the davidsonian
May 4, 2016 Vol. 108 Issue 20
The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914
Inside NEWS Davidson international students host American students over summer break 2 Search for permanent Sustainability Director underway amidst student concerns 2 LIVING DAVIDSON Dear World hosts photoshoot on campus to share student stories 4 PERSPECTIVES Davidson claims educational accessibility regardless of financial status. Photo by Emma Johnson.
The Trust: Students question loan transparency WILL MCDUFFIE AND MICHELLE WAN Emeritus Editors
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ational student debt has risen steadily as the cost of college also continues to rise. Forty-two million Americans collectively owe $1.2 trillion in federal student loans. In 2007, Davidson College enacted the muchlauded Davidson Trust as a demonstration of its commitment to keeping education affordable for those admitted to the college. In eliminating loans from need-based financial aid packages, the Davidson Trust aims to allow students from all backgrounds the opportunity to afford the cost of attendance and the ability to pursue academic interests with fewer burdens about how those pursuits will be financed. Since fall 2007 when the Trust was enacted, more students who previously may not have been able to afford Davidson, or for whom the cost may have been a significant burden, have been able to attend. In the 2007-2008 academic year, the first under the policy of the Trust, 784 students received need-based aid, with an average need of $20,542. This academic year, 919 received need-based aid, and the average need was $41,941. The total cost of attendance this year was $60,119.
For many students, the college’s commitment to loan-free financial aid packages was a significant draw in their decisions to apply and attend. They note that without the Davidson Trust, financial constraints would not have allowed them to attend. “It’s way cheaper for me to be at Davidson than a decent state school back home,” Reese Schaffner `16 said. “When you look at tuition costs that are like $60,000 a year, and then see that they’re giving you like $55,000, you can’t be much but grateful for that.” Although the Trust allows Davidson to offer robust need-based awards that do not include loans, some students will still graduate with debt, joining the millions nationally who owe outstanding student loans. Schaffner is one of many students on campus who have received financial aid awards and have also taken out loans to cover the expected family contribution portion of their costs of attendance. “I knew coming in that my family wasn’t in a position to contribute to the cost of college,” Schaffner said. “I knew that whatever the estimated family contribution was, I was going to be taking that on myself.” Other students set to graduate with debt are also frustrated because they’re on the books for more than they ever thought they would be at a school with Davidson’s generous financial aid.
For these students, the problem lies with what they claim to hear – and not hear – from the college. They say that the alluring phrases, “no loan component” and “debt free financial aid package,” were more accessible to them as prospective students than their caveats. The “no-loan policy,” for example, refers specifically to the absence of loans in student aid packages, not to a guarantee that students won’t ever take out loans. National media outlets have employed the impressive rhetoric when covering the Trust, with CNBC publishing an article in 2012 titled “Debt-Free College? Yes, It Exists,” and Bloomberg News running a piece the same year headlined “The Debt-Free College Degree.” Two students, Ben Corson ‘17 and Austin Crouse ‘17, hearing concerns from friends about the way the Trust is presented, have taken action, constructing an initiative they hope spotlights what they believe is a lack of transparency in Davidson’s aid rhetoric. For months, the two, along with a small cohort of others also motivated by the topic, have explored the extent to which the rhetoric matches the stories they’ve heard from their friends.
Grace Carr encourages Millenials to get out and vote 5 Jackson Mauzé discusses an incident with town police 5 YOWL Union Board supplies bagpipes to students for finals stress relief 6 Students believe UFO has been spotted over campus 6 SPORTS Lacrosse heads to their first A-10 tournament 7 Taite Jensen ‘16 reflects upon four years of interviewing Davidson athletes 7
See TRUST on page 3
Patterson Court Council votes on the prospect of NPC sororities GREG ALSPAUGH Staff Writer
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n a recent Patterson Court Council (PCC) vote of five affirmatives, twenty-one negatives, and two abstentions, PCC decided not to continue the discussion of bringing additional sororities to Davidson’s campus. For those who may not have their fingers on the pulse of Davidson’s Greek life and Patterson Court scene, the current structure of these organizations includes eight fraternities, four eating-houses, and two sororities. Of those eight fraternities, six are Interfraternity Council (IFC) fraternities and two are National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) fraternities. The two sororities are both NPHC sororities. NPHC organizations are historically African-American. In this recent vote, the decision made by the PCC was to discontinue the discussion of introducing National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities to Davidson’s campus, but it did not affect the current NPHC sororities and fraternities. Generally, the vote determined that sororities like those typically present on larger private and state universities’ campuses would not be considered for establishment at Davidson. Another important factor to consider when interpreting the results from this vote is the his-
tory of social organizations at Davidson College. Back in 1858, IFC fraternities were first introduced to a then all-male Davidson College. Over the years as Davidson slowly became closer to becoming co-ed, male eating-houses also appeared on Davidson’s campus. However, when Davidson became co-ed in 1973, most of those eating houses became co-ed along with the college. Over the next four years, more and more members of the Davidson community advocated for all-female eating-houses, meeting similar oppositions to those the NPC sororities question faces on Davidson’s campus today. In fact, many feared that all-female eating-houses would eventually bring about sororities. To combat this fear, the PCC of the time agreed that the all-female eating-houses would be non-national and nonselective, meaning that a woman did not have to receive a bid to be a part of an eating-house. In 1977, Rusk House became the first all-female eating-house on Davidson’s campus. Then in 2006, the last co-ed eating-house on Davidson’s campus closed its doors, marking the complete transition to all-female eating-houses. In order to disseminate the reason why the PCC vote was so heavily in opposition to NPC sororities on Davidson’s campus, an interview was conducted with Madeline Driscoll ‘17, one of the strongest advocates for bringing NPC sorori-
ties to Davidson’s campus. When asked about the resistance to NPC sororities at Davidson, Driscoll responded: “Honestly, I’m still confused… Despite facts, figures, and emotional pleas, women on campus didn’t move from their fearful and judgmental stance, thus taking away opportunities from other women on campus and future Davidson women in the name of feminism and knowing that Davidson was just better than all that NPC ‘crap’…” The facts and figures that Driscoll references come from a four-part mini-series she wrote regarding the stereotypes surrounding the NPC sororities most typically discussed throughout the Davidson student-body. In Part II of this miniseries, she asserted that sororities have much stronger alumnae networks than eating houses do, both because eating houses face administrative difficulties obtaining alumnae information and because sororities produce experiences that sister employers can relate to, whereas eating houses do not produce these experiences nearly as frequently. When asked about potential downsides to NPC sororities on Davidson’s campus, Driscoll continued, “Some of [the concerns], and this is so important, were really valid. The questions addressing racial and socioeconomic and sexuality and gender identification inclusion were re-
ally important and were concerns that we looked forward to keep addressing as the conversation continued, but now, of course, we can’t.” From another perspective, Beth Wright '17, current president of Warner Hall Eating House, voted negatively on behalf of her house regarding the issue at the PCC meeting. Her vote was based on a house-wide vote conducted at Warner following presentations advocating both for and against the question. Beth commented, “It took our members a long time to come to a decision, and we had many members who did vote yes or were on the fence. The concerns that seemed most important to the house were inclusivity and accessibility. Many also voiced to me that they would like to see eating-houses meet many of the aforementioned goals. Instead of bringing in new organizations, some would prefer to see the eating-houses take a more active role in creating community, developing our networks, and offering more opportunities outside of our usual leadership/service/social events.” When pressed about potential benefits NPC sororities could bring to Davidson’s campus, Beth did admit that national networks, more leadership positions, and tighter communities were a few of those potential benefits, but for now, the vote amongst PCC has tabled the discussion.
