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Petition for legacy-blind and non-binding early admission policies released
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Volume 114, Issue 15
February 20, 2019
Nick Nguyen ‘22 reflects upon his first-generation, lowincome experience
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Beer sales boost profits at men’s basketball games this season
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Arrogant Yowl editor bids farewell, officially sells out
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Charlotte Hosts NBA All-Star Weekend Post-HB2 BEN PATE ‘22 STAFF WRITER
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he NBA’s All-Star Weekend, last held in Charlotte in 1991, returned to the Queen City this past weekend after a long hiatus, bringing with it legendary athletes, excited fans, and unfortunate memories of North Carolina’s recent political history. North Carolina’s Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act—better known as HB2 or “the Bathroom Bill”—was passed in March 2016 in response to a Charlotte city ordinance that added sexual orientation and gender identity to its list of protections against discrimination. Dr. Michael Bitzer, visiting political science professor and expert on NC politics, explained that Charlotte’s ordinance “set up an us-versus-them mentality between Charlotte and [NC capital] Raleigh.” The state bill was designed to counteract the city’s ordinance, declaring municipal expansions of civil protections illegal without state approval. After Charlotte’s ordinance passed, the NC legislature called a special session and passed HB2, creating “a blanket ban on local non-discrimination acts,” according to Bitzer. This particular blanket, however, was aimed directly at Charlotte. Among the first reactions to HB2 was the NBA, which pulled its 2017 All-Star Weekend out of Charlotte and moved it to New Orleans. Groups such as the NCAA also threatened to begin pulling events out of the state if the law was not changed, such that the economic effects of HB2 reached much further than the legislature could have predicted. Bitzer cites a report from the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce putting Charlotte’s losses alone due to Steph Curry and other NBA all-stars join for nights of competition and recognition at HB2 at nearly $250 million. However, Charlotte was certainly not the The Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Photos by Ethan Ehrenhaft ‘20.
only city impacted by the bill; states such as California, Washington, and New York limited or banned travel by state employees to North Carolina while the bill was actively a law, and California and Washington continue to prevent all non-essential travel to the state. This national backlash ultimately drew even international attention to North Carolina, ultimately hurting the economy and the state’s reputation even more. These economic impacts are not the only effects of HB2’s passage into law. While Charlotte was losing money, the state was also losing the support of many of its constituents. Matthew LeBar ‘19, Chair of the Center for Political Engagement, noted the loss of confidence many Davidson students and North Carolinians experienced in the wake of HB2: “[the law] makes a lot of people less friendly to NC politics and a little bit less at home in the state we go to school in.” Additionally, the reaction towards the law in Charlotte for some was one of disgust. “Everyone [in Charlotte] was upset that the law was so clearly targeted at a distinct minority” explained Bryan Kirk ‘22, a Charlotte native. On campus, Ellie Barlow ‘19, Queers & Allies’ resident specialist on HB2, noted Davidson administration’s quick reaction to the law, saying that “transgender people could use the restroom of their choice here at Davidson.” She added that Davidson students’ “behavior wasn’t really altered by the law because there was no enforcement of [HB2] to begin with.” The outrage at the idea behind HB2 and its inception was rooted in the struggle for equality for its opponents. Bitzer explained that HB2 represents “a broader issue about basic, funda-
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Health Concerns Prompt Investigation of NC Coal Ash
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JULIA KNOERR ‘21 SENIOR STAFF WRITER
hile coal ash basin closure remains a pertinent topic of discussion, community members perhaps feel more direct impacts through rising health and environmental injustices across North Carolina. In particular, increasing cases of thyroid cancer and ocular melanoma in unusual populations and rates have raised questions about potential links to environmental factors. In a 2018 report, Iredell County displayed higher five-year thyroid cancer rates than other areas in the state, with the majority in the 28115 and 28117 zip codes These zip codes are just north of Duke Energy’s Marshall Steam Station respectively, and 16 miles from the McGuire nuclear plant. Radiation, the only confirmed environmental exposure linked to thyroid cancer, can enter the atmosphere through ash produced from burning coal for electricity. Susan Wind, the mother of a thyroid cancer patient, shared her teenage daughter Taylor’s story. Over a couple of years, Taylor suffered symptoms including headaches, wait gain, and fatigue. She developed a small lump under her ear, yet doctors continued to claim her symptoms were normal for a teenage girl and that she had nothing to worry about. After hearing about multiple young individuals in the area with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Wind asked her doctor to order an ultrasound and test. They found her daughter had papillary thyroid cancer that had metastasized, spreading throughout her neck and lymph nodes. Wind shared, “obviously it was a shock, because supposedly young girls don’t get thyroid can-
cer.” After hearing similar stories from friends and neighbors, Wind decided to take action. She brought Iredell County’s abnormal cancer rates to her doctor’s attention and contacted Duke University researcher Dr. Heather Stapleton to arrange a study. To secure funding, Wind organized a 5K race in April 2018 and raised $109,000. Last summer, Stapleton began testing potential environmental factors. Wind emphasized, “We can’t say the coal ash is causing the thyroid cancer because that would be irresponsible, because they’re not done with all their research. But the thing that’s very nerve-racking is that Marshall Steam Station is in my backyard.” Health and Human Values professor Dr. Patrick Baron reflected on necessary criteria for causality over e-mail, contemplating, “Is coal ash residue the only carcinogen driving up cancer rates in this population? Are the agents contributing to cancer rates just in the surface/recreational water? Are they also to be found in the drinking water? The ambient air?” Baron suggests examining sick individuals’ lifestyles and environmental exposures to search for factors associated with thyroid cancer. In contrast, Duke Energy representative Bill Norton claims coal ash pits do not presently raise health concerns. He stated that the company’s work complies with strict air emissions controls, water discharge permits, and public safety regulations. Norton continued, “we’ve got extensive testing, not just by us, but independently by the state, by universities, by public water suppliers, that prove[s] that water supplies are safe from
coal ash impacts now.” However, Environmental Studies major Emma Brentjens ’21 cautioned against company bias in testing and added, “Duke has great [personal relations] I’m sure. They can spin anything…Definitely don’t believe everything you hear from a company like Duke Energy.” A 2018 report found that individuals living proximate to coal-fired plants suffered higher disease, lung cancer, and mortality rates. Factors include exposure to air pollutants as well as heavy metals and radioactive isotopes in coal ash. The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation’s Brandon Jones confirmed via email that coal ash contains many carcinogens with known health impacts. Despite the current lack of conclusive findings tying coal ash to specific health conditions, Frank Holleman, Senior Attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, argued, “Although we don’t know what caused any particular individual’s illness, we do know that this kind of pollution increases the risks for the community as a whole. There is no point of incurring that risk.” At the same time, Baron recognized, “The problem is: how do you protect people, and exercise precaution, before you have complete evidence to establish who may be at risk and why?” He noted that officials have informed the public of new cases of thyroid cancer, interpreted data, and conducted interviews. Yet Baron also acknowledged the challenge of systematic protection, highlighting the need for increased data collection and
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News
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Just Admissions Questions Legacy Policy KAIZAD IRANI ‘22 STAFF WRITER
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hen looking at an application for admission, Davidson College states on its website that they engage in a “holistic review” and pay special attention to “difficulty of high school course selection” and the “breadth of extracurricular pursuits.” Some students, however, believe that another factor is playing a large role in promoting systemic inequality in Davidson’s admissions policy. Nearly a week after the release of a petition calling on Davidson College to offer a Jewish Studies program, the Student Government Association (SGA) emailed out another petition floating around campus. Written by the Davidson Students for Just Admissions organization, the petition calls upon Davidson to create a legacy-blind admissions policy and replace its early decision application option with either a non-binding or single choice early action option. Emma Tayloe ‘19 leads Davidson Students for Just Admissions. A legacy student herself, Tayloe wants to help Davidson admissions become more fair and inclusive. “The group consists of legacy students, including myself, as well as first generation [students] and students of color,” said Tayloe. “Davidson was one of the first colleges to establish a need-blind admissions program, and we should continue our role as a leader for equitable admissions.”
