the davidsonian
September 14, 2016 Vol. 109 ISSue 2
The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914
Inside NEWS New Career Development Director establishes new initiatives 2 Safe spaces provoke nationwide college campus debates 3 SGA introduces Vice President Connor Murphy '18 3 LIVING DAVIDSON Music scholars showcase talent in recent recital 4 PERSPECTIVES Olivia Liccione '19 opens up about being disabled at Davidson 5 The Herpetology Lab was known for its extensive outreach program at local schools. Photo by Emma Johnson.
Madi Driscoll '17 encourages students to vote in November 5
Dissolved lab leaves unanswered questions OLIVIA DANIELS & AJ NADDAFF News Co-Editors Note: Students' names in this article have been changed to protect their identities.
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ndergraduate research is an anomaly at most universities, even more so at liberal arts colleges. However, at Davidson, it was the force that drove one of the most successful, renowned, and diverse laboratories in the country. Led by former professor Dr. Michael Dorcas, Davidson’s Herpetology Lab was a research and educational outreach based program which had monumental impacts on the students involved and the greater community. From the creation of user-friendly and informative websites about reptiles and amphibians in North Carolina to research trips to Kiawah Island, SC and southern Florida to the annual “Reptile Day,” held on Davidson’s campus, the lab was commended as an effective mechanism for allowing undergraduate students to take the lead on research projects. However, effective as of the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, the lab is
closed and all research activity has ceased. Why? Much of the college community is aware of the current FBI investigation involving Professor Dorcas and his resignation from Davidson. However, many of the students who were involved with the lab or benefitted from its outreach wonder why the administration has completely shut the lab down instead of attempting to keep the program afloat under new leadership. Since 2005, students involved with the lab have been participating in educational programs designed for students in grades K-12. These events often involved the presence of live reptiles and amphibians combined with didactic initiatives to inform the general public. The lab’s outreach data includes records of educational, public events, representatives, including students and instructors, from the Herpetology Lab attended at least twenty-six outreach events in the Spring 2016 semester alone. These educational initiatives took place at a variety of places, including public schools, libraries, museums, and nature conservatories throughout the southeastern United States. Speaking about her experiences working with the labs’ outreach programs, Lucy Jenkins ‘17,
Elizabeth Prosser '18 reflects upon cancellation of Davidson in Peru program 5
commented, “We became a popular source for schools, museums, and nature events around the greater Charlotte area. Kids loved our presentations, and we were able to teach them to love and respect reptiles and amphibians from an early age. The popularity of our Reptile Day also sparked other museums around Charlotte to begin their own annual Reptile and Amphibian days, which we were also invited to attend.” Biology major Tim Jones ‘17 concurred, “Over my two years of outreach through the lab I spoke to hundreds of people, many of whom were children who were experiencing these animals for the very first time and had no innate fear of them. Watching those children absorb information about our outreach animals and grow to appreciate them even a bit more was such a rewarding experience. We were inspiring those children to be actively conscious of their environment, and if we were also able to influence the more stubborn adults than we knew we were making a real
YOWL Charlotte catches North Korea's attention 6 SPORTS Check out the up-and-coming first year athletes 7 Meet cross country star Will Brewster '17 7
See HERPETOLOGY on page 2
Campus political leaders discuss upcoming elections ZACK LONGBOY Staff Writer
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n an unprecedented move, the Davidson College Republicans (CRs) have announced that the group will not endorse the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump. The announcement came after a organization-wide vote on September 5. In an official statement, the CRs cited, among other things, Trump’s “lack of respect and explosive rhetoric” as dangerous to “both the American image abroad and the credibility of our government.” The statement went on to condemn Trump’s values and to highlight what the organization believes is an incompatibility with the values of the college. “Davidson is a college grounded in principles of integrity and intellectual curiosity... these values do not align with those espoused by the Presidential nominee,” the statement said. “Davidson is a community that thrives on difference, and respect for that difference is essential to our success.” For President Beth Wright ’17 and the rest of the CRs’ E-board it was a conversation that had been on the horizon since last year. “We had
some active members, E-board members, say ‘I cannot support [Trump] if he becomes the nominee, and if we support him I don’t know if I can be on the E-board,’” Wright said. “That started the ball rolling.” When the Republican organizations at Harvard University and Princeton University released statements that they would not be endorsing Trump, “all of a sudden, that option became more real for us,” Wright said. “That was when we said we need to at least offer this option to our students, and if they reject it that’s fine; but we need to be able to give them the same opportunity that Harvard and Princeton offered their students.” The vote – open to all members of the organization, not just the E-board – required a 2/3 majority vote to rule against the endorsement. In the end, approximately 75 percent of the group sided against Trump. Of the quarter of the group that voted for the endorsement – and those who are not members of the club but criticized the decision – Wright believes they fall into two different categories. On one side are the Trump supporters and on the other are anti-Hillary Clinton voters. “I think most people in our group fall into that anti-Hillary camp, but we do have some very strong Trump supporters on campus, so there
Beth Wright '17, President of the College Republicans. Photo by Erin Gross.
Andres Ramos '17, President of College Democrats. Photo by Abby Miller.
was some division there – there was some heated discussion,” Wright said. Alex Sizemore ’20 is one such member of the organization who was disappointed by the deci-
Sarah Gompper '18, President of College Libertarians. Photo courtesy of Facebook.