News
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American students travel to homes of international friends AJ NADDAFF Senior Staff Writer
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Hello Davidson Internationals” the Davidson Study Abroad Office greeted the International Student committee in an e-mail late December. “Please see below the following information on the new ‘Meet My World’ grant.” For the first time in Davidson history, American students have been given the opportunity to be hosted and introduced to a foreign culture by their International friend. The guidelines: the trip had to be a minimum of two weeks in length and the recipients would receive an all expense trip including plane tickets for both participants. The grant was proposed by a generous donor who approached the Office with the idea.“I was really surprised by the number of applicants” said Bea Cornett, the International Student Adviser. In total, there were 20 applicants, with funds to provide trips for seven students. The updated selected grant recipients include: John Hennessy ‘18 visiting Ashim Sitaula ’18 in Nepal; Joscar Matos ‘16 visiting Manu Giamoukis ‘17 in Greece; Beth Foote ‘17 visiting Carolina Ordonez ‘17 in Ecuador; Kelly Telljohann ‘18 visiting Chika Fujii ‘17 in Japan; Caitie Connor ‘17 visiting Izem Ustun ‘17 in Turkey; Jacob Haythorn ‘19 visiting Layan Anabtawi ‘19 in Palestine; David Sisson ‘19 visiting Yasemin Tekgurler ‘19 in Turkey. When questioned about their reactions to the grant, recipients emphatically responded with “surprising, awesome, unbelievable, and surreal!” One student commented passionately: “Frankly, I think this should have been offered a long time ago, but if you go to other comparable small liberal arts schools with a much larger international student population, they don’t have this program. I believe it should exist in more college campus’ for the cultural experience. I don’t have this academic burden while I’m there, so I really can immerse myself and have fun while doing it.” “I think it speaks a lot to the International Office’s emphasis on cultural immersion,” responded Caitie, who is traveling to Istanbul. “In what other world does this happen other than Davidson?” On the list, two particular destinations strike the eyes for those who consume the often bleak international news headlines. In Turkey and Palestine, shootings, stabbings, car rammings, suicide bombings, explosions and drawings have rattled world news in recent months. In the past year alone, Turkey has been on high alert from a string of terrorist attacks perpetrated on its own soil as well the influx of migrants crossing over from the Syrian crisis. In Palestine, sustained unrest has continued since October when violent back-and-forth attacks broke out over the religious site in Jerusalem known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary (site of the al-Aqsa mosque), and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The purpose of the grant is to encourage American students to step outside their comfort zones--but for students visiting these countries, greater risks have been put in question. Cornett explained how the director of Dean Rusk has come to the consensus, as well as the rest of the staff, that it is up to students to make the decisions for themselves on deeming whether or not their destination is safe.
Furthermore, she stressed, what makes this grant unique is that students are not going as tourists. They are immediately being met by a familiar face and expert of that culture. From her perspective, being with someone who can guide you through their home-away-from-home inherently adds a level of security. For the Davidson students traveling to the ostensibly dangerous and volatile locations such as Turkey and Palestine, there are plenty of additional worries such as travelling into the country, navigating daily life around the area, and coming into these countries with a Western media bias. David Sisson talked about the apprehension from his extended family about his trip, and the perspective of countries like Turkey and Palestine from a Western point of view: “The American perception of a lot of other countries is that it is automatically not safe if there is a lot of strife or any other issues. But I do not think this is predictable. My dad was in Brussels when the bombings happened on business, and up until then, no one expected Brussels to get bombed.” Other students also expressed the anxiety from their parents about their journeys, which Catie Connor attributed some to the lack of understanding of what daily life is like, especially in Turkey. “I think were there concerns are coming from are American going abroad to Istanbul where there has been a lot of bombings and them not understanding that I’m going with a Turkish friend and her parents who live there. And the fact that a lot of parts of Istanbul are safer than other cities in Europe and even in America. I feel like I have a better understand of the risks and I’m choosing to go anyway with that understanding. Whereas my parents have a lot of nervousness. I trust Izem and her parents.” Both Tekgurler and Ustun agreed that if you approach Istanbul with a mindset of paranoia than you shouldn’t go anywhere in Europe. Moreover, they are bringing friends whom they believe will truly enjoy and immerse themselves in the cultural wonders of the area. “When I met David... I could tell right away that he was very interested in different cultures and being friends with the international students and that he is a very open and friendly person. I feel like he is someone whom I would love to share my country with,” Tekgurler said. “I thought about all my American friends and thought Caitie was perfect for this because she is one of my best friends and she hasn’t been out of the country except for on an orchestra cruise last winter. Since [our tastes in] culture are the same--we are huge art enthusiasts--this was an easy choice,” Ustun said. On the other hand, for Layan Anabtawi, a student from Ramallah, West Bank, the grant appealed to her exactly for the general apprehension most Americans feel in regards to her home. “Whenever I tell people they should visit me, they say it’s so dangerous,” she said. “And I’m like I know, but so what? The only person I knew who really wanted to come to Palestine was Jacob,” Anabtawi explained. In fact, Haythorn has been especially passionate about the region and the history of Palestine from his own studies prior to Davidson. From the minute the grant was released, the two began meticulously planning how he would overcome logistical hurdles.
