the davidsonian
OctOber 26, 2016 VOl. 112 Issue 7
The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914
Inside NEWS Milo Yiannopoulos event canceled 2 Hurricane Matthew has huge effects on NC, Haiti 3 LIVING DAVIDSON Review of Cornelius restaurant Fork! highlights sustainable cuisine 4 PERSPECTIVES Alex Hageman '20 discusses fact-checking in this election cycle 3 Campbell is technically running unaffiliated but is endorsed by the Democratic Party. Photo courtesy of www.janecampbellfornchouse.com
Bradford is up for reelection as the Republican nominee. Photo courtesy of www.electbradford.com
Campbell '87 Faces Bradford in NC Race
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KAMRAN SHAHBAZ Political Correspondent
his week Political Correspondent Kamran Shahbaz interviewed Jane Campbell and John Bradford, the Democrat and Republican nominees in the 2016 North Carolina House of Representatives General Election. Each candidate campaigned outside Cornelius Town Hall, where the electorate of District 98, which is comprised of Cornelius, Huntersville, and Davidson, cast their early votes. Campbell was part of Davidson College’s class of ‘87, and Bradford graduated from Clemson University in 1996. As the candidates have competing views on important political issues for North Carolinians, they were delighted to inform Davidson students about themselves before the election. What makes you qualified to represent District 98 in North Carolina’s General Assembly? JC: “I was a poli sci major at Davidson and then spent the next twenty-six years in the Navy, and I had a variety of jobs that include being a direct leader and supervisor for soldier sailors, airmen, and marines. I was lucky enough to be detailed over at the National Security Council at
the White House under the Bush Administration. I have basically worked at every level in the military all the way up to working on the executive staff of the president. So, I think in many of those cases, it really takes somebody that can have that perspective.” JB: “I have political experience as town councilmen for Cornelius, a small business owner, entrepreneur. I have an MBA in engineering that I received at the University of Memphis after graduating from Clemson University. I can tell you that Jane and I are very cordial with each other. We actually just took a selfie and posted it the other day. And I’ve had Democrats supporting Jane come up to me and say ‘that’s what it’s all about.’ You don’t see much cooperation anymore. But I can say that if you called up any of the Democrats I’ve worked with so far, they would all tell you ‘John Bradford, yeah I’d work with him.’” What are your opinions on House Bill 2 (HB2)? JC: “It’s 2016. There are so many important issues that we could be addressing versus legislating discrimination. I go back to Article I of the North Carolina Constitution that says, ‘All persons are created equal.’ It probably at one point in time did not include women. It probably at one
point in time did not include African Americans in the state of North Carolina. But at some point in time we were progressive enough to make sure that our state constitution said ‘all persons.’ And now I don’t think it’s true, and I think that they’ve made legislation that has clearly made folks not equal.” JB: “The ordinance that Charlotte passed broke state law, and in North Carolina, that is against our Constitution. Charlotte passed an ordinance that passed city boundaries. What many people do not know is that 25% of Democrats voted for the bill, and they believed that Charlotte should not go beyond its city’s borders. You can’t have ordinances that are unconstitutional. My opinion on HB2 has nothing to do with policy. There is no doubt that North Carolina has experienced economic impact from HB2, but there was an opportunity to save the ACC championship, and all that needed to be done was for Mayor Roberts to not play politics over the best interest of the city.”
Mary Frith '17 celebrates her singledom 5 Editor Emerita Lyla Halsted '14 responds to "Let learning be cherished" 5 YOWL Students are angry this week about X 6 PhiEu Debate ends with everyone agreeing 6 SPORTS Men's basketball team previews season with Red and Black Scrimmage 7 Football struggles in second half of the season 7
See CANDIDATES Page 2
Davidson Men's Basketball Team Gives Back to Community
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CAROLINE BLACK Staff Writer
efore the Davidson men’s basketball team held its annual Red and Black Scrimmage at 3pm on Saturday, the players gathered for a special morning practice with a few guests from the community. The men’s basketball team collaborated with Davidson College Special Olympics (SO) to put on a Red and Black Scrimmage for over a dozen local Special Olympics participants. Set in Baker Sports Complex, the participating athletes received the opportunity to practice alongside the college-level players, many of whom are accustomed to watching the Wildcats from the stands. Special Olympics College is an on-campus group that meets regularly to plan social events, athletic events, and coordinate engagement with local Special Olympics chapters. “[We] meet every other Sunday in Chambers,” said Peter Whitehouse ’18, co-president of Davidson’s Special Olympics on-campus group. “We hold biweekly meetings… and we plan events just like this one.”
SO College has held programs like this in the past such as a similar event with the men’s soccer team last spring; however this event was able to gather the more participants than any sporting event previously held by the group. “This is the best turnout we’ve ever had, so this is really exciting for us,” said Maggie Stalker ’17, co-president of the group alongside Whitehouse. “The Davidson community is consistently giving us back the same returning Special Olympic athletes and they just keep on loving our event.” This event was no exception. The young athletes were visibly excited to play and learn from the Davidson team. “This is awesome,” said Cameron Stalker, one of the Special Olympics participants on Saturday, who worked on his passing skills with forward Andrew Mcauliffe ’17. “A lot more kids in the US should do this.” In the gym, members of the basketball team led a few sets of drills for the athletes to participate in. Because the size of the event was still rather intimate, each participant received close
See SPECIAL OLYMPICS Page 2
Davidson men's basketball coach Bob McKillop works with participants during the Special Olympics. Photo by Victor-Alan Weeks.
