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inside
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Filming Southern History class documents slavery in Charleston
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Volume 114, Issue 22
May 1, 2019
Seniors offer up perspectives on their time at Davidson
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A profile of Davidson Police Chief Todd Sigler’s storied career
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The Yowl explains the Cake Race’s new role at commencement
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2019 Frolics Review: Respite from School, not Sun
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JONATHAN LEE ‘20 SENIOR STAFF WRITER
s surely as late-April graces campus with warm temperatures, abundant sunshine, and full foliage do students — drunk off a cathartic release of pent-up stress and anxiety — descend on Patterson Court to partake in the annual Spring Frolics ritual. “There’s something about springtime and Old Town Road that just brings people together, you know? It’s so awesome,” James Shakow ‘22 exclaimed. Elliot Lannon ‘20 looking back on the weekend, said, “It was all a haze, ya know. I think the sun really got to me.” For some, the frolicking began before ‘Frolics proper’ even started. The informal ‘Frolics week,’ truncated this year due to a late Easter, featured events such as the Q&A-hosted Pride Party, Brickhouse Thursday’s, the a cappella concert at Fiji, and gatherings around the competing songs emanating from Armfield Apartment’s speakers. On both Wednesday and Thursday, various students informed The Davidsonian that “Frolics starts tonight.” Frolics’ unusually close proximity to Easter and Passover set up a more-evident-than-normal juxtaposition between forms of springtime celebration. Frolics, far from these holy holidays, is a pagan ritual á la Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, except raunchier and less choreographed. Many frolickers interviewed were ignorant of that fact that Frolics falls nearabout a cosmically privileged date: the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice in Earth’s northern hemisphere. Anna Dolder ‘20 remarked, “Oh! I’ve never thought about that.” On Friday night, Union Board kicked off nighttime festivities with a three-act concert featuring DJ Earworm, Cautious Clay, and Top: Frolics-goers enjoy inflatables on Patterson Court Lawn; bottom: Taylor Bennett Taylor Bennett (Chance the Rapper’s youngperforms. Top photo by John Crawford ‘20, bottom photo by Olivia Forrester ‘22. er brother). Some criticized the choice of the
Duke Family Performance Hall for the venue, which they say likely decreased turnout. The rainy forecast prompted the move inside from Stowe parking lot, the original location. “It was still pretty hype, though!” declared Meghan Matheny ‘20, who also commented: “DJ Earworm sounds like an infection.” The festival is perhaps best characterized by its contrasts. PCC’s normally subdued brick buildings become overwhelmed by inflatable fixtures, improvised picnics, barbecues, and corn hole games. Like the lawn festivities, court parties also provide space for otherwise unlikely social interaction. “You see people you never see. Like I went into Connor [House] last night, and I was like, wow these people go here?” said Taylor Drake ‘21.
“There’s something about springtime and Old Town Road that just brings people together” James Shakow ‘22 Some first years were underwhelmed. Luis Cordero ‘22, for example, commented: “I was expecting Frolics to be similar to a music festival like Lollapalooza, but it wasn’t.” He added, “even though they gave out free stuff I guess I wanted more free stuff, like more stations, etc.” Prudent frolickers acted to protect themselves from the beating spring sun. Many, therefore, sported sunglasses, some of which were notably unconventional in shape, shade, and/or style. Lots also applied sunscreen, albeit with varying quality of coverage.
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Grant Promotes Inclusivity, Diversity Within STEM
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DREW EASTLAND ‘21 SPORTS EDITOR
n January 11th 2019, Davidson College launched the Fostering Inclusivity & Respect in Science Together (FIRST) Action Team. The FIRST Action Team started after Davidson received a one-million-dollar grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The main goal of FIRST is to foster more inclusivity in Davidson STEM courses. The FIRST Action Team is composed of a faculty leadership team, a student committee, and a student consulting team. The faculty team and student committee are composed of six members each, and the consulting team is made up of around 70 students. All members of the FIRST Action Team are working together to address issues regarding diversity and inclusivity in STEM courses at Davidson. According to the FIRST Action Team, Davidson finds itself below national averages for minority students in STEM fields. “The idea behind the leadership team…is that they are supposed to address issues that hinder student success in STEM,” Claudia Hernandez ‘20 explained, “The FIRST Action Team is a committee that works under that umbrella; we identify those issues that hinder student success.” The FIRST Action student team meets at least once a week to discuss their projects and new ideas. They meet with the
larger consulting team once a month. Several weeks ago they published two infographics attempting to spark awareness for the lack of diversity in Davidson STEM. “This is a very big-time commitment on our part,” Hernandez said. “Those infographics took a minute.” The team’s main project has been to implement a program similar to what Haverford College calls Students as Teachers and Learners (SaLT). SaLT involves students outside of a professor’s discipline coming into classrooms and critiquing professors’ teaching techniques . “We believe bringing that to campus would help empower students of color…to dictate how professors can be more inclusive to them as well as other students,” Hernandez said. “The student consultant’s role is to point out any practices the professor may not see, as well as to point out any microaggressions that a professor may say.” While there could be some initial resistance, the SaLT program will not be mandatory, but it will be suggested as a way for professors to improve their own teaching style and ability. “I definitely think that if we enforce this program that we’d have a lot of that resistance,” FIRST Action student committee member, Sabid Hossain ‘21, commented. “We hope that faculty who want to improve their educational pedagogy and who want to improve as professors will get on board with this.” The FIRST Action Team also hopes to increase the number of Justice, Equality, and Community (JEC) courses in STEM.