“Davidson was one of the first colleges to establish a needblind admissions program, and we should continue our role as a leader for equitable admissions.” Emma Tayloe ‘19 According to page six of the 2018-2019 Davidson Common Data Set, legacy status is also considered in a student’s application to Davidson. “Davidson is about 25% more white than our self-identified peer institutions, and legacy preference contributes to this,” said Tay-
loe. “Most legacy students are white because Davidson did not start accepting non-white applicants until 1963. Furthermore, due to the wealth status of most legacies, they are given an additional and explicit advantage in the application process.” The petition also calls on the removal of early decision from the application process. The petition states that the binding early decision option is not fair to those applicants who may need financial aid. Instead, Davidson Students for Just Admissions want a non-binding early action process or a single-choice early action policy, which allow students to apply early to a school in a non-binding commitment. “Early decision hurts applicants as it does not allow those accepted to evaluate their financial aid packages, making it hard to commit when you do not know what your aid will be,” expressed Tayloe. “Although we are need-blind, I still see students receiving federal aid and experiencing financial hardships.” The petition is directed towards Davidson’s Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Christopher Gruber. Gruber explained that he has taken suggestions from Davidson Students for Just Admissions in the past to help reform the school’s admissions process. “It would be very difficult for us to be blind in a process when there is a great context that is shared when we understand where a family comes from. The questions on our application such as ‘Where did your parents attend? Where did your siblings attend?’ just gives us context,” said Gruber. “However, we now recognize the problems associated with directly asking an applicant about that information. Those questions will not be on the application process starting next cycle, and I credit that decision to [Davidson Students for Just Admissions]. We are replacing that question with a broader one that simply says, how did you learn about Davidson?” Gruber argues that legacy students do not get an advantage in the process solely because they have family associated with the school. “Everyone is getting the same review. To imply that something is being given to them that elevates them in a process by way of a profile so that an inferior student is being admitted is not the case,” said Gruber, who noted the acceptance rate is higher for applicants who have family ties to high caliber colleges, not solely Davidson. In response to the claim that early decision is not fair due to the inherent advantage given to families that can pay the cost of attendance, Gruber disagreed and stated that while that
Illustration by Marquia Humphries ‘22 was true in the past, it is no longer the case. “We used to say to families that if the decision of where your child will be going for the next four years will be influenced by the amount of aid received through need or merit based aid to not apply early decision. Why? Because, we never had the ability to share to families how much they would be receiving by the means of aid until the spring,” said Gruber. “However, this changed in 2011 when every college and university in the United States became required to have a net price calculator... Today, we have the same percentage of those qualified for aid in early decision, as we do in regular,” added Gruber. “As a result, the thought of saying that early decision is not fair is one that I totally disagree with. Those are fair questions to raise about the process a decade ago, but not now.” In a 2017 email to Tayloe, Gruber linked legacy preference and early decision benefits: “The acceptance of legacy students [at Davidson] are typically about two times the regular admission rate to the college, yet appreciate that this preference is given primarily to those students that are applying to the college under our early decision (binding) program.” Students on campus recognize the complex-
ity regarding the debate on Davidson’s admissions policy. Chloe Craig ‘22 is a fifth-generation legacy student who recognizes her status as a legacy and wishes there was more transparency coming from Davidson admissions. “I do recognize all the benefits I got from being a legacy early-decision applicant, and I see how it can be perceived as being unfair,” shared Craig. “However, I honestly believe that the students who attend Davidson, including those who are legacies or early-decision students, truly deserve to be here. Yet, I wish the Admissions Office was more transparent with their policies and expectations.” Although Gruber disagrees with most aspects of the petition, he says that he is looking forward to working with the group and improving dialogue about admissions on campus. “We are looking forward to discussing with students how our application process works and what is weighted, perhaps with a Common Hour talk,” said Gruber. “The reality is that they [Davidson for Just Admissions] are looking to make things better, and they have already done that. Error on me if the changes that we are implementing were not publicly known.”
Charlotte Welcomes NBA All-Stars for the Weekend CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 mental civil rights for individuals” in the LGBTQ+ community. Amidst the backlash on every level from local to international, and with threats from the NCAA, NBA, and other organizations piling up, the legislature eventually decided to partially repeal HB2 in March of 2017. Shortly afterwards, the NBA announced the All-Star weekend would return to Charlotte for 2019. While the North Carolina legislature did technically repeal and replace HB2, the replacement law still carries the same stipulation as HB2 did to begin with, albeit with a time limit:
under the current law, municipalities may not pass their own anti-discrimination ordinances until 2020. This repeal-that-isn’t ultimately has not done much in terms of overturning the most controversial aspects of the law, as the three year limit on new local anti-discrimination protections has been described as “reinforcing the worst aspects of [HB2]” by ACLU LGBT Project director James Esseks in a statement released following the new bill’s passage.. The deadline is the result of negotiations between NC Republicans, who strongly opposed doing anything to change HB2, and their Democratic counterparts who desired a full repeal. The replacement deal was enough for the NCAA and NBA to remain in the state, and the NBA’s All-Star Weekend this
past Friday through Sunday is an example of the impact of the legislature’s decision. Looking to the future, Athletic Director Chris Clunie ‘06 is optimistic regarding the future of Charlotte and North Carolina. Regarding the return of All-Star Weekend, he explained: “I think it speaks to the growth of Charlotte...I think it speaks to the prospects and potential that Charlotte has shown and developed.” Still, the tension originally caused by the bill lives on, as neither side is fully content with the outcome of the repeal of HB2. Bitzer recognized that HB2 “is very much endemic of the polarized politics… that our nation is currently confronting.”
