Dickert selected as Wake Forest Football Head Coach
Coach
Wake Forest Football has its new figurehead: Head Coach Jake Dickert.
On Dec. 18th, 2024, the former Washington State head coach was announced as the 33rd head coach of the Wake Forest Football program.
“I cannot tell you how excited, proud and honored I am to be the head football coach at Wake Forest University,” Dickert said via a press statement.
The decision was made after the resignation of former Head Coach Dave Clawson sparked a national search conducted by Vice President & Director of Athletics John Currie, amongst others.
“Jake Dickert is the perfect fit to lead Wake Forest football into our next chapter of football success,” Currie said in a press statement. “Coach Dickert’s approach to building a program reminds me of what made Dave Clawson so successful during his 11-year transformational tenure as our head football coach.”
Amidst the formation of a new program, Dickert emphasized the importance of setting a standard for all the program’s players.
“Our standard [at Wake Forest] is quite simple,” Dickert said in his introductory press conference. “It's going to be to deliver your best. It's an approach to being your best in every situation…whether you're in the classroom or you're on the field, it's our obligation to each other to deliver on that.”
Dickert had been a coach at Washington State since 2020, taking over as interim during the 2021 season. During his time as the Cougars’ head coach, however, Washington State was left without a move to a power conference amidst realignment — being one of two schools left in the remnant of the Pac12 Conference.
“One of the things that drew me here is stability,” Dickert said. “In a chaotic college football scene, that was important to me and my family…Wake Forest is positioned to attack the current challenges of college football, and that's exactly what I wanted to partner with.”
Dickert also mentioned other aspects of what drew him to Wake Forest, including being in North Carolina, the heart of ACC country.
“One of the biggest draws wasn't just the investment in the facilities, it was part of the location,” Dickert said. “I'm excited to get to this region of the country. I can't wait to meet the high school coaches of [North Carolina]. I can't wait to invest in the high
a
school recruiting in our own state.”
Tasked with creating a new program, Dickert also appointed a new coaching staff to revamp the Demon Deacons’ entire game in both phases of the game. One key piece that Dickert filled was the defensive coordinator position-appointing former Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Scottie Hazelton into the position.
“[Hazelton] is a game-changer for our program,” Coach Dickert said in a press statement. “His defenses are always near the top of the league in creating turnovers, and more importantly, he’s a leader who understands how to inspire and mentor young men. I have no doubt he’ll elevate our defense to new heights.”
On the opposite side of the ball, Dickert appointed former Alabama quarterback and South Alabama coach Rob Ezell into the offensive coordinator position, a coach that Dickert had long sought after.
“When I was at Washington State, we had an offensive coordinator opening, and he was one of our top targets,” Dickert said in a virtual press conference. “When we got down here to Winston-Salem, he was one of the first calls I made. He's got a unique style, a unique mind.”
One of the most pressing issues for Dickert and his new staff was constructing a roster. After Clawson’s resignation, many offensive players entered the transfer portal, including former wide receivers Deuce Alexander and Horatio Fields, along with tight end Harry Lodge and offensive linemen like Matt Gulbin and Keagan Trost.
Dickert rebuilt quickly with some familiar faces. He brought multiple players from Washington State along with him, includ-
ing highly-touted offensive tackle Fa'alili Fa'amoe, offensive guard AJ Hasson, wide receivers Carlos Hernandez and Chris Barnes and cornerback Jaylon Edmond.
Dickert also created a competitive quarterback room, too. After success at Washington State with both Heisman Award Finalist Cam Ward and current Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, Dickert has filled the quarterback room with experienced names including former Auburn starting quarterback Robby Ashford and former Charlotte quarterback Deshawn Purdie — each attributing to Dickert’s top-30 recruiting class.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this group of student-athletes joining the family,” Dickert said via press release. “We’re building champions here, and these new Deacs are a testament to that vision.”
In his introductory press conference, Dickert emphasized the importance of “building champions,” a common theme amongst the new vision for the Wake Forest Football program.
“Our mission here at Wake Forest and our football program is to build champions while relentlessly competing for championships,” Dickert said. “But that's through building championship men first — and because we have those championship men, it's going to allow us to compete at the highest level and hopefully bring home an ACC championship right here at Wake Forest.”
Dickert now looks to move into this new era with a hot start to the 2025 season, opening up against Kennesaw State in August.
Wake Forest's Center for Entrepreneurship receives $30 million donation
Wake Forest's Center for Entrepreneurship received a $30 million donation, one of the most significant in the university's history, from an anonymous donor last month. According to a press release, the donor had one driving question that motivated their support of the entrepreneurship program:
“What important ideas are we missing by not having more opportunities for students to participate in entrepreneurship classes?”
The donation allows for entrepreneurship faculty hiring, the creation of new courses and eventually support the construction of a state-of-the-art facility to house the program.
“This gift – and the inspiration it will spark – are vital to shaping the future achievements of students, faculty, staff and alumni,” Wake Forest President Susan Wente said.
The entrepreneurship program has become increasingly popular, with over 400 students enrolled in courses last fall. To accommodate the increase in enrollment, the donation will lead to the addition of four full-time professors in the College of Arts and Sciences over the next two years. The entrepreneurship program will have the ability to double the amount of course offerings, which will decrease class sizes. The courses within the program are available to undergraduate students with any major. The courses are designed based on four milestones for developing an entrepreneurial mindset, which are:
• Learning what it means to launch a business from the ground up from practicing entrepreneurs
• Understanding proven strategies on how to generate innovative ideas
• Determining which ideas are most likely to succeed
• Scaling a startup into a profitable business venture
Jackie Krasas, dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, said that smaller class sizes will allow the development of future entrepreneurs to be more robust.
SEAN KENNEDY Sports Editor
MARIA SILVEIRA News Editor
Jake Dickert was appointed as Wake Forest Football’s 33rd head coach in program history in December, succeeding former Head Coach Dave Clawson after his resignation.
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
Old Gold & Black
This column represents the views of the Editor-in-Chief of the Old Gold & Black
Letter from the editor: Year 109
Going into our 109th year, the Old Gold & Black is charting new waters.
Frankly, as the next generation of journalists, it’s hard not to grow alarmed at the spreading of misinformation and political sentiment that not only disparages the media, but fact and truth. In any journalism class at Wake Forest, you learn that journalism is an active cornerstone of our democracy: a check on power by the people, for the people.
As college students, we have a duty to remain informed based on ethical, factual, fair and objective sources. Our little newspaper has a wide reach — and we promise to continue to be a trusted informant. With that, we must go beyond our campus and into
the communities in which we reside.
This year, the Old Gold & Black is upholding this commitment: in 2024, we furthered our coverage to include a brand-new section, City & State. The section has blossomed and grown, now expanding to two pages of our newspaper.
In 2025, we are increasing our staff — including more voices, opinions and different types of content. We want all Wake Forest students to feel seen, heard and represented by our organization. In tandem, we embrace accountability for our shortcomings and welcome discussion surrounding our coverage.
This year, we want to expand our reach and become more accessible.
We will continue to do our news recap videos and will look toward expanding our creative team. This includes a wider reach on social media, more video and visual projects on the horizon and an expanded podcasting network.
When thinking about the standards of journalism, as we are so often prompted to do in our newsroom and classes, we remember that our first commitment is to our readers. We live, work and write within the community of Wake Forest. Therefore, we report on what matters to students, faculty and staff, using our network of resources across campus to accurately reflect the state of our institution.
In the face of adversity against jour-
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nalism, we stay strong in our conviction that the pillars of reporting — truth, accuracy and objectivity, remain at the forefront of our coverage.
As always, as our motto says, we are “covering the campus like the magnolias.” The Old Gold & Black remains deeply committed to transparency, accuracy and upholding the standards of ethical, free journalism.
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January in the news
The Old Gold & Black executive board recaps national news
ELLA KLEIN, SKYLER VILLAMARJONES & ANDREW BRAUN Editor-In-Chief, Deputy Editor & Managing Editor
In the first month of 2025, it seems the world has shifted. As a bi-weekly collegiate newspaper, our newsroom has a smaller capacity in comparison to a daily or national newspaper. Still, we commit to providing Wake Forest campus with salient information from a reliable source.
The executive board of the Old Gold & Black has compiled the headlines for the week that we believe are the most relevant to our peers. Our online coverage will continue to explore these stories, and we look forward to expanding the content of our future print editions.
Israel-Hamas ceasefire
On Jan. 17, Israel’s cabinet approved a ceasefire deal for the ongoing war in Gaza. The deal outlines the release of hostages taken by Hamas, putting a six-week pause on the conflict, which started on Oct. 7, 2023. In turn, the Israeli government will release several hundred Palestinian women and children in detention.
The full agreement has not been made public at the time of publication.
Meta Mark Zuckerberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Meta, has announced that Face-
book and Instagram will change the way content is moderated.
Instead of in-platform fact-checking, Meta’s social media sites are moving to a community-note style similar to the social platform X, owned by Elon Musk.
Musk is one of several “tech titans” to support President Donald Trump. Zuckerberg, who has been a target of the conservative party in the past, was met with praise from Trump.
TikTok
TikTok was restored on Sunday after hours of being offline. President-elect Donald J. Trump promised to issue an executive order giving their parent company (ByteDance) more time to find an approved buyer.
The platform went dark and was removed from Google and Apple’s digital stores after the Supreme Court made a unanimous decision on Friday, Jan. 17 to uphold the federal law banning the social media app, unless it’s sold to a non-Chinese parent company due to national security concerns. Once the app was restored, a message appeared on the app for users, thanking Trump.
“As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!” the message read.
The inauguration Donald Trump was inaugurated as the
47th President of the United States in Washington, D.C. on Monday. During his inaugural address inside the U.S. Capitol Building, Trump touted numerous actions that he claims will ultimately usher in an American “golden age.” Trump quickly signed several executive orders from the Oval Office, including several reversing policies of the previous administration. These included orders withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO), opening the Arctic to oil drilling and rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Presidential pardons
On Tuesday, newly-inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump went to work pardoning over 1,500 participants in the
Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol.
The sweeping pardons faced criticism from various lawmakers, who were concerned with pardoning those charged with more violent crimes such as assaulting a police officer.
Trump also pardoned 40-year-old Ross Ulbricht, founder of the dark web market site Silk Road. Sentenced to life in prison in 2015, Ulbricht created the site responsible for the exchange of some $200 million in illegal commerce using cryptocurrency.
Contact Ella Klein, Skyler Villamar-Jones & Andrew Braun at kleiek22@wfu.edu, villsc22@wfu.edu & brauar23@wfu.edu
Entrepreneurship: The donation is among the university’s largest
Continued from Page 1
“Wake Forest is committed to educating and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs through transformational teaching and experiential learning opportunities,” Krasas said. “Small classes and meaningful faculty-student engagement are at the heart of a Wake Forest education. This gift supports our Strategic Framework, and in particular our community of learning, and builds our capacity to prepare and support the next generation of innovative thinkers.”
Part of the $30 million will also be allocated towards constructing a space for the entrepreneurship program. This space will include Deacon Springboard, an accelerator program for students with business ideas, and Startup Lab, a pro-
gram designed for startup development.
John C. Whitaker Jr., executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Dan Cohen, professor of the practice, explained that the donation as a whole will further the mission of the program and create more student opportunities.
“This investment will jumpstart our capacity to drive promising entrepreneurial ventures through our nationally acclaimed system and increase the quality and quantity of student startups,” Cohen said.
Sophomore Nishu Shah expressed her excitement about intending to minor in entrepreneurship and how this passion began from a young age.
“I’ve always kind of enjoyed the startup side of the business world, and when I was younger I had all of these fun small busi-
nesses starting with a lemonade stand and bake sales,” Shah said. “In high school, I was involved in entrepreneurship clubs, which I really enjoyed.”
She continued: “I know that there are great professors who have a lot of experience with starting their own businesses, so they can speak to that. I have heard that in some classes you have to come up with a product and pitch it, which seems really interesting to me.”
Despite her enthusiasm, she explained that it was difficult to register for the entrepreneurship classes being offered.
“I am planning to minor in entrepreneurship at [Wake Forest], but I’m finding it kind of hard to get into the class sections because I can’t declare [my minor] yet, and I feel like a lot of upperclassmen have [registration] priority,” Shah
POLICE BEAT
said.
However, she expressed her hopes for the donation and how it will impact the overall entrepreneurship student experience.
“I just hope that the donation goes to parts of the department that are visible to students, like even more class sections would be really nice, and of course more professors,” Shah said. “Maybe we could have some off-campus opportunities, because I know downtown there is a company called Winston Starts that helps fuel entrepreneurs who have startups, which I think is really cool. If [Wake Forest] did a collaboration with Winston Starts that could be really great for students.”
Contact Maria Silveira at silvmt23@wfu.edu
• An underage individual in Angelou Residence Hall was found by a resident advisor to be intoxicated in the restroom, Forsyth County EMS evaluated and transported them to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. This report was filed at 11:33 p.m. on Jan. 13.
