the davidsonian
March 22, 2017 Vol. 112 Issue 16
The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914
Inside NEWS Connor House gears up for its service event, Bosom Buddies 2 Duke Energy and Dominion Power face opposition to proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline 3 LIVING DAVIDSON Green Ball featured in Photos of the Week 4 PERSPECTIVES
Morgan McGrath performed a piece by Jacob Hege that details studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo by Abby Miller
"When the Davidson Bubble Bursts" Challenges Standard Study Abroad Discussions
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LAURA DUNNAGAN Senior Staff Writer
hen the Davidson Bubble Bursts, an event created grant students the platform to discuss their study abroad experiences, held its third annual event Wednesday, March 15. The event was designed to foster a community of support and solidarity for students who have faced challenges like sexual assault, mental and physical health problems, and drug abuse while studying abroad. “I think we as a school and maybe larger society tend to build up the idea of study abroad as the best thing ever, the best semester of your life,” says Bridget Lavender ’18, co-director of the event with Shannon Hayes ’17. “When you get back, people ask ‘how was it, did you love it?’ but the conversation doesn’t move beyond that. It can get hyped up to be a fairytale dream of a semester, so there’s not a ton of space to acknowledge that it’s still real life.” Students have the option to write and present at When the Davidson Bubble Bursts. Julia Burk-
ley ’18 was encouraged to write for the event by her advisor after discussing social conflicts she encountered while studying abroad. “[Dr. Wills] challenged me to confront the issues that I faced head on and make sure they didn’t stay hidden,” Burkley comments. “As hard as I thought presenting would be, I knew that it was something that I needed to do to take full ownership of my story.” Burkley adds that speaking at the event helped her process and accept the difficulties she experienced when studying abroad. “Speaking at this event felt like a victory for me. It gave me power over an experience in which I almost always felt utterly powerless. I was so grateful that I knew that this event existed, because it gave me a space to know that I could process and share it with others in a meaningful way.” Sophie McHugh ’18 wrote about her experience with sexual assault. “I was raped abroad, and afterwards I felt a mix of really complicated emotions that I hadn’t really heard about in other narratives about sexual assault,” says McHugh. “I knew that I wasn’t alone in my experience, and I wanted to talk about it publically to shed light
onto certain aspects about sexual assault that people usually don’t discuss. The event was a platform for me to share my experience in a way that could potentially help people.” To contribute a male perspective to an event largely dominated by female voices, Jacob Hege '18 wrote about exploring sexuality while abroad. “This is an incredibly important event for our community,” says Hege. “Since going abroad is such a big part of our campus culture, it is important to hear these stories. After getting back from abroad, you’re not going to share all the hard parts with everyone so it can sometimes seem like everyone’s experience was all roses and if something happened to you abroad that no one else can relate. When the Davidson Bubble Bursts takes that fear away and lets people know they aren’t alone.” Performers report that the reactions they have received since the event have been overwhelm-
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Gabriella Phillips '17 discusses her name change and identity 5 Andrea Lytle Peet '03 reflects upon her battle with ALS 5 YOWL Lil Yacty's concert is just a huge big-little week delivery 6 Friday afternoon funk affects first year student 6 SPORTS Baseball team begins conference schedule 7 Track team primed for spring season after successful indoor championships 7
Pasta 'Cuz Offers Students a Late Night Meal Option on Wednesdays
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ETHAN EHRENHAFT Staff Writer
ometimes all it takes is two hungry Davidson students to come up with a revolutionary business idea. One fateful evening in early February of this semester, Maggie Spiller ‘18 was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and walls, when she noticed something. It was a picture of pasta she had hanging up from her study abroad trip in Italy. “It started ‘cause I was hungry,” says Spiller. The simple combination of being hungry and bored sparked an ingenious idea. Spiller decided to partner with friend and classmate Grace Leonhardt ‘18 to start a food delivery service. Their business’s speciality: pasta. The next morning the two applied for the Failure Fund grant. That same day they got it. According to the school's website, the ominously named Failure Fund is “a grant competition that awards Davidson students with between $150– $1,000 to pursue creative or innovative ideas." The Fund is meant to make creative ideas, such as Spiller and Leonhardt’s, feasible right here on campus; Davidson hopes the grants will teach students “to model the traits of innovators and creative entrepreneurs” and to be “comfortable with failure.” Davidson’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative runs the grant. As recipients,
Spiller and Leonhardt have to provide business updates for seven weeks. For the next two weeks, the two freshlyminted entrepreneurs spent their time laying the foundation for their business, which they called “Pasta ‘Cuz.” Initially, they thought they would not need to become an actual licensed business and could operate under Davidson’s legal grounds of serving food to “family and friends.” Spiller and Leonhardt consulted administrators and quickly realized that, due to the number of people they would be serving, this would be illegal. Thus began a marathon of filing legal forms and filling out paperwork to become a licensed and registered business. As a licensed business, Pasta ‘Cuz also needed a licensed kitchen. The humble cooking appliances of Tommy would no longer make do, and Spiller and Leonhardt hoped to move their cooking operations into Nummit’s kitchen, which closes at 9 pm. “The most challenging part has been the roadblocks set in place in various behind-the-scenes work,” says Leonhardt, adding: “actually cooking the pasta and delivering it is the fun part.”