Currently, there are only two STEM courses that meet JEC requirements. Neither was offered in the last two semesters. “Something that I noticed is the lack of diversity and inclusion in the content material of STEM,” Hossain explained. “To not have JEC courses within the STEM fields…creates this idea that there are no issues of diversity and inclusion in the STEM field.” The FIRST Action faculty team has already been working on adding more STEM courses and was happy to hear that students were pushing for more JEC courses. When Davidson biology professor and HHMI grant director Dr. Barbara Lom heard students were proposing more JEC courses she was delighted; “It’s beautiful to say we thought [more JEC courses were] what we needed and the students saying, ‘we need this.’” On Thursday, April 11th, the student committee met with the Davidson Board of Trustees to discuss their work and ideas for improving STEM diversity in the future. The discussion was well received. “I thought for the most part it was a really productive conversation,” Hossain reflected. “We want to inform [The Board of Trustees] of what we are doing, but we also really want to ask for their help.” The students involved with FIRST are motivated to make a
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News
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Filming Southern Histories Class Documents Slavery, Memory
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BEN PATE ‘22 STAFF WRITER
hen Dr. John Wertheimer of the History Department set out to create a history course based in film, he had no real idea of what to expect: “I knew nothing about film.” He quipped, “now I know very close to nothing about film.” For the 2017-2018 academic year, Wertheimer wanted to build a course based in history, but that would allow students to create something more creative than the typical paper. Now in its second year, each student in the course, entitled Filming Southern History, is responsible for a roughly five-minute section of a film in which they do everything, including film, sound, interviews, and editing. That first year, Wertheimer came in with a topic in mind, and the students worked with graduate students from the Wake Forest University Documentary Film Program, a master’s degree program focusing on the creation of historically minded films. One of these Wake Forest students is Luke Gloeckner, an aspiring documentarian, who assists in the production and more “behind the scenes” work needed to complete a movie. This year, graduate students from this program continue to help Wertheimer and his students in the process, but the students were more involved in the selection of a topic. Julia Bainum ‘21 is in the course this semester, and she noted that “we read an article about how [the Emanuel AME Church shooter]’s understanding of slavery and race in Charleston… how his perceptions of history led him to do what he did.” In 2015, Dylann Roof murdered nine African Americans during a service at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston. Roof’s actions were part of a rising tide of white supremacy that forced communities to confront the legacy of the Confederacy. At this stage, the film explores the city of Charleston’s City Council 2018 apology for its role in slavery, and debates the real meaning of that apology in the context of American memory of slavery. The apology itself was passed by a 7-5 margin by the City Council. According to Bainum, the concept of historical memory, or how today’s society remembers the events of the past, plays an integral role in the way the class wants the film to turn out. “Something we’ve struggled with as a class is ‘what’s the value of apologizing? Does apologizing without concrete changes limit progress?’” Bainum commented, “I would like people to understand that historical memory and understanding history are always ongoing.” Over the course of the past semester, students in Filming Southern History have learned everything from an in-depth history of the slave trade in Charleston, South Carolina to how
Dr. John Wertheimer and Luke Gloeckner work with students on their documentary film. Photo by Olivia Forrester ‘22. to edit sound their part of the film. Wertheimer says this intersection was the whole point: “I wanted to give the students the ability to learn the technical aspect of filmmaking as well as the history behind the film.” In order to film their segments of the documentary, students travelled to Charleston this semester to learn more about the history of Charleston, as well as record footage they may need for their segment. Wertheimer recalls the minutiae that came up in the process of recording in Charleston: “you never really realize the amount of work that goes in to getting one shot […] from constantly adjusting the exposure [on the camera] to recording background noise just to have it, students and myself learned so much from that one trip.” The film will debut this evening at 5:00 PM in Hance Auditorium, but that film will be far from the final product. Gloeckner, one of two Wake Forest graduate students assisting with the class, describes the additional work that will happen on the film over the summer and in to next year. “Our goal is to find the common thread in […] essentially nine stories and connect
them all with one story, and we have no idea what direction that will go right now,” he said. Along with Gloeckner, Bainum and Caroline Macaulay ‘20 will stay on campus over the summer to refine the film, courtesy of Kemp Endowment scholarships. Although not recipients of Kemp grants, fellow Filming Southern History students Patrick Casey ‘20 and Laura Collins ‘21 will help during their free time. Hopefully the students and Gloeckner will help “find the story within the story that we really want to focus on,” stated Wertheimer. Ultimately, according to Gloeckner and Wertheimer, the goal of the film is to be a focused piece centered on one person’s story during slavery in Charleston. This cohesiveness would allow them to enter the documentary in to various film festivals, but “my dream” said Wertheimer, “is to one day have this film or another we create air on a PBS station near here.” HIS 454 Filming Southern History’s film “The Apology” will be shown this evening in Hance Auditorium from 5:00 6:30 PM.
Frames of Mind Art Exhibition Debuts Mental Health Project ARIANA HOWARD ‘20 STAFF WRITER
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his Thursday, the Frames of Mind art exhibition, engineered by Henry Stockwell ’19, will be launched. The Frames of Mind project is about the intersection between mental health and art. The exhibition was first presented two years ago by the Davidson Health Advisors, who wanted to use art as a means for expressing mental health. The artwork was displayed in the Union for all to see. This year, Stockwell explains, both the presentation and the purpose of Frames of Mind is quite different. The exhibition will now be digital, as the artwork will be displayed on a website designed by Stockwell. Additionally, instead of having all the artwork be directly about mental health, the exhibition this year is more broadly “an exhibition of creative people.” Stockwell explains that although this year’s Frames of Mind exhibition is structured differently than it was two years ago, both exhibitions are “designed to create a tangible conversation about mental health on campus.” Since he arrived at Davidson, Stockwell has been deeply involved in promoting mental health. He has been a Health Advisor in the Health Education Office with Georgia Ringle since the spring of freshman year. One of the main roles as a Health Advisor is to create health and wellness mindfulness outlets on campus. The Frames of Mind exhibition was inspired by this mission. “I really like the Frames of Mind project because it allows students to express inner thoughts and their creativity in a way that we normally don’t showcase. What we’ve seen
from the past is that a lot of students relate to each other’s work and it’s not something in our day-to-day lives that we normally expose, but it is a really important piece of who we are,” said Ringle. To create the exhibit, Stockwell collected creative works from Davidson students that showcase the different ways students take time out of their busy lives to produce something creative. “Hopefully younger Davidson students will see this exhibition and want to do the same,” said Stockwell. In addition to presenting students’ works of art, Stockwell will interview each student about how they use creativity as an outlet for managing stress and anxiety and improving one’s “day-to-day existence.” Stockwell believes the link between art and mental health is that the act of being creative gives many people meaning in their lives. “I see a lot of students who don’t carve out free time to do stuff that they care about just for themselves,” explains Stockwell. Because Stockwell has combined art and mental health in his exhibition, he believes that the interviews displayed next to the artwork will be the most meaningful aspect of the project. The interviews will be about what it means to be creative in an often rushed and hectic Davidson environment. Ultimately, these interviews provide insight into students’ “Frames of Mind [regarding] the Davidson experience,” Stockwell explains. The website will display each artist’s work on a separate page. Each page will also include their interview and a brief biography. The landing page will be pictures of all of the artists who have contributed to the project. A total of ten artists contributed to the
Painting by Adelle Patten ‘21, which is one of a series of paintings she submitted. Photo courtesy of Henry Stockwell ‘19.