• An underage individual in Angelou Residence Hall was found by a resident advisor to be intoxicated in the restroom, Forsyth County EMS unit 14 evaluated them and they were allowed to stay in their room. This report was filed at 1 a.m. on Jan. 14.
• An individual took someone’s scooter from outside their Student Apartments suite. The scooter was later found and returned to the individual. This report was filed at 9 p.m. on Jan. 14.
• An underage individual returned to their room in Luter Residence Hall intoxicated and could not stop vomiting. Forsyth County EMS transported them to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.. This report was filed at 1:24 a.m. on Jan. 15.
• An underage individual returned to their room in Luter Residence Hall vomiting and in pain. They were also in possession of a fictitious ID. The individual was transported to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center via Forsyth County EMS. This report was filed at 2:20 a.m. on Jan. 15.
• An individual stole a scooter near Manchester Athletic Center. The scooter was later listed on Facebook Marketplace. This report was filed at 8:57 a.m. on Jan. 15.
• An individual’s boyfriend stated that his girlfriend was intoxicated and was sick. The boyfriend advised that the individual was in a restroom in Johnson Residence Hall and refused to be transported. This report was filed at 2:02 a.m. on Jan. 16.
• An individual(s) vandalized a track van with graffiti while off campus near Lot F. This report was filed at 10:08 a.m. on Jan. 16.
• A burglary was reported to Winston-Salem Police Department by individuals who advised their off-campus residence near Brookwood Drive was broken into. This report was filed at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 18.
Oliver Hale/Old Gold & Black
Rushing back to in-person sorority recruitment
Sorority members adjust to the first fully in-person rush since COVID-19
SKYLER VILLAMAR-JONES Deputy Editor
Rush is stressful for every participant no matter the circumstances: active sorority members want their house to appeal to rushees and want to find those that best align with their sisterhood’s values. Meanwhile, Potential New Members (PNMs) have to put their best selves forward to find the house they will run home to at the end of the week.
This year, a major change was made: rush week was held fully in-person for the first time since before COVID-19. Not only did sororities have to coordinate hosting every event, but rushees felt greater pressure to make themselves presentable.
Despite the added challenges of coordinating the events and inclement weather, many felt in-person rush was an opportunity for active and new members alike to form closer connections and engage in more meaningful conversations.
“If rush was online,” first-year Cameron Bitove said, “I would not have been able to make half the connections that I made in person. I would completely vouch for inperson rush.”
As of 2024, 65% of Wake Forest’s female population participates in Greek Life organizations, in 2025 seven sororities participated in formal recruitment. The Panhellenic Council’s formal recruitment, which is typically held in person for a week in January before classes begin, has been held at least partially over Zoom following COVID-19. Last year, a vote was held to move the rush process back to fully in-person.
Rush over Zoom
Hosting rush over Zoom required much less coordination of physical spaces. Catie O’Connor, new member educator and diversity, equity and inclusion chair of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, said she had a positive experience with hybrid recruitment when she rushed in 2023.
“There were very few challenges from my view with online rush,” O’Connor said. “While once in a blue moon somebody’s Wi-Fi stopped working, communication was great and any issues were quickly resolved.”
Elizabeth Kane, recruitment chair for Kappa Beta Gamma sorority, on the other hand, said it’s more difficult for active members and PNMs to truly connect.
“Although it was nice to have a one-on-one conversation via Zoom,” Kane said, “it is hard to get a feeling for an entire sorority’s energy through a screen as opposed to being in a room full of people.”
The switch to in-person
Kane said the process was difficult, partly because no active member had experienced a fully in-person rush before.
“Although we have done the sisterhood and preference rounds in person in the past,” Kane said, “doing chapter introductions and philanthropy in person for the first time was a challenge in determining how to best move a record number of active members and PNMs through the space most efficiently.”
“Additionally, I found that as much as we prepared during the fall semester, it was hard to have everything solid with our active members until we were in the room doing recruitment in real-time,” Kane continued, “We had to work through difficulties on the fly.”
There were lots of last-minute adjustments made to the rush schedule throughout the week. O’Connor said it was difficult to keep track of the constant changes being made to schedules.
“Rush in-person had a constantly changing schedule and was much more stressful from the recruitment point of view,” O’Connor said. “Due to the weather, every day we would find out something new about timing, messing with any personal schedules. For example, the sisterhood round was originally supposed to start in the afternoon, then at 10, then at 9, and finally it started at 8 am (meaning we had to be there and ready at 7).”
The inclement weather on Friday, Jan. 10 also disrupted the rush schedule. On the day of Sisterhood round, as campus closed at 3 p.m. in anticipation of snow, the day began at 8 a.m. Bitove said that she did not mind waking up early because she preferred in-person interactions.
“I feel like that delay and awkwardness on Zoom
would have made it a completely different process,” Bitove said. “So despite the snow, I was honestly happy about it. I don’t feel like [waking up early] added too much of a difference to the experience.
Kane was in charge of coordinating rush. She said that while physical planning was more difficult to coordinate than sending Zoom links, it was easier to collaborate with the rest of the executive board when they were in the same room.
“My planning this year for doing all in-person recruitment was much more concerned with how we were going to physically move through the space most efficiently, whereas in the past it was more important to make sure zoom links were organized,” Kane said. “For our recruitment team within [Kappa] Beta [Gamma], I felt like it was much easier to plan and be on the same page because we were in the same room. If we had to be conversing through the phone, it would have been much more difficult to do our job most efficiently.”
O’Connor said that in cases where rush is disappointing, it is nice to be home rather than in the dorms surrounded by others who are also rushing.
“I prefer the hybrid version of rush,” O’Connor said. “Having an incredibly stressful, draining, disappointing, or exciting experience is always easier to handle from the comfort of home. In addition, the process of choosing which houses you connect the most with isn’t as tainted by those you see your friends going to because you are geographically more isolated.”
Sophomore Ellie Deminico, who is a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, said she welcomes in-person rush because it introduced her to more people than she would have met over Zoom.
“While it wasn’t like past years, the past few weeks spent dedicated to recruitment in-person were both tiring but equally rewarding,” Deminico said. “I’m so glad that being in-person allowed me to talk to girls faceto-face and have more intimate conversations about an organization that has introduced me to a collective of incredibly motivated, passionate, and involved girls.
Kane said forming connections was an invaluable benefit of having rush in-person.
“I think it was definitely easier to connect with one another in person, as it was easier for our active [members] and the PNMs to get a feel for each other and for the group at large,” Kane said. “I think that having good energy as an organization goes a long way in making an impression on PNMs, so I found being inperson was beneficial to us in Beta specifically for this reason. We really wanted to make the process as fun and stress-free for the PNMs as possible, which I think we accomplished by trying to foster a positive atmosphere.”
Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black Despite the added challenges of coordinating the events and inclement weather, many felt inperson rush was an opportunity for active and new members alike to form closer connections.
Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black
The Panhellenic Council’s formal recruitment, which is typically held in person for a week in January before classes begin, has been held at least partially over Zoom following COVID-19.
CITY & STATE
Nick Costantino, costnp24@wfu.edu
Governor Stein signs executive orders
NICK COSTANTINO City & State Editor
Josh Stein was sworn in as the 76th governor of North Carolina on Jan. 1st, 2025, becoming the state’s first Jewish governor and its second consecutive Democratic governor.
Stein seeks to continue the legacy of former Governor Roy Cooper and further his own goals and policy proposals in the next four years. Unlike the last two years, the North Carolina legislature will not have a Republican supermajority this term, allowing Stein to more easily veto bills before they become law.
In his inaugural address, Stein emphasized the strength of North Carolinians in the face of Hurricane Helene’s devastation and the impending freezing winter, as the address had to be moved inside due to freezing temperatures and snow. In his speech, he told the story of a storm in 1916 that trapped a local business owner on the roof of his store. Will Clark, an
Stein signals hope and strength in his inaugural address
onlooker, didn’t hesitate to help save the man.
“Will Clark said he was willing to risk his life–not for money, but for his neighbor,” Stein said. “Will Clark embodied the spirit of the people of North Carolina today. That spirit is still strong.”
As Stein shared this story and what it means to be a North Carolinian, he told everybody, Democrats and Republicans alike, that he would fight for what he believes in, protecting the rights of all those in North Carolina.
On Jan. 2nd, he signed five executive orders regarding Hurricane Helene relief and recovery, including “accelerating temporary housing and the repair of private roads and bridges,” according to the Governor’s office.
On Jan. 16th, he “ordered state agencies not to cooperate with potential efforts to restrict access to birth control in the state — and refuse to help investigate doctors who provide legal abortions or other reproductive health care,” according to
He ended his speech with a call to action for politicians, civil servants, and the residents of North Carolina.
“Let's build a better and brighter future for our children together,” Stein said. “We can do it, and we will do it because we are North Carolina Strong.”
Stein enters office with a legislature that has been Republican-controlled for more than a decade. After a win against Lt. Governor Mark Robinson by 15 percentage points, he has the opportunity to enact change in a quickly growing state.
Contact Nick Costantino at costnp24@wfu.edu
Inside Josh Stein's cabinet: who are the leaders shaping his administration?
These officials take office at an important time as NC Republicans seek to enact change
MALCOLM BROWN Contributing Writer
On November 5th, 2025, North Carolina’s Attorney General Josh Stein defeated Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson in his bid to become North Carolina’s next governor—maintaining Democratic control of the chief executive office in the Tarheel State.
During the campaign, Stein outlined several policy priorities for his potential administration, should he succeed in the governor's race. Among these goals are increasing funding for public schools, advancing clean energy initiatives, and preventing further abortion restrictions proposed by Republicans. As with any incoming administration, Stein has the authority to appoint a cabinet that will help fulfill these commitments, which must be confirmed by the state Senate due to a 2016 law.
Stein is expected to make eleven cabinet appointees. One of the eleven appointees includes Gabriel J. Esparza who will be the State’s first Latino cabinet member and will head the Department of Administration (DOA). The DOA, called the “business manager” of the state, is tasked with supervising government operations including construction, purchasing, contracting, facility management, and vehicle management.
Leslie Cooley Dismukes will lead the Department of Adult Correction (DAC),
tasked with overseeing the state’s adult correctional system, managing prisons, supervising individuals on probation and parole, and ensuring public safety. Dismukes is the current criminal bureau chief at the North Carolina Department of Justice.
D. Reid Wilson will lead the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) tasked with protecting North Carolina’s environmental resources, including efforts to provide hurricane relief to Western North Carolina after a devastating hurricane affected the area in early October. Wilson was the secretary for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources under the Cooper administration.
Dr. Devdutta Sangvai, the first Indian American cabinet member along with Pamela Cashwell, will lead the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The DHHS oversees the provision of health and human services for all residents of North Carolina, particularly focusing on children, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families. Dr. Sangvai is currently a professor of family medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine and has also served as the president of Duke Regional Hospital.
Pamela Cashwell will lead the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) which manages, promotes, and enhances North Carolina’s diverse arts and culture, rich history, and stunning natural
areas. Pamela Cashwell has a background as a secretary at the North Carolina DOA since 2021.
McKinley Wooten Jr. will lead the North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR) under Stein. Wooten Jr. currently works in the department responsible for administering tax laws and collecting taxes on behalf of the citizens of the State.
Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette will lead the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs (DMVA) which is responsible for protecting North Carolina’s military installations throughout the state. Mallette is an Air Force veteran and current attorney.
Eddie M. Buffaloe Jr. will lead the Department of Public Safety (DPS), of which he has been a secretary since 2021 with an extensive background as a law enforcement officer and even spent some time in the North Carolina National Guard. The DPS ensures that North Carolina is a safe place to live, work, and visit.
Joey Hopkins will head the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) of which he has served as a secretary since 2023. The NCDOT is responsible for the maintenance of highways, bridges, and other transportation modes in the state.
Lee Lilley will lead the Department of Commerce under Stein. The Department of Commerce improves the economic outlook and quality of life of North Caro-
linians. Lilley has been the director of economic and pandemic recovery and director of legislative affairs under the outgoing Cooper Administration.
Staci Meyer will lead the Office of State Human Resources (OSHR) which is responsible for ensuring job opportunities across the state. She is presently serving as the chief deputy secretary at the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The Department of Information Technology (DIT) will be headed by Teena Piccione who has experience working at Google and RTI International in executive positions. The DIT is tasked with providing IT services to state governmental agencies.
Kristin Walker has been the head of the Office of State Management and Budget (OSMB) since 2022 and will continue to be in the Stein administration. She ensures that North Carolina maintains a balanced budget and effectively manages its resources.
As North Carolina’s governor, Stein has the opportunity to turn his campaign promises into action. Delivering tangible results will be crucial to meeting the expectations of those who elected him. His administration has pledged to address his key goals highlighted during the campaign, but the real test lies ahead: can his team deliver on those commitments?
WRAL news.
Photo courtesy of NC Office of the Governor
Wheels on pause: How Winston-Salem’s bus drivers’ strike disrupted schools and families
MALCOLM BROWN
Contributing Writer
Bus drivers brought transportation for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County (WS/ FCS) schools to a full stop.
