are not vaccinated for whatever reason, you might want to consider wearing masks indoors” to keep everyone safe. As an added precaution, families could consider “opening windows [which] will give you better airflow and reduce the risk [of transmission].”

Available at CVS on Main Street, the COVID-19 booster will help to maintain

CVS on S. Main St. offers Pfizer booster shots for all eligible students. Photo by Bailey Maierson ‘25. strong protection against the virus as immunity wanes from the initial doses earlier this year.

As the weather cools off and students spend more time indoors with other people, viral transmission increases, making it more important for students to get the booster if they have not already. “I think getting the boosters now, before the really cold weather comes, and before you’re doing more traveling for the holidays can be really, really useful,” said Dr. Wessner.

In the United States, the vaccine is easily

accessible; however, “worldwide, we see a much different situation regarding resources in poor countries. The availability of vaccines is dramatically different,” stated Dr. Wessner, demonstrating the disparities in global health.

Additionally, as international travel resumes, the booster shot is an easy way to mitigate the global health hardships brought on by the pandemic.

Lifestyle Survey Reveals Student Habits Vary in Environmental Impact GEORGIA HALL ‘25 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

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ustainable solutions stereotypically start with students. As a whole, the Davidson student body is socially engaged, which includes caring to varying degrees about the environment and combating climate change.

For example, in the recent first-year student government election, almost every candidate cited at least one campaign promise focused on sustainability. However, findings from a recent Davidsonian lifestyle survey of 145 students suggest that everyday practices don’t necessarily align with students’ sustainable mindsets.

According to a recent Guardian article, meat accounts for 60% of all greenhouse gases from food production. The lifestyle survey revealed

that 18.6% of surveyed students eat meat in every meal, 55.9% eat meat in some meals and 8.3% eat meat very rarely. Only 13.1% reported to be vegetarian and 2.1% to be vegan. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2019 special report on climate change cited plant-based diets as a major opportunity for mitigating and adapting to climate change and included a policy recommendation to reduce meat consumption. For college students, reducing meat consumption is one approachable step toward mitigating the effects of the climate crisis.

Food waste and sourcing is another major component of climate change. Food is often imported from across the globe, increasing the emissions due to plane and shipping fuel.

Nevertheless, in the lifestyle survey, 33.8% of surveyed students reported that between 10-

30% of the food they buy is wasted and only 54.5% stated that between 0-10% is wasted.

Just over half reported that they do not know where their food comes from.

Total emissions from food pale in comparison to greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2019 transportation was the largest sector of emissions in the entirety of the US, accounting for more greenhouse gas production than industry or electricity. In the US the number of vehicle miles traveled by light-duty motor vehicles (passenger cars and light-duty trucks) increased by 48% from 1990 to 2019. According to the lifestyle survey 88.3% of surveyed students reported their primary source of transportation is a car.

In addition to transportation’s detrimental

impact to climate change, water also plays a major role. Not only is water the primary medium through which we will feel the effects of climate change, according to the UN, but also its waste is a significant contributor to climate change. Of surveyed students, 44.1% spend 5-10 minutes showering, and 33.1% spend 1020 minutes in the shower, on average. According to the EPA’s estimatations, each minute in the shower uses 2.5 gallons of water. Excess water usage could have global ramifications; BBC writer Sandy Milne predicts that water scarcity will be one of the primary sources of conflict between nations.

This lifestyle survey is only a snapshot, and sustainability efforts by students are

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

News

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DASAPIAN & Matthews Center Host Career Panel SOHAN GADE ‘23 (HE/HIM) SENIOR STAFF WRITER

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n November 10th, the Matthews Center and the Davidson Asian South Asian Pacific Islander Alumni Network (DASAPIAN) co-sponsored a panel discussing the Asian American/Pacific Islander experience in the workforce.

DASAPIAN was formed in 2021 in order to better assist the Asian American and Pacific Islander community at Davidson. DASAPIAN is an identity network, alongside the Davidson Jewish Network, Davidson Black Alumni Network, the Latinx Alumni Network at Davidson, and the LGBTQ+ Alumni Network.

According to its page on the Davidson College website, the organization’s two aims are to “support and advocate for Davidson College Asian/South Asian/Pacific Islander (ASAPI) students and alumni to attain and navigate servant-leadership leadership positions in their field” and to “create meaningful, lasting connections between ASAPI students, alumni, and the Davidson community.”

Assistant Director for Career Development, Kelli Robinson, expressed her excitement about the panel.

Alice Garner ‘24, a member of the PanAsian Students Association Executive Board, moderated the panel. The participants included former Davidsonian Editor-in-Chief, Amee Parbhoo ‘06, Brian Aoyama ‘09, and Zi Yang ‘16.

The session began with brief introductions.

Aoyama was an East Asian studies major, working in San Francisco for a tech startup.

He also commented on the way that Davidson allowed him to create his own major.

“I was one of those people who was always

checking undecided on the college application boxes and then eventually I had to stop checking that...it was basically a way of saying [that] I really like anthropology, political theory and learning Chinese, and that became my major.”

Parbhoo mentioned her passion for international development as a political science major and economics minor at Davidson. She also mentioned her current role in impact investing. ​​“I am currently the managing director of ACCION Venture Lab impact investment funds so we invest in things like FinTech companies, financial technology companies, largely in emerging markets.”

The third panelist, Yang, mentioned his passion for finance and connecting his political science degree to his highly-accomplished career in banking.

“I started off with Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, as your typical sort of banking analyst.

Nowadays, I spend my time doing corporate development, strategic investment for BlueCross BlueShield, in North Carolina, primarily focused on improving patient financial experience, improving access to behavior care,” said Yang.

Upon introductions, Garner asked the group, “How did Davidson prepare you to become a leader in your industry?”

All three panelists drew attention to the close-knit alumni network of the school. Aoyama added that his Davidson education helped him engage with new subjects easier.

“It gave me the confidence to learn new things from scratch,” said Aoyama, when discussing his experiences while studying abroad in China.

Garner proceeded to ask the panel about their experiences as minority students at a predominantly white institution. She said, “What

advice do you have for navigating [this environment]?

Yang explained his approach of using self-esteem and embracing his culture.

“It’s important to [take] pride in my Asian heritage and Chinese heritage. At the same time, don’t view yourself as an outsider, you know who you are, you’re here [and] just as deserving [...]as anyone else [at Davidson],” said Yang.

Similar to Yang, Parbhoo mentioned understanding self-worth and the importance of self-respect. She reflected upon her experience as a South Asian student after the September 11th Attacks, referencing the unfortunate discrimination she faced on campus and in the town.

“It made me feel the need to be more vocal in a [different] way than I had expected. I would be going into school to represent who I am ... and it just made me come out of my shell,” said Parbhoo.