Coal Ash Poses Potential Health Risks in the Area CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 formal health recommendations. While public officials have attempted to keep communities informed, both Brentjens and Environmental Studies Professor Dr. Erik Kojola underscored these efforts’ limits. Kojola characterized community input meetings as “necessary but also insufficient,” explaining that they “often will end up being ways of sort of diverting public attention without meaningful change.” Issues with accessibility, particularly for individuals with children or multiple
jobs, technical language, and outreach efforts hamper meeting effectiveness. Furthermore, populations do not experience impacts equally. Kojola stated that exposure to risk can vary by race, gender and class, calling for examination of site placement history and communities that live downstream. Brentjens explained that companies often place coal ash ponds in predominantly low-income or minority communities because a lower financial status and lack of political power inhibits resistance. Moreover, risks also amplify during natural
disasters and for workers tasked with addressing spills. During Hurricane Florence, coal ash gained media attention in North Carolina when the Cape Fear River flooded two coal ash basins at Duke Energy’s L.V. Sutton Plant. Debate has arisen over the potential dangers of this dam breach. For affected individuals, health care disparities also raise concerns. Kojola illustrated, “People who have good health insurance can maybe get the preventative check-ups or the monitoring that you would want.” Comparatively, uninsured or underinsured individuals
might not be able to afford care. Moving forward, Brentjens suggests volunteering in health clinics, reading the news, and writing representatives. Reflecting on Davidson’s role, Baron sees opportunities to generate research, analysis, and knowledge. He added, “We can also be community health advocates for the best possible strategies and evidence-based policies to protect human health.” Though college students may feel incapable of countering Duke Energy’s lobbying, Baron affirmed, “A healthy public is actively engaged in their collective health.”
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February 20, 2019
Memory Commons Confronts Southern History
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SAVANNA VEST ‘22 STAFF WRITER
he Memory Commons class, an initiative of the new Interlinked Memory Studies Courses at Davidson, took a fully funded study trip to Montgomery, Alabama, to examine “sites of memory” within the United States. The Memory Commons is a new academic format this spring semester that features a set of social science and humanities-based classes. Each course has one individual class meeting per week to discuss course-specific content, as well as a gathering of the multiple courses to discuss the ways in which their disciplines individually relate to and collectively intersect with the theme of memory. The selected memory courses for this semester are “Growing Up Jim Crow” with Dr. Hilton Kelly (Educational Studies and Africana Studies), “Collective Memory” with Dr. Kristi Multhaup (Psychology), “Introduction to Writing Fiction” with Dr. Alan Michael Parker (English), “The Holocaust and Representation” with Dr. Scott Denham (German Studies), and “Memory and Identity in the People’s Republic of China” with Dr. Dáša Mortensen (History). This Memory Commons, comprised of over 70 students across the five classes, is an exploration in academic studies for Davidson, where the average class size is 15 and 75% of classes have 20 students or less. “One thing that makes it unique is the structure,” Multhaup said. “While we hope that students engage across disciplinary silos as liberal arts college students, this set of interlinked courses provides institutional support for cross-disciplinary discussions.” The biggest challenge students and faculty identified involved the ability to engage with such a large class size. Since it is an experimental course, the faculty have been exploring different teaching styles with each Memory Commons meeting in order to find ways to best engage the students. “Creating a sense of community within a classroom environment takes time, and it is very challenging to do so with a large group of students,” Mortensen said. “We hope that by the end of the semester, we will have nurtured a classroom envi-
ronment that celebrates risk-taking, creativity, intellectual rigor, active listening, vulnerability, and empathy. We hope that every member of this course will be fully engaged and will actively contribute to discussions about memory—in and outside of class.” Students noted that while the class size can be difficult to navigate, the group interaction between students of different classes can provide opportunities for insightful reflection, so long as students take these opportunities. One such opportunity was the trip to Alabama, including a three-hour visit to The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, located at the former site of 19th century slave holding pens. Students and faculty also visited the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The site opened in 2018 after, according to the organization’s website, the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) “began investigating thousands of racial terror lynchings in the American South, many of which had never been documented.” The EJI is a Montgomery non-profit organization that advocates for the rights and just treatment of prisoners, and both sites of the trip are initiatives of the EJI. Mortensen explained, “Our goal in bringing our Memory Commons class to Montgomery was to introduce students, faculty, and staff to these important sites of memory, to educate us about historical and ongoing issues of racial and socio-economic injustice, and to spark difficult, thorny, and important conversations about race, poverty, violence, trauma, silencing, and remembering.” Throughout the trip, the Memory Commons group had discussions led by Kiara Boone ‘11 and Mickey Hubbard ‘08, who both work with EJI. The faculty who planned the study trip intentionally chose the locations to demonstrate sites of memory, the potential implications of forgetting history, and the importance of understanding history in relation to the present. “The Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice are excellent examples of how collective silencing and forgetting has taken place in the United States, and how the Equal Justice Initiative has strived to lay the foundation for re-remembering and re-narrating the past and present,” Mortensen said.
While the trip featured sites engaging with US history, students discussed the importance of students’ participation when reflecting on the trip. “I would’ve appreciated this trip a lot more if everyone took this opportunity to be transparent with each other, to really understand that we all play a role in this history,” said Maurice J. Norman ‘20. “It’s a shared history between white folk and black folk, so how can we talk about it? . . . There’s so much that could’ve been engaged with that just was not.” Chloe deBeus ‘21, a student in “Growing Up Jim Crow,” commented: “The biggest takeaway was the importance of acknowledgement. Many people at the Equal Justice Initiative emphasized that we need to acknowledge the past and present violence of this country, and that’s what the sites represent. Additionally, peers mentioned acknowledging feelings and emotions when experiencing the sites. The trip had mixed reviews, but I learned a lot from the sites and my peers.” Norman spoke to the importance of engaging in conversations about historical and modern issues relating to race in the United States. “It’s really an individual effort that takes place in a collective group, but when every individual is comfortable with silence, it will be silent,” Norman said. “Being uncomfortable in a conversation is where the growth happens, so I never understand the justification that ‘I feel too uncomfortable to enter this conversation,’ because white silence is just as bad as white violence.” Students of the Memory Commons said that critical and meaningful discussion comes from personal student initiative to engage by actively contributing and listening to one another in conversation. “There are so many things happening, and it all begins with conversation, recognition, and acknowledgement. . . . It’s creating a space where people feel welcome to speak, but it’s also people stepping up to speak,” Norman said.
Crime Log FEBRUARY 14
Takeaways
1.Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) Wellness Vending Machine Pilot Funding 2.SGA Reflection Story Circles CatCard Services is working to make student ID cards meet voter ID requirements; student action group is no longer needed. SGA voted to fund the PPGA wellness vending machine. The machine will most likely be placed by the Union gym. SGA reflected on what they have accomplished over the last semester and their time in Student Government as a whole. This week’s meeting will be the first with Emmitt Sklar ’21 and Gina Martinez ’20 as President and Vice President, respectively.