On Monday, Nov. 25, 23 bus drivers called out for the day — their absence affected approximately 60 different routes in the district. The next day, 36 drivers called out, impacting about 125 routes.
The Winston-Salem school bus driver’s strike was motivated primarily by three factors: lack of behavioral control policies, low wages, and absence of communication from the school district. After a week of striking, an agreement was reached between bus drivers and district leaders that addressed each concern.
Behavioral Issues
A primary motivation behind the strike was the lack of behavior regulation for children. Drivers had to deal with the children while actively driving, creating a potential safety risk and adding to their many responsibilities.
The new agreement included a new protocol for behavioral expectations on the bus. The updated district code of conduct will enforce stricter consequences, such as bus suspensions, to address ongoing issues.
Jamie Hairston, a bus driver with over 30 years of experience in the district, opted to shift from a full-time position to part-time work a few years ago, citing increasing stress as a major factor. In an article for The Winston-Salem Chroni-
cle, she reflected on her concern for lack of behavioral control.
“When I first started it was an enjoyable job,” Hairston said, “but as time went on and the behavior just kept getting worse, I just couldn’t do it full-time anymore.”
Wages
Another important factor was pay. The hourly wages for the bus drivers ranged from $16.69 to $27.23. Although the school board stated that the drivers received a total pay raise of 11% over the last two years, the bus drivers argue that their wages do not reflect the challenging working conditions they face.
Another section of the agreement reached was additional pay clarity. The drivers will now be getting paid based on the number of hours they have worked from the beginning of their morning drive to the end of their afternoon drive. Drivers will also have the ability to view their timesheets and will be provided with a letter detailing their pay rate and assigned working hours.
On Nov. 25 in the evening of the strike, Deputy Superintendent Fabby Williams addressed reporters on behalf of Superintendent Tricia McManus. Williams said the district hopes to alleviate driver concerns.
“In terms of salary, there were some things that the bus drivers specifically mentioned, in reference to their check stubs and things of that nature,” Williams said. “Those are some low-hanging fruit, things that we can address immediately.”
The Winston-Salem school bus drivers’ strike was
vated by several factors, though the primary factor was pay.
Lack of Communication
A third concern raised by the bus drivers was the lack of communication from the school district. Many drivers were particularly frustrated by the absence of timely updates regarding safety meetings and information about students with disabilities. Crystal Thompson, a school system bus driver who participated in the walkout, said bus drivers value being kept actively informed instead of being merely instructed to follow rules.
“All we need is communication,” Thompson said, “Sit down and talk to us. Don’t just say you’re going to do this. Do it. We are the most important and essential part of the school system. The school system does not move without us.”
In response, the district will initiate
monthly meetings starting in January to keep all staff informed. Additionally, drivers will receive important updates via texts, calls, and emails.
In these meetings, they will address concerns and discuss areas for improvement with the Department of Transportation officials and managers.
Superintendent Tricia McManus of the WS/FCS announced that new departmentwide meetings will commence in February.
“We apologize that this has happened,” McManus said, “and we’re going to work diligently as a district to make sure that drivers not only have a voice but that we’re addressing your needs as best as we can.”
Contact Malcolm Brown at browmd24@wfu.edu
Convicts in Nathaniel Jones case speak out after court ruling
HARSHIL JANI
Contributing Writer
Following a three-judge panel that unanimously upheld convictions in the 2002 murder of Nathaniel Jones, two of the Winston-Salem Five, who have maintained their innocence for over 20 years, are speaking out.
Brothers Rayshawn Banner and Nathaniel Cauthen remain incarcerated, while Christopher Bryant and Jamel Tolliver, who have already served their sentences, vow to continue the fight to clear their names. The 2022 ruling has deepened the divide between the families involved. Jones’ relatives, including NBA All-Star Chris Paul, are seeking closure, and the convicts’ families are determined to prove what they deem the truth.
In 2020, the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission’s investigators found what they deemed enough evidence to prove the group’s innocence. This led to a hearing in April
2022 where three Superior Court judges reviewed evidence. They looked at claims of procedural errors, DNA analysis and witness credibility. However, on April 28, the panel unanimously ruled to uphold the 2002 convictions, citing a lack of compelling evidence to overturn the original verdicts.
Christopher Bryant and Jamel Tolliver, already having served their time, expressed heartbreak over the judges’ decision.
“We should’ve never been locked up, but I feel sorry for everybody that thinks they got the right people,” Tolliver said.
Teresa Ingram, the mother of Rayshawn Banner and Nathaniel Cauthen said this case has been a part of her family’s lives for over two decades.
“I have lived this case for 23 years,” Ingram said. “Yes, ma’am. That’s my time invested. Just to be comfortable with the fact that you got the wrong people.”
Robin Paul, Jones’ daughter and the
mother of NBA star Chris Paul, and her sister Rhonda expressed heartfelt gratitude to the district attorney’s office for their help through the case. Both Robin and Rhonda shared that they hope the recent ruling will finally provide the closure their family has sought for over two decades. The daughters of Jones reflected on the emotional toll the repeated court proceedings have taken on their family. They emphasized their desire for this to be the last time they testify on behalf of their father.
The Winston-Salem Five case is representative of the complexities of the current legal system. There was no physical evidence, nor were statements following the crime fully consistent with one another. The Five hadn’t agreed on who was part of the beating or who played what role in the crime. Agreement on the weapons used was also not present. Such contradictions raise questions about the reliability of the confessions and testimonies that formed the crux of the prosecution’s case. Legal experts ar -
gue that overturning convictions based on recanted testimony or procedural errors is an uphill battle.
At the time of their arrests, the Winston-Salem Five were all teenagers, and defense advocates have argued that their confessions were coerced under pressure from law enforcement. Law enforcement had suggested during interrogation that the Five may receive the death penalty under North Carolina law. Minors were not eligible for this punishment under North Carolina law.
The fight for exoneration presses on and with it raises questions about the reliability of new evidence and the treatment of juveniles under the legal system. For the family of Nathaniel Jones, this recent ruling is a step toward closure after two decades of uncertainty. For the convicted men and their advocates, it marks another chapter in their ongoing pursuit of justice.
Contact Harshil Jani at janih23@wfu.edu
moti-
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
FEATURES
Alexandra Meier, meieam22@wfu.edu
Miriam Fabrycky, fabrml24@wfu.edu
Wayhaven AI’s integration to college campuses
A
company founded by Wake Forest alum provides students AI-generated wellness coaching
CARTER MCDONALD Contributing Writer
As artificial intelligence continues to dominate conversations around the future of technology, it raises the question of how AI will be integrated into students’ daily lives beyond academic settings. Wake Forest University will soon get a taste of exactly what that integration might look like with Wayhaven AI.
Wayhaven is an AI-powered wellness coach that is anonymous and available 24/7 for students within the Wayhaven app. The coaches have tailored information for each campus, providing students with resources available to them (such as the University Counseling Center), upcoming club events to help students get involved and even personalized plans for studying.
The vision
Founder of Wayhaven and Wake Forest alum Christine Nicodemus explained that her company’s primary goal is to integrate artificial intelligence into wellness on college campuses by providing students with an ongoing well-being coach that can support them during day-to-day activities.
The founder explained that the impetus behind this project came from her struggles with mental health during her time as a Wake Forest student. Her struggles with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) inspired her to make a difference and reimagine the accessibility of mental healthcare to college students.
“I had my first bout with MDD during the spring of my sophomore year, while I was studying abroad in Scotland,” Nicodemus said. “Following that mental health crisis, I unfortunately missed a semester of college, and in many ways, that inspired [Wayhaven].”
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The aim is to help students address smaller stressors in their lives before they grow...
Nicodemous said she envisions AI being used as a tool between in-person sessions of counseling to increase accessibility, rather than fully replacing in-person therapy.
“So many people are not getting support for their mental wellness because of financial constraints, time constraints, things of that nature,” Nicodemus said.
Nicodemus explained that the two main goals of implementing Wayhaven at Wake Forest. The AI tool seeks to achieve these goals by providing targeted support when students need it — in academic and nonacademic settings. The aim is to help students address smaller stressors in their lives before they grow into overwhelming complications.
Nicodemus said that Wayhaven’s 24/7 AI coaches can respond beyond the traditional operating hours of mental health resources on campus since stressors can occur at any time of day.
“[Wayhaven will] even go so far as to follow up with the student,” Nicodemus said. “If they said they were
nervous about a test that’s coming up on Wednesday, we’ll then check back in and see how they’re doing.”
She continued: “The well-being coach can support [students] around the clock and make that initial helpseeking behavior really easy, confidential and [with] a low barrier to entry.”
The implementation
Nicodemus said that the exact implementation of Wayhaven is up to the discretion of Wake Forest’s Mental Health Board, meaning it will likely vary from other campuses, though it will maintain the same goal of helping students’ wellbeing.
Nicodemus said that Wayhaven AI had success when implemented at other institutions, including Furman University and Montclair State University. She said that preliminary research results from Montclair State showed that using Wayhaven AI improved both depression and anxiety levels in students, though she says full study results are expected to come out in the next few months.
“Some early results I can share is that we saw statistically significant drops in the Phq. 9, which is a depression scale, and the Gad. 7, which is a standard anxiety scale,” Nicodemus said.
Wayhaven AI also prides itself on student input from the universities it has been working with, heavily utilizing feedback forms and focus groups during
the implementation process. The company plans to continue this as it expands to campuses all across the country including Wake Forest, Villanova University, Baylor University and Grand Valley State University.
“We’ve got a student advisory board that we regularly reach out to for feedback,” Nicodemus said. “We do lots of student focus groups. We do unmoderated User Experience Research (UXR) sessions, where students have a series of instructions of what to do in the app, and we can watch their mouse go along and do the different behaviors, and we get feedback on what’s confusing.”
Jack Jordan, a Wake Forest sophomore who attended one of the on-campus focus groups Wayhaven held last semester, expressed her optimism about the new technology.
“This tool will be appealing to people who struggle with mental health because in my experience, a lot of those who need help find it difficult to reach out for it due to social stigma,” Jordan said. “I think that an anonymous and 24/7 AI tool would encourage more people to take the first step in accessing the care they need.”
Editor’s note: At the time of publication, the Office of Wellbeing was not available for comment. Updated responses will be available in the online edition of the story.
Contact Carter Mcdonald at mcdocd23@wfu.edu
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Photo courtesy of Wayhaven AI
CAROLINE KHALAF News Editor
A semester abroad at Casa Artom
How studying abroad in Venice, Italy changed my life for the better
Venice, Italy is associated with weaving canals, grand palaces, delicious food, and roaming tourists. To me, though, Venice is not just a beautiful, unique city – Venice is home and home is Casa Artom.
I studied at Casa Artom, Wake Forest’s palace on the Grand Canal, in the Fall of 2024. I decided to go abroad as a Sophomore because the program for the semester was journalism. As a journalism minor, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go abroad with Professor Phoebe Zerwick. Still, I was terrified of going to a new place with people I had never met before.
Today, I would not change my experience at Casa Artom for anything. Going abroad last semester was a life changing experience at the perfect time. The students in the house became family, the faculty became mentors, and the community became home.
Think about living in a house with people you don’t know – sharing a kitchen, living room, bathroom, classroom. Now, think about living in this house in an unfamiliar country. Even though it sounds risky, it is well worth it because of who your new housemates could become to you. Though I lived in a house full of upperclassmen, I never felt inferior. We shared the highs and the lows. Everything we went through was together, bonding more and more every second of the semester. The bonding fully began on our class trip to Bergamo a month after our arrival at Casa Artom. The reason we went to Bergamo was because the city was the epicenter of COVID19 when the disease moved from China to Europe. As part of our journalism program, we wanted to interview those who were
impacted by the virus in their community. The short story is that the trip didn’t go as planned – two people were left on the train, two people caught a stomach bug, we stayed in a sketchy hotel, and so much more. We still joke that this trip “trauma bonded” us. Though it seemed messy in the moment, the weekend is one of my most cherished memories from the semester because of the relationships I gained.
When people ask me my favorite place I visited while abroad, I can’t help but be conflicted because my favorite place was truly Casa Artom. Waking up to a view of the
Grand Canal (shoutout room 9) and going to class right downstairs was an unparalleled experience.
I want to emphasize how important the professors and staff were to my experience as well. They made the transition easy, provided wisdom, taught us about where we lived, and made learning fun. My favorite part of the week was going on our two hour history walks with Professor Chojnacka. We would pick one of the six neighborhoods in Venice and walk around with our own personal tour guide who knew every detail about the
architecture and historical life of the city. Another important academic part of my semester was the Magazine Writing course. We were instructed to find a Venetian person to write a profile about over the whole semester. Though initially daunting, the project was some of the most rewarding work of my lifetime. My subject, Federico Sutera, a photographer from Venice, was fun to work with and taught me so much about the city from a local perspective. I can’t say enough about the relationships you create when you study abroad with a Wake Forest program because of the opportunities through the house.