Another question that Garner asked was “What advice would you have for others who want to set off for some more direction?”

Parbhoo talked about the fact that following a straight path is rare. “Don’t feel like you need to know your direction. As soon as you graduate, it’s going to change,” said Parbhoo.

Aoyama furthered Parbhoo’s point. “Coming from Davidson, you’re equipped with this toolkit,” said Aoyama. He went on to discuss his application of the “toolkit” in his career in consulting.

“I went into consulting and [was told] it is like liberal arts for business. That appealed to me because I thought I would like the liberal arts because I didn’t know anything about business. [I asked for] the core curriculum, and it was like Humes for business and case studies,” said Aoyama.

Garner’s last question was, “What resourc-

From top to bottom: panelists Brian Aoyama ‘09, Zi Yang ‘16, Amee Parbhoo ‘06. es or what steps would you recommend in terms of finding allies in your profession?”

The panelists agreed on the importance of networking. The panel concluded on a message highlighting the value of learning through others.

“Just think about it as someone is inviting you into their story and you get to follow along. That can be really interesting and take you to some unexpected places,” said Aoyama.

Universal Residence Hall CatCard Access Slow to Return ANIKA BANERJEE ‘24 (SHE/HER) STAFF WRITER

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n March of 2020, many schools and colleges went online because of COVID-19.

Bringing school back in person required numerous changes to safeguard the health and safety of students and faculty. Prior to the pandemic, students living on campus were able to use their CatCards to enter any residence hall; since the fall of 2020, when students were permitted to return to campus, administrators restricted CatCards to only allow entrance into the residence hall a student lives in.

Along with limited CatCard access, other restrictions were made to contain social interaction and the spread of the virus: controlled guest policies, mask requirements in residence halls and outdoors, and mostly online or hybrid classes. Each of those constraints have been lifted as Davidson has contained COVID-19, except for CatCard access into all residence halls.

Samantha Ewing ‘23, a transfer student from the University of Georgia, provided insight as to how other schools manage student card access into residence halls. “I can only speak to UGA, but I would assume that most state schools are similar. Student ID cards were used for your hall, and you did not need it to get into any academic buildings—those were unlocked during most daytime hours,” said Ewing. “For residence halls, it was the same as Davidson is now, you could only use your card to enter your specific hall.”

Ewing contended that the policies at the University of Georgia made sense for that environment because of the location and size of the university. “There are higher crime rates in Athens, and there are more people in the college town that are not students but who possibly look like students and could pass [as] students. So, it made a lot of sense to me at UGA that you’d have to go swipe your friends

in,” stated Ewing. Davidson’s small student population and tight-knit relationship with the town creates a trust-based environment which mitigates many of these safety concerns.

Even as most other COVID-19 policies have been shelved, students remain confused as to why CatCard access policies have not been revised. Ewing draws attention to this disparity in Davidson’s COVID policies. She stated, “If we are allowed to be in residence halls, have guests in our room, and not have to wear masks in the lounges and community areas, there shouldn’t really be any reason that other students cannot swipe into any residence hall.”

Walter Snipes, the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life, clarified where the policies for these COVID restrictions stemmed from. “Compared to last year, there are certain policies that were able to change, and there are other policies that are still in effect right now. So, I think once COVID is over, we will start to think about how we need to move forward in terms of access… nothing right now is set in stone,” said Dean Snipes.

Along with COVID policies, there are general safety concerns that must be taken into consideration. Dean Snipes explained that making students feel safe and comfortable in their dorms is the number one priority, and that it is hard to please everyone when each student will have differing needs and views on what should be done. For those reasons, Dean Snipes and other faculty in charge of COVID policies have tried to take a utilitarian approach.

Dean Snipes also spoke to how reverting policies back to normal can be a challenge.

“There are certain things, I think, once you flip the switch, it is difficult to bring back. We learned that last year with the guest policy going from one guest to no guest, then back to one, which was confusing.” For these reasons,

Community access to residence halls is on hold until further notice. Photo by Sydney Schertz ‘24. they are choosing to work with CatCard policies through a slow process.

Kat Soltany ‘22, Chair of the Honor Council, shared her opinions on the matter as well.

As a member of the Delilahs a capella group, she recently had a run-in with the difficulties that stem from the CatCard restriction. A few weeks ago, the a cappella group had to travel to Graham, North Carolina to record their album.

Since this recording session was on a Saturday at 6:30 in the morning, several members slept through their alarms. The group tried to call the members that were still asleep but being able to enter the building would have been much more effective.

She was also able to provide a perspective on how the Honor Code and safety correlate with the CatCard restrictions. “I think the point of our Honor Code is for a more holistic view of honor. While I deal with strictly academic related violations, I think the whole

point of the Honor Code is to have our campus feel more like a tight-knit community, with trust and integrity,” said Soltany. “And the thing that’s complicated is that I understand the COVID side of CatCard restrictions, but for trust, what has changed since Fall 2019?

That’s what I’m questioning.”

Since COVID-19 policies have been done away with and there have been no reported safety problems, students are confused as to why residential CatCard access has not been reinstated.

Highlighting the complexity of the issue, Dean snipes said that the timeline of the future of CatCard access was ambiguous. “As one of the last policies still remaining as the college manages COVID-19, the return of ‘community access’ for certain residential halls is symbolic in that it will show things are closer to being as they were before COVID-19.”

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November 17, 2021

Student Sustainability Initiatives Combat Climate Change CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 happening across campus. Gabriela Nahm ‘24 is a member of The Sunrise Movement, The Sustainability Collective, and lives in the Sustainability Cooperative House on campus.

Nahm has been working to reduce environmental harm in multifarious ways, specifically tackling widespread herbicide usage on Davidson’s pristine, green lawns.

Nahm worked for an environmental NGO and learned about Herbicide Free Campus, a UC Berkeley initiative whose mission is to empower the next generation of students by starting locally and advocating for organic land care on their campuses. Inspired by the movement, Nahm met with Davidson’s landscaper to try and incorporate their scheme on Davidson’s campus by findind an alternative to glyphosate, a herbicide and crop desiccant.

Nahm’s main concern is the human health effects of glyphosate, which is carcinogenic at high concentrations.

However, it was incumbent on Nahm, according to the head of landscaping, to find an alternative to glyphosate that would be “equally effective” if the landscaping team were to stop using the chemical. Nahm stressed that “it’s a cultural thing...people have an expectation of a green lawn; Chambers lawn is pristine [all year].” She specifically cited “the admissions office” as “a big problem,” as they want tours of campus to present an idyllic liberal arts scene, potentially at the expense of the college’s environment and health.