Attendance
Agenda
LIZZIE KANE ‘22 SGA CORRESPONDENT
Non-Excused Tardees: Wilson Pava ’19, Nilay Ghatlia ’21, Oguzhan Colkesen ’22, Brandon Harris ’22, Bess Li ’19
Time Reported
Description/Location
2/06/19
Dating Violence
2/08/19 at 0100 hrs
Underage Consumption
2/10/19 at 0139hrs
Simple Assault on Female
2/10/19 at 0228 hrs
Underage Consumption
Off Campus, Prosecution Declined
Belk, Dean Referral
Armfield, Further Investigation
Watts, Dean Referral/ Transport
2/12/19 at 0508 hrs
Breaking and/or Entering
2/12/19 at 0905 hrs
Larceny (sign)
2/12/19 at 1300 hrs
2nd Degree Trespass
Chambers, Further Investigation
Union PVA, Further Investigation
Townhomes, Further Investigation
2/13/19
Rape Residence Hall, Prosecution Declined
Perspectives
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Itziri Gonzalez-Barcenas ’19 Pay Attention to ICE’s Entrenchment in Our Communities
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n February 5th, like any other Tuesday morning, the alarm on my phone rang. The world outside was quiet and somber. After fighting sleep for a few minutes, I finally woke up and checked my agenda to see what lay ahead that day. I got ready, then headed to class. By Common Hour, I was back in my apartment waiting for a phone call. As I waited, I casually checked Facebook. As I scrolled through my homepage, I couldn’t believe what I read. People were posting about an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in Sanford, North Carolina… my hometown. Shocked, I opened my Facebook messages to see if my mom had sent me anything; she had. It was a video of a woman talking about the raid. I saw a familiar face, someone who taught me how to dance and was always the life of the party, on the video; she looked scared. Her voice shook, and she fought tears as she informed people of what had happened. There had been a raid at Bear Creek Arsenal, a manufacturing plant, where almost thirty people were detained by ICE agents. I froze. This was really happening. I felt a huge knot in my stomach. I jumped when I heard my phone ring. Back to present reality; it was my scheduled call. I decided I could push aside my emotions for a
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few minutes to get through it. After my call, I drove home to check on my family. Luckily, I arrived to a full house. While neither of my parents were taken, I know that was not the case for everyone. For instance, while I was home, I met the Morales brothers, both of whom attended my high school, at the local Catholic church. They returned home to find out their mother had been taken by ICE agents. They described the difficulty of concentrating in school and going about their everyday routines while not knowing where their mother was or if she was okay. I began to think about how things on the news often seem to be removed from our lives and our communities–until they aren’t. The ICE raid in Sanford was one of many throughout the state, resulting in over 200 immigrants being detained in North Carolina. In his Charlotte Observer article, Teo Armus quotes Atlanta ICE Field Office Director Sean Gallagher, who claims that there are consequences due to the lack of cooperation with ICE from the sheriffs in some of the largest counties in North Carolina. One of the consequences is the raids. Furthermore, Armus suggests we should expect these raids to be the “new normal” in our communities. When people read about these events, the news sparks immediate reactions of sadness and pain, but those sentiments fade once people return to their normal lives.
t is 8:00 PM and my mom has not come home yet. I decide to start dinner while guiding my brother through his homework; m y homework is not done yet. I know that it will be a late night, most likely ending at 2 AM. I am going to be exhausted tomorrow morning when I go to school at 7:35 AM. After my mom comes home and we eat our late dinner, my brother jumps into bed, waiting for me to tuck him in. I walk into his room, kiss him on the forehead, and walk out. This is what a typical night looks like. Coming from a low-income and single-parent family, I had many responsibilities in high school, oftentimes sacrificing my own well-being for my loved ones. I worked twenty hours on the weekends to earn gas money and a little spending money. When it was time to apply to college, I knew that we couldn’t afford an “elite education.” I went into the college application process thinking I would stay home and go to Salisbury, Maryland’s community college, giving up my dream school at the time, Columbia University. If it wasn’t for my biology teacher, I would not be here at Davidson because she led me to liberal arts colleges and through the ins and outs of financial aid. I went to a high-poverty and minority-majority school, where over half of the students were on the Free and Reduced Meals program, including myself. My school was so focused on pumping out high school graduates that most faculty were unaware of colleges like Davidson and the amount of money they could offer. The Davidson Trust—a pool of money that allows the school to bring in students from low socioeconomic backgrounds because the scholarships meet 100 percent of demonstrated need—makes many people’s education here possible. When I found out I got into Davidson and was a finalist for a full-tuition merit scholarship, I cried so much. Not because I got into a “Top 10 Liberal Arts College,” but because I knew that I had saved my parents from a debilitating financial burden. Because I had to interview for the scholarship, my mom and I drove all the way to Davidson. We were running late so I had to change clothes in the car. I put on my Old Navy khakis and my button-down shirt from Marshall’s and rushed into the Admissions Office. When I walked in, I saw other
However, not everyone has the privilege to return to a “normal life.” Immigrant families’ lives are being turned upside down around us every day. I believe that Davidson students should be more aware of and attentive to these issues. These anti-immigrant acts are not just happening in the form of raids; they are also occurring in the form of programs and policies. Take for example, 287(g), a program in which counties can voluntarily participate in allowing deputies to use immigration databases to determine the immigration status of suspects and hand over undocumented individuals to ICE. Mecklenburg County was one of 78 counties nationwide that participated in the program. Although Mecklenburg County’s new Sheriff Garry McFadden ended the program recently, according to an WFAE article by Nick de la Canal, more than 15,000 people were processed for deportation during the program’s 12 years in the county. The ICE raids, coupled with the anti-immigrant, hostile, political climate and policies, have resulted in ongoing, compounding effects in the immigrant community. ICE is becoming entrenched in our communities through their widespread raids and fear-mongering tactics. “Law and order” is one thing, but inhumane acts of terror that split families apart are another.
The end of 287(g) in Mecklenburg County and the denouncing of ICE raids in a letter signed by seven mayors across North Carolina are signs of hope. But, 287(g) continues to be in effect across several counties in the state, so more has to be done. Through getting informed, voting responsibly, and collaborating with local nonprofits and advocacy groups, we can all contribute to making change here in Mecklenburg County and beyond.
Itziri Gonzalez-Barcenas ‘19 is an Africana Studies major from Sanford, North Carolina. Contact her at itgonzalezbarcenas@davidson. edu.
Nick Nguyen ’22 First-Generation, Low-Income Students Need More Support finalists wearing elegant dresses and refined threepiece suits; I looked down to what I was wearing, and I knew that I was at a place that wasn’t made for me. I put on a smile and introduced myself to the adults and other finalists. During small talk with the other prospective students, our parents’ education came up; my stomach immediately dropped. “Yale University” and “Duke Medical School” were some of the schools tossed around. All of a sudden, it was my turn. I muttered, “My parents didn’t go to college.” Everyone shrugged it off while I dwelled on it. The last thing I wanted to feel was shame because of my background. I was out of my element when I came to Davidson, knowing that not many people like me attended places like this school. Mine is one of the many diverse experiences of FLI (First-Generation and/or Low-Income) students at Davidson College; however, I believe that my experience at Davidson—before I even committed—can represent the atmosphere and culture on campus. There are many struggles and obstacles that come with being FLI. From not being able to see your family for Thanksgiving to not being able to pay for the school’s health insurance, being FLI can be extremely difficult. Pile that on top of not knowing how to study for college-level courses or how to pick the right classes, the first year is always the most challenging for FLI students. Since this label is not a physical identifier, there is this assumption that all students can pay for this or know how to do that. Oftentimes being FLI intersects with many other identities, such as race and gender. Thus, the lack of awareness of FLI students on campus erases a marginalized group from the small margins here at Davidson. The Davidson QuestBridge Chapter is the only organization that supports FLI students on campus. QuestBridge is a prominent community-based organization that connects low-income, high achieving students to their dream schools by offering them full-ride scholarships. Davidson QuestBridge students should not be expected to pay for health insurance, yet many of them were billed $2,295 for mandatory health insurance if they didn’t have a plan already. How
can students who cannot afford for college be expected to pay for health insurance that should be a part of the financial aid package? Instances like this stem from an unawareness of FLI students on campus and what it means to be FLI. Again, FLI students would not be here if it wasn’t for the Davidson Trust and the many other scholarships from gracious donors. However, there is a difference between bringing socioeconomic diversity and having an inclusive campus environment. Diversity is all a numbers game. Without an emphasis on inclusion and awareness, FLI students will never be fully supported. The first step is to create awareness among the student population and Davidson bureaucracy. We have to get rid of the notion that everyone comes from the same socioeconomic background or that everyone’s families are college-educated. The student population is a lot more heterogeneous than people think. By first acknowledging the existence of FLI students on campus, we can advocate for more resources for disadvantaged students, like a summer bridge program that eases the transition to college or specialized career services for FLI students. By doing this, FLI students would be able to thrive, ultimately softening the burdens that come with this identity.