As far as travel goes, I was privileged to be able to explore a new destination almost every weekend. My favorite place was the Dolomites, better known as the Italian Alps. Two friends from Casa Artom and I rented a car and road-tripped to the mountains. It began to snow after two hours of smooth driving despite no chance of snow on the radar. We ended up stuck on the top of a mountain for a while in a blizzard, and had to ask three German men to push our car up the hill to get us moving. We finally made it to our quaint bed and breakfast and spent the rest of the weekend on beautiful hikes in this winter wonderland. It was incredible. My time abroad consisted of so many exciting adventures: unexpectedly good times, beautiful travel destinations, new friendships, and self-growth. If I hadn’t gone to Italy, I wouldn’t be as open minded, easygoing, or independent. Casa Artom really did change everything for me. Now that I am back at Wake Forest, I can’t stop reflecting on my experience in Venice, and I am so thankful for it all.
Contact Caroline Khalaf at khalca23@wfu.edu
Students experience snow for the first time
MARY WALLACE SUTTON Contributing Writer
Wake Forest students rushed to their windows as snowflakes gently fell to the ground on Friday, Jan. 10. It would be the start to the first heavy snowfall on Wake Forest’s campus in three years. It is rare for Winston-Salem to experience snow, and even more rare for the snow to stick and stay. Winter Storm Cora was an exception to this North Carolina weather trend, bringing two inches of snow and subfreezing temperatures to the Piedmont Triad area. Fluffy powder covered sidewalks and roofs. Students and children played on the quad and sledded down hills beside Manchester Plaza.
For many Demon Deacons from around the country and world, this week brought their first experience of snow. While different than some expected, it did not disappoint.
“The snow was definitely colder and less neutral in temperature,” freshman Louisiana native Sam Yuratich said.
Caroline Krebs, a freshman from Houston, Texas, was surprised by how long the snow lasted on the ground.
“I thought that it would actually go away the night after it snowed, which was not true,” Krebs said.
Typically in North Carolina, however, her assumption would be correct. Winston-Salem got a dusting of snow around midnight on Dec.
3, 2024, but it was mostly gone by morning. It wasn’t enough snow to play in, make snow angels with, or sled on. What surprised students most this time around was how much fun the snow was to play in, even as a young adult. Students enjoyed making snowmen and snow angels, as well as even having some healthy competition through snowball fights. “It was more fun, especially at 19 years old, than I could have imagined,” Yuratich said.
Students experiencing snow for the first time were also surprised by the slippery ice the next
“ Students
enjoyed making snowmen and snow angels, as well as even having some healthy competition through snowball fights. “It was more fun, especially at 19 years old, than I could have imagined.”
morning brought. Due to unsafe conditions, Monday morning classes were canceled until 11 a.m, so overnight ice would have a chance to melt. Some students, unfortunately, had to find this out the hard way. Lauren Storey, a freshman from New Zealand, said she “did fall once, while on a run,” but enjoyed the snow nonetheless.
Other students even mentioned slipping while just trying to walk to class, including Krebs. “Feeling the crunch under my feet came with the downfall of almost slipping every three seconds.”
For students that had experienced snow only long ago, this past winter storm brought back happy childhood memories. Liv Eubank, a sophomore from Charlotte, knows first-hand how rare snow can be in North Carolina. “This is my first time seeing the snow since I was 10 or 11 years old. Every year I would sleep over at my best friend’s house, and we would go sledding.”
Others had seen the snow, but had never had a true “snow day” experience, one with enough snow to play in and enjoy. Maribel Johnson, a freshman from Birmingham, Alabama, remembers seeing “flurries once in a blue moon” when she was a young child. This was her first time seeing “real snow,” as she calls it. “My friends and I attempted to make a snowman, … took pictures and made snow angels.”
Overall, Wake Forest students who saw snow for the first time this past week loved it and cannot wait for the next winter storm to pass through North Carolina.
Students slide into freezing temperatures after returning from break.
“My first snow was definitely a ten-out-of-ten experience, and I can’t wait for the next one,” Yuratich said.
Contact Mary Wallace Sutton at suttmw24@wfu.edu
Caroline Khalaf sits on the Venice Canal enjoying the many opportunities the Casa Artom program has to offer.
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University
Caroline Khalaf/Old Gold & Black
Wake Forest to Worrell House
My journey in London and beyond
HARSHIL JANI Staff Writer
There is a certain magic to stepping off a plane in a new city. A kind of magic that doesn’t fully hit you at first. I fully experienced this feeling when I arrived in London in August. At first, it’s sensory overload — the chill of the autumn air, the rush of people moving with purpose, the iconic red buses. I see now that those first moments were the start of something unique. My semester at Wake Forest’s Worrell House didn’t just change how I see the world; it changed how I see myself.
The Worrell House, which is nestled on Steele’s Road near the Chalk Farm tube station, became more than just a place to stay — it became my second home. The house itself, with its kitchen and living areas, fostered connection. We would gather in the classroom to make homework deadlines and study for tests together, or just talk about our lives in the kitchen while trying different foods, either made well or barely edible. My roommate, Frank Liu, and I deepened our friendship through late-night chats and a shared interest in poker, enjoying the prospects London offered to figure out the game — odds, betting and going all-in.
We spent our fall semester in London in order to take Professor Lauren Reid’s Introductory Financial Accounting course, a prerequisite for all business school hopefuls. Dr. Reid’s class, central to our curriculum, set the tone for the semester. She wasn’t just an outstanding professor; she was kind, understanding and endlessly supportive — a mentor in every sense of the word. Professors
from local universities taught the rest of our classes, including one from the University of Oxford for our London and the World History course. My art class was a revelation. Nearly every week, we found ourselves in a new museum, standing face-to-face with works I had only seen in books or online. Standing mere feet from Fragonard’s “The Swing” and Holbein’s “The Ambassadors,” I felt connected and appreciated the works’ timelessness. Holbein’s cryptic precision and level of detail and Fragonard’s use of color, among other things, were magical. Professor Barnes made it clear that it wasn’t just about studying art but about learning to see the world differently.
Kate Kistler, our resident advisor and a former Worrell House student, guided us through London’s labyrinth of culture and history. Together, our 13-person cohort explored the city and beyond, from quiet afternoons in markets to travel across Europe.
It is impossible to talk about my semester without mentioning our extensive travel. While London was the anchor, Europe became our classroom. In Edinburgh, Scotland, Frank and I hiked up Arthur’s Seat in kilts — an embarrassing decision and amusing for the rest of our class.
Munich was next. Oktoberfest proved to be a solid cultural experience mixed with horrible weather. The beer, though, was amazing. The real memory was the walk — a grueling three miles in the early morning rain to return rental Lederhosen after losing a coin flip to Frank.
Paris, Santorini, Athens, Stavanger, Amsterdam, Rome, Istanbul — each trip taught us something unique. My class-
mate Anna Jin’s excitement for exploring cities, mostly on foot, and excitement for local cuisine made every trip memorable. In Santorini, the sunsets had us wishing for time to stop. In Istanbul, the city’s rich history and Hagia Sofia reminded me of the magnificence of cultural and religious art. In Amsterdam, the city’s vibrancy and openness allowed Frank and I to explore new perspectives in ways we hadn’t before. I wish I could bring these experiences back home.
London itself was as much a part of my education as any textbook. The city taught me independence: navigating the
“
London itself was as much a part of my education as any textbook. The city taught me independence: navigating the Tube, trying to balancr a budget in an expensive city, and embracing the tempo of urban life.
Tube, trying to balance a budget in an expensive city and embracing the tempo of urban life.
One of my most expected pleasures came from poker. In the UK, you can legally play at 18. I spent over 200 hours playing at various poker rooms across the city. A few of those hours were spent in a room where I am now persona non grata. It was never about gambling — to me, poker is a strategy game in which I like to win.
The food of the city deserves a mention, as well. We tried all kinds of restaurants and cafes. From Mediterranean feasts in neighborhood cafes to the best cannoli I have ever had in Rome, almost every meal was excellent.
Living in London, traveling across Europe and sharing these experiences with close friends showed me the value of connection and curiosity. Aldous Huxley once said, “There are things known, and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” This semester opened those doors for me. It was in the space between the familiar and the unfamiliar that I found not just new places but new insights.
London isn’t just a place I visited. It is a part of me now. I carry the time with me in the way I think, feel and dream. And for that, I will always be grateful.
Beutiful sunset on the coastal waters of the Mediterranean on student Harshil Jani’s study abroad.
Photo courtesy of Harshil Jani
Photo courtesy of Harshil Jani
Frank Liu and Harshil Jani sport Scottish Kilts outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland.
ENVIRONMENT
PAGE 10
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025
Mia Springer, spriml21@wfu.edu
Beza Zelalem, zelam22@wfu.edu
From sapling to tree, the evolution of ENV
The development of the Environment and Sustainability Studies Program at Wake Forest University has been instrumental in bridging the gap between students and the environment
Editor
In 1994, a group of faculty from various departments identified environmental studies and science as gaps in Wake Forest’s curriculum. At that time, students could only minor in these disciplines. Over the past five years, however, the university has expanded its Environment and Sustainability Studies (ENV) Program, adding two new majors: environment and sustainability studies and environmental science.
The program’s rapid growth is due to the increased demand of students wanting to pursue these disciplines beyond hard science. ENV, which used to be under the scope of the biology program, has blossomed into a separate department and has taken off since its establishment.
The Sapling
Since Dr. Stephen Smith joined the ENV department in 2020, the program has expanded significantly. From a single postdoctoral fellow teaching courses, it now has a team of six dedicated faculty members who teach and conduct innovative research.
Smith, an assistant teaching professor within ENV specializing in geology, teaches core courses like Climate Change and Earth Science. He believes the program’s mission is to help build just and sustainable futures.
“Our stated mission is intentionally short and broad because part of the vision moving forward is integrating a justice focus in environmental studies, specifically regarding the work we do in our program,” Smith said. “An example of this would be implementing community engagement into our courses.”
Planting Roots
Dr. Julie Velásquez Runk was appointed department head in 2020, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She has conducted research on native species reforestation in the Monteverde area of Costa Rica.
Velàsquez Runk is one of several ENV professors who blend research with teaching, often inviting students to join her as research assistants during the summer.
Velàsquez Runk acknowledged a gap in the relationship between students and the environment, saying, “There’s often been this idea that people are separate from nature, which has created some of our problems.”
By broadening the scope of the curriculum, the program will break from the traditional mold of ENV and focus on the interconnectedness of people and the environment.
While many interdisciplinary courses, such as Environmental Destruction, incorporate classic naturalist texts like “Walden,” modern environmental works are pushed to the forefront to create what Velàsquez Runk calls “a more 21st-century or inclusive version of ENV.”
Newer courses like Environmental Issues incorporate concepts and texts such as Leah Thomas’s “The Intersectional Environmentalist,” which challenges the traditional boundaries of programs focused primarily on the natural world.
A Forest of Knowledge
One of the program’s most ambitious ongoing initiatives is the Environmental and Epistemic Justice Initiative (EEJI). This Mellon Foundation-funded project brings together students, scholars, activists and journalists to critically examine how race shapes both scholarly practices and public policies.
These initiatives encourage students to step outside the classroom and into non-traditional learning environments. Smith commented on this approach, saying that professors often ask themselves, “How do we help [students] become more community-minded?”
Smith referenced Wake Forest as a bubble to illustrate that while the university is located in Winston-Salem, it represents a much bigger place with an identity that extends well beyond its gates.
“Understandably, you’re in a little bubble,” Smith said. “It’s a combination of these significant initiatives, like EEJI, and smaller initiatives – such as classroom objectives or incorporating a community component into our research – that help students connect with the larger world.”
Ella Klein/ Old Gold & Black
“Our stated mission is intentionally short and broad because part of the vision moving forward is integrating a justice focus in environmental studies, specifically regarding the work we do in our program,” Smith said.
Current faculty emphasize this approach when interviewing new candidates, ensuring that prospective hires can teach topics that are both personally relevant to their research and aligned with the program’s goals of experiential learning.
Visiting professors also contribute to expanding the program’s scope by teaching courses based on their expertise. In the spring of 2023, Assistant Professor Amanda Sames taught a food justice class that ran for one semester. The class combined hands-on learning, with students growing vegetable plots and working in local community gardens, while also examining how the modern food system works. Their final project was a community cookbook featuring the vegetables grown throughout the semester.
Assistant Professor Ovidiu Csillik, a specialist in remote sensing, joined Wake Forest in 2024 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at NASA. Csillik currently focuses on remote sensing and machine learning to monitor tropical forests.
Velásquez Runk highlighted the importance of creating spaces to think critically about analyzing remotely sensed data. “Our next hire will be a tenured faculty member who can approach space from a theoretical perspective.”
Students and faculty are excited to see what the future of ENV has to offer in terms of research, courses and career opportunities.
“[The faculty] ultimately want to ensure you all are successful and can secure jobs,” Velásquez Runk said. “Our program aims to connect students to a robust, global version of environmental ethics — preparing you for careers while also helping you engage meaningfully with the world.”
BEZA ZELALEM Environment
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Mia Springer/Old Gold & Black
Palmer Hall, the Environment & Sustainability Program building on Carroll Weathers Dr. home to numerous offices, classrooms, and GIS laboratories.