News
Page 2 October 26, 2016
Controversial Milo Yiannopoulos Event Canceled Abruptly by Speaker's Management Team ZACK LONGBOY Staff Writer
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ilo Yiannopoulos, a controversial conservative journalist and public speaker, was scheduled to host an event at Davidson on October 19th as part of his “Dangerous Faggot” tour. On October 18 the Center for Political Engagement (CPE), the organization responsible for hosting Milo, announced that the event had been cancelled due to a series of logistical problems from Milo’s team. “Due to poor communication of what Milo's expectations were for the event, we, as the CPE and as Davidson, didn't have the resources, flexibility, or ability to pivot on such short notice,” President of the CPE Madi Driscoll '17 said, referencing a list of demands which Milo's team made in a cancellation message left on her phone. All is not lost, however, as Driscoll believes there can be some positive takeaways. “We understand this isn't the end of the conversation and the uproar that was sparked by the announcements of both his coming and of his decision to cancel and are moving forward with lessons learned and a plan to provide space for ongoing feedback as best we can,” she said. “We appreciate the administration's graceful balance and the campus' engagement.” Despite the cancellation, in the weeks leading up to the scheduled event, the CPE received a stream of negative feedback from members of the student body and faculty. Particularly heated discourse occurred on social media pages, where
supporters and detractors of the CPE’s controversial decision engaged repeatedly over the two weeks leading up to October 19th. “[Milo]’s racist, misogynistic, and homophobic; He’s very against people who are Muslim and he denounces rape. All those things combined means that bringing him to an already predominantly white campus endangers, or makes this an unsafe space for, minorities,” President of Q&A and Secretary of BSC Malaika Simmons '17 said. “A environment where these ideas are spread is not an environment that I, or any other minority, can learn or engage in.” Many of those incensed by the thought of Milo on campus, point to emotional safety as justification for their anger. The belief that Milo’s presence makes some feel threatened is the main reason Vance Graves '19 did not support the CPE’s decision. “As a person of color, Milo's mere presence makes me (and a lot of other students of color) uncomfortable,” Graves said. “I've heard from others that he also makes victims of sexual assault uneasy – his racist, sexist, and transphobic words all come from a place of privilege, and they make many people uneasy.” Those who were in support of allowing Milo to speak on campus argue that this “uneasiness” holds a certain value. Andrew Peterson ’18 believes that it would be a useful to engage “with someone whose opinions are never represented on campus but are prevalent in the outside world.” “I don’t think Davidson prepares you to [engage with these views] and this is the opportunity to do so,” Peterson said.
Peterson believes that there is a severe lack of discourse at Davidson regarding “race relations, sexual assault” and other similar topics. “We say we have [discourse], but we really don’t – this campus has a lot of people that share exactly the same opinions,” Peterson said. “Milo is willing to be the face of a silent minority... For people who feel threatened by that opinion, fine, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist or that you won’t have to face it.” In his own life, Peterson sees a stark example of why students can’t afford to be sheltered in a so-termed ‘safe space.’ He comes from a small, rural town in northwestern North Carolina whose residents as he describes, are “racist sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, pretty much all of the ‘phobic’ that the liberal left likes to swing as insults. Living in that type of community, especially being someone on the spectrum, presents certain challenges,” he said. “It’s hard to go back to those places and interact when I can exist so comfortably here…” Peterson added. “[Davidson] doesn’t prepare us.” Matthew LeBar '19 of CPE and the College Libertarians, while also in favor, see the event in another light. While he and the CPE understand that it would not have been a “costless event,” for LeBar, the precedent is important. At some point, others are going to want to bring speakers that may “hurt some people’s feelings; so once we cross that line of uninviting Milo because he's making people feel unsafe, it’s a line we can't uncross,” LeBar said. “Then when other people want to bring speakers that say, make white students
like myself uncomfortable, the school is in the position where they have to say ‘no you can't do that.’” Yet for Simmons, there is a clear distinction. “This isn’t discourse,” she said, simply. “It’s really just hate speech.” CPE, while it did not have the support of the President’s office, at least had President Carol Quillen’s deference. Quillen does not believe she should act as the sole arbiter of who comes to the college. “I don’t think there are any particular benefits to bringing [Milo] here, but cancelling the event would [have been] worse than allowing him to come here,” Quillen said. “I don’t agree with the invitation, but I understand what the CPE was trying to do.” Cancelling the event, she believes, would have only furthered Milo’s rhetoric. “[Milo] already has a national platform and access to every potential media outlet that there is...” Quillen said. “Were this a different time, and giving this person 30 minutes at our college would be 30 minutes of free television airtime, we would have another set of decisions.” Regardless, for many like Simmons, Milo speaking on campus represented more than just a man seeking attention. “I pay money to go here, and I’m trying to graduate and get an education. I should be comfortable to be myself, to say what I want to say and kiss who[m] I want to kiss,” Simmons said. “And I should be able to do everything without feeling like someone is going to attack me, either verbally, emotionally or physically, with views that undermine my experience.”
Candidates Share Different Visions for House District 98 Continued from Page 1 What are some priorities on your political agenda, whether that be HB2 or other issues? JC: “On more than one occasion today, I told folks, ‘whether you are Democrat or Republican,’ too many times [Bradford] and some of his republican colleagues have legislated in a methodology I would call call ‘ready, fire, aim.’ And it’s costly. They’re basically legislating and saying, ‘huh, I wonder what the impacts of that were.’ Whether it’s HB2, voting rights, women’s health issues, and a multitude of things that you just look and say, ‘how could you do that?’ So I think that it’s really incumbent to do your homework the first time. Figure out what the issues are, figure out what the implications are, and then legislate in a manner that reflects that you’ve done that homework first.” JB: “In North Carolina, there are lots of laws that need to be cleaned up. But we also have transportation issues, infrastructural issues. This community has outgrown itself. So, infrastruc-
ture and transportation is at the top of my list as well as trying to remain competitive as a state. As a small business owner facing problems with healthcare rules for employees and high taxes, I wanted to make changes to help small businesses. Education is also a large priority for our campaign. The only non educator in my family was myself. I was an engineer. So, I know the importance of education.” What value do you see in the liberal arts, especially a Davidson education? JC: “Dr. Frontis Johnson, who was the interim president our freshman year, then a history professor at Davidson, said, ‘A Davidson education doesn’t prepare you to do something; it enables you to do anything.’ And I took that as this carte blanche saying that I had been given this incredible baseline education, an education that causes you to challenge and not just listen and believe for the sake that someone says, ‘believe this.’ So, I love the fact that as a political science major I was still out there taking religion courses, and history courses, and English courses. And I took Russian.