To begin, the traveling process is extremely cumbersome for Anabtawi, who, like the rest of Palestinian population, are disenfranchised from traveling directly to Israel and have to make an initial stop to Jordan. Haythorn, on the other hand, because of his American passport, can go directly to Tel-Aviv airport before facing a long scrutinization process. “You can’t just tell them you’re going to go visit someone in the West Bank or see Palestinian culture,” Anabtawi explained. What exactly will Haythorn tell the authorities? “That I am Christian coming to visit the holy land. I have even been advised to wear a cross necklace through the airport,” he unabashedly announced. As another precautionary measure, he plans on deleting his Facebook, removing himself from the group founded by Anabtawi “Davidson Students in Solidarity with Palestine group” and deleting all history from his computer including emails. He plans on taking two sim cards for my camera to surreptitiously maneuver his way around the authority apparatuses. Lying is not the way out however, he still may have to explain that he is visiting Anabtawi. But the process is in the most roundabout way possible. “It is a weird balance of artfully telling them just enough to make them happy but not making it seem like I’m holding anything back,” Haythorn said. All these security measures are coupled with another Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation that occurred in October. Yet, they are, for the most part, going to the safest region in the region where the President and high level politi-
cians live: Ramallah. Haythorn has taken a lot of steps on his end to be as prepared as possible. “I talked with Jasper and Kaela Frank and other Westerners who have recently been in the region about the cultural do’s and dont’s. Also, they helped me on figuring out how to safely and effectively get through.” Because of the experienced resources on campus, he has found that it is possible to travel there and do so safely. When asking him about his nervousness, though he did not hesitate, “This will be mildly terrifying. On top of everything, I literally have no arabic language experience. My parents are clearly nervous but they do a good job of not showing it. I don’t think they are any more nervous than they were when two years ago I went and spent a couple months in New York by myself ---same kind, not as much about where I’m going and what I’ll be doing but about being out and about in the world on my own,” Haythorn explained. Overall, he contended, his nervousness is mixed with excitement. What defines all of these grants is the excitement that each student feels about living in another culture. Throughout the conversations regarding safety, the students continue to feel that these countries are worth visiting, even if they are stepping out of their comfort zones. As Bea Cornett remarked, “The reality is that people live their lives there”, including a number of Davidson’s international students, who hope to show their fellow American students where they call home.
Jacob Haythorn ‘19 smiles as he books his flight to Palestine with summer host Layan Anabtawi ‘19 . Photo by AJ Naddaff.
Davidson scrambles to fill vacant Sustainability Director position STEFFANEY WOOD Co-Editor of News
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ince former Sustainability Director Jeff Mittelstadt announced his impending resignation last summer, the administration has yet to hire a new Sustainability Director. After Mittelstadt officially phased out in December, former Sustainability Fellow and now Interim Director Joe St. James Lopez ’15 has taken over his position. The application for the new position has been open since last fall and has recently closed within the past month, with the hiring committee having met for the first time a couple weeks ago. The current plan is for a new Sustainability Director to take over for the fall 2016 semester. In addition, St. James Lopez will leave this June, and Bet-
sy Marshall ’16 will direct the remainder of the Sustainability Scholars program that takes place over the summer. St. James Lopez said, “The open position, with Jeff Mittelstadt leaving last year, gave the college an opportunity to look ahead and make sure that the Director of Sustainability position aligned with the goals of the college and was well positioned to lead Davidson into the future of sustainability. That being said, Vice President Kania, to whom the position reports, wanted extra time to consider the helpful guidance he received from the Environmental Studies faculty.” Regardless, many students feel that the length of this hiring process reflects the college’s priorities. Vice president of the Environmental Action Coalition Grace Li '17 said, “It was more difficult this year to coordinate our events with the Sustainability Office with less staff, as there is typical-
ly a director and a fellow. On the other hand, Joe has really done an impressive job and has helped us out considerably. But generally, this has just made it seem as if the college doesn’t really care about sustainability.” The reasoning behind the period of time taken by the administration to hire a new Sustainability Director was echoed by Ed Kania, the Vice President for Finance and Administration, who has been in charge of the hiring process. He said, “From my standpoint, I wanted to take a look at the position and assess it as what I see are our future needs. I wanted to spend this time with the help of the environmental studies faculty and they gave me some really great suggestions … The new version of this position has greater focus on the curricular and co-curricular and working with faculty and students.” In general, many, including Kania, have spo-
ken highly of St. James Lopez’s performance, especially considering how he remained unaware of Mittelstadt’s upcoming absence when he took the position as Sustainability Fellow. Professor of Anthropology and Chair of the Center of Interdisciplinary Studies Fuji Lozada said, “First of all, Joe St. James Lopez is freaking fantastic. What Joe has been able to do has been fantastic. I mean I feel bad for the guy. He has worked pretty damn hard … I think [the length of the hiring process] speaks to how the college is counting every penny. We want Davidson to be affordable … and budgets have been cut left and right.” With about thirty-five applications to review, Davidson hopes to soon hire a permanent Sustainability Director by the start of the fall semester.
News Incoming first-years comment on their decisions to enroll SIDNEY FOX Staff Writer
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ow that the May 1st deadline for college commitment has passed, Davidson is starting to solidify its incoming Class of 2020. While there are not yet exact or complete numbers for attendance, this year Davidson admissions representatives viewed 5,620 applications throughout the 2016-2017 school year. Through the Early Decision I (EDI) option, Davidson offered admission to 207 students out of 458 applicants. This was demonstrates about a 45% acceptance yield for EDI. This group of selected students marks a 7% increase from 20142015’s batch of EDI students. The admissions team then viewed 4,928 applications for regular decision. Associate Dean of Admissions Kortni Campbell discussed her excitement for next year: “I think this going to be such an amazing group of students that we are fortunate to be enrolling.” So many incoming first-years are just as excited to be at Davidson in the fall. Graham Hooten from Hinsdale, Illinois, a member of the Class of 2020, remarked, “I’m most excited to be part of a community that is striving to learn and better itself each and every day. I look forward to growing not just as a student, but as a human being.” Members of the Class of 2020 chose Davidson for a wide variety of reasons. Helen Duffy of Wilmington, North Carolina chose Davidson because “...the small class. I want to be part of a tight knit community/family and have a good relationship with my professors…also because
of the feel[ing] that you have once you walk on campus. You just instantly feel like you’re proud to be a wildcat.” Andrea Gartner from Charlotte, North Carolina said she committed to Davidson because “its beautiful and welcoming campus made me realize I wouldn’t want to learn anywhere else without these accomplished wildcats by my side!” And some students, such as Hannah Maltzan from Pasadena, California, picked Davidson simply because “I realized I was comparing all of my other choices to it.” A lot of other students seemed to recognize and value the inclusive community atmosphere on campus. Connor O’Leary, also from Charlotte, North Carolina, exclaimed, “I just loved the feeling I got that everyone is rooting for everyone else’s success and the fact that the academic and community experience at Davidson is focused on creating an enriching and enjoyable experience for the students.” Chris Malanuk of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina explained, “When I visited [Davidson,] everyone was really nice. [It] felt like I was being brought over to a family dinner rather than visiting [a] college campus.” It is already clear that the admissions team effectively accepted students that not only love Davidson and have a passion for the school, but also have diverse interests and backgrounds. Campbell reiterated, “We have such a great group of scholars that represent so many places and so many interests, and they’re going to bring so much to campus.” Campbell also mentions the expansion of enrollment throughout the nation and the in-
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Davidsonian.com
crime log Time Reported
Description / Location
4/30/16 at 1610 hrs
Larceny Misdemeanor (CatCard) at Chidsey. Further Investigation.