Nick Nguyen ’22 is undeclared from Salisbury, Maryland. Contact him at ninguyen@davidson. edu.
Sports
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Drinking Game: Men’s Basketball Serving
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DREW EASTLAND ‘21 SPORTS CO-EDITOR
he crowd rises together, spectators violently applaud, and the loudspeaker echoes out, “timeout on the court.” As the fans retake their seats for a quick break in the action, a friendly stranger’s voice bellows out “Icccce cold beer heyr!’” This season, Davidson introduced its men’s basketball fans to a special treat: Brickhouse Above the Rim Taproom. For the first time ever, Wildcat fans can buy a beer (or wine) at home men’s basketball games. While Davidson may not have hired an “ice cold beer” bellowing vendor, selling beer comes in as a close second. “It’s something we’ve considered for several years,” Assistant Athletic Director for External Relations Jamie Hendricks explained. “We want [our fan experience] to be more in line with what you would expect if you went to
Illustration by Richard Farrell ‘22
a Hornets game or a Panthers game.” Selling beer centers around improving the stadium ambiance. According to Chris Clunie ‘06, Davidson’s Athletic Director, there has been a nationwide decline in attendance at men’s college football and basketball games. “Our primary objective was to improve the fan experience to drive revenue and attendance,” Clunie commented. “Because you can watch sporting events everywhere, less people are going to live events.” Formerly taboo, selling beer and alcohol at college sporting events has become prominent across the country in the last few years. In fact, ten of fourteen schools in the A-10 now sell alcohol at men’s basketball games. “I don’t know why it was taboo before; it certainly was,” Hendricks said. “I think people were initially concerned that you’re going to just open up a can of worms from a standpoint of fan behavior.” Underage student consumption poses another concern when colleges sell beer. This has created push-back on some colleges selling alcohol in the past. Anticipating this problem, the Athletic Department laid down some ground rules: No beer is allowed in the student section. Beer costs $7.00, a number that generally prices out college students and doesn’t encourage excessive consumption. The alcohol is served in clear plastic cups. People purchasing beer or wine must wear yellow identification bracelets. Finally, gameday staff, sometimes called show pros, go through a full training how to monitor alcohol sales and consumption. “I think we were really comprehensive in the beginning planning of it,” Clunie explained. “We have a lot of contingencies in place to make sure it goes well; to make sure it’s a fun, safe, family friendly atmosphere. That’s never going to change.” Despite the high price point, Davidson students over 21 have made use of the new beer offerings too, although some students find the
Point of Sale: Two Wildcat fans select and purchase beer at Baker Arena. Photo by Katharine Cabot ‘22 rules a little strict. “I think it’s a pretty great option for students who are 21,” said Grant Pecheck ‘19. “It’s a shame the college won’t actually let students take drinks into the student section.” Davidson purchases their beer from local brewer NoDa and sells the beer through Brickhouse’s bartending staff. The deal between Brickhouse and Davidson indicates the strong partnership between the restaurant and college. “[Brickhouse was] more than generous to us,” Hendricks recalled. “Their owner is a wonderful supporter of this college.” So far, beer sales have been a resounding success for fans and the administration. The goal in implementing beer sales, as well as all other stadium improvements, was to increase revenue and attendance. “We have had more sellouts this season than any other time other than when Steph Curry was here,” Associate Athletic Director Scott Applegate said. “We will see a significant increase in profits in the future because most of the upfront costs were one-time pur-
chases.” While the correlation between beer sales and attendance does not necessarily indicate alcohol as a causal factor, there has certainly been a spike in attendance so far this season. Beer sales have been limited to just men’s basketball games. This is likely due to larger crowds these games draw. Soon, the Athletic Department may look to expand beer sales to other sports. In fact, last spring, Davidson sold beer during four baseball weekends. This season, the Athletic Department is hoping to serve alcohol during home conference weekend series. For this season, the largest measure of success may be the fact that few, if any, incidents have occurred due to adding beer sales. There have been few complaints about the new initiative. “Here has been the measure of success: we haven’t heard anything about it,” Clunie said. “Once you do it and it’s quiet, that means it’s pretty good.”
Men’s Tennis Looks to Develop Young Talent
A
WILSON REYNOLDS ‘21 SPORTS WRITER
Weekly Sports Update
fter graduating one of the most successful senior classes in team history last spring, the Wildcats’ men’s tennis squad begins a new chapter with a young starting lineup that has performed well to start the season. The Wildcats are coming off consecutive 16-win seasons and an impressive semi-final finish in the Atlantic 10 tournament last season—their best ever performance in the conference. With the loss of four senior starters, this season poses a new test for the players, but they have proven themselves up to the challenge so far. With such a fresh start, goals for the season were hard to define. “Because it’s such a new squad, we’re really just focusing on the next match,” said Head Coach Drew Barrett. “Growth is important right now… We really just want to compete well and have a chance to win and build confidence.”
2018-19 is Barrett’s thirteenth season as the coach of the Wildcats, and with such experience, he recognizes the need for tapering expectations for the young squad: “At the beginning of the season, with everyone having to move up significant positions, you just didn’t know what you were going to get.” Nevertheless, the ‘Cats began the season with two impressive 7-0 sweeps of Boston University and Winthrop. “In those matches, we were pretty even on paper, but we won every match. No one was really sure how the team was going to play, but we impressed ourselves,” said sophomore Yash Parikh. The team also opened conference play with another 7-0 victory over St. Bonaventure, before falling to Virginia Tech—a program ranked in the nation’s top forty. Barrett believes those matches have been crucial in shaping the team’s identity: “What we’re developing is how we play under pressure. So far, when we’ve gotten the lead, we’ve
swept them, and surprisingly so… Even at Virginia Tech, we won first sets and had chances to win matches.” The season’s early matches have also revealed many of the team’s strengths. “We’re a hardworking group of guys who are very disciplined on the court. We don’t make a whole lot of errors… but we’re very competitive,” said Barrett. “They listen really well and compete hard; it’s a quality you don’t really see from a whole group of guys. In general, these guys are pretty steady in approach; so you can see growth day in and day out.” The growth Barrett is noticing sets the tone well not only for the rest of this season, but for the future of the program as well. With a starting lineup composed of two freshmen, three sophomores, and a junior, the team has ample time to develop even further. Said Barrett: “We have everybody for two years. We’re not thinking of this as a one-year process. We’re thinking of this as a two-year growth
Game of the Week Baseball This weekend, the men’s baseball team hosts Fairleigh Dickinson in a three game series at Wilson Field. Last weekend, the ‘Cats swept Towson winning three straight games. This will be Fairleigh Dickinson’s opening series this season. The ‘Cats are looking to keep their home winning streak and strong start to the season alive. First year head coach Rucker Taylor is making a strong first impression with the Davidson faithful. Come out Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday to support the ‘Cats. Admission is free for students.