I took art. I took all of those things which I think allowed me to be a better person with a greater world view.” JB: “I have been a big supporter of the liberal arts, and Davidson is the staple of our community, but you just need to get a good degree out of a good university. That is really important. I think someone with a great science degree and someone with one in the arts can end up doing great things when they graduate. So, I think a good BS or one in the arts are very valuable. But Davidson is very good academically. Plus you guys have Stephen Curry!” Is there a general belief, principle, or goal that motivates you every day? JC: “I think you get back to that core issue that there are so many important things that we need to do. Spending time legislating discrimination is just a waste of time, and we don’t have time for it. So saying it in a nicer way, we don’t have the time to be spending time on legislating discrimination when there are so many other important things. Specifically in our district, everything from edu-
cation, real jobs and commerce issues, growing them, regional transportation issues, healthcare, all of those things are so critically important that we have now been hamstrung as a state because of this piece of legislation. So let’s focus on the important stuff, not discrimination, and let’s move forward from here.” JB: “My beautiful family. Like many parents, I want my kids to do the best they can and do better than me. I want them to grow up in the best world possible, a world where they can start a business like I did, a world that they won’t be discriminated against in. If one of my kids were gay, I would not have any problem with that, and I would never want anyone to be discriminated against. As a business owner, I worry about my employees’ work ethic and not their sexuality, and I’ve believed that even before I ran for politics. There are some crazy ass liberals and some crazy ass conservatives, and then there are the 30% moderates to the right and the 30% to the left. So, we should focus on that 60% majority, and I think we can do great things with them.”
Special Olympics Allows Players to Connect with Young Athletes Continued from Page 1 attention from one of the Davidson players. “Today we’re going with dribbling, shooting, and passing” said team captain and guard Jack Gibbs '17. “We’re just trying to make them feel like part of the team for the day.” Gibbs, despite his recent shoulder injury, still helped to facilitate the practice for the team's guests. “They seem to be taking to our instruction well and I know we’re having fun. I hope they are too,” Gibbs said. “I hope we’ll see the success of this event so that this can be a continuous thing.” In addition to planning campus and community events like Saturday’s scrimmage, the oncampus group works with other Special Olympics chapters through Special Olympics’ Project Unify. Project Unify is a growing initiative in which regional middle schools and high schools partner with the national organization to reach local communities. Members of Special Olympics College often volunteer to work with Special
Kamau Faines '18 works with participants to help develop basketball skills. Photo by Victor Alan-Weeks
Olympics athletes to improve their athletic skills. “Every week, on Thursdays from 10-10:45, a few of our members go over [to W.A Hough High School] and help their athletes train for sporting events,” Whitehouse said. The group’s aim is to strengthen relationships with the special needs community and to provide service to local Special Olympics organizations. “These kids are athletes and they have every bit of capacity to participate and have a great time,” Whitehouse said. “We want to make sure that everybody else knows that too.” "We enjoy it because it’s pretty rewarding when you have kids from the community come up to you after your games during the season saying, ‘You coached us this summer and we can’t wait to get back.’ We don’t just enjoy teaching them basketball, but we want to teach them to have fun and be active," said Gibbs. For more information about getting involved with SO College, feel free to contact Whitehouse at pewhitehouse@davidson.edu.
news/perspectives Hurricane Matthew Leaves Heavy Damage in Wake
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ETHAN EHRENHAFT Staff Writer
urricane Matthew, the most powerful Atlantic storm since 2007, struck the coast of the Carolinas on October 8th9th, leaving a trail of destruction in its passing. Only in the past week is the full extent of the hurricane’s devastation being realized. Throughout the Caribbean and Southeastern United States, Matthew is responsible for the deaths of at least 16,000, the overwhelming majority of which occurred in Haiti. At least 46 Americans were among the dead, 26 of whom were North Carolinians. Numbers are still being updated as missing persons are looked for. Even so, Hurricane Matthew proved to be one of the deadliest natural disasters to impact North Carolina in the past century. In the face of tragic loss of life and millions of dollars worth of property damage, the state and other parts of the south face a long and painful rebuilding process. While safely inland from the direct impact of Matthew, the Davidson community was nonetheless affected by the storm one way or another. Some students hosted evacuated friends, while some were forced to remain on campus for fall break. Other parts of the state were not so fortunate. According to the Weather Channel, parts of eastern North Carolina received as much as seven inches of rain per hour. Winds reached speeds of 70 mph in Wilmington and 83 mph in Duck on the Outer Banks. Not surprisingly, such conditions triggered intense flash flooding, strained levees and dams in many areas. Portions of I-95 and I-40 became partially submerged, and a piece of the latter was entirely washed away. In total, state officials believe Matthew caused upwards of $1.5 billion dollars worth of damage, affecting roughly 100,000 buildings. A week after the storms passing, emergency crews had performed over 2,000 rescue operations statewide, according to The Charlotte Observer. Over 1,000 NC National Guard troops also assisted initial rescue and relief efforts. “Ini-
tially, it was chaos” said one Sergeant in an article on the US Army’s website. “We didn’t know what roads were closed. We didn’t know what routes we could take.” Numerous counties experienced record numbers of rainfall over an incredibly short timespan. The Wilmington area alone saw an accumulation of 18 inches of rainfall. “As the sun rises in North Carolina and the blue sky returns, our state is facing major destruction and, sadly, loss of life” said Governor Pat McCrory, as reported by CBS news. Unbeknownst to many, the tiny island nation of Haiti took the hardest hit by the hurricane. The deeply impoverished nation, still reeling from the effects of the 2010 earthquake, spiraled into another humanitarian crisis. According to ABC news, experts say over a 1,000 people may be dead already, with nearly 1.4 million are in need of direct food assistance. The hurricane devastated farms, flattened crops and called the traditional planting season of November into question. A World Food Program worker also informed ABC that some crops, coconuts and mangoes, can take years to return. Many organizations hope to play a role in the rebuilding effort, both in Haiti and elsewhere. The UN immediately poured in resources in the form of emergency food aid and peacekeeping troops to stabilize the situation. The Red Cross, UNICEF, and many other groups are also involved and are in dire need of donations. While such measures may provide temporary relief, the country faces a hard uphill battle in the face of such disasters. Davidson too hopes to be part of the Hurricane Matthew relief process. Students on campus were quick to mobilize fundraising activities. These include a charity 5K to take place in 3-4 weeks. Students and staff from the Center for Civic Engagement are helping plan the event. All proceeds will be donated to two relief organizations, one in the Carolinas and one in Haiti. “As soon as Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti and the Carolinas, I knew I wanted to help,” said Jordan Cashwell ‘20, one of the 5K’s organizers. “I figured we could make an impact this way.”