Other campus groups are also trying to promote sustainable practices, like The Sus-

tainability Collective, who “aim to practice and promote environmentally conscious initiatives on campus and the surrounding area by an entirely student-led team,” according to leaders Emma White ‘23 and Oma Hameed ‘24. While the organization just started last year, they have already “organized an Earth Day fair and helped with the Earth Day month,” said White and Hameed.

In order to enact large-scale effective change to combat the climate crisis, efforts will have to be made on an institutional level.

However, there will also have to be a collective change in how students lead their daily lives. Nahm stressed the importance of “the term ‘responsibility’” and believes “we need to change people’s mindsets and take responsibility for our own actions.” Hameed and White also shared the sentiment that “there also needs to be cultural changes.”

There are many ways the student body can begin to work effectively to help promote sustainable practices. Yancey Fouché, head of the Sustainability Office, suggested starting small by attending local town hall meetings and advocating for sustainability.

Nahm proposed turning off the shower in between shaving your legs or bringing your own cutlery when you go to the Davis Café.

Having meat only once or twice a week, showering for shorter lengths, and walking whenever possible are all small but meaningful student-driven changes that would bolster Davidson’s instutional sustainability goals.

Statistics on Davidson students’ environmental impacts gathered from 145 student responses. Infographic by Brigid McCarthy ‘25.

Crime Log

Time Reported

Description/Location

11/07/2021 at 01:55 hrs Simple Affray

NOVEMBER 11

Davis, Prosecution Declined

11/12/2021 at 09:43 hrs Harassing Telephone Calls

KAIZAD IRANI ‘22 SGA CORRESPONDENT

Chidsey, Dean Referral/Transport

The

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

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

Agenda

11/13/2021 at 00:56 hrs Larceny Felony (Purse)

Takeaways Attendance

Davidson College, Inactive

78%

21 OR 27

Absent (excused): Tsega-Ab Abera ‘22, Brandon Harris ‘22, Israel Palencia ‘23, Emma Melton ‘24 Absent (unexcused): Lauren Bennett ‘23, Quinn Dunlap ‘25 Tardy (excused): Ben Santiago ‘22, Collin McGuirt ‘23, Quincy Weary ‘23, Harrison Grooms ‘25 Tardy (unexcused): Grace Hall ‘22 The “Diversity in Admissions” project committee plans to schedule meetings with various admissions counselors in the coming weeks The “Student Wages” project committee is finalizing a survey to help learn more about the state of student wages The “Student Health” project committee is reporting findings from the “Virtual Therapy Survey” sent in last week’s SGA Weekly Newsletter to the Center for Student-Health and Well-Being The “Sexual and Reproductive Health” project is working with SASV on a petition asking for more resources for survivors In addition, they are helping Green Dot increase awareness to their programming The “Sustainability” project is assisting with the “Sustainability Collective” event to help foster the donation of gently used clothes Approved an approximately $15,000 budget for the Union Board 20th Anniversary celebration on November 25 Approved $400 budget for “Wildcrafts” student organization Approved an approximately $2,500 budget for Fall Fest Approved the recharter of the “Mindfulness” student organization

1. Project Updates 2. Union Board Budget Vote 3. SGA Fall Festival Budget Discussion 4. Announcements

Perspectives

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Unheard, Unspoken, Unsung

The Undoing of Disabled Perspectives at Davidson Through the Student Body GABBY MORREALE ‘23 (SHE/HER)

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t’s a cool November night, mist shining off the roads, mixing with the rotting leaves that conglomerate in the gutters.

A group of students huddle together around a small fire pit, laughing and joking and talking into the cold night while making s’mores. It’s the Davidson Disability Alliance, enjoying what was their very first bonfire rant session as an organization.

Each and any participant was invited to come to unburden their frustrations of what it is like to live with a disability on Davidson’s campus. They can write it and burn it into the glowing fire, or shout it into a megaphone for the group to hear. It is euphoric and calming at the same time. The event started at 7:30, but the group gathered well into the night, unravelling their worries and tying them in fellowship to their fellow disabled students in spoken or written form.

And then, the next morning, the bubble pops. An anonymous student, whether a participant or not, posts on Yik Yak, “what the f*ck is a disability bonfire/rant session and who came up with this idea??” When another student posts, “we need more support for disabled students on this campus,” another user quips back, “it’s called the wrestling team,” and yet another user makes glib remarks insinuating that being queer is a disability.

Disabled voices, whether intentionally or unintentionally, are consistently silenced on Davidson’s campus. Last year, I wrote

hard, play hard” culture. Getting the best grades possible, engaging in extracurriculars, getting a job — all of these things are a major part of many students’ lives at Davidson. While these are all noble goals, participating in this excess is the space where disability students are forced to suffer in silence. Even in this time of the pandemic, it is normal here to work for hours at a time without stopping. Many of my friends complain about only having half an hour to eat between classes. The amount of all-nighters pulled and obligations in one day determines the winner of the Pain Olympics. No one talks about the mental toll this takes on a human being, whether one has a disability or not.

So it’s no surprise that those who have disabilities on this campus are not heard; their complaints blend into an able-bodied campus’s desire to keep moving. Disabled students have no time to come to terms with their identity as disabled individuals because they are too busy trying to fit into the “academic rigor” that Davidson’s curriculum provides. But what about the fact that I cannot live on campus without a roommate, for fear I might get caught in a fire and not hear the fire alarm? What about the fact that only four people in my 30-person class about disability consistently wear clear masks as a part of my accommodations? What about the fact that in my philosophy class, no one wears a clear mask at all, including the professor?

What about the fact that I am constantly afraid to reveal that I am severely to profoundly deaf, and when I do, I don’t know

“Disabled students have become very good at camouflaging the challenges from their disabilities to that of their fellow nondisabled classmates’ struggles, because they do not feel comfortable attributing any struggle to disability.” an article expressing my concerns with the compatibility of disability accommodations with the new COVID mask wearing rules and social distancing.

I thought that the majority of the ableism I would experience would come from the administration. But consistently, it is clear that the deeper ableism arises from the student body’s “work

the marginalization of another already marginalized group, as seen in those anonymous Yik Yaks. It’s not that there are few disabled students on campus; it’s just that there are few vocal ones.

Another reason why ableism is so prevalent at Davidson is its emphasis on the student-athlete population. My Instagram feed is littered with posts about the next football game, my email flooded with Athlete spotlights and team victories. We’re the fastest, we’re the strongest, the mightiest. When an athlete is injured, our athletic facilities and sports medicine doctors make sure to give the highest care to help them recover from that temporary disability. It’s an honorable injury in other students’ eyes, a normal result of playing too hard and of expected overexertion.