exhibition. Stockwell primarily received submissions by reaching out to fellow health advisors, the art departments on campus, and the English department. Stockwell reached out to different departments and spaces in order to receive a sufficient mix of creative writing, visual art, and music. This year’s artwork includes memoirs, poetry, original music, paintings, and creative writing. Stockwell not only created the website, conducted the interviews, and wrote about the mission of the project for the website, but he is also planning on submitting a piece of his own. The Frames of Mind exhibit is funded by the Student Spike! Grant. Founded by Friends of the Arts, the Student Spike! Grant provides Davidson students the opportunity to pursue any type of extracurricular art project. Just like the mission of Stockwell’s Frames of Mind
exhibition, the Student Spike! Grant promotes the use of art and creativity in order to enrich students’ lives and the campus as a whole. The funding for this project will continue for an entire year. Stockwell hopes that in the same way he was inspired when he was a sophomore by the Frames of Mind exhibition in the Union, a student will be just as inspired by his exhibition and choose to continue the project. Stockwell said, “I don’t think this was a perfectly done thing, nor was the first one perfect, but the first exhibit did inspire me to pursue this project, so that’s pretty cool. I am hoping a couple of people who see [the exhibit] will be inspired to do something like this down the road.” The website will be launched on Thursday through this link: https://framesofmind. squarespace.com/
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May 1, 2019
Chief Sigler: An “extremely successful” Frolics CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Frolics is widely regarded as the year’s biggest ‘see and be seen’ event. Frolickers, therefore, dressed accordingly. The Davdisonian’s Frolics correspondent found that off-brand Coachella looks and sports jerseys, both perennial style choices, were again popular. A highlight of the weekend was the Yard Show, a group dance competition put on by NPHC and Multicultural Greek organizations. Luis Toledo ‘20 chracterized the event as “an opportunity to show our campus what [these] organizations have to offer.” He also commented: “What’s really significant about these performances is seeing how the members of one organization act as one body. That takes a lot of communication and really knowing and being comfortable with each other. I think every single performance was wonderful in its own way.” Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. were crowned winners. Another significant event was the reunion of Catfish Disco, Davidson’s former premier student cover band, which gave a concert on the porch of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity house on Saturday.
Students enjoyed the Catfish Disco concert outside of Kappa Sigma, and artists DJ Earworm, Cautious Clay, and Taylor Bennet performed in Duke Family Performance Hall.. Photos (left, middle) by John Crawford ‘20, (right) by Olivia Forrester ‘22.
According to Davidson Campus Chief of Police Todd Sigler, this iteration of Frolics was “extremely successful” safety-wise. He stated that “there were zero transports and zero calls for Medic assistance. This compares very favorably to recent previous years.” There were 4 ambulance calls during last year’s frolics. The year before there were 7 calls, and in
2016 there were 5. He praised frolickers, saying, “I am very thankful that an overwhelming percentage of students heeded all of the health advisories and actively watched out for one another. I am very, very appreciative and proud of the Davidson students.”
FIRST Infographics Illuminate Race, Gender Disparities CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 difference in the Davidson community. They hope to represent minority voices effectively and from a position of solidarity. “I’m just trying to make sure Davidson goes in the right direction,” Hernandez commented. “I noticed the people who were talking about diversity were not those who are impacted by it the most; that really frustrated me and annoyed me.” To the FIRST Action team, increasing diversity in STEM is crucial to improving problem solving skills, thinking outside the box, and adding new perspectives to old problems.
“I noticed the people who were talking about diversity were not those who are impacted by it the most; that really frustrated me and annoyed me” Claudia Hernandez ‘20
“If science is going to be competitive and find the next black hole picture…we need to have diverse teams,” Lom explained. “The more perspectives, more voices, more experiences on a team, [then] you’re going to think of a new approach.” The HHMI grant lasts five years, and the FIRST Action program is just beginning. Since the grant funds are limited, the changes implemented will be based on sustainability. “This project is about…how can we change the culture, climate, [and] environment.” Lom explained, “If a faculty member gets feedback that may help them be more inclusive for the rest of their career; that’s culture change.”
Crime Log Time Reported
APRIL 25
Attendance
Takeaways
Agenda
LIZZIE KANE ‘22 SGA CORRESPONDENT
1.Committee and Common Ground Updates 2.Activities Tax Council (ATC) Budgets 3.Town Relations 4. SGA Feedback Survey The rules of attendance were discussed again at the beginning of the meeting. Richardson Dorm is undergoing renovations this summer that include additions of an elevator and gender neutral bathrooms on floors 1 to 4. All community bathrooms are being renovated as well. New Dorm gym is receiving new mats and Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life Jason Shaffer is generally working to make sure all the gyms have the same quality of equipment. The ATC budgets were approved. SGA and Common Ground are working to better relations with town police. The new Common Ground bylaws were reviewed. SGA has a new website at davidsoncollegesga.com.
79%
or
26 33
Tardees: Bess Li ’19, Sebastian Flores ’19, Caroline Roddey ’20, Henry Meza Flores ’21, Nilay Ghatlia ’21 Absent: Wilson Pava ’19, Kate Bock ’19, David Choi ’21, Oğuzhan Colkesen ’22, Jonathan Swann ’19 (excused), Tiffany Pauls ’21 (excused), Alex Aiello ’21 (excused)
Description/Location
4/27/19 at 2125 hrs
Underage Consumption
4/27/19 at 2230 hrs
Use of Golf Cart
4/27/19 at 2320 hrs
Underage Consumption
1/27/19 at 0245 hrs
Underage Consumption
Richardson, Dean Referral
BSC, Inactive
Richardson, Dean Referral
Richardson, Dean Referral
4/28/19 at 1440 hrs
Larceny Misdemeanor
4/28/19 at 0130 hrs
Underage Consumption
4/28/19 at 0242 hrs
Use of Fire Extinguisher
Off Campus, Further Investigation
Chidsey, Inactive
Richardson, Dean Referral
4/29/19
Fondling Ressidence Hall, Prosecution Declined
Perspectives
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Senior Reflections Kaiya Carter ’19
Keep Popping Those Kernels of Knowledge
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’ve learned a lot of useless things at Davidson: how to work Pawprint, how long I can go without swiping to keep the oven on, how to craft an A- Moodle post with very little information, and which Commons door to push/pull (trick question: it switches. Maybe?). I’ve also learned some useful things at Davidson: how to budget, how to jump a car, how much alcohol I can drink in a semi-professional setting without embarrassing myself, and how to deal with ignorant white people. The most important thing I’ve learned at Davidson, though, is that my best traits didn’t magically appear because of my “Ways of Knowing” credits or my team sports requirement. They have always been there; my time at Davidson simply made me more aware of them. Parents say that college is beneficial for a lot of things—getting a job, the pursuit of knowledge—and those things are true, but these four years have taught me, more than anything, that college is about self-discovery: what traits and skills you’ve always had, what things challenge you, scare you, surprise you, etc. I’ve learned that I’ve always been good at empathizing, educating myself about others’ perspectives, being comic relief when a friend needs it, standing up for what I think is right, and so many other great things. I’ve also learned that I’m trash at math, a know-it-all, a gossip, stubborn as hell, and bad at expressing myself. I don’t like being told what to do, and I’m too lazy to lead a group unless no one else will. Over the past four years, I’ve augment-
ed my good traits and started working on my bad ones. When I look at pictures of myself from freshman year, I say, “Damn, I let myself walk around looking like that?” At the same time, I consider how similar yet different I am to that awkward freshman in the Ke$ha photo. College doesn’t turn you into a totally new person; we all get here as unpopped kernels of popcorn, and leave as fluffy, tasty kernels with some of the shell still on. The fluffy bit was there all along, we just needed the right conditions to make it appear. If I could change any one thing about Davidson, I would ask that it do more to encourage this sort of popcorn popping. The College loves to say that it’s an environment where students constantly challenge and learn about themselves, but I don’t think that’s universal. There are people that leave this school as those barely-popped kernels that fall to the bottom of the bag. They are a little fluffy but leave you a little sad at the wasted potential. Davidson makes it easy for some people to go through four or more years without much growth beyond the intellectual sort. Some of this is the stress; it’s hard to grow as a person when your professors are dead-set on working you to death, your immune system is shot, and you’re broke-all at the same time. A larger part, I think, is how small this community can be. It’s easy to leave almost the same as you came when you’re surrounded by people that won’t challenge how you see your-
s e l f or others. I don’t m e a n to condemn people that don’t pop their kernel while they’re here; by senior year, we’re only 21 to 22, so we have the rest of our lives to figure our shit out. I do mean to challenge both the students and the College to reflect on how much they’ve grown while they’ve been here and how much they’ve encouraged others to do so. We don’t all have to make the same kind or amount of progress, but the tuition for this school alone makes it a damn shame if you haven’t figured out one of the great traits you were born with or the sucky parts of your kernel that haven’t quite popped yet. Davidson owes to us, and we owe to ourselves, the chance to emerge from this stressful ass popcorn machine as moderate-to-good popcorn. Now that I’ve comprehensively exhausted my popcorn metaphor, I’d like to thank my friends: Vance, Tiny Tina, Chicken Annie, Ky, Gulie, Bri, Alexis, Madeleine/ Bear the dog, and Allyson. Y’all saw something good in an especially awkward un-popped kernel, and I’m eternally grateful for your friendship. Kaiya Carter ’19 is an English major from Baltimore, Maryland. Contact her at kacarter@davidson.edu.