The Fact About Fact Checks ALEX HAGEMAN Note: this is not a news article. The reflections are those of the author and are not representative of the Davidsonian. This is not an endorsement of Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton
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he 2016 presidential debates have been quite the spectacles. Both candidates presented valuable points and seldom compromised on their polarizing views. Yet one thing needs to be addressed: The fact checking that we have relied on is not allowing us to look at the key issues at hand and try to find solutions to these problems. In one of the more heated moments in the first debate, Clinton approaches the claim mentioned by Trump over climate change, a so-called “hoax perpetrated by the Chinese”. Trump had later mentioned this January that the comment he delivered in 2012 was a joke. During the debate, Trump denied this claim. As we are all well aware that Clinton is a staunch proponent of programs to address climate change, this provides the perfect ammunition. Yet just because he makes a joke comment doesn’t mean that he is unqualified to be president. The attack itself was taken out of context. According to an interview with Fox News, Trump notes that “China does not do anything for climate change”. Based on the evidence presented, it is clear that Trump is a climate-change denier, especially since he believes that human actions do not play a role. Trump also had opposed the Iraq War before it even started, and he has argued such during the debate, yet according to the fact checkers there is no record of it. The only time in which
he actually opposed the war was in a 2004 interview after it already started. Fact checking aside, all he was trying to convey was his opposition, a dire warning to his constituency. Clinton is also a victim of this tactic. Clinton noted that Trump has faced four bankruptcies, yet the true answer is six. On FactCheck.com, there are more false claims stated by Trump than those by Clinton. Having the most number of false claims doesn’t make one candidate less worthy than the other. People are more likely to believe the untrue claims even when they are refuted over and over again. And especially when our country is arguably at the most divided point in history, 2016 is no exception. The fact check is used as a significant political tool. It attacks the character of the target, especially as it relates to trust. Clinton is using this to her advantage and trying to portray Trump as an anti-environmentalist who is against Democratic interests. Trump is using this to his advantage to portray Secretary Clinton as dishonest. The real question we should ask is: How can these fact checks make us better understand what is going on? This can of course apply to not just climate change but a variety of issues. Ironically, fact checking helps promote a one-sided narrative that isn’t always true. It gives us an overtly simplistic view. We the people should take up the mantle of responsibility and pave our way forward. Our votes are an extension of this, not fact checks. We need to put our trust in our own leaders and also need to speak our minds in a free and open society. We the people can fix our country. What good is knowing the facts when we can change them ourselves? We can either Make America Great Again or be Stronger Together. The fact is that we have the potential to make it happen. Alex Hageman, '20, is an undeclared student from Lorain, Ohio. Contact him at alhageman@ davidson.edu
Page 3
Davidsonian.com
crime log Time Reported
Description / Location
10/19/16 at 1120 hrs
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia at Dormitory Drive. Further Investigation.
10/19/16 at 1730 hrs
2nd Degree at North Campus. Prosecution Declined.
10/21/16 at 0030 hrs
Injury to Personal Property at Dormitory Drive. Further Investigation.
10/21/16 at 2330 hrs
Breaking and Entering, Assault at Patterson Court Circle. Arrest.
10/22/16 at 0130 hrs
Underage Consumption at Dormitory Drive. Dean Referral.
10/22/16 at 1600 hrs
Larceny at Dormitory Drive. Further Investigation.
10/23/16 at 0135 hrs
Weapon on School Property at Ridge Road. Dean Referral.
10/23/16 at 0152 hrs
Underage Consumption at Dormitory Drive. Dean Referral.
living davidson
Page 4
October 26, 2016
Fork!’s Farm-to-Table Dining Redifines New American Cuisine MARY PORTER LIVING DAVIDSON EDITOR
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hef Tim Groody, who made his name in the Charlotte food scene over fifteen years ago, is deeply passionate about allowing food to speak for itself, which is why his style of farm-to-table dining has been his trademark ever since his childhood years in Long Island. Chef Tim opened Fork!, a Cornelius-based restaurant, in 2013 after working as an executive chef at Flatiron, a restaurant down the street from Davidson’s campus. Along with his sous chef Michael Spencer, they create seasonally inspired dishes from their restaurant that one might mistake for a family’s cottage. Chef Tim sources his produce, meat, and dairy from over twelve farms in both North and South Carolina. When I asked him why sourcing local produce is such a priority for him, he responded that aside from the high quality and superior flavor of the product, he believes that it “creates a better community sense” and encourages both the farmers and himself to “be more innovative”, for there is a demand to use a variety of seasonal produce. Furthermore, he stated, “when [the farmers] thrive, we thrive”; indeed, supporting local farmers mitigates waste that arises when farmers do not sell all of their product and are forced to either give it away or compost it. Chef Tim knows that he has a high quality product, because he personally knows the farmers that
he buys from and “[has] been buying from for years.” Additionally, he buys only pesticide-free produce and hormone/antibiotic free meats, some of which is grass-fed. He is proud of the fact that his food is healthy, but customers “don’t [necessarily] know it.” In order to understand Chef Tim’s passion for sustainable and eating local cuisine, one must learn about his background. He grew up in Long Island, New York. His parents are gardeners, and he said that farm stands where commonplace where he lived. People bought their groceries from local farmers including goods such as milk, eggs, corn, and other vegetables. When he moved to California, he noticed that chefs were not working as much with local produce as he thought that they should be. His desire to push chefs into working more with local farmers in conjunction with the values he retained from his upbringing, he says, contributed greatly to his desire to pursue a career as a chef. Over time, he became more adroit in cooking with local food. His culinary style was cemented when he met Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse, a Berkley, California restaurant, who is considered a pioneer of the organic food movement, and worked for her husband. Eventually, his career brought him to Magnolia Grill in Durham. Currently, Chef Tim and Chef Michael also work closely with the Davidson Farmers Market. Over the past several years they have increased funds and programming for the market. For instance, they organized a pig pickin’ over the sum-
mer to raise money for the market’s Supplemental Nutrition Assurance Program (SNAP). Chef Michael has also set up at the market numerous times with cooking demonstrations, as well as a kids cooking competition. Chef Tim hopes that fundraising will allow the market to expand, and thereby, better support the farmers who are there every week. He also mentioned that he would be interested in potentially working with The Farm at Davidson, which provides local produce for Davidson College.