5/1/16 at 0003 hrs
Underage Consumption at Tomlinson. Dean Referral/Medic Transport.
5/1/16 at 1130 hrs
Breaking & Entering Misdemeanor/ Injury to Personal Property at Richardson. Further Investigation
5//1/16 at 0538 hrs
Underage consumption at Richardson. Dean Referral. Underage Consumption/Poss. Of Malt Beverage Underage/Poss. Of Spirituous Liquor Underage at Belk. Dean Referral/Medic Transport.
5/1/16 at 0036 hrs
5/1/16 at 1739 hrs
Injury to Personal Property/Injury to Real Property (dorm room) at Armfield. Further Investigation.
ternational community. She remarked, “We are very excited [about] the range of international students that are coming to us [as well as] the
continued expansion and interest in enrollment from across the US.”
Student initiative digs deeper into Davidson's debt-free reputation Continued from Page 1 The answer, they say, is hardly. “We started trying to make sense of how the college markets itself compared to the anecdotal evidence that was coming in from some of our friends,” Corson explained, “and it wasn’t really adding up.” Students they spoke to were struggling to afford the portion of Davidson’s cost of attendance that the college expected them to pay. Some of these students turned to loans, taking on a burden they did not expect at the outset. Davidson’s financial aid office follows a similar process to that of other colleges when calculating student need. The calculation of a student’s expected family contribution (EFC) determines a student’s demonstrated need and the amount of need-based award the student can receive. In addition to information provided by the student in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the office also requests information on the College Board’s CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, a financial aid application provided by the organization that allows students to submit more detailed financial information than they did on the FAFSA. From the information provided on these forms, including family income, number in household, number of siblings in college, family assets, and other figures, the financial aid office uses a method that follows standards set by the Department of Education to determine the amount that the family is expected to contribute toward the student’s fees. The difference between the cost of attendance and the EFC is the demonstrated financial need. “The Davidson Trust allows us to meet a student’s demonstrated need with a grant and a job. A loan is not part of meeting your demonstrated need,” said Chris Gruber, Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid. Of over a thousand postsecondary institutions in the United States, Davidson is still one of only a few dozen that do not offer loans in financial aid awards. “Most other schools that are meeting one hundred percent of demonstrated need, they are including that loan piece as part of that. And there are many, many schools that don’t promise to meet one hundred percent of need. They might meet 75 percent and leave the other 25 percent for the family to find,” said Dave Kraus, Senior Associate Dean and Director of Admission. Many of the loans included in other colleges’ financial packages are federal loans, available
through the Federal Student Aid program. This program includes three types of aid provided by the Department of Education: grants, loans, and part-time employment. When a student applies to a school for need-based financial aid, the school determines the student’s eligibility for each type of federal aid using financial information provided by the student on the FAFSA. Through the Federal Direct Loan Program, students and their parents may borrow from the Department of Education. Schools that participate in the program determine the amount that students are able to borrow based on need and other financial assistance offered. Financial aid offices originate and disburse the federal loans. Federal student aid also includes need-based grants and a work-study program that funds part-time employment for students who earn an hourly salary. In addition to these federal aid sources, many institutions provide their own need-based grants awards, and some offer loans owed directly to the college. When the Davidson Trust was enacted, the college broke away from this model by removing loans from the need-based aid packages it offered to students. Grants may come from the college directly, or as federal Pell Grants and FSEO Grants if the student is eligible. Part-time employment may be federal work-study awards or provided by the college for those who are eligible for need-based employment but do not meet the qualifications for federal work-study. The calculated EFC remains a family’s responsibility to pay. Davidson acknowledges that there is often a difference between the college’s calculation and what a family might think its EFC should be, but also notes that its method is a fair one, an “equitable calculation, consistent for all students,” Gruber said. The college considers how a family elects to pay the EFC the family’s individual choice. For families who take out loans, the college participates in the Federal Direct Loan Program and helps students apply for both Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans, also called Stafford loans. Parents may also apply for non-need-based Direct PLUS loans. According to data updated in March on the College Scorecard database maintained by the Department of Education, 21 percent of Davidson students currently owe federal student loans. The median debt amount is $16,663. Students at other schools that do not include
loans in their aid packages are also borrowing to meet costs. Of the nineteen schools the college considers its peer institutions, only three others, Amherst, Bowdoin and Swarthmore Colleges, also do not include loans in their financial aid awards. At these schools, the percentage of students who have federal loans are 13, 20 and 26 percent, respectively. Corson and Crouse remain concerned in particular about what they perceive is misleading rhetoric surrounding Davidson’s financial aid policy. Jada Wiggleton-Little ‘17 possesses the kind of story that has inspired Corson and Crouse to craft their initiative. A first-generation college student, she remembers attending a college fair held in the cafeteria of her high school her senior year, when she and her mother met with a Davidson representative. Neither she nor her mother, Wiggleton-Little recalls, were told anything about the possibility that students might end up taking out a loan. “No, I would have remembered that,” Wiggleton-Little said. “I would have been a lot less angry the first time I walked onto Davidson’s campus and had to go to the financial aid office.” She also insists she hardly ever came across information about loans when she toured the college. She visited Davidson four times as a high schooler and attended workshops put on by the financial aid office. Yet “nowhere [on those visits] was I told the possibility of having to take out loans.” Even as late as the start of her freshman year, Wiggleton-Little recalls her and her mother being surprised when a financial aid staffer proposed the loan option to them. By that point, however, Wiggleton-Little would presumably have had access to “Understanding Your Award Letter,” a brochure the financial aid office sends – along with award letters – to all accepted students who receive financial aid awards. The brochure reserves a section to outline the two loan options students have. Davidson’s website also contains a “Loans” page, which mentions the loans students may take out and includes a link to a “Loans FAQ” page. Between the brochure and Davidson’s website, then, information on applying for Stafford and PLUS loans as a choice to meet the family contribution is accessible to both prospective and admitted students. “Our obligation is to tell them how we met their need. Incorporated within that, it says if you need any assistance, if you would
want to be taking out a loan, we can help them do that,” Gruber said. “It’s all there when these things go out.” Despite the availability of the information, however, Wiggleton-Little is not alone in describing being caught off-guard by the reality of her financial circumstances after receiving her aid award letter. A female senior, who asked to be anonymous, has taken out Stafford loans each year to help meet her family contribution. “I do think [the policy] could be phrased better,” she explained. “I think it does give an implication that students do not have to take out loans, and that is not the case. There are students who are having to take out loans. I don’t necessarily think the college would say they’re claiming that, but that’s the implication.” Lauren Parham, a senior at Appalachian State University, transferred from Davidson two years ago because she did not receive need-based financial aid and could not afford the full cost of attendance. She also shared her concerns about Davidson’s presentation of its financial aid policy. “I do wish that the Trust had not been presented as an unfailing solution to everyone’s financial concerns,” she said before adding, “It is a great thing and I’m really happy for the people who benefit from it.” Corson and Crouse have met with various groups around campus, including a handful of Patterson Court Council organizations, the Honor Council, and the Black Student Coalition, and they say their message is being met with understanding, and often familiarity. “We found that talking about debt at Davidson is kind of a taboo because of this idea that Davidson doesn’t give loans and people don’t have loans,” Crouse explained. “And so we really wanted to give people the space to talk about that and feel like they weren’t alone. A lot of people that we talked to felt like they were the only ones on debt or no one could understand them. Being able to tell people, ‘Hey, there are one in five of you around’ is really helpful [in being able to] talk about financial aid and trusting in general.” Crouse and Corson have secured a referendum that will be sent via email to the student body tomorrow. The referendum will ask students whether the administration should conduct “a transparent review of our financial aid practices, metrics, and associated marketing,” Corson explained. “We want [the administration] to review the entire process.”