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Juniors Maggie Spiller and Grace Leonhardt (L to R) founded Pasta 'Cuz to provide campus with more meal options. Photo courtesy of Maggie Spiller and Grace Leonhardt
news
Page 2 March 22, 2017
Connor House Revises the Narrative around Bosom Buddies as the Fundraising Event Draws Near EMMA PETTIT Staff Writer
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osom Buddies is Connor’s culminating philanthropy event. The event occurs on March 25th, and raises money for Earlier, an organization that offers grants for researchers who aim to find an earlier biological test for breast cancer. Led by service chairs Christine Vaile ’17 and Virginia Saylor ’17, the women of Connor organized the night to include a silent auction, live auction, and dinner with families, corporate sponsors, and representatives from different PCC organizations on campus. Based out of Greensboro, Earlier is the only organization researching this test that would allow breakthroughs in breast cancer prevention and preparation. They look for a biological sign, such as a gene, to detect the oncoming cancer before a lump is present. Connor has been working with Earlier for sixteen years and has been continuously increasing the House’s efforts to raise money and increase understanding of the experience of breast cancer. Connor’s goal is to raise $120,000 in order to fully fund three research grants. Both Earlier’s research and Connor’s educational events help highlight the experience of living with cancer and challenge the “pinkification” of the cause. Dr. Ann Fox of the English Department gave feedback on the event; she hopes that the Bosom Buddies campaign expands inclusiv-
ity and thoughtfulness. She commented, “A lot of people are never cured, and a cure is not bad, but let’s not forget the people living with an illness who will never be cured. To forget those people is telling them they have failed.” Additionally, according to Fox, the pink ribbon feminizes breast cancer when, while it is rare, men can suffer from it as well. She explained that over-feminizing the patient demographic leaves no support for men. By creating a robustly feminine identity around breast cancer, being female is equated to having healthy breasts even when more and more women are opting not to have reconstructive surgery. As co-organizers, Earlier and Connor work to balance the success of the pink ribbon while simultaneously expanding the representation to encompass more identities. For this reason, Saylor says, “It is okay to be skeptical of the pink ribbon.” Earlier’s logo is an upside-down ribbon to show how it looks at the cause from a new perspective. Connor echoes this by challenging conventional breast cancer aid, such as the Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure, by having a talkback after the event. During this talkback, participants discuss where the money goes in that organization, and how the pinkification of the race can either empower women and create strength and solidarity among them or limit the identity of those who suffer from breast cancer to a very feminine one. Connor also screened the movie
Pink Ribbon Inc., which exposes how the ribbon is sometimes just a pretty picture without any explanation of where the money is going. The symbol can be misleading and benefit the organization’s reputation without authentically supporting breast cancer. Vaile adds, “When we were freshmen and sophomores, we didn’t really know what we were raising money for.” Saylor and Vaile have framed events around trivia and engaging with representatives from Earlier to get closer to the cause to produce an aware campus network. Connor House is excited to host the Bosom Buddies event this More than just raising mon- coming weekend. Photo courtesy of Connor House ey, Vaile is proud of “getting our house as a whole to work together toward a event itself. cause. It is a special form of unity.” Beginning in While PCC organizations are often better the fall, Connor will begin to plan and host dif- known for the social events they host, philanferent events, such as Play for Pink, with all prothropy is dear to the House. Going forward, Conceeds going directly to Earlier and contributing nor hopes to continue to spread the passion for to the year’s fundraising goal. Connor sisters then an earlier detection test for breast cancer and write letters to inform friends and family about to unite all students in supporting PCC philanthe work that they are doing, specifically why thropic efforts. To donate to Earlier and support they are working with Earlier. This practice of let- Connor House go to http://tinyurl.com/connorter writing gives each member agency in sharing bosombuddies. their work while increasing excitement for the
Student-led Pasta Delivery Service Receives I&E Funding Continued from Page 1 On February 15th, Pasta ‘Cuz opened for business. It operates once a week on Wednesdays. Spiller and Leonhardt selected Wednesdays to do deliveries since they say it is a popular day for late-night studying. According to the pair, it is also the preferred weeknight for parties, and Pasta ‘Cuz hoped to edge out a slice of the latenight food market from Dominos, which currently dominates in that arena. To order Pasta ‘Cuz, one must fill out an online form on the Pasta ‘Cuz website. Available sauces include butter, tomato basil, and pesto. Pre-orders begin at 10 p.m. and deliveries start at 11. The latest time
an order can be placed is 12:30 a.m. and deliveries cease at 1 a.m. The first night, Spiller and Leonhardt expected to get around 30-40 orders in total. Instead, they received 40 orders in the first nine minutes. 80 orders were placed by the end of the night. According to Spiller, it was “one of the most exhilarating and depressing times.” Exhilarating because both her and Leonhardt love cooking pasta for hungry students, but depressing because with such high demand making deliveries on time became a sheer impossibility. Some forks and other items were also missing from orders as a result of the rush. “We hold ourselves to a higher standard, ” says Spiller regarding her and Leonhardt’s first time out on the job. Stressing
Event Facilitates Discussion about Struggles while Abroad Continued from Page 1 ingly positive. “One of my fears was that speaking at the event would mean officially ‘coming out’ as a victim,” says McHugh. “But since I did it, I’ve received a ton of positive support. Before, I constantly felt like I was hiding something from people in my everyday interactions, but now I’ve divulged it publicly to a lot of people, so it’s not something I feel like I have to hide or bury anymore.” Burkley also reports receiving positive feedback. “One of the most positive responses that I have heard is from people who have been able to process their own experiences from abroad by being able to empathize and relate to the stories that people shared [at the event],” says Burkley. “For me, this event is where I get to go and hear the truth about people’s experiences that they may not have told me in a passing conversation,” says Hege.” It’s always an emotional evening and makes me feel closer to the Davidson community.” The event does not discourage studying abroad, but seeks to encourage conversations about the less positive aspects of living and studying in a different country. “The event deromanticizes study abroad in a safe and still fairly optimistic way,” says Burkley. “It gives people a space to recognize that study abroad throws
things at you, and that’s okay and not abnormal.” When the Davidson Bubble Bursts also seeks to include students who are preparing to go abroad by educating them on realities that can occur while traveling. “We can still talk about the fact that bad things happened, and that doesn’t take away from going abroad,” says Lavender. “We can create a community for people who are about to go abroad so that they understand that there’s a support system here.” The Study Abroad Office sponsors When the Davidson Bubble Bursts and supports the student planning committee. Abbie Naglosky, Assistant Director of Study Abroad, encourages all students planning to go abroad to familiarize themselves with pre-existing Davidson resources. According to Naglosky, on-campus services still apply for students who reside abroad. “Our office is always available to students, so when they’re abroad, if they’re having transitional issues or any problems while they’re abroad, we’re here to help talk them through,” says Nagloskly.