sion. “I think that it is a mistake not to support the nominee of the party that they represent,” Sizemore said. “By vocally coming out against him, I think it severely hurts the chances, and I
News
Page 2 September 14, 2016
Career Development Center welcomes dynamic new director ANDREW KENNESON Senior Staff Writer
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uring the Career Development Center’s Senior Kickoff few weeks ago, JeanneMarie Ryan stood on the stage of Duke Family Performance hall and issued a challenge to the Pre-Law Society. “Last year,” she said, “We had sixty law schools and sixty-one students at our law school fair.” She told the group that if they got two hundred students to the fair this fall, she would buy their e-board dinner at Kindred. “Or wherever you want,” she said, “I’ve just heard Kindred is the most expensive.” Ryan is Davidson’s new Executive Director of Career Development. Her first challenge, she says, is increasing engagement with the Career Center. A big part of that is just getting people to show up. Ms. Ryan speaks with a clipped and cultured Irish accent, evidence of where she was born and raised. Her words are deliberate and measured; they line up in orderly rows like train cars. On the day of this interview, she wore a white skirt, a black shirt, white pearls, and white and black checkered shoes. Her office is impeccably neat, lit by floor lamps, and complete with a bouquet of flowers behind her computer. Everything about her exudes intentionality. Unsurprisingly, Ryan’s arrival in Davidson was no accident. She and her husband had reached what she called “an inflection point” where they could choose their next move. She had just finished a nine year stint in human resources and talent development at finance titan State Street Corporation, where she rose to the level of vice president. Before that she worked for Investors Bank and Trust, and before that she worked for
the Wine Development Board of Ireland. Ryan has lived and worked in Ireland, Luxembourg, Milan, Poland, and Boston at various points in her career. But it was time for her to settle somewhere. She and her husband wanted to live somewhere warm, socially progressive, close to an international airport, and high on livability indexes. Davidson checked all the boxes. Ryan was offered several corporate jobs in the Charlotte area. But when the executive director’s position at Career Services opened up, she jumped on it. “My role in talent development has been with early career millennials, and I’m passionate about that,” she says. “I’m passionate about what our generation has to offer.” Ryan started work at Davidson on July 1. The first thing she did was go on a listening tour. She met with students, called alumni via phone, contacted employers, spoke with parents, and talked to trustees. Ryan wanted to know what the Center did well and what they could do better. She heard that the career counselors at the center were incredibly helpful and supportive, both during students’ time at Davidson and even afterwards. But changes did need to be made. The biggest problem was that about twenty-five percent of students didn’t set foot in the Center until junior year. So Ms. Ryan and the staff at the Center set out a strategic plan to get students to engage with the Center from day one. They designed roadmaps for each year detailing the steps students should take to explore and develop career options. “The first year you’re assessing,” she says. “The second year you’re exploring; the third year you’re clarifying; and the fourth year is your
launch year.” Every first year student got the first year roadmap in the mail on the first day of school, and she spoke to all their families during orientation. Other changes were smaller. The Center now sends out just one email a week, a digest of job openings, companies coming to campus, and other events. Families now get these emails too. Food will be served at all events, so students don’t have to miss dinner to meet employers or graduate school representatives. Business attire is still suggested for employer information sessions but not required, a change aimed at athletes coming from practice or other students coming from extracurriculars. Walk-in office hours at the Center have been expanded. The blinds and the doors of the Center are always open. A bowl of granola bars sits on the table by the entrance.The message is clear: show up. Ryan’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Aly Bryan ‘17, the president of the Pre-Business Society, has worked with Ryan several times; they collaborated on organizing last Saturday’s junior and senior boot camp. Bryan says Ryan’s work experience gives her an “outside the bubble” perspective, and her attention to detail has created a more cohesive narrative for the Center. So many students came to the first boot camp that the Center hosted another one. Hundreds of parents and alumni have joined the Center’s network so they can help students launch careers. Ryan doesn’t like looking at careers as ladders. They’re more like lattices, she says, “a series of interconnected moves that each build a narrative.” This is especially true of millennials, most of whom will have had nine different jobs by the time they retire. She also knows that millenni-
Jeanne-Marie Ryan is excited to work with the Davidson community to revamp Career Development. Photo by Abby Miller. als want meaningful work. It’s not enough to put food on the table; we want careers that fulfill us. Ryan wants to help Davidson students find those sorts of careers, but says they need to be realistic. Not every part of every job will be amazing and meaningful from the first day. “In a career that’s going to start at twenty-two and probably end in your mid-seventies, you don’t start at the pinnacle,” Ms. Ryan says. “Because otherwise that’d be a pretty disappointing downhill journey. Let’s look at this as a lattice, a series of milestones, and move through it with excitement and intentionality, but realize that the best is always yet to come.”
Herpetology outreach and research come to an abrupt halt Continued from Page 1 difference.” To Jenkins, these outreach events were not just about spreading knowledge to benefit younger kids and students. She further elaborated, “These projects were crucial to learning more about reptiles and amphibians. Currently, reptile and amphibian populations are in massive decline, and we need to know as much as we can about herps in order to find ways to conserve them. Losing herps as part of the ecosystem would be extremely harmful.” Jones pointed to the diverse array of students who worked in the lab: “We had students ranging
from first years to seniors; we had biology majors, environmental studies majors, even English and French majors, all contributing so much to various projects. I don’t think that is something you would see in any other lab on campus.” Jenkins also discussed the prominence of the lab within the college’s community: “The herp lab was way more active than any other Davidson lab, no contest. We could boast about having several research projects going at once, not to mention having almost one outreach event per week.” Dr. Wendy Raymond, Dean of Faculty and Vice President of Academic Affairs, explained the reasons behind the lab’s closure: “When a lab head/primary investigator leaves for any reason, closing that laboratory is a common practice...
When any faculty position is vacated, the department and the college take the opportunity to assess their curricular aspirations and needs. Each decision to hire a new faculty member in any area of the college follows a robust process and is done with great care.” Raymond also assured that the students involved with the lab are still a top priority. “The Biology Department has helped students in the lab determine the best paths forward for research. For some, that has meant continuing an ongoing herpetology research project with a new faculty advisor. Other students have moved to new research endeavors in another lab,” she commented in a written statement. Jones still believes, however, that the impact
of the lab’s closure will have monumental impacts on the students involved. He stated that many students are, in fact, having to give up their research initiatives, something that could potentially alter their career plans. With this in mind, Teague reflects, Davidson will lose a significant number of published research papers. However, according to a Jones, an extremely pressing problem with the lab’s discontinuation is the impact it will have on the subjects studied. He concluded, “Local long-term research projects such as the salamander population and sampling and critical bog turtle research will either need to be taken up by another group or come to a potentially ecologically disruptive halt.”
2016 presidential nominees provoke changes in tradition Continued from Page 1 guess, the strength of Donald Trump’s campaign. Even if, as Sizemore says, Trump doesn't align with many of the stances held by the organization, he believes party unity should come into play. “In the interest of Republicans – which they are the CRs so they ought to be – they should support the nominee,” Sizemore said. “Otherwise they are just accepting defeat in the presidential election.” While obviously the organization will not be coordinating a campaign for nominee Trump, Wright emphasized that the club will still make its connections available for those who want to do so. The club will also focus their campaigns on issues like voter education and registration and continue to support Republican campaigns at the state and local levels. The organization has made it clear they will not endorse an alternate presidential candidate. However, when further contemplating the lack of an endorsement, Sizemore cites a focus on Trump’s media presence as a critical downfall in the club’s evaluation. “I wish they focused less on [Trump’s] media presence and more on his policy and values and personality,” he said. “He can obviously say some pretty callous things, but when they say he doesn’t align with our values, I don’t think that’s true at all, because a lot of things that Republicans stand for, Donald Trump stands for.