living davidson
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May 4, 2016
Dear World compiles images of students, faculty, and staff
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JACOB HEGE STAFF WRITER
ast week Davidson welcomed two members of the ‘Dear World’ team to campus. On Monday April 25th, Jonah Evans and Monica Dabrowski took photos of many Davidson students, faculty, and staff in order to advertise a photo-shoot that they would be hosting on April 26th. Indeed, on Monday, the pair was able to photograph over ten percent of the college’s student body. Invited to campus by the Union Board, Dear World is known for their signature photos of people who share meaningful messages via the words written on the their skin. The team aims to create a “beautiful, wonderful world where more people send a message to family,
friends and strangers in this way.” During their time on campus, the pair helped and encouraged students, faculty and staff to share their stories through a photograph. On Tuesday evening in the 900 room, five students and one professor shared their stories with the student body. Topics ranged from dealing with anxiety to saying goodbye to a friend that took his own life. All of the speakers acknowledged how sharing their respective stories have contributed greatly to their healing processes. One of the speakers, Megan Cypcar ‘18 described a time when she “escaped death not once, but twice.” Cypcar’s photo features her scar from when she had her appendix removed and the message “Keep on fighting.” She said that “The entire [Dear World] process was, hands-down, one of the best experi-
ences I have had here at Davidson.” She wants to encourage people from both her photograph and story “to keep fighting”—noting, “I want people to know that any day is better than none at all, and that’s why it’s important to ‘keep on fighting.’” There’s no denying the powerful impact these stories had on both the presenters and the audience members. Sharing stories helps unite members of the community. The Union Board was successful in its mission to do just that. I got a chance to sit down with Union Board Speakers Committee Chair, Meredith Hess ‘18, to talk about what it was like working with Dear World. She said that the idea to invite them to campus came from her wanting to “bring someone to campus under the UB Speaker’s Committee that wouldn’t be just anoth-
er lecture for students to attend.” After her UB advisor, Emily Eisenstadt, suggested Dear World, Hess took the initiative to invite them to campus. Meredith was successful in her mission to bring a unique perspective to campus, as most found the event to be very interactive and personal, unlike most standard lectures. Hess said, “working with Jonah and Monica could not have been more positive and I really enjoyed spending as much time with them as I did. They are incredibly passionate, compassionate, and enthusiastic people and their energy was infectious.” If you want to see some of your fellow Wildcat’s photos from Dear World’s visit to campus, check out the “Dear World Live @ Davidson” album on the official Dear World Facebook. More photos should be added in the coming week.
Dear World College Tour
Photos by Jonah Evans and Monica Dabrowski
From left to right and top to bottom: Rickey Forney, Emily Eisenstadt, and Alec Rotunda ‘16
THE CHEW
2.8
Cold-Brewed, Infused Iced Tea
Courtesy Photo
Materials 1 large pitcher Measuring cups and spoons 1 saucepan
Mary Porter
Ingredients
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com
8 cups of water 6 tablesppns of loose tea, or 10 tea bags For infuser: 3/4 cup of sugar Orange Add 6 strips zest Blackberries 1 cup Lavender 3 tablespoons dried Mint 3 sprigs Lemon 8 strips zest Nectarine 1 cup chopped Cucumber 2 cups chopped
A refreshing drink, perfect for the Summer!
Directions 1. Combine cold water and tea in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate 15 to 36 hours, until it’s the strength you like. 2. Strain loose tea with a fine-mesh sieve or remove the tea bags. 3. To make the syrup, add sugar and infuser of choice to a saucepan Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and let cool. Strain the infused syrup 4. Add syrup to the tea, add ice, and enjoy! Want your favorite recipe featured? Email editor Mary Porter at maporter@davidson.edu to get involved!
perspectives Why Vote? GRACE CARR
W
hy Vote? The US may be one of the world’s oldest continuous democracy, but voter turnout in recent years has been persistently abysmal. The 2008 presidential elections boasted the highest turnout since 1968, yet more than 40% of registered voters stayed home.* In my opinion, the combination of general apathy and frustration has been fatal to voter turnout. There is frustration with political money, gerrymandering, and the seemingly disproportionate power of the Electoral College. People may feel like their votes don’t matter anymore, but they do. America is a representative democracy, so elected officials need to know what their constituents think to accurately represent them. Low turnout makes America less democratic. There are many reasons voting is important, but here are a few: It’s not just the president on the ballot. While control of the White House may depend on a handful of swing states, how much the next president can accomplish during their term hinges on which party controls the Senate and the House.