Osama Syed ’19
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was very underwhelmed the day I found out I was admitted to Davidson. I knew little about the school and hadn’t expected to go here. It was the last QuestBridge partner school I applied to. However, the opportunity to get a high-quality education was something that had truly seemed out of reach prior to that moment, so I intended to make use of it. Fast-forward to my first year here: I was impressed by the school and the people, I found the intellectual curiosity amongst students and professors to be inviting, I found the campus to be beautiful. I found the chance to live a new life to be exciting. Most of these feelings have remained the same. While engaging with various parts of campus, be it as a low-income student with the financial aid office, as a Muslim student with the Chaplain’s Office, or as Student Body Vice President with general administration, I found the institution as a whole generally supports and truly cares for students. My involvements in groups and programs have led me to pursue a career related to higher education and student affairs, and I’m now a Student Affairs Fellow. That means I study and engage in matters such as student concerns, administrative response, demographic changes and their consequences, and so on. At Davidson, many issues revolve around communication and understanding from students and administration or, really, any other part of campus. I don’t think this is inherently a “bad” thing; it’s just the nature of these processes and places. For example, students typically are unaware of behind-the-scenes action because they either aren’t paying attention or don’t know all the gears involved in running a higher education institution. This isn’t anyone’s fault. Many students come into Davidson with the mindset of engaging with professors, literature, the arts, sports, etc., and aren’t concerned with the school’s investments, trustees, the history of slavery at the school, and meal plan pricing. These last few matters come up while students are here. Another issue is this atmosphere of staying busy and being productive. Many students feel pressured to be hyper-involved and showcase their busy-ness, which is problematic. In part, students burn themselves out. Some feel Davidson hasn’t evolved enough to incorporate its liberal arts values into its education while
Institional Change is Still Needed, but Progess Has Been Made preparing students for the next step, or rather life beyond here, but I beg to differ. For example, this place does push for people of various viewpoints and backgrounds to speak, be admitted, teach, and be engaged; this is what liberal arts is. According to the school website, “The primary purpose of Davidson College is to assist students in developing humane instincts and disciplined and creative minds for lives of leadership and service.” This school does pretty well in living out its purpose. Service is ingrained in most groups and organizations here. We have so many critical thinkers that want to work towards a more equitable society. It is all truly impressive. At the same time, students should realize they don’t have to make it seem like they need to be doing something productive all the time or that they need to work towards a so-called “prestigious” career. It’s perfectly fine to be a student here and be doing something such as working at a coffee shop. I’ve been at Summit since August and I found most people running it to be alumni who incorporate the values they learned here into community engagement and intentional business. It’s been amazing to see how happy you can be with something like that after going to “a top-ranked college.” I myself was in the trap of thinking I needed to be doing something “big” after college because it felt like that was what needed to happen. But it’s an impossible task trying to exert unbearable amounts of energy into becoming another workaholic doing things that our overwhelmingly capitalist society has established gives you value. And if you start treating others like they’re a commodity, you’ve already delved deep into that world. At some point or another, you’ll realize that it wasn’t the “things” that made you or someone valuable; it was the character, thoughtfulness, and other similar attributes. These are the values this place tries to instill. Going back to general attentiveness and progress, I want to shed light on the typically short attention span and, at times, misdirected frustration of our student activism. It’s one thing to be critical and to benefit the school and future students; it’s another to be critical and then not really follow up. Students love having freedom of expression and the ability to be legitimate leaders on campus, but then
Illustration by Richard Farrell ‘22 they also expect the administration to fix issues that aren’t really in their job description. These are pretty re-occurring phenomena here. Part of it is because it’s a four-year institution and students aren’t here long enough to really see the changes or find reason to invest time to see things through. The other part is getting bogged down in academics again. It’s understandable that students focus on academics; it is the main reason most of us are here. But to be loud without legitimate action is a cop-out. I’m all for institutional change, but it requires constant effort. On that note, I understand that it can feel like not enough things are changing or going the way you want. I understand that it took way too long to seriously acknowledge our slavery background. I understand that (it feels like) most white students don’t know enough about the everyday occurrences of racism. I understand that most people here come from money and don’t know much about financial insecurity. I understand most heterosexual and/or cisgender people have very limited knowledge of many matters relating to those identifying as LGBTQ+. But perhaps we expect too much from each other. Most of us are 18- to 22-year-olds trying to develop and become “good” people, but we may not recognize that constantly being an ally for every cause is difficult and, quite frankly, impossible. Perhaps you didn’t notice all the things that really did change, or perhaps some things are taking longer to happen than you thought. You were probably inspired by someone else and even inspired someone else to continue the work you started. I’ve seen cotton plants removed from this
campus, renovations and additions to areas for minority students, programs begun for inclusive pedagogy within STEM, orientation become completely restructured to be more cognizant of the school’s and local area’s history and prominence, and the Africana department expand (and score the G.O.A.T. himself, Dr. Garry Bertholf), all within the time I came here in August 2015 to now. These things matter so much. They’re not ends in-and-of themselves, but they are progress. We can’t forget that. We need the energy to continue improving upon what we’ve built, while recognizing what has happened before and what is currently happening. To the younger students: you’ll likely go through a series of changes on how you feel about this place and that some things are just not up to your standards; that’s a good thing and it’s through that energy that we move forward. But realize it’s taken a lot of effort to get even here. To my fellow seniors: we’ve worked so hard and improved so many things. Thank you! To the Davidson College community at large: thank you for the support you’ve given me. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to come to this place and get to know so many of you and so many who came before. I’m grateful to have spent the last few years here but I’m ready to move on... Come see me at Summit before I go! Osama Syed ’19 is a political science major from Wichita, Kansas. Contact him at ossyed@davidson.edu. Headshots taken by Olivia Forrester ‘22
Sports
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Senior Yarbrough Caps Historic Career
SAM THOMAS ‘20 SENIOR SPORTS WRITER