and seeing what we can do. We’re not thinking: let’s get the most out of everybody this year… We’re still relying on that long-term approach.” Parikh believes that his teammates concur. “We’re definitely focused on this year; but we all see the long-term picture, where we each have at least two more years on the team. So I think we can make a lot more improvements and do even better than we have been.” The Wildcats still have thirteen matches remaining in the regular season (which ends April 14), and are optimistic about the Atlantic 10 tournament in Orlando April 25-28. Barrett noted that, despite the long-term vision of the team, there is serious potential for success this year: “The team we are right now isn’t going to be the team we will be two months from now… The thing that I can trust the most is they improve every week. Something is always improving.”
Wildcat Standings Basketball (W)
Team
VCU Fordham Davidson Dayton St.Louis Duquesne St. Joseph’s George Washington
W
L
Pct
12 10 9 8 8 7 6 5
1 3 3 4 5 5 6 7
.923 .769 .750 .667 .615 .583 .500 .417
Arts and Culture
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Mohamad Hafez
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SEBI SOLA-SOLE ‘21 ART CORRESPONDENT
ostalgia and identity underpin visiting artist Mohamad Hafez’s portfolio. Before he even considers the media of a new sculpture, he initiates a laundry list of sensory stimulation procedures to relocate him from his tiny studio in New Haven to his home city of Damascus: he pipes in incense, plugs in a slow-drip water fountain, and brews a pot of cardamom-stiff Syrian coffee to activate the art trance and remind himself of the emotions associated with immigration. This past week, at the beckon of the Dean Rusk International Studies Program under Dr. Burkey’s leadership, and in combination with several sponsoring clubs and a gaggle of student and faculty leaders, Hafez flew out to Davidson from his fellowship at Yale University to visit classes, speak to students, and lead a sculpture demo for Arabic speakers; the trip culminated in Monday night’s lecture in the Wall Atrium. My main interest in the event was his work with sculpture. Being an art student, a couple of my teachers mentioned it to me and I decided, in a bout of procrastination, to drag some friends out of the library and to the talk. I was so impressed and motivated by Hafez and his career I decided—further procrastinating—to write about it and extoll the value of what I saw. Hafez’s lecture traced his career as an artist and activist, starting with his private hobby work—recreating Syrian architecture in the miniature—and moving in time through the Arab Spring and Syrian Revolution, where his style and interest changed to reflect chaos in the country. His current project represents the broader immigrant community, lending a voice and highlighting identity. He prefaced his career arc with a few crucial pieces of background information: Hafez was born into a middle class family in Syria and raised in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia until he left for college in the U.S. While the Saudi Arabian culture wasn’t incredibly formative to Hafez, his life and roots in Damascus lent him a love of the country and a fascination with its cultural fabric. Enrolled at the University of Iowa, he took up architecture academically and sculpture extracurricularly; through design and art, Hafez could exhale pent-up remembrances and longings for Syria. Legos and streetside conversation with friendly Damascans inspired his architectural and ethnographic interests; sculpture was the vehicle for their expression. Underneath his enormously successful career designing glass and steel skyscrapers across the U.S., Hafez channeled his nostalgia into architectural recreations of Syrian constructions marketed (after he found the motivation to publicly pronounce his work) as art. He started in plaster, curing 12”-by-12” blocks upon which he cultured rust, exposed brick tiny masonry, weathered paint,
“Unsettled Nostalgia.” Photo courtesy of Mohamad Hafez and built doors, recreating rustic Damascan house facades in the miniature, with just as much character as might exist--at ten times scale—planted on a Syrian street. He scaled up and moved into city scapes, using much less plaster and more found objects. In his piece “Unsettled Nostalgia,” where the scale and quantity of tight detail make it difficult to determine any single focal point, Hafez’s scavenged golf tees, acorns, and rusty nails become the minaret speakers, facade adornments, lamp post heads, and balcony supports in the miniature recreation of a Syrian city section. With the Arab Spring and destruction involved in the Syrian Revolution, Hafez’s sculpture changed again. The media and subject matter remained the same—still representing Syrian housing through found objects and miniature architecture—but the technique and emotional charge shifted to characterize the chaos. In “Collateral Damage,” the artist builds a 360-degree, plaster and iron city block reduced to rubble by the war. He dulls his color palette, scaling back on all non-gray tones, deliberately locating all moments of color to focalize particular pieces of destruction. When U.S. news media moved on from the humanitarian crisis, Hafez broadened his objective. Situated in New Haven, a sanctuary city, he came into contact with hundreds of other immigrants whose voices and stories demanded broadcast. Over tea and mountains of baklava, he drew out the experiences of ten families who flew to the U.S., fleeing difficult conditions in their home nations. The interviews he conducted inspired him to exploit more auditory media, which he laid over top the
“bel composto”–style constructions: now miniatures of rubble from the subjects’ abandoned homes. He titled the project, aptly, “Unpacked Baggage.” Of course, his portfolio is much greater than the few projects I had the space to identify here. Mohamad Hafez is an artist seemingly unburdended by the concept of product or ultimate success. He repeatedly distinguished the importance of and joy in the process of assembling his sculptures. His background in design (and probably a couple hundred hours of playing with Legos) lent him the faculties to create astoundingly detailed cityscapes without, as said, any prerendering or prior conceptualization. He just cracks his knuckles and steps out on stage! If the images we stole (with permission) from his website tickle you even a little bit, go browse the rest of his work. The elegance of detail, whether in the chaos of his postwar reconstructions or perfectly assembled “Unpacked Baggage” scenes, is striking, and the color concept across all of his work is just as evocative. Hafez closed his talk with the call to action that purposes his entire portfolio: Change the rhetoric. Each piece of his lends an immigrant nationality the character and personality that mainstream media fails to, and steps away from constricting labels and stereotypes. To Hafez, one way to force equality is by proving similarity first hand; by pushing back against the circumstances that strip people of their personhood—and then endowing them with the personality and individuality they are denied—greater equality can be found.