the importance of business-customer relations, they decided to offer half off on every customer’s second order. That first night proved immensely informative, and helped Pasta ‘Cuz plan ahead for following Wednesdays. They boil pasta ahead of time and then heat it up in a skillet when orders come in. The delivery team consists of four students, split into teams of two which operate every other week. Deliveries now take an average of around 20 minutes, with pasta arriving no later than 40 minutes after an order is placed. “We’ve worked really really hard to make it as fast as possible,” says Leonhardt. From the start, Pasta ‘Cuz has always been about two students having fun and bringing alternative late-night food options into the lives of
weary Davidson students. Spiller and Leonhardt didn’t intend for it to become an entrepreneurial enterprise. It merely started off as a passion for cooking. Says Spiller, “I really like to bake and cook. They’re definitely hobbies.” She even wrote her college essay about baking. She and Leonhardt hope to continue their passion and grow the business, if ever so slowly. “It’s really fun, and a lot of unique work you can’t find anywhere else at Davidson,” according to Leonhardt. Be on the lookout for more from Pasta ‘Cuz, Davidson’s first official student-run late-night pasta delivery service.
The Davidsonian Congratulates the Class of 2017 Phi Beta Kappa Graduates Dennis Akrobetu Ashley Alexander-Lee Saha Aziz Caroline Bell Elaine Boe Alyssa Bryan John Chavez Yijiao Chen Jiarui Chu Elizabeth Cowan Austin Crouse Connor Covello William Damron Leon DaSilva David Degrood Nikolaos Dokmetzoglou Peter Donahue Alexandra Dunne Ethan Faust Mary Frith Alison Fuehrer Chika Fujii Hannah Fuller Shirley Ge Kaley Gonzalez Samantha Gowing Nathaniel Harding Shannon Hayes Ela Hefler
Vincent Hickl Kerry Honan Remy Jennings Arielle Korman Andrey Krachkov Kathryn Laurence Rachel Lee Katherine Lourie Molly Mathes Jane McGehee John Mogen Emily Moore Papa Kwadw Morgan-Asiedu Tyler Pfister Monica Prudencio Andrew Rikard Rahat Sajwani Peter Saunders Srish Sharma Margaret Stalker Blake Steinberg Sylvia Strauss Abigail Thielemann Analee Tutterow Alexander Tyner Elizabeth Wright Wenxin Xu Huailin Zhang Yizhen Egyn Zhu
news The Other Pipeline: Protestors Face Off Against 'Big Energy' November of 2016, several members of the Lumbee nation led a two-mile prayer walk. Although the DAPL and ACP have much in common, there are some notable differences. The Standing Rock n their months long opposition to the Da- Sioux oppose the DAPL crossing of the Missouri kota Access Pipeline (DAPL), the Standing River near the Sacred Stone Camp, whereas most Rock Sioux water protectors sparked a na- opponents of the ACP argue that it should not be tional debate about the conflict between energy built at all. The DAPL will carry crude oil, subinfrastructure projects and indigenous rights. jecting the surrounding region to a risk of a spill, Although the DAPL may be the current focus of while the ACP is a natural gas pipeline. Natural this conversation, it is not the only pipeline that gas pipelines do not “spill,” but on rare occasion threatens native lands. Dominion Power and can explode (9). Finally, the Standing Sioux are Duke Energy’s proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline a federally recognized tribe, which affords them (ACP) is currently under review by the Federal some rights and protections that the Lumbee of Energy Regulatory Commission, which is ex- North Carolina do not have. pected to release a final Environmental Impact When it comes to construction projects such Survey in June of this year (1). As the route is as the Dakota Access Pipeline, federal recognition drawn now, the pipeline would cut through the affords indigenous nations the right to be consultland of the Lumbee Nation, based in North Caro- ed, but does not require their consent (10). Withlina (2). out federal recognition, the Lumbee have very Opposition to the ACP has grown in re- few, if any, legal paths to stop the pipeline. The cent months; activists concerned about climate Lumbee are working towards becoming a federalchange, environmental justice, and indigenous ly recognized tribe, but are in a complicated legal rights walked situation because for two weeks of the 1956 Lumalong the probee Act, which posed pipeline identified them as route to draw Indian but denied attention to them any benefits its impact on of federal recogniglobal warmtion (11). Achieving and on loing federal reccal communiognition through ties, including Congress is a slow, on the Lumbee cumbersome and (6). Students often prohibitively from Davidson expensive process. College, HowWith no clear leard University gal avenue to fight Protesters and environmental activists march along the and Appalathe pipeline, opchian State Atlantic Coast Pipeline proposed by Dominion Power and position to it has Duke Energy. Photo courtesy of Emma Tayloe Universit y mostly taken the participated in several days of marching. Many form of activism. of the participants in the ACP walk objected to It remains to be seen what the impact of ACP the pipeline because of its environmental impact; protests and walks actually will be. Whether or one of the largest groups of walkers was a collec- not the pipeline project goes forward depends on tion of white, semi-retired environmental activ- the decision of Federal Energy Regulatory Comists. Some of these marchers had decades of ex- mission (FERC). FERC has only rejected one perience with activism; among them was a singer such project in its history (12). It goes without in a 1960s women’s liberation band and an envi- saying that not everyone affected opposes the ronmentalist who spent a year in jail for burn- pipeline; Dominion estimates that construction ing draft cards during the Vietnam War. Touting of the ACP will create nearly 3,000 jobs over five plastic wind turbines and a two-man salamander years (13). Dominion