Fork! 20517 N Main St. Cornelius, NC 28031 (704) 655-7465 forkdining.com Reservations: Yes Price: $$ Open: Dinner and Sunday Brunch
Smith Lecture by Naomi Halas, Ph.D.: Solar Steam Generation and Applications Photos by Yilin Wang ‘20
On October 17, Dr. Halas, Stanley C. Moore Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with appointments in the departments of chemistry, physics and astronomy, biomedical engineering and materials science, and nanoengineering, discussed solar steam generation and applications with students and professors.
Ingredients
THE CHEW 2.15 Candy Corn Inspired Marshmellow Treats
Tip: Aluminum foil helps keep food moist, ensures it cooks evenly, keeps leftovers fresh, and makes clean-up easy.
Want your favorite recipe featured? Email editor Mary Porter at A great Halloween treat! maporter@davidson.edu to get involved! Adapted from allrecipes.com
Courtsey photo
1/4 cup butter 4 cups of mini marshmallows 5 cups of puffed rice cereal Food coloring
Directions 1. Melt butter in large sauce pan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and well-blended. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. 2. Divide melted marshmallows into thirds; add yellow food coloring to one portion and mix red dye in a second portion. 2. Add cereal. Stir until well coated 3. Using buttered spatula or waxed paper, press mixture evenly and firmly in buttered round pan in the pattern of candy corn.
perspectives
page 5
October 26, 2016
The Real Dysfunction: A Response to "Let learning be cherished"
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LYLA HALSTED EDITOR EMERITA
he Davidson College Republicans have voted not to endorse Donald Trump for President of the United States. It has been difficult to determine a path forward in the current election cycle without having a candidate to support as a united Campus Republicans group. We have decided to focus on state level candidates and maximize the impact we can have locally. Last week, this section of the Davidsonian featured an article entitled “Let Learning be Cherished.” The article, written by two Davidson alumni, Sarah Gustafson and Wells King, argues that “there is a dysfunctional political culture at Davidson.” They cite two recent events as evidence of this: the hanging of banners from Chambers during Tim Kaine’s visit and the visit of Milo Yiannopoulos. My initial reaction to the article was an impulse to write a response. I had many problems with the arguments presented in the article, and felt compelled to challenge them. I was going to pick apart the evidence they presented to illustrate why and how I disagreed. However, the more time I spent trying to write the impassioned article I envisioned, the more
I hesitated. Ultimately, I realized that I was fearful of writing a response to a politically charged topic. This realization was particularly disturbing, especially given that I was going to argue against the fact that Davidson’s political environment is unwelcoming to debate or differing opinions. This article is not the article I wanted to write, but I believe it might be more productive. I still disagree with much of what Gustafson and King lay out in their piece. I’m not persuaded that two events are enough evidence to define a dysfunctional political culture. I also know that the visit of Tim Kaine, which they allude to, was not financially supported or initiated by the College. Andres Ramos ‘17 President of the Davidson College Democrats (as student organization which receives ATC money just like the College Republicans and Libertarians) invited Kaine, and the College Democrats hosted the event after asking the College’s permission. According to Ramos, “the only endorsement for Tim Kaine came from the Davidson College Dems….the administration agreed to allow us to host the event.” Pence was also invited by the College Republicans, but could not make it due to scheduling. I think Milo’s visit (which of course never occurred) is tinged by more than simple intellectual objections to his message. I know I wouldn’t have felt safe at that talk, and I do think that there are cases
where we need to be sensitive to our fellow students. I don’t believe that consideration for others is equivalent to censorship. I also take issue that they did not include quotes from a single current student in their article. Ultimately, I disagree with the framing of their message. However, the fact that I had so much trouble coming out and saying all that means that they were right about one thing. There is something dysfunctional going on, but I don’t think we can neatly blame the administration and be done with it. I was going to defend the administration, yet I still came very close to backing out of a response. Even though my friends encouraged me, and I truly believe what I had to say, something gave me pause. I didn’t feel like I could speak freely, that I could publicly share my opinions. Ramos puts it well: “The classroom and college should be a safe space in the sense that no student should be afraid or reluctant to voice their opinion for fear of castigation by their peers.” That is a problem, and if that is what Gustafson and Wells were trying to get at, then I agree. I think that this problem isn’t nicely bisected by political affiliation or party lines. It’s something deeper, and it affects us all. Even years after graduation and so many miles from campus, I too feel that there is something wrong. It just may not be as simple as an
institutional agenda or a taboo on intellectual inquisitiveness. I think that the feelings of discomfort many feel at voicing their political opinions are not bounded by the limits of Davidson’s campus nor are they the unique product of the administration. I think the problem is bigger than Davidson, and it is not as simple as a liberal monopoly on political discourse. Finally, I want to conclude with one point I think Gustafson and Wells illustrate beautifully, albeit indirectly. The Davidsonian printed their piece as it did mine. It gives us all a voice, and it allows us to be heard. As a former Editor-in-Chief of this paper, I can attest to the number of scandals it has endured because of the material in this very section, because even when we editors didn’t agree with an article, as long as it was well written and argued, it was printed. If there is something wrong with our political culture, whatever shape that problem may take, the Davidsonian is an important tool. It gave Gustafson and King a platform for their complaints, and it revealed to me, in a most unexpected way, the limits of our political culture. Lyla Halsted, '14, was an Art History, major, Arabic minor from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is now a PhD student in Art History at the Instititue of Fine Arts at NYU. Contact her at lmh487@nyu.edu.