The size of party majorities in Congress also makes a difference. So it doesn’t matter if your state is not competitive in the presidential election, because Senate and House races are in all states; so your vote matters at the congressional level. There are also other important state and local officeholders on the ballot; these officials pass legislation that directly affect us on topics like reproductive rights, public school policies, and discrimination laws. Higher turnout makes democracy more representative and effective. While three-quarters of the American public support raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, Congress has passed no legislation on it. ** I think this is largely because many Americans who support those policies do not vote, particularly in midterm congressional elections. Younger voters have a huge potential to impact every election, whether local or national. There are 44 million millennial voters and in my opinion these voters have more diverse views than any other constituency; if we value diversity at all, we have an obligation to vote so that public policy will reflect this value. Primaries and caucuses matter too. The American public chooses between candidates in the general election that are decided by the population that votes in primary elections. Since so few people vote in these races, your vote could have a large impact. Register as a party member and turn out
on primary day! The margin of victory can be important in elections. Even if you live in a state that is not competitive in the presidential election or where a congressional seat is safe from serious challengers, you should vote because you can make a dent the margin of victory. These margins limit the extent to which the elected officer can claim a “mandate” when in office, and encourage them to promote more moderate policies. Conversely, adding to your preferred candidate’s margin of victory can only make that official more effective once in office. Generations of Americans have fought for the right to vote, and it wasn’t long ago when entire swaths of the population were denied that right. No matter your race, gender, or age, the ability to vote had a price. Women weren’t able to vote until 1920. Many racial groups have faced obstacles to voting over the years (and some are ongoing). Honor the sacrifices others made and cherish the gift of voting you now have. While long lines may deter US voters, men and women in countries like Afghanistan risk their lives to vote in local and presidential elections. Don’t throw away or take for granted the privilege of voting. Voting is speaking. It is a way to support the issues that matter and the representatives you think can best effect the changes you seek. As American
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May 4, 2016
citizens, we benefit from our country’s systems and therefore have a duty to express our opinions about them. We have a responsibility also to our future children – we must vote for their interests, as they cannot. If nothing else, voting is a license to justifiably complain about your elected officials. Your grievances carry more weight if you can hold your candidates accountable; you cannot do so if you don’t vote. Vote for change. Whether abstractly or concretely, voting expresses will. The policies you vote for today will influence your future. I wouldn’t want to leave those decisions to someone else. Empower yourself by voting. If you want change – no matter what kind – you must vote. If no one votes, things stay the same. If everyone votes, things stay the same or they change – I prefer possibilities. Politicians will only listen to the public if it says something; and the way to communicate to our elected officials is by voting. So don’t be shy, head to the polls! Grace Carr ‘16 is an English major from Bethesda, Maryland. Contact her at grcarr@davidson.edu *http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/data/turnout.php **http://www.pollingreport.com/work.htm
Dear Campus Police: Protect us first. JACKSON MAUZÉ
F
or those who haven’t heard, Davidson town police is on a veritable witch-hunt for alleged student drug dealers living off-campus. From the information I have been able to gather my house was the first hit, but I hope others will step forward and share their stories. Last week our unlocked front door was busted open with a battering ram, and according to our neighbors, at least five officers entered the house armed with assault rifles. They trashed my house, confiscated my rent money, and left a bullet standing in the center of my roommates’ bedside table. The question is why town police would treat us like known criminals instead of giving us the benefit of the doubt. As it turns out, we might have campus police to thank for that. Before I continue, I want to emphasize that I respect and appreciate our campus police force, which is a separate entity from the town police department. I have never been personally intimidated or belittled by campus police officers. Nevertheless, I do hold them partially responsible for the harassment and surveillance that my housemates and I continue to receive from the town of Davidson police. Based on recent events I am sad to say that it appears student safety and wellbeing is not their priority. Since the beginning of this saga, campus police’s “communication” with the town police has seen to legitimize the town’s belief that a major drug dealer is living in my house. That assumption is completely false. How did this even start? Last week my friend was dangerously intoxicated and in need of medical attention. The decision to call 911 was daunting – he was blackout and belligerent, and we were worried about get-
ting law enforcement involved given his unpredictable state. Thankfully, he sobered up enough to allow the medics to treat him and officers to supervise. When it was clear he was going to be okay, we all took a collective sigh of relief. Then, the police officers accused us of possessing marijuana. They claimed to smell it coming from our house, and tried to walk around us to enter the premises without our permission. I had to step into the doorway and remind them that it was our constitutional right to refuse a search without a warrant. After nearly thirty minutes of conversation that escalated to veiled threats – according to them, I needed to “just be a man” and “own up” or I would be expelled from Davidson – the officers finally left. Two days later they returned with a search warrant, as was their right, but they executed it with an excessive level of force that echoes increases in police militarization across the country. Oddly enough, the warrant wasn’t for the house, or for me. It was actually for my roommate, who had spent his evening trying to help our friend clean up after he vomited on himself, and who had largely been quiet in the face of the intimidating tactics employed by the two officers. According to information we have so far, the search was obtained based on three pieces of evidence: 1) that our house allegedly smelled of marijuana, 2) that we had initially
“
Again, my roommate, who had never even been accused of a crime during his four years at Davidson, was the target.
the davidsonian staff editors-in-chief news editors
living davidson editor perspectives editor yowl editors sports editors
Emma Johnson Matt Landini Olive Daniels Kate McNaughton Steffaney Wood Mary Porter Erin Davenport Paul Henderson Sophie McHugh Ethan Faust Jason Feldman
photo editor
Shea Parikh
web editors
Sabrina Cheema Bridget Lavender
business manager
Austin Newsome
graphic design editor
refused to allow a search without a warrant, and most significantly, 3) that our house was already under investigation by campus police. Ignoring the obvious fallacy that we were assumed guilty because we invoked our rights as United States citizens, it was certainly news to us that our house was under investigation by the school. Again, my roommate, who had never even been accused of a crime during his four years at Davidson, was the target. In the Annual Security Report of 2014 published by campus police, they make it clear that they maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with town police, and that the campus is not a haven for drug use. I understand these positions. Under normal circumstances, I support communication among law enforcement agencies and believe it to be invaluable in crime prevention and community protection. Unfortunately, in this case that communication took town police further from the truth. Somehow, they became convinced my house was a major hub for drug trafficking. Even after the initial search, these town police officers have treated us not like students stressing over upcoming exams, but like drug lords concealing contraband. I feel personally violated, and furious on behalf of my roommate. Town police cars took to roving around our neighborhood and parking outside our house, and recently two officers followed me on foot for two hundred yards back to my house at night.