Although the Republican party at large is experiencing fractures across the country. However, despite the Republican organization at Yale University being torn apart as a result of its decision to endorse Trump, CRs E-board member Kenny Xu ’19 remains confident. Xu does not believe this is a fracture more severe than what the Republican Party has faced in the past and is even optimistic about the 75 percent of members who voted against the endorsement. It “represents significant unity,” he said. “There’s always bound to be factions. This challenge while difficult, is not unprecedented; there’s always going to be different kinds of Republicans so I think [the party] will learn to string together and build a new coalition.” Xu does acknowledge however, that there is a significant group of students who, like Sizemore, feel let down by their own party’s organization. “This is a difficult election cycle, and it’s one of those things that you take one side or the other and you just have to deal with the consequences,” he said. E-board member Houston Downes ’18 agreed with Xu adding, “We’re taking a strong stance by not endorsing our candidate, and we understand that, but it doesn’t mean that we are trying to exclude anyone.” While the College Republican’s decision to not endorse Trump will only have a minor effect on the PhiEu debates this October, the structure of the debates will be foundationally altered for another reason: a third party, the College Liber-
tarians, will be heavily involved in the proceedings. Four years previous, during the last election cycle, the Libertarians were marginally involved – the representatives were positioned on the grass below the balconies from which the two majors debated – with a presentation of the Libertarian position. This year however, while the logistics problem of two halls and three parties has yet to be ironed out, the Libertarians will have a place on the debate stage, so to speak. This mirrors the recent ascent of Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson who, according to CNN’s most recent poll, is 6 points from reaching the 15 percent threshold to reach the presidential debate stage. The CRs for their part, will send two representatives for the debate’s introduction stage – one who supports Trump and one who does not. And, instead of focusing on a specific candidate in main section of the debate, the CRs will instead focus on their own policy positions. However, if Wright is concerned about the party’s lack of unity and concurrently the “appeal” of the Libertarian Party for some traditionally conservative voters, she doesn’t show it. “I don’t think [the Libertarians] pose a challenge, I think they pose a potential alliance, we have a lot of similar core beliefs and values with constitutionalism being probably the biggest,” Wright said. College Libertarians President Sarah Gompper ’17 recognizes and relishes this viewpoint,
although she believes that this election cycle may be somewhat different. “I would agree that Libertarians and Republicans have a lot in common. [There are] a lot of Libertarians (myself included, much of the time) who think that working from within the Republican party is the best way to promote libertarian values,” Gompper said. However, she added, “that's not the case with this election cycle. What we are seeing is actually the opposite. A lot of Republicans are realizing that Donald Trump isn't conservative. He doesn't represent them, and the ticket is about as far from libertarian as it gets. Wright did admit that, from what she understands, “a lot of our members are going to wind up voting for Gary Johnson – we will not officially support him but I think that is where a lot of our members are leaning right now.” In what many have dubbed as the most promising chance a Libertarian candidate has had in recent years, Gompper and her organization are pulling out all of the stops. While they often work side by side with the Republican organization, there seems to be a slightly different sentiment this election cycle. “If anybody on their team is unhappy with the current state of their party or simply with the nominee,” Gompper said, “we absolutely welcome them to join us this semester in support of Gary Johnson.”
News Free speech incites debate GRACE FALKEN Staff Writer
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n the past year, there has been significant discourse surrounding the limitation and preservation of academic freedom as a right of higher educational institutions. In a letter welcoming incoming freshmen this fall, the Dean of Students at the University of Chicago John Ellison emphasized the administration’s stance on the issue. “Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called ‘trigger warnings’; we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial; and we do not condone the creation of intellectual ‘safe spaces’ where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own.” (1) “Academic freedom” is a phrase that should be familiar to students here on Davidson’s campus, as it is cited on the Davidson website explicitly under the Non-Discrimination and Non-Harassment Policy. (2) In fact, Davidson College operates under a policy where, “Teaching, performing research, and learning are subject to the protections of ‘academic freedom.” Moreover, this same stance simultaneously promises students, professors, and all members of the Davidson community will be free from harassment and discrimination. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a non-profit group focusing on civil liberties in US education, holds a stance similar to the University of Chicago on freedom of speech. Claiming to monitor the restriction of students’ rights protected under the First Amendment, they flagged Davidson as a campus having “at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech.” (3) Meanwhile, this same group ranks Chicago as a campus with the highest degree of protected freedom of speech. The distinction between Chicago and Davidson’s policies cited by FIRE, however, is based mostly in Davidson policy’s explicit definitions and treatment of harassment and sexual misconduct outside of the classroom, which is distinct from protection of academic freedom. Recent survey results collaboratively conducted by the Knight Foundation and Gallup suggest college students are more likely than adults to support exposure to a multiplicity of perspectives and language on campuses. Surveyed students also distinguished “controversial views from what they see as hate,” and a majority was found to “believe colleges should be allowed to establish policies restricting language and behavior that
are intentionally offensive to certain groups.” (4) These results align clearly with policies in place on our campus. During a discussion with President Quillen on these issues, she emphasized the importance of Davidson being a “community where everyone feels they can find their voice.” At some points, this means “highlighting the exclusivity [of microaggressions] and empowering students so they have the voice to address that.” Quillen firmly believes that a commitment to education and academic freedom within allows for open debate where “good ideas always beat bad ideas.” Quillen acknowledges that Davidson students have a talent for “creative ways of protest that are thoughtprovoking,” in such a way that when controversy is introduced in debate, “our students change the terms of the conversation” to make it a productive space. Senior Madeline Driscoll, Chair of the Center for Political Engagement, defends the group’s decision to invite controversial speakers, such as Milo Yiannapoulus, to speak at Davidson. Driscoll commented on Davidson’s need to walk the line between freedom of inquiry in all accounts of campus life and “holding ourselves to a higher standard of conscientiousness and concern for each other.” Driscoll added, “We are smart enough; we are good enough; we care enough about each other and about learning. Milo will be the ultimate test, but I believe my peers are ready to thoughtfully and critically engage this man who has yet to be wow’d by a college campus. ” Around the country, colleges, universities and their students are sharing their voices with their communities from letters to the New York Times to updates to policy language in university laws. Large universities, such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison, are working to create and fund diversity presentations to increase sensitivity and awareness on campus. As higher education becomes a platform for more diverse, challenging discourse, it is the individual communities that assure productive--not oppressive--dialogue and interactions. Increasing diversity is not a call for censorship, but in reality is a call for informed, aware discussion. In the words of President Quillen, “sometimes the goal of talking isn’t getting to agree, but learning how to live in disagreement.” (1)https://chicagomaroon.com/2016/08/24/university-tofreshmen-dont-expect-safe-spaces-or-trigger-warnings/ (2)http://www.davidson.edu/non-discrimination-policies/ non-harassment-policy (3)http://www.thefire.org/ (4)http://www.knightfoundation.org/media/uploads/publication_pdfs/FreeSpeech_campus.pdf