and Duke also contend puppet, they marched in strict formation, deriding Duke Energy and chanting demands for clean energy solutions. Environmental activists oppose the pipeline because of its potential local and global impacts. Some advocates of the ACP argue that natural gas is a clean energy source that will help fight climate change. Burning natural gas produces 1.22 pounds of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour, around 40% less than coal (3). However, gas can escape into the atmosphere during the fracking process or along leaky pipelines. Natural gas consists primarily of methane, and when methane is emitted, it warms the planet 86 times as much as carbon dioxide for the 10-20 years it exists in the atmosphere (4). The greater global warming potential of methane would outweigh the reduced CO2 emissions if anything above 3% of the fracked gas leaks (5). Thus, whether natural gas should be considered a “clean” alternative continues to be debated. The white environmentalists were not the only group of seasoned activists involved in the march; Concerned Citizens of Tillery (CCT), a relatively large group of community organizers, joined marchers at a rally on March seventh, just a few days into the walk. Among the attending members of the Concerned Citizens of Tillery were activists who had been involved in protesting a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dump created by the state in neighboring Warren County in the 1970s. The PCB dump posed serious environmental health risks to the surrounding predominantly black neighborhood and is often credited with sparking the environmental justice movement (8). During the final days of the ACP walk, members of the Lumbee nation and citizens of Robeson County marched through their own neighborhoods. The Lumbee community has been vocal in its opposition to the pipeline; in
EMMA TAYLOE Investigative Reporter
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Davidsonian.com
crime log Time Reported
Description / Location
02/28/17 at 2230 hrs
Underage Consumption at Watts Dean Referral
03/17/17 at 1330 hrs
2nd Degree Sexual Offense at North Side of Campus Criminal Prosecution Declined
that the pipeline’s construction is necessary to meet the growing energy needs of the region. The pipeline reaches parts of the state with infrastructure to distribute natural gas, including the Charlotte area. According to the Sustainability Office, Davidson College meets 100% of its heating needs from natural gas; consumers like the College stand to benefit from potentially lower energy prices and a consistent supply of natural gas. Energy costs affect everyone, but the poor are disproportionately impacted; “the bottom 20 percent of earners spend almost 10 percent of their income on electricity, more than seven times the portion of income that the top 20 percent pays” (14). Much is uncertain about the future of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The Dakota Access Pipeline has brought phrases like “Water is Life” into the national lexicon; it seems unlikely that the relationship between energy infrastructure develop-
ers and native nations will be the same as it was five years ago. North Carolina has the sixth largest population of Native Americans in the country (15); perhaps North Carolina will be the next battleground. 1.) http://friendsofnelson.com/ferc/ 2.)http://cwfnc.org/environmental-justice/environmental-justice-issues-forindigenous-nc-communities/ 3.) https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=74&t=11 4.)https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-bad-of-a-greenhousegas-is-methane/ 5.) http://www.pnas.org/content/109/17/6435 6.)https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/23/us/dakota-access-pipeline-protest-map.html?_r=0 7.) http://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/handle/10161/8411 8.)https://energy.gov/lm/services/environmental-justice/environmentaljustice-history 9.)http://www.newschannel10.com/story/34273558/natural-gas-pipelineexplosion-outside-of-spearman 10.)https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/09/dapl-dakotasitting-rock-sioux/499178/ 11.) http://www.lumbeetribe.com/history--culture 12.)http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/03/pipeline_plan_rejected_by_ fede.html 13.)https://www.dom.com/about-us/news-center/natural-gas-projects-andinitiatives/atlantic-coast-pipeline/benefits-and-economic-impact 14.) https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/04/why-poor-americans-have-some-of-the-highest-electricity-bills/478551/ 15.) https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/37
living davidson
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March 22, 2017
Photos of the Week: Green Ball Photos Courtesy of Sacha Franks ‘20
The Green Ball was held on Saturday March 18th in the 900 room. Students and faculty were invited to participate in a night of dancing and fundraising. Ticket proceeds and silent auction bids benefited the Davidson Lands Conservancy and Sustain Charlotte. The Davidson Lands Conservancy works to preserve ecologically valuable lands, protect woodlands and other open spaces, sustain water and air quality, educate the public, and preserve historic and aesthetic sites. Sustain Charlotte is an organization that promotes various outreach programs and workshops to educate and inspire sustainable habits within the Charlotte community.
Looking Ahead
March 23: Studio Art Faculty Exhibition Reception (VAC-102/103 Smith & Van Every Galleries, 7 PM) March 24: Spring Concert featuring Lil’ Yachty and Quinn XCII (Baker Sports Complex Belk Arena, 9-11 PM) March 24-26 & 31, April 1-2: Cabaret (DFPH, 8-10:30 PM) April 1: Un programme de mélodies françaises (Sloan Music Center Tyler-Tallman Recital Hall, 3- 4:30 PM)
THE CHEW 2.24 Vegan Thin Mints
Adapted from chefchloe.com
Want your favorite recipe featured? Email editor Mary Porter at maporter@davidson.edu to get involved!