Sophia Smith
We need to address the role that campus police plays in our college and community. They should seek to protect the student body, and recognize that any information they provide to town police can be misconstrued. The town is not bound by the mutual trust we have established within the college, and they have tried to protect “the community” from us, as if we aren’t part of it. Davidson Campus Police: before you provide information to the town, consider the implications of your actions. The Davidson bubble just burst, and as my roommate can attest, it’s still hell to be black and Muslim in the state of North Carolina. The door at Jackson’s house
Jackson Mauzé ‘16 is an Anthropology major from Mill Valley, California. Contact him at jamauze@davidson.edu
What’s the Issue? Your Grandmother Excited To Hear About This Cool Church You’ve Been Attending At College
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Spending Summer At Davidson Barely Outranks Street Peddling in Job Hierarchy
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Theatre Kids Bummed To Return To Outcast Lifestyle While Home This Summer
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Student Avoids Writing E-mail Apologizing For Avoiding Previous E-mail
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Union Installs Communal Bagpipes Just in Time For Finals In preparation for finals week, the Union Board has installed a communal bagpipe at the foot of the pool table, as if the incessant hammering on the Union piano wasn’t enough to make you want to blow your f*****’ brains out. With morale at its lowest this time of year, student representatives on the Union board have felt that the community could benefit from the soothing tones of novice bagpipe players struggling to play “Amazing Grace.” “We know that everyone loves it when someone sits down and plays a tune on the Union piano,” commented gravely mistaken board member Annie Stigler ‘17. “When they sit down and start to play ‘Chopsticks’ while everyone is trying to write a paper, well I can just feel the room collectively smile. So we thought that for this stressful week, why not get a really unique, exceptionally loud instrument for students to come take a stab at in a workspace environ-
Davidson Elementary 4th Graders Outsourced To Work On Davidson Student’s ‘Creative’ Final Projects
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Tune Stuck In Your Head Plans To Move Out Soon But Is Keeping The Dog
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Good night, Sweet Prince
The DaviDsonian
This Issue Brought to You By: The Red Hot Chilli Pipers
“As if the incessant hammering on the Union piano wasn’t already enough to make you want to blow your f*****’ brains out.” ment. That’s really a good place for it.” So far this week the rate of headphone usage in the Union has skyrocketed and attendance has plummeted. Only students with the strongest of Bose headphones remain, and even then they have found that the highest notes of “Scotland the Brave” have a tendency to break through the noise-cancelling technology. “I think students really love and appreciate the chance to create art in a public space,” continued Stigler, who has clearly never tried to concentrate to the soundtrack of a socially inept freshman learning “Clocks.” “It really just gives students an opportunity to learn in a public space, and what’s better than that.” While everyone is always super f****** impressed when a student has watched a YouTube tutorial on how to play the beginning of “A Thousand Miles,” many Davidson students have found the bagpipes to be a different animal entirely. “Maybe if they moved the bagpipe into a private location or something, like a practice room,” reflected David Ross ‘18. “Then maybe people wouldn’t have to be present for us trying to learn scales and practice exercises. I just don’t think that’s what people want to hear.” Ross, who is exactly f****** right, has spent the past few weeks trying to figure out how to get the air sack thing on the bagpipe to expand. The Union board has announced plans to install a recorder, violin, and drum set at the beginning of next semester in order to really make all who visit the Union with the intention of studying immediately regret their decision.
UFO Sighting Over Campus Sports Cryptic Message About MetroBank Residents of Davidson, NC were shocked last Wednesday to spot what has been confirmed as the first scientifically validated UFO sighting since 1996. Witnesses described the object as “enormous,” “looming,” and “not quite saucer-like but pretty damn close.” It first appeared on the Eastern Horizon, hovering directly above campus for a few minutes before it grew smaller and after nearly an hour simply “vanished into thin air.” While this may sound like a pretty standard UFO sighting, it’s not. A closer look at the spacecraft revealed that along with its daunting presence and strange whirring sound, the vessel sported a mysterious message: “Use MetroBank.” “Never before has extraterrestrial communication with Earthlings been so clear,” spouted Dr. Louis Farthwood, one of today’s top scientific minds, “But what can it possibly mean? My personal theory is that we have been invited into the Interplanetary Star Alliance, and the aliens want us “Never before has extraterto take out a loan in order restrial communication with to buy a hyperdrive right away.” Earthlings been so clear. But, Some have hypothesized what can it possibly mean?” that the missive is an encrypted code. “It’s obvious that the key is in the random capitalization. I’ve got some of my most brilliant minds working on cracking it,” noted Mathematics professor Ivan Erran. “Other theories have been focused on the correct pronunciation of this message. My money is on MeTRObank.” Attempts to communicate with the spacecraft have been futile, though not for lack of trying. Charlotte authorities have sent drones into the sky in hopes of contacting the UFO. Davidson students have joined in on the fun, using the dusty WDAV radio equipment to send waves carrying the message “suh dudes.” Some world leaders have even proposed launching a heat-seeking missile in the direction of the blimp-like object, fearing that the cryptic “Use MetroBank” is a threat to national security. Whatever the true meaning of the message is, one thing’s for sure: MetroBank Charlotte is really feeling the fallout. “We are in no way affiliated with last week’s UFO sighting,” assured MetroBank regional manager Belinda Clarke, “However, we are thrilled to be recognized universally as what we’ve always known ourselves to be: Trustworthy. Personal. MetroBank.™”
Investigative Report Exposes Brutal Band Camp Pecking Order
Your Davidson Honor Section
Editors: Paul Henderson Sophie “Going Away For a While” McHugh Writers: My Boy CJ No One Else, Cause CJ’s Got My Back Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian. Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth. Word.
A three-month investigation of Jimmy Gaskins’ Summer Band Camp has revealed that a brutal social hierarchy exists amongst the campers, with accordion and oboe players situated at the bottom of the pecking order. “Yeah, yeah, I don’t see what the big deal is,” said Johnny Breckleburg, one of the “bad boy” ringleaders. “So we push around those losers a little bit. Who cares? Us cellists are on the top, and ain’t nobody gonna change that.” Offenses against the lower tiers of band camp society have included forcing the “oboe chodes” to stand last in line at the mess hall, and making the harmonica players provide refreshments during games of Magic: The Gathering. “Look, my boy Breckle ain’t gonna apologize and neither am I,” commented cymbal player and self-entitled “muscle” Tony Geroldi. “They deserve it, ya know? Some instruments, well, they’re just superior. That’s all I’m gonna say about that.” According to the report, some of the other
“So we push around those losers a little bit. Who cares? Us cellists are on the top, and ain’t nobody gonna change that.”
top-tier instruments include triangle, first violin, classical guitar, synth, and the one that has all the tubes on it. “It’s really hard, sometimes,” said a tuba player that wished to remain anonymous. “Breckle and his boys, well they get done with normal band camp stuff and then start coming around asking for ‘tribute’ in exchange for ‘protection.’ I had to give away the Oreos my mom sent me! It blew.” Jimmy Gaskin’s Band Camp owner Hector Gaskins (no relation) had little to say when questioned on the matter of bullying between the instrument groups. “I’ve never noticed anything personally,” he said. “But look, I was put into the French horn group when I was their age at Band Camp. I gotta say, I can understand having the occasional urge to smash those f*****’ accordion players heads in for being so damn lame all the time.”