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t the Atlantic 10 Indoor Track and Field Championships this past February, Caroline Yarbrough ‘19 finished second in the 3000 meter run. Though the podium finish in of itself was an impressive feat, the race itself epitomized the grit with which Yarbrough has raced over her four years at Davidson. Having been out-kicked by Emily Mulhern, a middle-distance runner from the University of Virginia who now runs at VCU, the night before in the 5000 meter run, Yarbrough made a valiant move to the front with about a half mile remaining. Doing so had a much higher risk, but also would be the more likely way in which she could beat Mulhern. As a result, La Salle’s Grace Mancini won the race and Mulhern passed Yarbrough with about 300 meters to go. However, Yarbrough had one final surge and passed Mulhern in the final 50 meters to take silver. Each year, the competition has changed, but Yarbrough’s mentality has not: “I think about all the people who have encouraged, supported, and helped me throughout the season, including my coaches, parents, teammates, and the Davidson Athletic Department, and how I want to let my performance honor their investments in me.” Yarbrough’s mentality has fueled her to an A-10 title in the 3000 meter run indoors during her freshman and sophomore seasons, as well as a title in the 5000 meter run outdoors during her sophomore season. As a whole, Yarbrough has scored 107 points over seven conference championships in track and field. That is, she scored ten points for each first place finish, eight points for each second place finish, six points for each third place finish, and five
points for each fourth place finish. In the history of the A-10, less than ten athletes have accomplished that feat. Competition has always come second nature to Yarbrough, who played soccer, field hockey, basketball, lacrosse, tennis, and swimming growing up. However, she added that “competing with the Davidson ‘D’ across my chest amplifies my love of competition to another dimension. Running for Davidson means I am running for something greater than myself; I am representing the countless people who have invested in me, from my coaches, teammates, and the Davidson Athletic Department staff who have encouraged and pushed me, to my professors who kindly asked about my race when I have to miss class, to the Commons worker who wishes me good luck when he sees me in my uniform grabbing oatmeal prior to a meet. I hope to use my performance as a way to express my deep gratitude for the ability to compete for our incredible institution.” Both on and off the track, Yarbrough has been a leader at Davidson. “Running for Davidson has molded me into a driven and results-oriented individual, a reliable and collaborative team player, a respectful and honest competitor, and an uplifting and committed leader, both by example and vocally,” she said. Though the competition changes from year to year, Yarbrough once again will be one of the favorites in both the 5000 and 10,000 meter runs in the A-10 Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She has an opportunity to set the conference record for most points scored by an individual over the course of four years. To do so would certainly be a phenomenal accomplishment, but Yarbrough will graduate as one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Davidson Track and Field regard-
Striding by: senior track star Caroline Yarbrough ‘19 pushes past an opponent during a race; a familar sight during her Davidson career. Photo courtesy of Tim Cowie less of her performance this upcoming weekend. From winning the Rookie of the Year in the A-10 her freshman cross country season, to the ten podium appearances thus far, Yarbrough has been the model of consistent racing in championship meets. Yarbrough looks to continue to run after college with one of a number of potential elite and sub-elite clubs. In addition, she will look to try to use her running for good by volunteering with one of many potential groups. Two examples of these groups that Yarbrough plans on working with are “Girls on the Run [a group that inspires young girls to exercise and
live healthy lifestyles] or Back on My Feet, a nonprofit organization that uses running and mentorship as a means to help individuals that are homeless, battling substance abuse, or at-risk garner the confidence, goal-setting mentality, and physical and mental strength to achieve a path towards self-sufficiency.” We, as a Davidson community, are very fortunate to have had Yarbrough at our school. Her dedication and commitment has made us all better off as a result. She leaves a strong legacy of excellence behind her and will undoubtedly find successes in her future.
DUFF Season Keeps Davidson Elite at Ultimate Frisbee
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JONATHAN SWANN ‘19 SPORTS WRITER
Weekly Sports Update
familiar sight for many Davidson students is walking by the Union and seeing Davidson Ultimate Frisbee Folk (DUFF) practice under the Richardson Stadium lights three times a week. The dedication and hard work the team puts in week in and week out can be easy to overlook if you don’t know a DUFF player personally. However, DUFF competes against the best college ultimate frisbee teams in the South and nationally ranked teams. This season, both the men’s and women’s team had to overcome challenges including injuries, but finished strong overall, with the men placing third in the region and the women placing fifth in the conference. Co-Captain Mac Harris ’19 said that the team improved throughout the season after a slow start, culminating in winning “two of our final three tournaments, including a Conference title for the third time in the past four years.” Men’s DUFF entered Regionals on an eleven game win streak, but they fell in the semifinals to perennial rival University of
Richmond, the team that ultimately won the region. Jack Swinson ’21 echoed Harris’s assessment about the season, stating that “[the team] made so much progress coming together.” Swinson added that “it was so much fun to see the first years improve and it was hard to accept that we wouldn’t play with the seniors again.” The men’s final record was 22-8, highlighted by finishing first at D-III EastUR Tournament in March and first at conferences in mid-April. While the big goal for the men’s team was to clinch a spot in nationals, only one team from the Atlantic region could earn a bid, making the goal challenging for the team. Dusty Smith ’20 emphasized that while winning regionals was the main goal, the expectations for the team were not limited to on-field results. Smith said that “we want every player, regardless of where they start, to finish as a better ultimate player than when they started; we also pride ourselves on building close relationships within the team and making DUFF a fun experience for everyone involved.” Those themes of team bonding, goofiness, and player development form a critical component of DUFF. Harris and Swinson reiterated those
“We want every player, regardless of where they start, to finish as a better ultimate player than when they started.” Dusty Smith ‘20 themes, with Swinson stating that his favorite part of this season was bonding with all the guys on the team. Both the men’s and women’s team had many underclassmen because of the loss of talented seniors from last year and the various injuries players faced. Katie Craig ’19 says that the women’s season was focused primarily on rebuilding and remaining competitive for every game. On the women’s side, the season was punctuated by wins against Elon, University of North Carolina-Asheville, and Wake Forest. On the men’s side, Smith says that “[we] only had three seniors playing by the end of
Meet of the Week Track (M/W) This weekend Davidson’s Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams will compete at the Atlantic 10 conference outdoor championship meet in Amhurst Massachusetts. Last season, the Davidson Men placed fifth, and the Davidson Women placed sixth. Both teams will be looking to improve from that mark. You can follow the ‘Cats progress at the championships through the Atlantic 10 websites. After already breaking a number of school records this outdoor season, the team is poised to make a splash in a key A-10 championship meet.
the season due to injury, but we had about fifteen freshmen on the roster who were all ready and willing to work hard and step up when we needed them to.” The young team benefitted from two new coaches this year who could provide advice to the newcomers and returning players. According to Smith, a few years ago, DUFF was entirely player-coached and now “having three experienced coaches who sacrifice so much time to support the team is really a blessing.” Smith says that next season, the team will be even hungrier to make nationals as the current sophomores and freshmen have never been, and next year is the last chance for the current juniors. Rising sophomores such as Landon Schabes ‘22 and Kevin “Slippery” Escott ‘22 will look to step up to make up for the graduation of talented seniors, including Alex Berro ‘19, Kaylen Alexis ‘19, Isaac Mervis ‘19, and Mac Harris ‘19. Overall though, DUFF will continue to be driven by one burning question (according to Harris): “who put the fork in the garbage disposal?”