The cavities in RFK Jr.’s war on fluoride
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aims to remove fluoride from the water in his potential cabinet position
ELLA KLEIN Editor-in-Chief
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a polarizing political figure, has declared war on fluoride.
As President-elect Donald J. Trump continues to appoint members to his Cabinet, Kennedy, the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, has begun to share his preliminary plans for his role via the social media platform X.
Kennedy has previously declared antivaccination sentiments, specifically centered around the long-debunked myth that vaccination in children can lead to autism, as well as several conspiracy theories surrounding vaccines’ relationship to the Holocaust.
Now, the former environmental lawyer has turned his focus to fluoridated water. Kennedy posted on his X account on Nov. 2 claiming that in his cabinet position, he would urge Trump to remove fluoride from all public water supplies.
“On Jan. 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy said. “Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders and thyroid disease. President @realDonaldTrump and First Lady @MELANIATRUMP want to Make America Healthy Again.”
Public health officials disagree with his stance that fluoride has negative health effects.
Dr. Gary Miller, associate chair and professor of the health and exercise depart-
ment at Wake Forest University, upholds that fluoride should be kept in the water supply.
“[Fluoride] helps to make the teeth stronger and prevents [bacteria growth]. [Studies have shown] that when communities have removed [fluoride] from their water supply, dental care needs, specifically in children, have increased,” Miller said.
Miller believes that the issue of fluoride is intertwined with social equity. For underprivileged communities who don’t have access to dental care, a small amount of fluoride could be pivotal for their dental health.
“Think about most Wake Forest students: they live a privileged life,” Miller said. “Cavities are not a big thing for them. For underprivileged students and children, it can lead to a lot of issues, infections and poor nutrition habitats.”
Alan Fowler, the water treatment superintendent for the City of Winston-Salem, says Forsyth County is planning on keeping fluoride in the water.
“To ensure the fluoride levels remain safe and effective, our water treatment plants follow EPA’s recommended dosage of 0.7 mg/L,” Fowler said in an email to the Old Gold & Black. “We conduct daily testing and monitoring to ensure we maintain these optimal levels.”
[Editor’s note: The Department of Health and Human Services says 0.7 ppm is optimal for dental health. The EPA has set a maximum concentration level of 4 ppm in drinking water.]
Kennedy sold bottled water with high amounts of fluoride in the late 90s. The New Yorker reports that Kennedy helped
“On Jan. 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy said.
form the Waterkeeper Alliance, a network for environmental activists working towards a clean water supply. In 1999, he co-founded a bottled water company called Keeper Springs to support the Waterkeeper Alliance. Around 2013, the company subsequently failed
According to the story published in the New Yorker, a 2009 chemical analysis showed that the Keepers Spring bottled water had 1.3 mg/l of fluoride, higher than the standard set for tap water.
Miller explains that fluoride can be dangerous in high amounts.
“It could have some more systemic or … widespread detrimental effects at higher doses. But again, this is not what we find in fluoridated water [that contains the recom-
mended dosage of fluoride],” Miller said.
Trump has not confirmed that he will follow through with Kennedy’s suggestion. After Kennedy’s posts on social media, Trump told NBC News that he had not directly spoken to his nominee about fluoride, but that it “sounds ok” to him.
Miller knows that while fluoride is a mineral that is not essential for humans, it still can have a positive impact, especially on children in underserved communities.
“You aren’t going to help everybody,” Miller said, “but the overall theme is that [fluoride is] going to help more people than it’s going to hurt.”
Contact Ella Klein at kleiek22@wfu.edu
The hidden crisis of microplastics in our waterways
MIA SPRINGER Environmental Editor
We live in a synthetic society. Our garments, suspended in closets and woven with a blend of nylon and polyester, are poisoning us. Microplastics, comparable to a grain of sand, are less than five millimeters long and have been found in numerous human organs. The danger is that they never decompose; instead, they continuously break down into smaller fragments easily ingestible to marine and terrestrial life, including humans.
The Origins of Synthetic Plastic
In 1907, Leo Baekland invented the first synthetic plastic material, which contained no materials naturally found in the environment.. In the 1940s, a synthetic silk called nylon was invented and used to make parachutes, clothing and ropes in World War II. After the war, the surge continued, and now plastics are everywhere.
Concern about plastics grew in the 1960s as plastic debris made its way into the ocean. Today, a garbage patch swirls in a gyre in the Northern Hemisphere, measuring twice the size of Texas.
From on-the-go coffee cups and food
containers to clothing, plastic makes up nearly everything we hold or wear. Polymers can even be found in the makeup we dab onto our faces.
Richard Thompson, a marine ecologist in the U.K., coined the term microplastics in 2004. However, he first identified them in 1993 when he was participating in a beach cleanup along the Isle of Man and noticed rainbow-colored particles littered throughout the sand
Ingestion
Wind, waves and sunlight erode large plastic into microplastics, which animals consume. Humans can ingest microplastics through the food chain or through water. Plastic can bioaccumulate and biomagnify within organisms, as mercury does in our fatty tissue. Bioaccumulation is when a substance builds up in an individual through time, whereas biomagnification is when said substance travels through the foodchain, becoming more concentrated at the various levels.
A study found that a plastic bottle contains more microplastics than tap water alone.
Wake Forest University’s drinking water comes from the Winston-Salem Forsyth
County (WSFC) utilities. WSFC sources the water from Yadkin River and Salem Lake. In an email to the Old Gold & Black, Gale Ketteler, utilities public information officer, explained that there ar eno regulations to monitor microplastics.
“Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities does not currently monitor for microplastics,” Ketteler said. “There is no enforceable contaminant level that we are regulated by at the state or federal level. Current research is working towards identifying potential risks, and developing detection levels and treatment methods.”
Ketteler continued: “We have met federal and state drinking water standards for over 20 years. Other than for emergency use, bottled water is a marketing scam. You can save a lot of money by drinking tap water and filling your reusable bottle. $1.50 for a water bottle is approximately 2,000 gallons from your tap.”
Sarah Morath, a professor at Wake Forest School of Law, wrote the book, “Our Plastic Problem and How to Solve It.”
This book deep dives into plastics environmental harm and possible solutions involving the government, nonprofits, businesses, and communities.
“That’s the scary thing about microplastics,” Morath said. “We know it’s there,
but we don’t know what a safe level is, and there are no standards. So you can’t go to the water department and say, ‘how much microplastic should I have in my water?’ And they can’t tell us, wherease they can do that for things like lead and mercury and those kinds of heavy metals that we know are cancerous.”
What do we do now?
Although there are no state or federal regulations regarding microplastics, we can make conscious choices to limit our exposure to plastic. The World Health Organization recommends scientists continue to research microplastics’ persistence in the water cycle and further investigations into human health effects after chronic microplastic exposure.
“I’ve been thinking about micro and macroplastics and law and policy kinds of solutions,” Morath said, “although I think we have to think about solutions beyond the law, too, because we know we can influence individual behavior, and we know that business behavior also can have an influence.”
Contact Mia Springer at spriml21@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of the Associated Press
12
OPINION
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025
Mattie Stillerman, stilmk23@wfu.edu
The views expressed in all opinion columns represent those of the article’s author, not the opinions of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board
A spectacle of promises, policies, and polarization
Trump’s inauguration was not just a political event; it was a cultural flashpoint, encapsulating the profound divisions shaping America’s future
ORIN JONES Contributing Writer
On a chilly January morning, Donald J. Trump took the oath of office for the second time, becoming the 47th President of the United States. The National Mall was a sea of red hats, American flags, and loyal supporters, while inside the Capitol, a sharp divide played out between Republican exuberance and Democratic stoicism. The ceremony was a blend of spectacle and symbolism, reflecting the man at its center—a figure of unrelenting controversy who vowed to usher in a “Golden Age” for America.
Flanked by his family and key allies, Trump’s entrance was characteristically grandiose, with military bands playing patriotic medleys as his supporters cheered with fervor. Among the VIPs in attendance were tech titans Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos, whose contrasting expressions seemed to mirror the divided mood of the nation. Musk looked intrigued, Zuckerberg appeared calculating, and Bezos wore the wary smirk of a man preparing for the inevitable policy clashes to come.
Trump’s speech was as unapologetic as ever, filled with sweeping promises to restore American greatness, tackle perceived threats to traditional values, and challenge the “woke ideologies” he claimed had undermined the nation’s strength. Yet, his rhetoric left the country as polarized as ever, with his supporters embracing his bold vision and his critics bracing for the battles ahead.
The “Two-Gender” declaration
One of the most explosive moments of Trump’s address came when he declared, “In this administration, there will only be two genders: male and female. Biology matters. Reality matters.” The statement drew thunderous applause from his base, who saw it as a decisive rejection of what they viewed as progressive overreach.
However, the backlash was immediate. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups decried the comment as regressive, warning it would lead to the erosion of protections for transgender and non-binary individuals. Health experts pointed out that such a policy oversimplifies the complexities of gender and ignores established medical and scientific understandings.
Inside the Capitol, the tech billionaires’ reactions were telling. Zuckerberg, a man whose platform had long been criticized for enabling polarization, seemed to mull over the coming storm of hashtags and misinformation. Musk, ever the disruptor, reportedly whispered to a companion about the need for “Martian pronoun neutrality.” Bezos, meanwhile, appeared to mentally catalog how this policy could affect Amazon’s HR policies and corporate image.
The “Golden Age” Agenda
In trademark Trumpian style, the speech was packed with lofty promises to usher in what he called America’s “Golden Age.” His policy priorities included:
• Energy Dominance: Trump pledged to expand fossil fuel production, declaring, “We will drill everywhere there’s dirt!” Environmentalists immediately criticized the plan as a catastrophic step backward, while Musk raised a symbolic eyebrow, perhaps calculating the Tesla sales boost that might follow.
• Patriotic Education: Trump vowed to replace “woke propaganda” in schools with a curriculum focused on America’s “unparalleled greatness.”
Critics derided it as historical revisionism, while
Zuckerberg likely anticipated the flood of factchecking that awaited.
• Economic Revival: Trump promised sweeping tax cuts and deregulation to reignite manufacturing, claiming his policies would create millions of jobs. Bezos, a master of global supply chains, was said to have muttered, “Not in my warehouses.”
• Border Security 2.0: Trump announced an ambitious plan to expand the border wall, once again claiming Mexico would foot the bill. When asked for comment, Mexican officials reportedly laughed and said, “We’ve heard this one before.”
While Trump’s supporters hailed these initiatives as a return to common sense and American exceptionalism, critics argued they were little more than recycled ideas that ignored pressing issues like climate change, systemic inequality, and the complexities of a globalized economy.
Inside the Capitol: a study in contrasts
The atmosphere inside the Capitol was as divided as the country itself. Republican lawmakers leapt to their feet with each applause line, energized by the return of their standard-bearer. Meanwhile, Democrats sat in quiet defiance, many exchanging skeptical glances during Trump’s more outlandish promises.
The presence of Musk, Zuckerberg, and Bezos added an intriguing layer to the proceedings. Musk’s attention seemed split between Trump’s words and his own thoughts about a Martian colony. Zuckerberg watched the room like an algorithm calculating sentiment trends, likely weighing how to navigate an administration that both relied on and criticized his platform. Bezos, ever the pragmatist, appeared to measure each policy’s potential impact on Amazon’s empire.
Despite the stark partisan divides, there were brief moments of civility. A Republican senator was seen exchanging pleasantries with a Democratic colleague, though both quickly returned to their seats, aware that such gestures might draw ire from their respective bases.
A nation at a crossroads
Trump’s inauguration was not just a political event; it was a cultural flashpoint, encapsulating the profound divisions shaping America’s future. His supporters saw his return as a vindication, a chance to reclaim what they believed had been lost. His detractors viewed it as a dangerous retreat from progress, a reaffirmation of policies that excluded and alienated millions.
The presence of tech giants in the audience underscored the inescapable role of technology in modern politics. Musk, Zuckerberg, and Bezos symbolize the complexities of Trump’s agenda: they are simultaneously enablers of the systems he critiques and potential adversaries to his administration’s policies. Whether they will collaborate with or challenge the president remains an open question.
What lies ahead?
Trump’s second term promises to be as polarizing as his first. While his base embraces his vision of a Golden Age, critics warn that his policies could exacerbate inequality, undermine scientific progress, and deepen cultural divides.
The stakes are high, and the challenges are immense: from addressing climate change and economic disparity to navigating an increasingly polarized electorate. Whether Trump’s vision will lead to a Golden Age or simply gilded rhetoric depends on his ability to bridge the nation’s divides—a feat that, so far, has eluded him.
As the country embarks on this new chapter, one thing is clear: the road ahead will be anything but smooth. For Trump’s supporters, the next four years are a chance to restore America’s greatness. For his critics, they are a test of resilience and resistance. For the rest of us—whether optimists or skeptics—it’s a time to stay engaged, hold leaders accountable, and strive for a future that works for all Americans.
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Photo courtesy of the Associated Press
On January 20th, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.