sports
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Lacrosse looks to avenge early season loss to St. Joe’s BENSON KLINGLER Staff Writer Coming off a solid 8-8 season, the Women’s Lacrosse team qualified to play in the A-10 Tournament this weekend in Pittsburgh as the 5th seed in the six-team tournament with a 5-4 record in Atlantic 10 play. Captains Holly Thomas ’16, Nicole Pettiglio ’17, and Emma Sissman ’16 gave some of their thoughts on the season as a whole and talked about what to expect this week at the conference tournament. Pettiglio was pleased with the way in which the team evolved over the course of the season, saying “We have really improved each day throughout the season. There have been a lot of changes that we have made between our first preseason matchup and out last A10 game. It’s nice to see different players stepping up all over the field and continually producing results.” She added that the most fun games they played this year were against High Point and Richmond. The team comfortably beat High Point, an old rival from the Big South Conference, which helped increase the team’s confidence going into conference play. The final score was a decisive 12-7 victory. Pettiglio added that the game against Richmond was also really special, “One of our most memorable games was our Senior day against Richmond. It came down to the final seconds and we had an exciting team win after having a com-
petitive game.” Davidson would win in a close 6-5 final score. Moving ahead to the conference tournament, the team is just looking to survive and advance one game at at time. “We cannot look past any teams or games because each one is as important as the next,” explained Sissman. Thomas added that “In order to play well at conference, we have to be able to adapt our style of play during each game to capitalize on these strengths.” The team is confident that they’ll do well at the tournament, but will have to play some of their best games of the season. They’re also very excited to have accomplished their goal of making the tournament this season, which is no small feat given how few teams make it. The first matchup will be against St. Joseph’s on Thursday, a rematch from a close game earlier this year. When the teams met in April here in Davidson, the Hawks won a close 10-8 game. Sissman explained that the team is putting all of their focus on this first St. Joseph’s game, a matchup that they can win if they play well. “We are very confident that if we come out strong and play our game, we have the ability to win. Beating St. Joe’s is our primary focus at this point, and once that happens we will move our attention to our next opponent, which would be UMass in the semi finals.” A strong showing at the Atlantic 10 Tournament would be a great way for the team to cap off an already strong season. A win against St. Joes
The Wildcats enter the conference tournament with a 5-4 record in conference play, though one of the losses came against 1st round opponent St Joseph’s. Photo by Shea Parikh. would also be a great way to make up for a tough loss earlier in the season. If the team can dig in
and capitalize on their strengths, they’ll have a great chance to make a run at conference.
What I learned from four years of profiling Davidson’s finest TAIT JENSEN Senior Staff Writer
E
veryone has a story. In a way, mine started four years ago. After three years of writing for my high school paper, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to keep going when I first came to Davidson. I’d heard horror stories of the academic rigor and overloaded schedules. I wasn’t sure if I would have the time to write content that was actually meaningful. Nonetheless, storytelling is in my blood. My late Grandpa Frank lived to tell stories. He was the kind of raconteur who would have our whole family crying with laughter at the dinner table from Big Fish-esque tall tales which, he thought, required little factual explanation. Grandpa Frank could walk around the graveyard in his hometown of Magnolia, Arkansas and tell a story about the person under each tombstone. There was the dad who served his son’s prison sentence so he could go to war. Of course, no one believed that was legally possible. Grandpa Frank would shrug them off. “Someone’s gotta do the time,” he’d say. Then there was the one about the man shot by
his wife on their honeymoon. Someone pointed out that the man had died at age 70, years after his wife. “I said she shot him, I didn’t say she killed him.” While I must unfortunately live up to higher journalistic standards, my feeble sports stories could never live up to Grandpa Frank. Yet here we are. Through four years of what many consider a near-death Davidson experience, I lived to tell the story of numerous noteworthy athletes: I lived to tell the story of Matt Williams ‘16, the football player who walked on to the basketball team; a story of resolution, faith, a second chance, and a fresh start. I lived to tell the story of Scott Patrick ‘15, the injury-plagued wrestler who saved his best for last; a story of perseverance, maturation, and achievement through adversity. I lived to tell the story of Jake Belford ‘16, the basketball player who was forced to give up the game he loved after his fifth concussion; a story of perspective, compassion, and a life bigger than a game. I lived to tell the story of Chris Woods ’16, the quiet leader of Davidson’s defensive line; a story of humility, humanity, and good deeds and great talent speaking for themselves. I lived to tell the story of Clark Beeker ’16, the
fifth-year pitcher who came back from surgery to have his best season as a Wildcat; a comeback story of recovery, development, and leading by example. I lived to tell the story of Ryan Phillips ’16, the distance runner who chose the right time to peak; a story of genetics, humor, and family rivalry. I lived to tell the story of Emma Sissman ’16, the lacrosse captain from Maryland who became the star her team needed; a story of transition, decisions, and precision. I lived to tell the story of Will Morris ’16, the record-setting receiver from Texas; a story of Friday night lights, sure hands, and true love for the game. I lived to tell the story of Jordan Barham ’16, the basketball player willing to play through pain to push his team into the postseason; a story of passion, commitment, and a high-flier refusing to be grounded. Perhaps the best part about those stories is that they were easy to tell. As I have learned over my four years, sit any Wildcat down for an interview, and the story practically writes itself. And they’re fun to tell. I didn’t just write for the girls and the fame, but for the opportunity to give these special student athletes the recognition
they deserved. Telling the stories of Davidson athletes is more of an honor than an obligation. So in the end, all I can say is thank you. Thank you to those incredible scholar athletes for not only all the work you have done and continue to do on and off the field, but for allowing me to tell your stories. Thank you for being friends, classmates, entertainers, and role models. Thank you for being top scorers, tough defenders, rising stars, and fearless leaders. Thank you for being great winners, and even better losers. Thank you for being smart, funny, inspirational, humble, and most of all, interesting. Thank you for making my job easy. And thank you to anyone gullible or unfortunate enough to read what I write. Thanks for taking one for the team. You’re the real MVPs. I have some good news for you: you’ll probably never have to hear from me again. Now go out and tell your story. And when you’re done, help someone else tell theirs. Because your story is best when it’s not about you. And, if you’re lucky, their story will become your story, too.
The Davidsonian 2015-16 Sports Awards
Male Athlete of the Year
Team of the Year
Female Athlete of the Year
Photo by Shea Parikh
Photo by Erik Schelkun
Photo by Tim Cowie
Jack Gibbs ’17
Women’s Tennis
Elise Lankiewicz ’17
THE DAVIDSONIAN
Lacrosse prepares for A10 tourney showdown with St. Joe’s See Page 7
Holly Thomas ’16 Photo by Shea Parikh
May 4, 2016