SGA elects new Vice President from among its ranks WILSON PAVA Staff Writer
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wo weeks ago, in an email to the student body Student Government Association (SGA) President, Dara Ferguson ‘17 introduced Connor Murphy ‘18 as organization’s newly elected Vice President. Following Ben Callinder’s passing away in late May, the SGA bylaws’ article regarding succession kicked into effect. Callinder was elected SGA President during the spring 2016 semester; Ferguson ran with him as Vice President. This meant that while Ferguson assumed the role of President, there was a void for Vice President that could not be filled until after the semester had started. Unknown to most, the SGA bylaws stipulate that in the case of a vacancy for Vice President, the SGA Senate must elect a new one from among its ranks. In the specific situation at hand, it appears to have been an easy choice. Murphy had previously served as SGA Secretary during Pablo Zevallos’ ‘16 presidency and, more recently, as Treasurer under Callinder. Murphy, therefore, not only had prior experience in SGA leadership roles, but he is also intimately close with the agenda that had begun under Callinder and will continue under Ferguson’s guidance. “Connor’s prior experiences greatly influ-
enced the Senate’s decision. Connor has been a vital member of the SGA Senate since he was the SGA Secretary under Pablo’s presidency,” said Chris Johnson ‘17, a member of the SGA Senate. One overriding theme has carried throughout the process of electing a new Vice President: Callinder’s memory and slogan, “Together We Rise.” A friend to many in the Davidson community, Callinder is remembered as someone who helped to lift people up and fulfil the potential in them that may not have been so obvious to others. Without a doubt, that memory has left some big shoes for Ferguson and Murphy to fill. Both, however, are committed to continuing the agenda that Callinder had outlined for SGA this year, as well as the spirit of community and fellowship that he so embodied. “I believe [the SGA’s] goal, as the highest level of representation between the entire student body and the administration, is to improve our environment to where each student has the ability to realize their full potential,” said Murphy. Callinder’s passing has certainly had monumental impacts on the Davidson community and especially on the organizations to which he was so dedicated. However, his legacy has undoubtedly galvanized support within SGA for his vision of a Davidson where every student has the opportunity to be the best that they can be with the support of student organizations.
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Davidsonian.com
crime log Time Reported
Description / Location
09/04/16 at 0800 hrs
Larceny Misdemeanor at Main St. Further Investigation.
09/10/16 at 0150 hrs
Assault-Simple/Underage Consumption at Nelson Lane. Prosecution Declined.
09/11/16 at 1600 hrs
Larceny Misdemeanor at Main St. Further Investigation.
09/11/16 at 0100 hrs
Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle at Glasgow St. Inactive.
living davidson
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September 14, 2016
A Glimpse Behind the Stage: Davidson’s Music Scholars CAROLINE PHAN STAFF WRITER
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hursday night’s Music Scholars Recital is a Davidson College tradition that unites the incoming music scholars and current music scholars into one community. Bubbling amidst the walls of the Sloan Performance Hall was a medley of amiable chatter and laughter amongst the Davidson students and members of the community. Then, as the recital began, the lights dimmed and the noise died down. On the periphey of the stage, a large wooden-paneled door opened and the figure of the first performer, Robert Kopf ‘17 emerged. As the night progressed, with each performance as spectacular as the next, I began to wonder, who really were these performers? At Davidson, the music scholars are a cluster of students who have received four-year scholarships based on their musical talents and passion. After reviewing an individual’s completed David-
son application and supplemental music scholarship applications, Davidson invites a select group of candidates to Scholars Weekend—a program held in April. Before coming to Davidson, these scholars have pursued and honed their musical passions for a large portion of their lives. Emily Banks ‘20, a mezzo-soprano singer, began singing at the age of five and Blake Skelton ‘20, a violinist, has played the violin for thirteen years now. Thursday night was an opportunity for these scholars to share their talents with the Davidson community. For the music scholars of the Class of 2020, it was an opportunity to showcase their talents in a new environment, whereas, for returning upper-classmen, it was a chance to return to the stage. Amanda Preston, the Director of Music Production and Promotion and Davidson alumnus, emphasizes that the Music Scholars Recital is not only a big night for the freshman scholars, but is a great opportunity for many upperclassmen musicians who do not always get the opportunity to play or sing solo. Preston emphasizes that many of the pieces the scholars performed
at the recital were pieces that the students have refined throughout the past year or two. The scholars are diverse, for there is an expansive range of instruments and voice types. Indeed, the piece that Bradford Shin ‘20, who plays cello, did with Emma Rose Parker ‘18, who plays the piano, reflects such variety. Although the performance was delightful, the fifteen acts are indicative of the small number of music scholars within the Davidson community. To this regard, Preston urges “you don’t have to be a music scholar recipient to pursue music at Davidson.” A motto intrinsic of the music department at the college is, as Preston puts it, that “Davidson recognizes multiple identities.” The liberal arts curriculum at the college, especially within the music department gives music scholars and students the freedom to explore their many interests and not be confined to a single subject area. At the end of the recital, a frenzy of administrators in suits and dresses, as well as instrumentalists, singers, and ushers occupied the stage. As
I watched, I pondered the connections between all of these wonderfully talented musicians; on the stage their fortes shone with clarity but their personas grew murkier as they exited through the large-wooden paneled doors of the stage. It begs the question: who are the music scholars? Finally, as the song “Billie’s Bounce” came to a close and the overhead lights illuminated the people seated in the audience, the answer hit me. The audience was a collection of hall mates, teammates, peers, parents, and community members all here to support the music scholars and the musical community at Davidson. Beyond their musical endeavors at Davidson, the identity of the music scholars is multifaceted; they too are, roommates, classmates, friends, and students that help embody the Davidson community. In my search for a glimpse behind the stage I encountered much more than a group of talented musicians; I witnessed the passion, dedication, and aptitude of the college itself.