Wildcat Standings Baseball
Team
VCU Dayton Davidson Richmond Rhode Island Fordham Saint Joseph’s Saint Louis
W
L
Pct
13 12 10 9 9 8 8 7
5 6 5 6 6 7 7 8
.722 .667 .667 .600 .600 .533 .533 .467
Arts and Culture
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Solos and Combos in Review The impulse to explain art is an inherent piece of the chain of expression. Artistic works often have their greatest impact when their audience is engaging in active reflection. However, this reflection is just that: a distinct review of an experience. The review is as much its own piece of work as it is connected
to the subject it was reflecting on. In the last two weeks Davidson has been the host of both the Brass Studio Recital and the Jazz Combo Spring Concert. In an effort to reveal a little bit more about the nature of review as a style we have included both a textual and a visual review
of these events on this week’s page. Each medium attempts to capture some of the music that was produced and translate it into printable reflection. - Alyssa Tirrell ‘22, Arts and Culture Editor
Textual Review: Jazz Combo Concert
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BEN CALDWELL ‘21 MUSIC CORRESPONDENT
ast Thursday night, the Music Department hosted the Davidson College Jazz Combos, a showcase of two student bands. The show was in Tyler-Tallman Hall; Davidson locals made up most of the audience. The room was unusually quiet, even before the lights went down, and it was immediately clear to me that the performers themselves would be responsible for bringing the energy to the room. They didn’t disappoint. The aptly named trio “The Five O’Clock Combo” (Matt Bell ‘19, guitar; John Turlington ‘21, bass; Frank Carrol ‘19, drums) played first. The staging was sparse—with Carrol’s drum set tucked toward the back, Bell and Turlington almost looked like isolated soloists in the empty space. When they began to play, though, they brought the skill and charisma to fill the stage. With a short introduction and little fanfare, they dropped into the first song, Pat Metheny’s “Bright Size Life,” followed by Esbjörn Svensson’s “Tuesday Wonderland.” Their third song, Norman Whitfield’s “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” was for me the highlight of their set; because the original tune is so memorable, their departure from it left a much stronger impression. Turlington and Carrol laid the foundation for Bell’s guitar work, but each musician still found the space to let his personality flow through his performance. Several times, Bell played the melody through an effects pedal which looped and repeated it. This allowed him to add layers of improvisation and harmony overtop, making it sound as though there was another
musician onstage. Though uncommon in a jazz performance, the effect was a welcome accessory to the trio. They created variation by falling into hypnotic, repetitive phrases and then breaking back out of them, keeping the audience on their toes. All three are clearly accomplished musicians, but it was their stage presence that truly made the show fun. They were smiling the entire time and dressed more casually than most of the audience. They kept in constant nonverbal communication; sometimes they would exchange knowing glances before going into a solo, and I got the sense that they were about to let me in on an inside joke. The second group, “The Six O’Clock Combo” (Ken Lee, saxophone; Emery Nash ‘20, trombone; Will Messner ‘20, guitar; Thomas Hammons ‘21, bass; Brendan Cassidy ‘19, drums; Patrick Sullivan ‘21, piano), started after the intermission. Unlike the first trio, they had no choice but to fill the stage. They played a diverse setlist and put their own spin on works by Gene DePal and Mongo Santamaría. Their performances ranged from melancholy to danceable, and they found a healthy middle ground between novelty and authenticity to the original piece. Despite their numbers, each musician found the space to showcase their skills, alternating between supporting roles and solos, and provided each other with ample room to show off. The group’s back-and-forth maneuvers put a spotlight on their musical rapport. It was most obvious during their final song, Duke Ellington’s “C Jam Blues,” when each instrument had a solo. These solos
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had a definitive sense of humour–the “Six” would work together to craft the setup, stirring up anticipation in the audience, and then one instrument would take the spotlight to deliver the punchline. Throughout the set, the leading melodies left ample room for Hammons and Cassidy (bass and drums, respectively), whose performances were fresh enough to resist falling into the background. Nevertheless, Ken Lee’s saxophone solos might’ve drawn the biggest reaction from the crowd (as saxophone solos are wont to do); Elizabeth Miller ’20 referred to Ken as a “Christlike figure” after the show—whatever transcendent energy resides within that instrument, Ken has mastered it. Earnest critiques of either Combo are few and far between. They both played diverse setlists, alternating between wellknown and more obscure songs, but didn’t shy away from taking refreshing artistic liberties with their source material. The “Five” had the more upbeat set, but the “Six” played the somber songs with enough gusto to hold the audience’s attention. They owned the room for the duration of the night; their hours of practice were obvious in their sound but didn’t show on their faces. Both bands brought the energy and enthusiasm of newcomers. At the end of the show, Director Tim Gordon gave a heartfelt farewell to seniors Matt Bell, Frank Carrol, Ken Lee, and Brendan Cassidy. Ben Caldwell ‘21 is an English Major from Chattanooga, TN. He can be reached for comment at becaldwell@davidson. edu
Visual Review: Brass Studio Recital
rasis big and loud, both visually and audibly. The instruments are heavy and cumbersome and come in all shapes and sizes. The array of sounds that can be created with them is incredible, especially when experienced live. In my pieces, I attempted to capture all that you experience when observing music being made in the moment. Chloe Pitkoff ‘21 is a Studio Art Major from Brooklyn, NY. She can be reached for comment at chpitkoff@davidson.edu
Et Cetera
7
Staff Spotlight: Chief Todd Sigler on His Journey to Davidson OLIVIA DANIELS ‘19 AND LAURA DUNNAGAN’19 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF EMERITA