Last week, the top post on Yik Yak was “upvote if you are burned out”, which garnered over 100 likes. It is nearly impossible to get an appointment with Davidson’s counseling services because the therapists are always booked up. SGA is looking to hire another counselor and are looking to bring training counselors on campus as well. Davidson’s Academic Access and Disability Resources Office does a wonderful job of providing accommodations for any student that needs it.

But when the community of students are called upon to help enact those accommodations, there are mixed responses. It is important that the response is a unanimous and unconditional “yes.” Our prioritization of the disabled voices on campus will not just benefit those with specific disabilities. Integrating a habit of accommodating disability in Davidson’s culture will benefit everyone. Disability affects every Davidson student’s life, whether directly or indirectly, so it’s important to both initiate and sustain these conversations.

Gabby Morreale (she/her) is a communication studies major and philosophy minor. Gabby can be reached for comment at gamorreale@davidson.edu.

how to respond to, “I couldn’t even tell”? Disabled students have become very good at camouflaging the challenges from their disabilities to that of their fellow nondisabled classmates’ struggles, because they do not feel comfortable attributing any struggle to disability. When they do address the difference, they are shamed by other students through a direct attack or through

Wildcat Wellness: Supporting Students over Breaks RONAN TOWELL ‘24 (HE/HIM)

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full-time employee of Davidson College’s Health Center once told me: “I would never send anyone I care about to Davidson.”

Davidson promotes the idea of “Our Shared Responsibility,” but at what point should the mental health of my peers no longer become my responsibility? When they can’t stay awake for a full academic day? When I send them notes because they haven’t come to class for two weeks? When I’m sitting in the emergency room parking lot? The Davidson community expects students to look out for one another, to keep each other safe. This shared responsibility, however, should never extend to crisis intervention without the proper training.

I always thought that being a Davidson student was difficult, but I didn’t realize how difficult it was until I had a conversation with a full-time employee at the Health Center. I, like most of you, assumed that the amount of academic stress that the student body experienced was normal. It was expected in the context of Davidson’s proud marketing of academic rigor. I now understand that this sense of normalcy is false.

At other universities, students skip class to be with their friends, take day trips, or watch movies without the fear of becoming behind

in their classes for at least the next three days.

At Davidson, students skip one class to use the time to do work for their other classes. This is not normal and this is not healthy.

Being enrolled here, while an immense privilege, takes a significant emotional toll on every student, particularly those who do not come from high socioeconomic backgrounds.

While Davidson champions its students for overcoming their circumstances and clawing their way into an elite institution, there is absolutely no support mechanism in place to keep track of these students and their emotional well-being once they move to campus. A student who has a privileged background and was able to attend a more rigorous high school will also struggle. These students, however, likely understand this culture of expectation more than their less advantaged peers, resulting in incongruent experiences.

When students struggle with a surplus of work, or when this is observed by professors, the student is often referred to the Health Center for counseling. It’s common knowledge that this system is inundated with students and struggles to meet the demand for its services.

Even if a student is fortunate enough to get an appointment — writing that sentence feels surreal — more often than not, they are left to their own devices during academic breaks from Davidson. Importantly, counselors are not legally allowed to conduct sessions outside of the state in which they are licensed.

Though this is independent the college’s control, this limitation creates a structural gap especially for students who can’t afford or otherwise comfortably access therapy outside of Davidson. As the mental health system currently operates, a student can be receiving free counseling at Davidson once a week for an entire semester and then be expected to go five weeks without it over Winter Break.

This was the motivation for me to establish Wildcat Wellness, a peer-to-peer check-in program that operates independently of the college and the Health Center. Working with the Mental Health Club and its co-presidents, Annabelle Ross and Cece Woo, we have trained 6 students in crisis response, common red flags, and empathetic listening. With this training, we will establish the opportunity for a student to sign-up for a voluntary check-in phone call from a peer during the academic break.

This is not therapy or counseling. This is a confidential mechanism to support students who want to know that there’s somebody who cares for their well-being even when they’re not on campus. We are launching a pilot program during this upcoming Thanksgiving break where our six trained students conduct 3 wellness calls each. I have linked a QR code with the first-come, first-served interest form, which will be followed by a more thorough intake form for the first 18 people that sign-up.

I am fully aware that this is not a long term solution, and I don’t pretend to have one. But

that’s not my responsibility.

As a Class of 2024 President, my job is to care for people, to give them a voice.

Our goal with Wildcat Wellness is to create a space for vulnerability, reflection, and patience so that maybe one day this full-time Health Center employee will feel comfortable sending someone that they care about to Davidson.

See the QR code for students interested in receiving a check-in phone call below.

Ronan Towell (he/him) ‘24 is an intended environmental studies major and data science minor from Durham, NC. Ronan can be reached for comment at rotowell@davidson. edu.

Sports

Player Spotlight: Macy Curtis

5 Player Spotlight: Henry Howell

them about anything we were struggling with on or off the field.”

As far as team chemistry is concerned, Curtis acy Curtis ‘25 of Davidson’s field noted it’s a solid aspect of the team that they’re hockey team recently received the still hoping to improve upon. “It’s something honor of being an All-Rookie A-10 that we’re definitely focusing on improving but Selection. This is an honor that is far from easy I definitely saw as the season progressed, espeto come by and as a first-year, Macy has put in cially outletting out of back [of the field] feels extraordinary effort to receive this award. We like it got so much better.” She also mentioned interviewed Macy to get a better understanding that the diverse playing backgrounds of the team of what this season meant to her, the work and contributes to a need to establish chemistry. “I preparation she put in throughout the season, and think it’s hard coming in with so many different styles coming together, figuring that out and what it means to receive this honor.

In terms of what it was like making the switch the offseason will help us with that but we imfrom high school to college-level competition, proved so much throughout the season.”

When asked about where her individual Curtis said, “it was definitely hard coming in adjusting to the speed at the college level and the game, as well as that of the team, will be in the games are really tough to replicate at any summer near future, Curtis said, “I think we have so training….you just have to start gaining experi- much potential and room to grow so I’m really ence through playing.” While this is undoubted- excited to be a part of that. We focus a lot on the ly a common sentiment among athletes in their things that are going to help us find success and first year of college athletics, Curtis mentioned I think it’s important for us to take the time as a that the team atmosphere helped in getting up to team now to focus on all of these things.” Curtis speed. “The rest of the team being so welcoming is confident in the team’s ability to utilize “our definitely helped me adjust and this transferred opportunities to grow”.