Growing at Davidson: A Response to "Adjusting to Davidson"
M
MARY FRITH
y mom asked in a hushed voice “Are you dating anyone?” at the end of her visit last week. The answer was no, as it was when my grandfather asked last Thanksgiving “So Mary, are there any BOYS (wink, wink) in your life?” and when my dad asked freshman year “Have you met any, uh, boys at Davidson?” In the perspectives article she wrote last week, Jules Franco ’20 described her experience of “Adjusting to Davidson” after breaking up with her high school boyfriend. She wrote, “the purpose of college is to learn about oneself, and from there to grow as a person…In order to make the most out of the experience, I knew that I would have to navigate it independently.” As a fourth-year Davidson female, I’d like to support this decision. While the last three-plus years of college have not been completely free of relationships, I believe that being mostly single has helped me grow during college. Let me describe some of the perks I’ve experienced from going solo.
First- I’ve been able to devote more time to academics. I’m currently working on a senior Psychology thesis that requires extensive laboratory work. It would be difficult to balance spending time with a romantic partner and working long weekend hours in the basement neuroscience lab. I’m grateful to have had my research experiences, though, since my thesis experience has helped me discover my passion and has been crucial in my decision to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience. I’ve developed a greater sense of my independence. During difficult times at Davidson, I have found outside resources to help my situation. During my first year, I was struggling to adjust to Davidson’s academic rigor and found my way to Nance Longworth in the Center for Teaching and Learning, who shared strategies and resources that helped keep me afloat. In her article, Jules voiced concern about using her boyfriend as a ‘crutch’. My independence pushed me to find the resources I needed. Additionally, I’ve minimized the chance of relationship drama. During my sophomore year, I struggled with depression—a cloud of low spirits and low energy that taxed me emotionally and
the davidsonian staff editors-in-chief news editors living davidson editor perspectives editor yowl editor
Emma Johnson Matt Landini Olivia Daniels AJ Naddaff Mary Porter Erin Davenport Paul Henderson
sports editor
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photo editor
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Emma Johnson Austin Newsome
eroded my self care. I enlisted the help of the Student Health and Counseling Center. Professional help, combined with the absence of relationship concerns, helped lift my spirits. Throughout college, I’ve taken opportunities to explore new environments and meet new people. During the summer before junior year, I interned at the UC-Davis Center for Neuroscience in Davis, California. New to the area and without a car, I was grateful for invitations from people I met in Davis to go hiking above Lake Tahoe, explore San Francisco’s Chinatown, and walk along the Berkeley Marina. Given that some of these outings could be interpreted as dates, these sight-seeing opportunities would have been limited had I been in a long-distance relationship at the time. Since entering college, I have redefined my political beliefs, professional goals, and aspects of my worldview. College is an excellent time to reconsider values and beliefs and to explore alternative points of view. As Jules insightfully pointed out, “in some cases, relationships grow and change as people grow and change, and in some cases they don’t.” This growth and change has been integral to my Davidson experience.
Michelle Obama once advised young women that “there is no boy… cute enough or interesting enough to stop you from getting your education.” That’s not to say that men are inherently obstacles to our success and well being, that as women we need to be in relationships with men, or that relationships are necessarily bad. To me, her advice instead emphasizes the importance of respect: respecting ourselves by prioritizing our needs and goals, and respecting others by recognizing their right to do the same. Unfortunately, respect has often eluded current political discourse and sometimes even our interactions with each other on campus. I have written this article as a personal reflection on my experience thus far at Davidson and in response to experiences shared with me by my peers. I hope the perspective I have provided serves in some way to empower students to respect both themselves and others, no matter their relationship status. Mary Frith, '17, is a Psychology major, Neuroscience minor from Black Mountain, North Carolina. Contact her at mafrith@davidson.edu
The LasT MinuTe issue Everyone Weirdly Unconcerned With Dead Birds Outside of Library
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Guy With Tambourine in Band Genuinely Feels That He is Contributing
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Senior Realizes He Has Wasted Valuable Brain Space on Remembering the Cast of Kung Fu Panda
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Guy Scraping Punch From Bottom of Cooler Reaches Two Simultaneous Rock Bottoms
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Check Out Davidsonian.com to See an Up-toDate Listing of Last Year’s Yowl Articles
This Issue Brought to You By: A Volatile Combination of Cynicism and Regret
Report: Students Outraged
College Democrat-Republican Debate Ends With Everyone Loudly Agreeing With Each Other
According to reports from the field, many Davidson students are pretty outraged about something once again. As of Monday, a Facebook group entitled “Davidson Students Angry Together” has attracted over 400 likes and generated tens of comments. In relation to the issue, students like sophomore Briana Clary ‘19 have described themselves as “apoplectic.” In a social media post from 7 minutes ago, Clary urged fellow Davidsonians to “get their heads out of their asses and wake up to reality” before suggesting that students could express their outrage by protesting in front of Chambers, writing extra-long statuses, or handing out those flyers that nobody reads but somehow circulate around campus for months. “Yesterday I got some food at the Union and the lady working the register said ‘have a good one’ like she usually does. Like, what the f*ck? How can I have a good one when this depressing issue is weighing down on me?” said Gabe Suarez