The Oscars Wear Spandex Black Panther and Spider-Verse HENRY STOCKWELL ’19 FILM CRITIC
I
f the Biblical Second Coming happens (I’ll decide in another column), surely the first question Jesus of Nazareth will have for us is: Are Marvel movies good? We’ll clamor over each other, all trying to let our feeble voices be heard: Robert Downey Jr.’s best performance is “Iron-Man”! I watched “Ant-Man” on a plane, and I coughed up my Biscotti! Paul Rudd is AN ANT! “Wonder-Woman” is totally politically justified and totally not teaching my little sister that the literal most powerful female warrior in human history needs a Hot Chris to sacrifice himself for her! Taika Waititi should make more vampire mockumentaries! Luckily, the Academy doesn’t need to wait on the Dear Lord Baby Jesus to hold a referendum on the subject, because the Oscars’ moment of spandex reckoning may well be nigh. Since Christopher Nolan’s 2008 triumph The Dark Knight, for which the late Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor, the most prestigious awards ceremony in film has at least pretended to take commercial superhero smashes seriously. But now, in a year where the Best Picture race is more up for grabs than
usual, Marvel’s best film to date, Black Panther, is causing some Oscar voters to consider changing out their tuxes for . . . what do I call Michael B. Jordan’s fishnet sweater that would make me look like a malnourished trout but makes him look like more-jacked Creed dressed by Rihanna? Directed by Ryan Coogler, whose meteoric ascent has included just two previous films, Fruitvale Station and Creed, Black Panther is the work of a rising auteur who’s occasionally still held back by the confines of what makes a film Marvel. Basically, the third act sucks. But until the narrative descends predictably, Panther is one of the most compelling and original fictional investigations of contemporary international relations I’ve seen. Coogler’s film centers on the leaders of Wakanda, whose decades-long debate over the nation’s isolationist policies has come to a head. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger is the genre’s best villain since Ledger’s Joker. Killmonger’s veracity lies in the way Coogler crafts his character—this isn’t a supervillain out to destroy the world with a snap of his finger, but a child from Oakland who doesn’t understand why the most valuable resources in the world are accessible to only a small percentage of human beings.
S
piderman: Into the Spider-Verse’s villainy isn’t as original; in fact, it’s sorely lacking. But Spider-Verse is the clear front-runner for Best Animated Feature, and it’s because it brings Panther levels of creativity to the superhero genre—via its aesthetic and formal innovation rather than its thematic moves. Spider-Verse’s animation is somewhere between a physical comic book, The Incredibles, and a Roy Lichtenstein piece. Action bubbles flash across the screen during fight scenes, and in a dazzling climactic sequence, portals to other dimensions throw the screen into a tornado of textures. I’ll never be able to un-see Spider-Verse, and that’s a problem for other superhero films. The way this film blends styles is the perfect way to bring a comic to life—a visual grounded in the art world of comic books through which audiences automatically suspend disbelief, give themselves wholly over to the innovation of the form, and allow the self-reflexivity of the work to carry the story further than Robert Downey Jr.’s spacesuit ever could. People mock shiny spandex battles because people wearing shiny spandex is (sorry) inherently ridiculous. But what’s the point of mocking something when it’s already mocking itself in infinite dimensions? If you’re a Black Panther fan, please, please, please make sure you’ve seen Fruitvale Station and Creed, Coogler and Jordan’s previous
collaborations. If you you’re a Spider-Verse fan, check out screenwriter Phil Lord’s previous offering, The Lego Movie. Also, you should probably go Tobey Maguire crazy, or find somebody with geekier knowledge than me about lesser known comic book movies. Not shade. Geeky is king.
Et Cetera
7
STRING ALONG The [Sometimes] Weekly Judge BY JUDGE VICTOR FLEMING ‘73
Across 1 Explorers and Escorts 6 Play, as a drum 10 3-point shot avg., e.g. 14 Get a giggle from 15 Cognizant of 16 Sigher’s phrase 17 Certain data transmitter 19 1982 Disney sci-fi film 20 “Give it the old college ___” 21 Tennis units 22 Make available 24 Corn whiskey base 25 Phonograph part 26 Relatives by marriage 29 Antelope with twisted horns 30 Sends with a stamp 31 Traditional stories 33 ___ McKillop (men’s basketball coach since 1989) 36 ___ Blue Wills (associate professor of Religious Studies) 37 Fatigued 38 Bundled fodder 39 Prop for “The Hustler” 40 Problematical 41 Canyon cousin 42 “I ___ go to do it!” 45 Like tae kwan do 46 Backup vocal part 48 Good, in Grenoble 49 Hands-on-hips posture 50 Crafts’ mate 51 ___-Magnon 54 Jeans manufacturer Strauss 55 Kind of terrier
58 Toward shelter, to a sailor 59 Emmy-winning Falco 60 Level 61 Answer with attitude 62 Senator Christopher or Thomas 63 St. ___ fire Down 1 After the ___ 2 Sharif of “Doctor Zhivago” 3 Red gem 4 Broadband connection (abbr.) 5 Has repeated ups and downs 6 Toll collector’s enclosure 7 They may be tight, split or loose 8 Partook of some food 9 Speaker before Newt Gingrich 10 Shiny cotton 11 Worn out, as carpeting 12 French love affair 13 Prime-time hour 18 Tinker (with) 23 Kind of virus 24 Drake or ram 25 ___ Holland (men’s basketball coach, 1969-1974) 26 Apple with an electronic core 27 Word from Mork 28 They have less arc than pop-ups
Susannah Cate ‘20 & Jake Carver ‘21 Susannah: “I’m not really inspired by any one person or people, but I definitely do pay attention to trends; right now, I’m excited that vintage fashion—in terms of 90’s and 80’s styles—is very prevalent. I do a lot of my shopping at thrift or second-hand stores so this kind of throwback clothing is pretty accessible and fun to hunt for. That’s what fashion means to me: a vehicle through which I can express myself and have fun, both finding and wearing it.” Jake:“I get most of my clothes used. Susannah and I love driving around on the weekends hopping from thrift shop to thrift shop--it’s fun trying to find hidden gems. Luckily, her style is similar to mine, so we end up accidentally matching pretty often.”
The
Davidsonian Staff Editors in Chief News Editors Perspectives Editors Arts and Culture Editors Sports Editors Photography Editor Yowl Editors Design Editor Web Editor Art Editor Features Editor Copy Editors
Olivia Daniels ‘19, Laura Dunnagan ‘19 Hope Anderson ‘22, Emma Pettit ‘20 Raven Hudson ‘21, Lizzie Kane ‘22 Alyssa Tirrell ‘22, Lucas Weals ‘19 Drew Eastland ‘21, Max Pearson ‘22 Elayna Daniels ‘21 Malorie Hudson ‘22, EJ Kelley ‘20 Sebastian Sola-Sole ‘21 Jake Carver ‘21 Richard Farrell ‘22 Caroline Roy ‘20 Sarah Austin ‘21, Lindy Bustabad ‘21, Susannah Cate ‘20, Adam Ferraz ‘20, Yashi Gunawardena ‘19
31 ___ Driesell (men’s basketball coach, 1960-1969) 32 Big galoot 34 Masha and Irina’s sister in Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” 35 “So, how’ve you ___?” 37 Separated grain from chaff 38 “___ To Be Wild” 41 Loses it 43 Children’s marbles 44 Driver’s license abbr.
45 Kin’s companion 46 Football’s Papa Bear 47 Leader of the pack, in Cub Scouts 48 Cultivate 50 Thirsty 51 Study late 52 Janet of Clinton’s Cabinet 53 Celebratory poems 56 Words of union 57 Neighbor of Mo.