Through what Curtis has said and the perforinto the games.” mance of the field hockey team this season, it When talking about aspects that helped prois clear that this is not the team of years past. mote her success on the field this year, Curtis was This is a team that is confident in their ability to sure to heap praise on the upperclassmen on the team. “So obviously Natalie [Natacchia ‘23] is win tough games and improve everyday. “We’re our captain and I think she played a huge role in making strides, especially in our conference and Henry Howell ‘22 lines up to shoot on goal. Photo courtesy Tim Cowie. like taking me under her wing and since we were I think that we’re realizing that we can stay in on the forward line together for a lot of the be- games that maybe before we didn’t think we ginning of the season she was really helpful with could.” Lastly, Curtis remarked that the overall his biggest contribution came in the win BILAL RAZZAK ‘25(HE/HIM) talking to me and making sure I understood ev- attitude of the team has undergone change. “Our against St. Bonaventure. There, he scored SPORTS WRITER erything.” Although Curtis made it clear that the commitment to the game has improved so much; both goals to lead the Wildcats to victory freshmen class was equally critical in ensuring I think that this is a much more serious program his fall was, in many ways, an ex- 2-1. For the season, he logged at least 90 her success, “Even though we don’t like a lead- than people expect.” tremely strong season for Davidson minutes ten times. ership role [amongst the freshmen class,] I think sports. From the football team’s sucHowever, while his previous seasons we’re all on the same boat so it’s easy to talk to cess all the way to the men’s and women’s were extremely successful, this year was swim teams outstanding pre-seasons, it’s an perhaps his most successful: he was selected exciting time for Davidson athletics. How- to be on A-10’s second team all conference. ever, one would be remiss not to mention Reflecting on his previous experiences, the exceptionally successful season that the Howell commented on his soccer journey men’s soccer team has enjoyed. Boasting a throughout his time here at Davidson: “In 9-7-2 record, this team’s success largely de- highschool, I was a forward and came into pended on their leadership—an integral part college and was put at right back. While I of which was senior captain Henry Howell was able to have a lot of success at right ‘22. back… I struggled with moving forward Hailing from Bradenton, Howell enjoyed and finding the position that I would excel an extremely fruitful junior career. In his at the best. In sophomore and junior year, I freshman year of highschool, he scored 29 had glimpses of that in different spots. This goals and had 31 assists. Furthermore, in year, I took on more of an attacking role.” his sophomore and senior seasons, he was Howell’s position journey throughout his his club’s leading scorer. Due to this record, time here exemplifies the type of player he when he graduated, he was ranked 11th in is: he will make an impact wherever he is the State of Florida by TopDrawerSoccer. needed at the time. com. While Howell did have an excepWhile Howell’s play throughout his time tionally strong junior soccer career, that’s at Davidson has been exceptional, so has his not the only sport he excelled in. In high- time in the leadership role this year. When school, Howell was a four-time MVP of the asked about his role as captain, Howell recross-country team; he was also the team’s sponded, “you have this cool opportunity. captain. With parents who participated in People realize that you have been there the college athletics, it’s not hard to see why longest, and I think our class took that with Howell is such a strong competitor. a lot of responsibility.” In this instance, we Since day one at Davidson, Howell has can all appreciate Howell’s perspective as a had an extremely profound impact on the leader this year. field. Starting in 16 of 18 games in his freshWhile it’s difficult to say goodbye, Howman year, Howell quickly became an inte- ell has an almost “giddy” feeling when it gral part of Davidson’s core—initially start- comes to the future of both the program and ing his career at right back. Perhaps even the team. While Howell did say he didn’t more impressive, he led the team in goals necessarily have anything profound to say, scored and total points; he finished sec- he noted the importance of instilling confiond with four assists and 30 shot attempts. dence in the next generation, as this year’s Therefore, it’s not surprising that Howell class leaves: “If you show that you have the netted goals in the first three games he ever utmost confidence in them no matter how played here, including a golden goal in a or where they’re playing, they’re going to win against Dayton. However, his biggest match with confidence of their own; and accomplishment came in scoring in a dou- then, you’re going to grow together.” ble overtime win against Virginia Tech—a While Howell will move on from the Danationally-ranked powerhouse. With such a vidson soccer field at the end of this year, strong freshman showing, Howell was se- he doesn’t plan to hang up the cleats just lected to the A-10 All Rookie team: a great yet. He doesn’t know yet where he’s going accomplishment for an exceptionally talent- to play next year. While that’s uncertain, ed player. there’s one thing that’s not—all of us here at In his sophomore outing, he also shined. Davidson are sure he’ll make an immediate Once again, starting in the majority of the impact. games played—13 of the 14—he was an Macy Curtis ‘25 dribbles down the field. Photo courtesy Sallie Taylor. integral part of the team’s core. This year,

MAX MCKENNA ‘24 (HE/HIM) SPORTS WRITER

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Arts and Culture

6

Why a Queer Clothing Swap?

DAVID SOWINSKI ‘25 (HE/HIM)

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lothing is one of the most visible, and therefore most important, ways a person can express themselves. Oftentimes, little conscious thought is given to the clothes a person is wearing when you see them in passing; nonetheless, simply by seeing what someone is wearing, one makes judgements about the individual’s class, personality, sexual orientation, and gender, among other things.

For the wearer, whether or not you make an intentional decision about the image you want to portray through a given outfit, you are giving all who view you material to craft a snapshot of who you are.

Therein lies the struggle of the LGBTQ+ community: the society we live in does not cater to the free expression of persons who don’t inhabit heteronormative, cisgender categories.

Consider a transgender woman being scorned for shopping in the women’s section; or a non-binary person conflicted by not knowing which section they “should” be

shopping in. While it may be difficult for those who fit more or less neatly into these “cis-het” categories to understand, occurrences of such external scorn, and internal conflict, are harmful to those who don’t fit in as neatly.

In a similar way that “girls’” and “boys’” toy sections were challenged, so too must we challenge the organization of clothes along the gender binary. Personally, I have always felt restricted by this division, and I know this to be a feeling shared by innumerable queer, trans, and non-binary individuals.

It was this feeling that led me to organize the Center for Diversity and Inclusion’s Queer Clothing Swap on October 21st.

While Davidson is a safe space for many in the LGBTQ+ community, it still has a ways to go in making all of its members feel valued and included. An event aimed at breaking down the gender barrier of such a prominent medium of expression can aid in this process of promoting a more inclusive environment.

I am glad to have hosted the event during Queer Visibility Week especially, as I think it

“I decided to go to the clothing swap because it sounded like a fun time to meet other queer and gender nonconforming people on campus. The clothing swap was a really chill event with cool people where I could just look around, pick up a thing or two, and get to know other people in the community at Davidson.” -Anonymous ‘24 “One thing I thought was cool about the event was how everyone very clearly had their own unique sense of style. Although we were all queer-presenting, all of our outfits and the clothing we chose were different from one another. This just goes to show that there’s no one “right” way to be queer! (Plus, I benefited from the range of styles, since I added some clothing to my wardrobe I might not have bought otherwise.)” -Isabella McCormick ‘25

CDI hosted a Queer Clothing Swap on October 21st. Illustration by Sam Cochran ‘24. underscored the intent that this was a chance for queer and trans people to celebrate their identities.