Despite officially withdrawing their support for Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump, the Davidson College Republicans continued the historic tradition of holding a debate with the College Democrats between the Eumenean and Philanthropic Halls last week, an event that according to reports ended up with everyone loudly agreeing with each other. “The debates at Phi and Eu are a storied Davidson tradition, one that every student hears about during their college tour and subsequently looks forward to throughout their four years at school, “ commented College Democrats president Katie Lee ‘17. “We knew that we had to hold the debates this year, even though we all pretty much feel the same sh*tty way about stuff this time around.” The debate, held last Tuesday afternoon in front of a neutral, stoic and entirely noiseless crowd, quickly devolved into everyone sort of being on the same page about stuff, especially when it came to the depressing air of this election year. “Oh yeah? Oh yeah? Well… “‘Oh yeah? Oh yeah? Well… okay. Yeah. You’re pretty much right about that!” shouted one okay. Yeah. You’re pretty much member of the College Republiright about that!’ shouted one cans from the porch of Eumenean Hall. “Our party’s candidate member of the College Reis practically indefensible! What publicans from the porch of of it?” While moderator Scott Green Eumenean Hall.” ‘18 reportedly tried to steer the conversation toward more riveting political discussion throughout the course of the debate, debaters on both sides tended to find themselves unexpectedly aligning while stating their points. “Hey! Hey, you!” said David Daniels of the Democrats, sporting a vibrant blue tie while passionately addressing his opponents across the lawn. “I’m having a genuinely hard time feeling strongly one way or the other about anything right now! That’s right, you heard me!” According to witnesses of the debate, the final verdict was that both sides had tied, due to their nearly identical ability to be loudly unenthusiastic about the country’s current state of affairs. Witnesses of the debate attest that they walked away for the contest feeling pretty much how they’d exprected they would.
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Author of Perspectives Article Doesn’t know That Most of Campus Unaware There is a School Paper
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New Samsung Model Just One Large Headphone Jack
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The Yowl’s Tips on Scoring A Free Union Station Coffee: 1. Smell like you need it. 2. Stare longingly at the large cups before settling on a small. 3. Have one less tooth than would be the socially accepted standard. 4. At counter, fish around in backpack for several moments before pulling out a snapped credit card. 5. Ask if you can pay with war bonds.
Your Davidson Honor Section
Editors: Paul Henderson Writers: Craig Ghost of Pat Grace’s Keen Sensibilities AE EJ Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian. Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth. Word.
The DaviDsonian
“Hopefully there will not be a new occurance that spurs on widespread student outrage of this magnitude for at least another 30-45 minutes.” ‘17, echoing Clary’s sentiments that campus tension is at an all-time high due to the outrageous and contentious event that set everything off. Approximately two days after the appropriate time for a response, the administration officially responded to the anger via email. In a measured and well-polished message addressed to the entire, very angry student body, President Quillen assured students that she, too, was pissed. “Davidson is a community that feels things. Today, apparently, we feel very angry, so I am angry too,” began the email. “Myself, the faculty, and your fellow students care deeply about your feelings, just like everyone will in the real world. Hopefully there will not be a new occurrence that spurs on widespread outrage of this magnitude for at least another 30-45 minutes.” According to surveys, about half of Davidson students felt that the email went too far and the other half felt that it did not go far enough. However, inside sources at the Quillen residence report that President Quillen called the email a “damn fine piece of writing.” Reports have begun to confirm that Facebook groups critiquing President Quillen’s email have formed as stuents start to decide how mad they really want to get about this.
Perplexed Jill Stein Contemplates Campaign Dropout While Outside Empty 900 Room Reports from multiple students, faculty, and staff have confirmed seeing a perplexed and disheveled Dr. Jill Stein — Green Party candidate for President of the United States — seated outside the 900 Room the Wednesday afternoon of Tim Kaine’s rally. The bewildered Stein was seen slouching in a chair, apparently unaware that a zany scheduling debacle had placed her event at the same time as the Democratic VicePresidential nominee. “We legit just forgot we ever booked Jill,” said Stanley Graves ‘18, a representative from the Center From Civic Engagement. “I guess I just got all caught up in that Kaine fever. Whoops.” Stein was spotted giving an exhausted, dispassionate lecture to the single student who had showed up to her highly under-publicized event. According to reports, Dirk Abel ‘18 sat across from Stein while listening to a remarkably disinterested policy speech and witnessing what was perhaps the final campaign event held by the second place third-party candidate.
“The bewildered Stein was seen slouching in a chair, apparently unaware that a zany scheduling debacle had placed her event at the same time as the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee Tim Kaine.”
“It was pretty sad to see, honestly. I don’t think Jill had any idea that Tim Kaine was holding his Chambers event at the same time,” commented Graves after the encounter. “She was clearly disheartened and at times just straight up out of it. She would be muttering something about fracking bans and then suddenly just start starring up at the weird octopus wildcat mural thing for like 5 minutes. Also, to be honest, I had no idea who she was until right now. She just looked lonely so I sat down. Besides, all my friends were at the Tim Kaine rally so I couldn’t really think of anything else better to do with my time.” The last sightings of Stein suggest that she momentarily pepped up upon seeing the crowds and media coverage in front of Chambers. Realizing her reality moments later, however, Stein was spotted slouching over and walking back towards the Union while kicking a pebble and muttering “shucks.”
sports
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Men’s Basketball Gearing up for Start of Season 32, but were able to pull ahead, scoring 8 points in the final 3 minutes. In addition to Aldridge and Gudmundsson, Junior guard Jordan Watkins of the black team scored in double figures, adding 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the floor. After completing the 20-minute half, the teams participated in some situational scrimmages before participating in a 3-point shootout, where Junior Transfer Will Magarity led the way, with 10 points out of a possible 18. Missing from the game was Senior guard Jack Gibbs. One of the nation’s leading scorers last season and an early favorite for A-10 player of the year, Gibbs is sidelined with a shoulder injury but is expected to return to the court for the team’s season opener against Appalachian State, November 12. Next, the Wildcats take on Belmont Abbey in a home exhibition game on November 4, at 7 p.m. The team was picked to finish 4th overall in the conference at this year’s A-10 media day, behind Dayton, Rhode Island, and VCU. Gibbs will be an important part of the team’s success this year, as he looks to build on his performance from last season. The team will need contributions from Gibbs and Aldridge as well as newcomers like Gudmundsson and others as it plays for a conference championship and NCAA tournament appearance. If the Red/Black Scrimmage from this past weekend is any indication, the season looks bright for Davidson basketball.