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fter a year as editors-in-chief of The Davidsonian, we gained particular appreciation for one member of the Davidson community. Campus Police Chief Dr. Todd Sigler is known to many for his role in campus safety. He is, however, also an academic, an FBI-trained professional, a father, a grandfather, and an advocate for improved communication and equity in campus safety initiatives. Born in Colorado, Sigler was raised in the Chicago suburbs. A true Chicago sports fan, Sigler joked with photographer Olivia Forrester ‘22 about her D.C. ice hockey allegiances. Sigler wasn’t a bad kid growing up, he just needed direction. Hoping to be as far from home as possible while still reaping the benefits of in-state tuition, he headed to Carbondale, Illinois, to attend Southern Illinois University (SIU). Sigler began his academic career at SIU as a “very typical college student.” He admits that he was more focused on the social aspects of undergraduate life. He recalls that when he received his first-year grades, he “said ‘that’s not acceptable effort’ and turned it around.” His undergraduate degree in Administration of Justice would the first of three degrees he would earn at SIU. As an undergraduate, Sigler joined SIU’s Saluki Patrol, a student branch of law enforcement assigned to special events and residential patrols. Through this experience he realized, “without the power of arrest...you’d better be able to communicate, because you don’t really have anything else that you can rely on... and I think that’s where I really found the value in policing in a way in which you have to be able to talk with folks...You have to be able to communicate, and you don’t have to arrest anybody.” Upon graduation in 1984, Sigler worked professionally for SIU’s Campus Police for several years. When his wife grew ill, his young family, which now included a son, moved to St. Louis for her medical treatment. Sigler spent many of his days working on his SIU master’s thesis in public affairs from her hospital room. When his wife passed away eight months later, Sigler and his five-year-old son moved to be closer to his family in Chicago. Sigler took a job with the Secretary of State Police in Illinois, “an
Chief Sigler relaxes outside of the Student Union. Photo by Olivia Forrester ‘22
Chief Sigler sits with former Editors- in-Chief Olivia Daniels ‘19 and Laura Dunnagan ‘19 to discuss his educational journey, family life, ideas about police work, and what brought him to Davidson’s campus. Photo by Olivia Forrester ‘22 agency of about two hundred investigators that focuses on vehicle code.” The body handled titling issues and car theft among other concerns. He had not shaken his love of campus security, however, and returned to SIU a few years later for what would become a thirty year career. There, he served in a variety of fields, including the bomb unit, crime prevention, evidence analysis, and more. In 2004, he was promoted to Chief of Police at SIU. After remarrying and adding a daughter to his family, Sigler continued pursuing his love of learning. Starting even before his ascension to the head of the department, Sigler worked on a PhD in Educational Administration. This was unusual in Sigler’s field, in which the terminal degree was typically a master’s. Balancing his full-time job with the program and family life was difficult. He often took one class at time, and he remembers: “I literally finished work at 5 or 5:30, sometimes later, and I would go to the library until midnight.” In 2011, Sigler completed his dissertation and was awarded his degree. His final product was entitled “Collective Behavior and Campus Public Order Policing: A Qualitative Case Study of Mixed-Issue Campus Disturbances at Three Midwest Public Universities.” He describes his research as investigating “convivial celebratory riots on college campuses and the interactions with campus police.” In other words, Sigler was studying Frolics before he even got to Davidson. As Sigler pursued his academic interests, he also participated in extensive professional training. In 1997, Sigler attended the FBI National Academy for a three month training program in Quantico, Virginia. To qualify, he needed to pass a rigorous background check and physical fitness test. The course included twelve hours of academic credit at the University of Virginia, which included classes on behavioral analysis, media relations, and evidence. Classmates included Cathy Lanier, who would go on to become Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. He reflects upon the experience as “a career highlight.” In 2013, Sigler was ready to move on from SIU and retired.
After a month and a half, however, he knew he wanted to return to work. Sigler was about to accept a teaching position, when the job at Davidson opened. Sigler took the helm as Campus Police Chief in January 2014. After his retirement, Sigler admits he was disillusioned with the policing profession due to events like Ferguson. The dynamics at Davidson, however, encouraged him to believe in helpful, communicative partnerships. Reflecting on his decision to move south, Sigler credits Davidson’s students and campus culture. “I was taken by the Honor Code,” he recalls, as well as “the caliber of student.” Having never enjoyed making arrests, he looked forward to reframing the relationships between law enforcement and communities. At Davidson, he says, that process is easier than at most places. Sigler also appreciates how Davidson students hold themselves and campus law enforcement accountable: “I have been asked some questions about things in ways that challenge me, which is good. We should be challenged...I admire the way Davidson students...may not agree with the sanctions for their behavior, but they own their behavior. That’s refreshing.” Sigler maintains that there are certainly challenges facing the Davidson community. “We are coming to a time when it is going to be difficult for Davidson to say ‘we are safe in our bubble’ because the outside is coming to Davidson, and I think Davidson students are bringing the outside into Davidson. This idea that we are in this insular environment, I don’t think we are going to be able to sustain that...I’m not sure that’s the best situation to have either. Maybe we need to have more of that contact.” Today, Sigler encourages conversations within his department about mental health awareness and support, implicit biases, threat assessments, and mindfulness about students’ previous experiences with law enforcement. He says, “If damage was done by [our] profession, we have an obligation to repair that.” Above all, Sigler is grateful to Davidson’s community and committed to enhancing safety and inclusivity for all members. He emphasizes, “I never want to lose an opportunity to let the student body know how much I appreciate them.”
The
Davidsonian Staff Ethan Ehrenhaft ‘20, Katie Walsh ‘20 Sebastian Sola-Sole ‘21 Hope Anderson ‘22, Emma Pettit ‘20 Raven Hudson ‘21, Lizzie Kane ‘22 Alyssa Tirrell ‘22 Drew Eastland ‘21, Max Pearson ‘22 Olivia Forrester ‘22 Malorie Hudson ‘22, EJ Kelley ‘20 Jake Carver ‘21 Richard Farrell ‘22 Caroline Roy ‘20 Adam Ferraz ‘20 Sarah Austin ‘21, Lindy Bustabad ‘21, Susannah Cate ‘20, Yashi Gunawardena ‘19
Photos by Olivia Forrester ‘22
Editors in Chief Design Editor News Editors Perspectives Editors Arts and Culture Editors Sports Editors Photography Editor Yowl Editors Web Editor Art Editor Features Editor Senior Copy Editor Copy Editors
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Irreverent student journalism since 2004. Castigat Ridendo Mores.
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Innocent Professor Was Glad to See More Students Dedicated to Staying Hydrated During Friday’s Classes Page 6
The Final Issue
May 1, 2019
Steph Curry: “Knowing that Over 40 Fraternity Males Wore My Jersey Out This Weekend is What Motivates Me to Compete for NBA Titles” Page 30
ALE Agent’s Cover Blown After Being Seen Pocketing $5 Bill Found on Patterson Court Page Honor Bound
A Real Shame: Area Man Waited in Hour and a Half-Long Line for Burger He Threw Up Half an Hour Later Page 2
Guy Who Drank 1.5 Lukewarm Beers During 10:30 Friday Class to Lead Common Hour Talk on How to Be Really Cool Page Sick, Dude
Latin Honors Nixed, Graduating Seniors to Receive Diplomas in Order of 2015 Cake Race Times
Above: Look at this scrumdidliumptious cake. Yumm yummmm yum.