I was extremely pleased with the way the event went, especially to see that it fulfilled the goal I set for it. Several people approached me during and after the event, remarking on how much they appreciated the freedom to browse clothes entirely without the labels of “men” or “women”—to simply pick out what they liked, because of how it looked or how they felt wearing it. The multiple times I was asked when such an event might be held again is a testament to how important it is to the LGBTQ+ community to feel seen and respected.

It is worth remembering that Davidson is these students’ home, and the comfort of feeling safe in one’s home is a luxury that not all queer and trans people enjoy, but that all deserve. The onus, then, is on Davidson, and organizations like the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, to take steps like this one in breaking down gender barriers where they have caused harm, and cultivating an environment where everyone’s self-expression is unlimited and defended.

David Sowinski ‘25 (he/him) is an undeclared major from Chicago, IL. He can be reached for comment at dasowinski@davidson.edu.

Cats with Cameras:

Davidson Student Makes Feature Length Film on Campus

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SPENCER HAWKINS ‘23 (HE/HIM)

any of us grow up wanting to be movie stars or famous directors, but our parents and friends call them dreams. We dream of having our face on billboards and our name cemented in the walk of stars in LA. Yet, we do nothing to turn that dream into a reality. Over time, we convince ourselves to believe it is impossible, and to aim for more stable, reliable lifestyles.

Today, each of us carry around a 4K camera in our pocket, never investing time or energy into how it works or what we can do with it. What’s stopping us?

For Wes Clark ‘24, the only thing holding him back from filming movies on campus are how many hours there are in a day. Entering college, he was unsure whether he wanted to be a lawyer or a movie director. Like most of us, he spent his time dreaming and the rest of it working toward another – much safer – goal. However, when deciding amongst schools, he chose not to attend film schools, and instead chose Davidson College, despite our not having a robust film program. He came here because he “wanted to learn, use [his] knowledge to create more honest stories, and spend [his] freetime investing in my craft.” So yes, he’s a political science major, but he’s going to become a movie director. To Wes, it’s not a backup plan, but a chance to grow as a person and therefore grow as an artist, whose true passion lies in the politics of the film set.

His plans are not just talk: since entering Davidson, he’s managed to find work on several professional movie sets, train under major directors like Blair Hayes, and work for production companies approving scripts to invest in. Just last month in October, Wes left campus for a week to work on the set of Pinball: The Man Who Saved in Manhattan, a movie that will be on Netflix in the summer. And though he’s only a sophomore in college, he’s been able to earn an education here at Davidson and attend his own version of “film school” through real life working experiences. When asked about his work he says, “it’s nothing glamorous… just PA stuff. But I’m learning how a set works, and everytime I leave a set, I leave with one more contact and another job offer. That’s why I love PA work,

Spencer Hawkins ‘23 (left) and Wes Clark ‘24 (right). Photos by Sydney Schertz ‘24.

I know it’ll help me reach my directorial goals!”

Another way Wes is reaching for his goal is by creating his own content. Using a camera provided by the school, he’s been able to write, direct, and produce an original script here on Davidson’s campus. Still in production, the movie is called Gap Year and tells the story of a high school boy who runs away from home after his mother’s death. After a drunken stupor, he ends up on a college campus (Davidson) and strikes a deal with a failing student to take his classes in exchange for a place to live. As of now, Clark has filmed over half the scenes and is aiming to be able to present the full movie before finals in the spring.

While the film has been cast and is already in production,

Wes is offering a chance to include more of the school in his work. What does he need? He needs extras: people who are willing to stand in the background of scenes. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll be able to say that you helped Wes Clark, the famous director (and fellow Wildcat) on the path to achieving his dreams.

If you’re interested in being an extra, please contact weclark@ davidson.edu.

Spencer Hawkins ‘23 (he/him) is a Theater and Computer Science double major from Spokane Valley, WA. He can be reached for comment at weclark@davidson.edu

Living Davidson Hungry Holiday Down 1 Scouting missions 2 Roast ___ (Thanksgiving table sight) 3 Cleans, as a whiteboard 4 Kind of computer port 5 Alfred Nobel, for one 6 Ben’s “Meet the Fockers” costar 7 Accrue, as interest 8 Alcohol-free 9 Big Apple restaurateur 10 Brewed drink 11 See 61-Across 12 Amscrayed 13 “Happy Motoring” brand 18 Acknowledge tacitly 22 Advil competitor 24 Abbreviation in car sales 27 “The Rainmaker” star Matt 28 Computer fodder 29 Old singer Carr 31 Old comedian Louis 32 Didn’t keep standing 34 Neighbor of Suriname and Venezuela 36 “... two peas in a ___” 37 Old actress Lupino 38 Sweet ___ (Thanksgiving table sight) 40 Cheep home?

43 Tightening tool 45 Blender sound 49 Address part for Gannon Univ.

50 Need after cleaning a Thanksgiving table?

51 Battery terminals 53 “___ Amore” 54 “Common” thing that’s not always common 55 Bad-mouth 56 City on the Humboldt 57 Put to sleep, in a way 58 Environmental activist Brockovich 61 Lion or tiger 62 Wager

Victor “Vic” Fleming ‘73 is an Arkansas traffic court judge and the author of several books on legal humor. For students at Davidson, however, he is probably best known as the man behind the Davidsonian’s crossword puzzles. I sat down with him to learn more about his life, his career, and his crosswords. An excerpt of the interview is below, and the entirety of the interview (including more details about his career, the crossword puzzle he co-wrote with Bill Clinton, and the documentary his original song is featured in) is published on the Davidsonian’s website.

Have you always loved crosswords? When did you first get into them?

My mother solved crossword puzzles. And I remember seeing them in school periodicals that came out maybe on a national basis, but that were available in elementary school. And I was always fascinated by grids that had blanks that needed to be filled in. By the time I was in eighth or ninth grade, my mother was encouraging me to solve crossword puzzles, [and I] solved them radically through high school. I remember solving one in [the] Charlotte Observer most days when I was here [at] Davidson [where] I was in a position to save a paper every day. So yeah, it’s been a long time. I’ve enjoyed solving them for a long time. And, you know, I always wondered about the bylines on the New York Times puzzles [and thought] that if they can do this I ought to be able to do it, and so I had this goal at some point in life to learn how to make them.

What ultimately spurred you to go from a consumer to a creator of crosswords?