MARSHALL BURSIS
T
Staff Writer
he men’s basketball program held their annual Red/Black Scrimmage this past Saturday in Belk Arena. The team played a 20-minute game, in which the Black team, coached by Coach McKillop, came out on top 42-35. Both teams got off to a quick start in the game, trading baskets back and forth, with the black team taking an early 13-7 lead just under the 16-minute mark. Led by true freshman guard Jon Axel Gudmundsson, the Black team extended their lead out of the break. Gudmundsson assisted fre shman Cal Freundlich on a three from the wing and intercepted a pass on the next play, scoring an easy lay-up on the fast break. Gudmundsson finished his first on-court action as a Wildcat with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Both sides showed their ability to shoot from beyond the arc. The teams exchanged 5 straight 3-pointers, from 4 players, including shots from redshirt freshman Dusan Kovacevic, freshman Malcolm Wynter—who scored 2 threes in the sequence—and junior forward Peyton Aldridge. A preseason pick for thirdteam all-conference in the A-10, Aldridge led the Red team with 16 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting with 5 rebounds. Both teams finished the game shooting 50 percent from the floor, and the Black team shot an impressive 55% from 3. The Black team ultimately pulled ahead in what was largely a back and forth game. With just over 3 minutes remaining, the black team led 34-
Jon Axel Gudmusson ‘20 attempts a layup over Junior Rusty Reigel. Photo by Bill Kiser/Charlotte Obsever
The Special Olympics event prior to the scrimmage was a huge success, with athletes participating alongside players in a series of drills. Photo by Victor-Alan Weeks
Davidson Football Not Deterred by Recent Struggles JACOB MARGOLIS Staff Writer
A
lthough Davidson Football has experienced what has arguably been an improvement from last year’s tumultuous season, the team has still recorded just 2 wins, and is looking for ways it can improve upon what has been a recent stretch of tantilizingly close losses.
Losing Streak: Davidson Football is currently mired in a rough five game losing streak. The losing streak coincides with the start of Pioneer Football League conference play, which only makes the losses that much more painful. In these five games the Cats have played Valparaiso (on the road), Stetson (at home), San Diego (on the road), Butler (at home), and Marist (on the road). The tough losing streak has left the Wildcats with a record of two wins and six losses. To add insult to injury, Davidson has zero wins and five losses in conference play, this places them last in the Pioneer Football League standings. In spite of this grim position, Quarterback Stockton McGuire is adamant that, “the team is very positive and [has] learned from [their] mistakes and [the team is] looking forward to [the] last three games.”
So Close: Three of the five losses were nail bitters. How close were these three games? Very close, all were decided by 4 points or less. The first close loss was to Valparaiso on the road. Davidson had a chance to win the game on their last offensive drive but had a touchdown play called back to due a backbreaking penalty. After the negated touchdown due to penalty and later a sack of Quarterback Taylor Mitchell, Davidson was forced to punt with less than six minutes remaining in the game. The offense never got the ball back as Valparaiso bled the clock by gaining crucial first downs. The final score was 24-20 Valparaiso. The next game was at home against Stetson. The Wildcats jumped out to a 21-10 lead at the end of the third quarter. Stetson outscored Davidson 21-6 in the fourth quarter
and won the game with a six yard touchdown pass with only a little over a minute left. The Davidson offense was unable to respond and lost the game by a final score of 31-27. The final close loss, to Butler, may have been the most heartbreaking of them all. Davidson came out firing on all cylinders against the Bulldogs and took a 14-0 lead less than five minutes into the second quarter. Dynamic Freshman Quarterback Stockton McGuire started the game red hot, evidenced by his two touchdown passes. One was a 74-yard strike to Cam Cheuvront and the other was an eight-yard toss to Nick Nolting. Butler responded though and tied the game at 14 early in the third quarter. Butler ended up kicking a field goal with just three seconds left to take a 20-17 lead and pull a win out of the close contest. All three close losses were tightly contested and decided in the fourth quarter.
Looking Ahead: Losing just one “down to the wire” game is a backbreaker for any team, let alone three such games. However, after talking to players on the football team it is clear that this team is looking forward and will do everything in its power to finish the season on a strong note. Freshman Quarterback Stockton McGuire thinks, “[the team] just needs to keep grinding in practice and execute on third downs and in the red zone.” He thinks that this will allow the team to, “put some more points up on the board and keep the momentum going.” In any sport a team needs to improve over the long and arduous grind of a season if it wants to be competitive. Building on this sentiment, McGuire believes the, “best thing the offense has done is improve in the pass game and run game as the season has [progressed].” He believes that to raise the playing level of the team the offense needs to, “improve on [its] consistency and sustaining drives.” Obviously in football there are two sides of the ball and the defense can’t be ignored. Of the defensive unit McGuire thinks the, “defense has done a great job defending the run and the pass and [can] improve on the details.” It is obvious that this team is still getting better and hopefully the ‘Cats can pull out some wins in the final three games of the season and reverse the losing streak they are currently stuck in.
The team celebrates a touchdown in their narrow loss to Butler. Photo by John Reid/ Atlantic 10
TTHE HE D DAVIDSONIAN AVIDSONIAN
Conference Champ Hopes to Lead Cats’ to A-10 Title Men’s Basketball Prepares for 2016Will Brewster ‘172017 Season
Photo by Mike Scott
See Page 7
September 14, 2016