Wake Forest gives rush the cold shoulder
The reality of rush week at Wake Forest can make a person shiver
CAROLINE GOTTSMAN Staff Writer
The first few weeks of January are the epitome of chaos for most female Wake Forest students. Thousands of students flock back to campus before classes begin to participate in rush, where active sorority members search for potential new members (PNMs) to join their sorority chapter. This year saw an especially high turnout of PNMs, with over 600 students bedecked in carefully planned outfits and layered jewelry, hoping to secure a coveted bid from a sorority. Rush is a stressful time at any college, but this year, the Wake Forest administration added to the chaos, instead of relieving it, by not accommodating anyone who arrived early on campus.
After COVID-19 made rush fully, and eventually hybrid and only partially online beginning in 2020, sororities voted to return to fully in-person rush beginning in 2024. This decision affected a large percentage of Wake Forest students, as 60% of the women at Wake Forest are involved in Greek Life. Since it had been several years since Wake Forest had done a fully in-person rush, many people were excited for the change. However, some were a little nervous about how it would pan out.
To some, these nerves seemed unfounded, but, as the first week of January proved, these concerns were perfectly valid.
Wake Forest announced that they were opening campus “just one day” before rush was scheduled to start, and not a second before. Since the majority of the study body live outside of Winston-Salem, students were left scrambling to book expensive flights and hotel accommodations. Unfortunately, the weather compounded this stress when a snowstorm swept through the East Coast, making travel not only time-consuming and costly, but also dangerous.
“ I had to wonder if I had signed up for sorority recruitment or an intense survival challenge.
Even though the snowstorm was predicted ahead of time, many students still had to brave the hazardous conditions since administration refused to open campus doors earlier than scheduled. Those who decided that the journey was too dangerous were left with the only option of booking expensive hotels for days at a time just to preserve their safety.
Once on campus, the challenges continued. The Pit, the usual go-to spot for food, was closed to the majority of the students on campus. Only potential new members (PNMs) for sororities were allowed to dine there. While this decision may have been an effort to prevent any awkward situations, in reality, all it did was leave much of the population back on campus without consistent, viable dining options.
The only dining option available to upperclassmen was Benson’s Chick-Fil-A, which was only open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and required students to pay out of pocket instead of through meal plans. This detail made the experience even more expensive in addition to flights, gas money and hotel expenses. However, the most dangerous aspect of the week were the snow-covered roads. The snow once again reared its ugly head as the roads of Winston-Salem became coated with the dangerous substance. The icy roads both on and off-campus received little to no attention from snow plows. This led cars to dangerously skid on the snowy streets as students risked their lives just to provide themselves with sustenance.
Many had no choice but to drive out into the snow or resort to measly snacks at the Pod for the week.
An accident involving several student vehicles occurred on University Parkway, a result of the conditions, served as a grim reminder of the perilous consequences of getting food off-campus in snowy conditions.
As if the dining and travel woes weren’t enough, people couldn’t even catch a break in their own dorms. The enemy this time were the shared showers, particularly those located on the quad. After a day full of exhausting rush activities, many upperclassmen returned to their dorms hoping for a cleansing, warm shower. However, a more realistic comparison would be comparing the shower to a dip in the arctic. Water was left on for 30 minutes in hopes that it would warm, which it decidedly did not. These necessary showers left upperclassmen shivering after an already cold and draining day. While freshmen dorms reportedly had access to warm water, many of the upperclassmen dorms did not.
This division of amenities felt like an unreasonable and frustrating punishment to many upperclassmen.
Rush week is inherently stressful, but these very avoidable oversights turned it into a nightmare. Between battling freezing showers, navigating the icy conditions and scavenging for food, I had to wonder if I had signed up for sorority recruitment or an intense survival challenge.
Wake Forest needs to learn from its mistakes and provide its students with the basic amenities. If Wake Forest is going to continue with in-person rush, its students need to be supported in this decision by the university. This means that all students returning to campus need the basic tenets of survival: food, shelter and water. Students should not have to navigate limited dining hall options, delayed campus opening, freezing showers and dangerous roads.
Instead, dining halls should be accessible to all, the dorms should be open a few days in advance to account for travel, and hot water should be provided. Wake Forest must ensure that its students are set up for success during this already stressful and demanding time.
The snow at Wake Forest caused even more unnecessary stress during Rush, in addition to cold showers and limited food options.
Mattie Stillerman/Old Gold & Black
Don’t give a man a woman’s job
Comedian Nikki Glaser showed Jo Koy how to truly be a hilarious host at the 82nd Golden Globes
MATTIE STILLERMAN Opinion Editor
Oh, how I love awards season! I can’t get enough of the dazzling looks on the red carpet, the star-studded ballroom, the comedic bits by my favorite celebrity presenters and the wonderful hosts.
The Golden Globes needed a savior
The 82nd Golden Globes were held on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. As all my adoring fans remember (Hi Mom!), I was not impressed by Jo Koy’s dumpster fire performance as last year’s host. To summarize, he was misogynistic for his condescending jokes against the feminist blockbuster, Barbie; he made fun of Taylor Swift with an unintelligent and overplayed joke about her relationship with Travis Kelce; and he blamed the writers for his never-landing “jokes.”
Not only did his jokes make the crowd and viewers at home uncomfortable, but he openly admitted to not watching more than half of the nominated works. Koy could not fulfill the most simple tasks of an award show host, and his monologue resembled a poorly done roast.
Thankfully, the most recent Golden Globes featured an amazing host that successfully kept the celebrity audience and folks at home laughing and smiling. Nikki Glaser is an actress, writer and stand-up comedian best known for her sexy wit and comedic genius on the “Roast of Tom Brady.” She also has several hilarious stand-up specials, including “Someday You’ll Die” and “Good Clean Filth.”
Glaser’s performance blessed my television screen.
A monologue to remember
“Welcome to the 82nd Golden Globes: Ozempic’s biggest night!”
Two seconds into her monologue, the crowd roared with laughter. From beginning to end, her monologue exemplified her dedication to the job she had been given. While Hollywood receives plenty of praise, a host is meant to help celebrate the nominees and make sure everyone has a fun night.
Glaser said it herself when she emphasized that she was not at the awards to roast the crowd. She explained, “How could I? You’re all so famous, so talented, so powerful. I mean you could really do anything — except tell the country who to vote for.”
Ladies and gentlemen, she did it again with her sadbut-true humor. To make it even better, she showed that she was truly up-to-date on pop culture when she asked Ariana Grande to “hold her finger.” Nominated for the movie musical “Wicked,” Grande and her costar Cynthia Erivo showed their approval by holding each other’s fingers.
The vibes of the room were immaculate, all due to Glaser’s sexy, charming and feminist humor. This was my kind of award show.
I don’t know how she does it! She flawlessly delivered controversial jokes in a way the crowd loved. For example, while praising Zendaya for her role in “Challengers,” Glaser added, “That movie was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card. Oh no no I’m sorry — I’m upset, too. The after-party is not going to be as good this year — but we have to move on!”
Glaser was seamlessly able to tease the star-studded audience while also highlighting the reasons why they were at the award show in first place.
Even Kylie Jenner laughed
One of my favorite moments was when Glaser started to tease award-winning actor Timothée Chalamet.
“I love you, and can I just say you have the most gorgeous eyelashes on your upper lip. I think this is such a good look,” Glaser said.
Not only could Chalamet not contain his laughter, but the other half of the celebrity power couple, Kylie Jenner, laughed, as well. This shows that she created a fun and light-hearted atmosphere compared to the
Once again, Glaser proves why she deserves praise for her comedic talent. Whether you put her up against a room of male comedians at Tom Brady’s roast or Jo Koy, she is going to steal the show
cringey and uncomfortable hell hole Koy created in the year prior.
She continued to praise Chalamet’s role as Bob Dylan in the recent biopic titled, “The Great Unknown.” I died laughing when she said, “I read your singing voice was so accurate that even Bob Dylan himself admitted that it was absolutely horrible. You nailed it!”
She then went on to say that his name “sounds like something Adam Sandler would say.” Her use of physical comedy to complete her Sandler impression made the crowd erupt. To make it even better, she called to Sandler in the crowd to take his own go at pronouncing the actor’s name.
“Pope-ular”
Glaser continued to kill it throughout the night, especially when she combined the movies “Conclave” and “Wicked” to make a hilarious skit. In Glinda fashion, she wore a beautiful pink gown and held the iconic wand. To complete the outfit, she wore a papal tiara. The music to “Wicked’s” “Popular” began to play, and she sang the iconic song by replacing “popular” with “pope-ular”.
When the music cut, Glaser demonstrated that she was also extremely talented in physical comedy. Pretending to talk to someone on the mic, she said, “Wait — this sucks? This whole thing sucks? I’m embarrassing myself in front of Elton John?” With that she set up another corny pun referencing the TV show “The
Penguin” — “Insane in the Penguin.”
I laughed along with Kristen Bell and the Wicked cast.
“Mid show recap”
Finally, my favorite bit of the whole show was her “mid-show recap.” She described the atmosphere to fans at home, saying, “The air is thick with the smell of signature fragrances and the lingering stench of ballroom salmon. Ballroom salmon is actually the name of Stanley Tucci’s new cologne.”
Next, she decided to tally up the most popular people/things Golden Globe winners have thanked in their acceptance speeches.
“Cast and crew are leading the way with eleven mentions. Moms are holding strong with three call-outs. God — creator of the universe — zero mentions. And Mario Lopez — Host of Access Hollywood — one. No surprise in this godless town,” Glaser said.
An icon
Time and time again, Glaser proves why she deserves praise for her comedic talent. Whether you put her up against a room of male comedians at Tom Brady’s roast or Jo Koy, she is going to steal the show. This is why you don’t give a man a woman’s job.
Contact Mattie Stillerman at stilmk23@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of the Associated Press
Blake Robinson, robiba24@wfu.edu
Sean Kennedy, kennsm21@wfu.edu
Clawson resigns from head coaching position
Clawson’s tenure marks one of the most successful in program history
ANDREW BRAUN & SEAN KENNEDY
Managing Editor & Sports Editor
A press conference on Dec. 17th, 2024, marked the end of an era.
After former Wake Forest Head Football Coach Dave Clawson resigned the day before, the program celebrated its most successful coach in decades through a celebratory press conference.
“My overwhelming emotion right now is gratitude,” Clawson said at the press conference. “I'm incredibly lucky that I could spend 11 years in this crazy world of college football in one place, and at a place you believe in.”
"Dave Clawson has been the epitome of integrity, innovation, and excellence in college football," Wake Forest Director of Athletics John Currie said in a press statement. “Quite simply, Clawson’s leadership, competitive drive and strategic instincts have made football at Wake Forest important.”
Clawson reflected before making the decision, whilst factoring in what is best for the program he’s developed for over a decade.
“The last 10 days of my life have been dedicated towards a decision that will be in the best interest of Wake Forest football,” Clawson said at the press conference.
Clawson leaves behind a legacy of having achieved seven consecutive bowl appearances, with the most postseason victories in program history (five). Clawson also won the ACC Coach of the Year award in 2021 after leading the Demon Deacons to an 11-3 season and a Gator Bowl win.
In the new era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and conference realignment, Clawson mentioned that the new landscape of collectives, tampering and transfers has impacted not only his program but the retention of the program’s student-athletes.
“We've had four or five players leave Wake Forest in the past two years that were one semester away from graduating because another school gave them more money,” Clawson said. “That breaks my heart. This school is incredible. The education you get here is second to none. I truly believe that [Wake Forest] is transformative.”
Clawson also spoke highly of the student-athletes and Wake Forest Football alumni who have gone through his program, despite the high standards inside the classroom.
“This is a small school, bad character kids stick out like sore thumbs,” Clawson said. “I'm very proud, in my 11 years here, to never have had one player ever fail out of Wake Forest.”
Clawson also spoke of the relationships
that he’s created with former players and alumni, including ones from more than 25 years of head coaching at four different schools.
“To the players at Fordham, at Richmond, at Bowling Green and at Wake Forest, thank you,” Clawson said. “Thanks for choosing the play for me. Thanks for the impact that you've had on my life and my family's life.”
“To me, the most meaningful things are the relationships you create,” Clawson added. “Winning is ephemeral- it's a brief moment, a shot of adrenaline, and then those moments wear away, and it's the relationships that last.”
Despite his resignation, Clawson played a major part in providing for the program’s future having contacted candidates on behalf of Wake Forest during their coaching search.
“[Currie] has already had me engage with some of the candidates, and I've told all the candidates that I'm leaving this place on good terms,” Clawson said. “I want to see Wake Forest football be successful. I think I can help with the transition… I've told everyone of them I will be as involved or uninvolved as you want me to be.”
Clawson connected with new Wake Forest Head Coach Jake Dickert, who referred to Clawson’s support during the transition process from coach to coach.
“I want to show my appreciation for Coach Clawson, He's shown me a tremendous amount of support throughout this process,” Dickert said. “It's easy to see the passion that he had for Wake Forest. He represents the best of Wake Forest, and you can really see that exemplified through his leadership. I’m truly honored to follow in his footsteps.”