There were two things that happened that jumped into my consciousness. Number one, I read an article in Delta Airlines magazine about a guy named Merl Reagle. Merl [was] making the Sunday puzzle for the San Francisco Examiner, and it was syndicated to about 25 or 30 papers around the country. He was making a living making crossword puzzles, and there was this biographical feature on him. And within a week or two [of] my reading that article and formulating a dozen questions or so in my head,

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Vic Fleming: Author, Judge, Cruciverbalist KATIE STEWART ‘23 (SHE/HER) NEWS CO-EDITOR

Answers:

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4 You, in the Yucatán 9 Crab-walk 14 Where It. and Fr. are 15 Attest 16 Real estate measures 17 ___ sauce (Thanksgiving table sight) 19 Where the buoys are 20 “___, let me get this straight” 21 Cacophony 22 Enhances 23 “I Want You to ___” (Celine Dion song) 25 They may be picked 26 Computer setups, e.g. (abbr.)

27 Aria performer 30 Word from a German count 33 Introduction to ___ Chemistry (course taught by Profs. Carrol, Snyder, and Stevens) 35 Novelist Seton 36 “Great Expectations” kid 39 ___ pie (Thanksgiving table sight) 41 Obtain 42 ___-Eaters 44 “If Only ___” (Patti Labelle song) 46 Kind of mining 47 “No” voter 48 Biblical land with a queen 52 Abbreviation on an envelope 54 Add, as to a batter 55 “You ___!”

57 Davidson College ___ Club (apiarian organization) 59 Puerto ___ 60 Kauai greeting 61 With 11-Down, Thanksgiving table sight 63 Clay pigeon sport 64 Stand up 65 ___-orientation programs 66 Invitation orderers 67 Legal principle 68 Six-pack units

Crosswords by Victor Fleming ‘73

Last Week’s

Crossword

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Will Shortz [the New York Times crossword puzzle editor] was interviewed on 60 Minutes. So those two things happen back to back, [and] I somehow found Merl’s email address — or maybe I sent him a hardcopy letter, maybe I found that snail mail. But I communicated with him, and I got a reply from him that was very encouraging. And so I took that as a sign. Also, I had become a judge a few years earlier in 1997. Before that I was [a] self employed, practicing lawyer. So as a self-employed person [I] was working 60-80 hours a week. [When I] became a judge [I was] suddenly a government employee and could actually get the job done in 35 hours or so. So that left 40 hours to fill with spare time.

One of the things I wanted to do was learn how to play the guitar.

So I did that. And then I wanted to pursue crossword puzzles at a different level. And I did that.

What’s your process when constructing a crossword? And how long does it take you?

Well, making a crossword puzzle is a four-step process. One is theme development, two is grid construction, three is filling the grid, and four is writing the clues. Now, most puzzles have themes, but even puzzles that don’t have themes are almost always begun with what we call seed entries. For regular themes, it’s an idea that can can have repetition in it. So you have three, four, five, sometimes six theme answers that have something in common.

And for purposes of doing a New York Times quality puzzle, I like to have 300 to 400% of what I need. So if I need four answers, I like to research it until I find twenty that would work. Then I know I’m picking out the best four. Theme development for a New York Times puzzle can take two or three hours. Or it can take 30 minutes based on the quality of an idea that you might have from looking at a billboard or dream you had last night or a phrase or something out of a novel that you might be reading. You take your theme answers that you’re going to use, put them into a blank grid, and then in the blank grid, you put in black squares. There are rules that govern that: basically 16% of the of the grid can be covered with black squares. And you place those black squares according to what you’re doing [with the puzzle] down the road. In a way, like life, each step that you take determines what’s available to you afterwards. Once that grid is created, you then want to fill up the grid. You want to use stuff that’s lively [and] friendly in the

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language accessible to the consumer. And the very last thing is writing the clues. We all have the same database, those of us who make puzzles, where we can look up virtually every clue that’s ever been used for any word that’s ever been in a crossword puzzle.

So I double check; I try to write the clues off the top of my head.

You do seem to have a very busy life. Do you have any advice for students on how to juggle different commitments and prioritize?

I think the one thing that I would say is—well, you’re familiar with Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”? “The Road Not Taken” is often read at graduation events in praise of someone who is taking a less conventional choice in life. And so it’s very often interpreted, by speakers as well as consumers [...] that it’s okay to take that less traveled road. And maybe someday you come back to the more traveled road. But I think the more important aspect of that poem—and this is my advice—is that there are two roads there. If there are two, there [has] to be more than two.

And a lot of people, whether they want to or not, wind up doing two or more things in order to live their lives. One may be the primary thing they do [to] mak[e] a living, one may be the primary thing that they do [to] hav[e] fun, and the other may be getting married or having children and whatnot. But recognize early on [that] if you will be traveling more than one road, you don’t have to rule something out just because you’re doing something else.

The

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Irreverent student journalism since 2004. Castigat Ridendo Mores.

inside

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Choose Your Own AdChoose Your Own venture: Waiting for Your Adventure: First Food Truck Order at Time at a Gay Bar Fall Fest Page Mommy? Sorry, Page Purgatory Mommy?

Choose Your Own Adventure: Scoopie of Danger Page Lactose Intolerance

CYOA: Davidson Wildlife

irst, do you like to go for walks during the day or in the evening/at night? a. During the day (go to 1) b. At night (go to 2) 1. The sun is blazing bright as you loop around Patterson Court. You’re feeling a bit thirsty, do you spring for a $30 Nummit beverage or walk back to your dorm to make yourself a tea or coffee? a. It always tastes better when I pay for it because capitalism (go to 3) b. I’m already in dining dollar debt, let’s go home (go to 4) 2. You’re feeling restless tonight. Do you take a walk through the town or on the cross country trails? a. I’m scared of the dark, let’s go for the well-lit town streets (go to 5) b. I need to feel something--the woods (go to 6) 3. You enter Nummit and pay for your drink. As you exit, you see Outside Andy has set up his hammock between two trees out back and is humming while strumming a guitar, barefoot. It’s his mating call, an acoustic version of Wonderwall. While largely harmless if left alone, maintain your distance as you continue on your walk.

4. You enter your dorm room and start to boil some water. Suddenly, you feel something crawl across your foot. You look down and give a yelp--that’s right, it’s a humongous cockroach! Can you believe that you pay $7,700 a year for these digs while the cockroach gets it for free?

5. As you’re strolling along, you hear panting and munching nearby. Do you: a. Investigate the noise--someone might be in trouble! (go to 7) b. Nah, man, this is above your paygrade. Let’s go back to campus (go to 8) 6. You’re walking through cross country trails and come to a small clearing. In the middle you see a bunch of K-Sig boys, butt naked, engaged in an erotic brotherhood ritual. The whispers of “no homo” follow you as you slowly back away, having had enough of an encounter with creatures of the night.

7. You peer under a hedge into the backyard of some probably upper-middle class white Davidson resident who has a stable job in something vaguely corporate, but still homely in feel, and has three beautiful chil-

The Choose Your Own Adventure Issue

November 17, 2021

dren that are all above average. In this immaculately-maintained backyard (who does their landscaping?

Physical Plant?) you see a coyote absolutely going to town on the carcass of a deer. Like seriously devouring. I mean, really making some sweet love to this corpse in the way it was gnawing on the entrails. You can tell that this coyote, while hungry, has a sensitive soul. Do you: a. Recognize a kindred spirit when you see one. (go to 9) b. Remember what the email from Davidson told you and haze the deer (go to 10) 8. As you are walking back to your dorm, you pass the huge dumpster outside Belk. Suddenly, three shapes emerge from the dumpster, hurtling through space and time: it’s a trio of raccoons ready to protect your territory. You try to run, but it’s too late--you got Buddy the Elf hugged by these bad boys, and that’s going to mean several rabies shots in the morning.

9. As you get closer to the coyote, you make eye contact, and you realize that this is your destiny. You decide in that instant to drop out of school and travel in this coyote’s pack, becoming one with nature and healing your ancestral trauma.

10. You pick up some sticks to hurl at the coyote while yelling expletives like, “Your mom’s a ho” and “You look like a wrestler.” The coyote backs off and you continue on your walk. You eventually make it back to your dorm, have a mediocre 2.5 more years of college then graduate cum laude, get a somewhat respectable job at your dad’s firm, and live out the rest of your days in monotonous comfort, while in the back of your mind you think to yourself some evenings as you watch the sun melt into the horizon and the endings of all things suddenly feels very present, “What if…”

CYOA: Trip to CVS

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ou have run out of deodorant. Let’s be honest. You ran out of deodorant a week ago and you’ve just been scraping your armpits with plastic for the past seven days. So it’s time to get some more. Time to go to CVS. When you arrive at CVS, you head to the deodorant isle. But oh no!

The person you hooked up with last weekend is standing there. Do you: a. Walk up next to them and grab your deodorant. (Go to 1) b. Hide in the greeting card isle until the coast is clear. (Go to 2) 1. You confidently go to grab yourself some deodorant. They are reaching for the same deodorant you are about to reach for. They notice you. Do you: a. Look at them and say, “Oh heck yeah. Deodorant buddies!” (Go to 3) b. Grab the deodorant and quickly make your way to self-checkout without acknowledging them. (Go to 4) 2. You scurry to find refuge in the greeting card isle. But when you reach the greeting card isle, your old lab partner that didn’t do anything for your chem class is standing there, looking through the cards. Do you: a. Leave the isle. Avoid them. (Go to 4) b. Look through the cards in order to waste time, hoping they don’t recognize you. (Go to 5) 3. Your latest hookup stares at you in disbelief. They are now seriously regretting their decision to hook up with you. They shake their head and walk away. Do you: a. Cry. You really only have one option at this point.

4. You quickly grab a box of toothpaste off the shelf to have something to buy, so if your hookup does happen to see you it doesn’t look like you’re just here to stalk them. There is a line for self-checkout. Do you: a. Go to the counter and actually interact with a person in order to buy your toothpaste without having to wait in line. (Go to 6) b. Wait in line for self-checkout. (Go to 7) 5. You look through the greeting cards, pretending to browse. Your old lab partner doesn’t recognize you. Probably because the entire lab was on Zoom and cameras were optional. Phew. You spend 10 minutes browsing through greeting cards until you decide that the coast should probably be clear. Go to 4.

6. You put the toothpaste box on the counter and the cashier looks at you for a little bit longer than normal. You look down at the toothpaste.

You are horrified. You didn’t grab toothpaste you grabbed a pregnancy test! Oh no. And suddenly you see movement and standing right behind you waiting in line is your crush! You have never spoken to them except one time you liked a 121 week old photo on their Instagram profile. You die inside.

7. You stand in line for self-checkout. Your hookup walks up right behind you. Oh no, you think. But they say hi. That’s strangely relieving, you think. You also so hi. “Just restocking on the essentials,” you say to fill the awkward silence and hold up the toothpaste box. But it is not toothpaste box. You accidently grabbed athletes foot cream. You die inside.

As you can see, Davidson run-ins are inevitable.

CYOA: “Choose” Your Own Adventure, Yeah Right

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our alarm goes off and you wake up, stretch, and open up your laptop to Davidson College’s Banner Self Serve because this morning is add/drop! Unfortunately, you mixed up fall back and spring forward with fall forward and spring back, so your clock has been wrong for several days and it is actually 8 am. You’ve missed add/ drop entirely, and only a few classes remain.

Luckily you have a passion for: a. The sciences! Jump to 1. b. Humanities all the way. Jump to 2.

1.You add the last remaining physics class on theoretical physics. Reading through the syllabus you finally start to grasp that every-

The

Yowl

thing is made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons which are governed by laws of physics and therefore the free will you’ve come to understand you suddenly aren’t so sure of.

Jump to 3.

crisis, you decide to: a. Reject all uncertainty. Of course free will exists! Jump to 4. b. Accept that maybe you aren’t as much of a free thinker as you thought. Jump to 5.

2. You add a philosophy course titled “Philosophical Problems 101.” Aftering reading some Niesche and Marx you are feeling a determinist bug coming on, but aren’t quite sure yet how you feel about free will. Jump to 3.

4. The cognitive dissonance overwhelms you… free will must exist, you feel it! Yet the words of the [physics textbook/philosophers] stick with you. In order to reaffirm your individualism, you redownload the game Episode™, the interactive video game. Quickly you become obsessed. Looking down at your phone completely consumed with the illusion of control, you run into a lamp post. Jump to 6.

3. Confronted with the reality that all of your choices are a lot more influenced by environment and biology than you previously thought, you start to panic. After an initial moment of

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK “You seem like you were left in your crib as a baby.”

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5. You go all the way in the direction of determinism and in fact embrace determinism so much that you buy a Magic 8 ball to make all your decisions for you. Completely absorbed by the anticipation of what your Magic 8 ball will instruct you to do next, you run into a lamp post. Jump to 6.

6. You wake up groggily in a field of flowers.

A Godly presence (think Whoopi Goldberg’s The Boss in It’s a Very Muppet Christmas) approaches you. Suddenly all of your doubts and fears and uncertainties are alleviated. You now know all of the answers to the questions about free will.

Note!

The Yowl does not endorse the concept of free will. In fact, if we could rewind time, you would probably pick the exact sme choices barring molecular uncetainty, but that’s not realy free will anyways, is it? But also we know nothing and you know nothing and together we know nothing.

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

Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.