Ingredients
Directions
1. Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, COOKIES salt, and baking soda until combined. 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour Combine margarine, milk, vanilla, 1 cup sugar and mint extract. Transfer mixture to ½ cup cocoa powder a large bowl and knead it with your ¼ teaspoon salt hands until it comes together. Chill ¼ teaspoon baking soda the dough for 1 hour. 2. Preheat the oven to 350. Roll a ¾ cup vegan margarine 3 tablespoons soy, almond, or heaping teaspoon of cookie dough into a ball and place it onto prepared rice milk baking sheets. Evenly flatten the 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract dough with your fingertips (¼ inch ½ teaspoon pure peppermint thick) and bake for 12-14 minutes. extract Let cool completely. 3. Melt chocolate chips and margarine in the microwave. Stir in the CHOCOLATE COATING 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips extract and mix until smooth. Dip completely cooled cookies into the 2 tablespoon vegan margarine chocolate, gently scraping off excess 1 teaspoon peppermint extract chocolate. Refrigerate to set chocolate coating.
perspectives
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March 22, 2017
Labels: Reclaiming My Identity GABRIELLA PHILLIPS Note from the author: My story mentions emotional abuse, so be aware if that's something that's triggering for you
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n November 2016, I legally changed my last name. To many friends and relatives, this action seemed like a defiant “f**k you” to Jeff, my biological father, a final slap in the face after I cut off communication with him in my first year of high school. To me, this name change signified a reclamation of my identity. I’ve spent much of my time at Davidson learning about intersectional identities, but I didn’t analyze my own until the end of my third year. Junior year was rough--I took five classes first semester; had an emotionally abusive relationship; got diagnosed with anxiety and depression; questioned my sexuality; withdrew from social outlets; and, as a result, lost my sense of identity. Long story short, I was a textbook case of “daddy issues.”
Like Alison Bechdel did in Are You My Mother?, I sought respite in psychoanalytic theory. I had so many questions: Who am I? Do I have my own identity, or do I just know myself by the identities that other people have ascribed to me? How did I, a Gender & Sexuality Studies major, not see the warning signs? My foray into psychoanalysis yielded few answers, but one particular realization informed my decision to change my name--identities are both socialized and fluid. Some identities are chosen, while others are ascribed. Often, abusive or neglectful relationships result in more inflexible, or ascribed, identities. I would argue, however, that not all identities incurred from abuse need to remain static or fixed. Each abusive encounter chipped away at my sense of self, resulting in an identity crisis at the end of my junior year. I didn’t know who I was because I had functioned according to a partner’s wishes for so long, and before that I was beholden to the standards expressed by patriarchal influences. Restricted by these influences, I denied my anxiety, depression,
bisexuality, and, ultimately, my worth as an individual. All of these personal anecdotes to say, abuse sucks--its perpetrator makes you doubt yourself constantly. Nevertheless, this fear and hesitation are temporary, and with distance from abuse, comes greater comfort with yourself. There is no timestamp on healing or self discovery. Like the amount of time necessary for healing, the way that healing manifests is unique. For me, a combination of psychoanalytic reading, counseling, exercising, writing, and Prozac catalyzed my self discovery that began with my name change. It will likely be different for you, or maybe already has been, and that is more than okay. The time and means by which you become more self-assured are only of your concern, and each approach is valid (provided it doesn’t damage you or anyone else). There is also no shame in seeking help to get out of an abusive situation or to recover from one. Recovery can be rocky, but I personally have been fortunate enough to find a group of loving people to support me through it.
I’ve recently acknowledged my bisexuality with my friends (and now I guess my closest two thousand peers?), and, for the most part, everyone has been encouraging. There have been a few people who have not been as helpful, but I just take a step back and remember that their reaction is a reflection of themselves, not me. As one dear friend told me after an emotional admission, “You are still the same person your friends love, and nothing about you has changed. We simply know more about you.” I appreciated this bolstering statement both for its kindness, and for its invocation of the sentiments in Shakespeare’s, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” My last name has, quite literally, changed, and I have expressed my identities, but I am still the same person, and I am still worthy and valuable, as are all other survivors of abuse.
become increasingly paralyzed as they can no longer move their muscles to walk, speak, eat, or eventually, breathe. In that time, the person’s mind stays sharp, watching his or her body die. ALS is a “rare” disease in that there are only 30,000 people living with it in the U.S. at any one time. But that’s because we die out so quick. The better statistic to remember is that every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS and someone else dies. Thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge, there’s more money in research but it’s difficult to make progress in such a highly variable disease (Pre-med students, we need you!). That’s why I have dedicated my remaining time left to raising money for ALS research. I did my “last” sprint triathlon in October 2014 and asked friends and family to support me with donations. I finished in last, slower than my nearest competitor by an hour, but I was overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers who stayed to cheer me on. I was also blown away that we raised $10,000 in a week. Then I had an even crazier idea: what if I encouraged my friends to take on a race that represented a challenge to them and tap their networks for donations? Then they could experience the race highs I’d felt and appreciate what their healthy bodies can do. Team Drea started out as thirty friends with a modest goal of $7,500. By the end of 2016, we had grown to 150 athletes and raised $150,000 for ALS research. And I thought I was overwhelmed by kindness before… Almost 100 Davidson alumni have joined Team Drea. This, by far, has been the best part of the experience: reconnecting and taking the time to deepen friendships (trust me, it’s not so easy when you’re scattered across the country and internationally, instead of just across campus). Some of them are even coming to Davidson on May 6th to participate with me in the Spartan Half Marathon & 5k on the greenway as part of the Town Day celebration. We
would love to have some Davidson students join us. All we’re asking is that you donate or fundraise $50. We’re hosting a brunch afterwards in the Summit Outpost (good place to meet alumni, just sayin’). Find more info on Team Drea Foundation on Facebook or teamdrea.org. And yes, I did say “participate with me.” Turns out I have been blessed by slow progression and am still able to pedal my recumbent trike, even though I now use a walker. I have done four marathons, four triathlons, and seven half marathons since my diagnosis. Last year, I completed twelve races and dedicated each one to a person with ALS who has in-
spired me. They have taught me that it is never too late to make a positive difference in the world, or in the life of someone else. You can read about the honorees and follow my journey at teamdrea.org.
Gabriella Phillips '17 is a Gender and Sexuality Studies and English double major from Kannapolis, North Carolina. Contact her at gabarrier@davidson.edu
Go. Fight. Run. ANDREA LYTLE PEET
L
ook up from what you’re reading. Right now. See the people around you? They could be your lifelong friends – even if you haven’t met them yet. Is this just an alumna musing nostalgically about her time at Davidson (gulp) 14+ years ago? Yep. But “lifelong” is meant literally, a claim I can make because I was told I only had 2-5 years to live. Three years ago. I was diagnosed with ALS (aka Lou Gehrig’s disease) in May 2014 at the age of 33. It was eight months after I did my first half Ironman triathlon, which, not coincidentally, took place at Davidson. I swam 1.2 miles at the Lake Campus, biked 56 miles around hillier-than-I-remembered rural Iredell County, then ran 13.1 miles on the Davidson greenway and the cross-country trails. Being a bookworm/band geek most of my life, I was incredibly proud of this athletic feat, even though at 7.5 hours, my time was slow compared to most competitors. Actually, I’d been slowing down all summer in training for that race. My hamstrings had felt tight and I had to concentrate awfully hard on running to keep from falling. Two months later, convinced I had a race injury, I saw a physical therapist, who said “Your muscles just don’t seem strong enough for someone who did that long of a race.” She recommended a neurologist. Fast-forward eight months to my diagnosis. By then, I was walking with a cane after I had fallen in the middle of a downtown D.C. intersection. My voice had slowed down too, and I couldn’t clap normally. What was going on? ALS is a progressive neurological condition that inhibits the brain’s ability to communicate with the muscles. People with ALS
the davidsonian staff editors-in-chief news editors
living davidson editor perspectives editor
Erin Davenport Kate McNaughton Olivia Daniels Steffaney Wood
Mary Porter Kayla Edwards
yowl editors
Paul Henderson Sophie McHugh
sports editor
Ian Robertson
photo editor
Abby Miller
business manager copy editors
Austin Newsome Yashi Gunawardena Lucas Weals
Hope to see you on May 6th!
Andrea Lytle Peet '03 majored in Political Science and came to Davidson from Raleigh, North Carolina. She has now returned to Raleigh and is a former city planner turned ALS activist.
The AlTered heAdline issue GroupMe Icarus Falls Victim to Hubris, Kills Joke With One Gif Too Many
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Poli Sci Student Impresses Class by Comparing Trump to Stalin Instead of to Hitler
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Disappointed Trucker Seen Leaving Semi-Formal
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This Issue Brought to You By: Late, Unenthusiastic Emails
Chief Sigler Fashions Makeshift Brass Knuckles Out of Tape and Broken Glass as Wolf Pack Circles Page 5
Safety-Conscious Student Sniffs Communal Pan Before Deciding It’s Okay To Make Quesadilla
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Guy Clumsily Covers Up Fact That He Didn’t Notice Year-Long Absence of Union Salad Bar
Having survived a crash landing into the Alaskan wilderness while following investigative leads to a remote location well beyond the edge of the Arctic Circle, Davidson College Police Chief Todd Sigler was reportedly forced to fashion makeshift brass knuckles out of tape and broken glass after he found himself surrounded by hungry wolves in a forest clearing. Hearing the growling pack of beasts growing steadily louder from just beyond the edge of the trees, sources indicate that Sigler instinctively emptied his pockets of the miniature alcohol bottles he had scavenged from his plane crash site, placing them between his fingers before hurriedly securing them with several wraps of electric tape. Sigler is said to have then smashed the bottles on a nearby rock, transforming his hand into a deadly, pointed weapon. “Come on, then!” Sigler reportedly shouted at the numerous yellow eyes he saw darting amongst the foliage. “I know you bastards have been tracking me for
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Student Bounds Over Bike Rack In Valiant Attempt to Avoid Being Handed Another F*cking Flier
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Guy Who Picked Winners Based on School Mascot Currently Winning His Bracket Challenge
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Professor Trying To Connect With Students Shows Early 2000s Rap Video In Class
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Your Davidson Honor Section
Editors: Paul Henderson Sophie McHugh Writers: Elia “Celtic” Ramirez Craig! Jiaq Röbbie K Theo&Greg Will “Full Name” Thurston E.J. Santiago Note: The Yowl is a satirical supplement to The Davidsonian. Hence, nothing in it should be taken as truth. Word.
“Hearing the growling pack of beasts growing steadily louder from just beyond the edge of the trees, sources indicate that Sigler instinctively emptied his pockets of the miniature alcohol bottles he had scavenged from his plane crash site, placing them between his fingers before securing them with several wraps of electrical tape” three days. Well, here I am. Come and get me.” Sigler had reportedly been one of six others that managed to survive the initial crash into the Arctic wilderness. Despite the Davidson College Police Chief ’s best efforts to guide them to safety, however, the elements and starvation had claimed all of his companions. “I’m sorry, Pa,” Sigler reportedly whispered to himself, staring blankly ahead at a sepia-tone vision of his father teaching him how to play catch as a boy. “I tried to save them.” Sigler’s vision reportedly faded to black as the visage of his father turned and assured him that he “did a fine job,” and that it was “time to come home now.” Retrieving a wrinkled photograph of his old team from his wallet, Sigler was heard saying “I’m comin’ boys,” before setting aside the Polaroid to face the large alpha wolf that had stepped into the light of the clearing. Sigler and the beast reportedly stared at each other for several silent moments before the Police Chief finally lunged forward, emitting a defiant war cry that echoed throughout the
Lil Yachty Concert Actually Just Really Elaborate Big-Little Gift Multiple sources from inside Rusk House have recently confirmed that Lil Yachty’s upcoming concert at John M. Belk Arena is actually just an extremely intricate big-little gift. Big sister Katy Jones ’19 reportedly spent six weeks planning the elaborate spectacle for her little. Said Jones, “So basically I was like ‘why just give a basic basket of wine and goodies when I can recruit one of the top young stars in hip-hop to come to Davidson and perform?’ “ According to Jones, the swim team and all a cappella groups had been booked for months, so she decided to swing for the fences upon returning to campus for the spring semester. “Honestly it came down to reluctantly grabbing some of my boyfriend’s pledges to do a lame delivery or try to snag Yachty, so I took a risk and hit him up during the first week of the semester”, explained Jones. “I knew that of all the artists performing today, Yachty would be the most likely to understand what makes big-little relationships so special.” Jones claims to have sent out “The Yowl was able to an extremely friendly email to lilyreach Lil Boat briefly and achty@davidson.edu from ruskbig13@yahoo.com, albeit with slim has learned that the raphopes of hearing back. Against all per plans to give a shoutout odds, Yachty did respond about a week later and agreed to perform. to Katy’s little on stage and Working alongside the Union intends to serenade her name Board, Jones spent hours working out the logistics of an event that somewhere within a series of was to be on the surface a typical nonsensical mumblings.” spring concert but in reality the greatest big-little gift since Katie gave Allie FIVE bottles of Moscato in 2008. Always willing to give back, Yachty was more than happy to lend a hand and make the incredible gift possible. The Yowl was able to reach Lil Boat briefly and has learned that the rapper plans to give a shoutout to Katy’s little on stage and intends to serenade her name somewhere within a series of nonsensical mumblings. Remarked a rather eccentric Yachty, “Mmummm shmamum broccoli thumumba mum.” Should be lit, indeed. At press time, ecstatic little Caitlin Smith ’20 had yet to respond to The Yowl’s request to name at least five Lil Yachty songs and recite the roman numerals that follow that Quinn guy’s name. The Yowl’s investigative journalists will be in the mosh pit Friday to report on the big reveal live from the scene. Stay tuned.
Student Laments Strange “Twilight Time” That Takes Over Campus Come Friday Afternoon Trevor Scott ‘20 had just finished his last class on Friday when he found himself sitting alone in his room. “Oh, no,” he said. “Not again.” For perhaps the seventh time this semester, he was unsure about what to do between his last class of the week and later on in the evening when things really get started. “How does this keep happening?” he pondered as the three o’clock bell began to ring. The Friday phenomenon, colloquially deemed ‘Twilight Time’ has been a longstanding issue at Davidson College. While it has no set time frame, it tends to occur between one’s last class on Friday and perhaps nine, maybe ten o’clock in the evening. Trevor noted that it’s during this time that it is the most difficult to get in touch with people – if at all. Plagued by the anxiety of not wanting to be ‘that guy’ without plans, Trevor also tends to refrain from contacting any of his friends. “It’s like everyone just drops off the face of the earth - as if it just opens up and swallows them whole...spooky,” he noted to himself. “I’m sure one of the guys will text me any minute with some idea
“The ‘Twilight Time’ blurs the line between what might be considered the professional workday, cocktail hour, and dinnertime – usually leaving people alone and in a state of boredom that they haven’t felt since childhood.”
about going to Tenders or something.” When asked whether he might try and get some work done, Trevor confided his lack of motivation at the end of a busy week. “I mean, it might be nice to lessen the Sunday night workload but it’s just really not that pressing.” During the fall, perhaps some upperclassmen of Patterson Court might have messaged Trevor to come have some beers at the house. “But that’s kind of stopped since they got new members,” he continued, “Even in the fall they weren’t that consistent.” While it is easy to find something to do Friday or Saturday night (what with F and other popular social spaces bustling with activity), the Twilight Time blurs the line between what might be considered the professional workday, cocktail hour, and dinnertime – usually leaving people alone and in a state of boredom that they haven’t felt since childhood. “I guess it’s fine,” says Trevor with a sort of resignation. “I meant to finish those last few episodes of Black Mirror on Netflix…such a good show.”
sports
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Baseball Enters Conference Play After Solid Start
D
WILL JONES
Staff Writer avidson’s baseball team plays over 50 games each season and their season stretches from mid-February to late May. This year, the team is looking to continue their fine start and perform when it matters most come late spring. Currently, the team holds a 11-7 record, and just recently took two out of three at home versus their first A-10 opponent, St. Bonaventure. There
have been a number of highlights so far in the early goings of the season. Brian Fortier ’17 was named A-10 Player of the Week and National Player of the Week in late February, after an incredible week where he smacked four home runs and raked in nine RBIs as the Wildcats went 3-1 overall. Fortier, a North Carolina native, finished the week with eight hits in 18 plate appearances, and also scored six times. Right now, he is tied with four other players for the second-most home runs in the nation, and is maintaining a .356 batting average, the highest on
Eric Jones ‘19 drives a ball deep in the team’s first A-10 match-up of the season vs. St. Bonaventure. Photo by Jane Campbell
the team. The ‘Cats took two out of three versus Georgetown in their opening series, and went on a 3-game winning streak versus Umass Lowell, Lehigh, and Farleigh Dickinson as well as a 4game winning streak versus Hartford, Butler, Gardner-Webb, and Siena. They suffered a tough 11-12 extra-inning defeat versus High Point, as well as losses to two ACC teams, Wake Forest and Notre Dame. Along with Fortier, the team is led by Jake Sidwell ’17, who was recently named to the Johnny Bench Award Watchlist, which is annually awarded to the nation’s top catcher. Sidwell has a great on-base percentage of .429, and is a top defensive catcher as well. Justin Ledek ’19 and Cam Johnson ’18 are among the other top offensive threats for the Wildcats. The pitching for the ‘Cats has been strong. Josh Smutzer ’18 is leading the way, compiling a 4-0 record, a 3.18 ERA, and 16 strikeouts, while Barry Allen ’19 has a 2-2 record along with 15 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. Redshirt senior Durin O’Linger, who had a great 2016 season, continues to contribute for the ‘Cats, with 27 innings pitched, a 1-1 record, and 28 strikeouts. Evan Roberts ’18, Austin Leonard ’19, and reliever Westin Whitmire ’19 are providing solid pitching too. Whitmire’s excellent pitching in the A-10 tournament last year earned him A-10 All Championship Team honors. Looking forward to the rest of the season, the Wildcats play mostly A-10 teams with local opponents such as Duke, Winthrop, Wake Forest, Presbyterian, and UNC mixed in for a game or two. In the A-10, VCU and St. Louis look to be the main contenders for the conference title, with
14-2 and 10-6 records so far, respectively. Davidson is right up there, however, and the team is hoping to finish among the top teams in the A-10 and be in the same position they were last year: competing in the final game of the A-10 conference tournament for the chance to go to the NCAA Regionals.
Starting shortstop Alec Costa ‘18 fields a ground ball in Sunday’s game against St. Bonaventure. Photo by Jane Campbell
Track Teams Primed for Historic Spring Season WILL JONES
O
Staff Writer
n February 17th, the men’s and women’s track and field teams ventured up to the George Mason Fieldhouse in Fairfax, VA for the Atlantic 10 Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. The two-day event featured multiple PR’s, school records, podium finishes, and other outstanding performances. The men’s team finished in 5th place in a very tight team competition. The Wildcats were paced by outstanding efforts on the track from senior members Will Brewster and Walker Mogen, who both attempted the infamous distance triple of the 1 mile, 3,000 meter, and 5,000 meter runs. This entailed running 4 races over the two-day competition, with the 1 mile preliminaries and the 5,000 meter final on Friday, and the 1 mile and 3,000 meter finals on Sunday. The duo opened their day on Friday by easily qualifying for the mile final in prelims. Brewster and Mogen paced their efforts to conserve energy for the 5,000 final later that night. Brewster successfully defended his title in the 5,000 meters, with Mogen finishing close behind in 2nd place. The dynamic duo returned to the track on Saturday for their mile final, where Brewster finished a close second to Fordham University’s Brian Cook, and Mogen finished 10th in a close tactical race. They fought through the pain one
last time to grab 4th and 12th in the 3,000 meter final, combining for a total of 31 points on the weekend. The plan was particularly successful for Athlete of the Meet Will Brewster, who had been contemplating the feat since the middle of cross country season in the fall. “Coach mentioned the idea one day after a long tempo workout”, according to Brewster, “He thought I could grab two medals and score a lot of points for the team, which I was able to do.” When asked about the difficulty of the distance triple, Brewster summed it up to a matter of guts. “You just have to suck it up and get out there and be a gamer, you know? Walker and I both did a pretty good job of that, and the results showed it.” The ‘Cats also saw key contributions from their sprint squad. Jacob Hostetler notched 4th and 5th place efforts in the 400m and 200m runs respectively, with freshman George Williams following in 5th in the 400m. The 4x400m relay of Williams, Hostetler, Sean Caveney, and Garrett Nickelson took a podium spot with a 3rd place finish. In the field events, freshman James Davis fought through to grab 7th place in both the heptathlon and pole vault, while Brady Logan threw for 4th place in a tight shot put event. The team finished a close 5th, only 3.5 points out of 3rd place. Captain Walker Mogen was optimistic
about the team’s outlook: “Even though we did not quite reach our goal of third place, we fought hard in a meet where the points just didn’t fall in our favor. We had several people step up, and we’re in good position to podium in Outdoor season”. The women’s team notched a solid 7th place finish in a solid team effort from several podium contributors. Sophomore Caroline Yarborough led the way with 14 total points. After a tough 5th place finish in a highly tactical 5,000m, Yarborough was able to bounce back with a big W in the 3,000 meter run. “The loss in the 5k really got me going,” Yarborough confided, “A lot of the girls in the 3,000m were returning from the 5k so I went in looking for revenge.” Yarborough’s gold medal marks her second indoor conference title in as many years as a Wildcat. Many veteran female runners saw impressive performances on the weekend. Senior Captain Hannah Rieden notched a 3rd place podium finish in the 800m race and junior Sarah Sears
took a hard fought mile race to the line, where she was barely edged out for a silver medal by a quarter of a second. The distance medley relay of Sierra Ponthier, Tori Long, Rieden, and Sears also snagged a 3rd place podium finish. Freshman Jada Woods hit an impressive 3rd place mark in the triple jump and classmate Katie Macturk was able to snag a school record en route to a 12th place finish in the 1,000 meter run. The team is optimistic going into the outdoor season. “A lot of the women have seen drastic improvements over the course of the season and it’s really good to see the program advance as much as it has over the last few years,” Yarborough said, “It’s been a good transition and we’ll be looking to make a big splash outdoors.” The men’s and women’s teams have already opened their outdoor seasons this past weekend at the Charlotte 49er Invitational. The Fasty ‘Cats see their next action over the weekend at the Raleigh Relays, as well as the Adidas Winthrop Invitational.
Seniors Will Brewster and Walker Mogen went 1-2 in the 3k at the 2017 A-10 Indoor Championships. Photo by Michael Scott
Sean Caveney ‘19 was a huge contributor for the Cats', placing in both the 60 m hurdles and as a member of the 3rd-place 4x400 team. Photo by Michael Scott
THE DAVIDSONIAN
Baseball Team Looking for Late Season Surge See Page 7
Justin Lebek '19 Photo by Jane Campbell
March 21, 2017