While some of Clawson’s assistant coaches have found new homes, such as former safeties coach James Adams, who was announced in the same role for the Michigan State Spartans. Others, however, have not transitioned into new roles yet.
“The hardest part of this decision is the impact it's going to have on their lives, and for that reason, I wanted to try to keep going,” Clawson said. “The biggest hold up for me is that I know the impact it's going to have on a bunch of people that I care about.”
While Clawson has resigned from the head coach position, he will continue to serve Wake Forest, serving as Clawson will continue with Wake Forest University as Special Advisor to John Currie.
“I want this to be high impact, low volume, and I really hope I can find something outside of coaching that I find fulfilling,” Clawson said.
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Former Wake Forest Head Football Coach Dave Clawson spearheaded the most successful era of Wake Forest Football in decades.
Will Kunisaki/Old Gold & Black
Although Clawson experienced back-to-back 4-8 seasons, he leaves behind a legacy that includes a visit to the 2021 ACC Championship game.
Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black
Volleyball appoints Hulsmeyer to lead program
Coach’s success at Florida State, experience in ACC brings much-needed promise to Demon Deacons
BLAKE ROBISON Assistant Sports Editor
Wake Forest Volleyball has its new leader after naming Jeff Hulsmeyer as the new head coach of the Demon Deacons on Jan. 9.
“Hulsmeyer’s dedication to studentathlete development, combined with his expertise as a recruiter, tactician and trainer, along with his passion for the sport, make him an ideal leader for our program,” Vice President & Director of Athletics John Currie said via an online press release.
“Over the last several years, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has rapidly emerged as the premier collegiate volleyball conference in the country,” Currie added.
Prior to taking up the mantle in Winston-Salem, Jeff Hulsmeyer was the associate head coach of the Florida State Seminoles — an ACC foe. He spent ten years in Tallahassee but did not leave the program without success.
This past season, the Seminoles enjoyed their ninth-straight NCAA tournament appearance, boasting a 21-10 record. Additionally, they produced five 20-win seasons, as well as 12 All-Americans and 31 All-ACC selections during Hulsmeyer’s time at Florida State.
“We are well-positioned to build a consistently competitive volleyball program,” Currie said. “We believe Coach Hulsmeyer is the right person to lead Demon Deacons volleyball to its first-ever NCAA
tournament appearance and beyond.”
Hulsmeyer has over three decades of coaching experience at the collegiate level. He’s spent time at Western Kentucky, Arkansas State, Illinois, Purdue, Georgetown College, Kansas State and Florida State, all before calling Wake Forest home. Whilst at Purdue, he brought in the 11th-ranked national recruiting class in 2002.
“We had an exceptionally talented pool of candidates, but [Hulsmeyer] stood out throughout the process,” Deputy Athletic Director Lindsey Babcock said. “His professionalism, championship experience and vision for the program aligned seamlessly with Wake Forest’s values and aspirations. [Hulsmeyer] is the perfect choice to elevate our volleyball program to new heights.”
To some, Hulsmeyer doesn’t only tout success, but also possesses the quality of character that Wake Forest searched for.
“Wake Forest is getting a coach and family that have high character and great role models,” Florida State Head Volleyball Coach Chris Poole said. “Jeff has coached at the highest collegiate level and understands how to build a program.”
The move comes after Wake Forest Director of Athletics John Currie announced on Dec. 15 that Randi Smart had been relieved of her duties as Head Coach.
Despite leading the Demon Deacons to their first postseason appearance in 36 years with an invite to the 2022 National Invitational Volleyball Championship
(NIVC), Smart finished with a record of 77-88 overall (32-73 ACC). Wake Forest’s 2024 campaign (13-18) under Smart was their worst since 2020 (1-15).
Meanwhile Hulsmeyer is lauded as a coach that has consistently succeeded on the court, in the locker room and in bringing in recruits. His familiarity with the ACC bodes well for his ability to jmnavigate the fog of his first year at Varsity
Arena.
“I am honored and humbled to lead the Demon Deacons volleyball program,” Hulsmeyer said in a website post to Demon Deacon fans. “I’m committed to building a championship-caliber program that reflects the values of this exceptional institution.”
Contact Blake Robison at robiba24 @wfu.edu
Historic season ends in heartbreak for Women’s Soccer
WILL KUNISAKI Multimedia Director
No. 2 Wake Forest (16-4-4, 7-2-1 ACC) saw their season come to an end, falling 1-0 to No. 2 North Carolina (225-0, 7-3-0 ACC) in the national championship match at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.
The Demon Deacons appeared in control for most of the first half. They con-
trolled 62 percent of the possession and outshot the Tar Heels 5-to-1.
Senior forward Emily Murphy recorded the first shot attempt of the match in the ninth minute. Murphy pushed ahead in transition before firing a ball from long range which was saved by North Carolina goalkeeper Clare Gagne.
In the 14th minute, a crosser from senior midfielder Emily Morris found sophomore forward Sierra Sythe in the middle
of the box. A left-footed shot from Sythe was very close, but Gagne made a phenomenal save, diving to her right.
The Tar Heels had a prime opportunity in the 31st minute after they were awarded a penalty kick from distance. A beautiful entry pass sent sophomore goalkeeper Valentina Amaral sprinting out of the net to intercept the ball. Senior midfielder Emily Colton kicked it out of play at midfield, keeping the match scoreless. Murphy out-ran a North Carolina defender in the 34th minute and delivered a crosser to junior forward Caiya Hanks deep into the box. Hanks stretched out to make a play, but the pass was too far ahead. Murphy was visibly frustrated, standing frozen, hands over her face.
Early in the second half, the Tar Heels seemed more comfortable offensively. Amaral was forced into her only save of the match in the 55th minute and a few other attempts put pressure on the Wake Forest backline.
A tackle from sophomore midfielder Dempsey Brown drew a yellow card in the 62nd minute, resulting in a North Carolina penalty kick on the edge of the box. Forward Olivia Thomas curved the kick into the back of the net, mere inches from the fingertips of Amaral. The largely Carolina Blue crowd erupted as the Tar
Heels took a 1-0 lead.
Another yellow card was called in the 73rd minute this time in favor of Wake Forest. Senior defender Zara Chavoshi took the penalty kick from near the Demon Deacon bench, but the ball was caught by Gagne.
Unable to get clean looks on the goal, Wake Forest grew desperate as seconds ticked away. The Demon Deacons did not record a single shot on the frame in the second half. North Carolina flipped the script when they needed it most and earned their 23rd national title in program history.
Wake Forest led the ACC in yellow cards (33) and finished 4th in fouls per game (10.08). The Demon Deacons had been able to avoid the consequences of undisciplined play all year, but it ultimately caught up to them on the biggest stage.
Nevertheless, it should not take anything away from the historic season.
It was the Demon Deacons’ first-ever appearance in the national championship and their second trip to the College Cup. In addition, they were ranked as high as No. 2 in the regular season—the highest ranking in program history.
Contact Will Kunisaki at kuniwx23@wfu.edu
Photo Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
After an national search, former Florida State associate head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer has been appointed as the head volleyball coach.
Sierra Sythe (9) walks off the pitch after the final whistle, bringing an end to a historic season for Head Coach Tony da Luz’s program.
Will Kunisaki/Old Gold & Black
Men’s Basketball rallies in second half, defeats Tar Heels
Demon Deacons extend home winning streak to ten, remain undefeated at the Joel this season
BLAKE ROBISON Assistant Sports Editor
Wake Forest Men’s Basketball (15-4, 7-1 ACC) are all too familiar with sluggish starts and heroic endings. Their Tobacco Road rivalry against the North Carolina Tar Heels (12-8, 5-3 ACC) was no different. After a halftime transformation, the Demon Deacons downed the Tar Heels 67-66.
“I was really disappointed how we played offense in the first half. I don’t know if I’ve ever coached a game where we didn’t have any assists in the half,” Wake Forest Head Coach Steve Forbes said postgame. “We were launching, getting sped up. We just weren’t moving [the ball] well.”
Both teams struggled mightily in the first half. The Demon Deacons committed 13 fouls and 10 turnovers in the first frame, marks that represented totalgame measures (10 total turnovers against NC State, 12 fouls against Stanford). While the Tar Heels held a two-point lead at the half, they also committed 14 fouls and eight turnovers.
By the second half, both teams seemingly shook off the rust, consecutively trading buckets. Then, with just under 14 minutes left in the second half, Tre’Von Spillers (12 PTS, 9 REB) benefited off of a well-executed play, connecting on the team’s first three-point shot of the game. This proved to be a turning point, as the Demon Deacons went on a 12-0, including their second and final three from Ty-Laur Johnson (7 PTS, 2-5 FG).
“In the second half, we really came off the ball
well,” Forbes said. “[Our offense] had better flow, we cut, we kicked it opposite.”
Approaching the final five minutes, both crowds were rowdy, screaming their respective chants. The Demon Deacons proved resilient, going on another run (10-2). While the Tar Heels rallied late, they ultimately were unable to complete the comeback. With 23 seconds left, Wake Forest led 67-60. However, within the final 11 seconds, the Tar Heels hit backto-back threes to tighten the final score.
“They’re a very resilient, tight knit group that didn’t have their A game,” Forbes said. “You have to figure out how to win.”
Wake Forest flipped the script at halftime in regards to their shooting percentages, going from 29.6% in the first half to 50.0% in the second. On the box score, it was a well-rounded attack for the Demon Deacons, with four players going in double figures. Cameron Hildreth (20 PTS, 5-16 FG) had a teamhigh in points, while Hunter Sallis (14 PTS, 9 REB) scored in double digits for the eighth straight game.
“We want to win [these games], especially as seniors,” Hildreth said postgame. “We’ve got a great team- we trust each other, we believe in each other. We all have a great relationship with one another.”
Wake Forest will host the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils (16-2, 8-0 ACC) this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Tip-off is set to be broadcast on ESPN.
Contact Blake Robison at robiba24@wfu.edu
Walker Liggitt/Old Gold & Black
Hunter Sallis (23) and Tre’Von Spillers (45) tied with one another for a game-high in rebounds (9). The two also combined for 26 points.
Walker Liggitt/Old Gold & Black
Wake Forest Basketball celebrated its first of two Tie-Dye nights with a 67-66 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Screamin’ Demons look to continue that momentum against the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
ARTS & CULTURE
PAGE 18
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025
2025 Spring arts preview
LYDIA DERRIS Arts & Culture Editor
Theatre and Dance
The Wake Forest Theatre department and the student group, The Anthony Aston Players hosts a range of classic to contemporary productions. This semester, Shakespeare’s 17th century “The Tempest” will juxtapose Sarah Ruhl's “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” which first premiered in 2007.
These performances, brought to life by the ever talented cast and crew of the department, promise to captivate audiences with their unique blend of contemporary and classic storytelling. Additionally, audiences can look forward to the highly anticipated Faculty and Guest Dance concert, showcasing innovative choreography and compelling performances.
“Dead Man’s Cell Phone”
Directed by Brook Davis
February 7-8 & 13-15 at 7:30 pm
February 9 & 16 at 2:00 pm
Ring Theatre, Scales Fine Arts Center
“When Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone premiered in 2007, the play questioned our connections, our disconnections, and how our lives have changed as we navigate a piece of technology that follows us everywhere, all the time. In 2025, that examination is even more profound. After Jean answers and keeps answering a dead man’s cell phone, she stumbles into a complicated world of grand discoveries and adventure. Join us for a whimsical look at humanity, technology, and the lifealtering importance of a good bowl of lobster bisque.”
“The Tempest”
Directed by Michael Kamtman
April 4-5 & 10-12 at 7:30 pm
April 6 & 13 at 2:00 pm
Tedford Stage, Scales Fine Arts Center
derrlf23@wfu.edu
“Long ago and somewhere far away: A mighty storm. A shipwreck. An island. Fantastical creatures. A sorcerer and the sorcerer’s daughter. Magic. Love. Treachery and deception. Temptation. Disorientation. Hilarity. Power. Humanity. This is the trail of breadcrumbs that will lead us into the world of William Shakespeare’s last play..”
Spring Faculty and Guest Artist Dance Concert
April 24-26 at 7:30 pm
Tedford Stage, Scales Fine Arts Center
“The Spring Student Choreographic Concert will feature selected work by student choreographers under the direction of the Dance faculty. The Spring Concert gives WFU students the opportunity to present their choreography across a range of dance styles”
Music Events
Flute Fest
February 16 at 3:00 pm
Scales Fine Arts Center
WFU Wind Ensemble
February 25 at 7:30 pm
April 22 at 7:30 pm
Scales Fine Arts Center
Guest Artist Recital: Dr. Yevgeny Yontov, piano
March 18 at 7:30 pm
48th Annual Giles-Harris Music Competitions
March 22 at 10:00 am
Scales Fine Arts Center
Secrest Series: Thomas Dunford, lute
March 26 at 7:30 pm
Scales Fine Arts Center
WFU Choirs Concert
March 28 at 7:30 pm
April 28 at 7:30 pm
Scales Fine Arts Center
WFU Collegium Musicum and Gamelan Giri Murti Concert
April 15 at 7:30 pm
Scales Fine Arts Center
WFU Jazz Ensemble
April 24 at 7:30 pm
Scales Fine Arts Center
Literature
The English department maintains a rich tradition of hosting renowned writers and scholars to campus every semester. Dr. Judith Madera revealed that “both the Dillon Johnston Series events and Dean Family Speaker events are free and open to the public. Students are always welcomed and are encouraged to engage with our campus guests.”