Nudist Group Recruiter to Visit Campus on Reading Day, Talk Post-Grad Opportunities with Senior Streakers ALVAREZ COLLEGE UNION –– In its “Weekly Digest” email sent to students this past Thursday, the Center for Career Development included information about an especially unique networking opportunity for seniors. While the information contained in these weekly emails tends to revolve around consulting jobs, abroad fellowships, and grant deadlines, an advertisement for “Coffee Chats with the North Mecklenburg County Nudist Society” struck many as quite remarkable. Most students were unsurprisingly flabbergasted, thinking that the posting had to be some sort of joke, or at least the work of a comical hacker. The Coffee Chats, however, are legitimate, The Yowl confirmed with the CCD. The North Mecklenburg County Nudist Society, or the “North Meck Nudies” as the group refers to itself, has apparently been intrigued by the Midnight Streak––Davidson’s infamous Reading Day tradition––for several years and decided to make a trip to campus this year in hopes of convincing a few prolific streakers to consider joining their organization after graduation. Noah Durwear, a spokesperson for the North Meck
Nudies, told The Yowl that he is excited to “engage in conversations” with students who he hopes “will become the future leaders of the Society.” Said Durwear, “Right now is a great time to break in to the nudist industry. There are some promising opportunities for growth at both the local and national levels. I see executive potential in many of these Davidson streakers, and I can’t wait to sit down with some of them next week.” When asked what exactly “employment” with the North Mecklenburg County Nudist Society would look like for potential applicants, Durwear acknowledged that the career path is certainly an atypical one but assured that the job was fulfilling. “We hold streaks, nude art shows, and body-positive revivals in the area quite frequently,” noted Durwear. “The event planning and communication skills you’ll gain from this experience are invaluable. Plus you get to go to the national conference in Tallahassee, Florida! And you get a cool engraved pin once you complete training!” When asked, Durwear did not seem to understand the irony of a professional nudist receiving a commemorative pin.
CHAMBERS LAWN –– Davidson’s 182nd Commencement Ceremony will include some noteworthy changes. The college’s annual graduation exercises, which will be be held on Sunday May 19, will no longer feature graduates receiving their diploma in the traditional order of Latin Honors. Following concerns raised by students about the validity of the tradition, college officials decided to institute a more modern and equitable approach for the Class of 2019. In previous Commencement ceremonies, graduating seniors have received diplomas in the following order: those qualifying for summa cum laude (4.0 GPA) designation, followed by magna cum laude (3.750-3.999 GPA), then cum laude (3.50-3.750 GPA), and finally all those with below a 3.50 cumulative grade point average. Over the course of the spring semester, several students questioned the fairness of this system, pointing out that such a focus on grades during Commencement may overshadow the wide range of non-academic pursuits that are integral to the values of the Davidson community. This logic resonated with many who saw the Latin Honors order as hackneyed and ill-suited to Davidson’s mission. In response to the considerations raised by students, the college administration decided to take action. In a landmark policy change, the Latin Honors ordering was scrapped and will be replaced by a more egalitarian system: the calling of graduates in order of their finishing times at the Freshman Cake Race held annually during Orientation. Support for the new system appears to be almost unanimously positive. Jake DiFillipo ‘19 remarked, “GPA is such an arbitrary and outdated way to compare people, especially when we should all be celebrating the accomplishment of managing to graduate from this place. But speed, now everyone can agree that speed is objective, unbiased, and the only sensible way to compare students who are all so talented in their own ways.” Despite the enthusiastic reception for the new policy, there are some logistical issues that need to be addressed in order to ensure its smooth implementation. For instance, there are two students in the senior class––Alexis Quickfeet ‘19 and Evan Slowpoke ‘19––who had the exact same Cake Race finishing time, down to the millisecond. In order to resolve this issue, Adams and Cooper are set to go head-to-head on the Cake Race loop during the morning of graduation in order to determine whose name will be called first. At press time, the Dean of Students Office announced that students who did not participate in the Cake Race are bound by their honor to gather outside of Baker Sports Complex following Saturday’s “Beer Truck” festivities during Commencement weekend and complete the loop the night before they graduate.
Did Frolics Deflate with Inflatables Choice? A Yowl Perspectives Piece (Also, Introducing Yowl Perspectives) Coming to a department store near you! The Yowl Perspectives is a new series that we will be featuring each week for the rest of the year. In Yowl Perspectives we invite our fellow peers to speak your truth. Unless that truth is a defense of potato coins. In that case, you’re a f*cking idiot who deserves their First Amendment to be removed until further notice. Serious inquiries only. Reach out to yourmomsyowltown@davidson.edu. This weekend Davidson students took some time off from developing their talents for lives of leadership and service, being intellectually curious, or dedicatedly working ahead on finals projects in order to attend a small event on campus called “Frolics”. Very few students know about the “Frolics hack,” an event where the school provides stu-
The
Yowl
dents with opportunities to receive free food, a chance to enter a universe where only off-brand versions of your favorite artist exist....and inflatables on the Patterson Court Lawn. But were there really inflatables to be “offered?” For weeks now the school has flooded campus with emails and posters detailing the events at Frolics. Continuously, the promise for “inflatables” was made to students, as they have made appearances at Frolics in years past. Yet, has anyone really ever discussed these “inflatables” and their value? If you were one of the few in attendance at Frolics, in the midst of the haze, did you even stop for a second to reflect upon the inflatables that were given to us? There were three options on campus this past Saturday. Number one was a subpar obstacle course. The course was merely a couple
WRITERS BJ Novak Mindy Kaling Michael Schur
of yards, on a one level stretch––with what? A ladder? Where were the hot and sticky tunnel-tubes to get into the course? Where were the mock-punching bags that I was once learned to conquer in my youth? Where were they Davidson, WHERE WERE THEY? [Angry proclamations, especially those unsubstantiated with evidence, are encouraged in Yowl Perspectives] The next option was an advanced counterpart to the obstacle course. But what? What is this? A pool of below-freezing temperature water waiting for me at the end of my inflatable journey? I do not think so Davidson. You are telling me that in order to enjoy a real obstacle course I must either sacrifice my instagramable outfit for the day or try to stumble back to my place of residence to scrounger for a bathing suit. I am appalled.
And finally number three, the enlarged tether ball inflatable. The one thing Davidson College was able to do correctly with their choice of inflatables. I will give credit to this event attraction. Good quality bounce, tied in another piece of elementary nostalgia, four spots available to play with friends. This is what young inflatables aspire to be in their aging days. Going forward, serious change needs to be made in the way that this college comes to decisions on their inflatable choices. We need to consider how many obstacles are needed to make an inflatable obstacle course, cohesiveness in choice of wet or dry inflatables, and overall inflatable quality. Maybe next year Frolics should go back to the roots and offer three simple bouncy houses until they can make more mature decisions.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Ode To Frolic Friendships Forgotten - A Haiku
“I hate haikus! Why am I writing one?” –– Area Poet
We Met Friday Night thirty Shots had between two Neither Can Recall - Malorie Waldo Emerson
Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian. Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth.