Old Gold&Black “Covers the campus like the magnolias”
VOL 111 , NO. 3
OCTOBER 10, 2024
WA K E F O R E S T ’ S S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 1 6
“It’s all gone”: ϐ on Helene ADDISON SCHMIDT & MIA SPRINGER Environment Editors
Evan Harris / Old Gold & Black
Wake Forest students, administration host four events to commemorate Oct. 7
Two university-sponsored events and two student-led events mark one year since Hamas’initial attack on Israel SKYLER VILLAMAR-JONES News Editor Wake Forest students and administrators came together throughout the day on Oct. 7 for four events on campus to commemorate the first anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel and the war that followed. Two events, “Marking One Year Memorial Service” and “Spread Cream Cheese and Hummus, Not Hate” were organized by students, while a Community Reflection event and an Interfaith Prayers for Peace were hosted by the University. “We hope that these times of collective reflection will inspire thoughts of what a more just and ethical future could look like as we dream, hope and pray together for a better tomorrow,” Chaplain Chris Donald, whose office sponsored the University-hosted events, said. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas carried out a surprise attack on Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip — a Palestinian territory that Israel and Egypt have blockaded for 16 years. The attacks resulted in the death of 1,200 Israelis and the capture of more than 200 hostages. There are an estimated 100 hostages still unaccounted for. Israel’s counterattack has included sending air strikes and troops into Gaza, which now faces a humanitarian crisis. Approximately 41,500 Palestinians have been killed, including civilians and militants. Since then, the Wake Forest community has responded in several ways, including hosting vigils, teach-ins, demonstrations and protests. Alongside the on-campus events, another speaker event was held off-campus. Titled “One Year Since al-Aqsa Flood: Reflections on a Year of Genocide and Resistance,” Rabab Abdulhadi spoke at a
local church to a crowd of approximately 100 attendees. The event was originally planned to be hosted on campus but was canceled after the University faced significant backlash, including a studentrun petition that garnered over 8,000 signatures. A university-wide email from President Susan Wente and Provost Michelle Gillespie announced the cancellation of the speaker event and any other event that “is inherently contentious and stands to stoke division in our campus community.” Student organizations come together to promote peace Early in the day, Wake Forest Hillel and the Muslim Student Association (MSA) collaborated to host “Spread Cream Cheese and Hummus, Not Hate,” a pop-in event on the first floor of Benson University Center, where community members enjoyed a variety of bagels, cream cheese and hummus. Members of both organizations sat together in a show of unity and welcomed conversations about antisemitism and Islamophobia. Regarding their collaboration with Wake Forest Hillel, MSA Vice President Mai Soliman told the Old Gold & Black that disagreement should not lead to dehumanization. “No real progress is going to be made if both sides are just yelling at each other,” Soliman said. “We’re here to grow as people, and we need to see both sides of the story with any topic, so by doing events like this, we’re trying to spread unity.” Hillel President Andrew Orfaly hoped the event would help the community look beyond stereotypes. “A lot of narratives are narratives pushed by people who don’t want peace,”
Orfaly said. “But these communities can come together and be friends.” Students mourn lost lives Wake Forest Chabad and Hillel hosted a memorial service to honor those who died on Oct. 7. The event, which saw approximately 100 attendees, was closed to non-Wake Forest community members, and participants were required to show their student ID upon entry. To the Old Gold & Black’s knowledge, this was the most heavily attended event on campus that day. During the memorial, student leaders in the Wake Forest Jewish community expressed sentiments of unity and the importance of prayer, love and passion. Prayers for those in captivity and members of the Israel Defense Force (IDF) were also read. “It’s still very sad, and is something that’s still very raw for a lot of people,” Vice President of Affairs and Relations for Wake Forest Chabad Samantha Dorfman said. “But we also recognize that it is a year later and are trying to still have a sense of hope and spread that with people, and just bring people together.” Before the memorial began, Matt Clifford, assistant vice president of campus life, announced that the University reserved the right to remove any students from the event who disrupted the presentation. “Wake Forest affirms the commitment to free expression and a free inquiry,” Clifford said. “All values, beliefs and perspectives deserve to be articulated and heard free from interference.”
Many on Wake Forest’s campus are grappling with the effects of Hurricane Helene, which caused devastation across Appalachia over the weekend. For several students who call Asheville home, their families are now navigating severe damage in their hometown. “If someone … told me [last week] a hurricane would hit Asheville, I would say they were crazy,” Josie Vickory, a sophomore who is from the city, said. On Thursday, Sept. 26 and Friday, Sept. 27, Hurricane Helene caused devastation across western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee and upstate South Carolina after making landfall as a Category 4 storm along the Gulf Coast of Florida. Helene raged as rain and wind swept through the Appalachian mountains, reaching North Carolina by Thursday night. Devastating floods ensued. As of Oct. 8, the death toll across the southeast is over 230, including 119 in North Carolina. Helene is at least the fourth deadliest hurricane to hit the United States mainland since 1950. A struggle to communicate Although Helene weakened as it moved north, it still dropped over 20 inches of rain across much of western North Carolina, which, when combined with heavy rains during the week leading up to it, spelled catastrophe for the area. The storm’s impact was unimaginable to most residents, and the destruction was immense. At its peak, 4.5 million power outages occurred and, as of publication one week after the storm left the region, 757,000 persist, including over 200,000 in western North Carolina. Senior Alice Wood, who was born and raised in Asheville, calls her mom every morning like clockwork. However, Helene’s impacts in western North Carolina have prevented the ritual. Her parents do not have internet access. Through keeping up with her local newspapers and other statewide publications, Wood has been the messenger. Every post she sees on social media or news updates, she tries to convey to them via text.
See Events, Page 3
See Helene, Page 11
What's Inside NEWS Rabab Abdulhadi speaks off-campus Page Three
CITY & STATE NCDOJ sounds alarm on price gouging Page Five
FEATURES Former WFU TA is trapped in Gaza Page Eight
ENVIRONMENT Guide to Helene relief Page Ten
OPINION The case for humanities Page Fourteen
SPORTS #4 women's soccer beats #6 Florida State Page Fifteen
ARTS & CULTURE Life Through the Lens: an update Page Nineteen