Playing the Eiffel Tower: Joseph Bertolozzi’s Tower Music Photographs by Yilin Wang ‘20
On Thursday evening in the 900 room, American composer Joseph Bertolozzi introduced the Davidson community to “Tower Music.”
THE CHEW 2.10
Materials 1 Muffin Tin Measuring Cups and Spoon
Granola Muffins
A Sifter (or Strainer)
Mary Porter
1 cup granola
Adapted from Cooking.NYtimes.com Makes 12 Muffins
Ingredients ½ cup low-fat milk (or dairy-free alternative) 1 cup golden raisins 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder
A perfect snack to have ready for the week!
½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 2 large eggs ¼ cup mild honey, such as clover ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt ¼ cup walnut or canola oil
Courtesy Photo
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF with a rack in the middle. Oil 12 muffin cups. 2. Combine the granola and milk in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cover the raisins with hot water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain and dry on paper towels. 3. Sift together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 4. In medium bowl, beat together the eggs, honey, buttermilk or yogurt, canola oil, and vanilla. Quickly whisk in the flour, then fold in the granola and raisins. Combine well. 5. Spoon into muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool on a rack.
Want your favorite recipe featured? E-mail editor Mary Porter at maporter@davidson.edu to get involved!
perspectives
page 5 September 14, 2016
Disability at Davidson
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OLIVIA LICCIONE
ou may have seen us around campus - I’m the sophomore with the purple hair, and he’s the mobility scooter with the Captain America shield. My name’s Olivia, his is Steve. Due to a chronic illness that affects my autonomic nervous system, it’s very hard for me to walk or stand for any real length of time, so Steve is my way of navigating campus without provoking an onslaught of symptoms. Living with a disability at Davidson is generally pretty easy and pleasant, but that’s not to say that it’s been without any difficulty or frustration. While my friends and I see Steve as a helpful, liberating aspect of my life, at times others view him with pity, confusion, shock, or discomfort. While the vast majority of my interactions on campus are marked by kindness and respect, I’ve occasionally run into people who don’t know quite how to act around disability. I don’t fault any individual for these awkward exchanges; disability is simply not a topic we discuss very often at Davidson If we were not a politically engaged cam-
pus, if we didn’t engage in dialogue to try to understand different perspectives, lifestyles, and identities, this failure to discuss disability wouldn’t concern me. But that isn’t the case. We do try to promote inclusivity, understanding, and justice. We make a point of emphasizing multiculturalism from the very beginning with a workshop on diversity as part of our Davidson 101 program. But during my diversity seminar Freshman year, the disabled community was the one group that was completely neglected. We weren’t mentioned once. Even attempts at inclusivity often fail to include us. We are marginalized even in discussions about marginalization. Twenty-five percent of our students are varsity athletes, and this prevalence of hyper-abled bodies has an undeniable effect on our campus culture. At Davidson, we tend to assume that everyone can push their minds and bodies to the limit, that we all have endless reserves of energy. We brag about how late we were in the library last night, about how we skipped meals to study. Neglecting our health and wellbeing is seen as an indicator of hard work and dedication. We don’t stop to consider that pushing oneself to the extreme isn’t pos-
Political Engagement 101 MADELINE NEWTON DRISCOLL
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hile I firmly believe that everyone should be politically engaged, if not active, all the time, there’s a special sense of civic responsibility we all get caught up in during a Presidential election cycle. For almost every Davidson student this election is unique in that we are a) in college at all and b) not in the “normal” political environment we’re used to. As the Chair of Davidson’s Center for Political Engagement (and as a citizen of the U.S.) I have a vested interest in making sure you can get involved in this process as easily and effectively as possible. PRE-ELECTION: Are you registered to vote in North Carolina? If not, you should really consider it. NC is a swing state up and down the ballot (local, state, and national elections) and no matter what party you are affiliated with, they’d appreciate your vote. If you want to register, stop by the table in the Union during every Common Hour in September. We’ll have an example form for you, all you need is the last four digits of your Social Security number. When registering, be sure to use 209 RIDGE ROAD as your street address and your PO Box as your mailing address. THEY WILL NOT PROCESS YOUR REGISTRATION IF YOU PUT YOUR PO BOX AS YOUR STREET ADDRESS. We are in MECKLENBURG COUNTY and our zip code is 28035. Visit https://enr.ncsbe.gov/voter_search_ public/ to ensure you’re registered and check that all of the information is accurate. If you have questions or concerns after checking your registration status, contact me at the CPE
(madriscoll@davidson.edu) or any of the leaders of the partisan organizations on campus (bewright, anramos, sagompper). Also: We all love to show our support for various candidates. There are, however rules regarding what Davidson as an institution can allow. This isn’t because there’s some big anti-you monster out there, it’s because in order to keep our 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, the college cannot give resources to any active candidate. Resources includes things like bulletin boards or yard space. Your own person and room are open games. But check with the college before you go hanging signs supporting (or denouncing) candidates elsewhere. You don’t want to be responsible for Davidson losing 501(c)(3) status. DURING ELECTION: Election day is Tuesday, November 8 this year. Our polling location is Town Hall. Polls will be open from 6:30AM until 7:30PM. If you are in line at 7:30PM you will be able to vote. The voter ID laws are all over the place with the court cases and politics surrounding them (important things at stake here so go vote!), so while you do not currently need an ID, I personally recommend you bring one if you have it - better safe than going back and forth between Town Hall and campus. For more information on this go to http://ncsbe2.azurewebsites.net/ Voter-Registration/Voter-Id-Req POST-ELECTION After voting, come watch returns in the Union, call your parents and remind them to vote, call your friends and tell them, walk other friends to the polls, and vote in the next election regardless of if it is a Presidential election or not. Madeline Newton Driscoll, '17, is an Education Studies major from St. Paul, Minnesota. Contact her at madriscoll@davidson.edu
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sible for everyone, and is desirable for no one. The purpose of mentioning this incongruity is not to complain about a culture that is not conducive to my needs. I’m guilty of pushing myself beyond reasonable limits as well. I simply want to suggest that perhaps this campus would benefit from hearing disabled perspectives. We can help change this culture that neglects self-care. If you need advice on time management, budgeting your energy, or the importance of making time for restful, restorative activities, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better advisor than a chronically ill person. Or perhaps you want a more nuanced critique of the body positivity movement for your GSS class. Maybe consider incorporating disability into that paper. Our perspectives have the potential to help other students and enrich campus dialogue. Disability is an enormous and diverse category; there is so much knowledge we leave undiscovered because of our failure to include these perspectives. However, I’m not going to pretend that my desire to incorporate disability into campus dialogue is completely selfless, because it’s not. Greater awareness and discussion of disability would make my experience at Davidson better,
too. Having alternative PE classes would make it much easier for me, and other students with disabilities, to fulfill that requirement. Discussing invisible illnesses might make people a little less shocked when they see me out with Steve for the first time. Learning about appropriate boundaries could help me avoid invasive questions about my health. And instilling this understanding in our campus culture could improve future disabled students’ experiences at Davidson. I encourage you to start dialogs about disability in academic and activist spaces and to challenge inaccessibility, whether in the architecture of your eating house or a campus culture that neglects self-care. If you’re interested in furthering this conversation, we’re having a discussion series on disability culture at Davidson. The next one is Thursday, October 13th at Common Hour. I hope to see you there, to exchange ideas, and to explore what disability culture can contribute to Davidson. Olivia Liccione, '19, is an English major from Waxhaw, North Carolina. Contact her at olliccione@davidson.edu
Davidson in Peru ELIZABETH PROSSER
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he other day I returned from Mass with my Peruvian host mom to find out that Davidson is planning to suspend the Peru program next year. I struggle to find adequate words to express my extreme sadness, frustration, and anger at this decision. Since the Madrid program was canceled last year, Davidson in Peru is the last Davidson-led Spanish language study abroad program during the school year. This program provides a unique perspective on life in Latin America as opposed to the traditional European experience that most college students have. Moreover, it is much less expensive for the school to run this program because the cost of living is much lower in Peru than in European countries. It’s true that students could find programs at other universities, but after speaking with students who have participated in both Davidson and non-Davidson study abroad programs, the Davidson-led ones were much more comprehensive, offering the resources and advice the students needed instead of dropping them off in a foreign country with little help from the programs' directors. From my understanding, Davidson does not plan to suspend the program permanently, or even for a long period of time, just for next year since no professor was willing to serve as director in 2017. I understand their reasoning, but I am still upset because I know students who were planning to participate in the program next year who will now no longer have the opportunity or ability to choose another Davidson-led Spanish study abroad program for the semester. One of the main reasons I chose to come to Peru was the student feedback I heard. Of course a university wants to endorse all of their programs and portray them in a positive light, but from students I could hear an honest voice. Some of the other programs I looked at had mixed reviews, but without fail, every single student with whom I spoke before applying to Davidson in Peru had only positive comments.
After arriving in the country, my belief in this program has only increased. I have only been in Peru for a month so far, but I already know that this semester will be one of the best of my life. I love almost everything about Peru: the food, the geographic beauty and diversity, and the kindness of the people. My host family has opened their home to me, providing more hospitality than I could have imagined. I love the opportunity to explore a new city and country, immersing myself in a different culture where the language and traditions are different from what I have always known. Each day I find myself becoming more adventurous and independent as I bargain with taxi drivers, sign up for a philosophy class in Spanish, and get lost while selling bread in the streets. Being thrown into this new environment can be confusing, nerve wracking, and overwhelming at times, but I know I can handle it because Davidson has equipped me with the skills I need: Spanish ability, resilience, and critical thinking. What's more: I have a built in support network of Davidson students through the program. Davidson in Peru has brought together a diverse group of students with different majors and campus involvements. We come from different backgrounds and often have contrasting opinions, but one thing we all agree upon is that this is a valuable program that should run next year. I believe that we can work together to find a director for fall 2017. If necessary, the school could change the focus of the program to be a more language based program led by a professor from the Hispanic Studies department. Or, the director does not have to be a Davidson professor. The Davidson in France program has an on-site director who lives in France, so we could hire a PhD professor from outside of Davidson to lead the program. I don’t claim to understand everything about Davidson’s study abroad office or their reasons for suspending programs, but I am passionate about this program, and I hope the school will do whatever it takes to ensure that future students have the opportunity to study and explore in Peru. Elizabeth Prosser, '18, is a Hispanic Studies major from Wake Forest, North Carolina. Contact her at elprosser@davidson.edu
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The CurrenT Issue Anthony Weiner’s Wife Huma Abedin Keeps to Strict Vow That Twelfth Straw is the Last Straw
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Prophecy Foretells Chambers Bell to Toll For Final Time as Quillen Battles Mutant, FiveHeaded Schaffer
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Senior Intends to Get Off that Club Soccer E-mail List Once and For All
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Clutter Folder To Fully Replace Inbox
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Idealist Freshman Wears Toga, Beer Hat, and Foam Finger on First Night Out
Word “Sperm” Still F**king Hilarious to Seniors Taking Bio
China Uses New Islands To Throw Unreal, Multi-Island, Luau-Themed Banger
A crowd of cackling seniors in the back row of their Human Biology class last Tuesday have confirmed that words like “sperm” and “penis” are still inexplicably hilarious. These students, most of whom fully intend to enter actual society as adults at the end of this academic year, have defined their experience fulfilling their lab requirement as an “absolute laugh fest” that “talks about sex stuff.” “I was really worried about taking this class at first, but so far it has been incredible,” said Bennett Smith ‘17. “I was amazed when I realized that the word ‘semen’ could actually be the right answer to something. This never happens in Poli Sci.” Several other seniors have expressed similar sentiments, likening the back row of the classroom to a “comedy Mecca.” “Haha, sex,” reflected one grinning student, who is able to vote, is above the drinking age, and is currently on the search for a job.
In contrast with the accusations that China has built artificial islands in the South China Sea in order to encroach on Taiwanese territory, the Chinese government has announced that the purpose behind the construction of the new islands was to throw a huge, Luauthemed beach party. According to the report, the first party “breaking in” the new islands began last Friday and ran through Sunday night. “We apologize for any confusion the construction of these islands may have caused,” read the announcement. “Contrary to popular belief, we just wanted a place where we could throw a really, really sweet beach party. We didn’t have one, so we made an island. And then we figured, ‘go big or go home,’ you know? So we made a few more.” The Chinese government continually stressed throughout their official statement that the party was an “unbelievable time that you all should have been there for,” and indicated that well over 10,000 Chinese citizens were in attendance. “We apologize for any “Friday and Saturday, that was confusion the construction of a hell of a banger,” commented one hungover Chinese official these islands may have caused. while wearing sunglasses and Contrary to popular belief, massaging his aching forehead. “We’re talking keg stands, booze we just wanted a place where cruises between the islands, a pig we could throw a really, really roast, tiki torches. Sh*t, there was even a damn limbo contest. All sweet beach party.” that work pouring tons of sand into the ocean ended up being totally worth it.” The announcement directly addressed China’s neighboring countries in the second half of the statement, taking on an apologetic tone. “We promise to invite you guys next time. Seriously, we didn’t mean anything by it,” the statement read. “We just wanted to keep it as sort of an ‘us’ thing for the first party. But next time you’re all invited. We promise. We’re thinking we can deviate any from the Luau theme and maybe go for something with a more clubby, Ibiza feel.” According to reports, Taiwan filed a noise complaint just as the party reached its peak on Friday night into Saturday morning, citing that “it was impossible to sleep through that ruckus.” Much to Taiwan’s disappointment, little was done about the matter. The noise continued through until Sunday afternoon when everyone in attendance had finally passed out.
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Crazy Davidson Couple Reveals Their Antics Were All Part of a Social Experiment Page 2
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Patrick’s Article (See Below)
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Patrick’s Article:
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“I was amazed when I realized that the word ‘semen’ could actually be the right answer to something. This never happens in Poli Sci... Is it too late to switch majors?” Reports from within the classroom have indicated that the word “boobs” can occasionally be heard in hushed tones, with its utterance usually followed by a muffled high-five. “We are only a few weeks in and the professor has said the word ‘semen’ seven times. I can’t wait for the “reproductive system” unit that is coming up in three weeks. I’m smiling just thinking about it” commented Rebecca Thomas ‘17. “This sh*t is gonna be so lit. I wonder if there will be a semen-themed lab. I won’t be able to keep it together, I swear to God.” Many of these seniors have also begun to consider switching their major to biology. “Is it too late to switch?” continued Bennett Smith. “It’s like a all-out laugh factory in this place. I wish someone had told me about this earlier, I have clearly been missing out. What a goddamn riot.”
North Korea Overestimates Significance of Charlotte, Plans to Invade City, Nation Shrugs Indifferently
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Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian. Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth. Word.
In an official statement last week, North Korea announced its intention to invade the city of Charlotte, North Carolina while the population of the United States collectively shrugged and said “whatever.” “We have identified that this ‘Charlotte’ is your ‘Queen City,’ no?” read the North Korean announcement, which called for the removal of American soldiers from South Korea. “Well tell us this, American imperialists: surely you as a nation will not be able to survive without the Northern-most Carolina’s capital, the state’s beating heart?” Upon hearing the announcement, the population of the United States was said to have thought about it for a few moments before realizing that they didn’t really care. “Yeah, for a split second I was a little worried. Then I kind of thought ‘eh, let ‘em have it,’” said Craig Daniels, an accountant from Hartford, CT. “I’ve been there once, my wife has family there. It was fine. I think there is
“Yeah, for a split second I was a little worried. Then I kind of thought ‘eh, let ‘em have it.’ I’ve been there once. My wife has family there. It was fine.”
an art museum.” A responding statement from the State Department this morning concluded that the loss of the Charlotte Knights and the city’s many steak houses would be considered “acceptable losses in the face of a severe decline in South Korean stability.” The North Korean announcement also included similar plans to destroy the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, due to the patriotic origins of its name. “Soon you will tremble in fear as we eliminate your bastions of hope and strength,” read the statement. “Meet our demands, or the Queen City and Lincoln will be gone forever!” At press time, it seemed that very few Americans had ever met someone who had been near Nebraska, let alone within the state’s borders.
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Freshman to watch: Men’s fall athletics MARSHALL BURSIS Staff Writer
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any freshman struggle to make the often tumultuous transition from high school to Division 1 athletics. Yet Stockton Mcguire, Sam Thomas, and Malcom McCabe are three freshman poised to make an immediate impact on their respective teams in the upcoming fall seasons.
Malcolm McCabe – Soccer Each year means a new soccer season to Malcolm McCabe, who has played the sport since he was 3, and this year will be no different as he begins his freshman campaign with Davidson. He earned first team all-district honors his freshman year at his high school in Houston, Texas, before opting instead to play for Texans Soccer Club his final three years of high school. Along with two other freshmen, Malcolm made his first college start this past Friday in the Wildcats’ 2-0 win over UNC Asheville. “He’s very quick and that helps him defend athletic opponents and also allows him to get forward and attack,” Coach Spear said of Malcolm. Spear also spoke highly of this year’s class as a whole. He described them as a “talented and athletic group,” and Malcolm echoed his words, calling his class “one of the stronger incoming classes.” Malcolm said he is most looking forward to this year’s Atlantic 10 conference playoff. He hopes the team is able to make it and use the home field advantage Davidson will have as hosts to their advantage. “I hope I can help the team out however I can, and we can win the A-10 championship this season because that’s our goal,” Malcolm said when asked about his goals for his first season.
Stockton McGuire – Football Hoping to be a part of a revitalized Davidson football program, freshman quarterback Stockton McGuire is optimistic about the upcoming season. Coming from Landmark Christian High School, just outside of his hometown Atlanta, Georgia, Stockton was no stranger to success. He holds several records in both track and football, including his school’s record for total career passing yards and touchdowns. Stockton hopes to emulate this success in his next four years at Davidson. Stockton had only great things to say about his and his team’s performance through two games this year. “It’s been great so far. The team is really good, and I think we have a chance to win a lot of games this year,” he said when asked about the season so far. The team fell 38-14 to Georgetown but bounced back with a 35-21 win over Kentucky Wesleyan. Stockton has shown promise through his first two games as a Wildcat, throwing for two touchdowns against Georgetown and rushing in another against Kentucky Wesleyan, while splitting time with junior quarterback Taylor Mitchell. The biggest challenge for Stockton adjusting to college athletics has been the mental game. “It’s not just about being the best athlete. You have to know every little part of the entire defense and offense,” Stockton said when asked about the transition from high school to college football. As the season continues, Stockton hopes that he is able “to contribute to the team the best I can, so the team can win as many games as possible.” Asked about personal goals for his first year at Davidson, Stockton said he hopes “to grow as a quarterback, physically and mentally.” Not discouraged by the team’s last place ranking in a preseason poll for the Pioneer Football League, Stockton put it simply: his goal for the team “is to win every game” the rest of the way.
Sam Thomas – Cross Country An all-state runner at his high school in Minnesota, Sam Thomas is a promising freshman on this year’s cross country team. With Sam’s help in the opening meet, Davidson fell just short of first, finishing second among five teams. When asked about the team’s performance, Sam said there’s still “a lot of work we need to do before we get to conference championships, but we have a chance to be really successful towards the end of the year.” Sam recognizes that with the jump to college there is a jump in competition. “The training has been a step up from high school, and now I’m competing against Division 1 runners,” Sam said about his adjustment to college athletics. Sam has embraced the challenge so far, and said the raised level of competition is “good because it means there is always a goal to set” and because “it motivates and pushes me to be better.” Sam said the adjustment has been made easier by upperclassmen on the team and the coaching staff. “Coach Waldron has been great about the adjustment period, providing recovery time while still pushing us to be our best,” Sam said about his first few weeks running for Davidson. Sam said he could not “ask for anything better,” when talking about the team. “Everyone genuinely cares about your success, and Coach Waldron has been great about making sure we have all the resources we need to achieve academically and athletically,” Sam said about how the team has helped him adjust to his academic and athletic career at Davidson. Sam’s goal for the season is to win the conference championship later this year. He said the team set “lofty goals for itself this season but none are out of reach. As a team we can be pretty successful this year, and we are only moving in the right direction.”
Upcoming Events 9/13: Men’s Golf in West Virginia 9/15: Women’s Soccer at Elon 9/16: Men’s Soccer at Washington 9/16: Women’s Volleyball at South Carolina 9/16: Women’s Field Hockey vs. VCU 9/17: Cross Country in Tennessee 9/17: Football vs. Livingstone 9/18: Field Hockey vs. William & Mary
Will Brewster’s career defined by grit and glory WILL JONES
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Staff Writer
ill Brewster is a force to be reckoned with on the track and on the trails, returning for his senior season as a twotime A-10 ConferenceChampion in Track and All-Conference Cross Country runner. Q: How old were you when you first started running and what got you interested in the sport? I knew from a young age that I had a special talent for endurance. I started running road races when I was 12 and joined my first cross country team in 8th grade. I mostly played other sports like basketball and football, but I soon realized that I had pretty good stamina compared to the rest of the kids. When I was 9 or 10, I started going to the distance running camp at Grayslake High (my local high school). They normally only allowed high schoolers to attend, but I was able to run with them so they let me in. I really fully recognized my talent when I started beating high schoolers at the camp, but I didn’t take the sport too seriously then. I still played other conventional sports but really enjoyed the head-to-head competition of running. Q: You still played other sports when you went to high school, though? Yeah, I still played basketball up until my sophomore year, when I spiral fractured my tibia. It was a very bad injury and the doctors thought that I would have to give up all sports. I was able to come back and decided to stick to just running. Q: You managed to make an amazing comeback and were able to drop some impressive times (4:11 mile I believe?) by the end of high school. How did you go about doing this from such a serious injury? Well, it wasn’t easy. I was battling several injuries (a dead bone in my foot, the spiral fracture, and a fractured pelvis) that put me out for 2 years. It’s really crushing when you’re only 16 years old and being told that your athletic career is over. I remember after I broke my leg, my high school track coach came to visit me in the ER. He gave me one of those rubber bracelets with just one word written on it: STRENGTH. I really took that message to heart and brought that bracelet everywhere, to every race, even in college. That brace-
let reminded me that, in the process of recovery, all I wanted to do was get a little stronger every day. I let that message mold me into the athlete I am today. I was able to hit 4:11 in the mile and 9:02 in the two-mile by the end of high school. Q: So after you made your triumphant return to the sport, you went to Illinois University, where you joined the XC/Track team. What was that like? Well, I definitely have a lot of pride in where I come from and it was a really special honor to be able to represent my state at the national level. I enjoyed some early success (I was a Junior All-American in XC as a freshman), but time proved that it wasn’t the right place for me. I kept getting banged up and injured a lot and couldn’t stay healthy. The training definitely wasn’t the right thing for my body. The immense size of the school also bothered me, and I realized that I would need a significant change in order to bring my running to the next level. Q: When you first got here, and feel free to agree or disagree with me on this, there was definitely an amount of pressure on you to perform, coming in as a star recruit/transfer. How did that impact your performance or outlook? I definitely felt the pressure, for sure. I didn’t run as well as I would have liked in my first few races, but that was mainly because I was a little out of shape and my body was pretty much destroyed from my previous years at Illinois. There was pressure to perform right away, but it was definitely more of a struggle physically than mentally just because of how much the training had taken its toll at Illinois. That isn’t to say it wasn’t mentally challenging. Everyone thought I was noise. I was running pretty slow times and no one believed in me. Heck, I didn’t know if I believed in myself or not. Coach Waldron was the only one who really believed that I could come back and win again. I definitely have to give him a lot of credit for rejuvenating my career and helping me believe that I could be a great runner again. Q: Looking back on this past year, you wereconference champion in the 5k indoors, the 10k outdoors, All-Conference in cross country, and made the all-conference Any time you win a championship, it’s a special feeling to win for your school, your team, and
your coach. There were some key goals that I didn’t accomplish. I had wanted to become an All-American, but I came up a little short in outdoor. I definitely have a lot to be happy and proud of, but it was kind of a so-so season in my opinion. There were some key goals that I didn’t accomplish. I had wanted to become an All-American, but I came up a little short in outdoor. I definitely have a lot to be happy and proud of, but it was kind of a so-so season in my opinion. Q: So what are your main goals this year? I want to continue winning championships this year. The big focus right now is helping the team win the cross country conference title. My ultimate goal though, is to be an All-American; that would be a dream come true. Winning championships is definitely something special, but All-American is one of the most elusive awards you can earn in XC and Track and Field in D-I. I believe that I definitely have the talent
and training. I just need to put it all together on race day to make it happen. Q: Have you given any thought to a post-collegiate running career? To be honest, I’m trying not to think about that right now, haha. I would love to give professional running a shot. When I started running as a little kid, it was my dream to become a professional runner, even if only for a little while. I think I owe it to my younger self and all of the hard work that I have put in during the last few years to give it a shot and see what I can do. I’m not going to worry about that for a while yet. I still have this year’s goals to focus on. Will Brewster is a senior biology major from Grayslake, IL. He led the men’s XC team with a 15:07 first place finish in their 2nd place showing at the Richmond Spider Alumni Open on Sept. 3rd. The men will next toe the line this Saturday at the Vanderbilt XC Invitational in Nashville, TN.
At the 2016 A-10 Indoor Track & Field Championships, Brewster claimed his first Conference title with a win in the 5k along with a 3rd place finish in the 3k. Photo Credit Jordy Brewster
THE DAVIDSONIAN
Conference Champ Hopes to Lead Cats’ to A-10 Title
Will Brewster ‘17 Photo by Mike Scott
September 14, 2016