Dean Family Speaker Series: Dr. David Sterling Brown
February 20 at 5:00 pm
ZSR 404
“We warmly encourage students to come out for this wonderful event with our speaker from Trinity College, Hartford, Dr. David Sterling Brown. Brown is an early modern and Shakespeare scholar who works in critical race theory. His recent book Shakespeare's White Others has received wide acclaim, and he's generously offered to share copies of this book with students. Brown will be hosted by Dr. Melissa Jenkins, whom many of you already know as a leading Victorianist. Student questions and feedback will take center stage.”
Dr. Therí Pickens in African American Studies
April 10 at 5:00 pm
ZSR 404
“Dr. Therí Pickens is a poet-scholar who will be reading from her debut poetry collection, "What Had Happened Was." Dr. Shanna Benjamin in African American Studies has made this event possible, and we're excited to support the visit. Pickens specializes in African American and Arab American literature and is a foundational scholar of Black disability studies.”
Dillion Johnston - Ezra Claytan DanielsAnnenburg Forum
April 17 at 5:30 pm Carswell Hall
Contact Lydia Derris at derrlf23@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Lydia Derris,
Grace Schuringa, schugh24@wfu.edu
The Wake Forest Theatre Department opened its fall season in 2024 with Cindy Genrich’s interpretation of “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940".
Isabella Parolini/Old Gold & Black
The musical "Urinetown" closed out the 20232024 season of Wake Forest University Theatre.
Isabella Parolini/Old Gold & Black
A weekend guide to Winston-Salem Itinerary
GRACE SCHURINGA Arts & Culture Editor
It’s Friday night in Winston-Salem. Burke Street is overrun with students bouncing between Gatsby’s Pub, Burke’s and Dive Bar. Conversations flow out of the doors of Mozelle’s and Joyner’s. Downtown is alive with laughter, animation and activity. When deciding on your itinerary the options are limitless, but with a little direction, you are assured an eventful weekend in the North Carolinian hub.
FOOD
Breakfast
Some may say that the soul of a town lies in its culinary experience, and the options here are limitless. Whether you want to splurge or save, Winston-Salem offers a diverse selection of restaurants, diners and cafés.
For a quality grab-and-go breakfast, begin your day at either Bobby Boy Bakeshop or Dough Joes. Both offer seasonal menus — the former as an array of pastries and the latter specializing in make-to-order donuts. With tables and couches available to customers, either spot could be enjoyed with a friend or a book.
Lunch
During your visit to Winston-Salem, you must experience the southern staple food: biscuits. With Krankie’s creative twist to this delicacy, the menu has something to offer everyone — all within a biscuit. Within 5 minutes of conquering the end-
additions for your next trip to WS
less line to order, you are assured a meal in front of you. Whether the Krankie’s Classic or Hangover Helper, their motto “Waking Up Winston” couldn’t ring truer.
For a more expansive menu, though a seat is less assured, Young Cardinal is the perfect spot for Sunday brunch. This walk-in-only serves all breakfast classics; if you are in the mood for sweet or savory, this diner has all of America’s breakfast favorites, including pitchers of mimosas.
Dinner
Mozelle’s is a renowned culinary experience located in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem. With a welcoming staff and beautiful atmosphere, the food is delicious and has generous proportions, however pricey. This not-so-hidden gem accepts reservations 90 days in advance — with outside tables available on a first-come firstserve basis — so be sure to claim your table the same time you’re booking your flight.
An equally memorable experience with more manageable pricing is Theodore's, located at Wake Forest’s Reynolda Village. The menu offers a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner sandwiches, each with a complimentary cup of creamy tomato soup. Situated within a charming antiquated structure with a selection of tables, couches and outdoor seating to choose from, this walk-inonly restaurant will bring a nostalgic dining experience.
ACTIVITIES
During the Day
Begin your day exploring the offerings
of downtown. With a selection of arts and thrift shops, Winston-Salem hosts a creative community. Meander along Trade and Liberty streets and allow yourself to be immersed in our rich Arts District. Whether handpicked or handmade, you are guaranteed an authentic experience when you purchase from one of the many small businesses.
Just an hour from the city, adventure lovers can enjoy a day trip to Sugar Mountain to ski or Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain to hike. Both are easily accessible, and the trails are marked. Here, you can take a picnic and enjoy an unparalleled view of North Carolina in its purest form.
If you’d rather spend your days indoors, venture to a/perature theater for an upscale cinematic experience. The privately owned business offers a diverse range of screenings, including local, national and international films covering a myriad of genres.
Late at Night
Whoever said New York was the city that never sleeps has not ventured into Winston-Salem. While the town can be seen in the daylight hours, one will not receive a comprehensive understanding of its appeal without wandering downtown past 8 p.m.
Spend an evening at The Ramkat, a twostory music establishment that brings in artists from all over the country. All ages are welcome to enjoy the music, only restricting those under 21+ from bar access. Regardless of age, though, sitting at a reasonably priced table upstairs or on the floor level within the crowd guarantees an immersive experience that will be the highlight of your trip.
Joyner’s Bar, located on the corner of Burke Street, requires ID at the door but offers a range of non-alcoholic beverages and cocktails. The dark booths are complete with games for friends to enjoy while sipping on beverages.
Just down the way are Dive Bar, Gatsby’s Pub and Burke Street. (21+), each with unique offerings for their customers. Whether in the mood for billiards, video games or karaoke, Burke Street is a perfect way to end the night.
Contact Grace Schuringa at schugh24@wfu.edu
Something complete I'd rather unknow Timothée Chalamet fails to be 'all right all of the time' in Bob Dylan bopic
LYDIA DERRIS Arts & Culture Editor
There are more than just a few moments in “A Complete Unknown” where it seems like the theater stops playing the film and instead begins to scroll through my Spotify playlist for 140 minutes. The music, however, was probably the most enjoyable aspect of the film.
Timothée Chalamet braves an attempt to slip into the skin of the ever-mutable Bob Dylan, but ultimately fails, coming off as far too pedestrian and dare I say –– a bit creepy. Chalamet achieves the snarky condescension that Dylan is often known for but delivers it with an all-too-nasally tone accompanied by a psychopath-esque blank stare.
What sells Dylan as a star and genius is his capacity to command and endear a room, no matter how many fans critique him or how resistant they are to his folkturned-rock and-roll repertoire revolution. The magnificence of Bob Dylan is that he is every man for no man in particular – messiah, minstrel, masochist, Judas.
Chalamet is a talented actor, and I believe he does all that he possibly can to embody the inimitable mythos of Dylan. At first glance, it seems as though Chalamet would be just the right man for the job. He’s an actor who has assumed many
personas, from the naive tender feverishness of Elio in “Call Me by Your Name” to the brooding and dark Paul Atreides in “Dune.”
However, there’s something Mangold was unable to calculate — which is the ungraspable ineffable essence that fails to define Bob Dylan.
I watched the film for the first time on Christmas Day at the Angelika Theater in the West Village, the same neighborhood in which Dylan arrives in New York in the film's opening scene. From its inception, the film is already conniving to be artistic, as bright-eyed Bob is gliding through the boho fairyland of the Greenwich Village, where creatives tinker and dally. The scene is very overtly puppeteered and mechanized to fire the neurons of nostalgia. The narrative picks up when Bob starts trudging from dive bar to dive bar and makes the city his own. He makes acquaintance with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) a young and wintry fawn-gaited woman of woe that is juxtaposed against the smoldering warmth of Joan Baez (Moncia Barbaro), who is already rolling in her own fame when she meets Dylan. These two women undulate in and out of Dylan's sphere, to both of their great dismay. In the film, Baez is depicted as a woman with great spurn toward Dylan, as he seems to grasp at and desire her title. Russo is a stand-in for Dylan’s ex, Suze
Rotolo, that’s seen snuggling up close to him on the cover of, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.”
The theater was packed and it became very obvious that director, James Mangold, was tasked with not just filming a biopic, but a box office holiday blowout. His direction of the film is chock-full of twee inaccuracies in the historical events that unfold. The film seems to be stilted on a very loose understanding and single run-through of the major preceding Dylan documentaries, notably Scorcese’s “No Direction Home” and Pennebaker’s “Bob Dylan: Don’t Look Back.”
Various misrepresentations such as the songs played at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival and Joan Didion’s stage presence with him suggest that this film was more concerned with screen tests and audience enjoyment than real-life depiction.
“A Complete Unknown” certainly isn’t going to satiate any Bob Dylan idealists who went to the theater for a perfect hagiography of the great icons and events of Bob Dylan’s life. But as a story of rebellion against grassroots folk, Antonioniesque parties of suffocating isolation, the film is all in all enjoyable. Those that want to suck Dylan’s soul and reap the fruits of his mind are bad, but they will never surmount the antagonism Bob feels toward Pete Seeger (Ed Norton) and the dogmatic folkies.
Dylan’s genius is unknowable along with his backstory, which Dylan believes is something that people should make up because they can be whoever you want them to be at the moment. This is just hinted at with a nod to Dylan’s surname, Zimmerman. Dylan could be God or nobody, or he could very well be both, the film shows us that sometimes there’s nothing more endearing or attractive than someone we will never truly know.
Contact Lydia Derris at derrlf23@wfu.edu
Grace Schuringa/Old Gold & Black Frenzied shot of an electric performance by Houndmouth at the Ramkat.
Photo courtesy of
The Crossword
EVAN LIPETZ Staff Cruciverbalist
1. Land of the Amazon
Birthplace of Shakira
Home to the Alps
Old family keepsake
Southwest African nation
Pressing marks 19. Golf ball support
Friend, informally
Principle of “truth” in Hinduism 23. Rifle org. 26. Consent
Island state of AUS
Marking on a Zebra
Pork source
Multinational power supplier 35. Banking abbr.
Old video player
Sun-kissed 40. Lake Titicaca’s home country 42. Long period of time 43. Beer style 44. Covering for a container (2 words)
45. Equally distributed
48. Pre-doctoral coursework 49. Old internet service provider
52. Card with a singular symbol
Light in Spanish 55. Famous Radiohead song 58. Internet link 60. Alien spacecraft 63. Unexpected mishap 65. Stomach sores 68. Maintain in its original state
69. Aristocrats
70. South American landlocked nation
71. Home of the Kaieteur Falls
1. Rhythm in music
2. Ancient Norse symbol
3. Tango’s birthplace
4. Animal park
5. T20 cricket tournament in India
6. Bound forward
7. Long and skinny nation
8. Car parts supplier abbr.
9. Part of the body used for kissing
10. Odd in Scotland
11. Master of Letters abbr.
12. Hebrew name meaning “God is gracious”
13. Tiny amounts
14. Mornings, for short
21. Affirmative vote
24. Full price for a product abbr.
25. Car safety feature
27. Streetwise hustler
29. Break suddenly
30. Harbor town in Southern England
32. More cold
33. Small, loose stones
34. Bladder infection, for short
35. Halfway through, informally
36. Land of Bolívar
37. Chilly or frosty
38. Gastric bypass abbr.
41. Type of large, flat bean
46. Large flightless bird
48. For each
49. Ghanaian capital
50. To press a gift upon in French
51. Variant of the name “Lisa”
53. An adorable person
56. European Diabetes Epidemiology Group abbr.
57. Andean nation
59. Breathing organ
61. Close companion, slang
62. Bones
63. iPhone store to download new programs
64. Steps that take time w/ no additional value
66. Cindy from “The Grinch”
67. Carboy abbr.
Contact Evan Lipetz at lipeek22@wfu.edu
Office Haikus
“Tea Time”
By Lydia Derris
One CPR please Working on you in the lib To go, I sip
“Snowqueen of Texas” By Caroline Khalaf
I am from Texas. The snow seemed like fun at first. Now I am just done.
“Editor’s lament” by Mia Springer
On Monday I am busy, Ed board meets, I am in bed I’m sorry to Ella Klein
“The disappointing Irish”
By Nick Costantino
National Champions Notre Dame? Ohio State Not surprising, Will
“Help Wanted”
By Maria Silveira
Third semester as News editor, here we go We need writers…help!
“Guilt”
By Skyler Villamar-Jones
Dinner at the pit
A broken pepper grinder
Andrew is to blame
“Blame”
By Andrew Braun
Skyler dropped pepper
In front of laughing freshman
She knows the truth
“Truth”
By Ella Klein
I was there when the Pepper broke. They both did it. The freshman did laugh
“Public enemies of Luter res. hall”
By Miriam Fabrycky
Shower steam, hairspray
Aerosol cans, microwaves
Curlers: count your days
“Bye help”
By Sophie Chan
I can’t write haikus. I fear I’m not good at this, Here is my haiku.