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February 20, 2019
Report: Student’s Soul Down By 15% After “Hey Cats” PR Blunder in FB Group Page DOW
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing: Cookie-Selling Girl Scouts Just Want You to Gain the Freshman Fifteen Page 15
Meet the Bedbugs Currently Inhabiting Your $34 Spring Break Airbnb Page Dirty Myrtle
Katie’s Final Issue
Curry Requests Another Extension on Sociology Thesis Upon Yearly Return to Campus Page SOC 216
Area Bathrooms Brace for Vomit Monsoon as Semi-Formal Season Begins Page BLECK
Automatons, AcoustixTM, and Aggressive Entrepreneurship: The Yowl Takes a Tour of the Hub
Above: Curry and Barr clearly enthusastic about new business venture.
Area Chiropractor to Launch Ingenious New Campaign with Curry
DAVIDSON –– Multiple sources have reported that Steph Curry ‘TBD has purchased tickets for next year’s home basketball game against VCU in the back right corner of Section 112. The seating not only provides a unique viewing angle of the court, but also a unique opportunity for a business venture with an enterprising local medicine man. An anonymous source close to Curry revealed that the peculiar seating choice by the two-time MVP is actually part of a new partnership forming between the SC30 brand and Dr. Ted Brown from Mooresville Family Chiropractic. The deal is rumored to be worth $12.3 billion. The Yowl reached out to Brown, known as ‘Crack-aLackin Ted’ to his patients, who described why the deal will be great for his business. “The chiropractic market will heat up as fans strain their necks for a good view of Steph’s reaction to the game,” explained Brown, “I reckon at least 400 students and townies will develop spasmodic torticollis, or chronic stiff neck, as the sim-
pletons say, after constantly turning their heads to catch a glimpse of Curry.” The Yowl reached out to SC30 President Bryant Barr ‘10 for comment on the deal. A cheeky Barr responded, “I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of the deal. All I can say is that we at SC30 love partnering with small businesses and we can’t wait to see what comes necks.” Coach McKillop had nothing but praise for Curry and Barr in their joint-venture with Brown. “Stephen has done a great service for our program and our community. Our players look up to him [now in Section 112] with such praise. He is a leader both on and off the court,” said McKillop, adding that he goes to Moorseville Family Chiropractic himself before games “to get a good crack in with Todd.” While some students worry that Curry’s new seating arrangement might “ruin the game,” they have also never felt the euphoria of a crack-a-lackin session with Dr. Brown.
DELBURG ST –– After refusing to answer my repeated emails for nearly a semester and a half, the folks at the Jay Hurt Hub finally agreed to grant me, The Yowl’s Head of Technology, Computers, and That Kind of Stuff, a tour of the now fully operational Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. While baffled by the blatant disrespect shown toward The Yowl’s HTCTKS, I kept an open mind as I set out to profile the hottest new space on campus. Greeted by an eerily human-looking automaton upon entering, I was taken aback by the aura of the place from the get-go. Vaulted ceilings and exposed brick made for an endearing aesthetic. “Shout something up at the rafters,” the automaton beckoned to me. Letting out an awkward “Hello!” up toward the ceilings, a booming echo immediately called back to me “IF OPPORTUNITY DOESN’T KNOCK, BUILD A DOOR,” which was quite startling to say the least. My robotic host would later explain that the echo was programmed by a firm called Acoustix, which generates cliche entrepreneurial messages for the lobbies of startups. From the lobby we entered the main atrium, passing by a cardboard cutout of Mark Zuckerberg that announced “It’s a great day to be a Wildcat!,” which made almost negative sense. I was introduced to a student worker whose sole responsibility appeared to be imitating Will Hunting (he had been forced to get the same haircut and everything) by furiously writing formulae on a chalkboard next to the information desk. Making my way around the study areas, I was swarmed by a gaggle of fit tech bros named Brett, all wearing moisture-wicking performance dress shirts, who generously took out their Airpods and stepped away from their standing desks to simultaneously encourage me to “increase those margins today, champ!” To what “margins” they were referring I have not the slightest idea. One of the more captivating features of tour was the Startup Vending MachineTM. Inserting a crisp dollar bill and selecting B12, the machine dispensed a slip of paper that contained the name of a potential startup and a recommended slogan. “Fyre DroneX,” my paper read, “Innovation that excites.” Potential copyright infringement aside, I think the good folks at the Hub may want to tinker with the algorithm behind the machine. The bottom line: the Hurt Hub was aggressively entrepreneurial, at times just freaky, yet left me with an insatiable desire to come back for more. The Lavenderade Kombucha was also an absolute delight.
Another One Bites The Dust: Yowl Editor Now a Total F*cking Sell Out 26-Time Yowl editor of the month, Katie Walsh, announced last Tuesday via a humble-brag instagram post that she would be taking over as Davidsonian Editor-in-Chief following a luxurious career in satirical writing. Despite being completely unqualified to write anything that is not complete bullshit-ery, Walsh will be making her transition to the big boiii world of old-timey investigative reporting after spring break. Walsh was recently seen setting up a stand-up desk in the Davidsonian office and conference calling via bluetooth. Taking out her Airpods as she deeply inhaled from her leather-scented Juul pen, Walsh said of recent promotion, “Yeah bro, I envisioned reaching my #CareerGoals on my Pinterest dream board and it fucking happened.” Walsh has 7-fold platform (read at the last
The
Yowl
editorial meeting in an aggressive power stance while wearing a three-piece power suit) that she will be instituting upon a hostile takeover. Never before seen sections will be implemented such as a recurrent “What We Wear: Katie Walsh” and granting Libertas full editing privileges of the first page of The Davidsonian. Walsh also plans on reviving the hit ABC daytime show “The Chew.” When told that The Chew was still on air, Walsh denied to comment. Numerous commoners interviewed by The Yowl expressed disappointment upon hearing that their no-fuck-giving former leader would be ascending into the realm of the Davidson elite. Walsh has even been spotted fist-bumping Carol Quillen, smoking cigars with the Board of Trustees, owning loafers, and having first years shine said loafers.
Walsh has intrusively converted The Yowl’s corner of the Davidsonian office into an extension of her personal wardrobe, removing the computer to make room for three racks of shoes and heavily-shoulder-padded blazers. At press time, The Yowl was informed that there is allegedly another new Editor-in-Chief named “Aaron Ethanhaft,” to which Walsh responded, “Who the f*ck is that?” [She also just censored the previous ‘fuck’ while breathing over my shoulder in an aggressive whisper. What a sellout great person. All jokes aside, we will miss Walshy (we have never her called that). We’re only including this here because she ordered us to insert more nostalgia into our farewell to her. Bye, bitch (read this in an endearing tone please).
WRITERS The Yowl’s 6th (and last) Annual Haiku REDACTED REDACT REDACTED REDACTED RED REDACTED REDACT
Sammy-Sam T. Satire Steph American Chiropractor Association
QUOTE OF THE WEEK Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to “I was at a Coldplay The Davidsonian. Hence, concert with my dad nothing in it should be and got a contact high.” taken as truth. We don’t -Local Editor-in-Chief make the news, we fake the news™.