246 Wake Forest student ballots contested in NC Supreme Court Election
NICK COSTANTINO City & State Editor
Jefferson Griffin, in his attempt to win a seat on the NC Supreme Court, is contesting thousands of ballots in North Carolina — including the ballots of 246 Wake Forest students.
The Republican candidate is running in opposition to Democratic candidate Allison Riggs, for a seat in the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Every past election in the United States, including presidential races or the last election for the House of Representatives, has been certified — except this one. 5,540,900 residents of North Carolina cast ballots and after multiple recounts, Riggs won by 734 votes.
On Nov. 19, 2024, Griffin requested a recount of the race, which reaffirmed Riggs’ win on Dec. 3. The next day Griffin filed a series of election protests, challenging over 60,000 ballots cast in the race.
According to a website called the Griffin List, “all voters on the [list] showed an ID to vote,” as required by North Carolina state law.
This race is similar to the Supreme Court election between former Chief Justice Cheri Beasley and current Chief Justice Paul Newby, where Newby beat Beasley by 401 votes. However, that election was not challenged in the courts after a recount.
Griffin’s claims
Griffin is not claiming voter fraud, or that voters did not follow the proper rules while voting. His argument, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, is that certain voting processes were not fixed before the election, and thus those votes are not valid and should not be counted.
He claims that the State Board of Elections has been breaking state election law for decades by not requiring voters to provide a driver’s license or social security number while registering. While some voters failed to provide their driver’s license or social security number while registering, they are required to show a form of identification at the voting booth per state law.
A dangerous precedent
According to Melissa Price Kromm, executive director of North Carolina For the People Action, “Everyone is looking at Trump and saying he’s the death of our democracy, but this case could actually be it.”
Riggs, in her statement before the court, said that ruling in favor of Griffin would set a dangerous precedent for all future elections, whether in North Carolina or any other state or federal election.
“Rather than suing before an election to challenge rules they do not believe are valid, candidates will have an incentive to say nothing and wait to see if they win,” Riggs said in a court document. “Then if they lose, they will drag out elections through litigation for months, seeking to throw out votes until they win.”
According to Western Carolina University political science Professor Christopher Cooper, “Democrats were more than four times as likely to have their votes challenged as Republicans.”
In a brief filed last week, Griffin “encouraged the court to stop checking ballots once the outcome flips in his favor.”
In an amicus brief filed with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on Jan. 22, “eight prominent scholars who study democratic backsliding characterized Griffin’s efforts as “no ordinary legal dispute” but rather a dramatic escalation of democratic backsliding in North Carolina.”
However, according to three other Republican justices on the North Carolina Supreme Court, Griffin is not seeking to disenfranchise voters, and has a “right to ensure that only lawful votes are counted and that the result of the election is accurate.”
Winston-Salem ballots
According to Hunniya Ahmad, the 3rd vice chair of the Forsyth County Democratic Party (FCDP) and a student at Wake Forest, “[Griffin’s claim is] an attack on the involvement of someone in the process of democracy and is a crack in the foundation of democracy itself –– there is no more democracy if we can pick and choose who participates.”
Ahmad also said the FCDP is working with leaders in Forsyth County and the larger North Carolina Democratic Party to spread awareness, hoping residents will fight back.
“It does not matter what party you are from, what belief you hold because what unifies this country is the strong be-
lief in democracy,” Ahmad said. “The day we lose that core tenant of America, we fall down a slippery slope of injustice and inequity,”
The Wake Forest community’s reaction
After Griffin challenged the ballots, Professor Sarah Mason, a mathematics professor at Wake Forest, reached out to students to inform them that their ballots were contested.
Mason reached out because when she saw the list with multiple former and current students, she knew she needed to do something to help resolve the issue. She cited a website from the North Carolina Board of Elections with instructions for voters whose ballots were contested, underlining how students may not know who to contact in this situation.
According to the President of the Wake Forest College Democrats Caleb Pembele, people must not lose sight of the bigger picture and that the sharp partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans threatens democratic processes.
Moving forward, the case will be heard in state court, according to a ruling by the U.S. Fourth Circuit, but could still be challenged in federal court, depending on the ruling by the Wake County Superior Court.
Riggs warned North Carolinians of what would happen if the courts ruled in favor of Griffin.
“Never again will North Carolina voters walk out of the voting booths knowing that their votes will count, and the court system will be flooded with lawsuits after every election seeking to challenge votes all over the State,” said Riggs.
Jefferson Griffin (left) is the Republican candidate who is contesting the election for NC Supreme Court against Allison Riggs (right), the Democratic candidate.
Oliver Hale/Old Gold & Black
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Holocaust survivor speaks for International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Shelly Weiner gives a
MARIA SILVEIRA & CAROLINE KHALAF News Editors
By the time she was seven years old, Shelly Weiner had lived in a ghetto, lost a majority of her loved ones, been struck by shrapnel and hid underground for 28 months. The Holocaust survivor spoke to a packed room of Wake Forest University students about her early childhood experiences hiding from the Nazi regime.
The event, held on Jan. 29 in ZSR Auditorium, was in recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This is the first event of a series entitled, “Israel Through Different Lenses,” hosted by Wake Forest Chabad and Hillel.
The event was moderated by Isabelle Laxer, president of Chabad and an intern in the Office of Jewish Life, who asked Weiner several questions about her life and the antisemitism she faced at a young age. While Weiner now resides in Greensboro, N.C., she was born in Rovno (currently known as Rivne), Ukraine where her ancestors lived since the 1600s. Weiner described her life before the Holocaust as full of happy family memories.
“I do remember those days, and I was spoiled,” Weiner said. “I had a nice life being the first girl, the first child to my parents, having lots of cousins, aunts and uncles. It was a happy time.”
Weiner explained that her life completely changed in September 1941 when the Nazis entered her town. The rise of the German Nazi Party in 1933 ultimately led to the persecution and murder of six million Jewish Europeans.
Weiner shared her early memories of Jewish people being forced to wear a yellow Star of David, the men in her town being sent to labor camps and her family’s attempt to remain hidden. She also recalled part of her
talk for
the first “Israel Through Different Lenses” series
hometown transforming into a ghetto, or an enclosed district to separate Jews from nonJews, and the majority of her family being killed there.
“They separated the men and the women,” Weiner said. “I was in a room with 20 strangers. My mother would have to go out to work in a factory for the Germans, and it was very frightening.”
Weiner, along with her mother, aunt and cousin, hid in a neighbor’s barn after escaping from their ghetto until the Nazis discovered their hiding place.
“I was probably five, and my cousin was six at the time,” Weiner said. “For some reason, I don’t know what came over us, but we started crying and begging our mothers to not go down quietly […]. We convinced [the mothers] to run out through the backdoor and let them chase us.”
After Weiner and her family initially escaped, the four hid in a wheat field for three days until the same neighbor dug a hole underground as a place for the family to hide. The four hid underground for 28 months.
“It was a lot worse than the barn,” Weiner said. “It was dark, it was damp, the mice were bigger and there was just straw on the ground.”
After being liberated by the Ukrainian Army in February 1944, Weiner and her family moved back to her mother’s original house. Following the end of the war her family relocated to Poland, and later to a displaced persons camp in the American zone of Germany.
“For me, it was freedom,” Weiner said. “I could go outside and play, I had friends, I had a ball – my first toy. We lived in one room, but it was still much better than what we had experienced before.”
Through the Red Cross, Weiner’s father connected with family members living in New York and Philadelphia. In 1949, as a
12-year-old girl entering seventh grade, Weiner and her family moved to the United States with the help of their relatives. Weiner briefly discussed her work as a Holocaust educator based in Greensboro. She explained the value and importance of learning about this historical moment in time.
“I feel that it is important for young people to know the history of the Holocaust, so that it doesn’t happen again,” Weiner said.
Laxer asked the speaker what Israel meant to her. Weiner expressed her pride in the state of Israel and its accomplishments. She described the evolution of these accomplishments as a miracle. While she said she does not want to discuss the politics of the current Israel-Hamas war, she expressed her overall feelings against war due to her past.
“It’s a safe haven for my children,” Weiner said. “I know that the Holocaust could happen here and who are they going to pick on first, the blacks and the Jews. I want, for my children and grandchildren, to have a safe country to go to.”
To conclude the moderated portion of the event Laxer asked Weiner if she had any advice for young Jews and allies who face modern antisemitism.
“You need to speak up, you can not hide, not after the Holocaust, absolutely not,” Weiner said. “I believe that young Jews should be strong as they are and not be ashamed. That’s the most important thing. Speak up for yourself. ”
Laxer told the Old Gold & Black that what inspires her the most is Weiner’s strength.
“We can’t have another Holocaust or persecution of the Jewish people, and I think her message, when antisemitism is skyrocketing, is all the more important and relevant today,” Laxer said.
Following the moderated portion of the event, Laxer invited questions from the audi-
POLICE BEAT
ence. Three students asked questions regarding Weiner’s’ reaction to Hamas’ surprise attack in Israel on Oct. 7 igniting the recent war, the Jewish members of her original Ukrainian community and how she feels about the rise of antisemitism on college campuses. Weiner urged students to stay as educated as possible in the face of antisemitism.
“I know that it is very difficult on college campuses,” Weiner said. “I think that the best thing for you is to be well-educated.”
President of Hillel Cara Gosin emphasized the importance of Holocaust Remembrance Day in an interview with the Old Gold & Black.
“With everything going on in the world and two very divided nations, we wanted to commemorate this holiday and the importance of it,” Gosin said.
Sophomore attendee Katie Adamson emphasized the idea that opportunities to hear firsthand accounts of Holocaust survivors are becoming rarer.
“This is the last generation, she was four, there’s nobody else that remembers anything, so I think that if there’s an opportunity to hear somebody talk about it now’s the best time,” Adamson said.
Freshman attendee Hayden Liberty explained that she decided to attend the speaker event due to the rise in antisemitism and the importance of hearing personal testimonies live.
“It’s more important to hear it live than to read it from a textbook or see it online,” Liberty said. “I think you just get such a deeper meaning when you hear the real stories. At [Wake Forest] there are so many great opportunities, and I think this is such a crucial opportunity to attend.”
Contact Caroline Khalaf & Maria Silveira at khalca23@wfu.edu & silvmt23@wfu.edu
• An unknown individual entered someone’s vehicle near Deacon Place Apartments and rummaged through their glove box. This report was filed at 8:09 a.m. on Jan. 27.
• An unknown individual entered someone’s vehicle near Deacon Place Apartments and rummaged through their glove box. Approximately $25 to $30 was taken from the center console. This report was filed at 2:01 p.m. on Jan. 28.
• An unknown individual stole someone’s trek mountain bike from outside their residence near University Parkway. This report was filed at 11:01 a.m. on Jan. 29.
• An individual walked into another student’s room in Taylor Hall and was found to be sleeping in their bed. The student also defecated on the rug in the individual’s room. They were checked by Student ERT’s and Forsyth County EMS Unit 42 and allowed to stay in their room. This report was filed at 2:38 a.m. on Feb. 1.
The speaker event was hosted by Wake Forest Chabad and Hillel as the first part of the “Israel Through Different Lenses” series on Jan. 29.
Courtesy of Druv Patel
Sophomore attendee Katie Adamson emphasized that opportunities to hear firsthand accounts of Holocaust survivors are becoming rarer.
Courtesy of Druv Patel
Update: Former IDF soldier’s talk canceled
A controversial talk slated for Feb. 11. was canceled after the Office of the Chaplain withdrew funding
ELLA KLEIN Editor-in-Chief
Earlier this week, controversy surrounded a slated talk by a former Israeli Defense Forces soldier — the event has now been canceled.
Sam Fried, an American-born IDF soldier, was invited by Jewish Life to speak on Feb. 11., in an event titled, “An Evening of Conversation: The Story of One American IDF Soldier.”
Chris Donald, the Wake Forest University Chaplain, confirmed the talk has been canceled.
“The intention for this event was to facilitate meaningful dialogue on the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Donald said in a statement to the Old Gold & Black. “However, after careful consideration of recent discussions and the online interactions, it was determined that this event would not meet those objectives.”
Three Wake Forest professors wrote in protest of the speaker to the Old Gold & Black late last week. WFU Free Palestine, a pro-Palestinian activism group previously involved with an on-campus encampment last spring, also protested the speaker via social media.
Dean J. Franco, Winifred W. Palmer Professor in Literature, Bar -
ry Trachtenberg, Rubin Presidential Chair of Jewish History and Mir Yarfitz, Associate Professor of History also wrote an open letter to Wake Forward. The professors urged Wake Forest community members to write to the university administration in protest of the event.
In their letter, the three professors pointed to the date of the event, as Feb. 11 marks the first anniversary of the Israeli airstrikes on Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip.
“We are especially troubled by the timing: scheduling this talk on Feb. 11, a date that marks the anniversary of devastating Palestinian casualties in Rafah, demonstrates either a disturbing lack of awareness or a callous disregard for many members of our university community.” the professors said.
Previously, the university canceled a talk by a Palestinian scholar, Rabab Abdulhadi, that was scheduled for Oct. 7., the one-year anniversary of Hama’s surprise attack on Israeli towns in the Gaza Strip. Though the event was canceled, organizers, including Tratchenberg and WFU Free Palestine, held the talk without university funding at a church off-campus.
According to Donald, the Office of Student Engagement worked with
The Office of the Chaplain confirmed the controversial talk which was slated for Feb. 11. has been canceled.
the student organizations involved to find an alternative option for hosting Fried’s talk. The organizations decided not to move forward with further planning of the speaker event.
Regarding the cancellation of Abdulhadi’s talk, President Susan Wente and Provost Michele Gillespie announced that any event would be canceled if it
“is inherently contentious and stands to stoke division in our campus community.”
At the time of publication, the Office of Jewish Life and Sam Fried did not respond for comment.
Contact Ella Klein at kleiek22@wfu.edu
Students react to TikTok ban and reinstatement
JILL YODER Contributing Writer
On the evening of Jan. 18, TikTok went dark for users across the United States, becoming the first social media platform to be banned in the U.S. from public use. After a week of influencer goodbye videos and frantically saving drafts, the app restarted the next afternoon, only about 12 hours after it went dark.
On Apr. 24, 2024, former President Joe Biden signed legislation stating that ByteDance, the parent company to TikTok, must sell TikTok to a U.S. owner by Jan. 19, 2025, to avert the ban. This legislation was created in response to concerns about the company’s links to the Chinese government. On Jan. 18, the platform had yet to be sold, resulting in the app shutting down several hours before the ban would officially take effect.
The app showed a message to users that read, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.” The app was also removed from Apple and Google’s U.S. app stores.
TikTok has 170 million monthly users in the U.S., many of whom are part of Generation Z. As a generation raised among the ever-growing presence of technology and a digital world, social media is a familiar lens through
which young adults interact with and understand the world. TikTok provides a variety of entertainment, news, education and community to users.
First-year Anne Shannon believes TikTok’s role as a news source is important to Gen Z.
“I feel like Gen Z depends on TikTok as their main source of news and information,” Shannon said. “With the constantly decreasing attention spans of our generation, it’s easier to watch a 60-second video while doomscrolling than it is to read and sort through articles online.”
Biden stated that he would leave the issue of the ban to President Donald Trump once inaugurated. Early the morning of Jan. 19, Trump said that following his inauguration the next day, he would issue an executive order to delay the enforcement of the law. Trump’s statement allowed TikTik to restore user access before the executive order was signed the following day.
TikTok reopened later that afternoon, welcoming users back with the message, “Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
While this reinstatement is not permanent, Trump is expected to give ByteDance more time to find an American owner.
While this comes as a relief to millions of American TikTok users, stu -
ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, was ordered to sell the company to a U.S. owner or face a ban.
dents have differing opinions on the long-term effects of a TikTok ban on their generation.
“I honestly don’t think Gen Z would be that affected in the long run,” Shannon said. “They would just turn to other apps like Instagram Reels or Youtube Shorts.”
For first-year Sylvie Brekke, the TikTok ban came as a surprise and prompted concern about government
control.
“It felt like an infringement of free speech,” Brekke said. “I was surprised to see the point we have come to in our country. I don’t use TikTok much, so I wasn’t worried about not having access as much as others were. I was more worried about the principle behind it being banned.”
Contact Jill Yoder at yodejs24@wfu.edu
Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
CITY & STATE
Nick Costantino, costnp24@wfu.edu
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2025
Unity among division: a bipartisan approach to North Carolina’s politics
Democrats and Republican find agreement in hurricane relief and educational reforms
MALCOLM BROWN Staff Writer
Today’s political climate is filled with division and disagreement — and North Carolina is no exception. Generally considered a swing state, North Carolina has elected a president and governor of two different parties in eight of the last 15 elections. Despite partisan division that prevails throughout the state, both Democrats and Republicans have found common ground in the first month of their terms.
Josh Stein was sworn in as the 76th governor of North Carolina after defeating controversial Republican candidate Mark Robinson in the 2024 election. Along with his victory, Democrats won the statewide offices for lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and state superintendent.
After securing a landslide victory of nearly 15 points against Robinson, Stein is in a pivotal position to carry out the promises he shared while on the campaign trail.
Outside the executive branch Democrats will have to balance power with their Republican counterparts, who hold 30 seats compared to Democrats’ 20 seats in the senate and 72 seats compared to Democrats’ 48 in the state house.
Notably, Republicans lost the supermajority in the state legislature after Democrats won a critical seat near Raleigh this past election. Therefore, Republicans cannot veto what the Stein Administration signs into law, in contrast to the power they held during the latter end of the Cooper Administration. Republicans were granted a supermajority in the spring of 2023 when North Carolina Democrat Tricia Cotham switched her party affiliation to Republican.
Due to the nature of the legislative branch, the Democratic and Republican agendas in the next two years will be difficult to implement at best. Lacking a supermajority, Republicans will need to work with Democrats if they want to influence the legislative agenda for the foreseeable future — and they seem willing in two key areas.
Hurricane Helene relief efforts
During Stein’s inaugural address, he said his priority was to continue Hurricane Helene relief efforts. He noted his first executive orders accelerated hurricane relief efforts through the purchase of up to 1,000 temporary housing units for victims of Hurricane Helene.
“We must overcome the unprecedented storm that ravaged our state and the everyday struggles that impact our neighbors, and we will,” he stated.
North Carolina Republicans seem to be united in these efforts, as well. Newly elected general assembly Speaker of the House and Republican Destin Hall stated in his first address to the legislature, “No question, Western North Carolina storm relief. It’s the most urgent need that we have. We’re going to get to it very quickly.”
Hall also argued for a mini-budget bill that “get[s] people back in their homes, rebuild[s] homes and, most importantly, avoid[s] a lot of the mistakes that we saw in eastern North Carolina, where folks are still not back in their homes eight years later.”
Stein’s action to prioritize relief efforts and Hall’s commitment to address the urgent needs of storm victims underscore a unified approach between the two parties. This bipartisan collaboration allows Hurricane Helene relief efforts to continue in the upcoming years, unaffected by partisan agendas.
Education system efforts
In his inaugural address, Stein also stated that he plans to improve the educational system in North Carolina. The Education Law Center, an organization dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for all North Carolina students, found that the state ranks 48th in per-pupil funding and
42nd in teacher pay. Stein’s speech outlined giving teacher raises, additional public school funding and enhanced career education and apprenticeship programs.
A notable absence in his list of educational reforms was private school vouchers, which has been a polarizing issue for North Carolina politicians. Just before the election, Stein suggested that much of North Carolina’s funding went to private school vouchers and that the program eats the public education budget and hurts rural school systems. His statement referenced a recent bill passed by the Republican legislature last November that funded the state’s private school voucher program.
Hall has similarly outlined the need to invest in the education system, both the K-12 and UNC systems. He outlined incentivizing new teachers, increasing parent involvement in schools and spending money on school safety.
Notably absent was a mention of school vouchers, though Hall was a primary sponsor of the Republican voucher program implemented in November.
With low rankings in funding and teacher pay, both the Stein Administration and the Republican-controlled state legislature want to improve the current education system. Although both sides disagree on which parts of the education system should be most heavily supported, they both appear to focus on issues that have levels of bipartisan support, rather than policies like school vouchers that are more contentious.
North Carolina’s political future is defined by the competing interests of the Stein Administration and the Republican-controlled legislature. While issues like school vouchers highlight deep divisions over priorities and approaches, bipartisan cooperation appears to be at the forefront.
Contact Malcolm Brown at browmd24@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
In the upcoming Stein administration, both Democrats and Republicans seek to work together to solve North Carolina’s pressing issues.
Trump admin. sued over citizenship order
Democratic lawmakers and state officials find fault over new Trump policies
MIRIAM FABRYCKY Features Editor
Attorney General Jeff Jackson has gained support from North Carolina, as well as over 20 other Democratic-led states, two cities and several advocacy groups, to sue President Donald Trump over his recently issued executive order.
The executive order, titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” could prevent children born to undocumented immigrant parents in the United States after Feb. 19, 2025 from receiving citizenship.
For over a century, birthright citizenship has been a constitutional mandate under the 14th Amendment, including for children of migrants, with extremely limited exceptions.
As of Wednesday, Feb. 4, a federal judge has indefinitely blocked the implementation of the executive order, but Trump’s bold steps make it unclear where the courts will limit Trump’s power— and if he will adhere to such.
Trump's anti-immigration history
The executive order was one of the first policy changes issued by Trump’s administration since his inauguration and is just one component of Trump's multipronged effort to curb immigration.
Since his first successful campaign in the 2016 presidential election, when he led chants supporting the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, the question of immigration has loomed
large over Trump’s political career. Both the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee said they wanted to “SEAL THE BORDER AND STOP THE MIGRANT INVASION” in their respective platforms for 2024.
Since assuming office for a second term just two weeks ago, Trump has already taken sweeping actions to both crack down on unauthorized immigration and erode existing pathways for legal immigration. These strategies have so far included:
Halting new arrivals of refugees, which has affected 10,000 candidates seeking asylum who had already been vetted and cleared for resettlement.
Blocking federal funding for resettlement programs, including for World Relief Triad, the organization that supports refugees in Winston-Salem and High Point.
Deploying 1,500 active-duty troops to patrol the southern border to prevent unauthorized crossings.
Canceling scheduled appointments for those seeking asylum at the southern border.
Authorizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to increase arrests of undocumented immigrants, including by eliminating the agency’s precedent of avoiding operations in “sensitive areas” including schools, hospitals and places of worship.
Ending Temporary Protected Status for 300,000 Venezuelan emigrants. The federal government had previously shielded these individuals from repatriation due to the current political, economic and hu-
manitarian crises in Venezuela.
Planning to expand the use of facilities at Guantanamo Bay to detain undocumented migrants. The controversial U.S. naval base in Cuba is best known for the ongoing incarceration of suspected terrorists without charge or conviction.
Trump typically identifies immigrants with criminal records as the main targets of his anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies. Supporters point to high-profile crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, most notably the murder of Laken Riley. In February 2024, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant assaulted and killed Riley, who was a student at the University of Georgia. Despite evidence that immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than citizens, Riley’s death and similar cases have become rallying cries to tighten restrictions.
Others raise the question of strained public resources. Since the largest wave of immigration in American history began in 2021, major cities and smaller towns alike have struggled to meet the needs of their new residents.
The state of immigrant communities in Winston-Salem and North Carolina
The future legal status of unborn children who would have been considered citizens under previous precedent is increasingly unclear. The attorneys general noted in their lawsuit that these children will be vulnerable to deportation and statelessness.
The Trump administration’s campaigns
could have serious effects in North Carolina. An estimated 325,000 undocumented immigrants reside throughout the state, around 37% of North Carolina’s total foreign-born population. No ICE raids have been reported in the Piedmont Triad so far since Trump’s inauguration, but many who work with local immigrant communities fear that enforcement stings may come to the area soon.
In response to mounting worries among immigrant families, Guilford County Schools and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools have both reassured parents that the districts do not collect information about students’ immigration statuses. They also emphasized that ICE officers are not permitted in educational facilities without a valid federal warrant.
Considering institutions of higher education, an estimated 8,010 undocumented students attend colleges and universities in North Carolina. Wake Forest’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion website states that the University works with undocumented students “to ensure that they are able to continue their studies,” including by protecting private information and offering institutional financial support to those who are ineligible for federal student aid.
The Office of Academic Advising, Scholars Office, Intercultural Center, University Counseling Center and Office of the Chaplain stated they are also prepared to be resources for undocumented Wake Forest students.
Contact Miriam Fabrycky at fabrml24@wfu.edu
Short-lived, far-reaching: Trump's aid freeze
MALCOLM BROWN Staff Writer
On Jan. 27, many college students, faculty and universities woke up to learn that the White House Budget Office ordered a pause on grants, loans and other federal financial assistance. This effort was a part of the Trump administration’s goal to reduce federal spending, since “of the nearly $10 trillion the federal government spent, more than $3 trillion was federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans.”
This means the federal aid that many students use to fund their education could be delayed or altered based on Trump’s priorities. The memo states that “this memorandum requires federal agencies to identify and review all federal financial assistance programs [...] consistent with the president's policies and requirements.”
The National Center for Education Statistics shared in a 2023 press release that nearly 55% of all undergraduate students in the United States receive federal student aid, with an average aid package of $8700 — double the amount of state aid the average student receives.
According to UnviStats, at Wake Forest during the 2021-2022 school year, approximately 42% of students receive federal, state, local, institutional or other
Trump's brief freeze on federal aid caused widespread uncertainty, impacting students and universities nationwide.
grant aid with 9% receiving Pell Grants and 16% receiving federal student loans.
Notably, the Trump administration stated that the freeze would not impact federal assistance programs for individuals, including social security, medicare, food stamps, student loans and scholarships. However, the administration stated that a pause is necessary to align funding for other programs based on Trump's executive orders.
Students, faculty and universities are concerned about the implications for their institutions. In addition, the lack of specificity and detail in the memo left
many confused about the ramifications of the freeze.
At the University of North Carolina, administrators emailed the entire campus urging patience until decisions can be confirmed directly by federal agencies.
Wake Forest’s Financial Aid Office, attempting to reassure concerned students, sent out an announcement that read, “The Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Veterans Affairs have confirmed that neither federal student aid nor veterans education benefits payments are included in
any of the presidential executive orders to temporarily pause federal financial assistance programs.”
Aissa Canchola Bañez, a policy director at the Student Borrower Protection Center, which eliminates the burden of student debt for millions of Americans stated that “any kind of freeze to federal financial aid across the board is incredibly harmful to working families just trying to pay for college.”
Amid widespread confusion surrounding the memo and speculation of its devastating consequences, the Trump administration rescinded it less than two days after its release. This decision came largely in response to a federal judge blocking the memo after issuing a preliminary injunction just minutes before it was set to take effect, stating the need to “preserve the status quo while the court considers the merits of the case.”
While the freeze was short-lived, the backlash it received highlights the role of federal aid in higher education. As the Trump administration moves forward, this incident highlights the challenges of implementing its agenda while balancing the concerns of the millions of Americans affected by its decisions.
Contact Malcolm Brown at browmd24@wfu.edu
Courtesy of the Associated Press
FEATURES
Alexandra Meier, meieam22@wfu.edu
Miriam Fabrycky, fabrml24@wfu.edu
PAGE 7
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2025
Q&A with “Pit marathon guy” Cole Bray
600 laps and 26.2 miles: the fantasy football loser who went viral
ALEXANDRA MEIER Features Editor
Cole Bray is a sophomore from Lexington, Ky., majoring in Finance. He gained media attention when his friend Chris Ellis (‘27) posted a viral TikTok video of Bray walking a marathon in the Pit, Wake Forest’s dining hall, after losing a fantasy football competition. Since Jan. 17, the video has garnered almost 1.5 million views as well as comments from Yahoo Fantasy, NBC Sports and ESPN. Features Editor Alexandra Meier sat down with Bray to discuss his newfound fame and plans for the future. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Alexandra Meier: Tell me about your fantasy league.
Cole Bray: The league is all of my buddies here at school. There are 10 of us. When we got talking about our fantasy punishment, we wanted to do something original. Believe it or not, a marathon in the Pit wasn’t the initial idea. We were going to have the loser break Joey Chestnut’s record of eating 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
Meier: Whose idea was the marathon in the pit?
Bray: We all came up with the idea of the Pit marathon in the final days of the league. My buddy Drew, the league’s commissioner, was adamant that we all come up with a punishment before the loser is decided, so nobody could back out. [In fantasy football, every league has a commissioner who maintains fairness].
Meier: How did you prepare for the big day?
Bray: I did nothing to prepare for the marathon. My buddies were joking with me that I should walk on the treadmill to do some training. But I thought, “It’s just walking — how hard can it be?” We didn’t decide on the day I was going to do it until the night before. It was the Thursday of the first week of school, and I don’t have classes on Friday, so I thought I might as well do it then.
Meier: Walk me through the logistics.
Bray: I started just a few minutes before 9 a.m. and walked until 6:30 p.m., although I think my total walking time was about 8 hours, 45 minutes. I had to stop at some point to answer some emails, [and] I got lunch and took a few breaks, but the only time I left the pit was to go to the bathroom. My route was a figure eight around the Pit. I walked around the yogurt and granola station and then did another loop around the pizza and pasta. I maintained that route the whole time. We estimated that each lap around the pit was about .03 miles. If you do the conservative estimate, that ends up being around 600 laps with 26 miles. So I walked at least 600 laps around the Pit that day.
Meier: Did you listen to any music?
Bray: I started off with no music, because I thought if I listened to music in the beginning, then I would get tired of it by the end of the day. I put on some tunes for about an hour or two. It was more so to take my mind off of the monotony of it. I listened to some ‘90s rock, grungetype music. I wanted to listen to more upbeat songs to keep my energy high. I debated listening to a podcast at one point, but I didn’t think I would be able to listen to someone talk over all the background chatter in the Pit.
Meier: Did you ever think about folding?
Bray: There was one point in the afternoon when all of my buddies had class around 3:00 p.m., and nobody was there because it was in between lunch and dinner. That was kind of defeating. But if I am being completely honest, I committed to it. I told myself to just get through each mile and then think about the next one. I think if I were at three miles and had to think about the fact I had 23 miles to go, then I would feel overwhelmed and defeated. I would just think “let’s get from three to four and then four to five and then before I knew it, it was 19 to 20. There was one point close to the end, I think I was at mile 24, and my ankles were really starting to hurt. I was even debating tapping out, but I was so close to the end.
Will Kunisaki/Old Gold & Black Cole Bray (‘27) poses in the Table at Reynolda dining hall, commonly known as “the Pit,” where he recently walked a marathon and went viral in the process.
Meier: Who helped you get through it?
Bray: Ms. Sonny, one of the Pit employees asked me if I was doing all of this for charity. I said no, but I thought that was a good idea. My friends and I want the Pit Marathon to be the punishment for the loser every year, so we are thinking of turning it into a charity event. People would pledge money for each mile walked, and we would donate the money to an organization. One of my finance professors recommended an organization called the Covenant House, which provides shelter and support to 18 to 22-year-olds facing homelessness.
Meier: Can you describe the atmosphere towards the end of the marathon?
Bray: At 5 p.m., people started showing up for dinner and that made it really fun. By the last 30 minutes, all of my friends were just sitting there eating and watching me walk. The Pit was packed because it was peak time at 6 p.m. That really motivated me to finish the marathon. My buddies were there to chat with me when I passed their table. Sometimes they would walk a lap with me. Eventually, one of the Deacon Dining workers interviewed me while I was walking. She came back with a little plastic trophy and told my friends to give it to me at the end. It’s sitting on my desk right now. During the last three laps, my friends started screaming “three to go” to everyone in the Pit. For the last lap, everyone stood up and started clapping. It honestly kind of felt like “the pity clap” for whoever finishes last in a track meet. Everyone was telling me to jog the last one. The whole thing was kind of ridiculous. It felt like something out of the movie “Chariots of Fire.”
Meier: Did you expect to get media attention?
Bray: Not at all. I had no idea my friends were planning on posting a TikTok about it. When they were filming me, I thought it was just for laughs. I did not expect the video to go viral. We saw that ESPN commented and a reporter from the Independent reached out to run a story on me. The whole thing is so random. I thought this would be something people would be making fun of me for, not writing articles about. It’s also been funny to get attention on campus. Last night I was scanning in at the Pit and the girl in front of me asked “Are you the marathon guy?”
Meier: What are your takeaways from this experience?
Bray: Now I know I can walk a marathon. My mom was joking with me that I needed one of those 26.2 bumper stickers for my car. I think my biggest takeaway from the experience is that a positive mindset can get you far. Also, the idea that a lot of good can come from absurd things like walking a marathon in the Pit. I am hoping our charity idea works out, and we can raise money for a good cause.
Meier: Last question: what’s your favorite Pit station?
Bray: I love the pasta station. Rosalina at the pasta station is my favorite. We chat it up every lunch. Honestly last semester, I was eating pasta maybe six days a week. I love pasta, and Rosalina is awesome. She always has a smile on her face.
Contact Alexandra Meier at meieam22@wfu.edu
Daniel Cohen takes Center for Entrepreneurship to new heights
Cohen reflects on the past, present and future of entrepreneurship at Wake Forest
ALEXANDRA MEIER Features Editor
When Daniel Cohen was 12 years old, he gained the affectionate nickname ‘Mr. Side Hustle’. From shoveling snow in his neighborhood to expanding his newspaper route, a young Cohen seized every opportunity to make money. One year, his mother’s garden yielded an excess tomato crop. Like any good entrepreneur, he identified an opportunity and sold the surplus tomatoes in his neighborhood.
“I sold every last one in the neighborhood for 5 bucks a pop,” Cohen said. “I understood that I had a real talent for sales, and selling is an integral part of entrepreneurship.”
As he moved through his educational and professional life, Cohen discovered his inherent entrepreneurial abilities. After founding his own company at the age of 24 and selling it to private equity 15 years later, Cohen experienced the “happy accident” that was his entry into entrepreneurial education. Armed with zero teaching experience, he was recruited to teach a course on entrepreneurship at the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
“By the end of the semester, I knew I was going to be pursuing entrepreneurial education full-time,” Cohen said.
Cohen spent the next two years at the University of Iowa and eight years at Cornell University, where he founded the eLab program that helps students launch
businesses. As of 2025, the program has raised over $440 million of venture capital, mostly by undergraduate students.
Since he arrived at Reynolda Campus in 2015, Cohen has taken the Wake Forest Center for Entrepreneurship to new heights as the Whitaker Executive Director. The program, which oversees 439 students taking the Entrepreneurship minor, has won five national awards and just recently raised the largest gift from a private donor in Wake Forest history. However, according to Cohen, the true testament to the Center for Entrepreneurship’s success is the students who are turning their ideas into thriving businesses.
“Our students are the proof in the pudding,” Cohen said. “We are producing some rock star entrepreneurs that are raising capital, building companies and making it onto flagship lists like Oprah’s Favorite Products and Forbes 30 under 30.”
When Cohen and his colleagues began the process of establishing the Startup Lab program at Wake Forest, they could not have foreseen the magnitude of its success. In Startup Lab, students learn the fundamentals of building an early-stage company, such as building brand loyalty, making early sales and leading a team. The program is a cornerstone of the entrepreneurial curriculum, inspiring students to turn classroom ideas into real-world ventures.
When asked about memorable students, Cohen spoke with pride about Courtney Toll (‘18) and Annabel Love (‘18), who began their entrepreneurial jour-
“
We are producing some rock star entrepreneurs that are raising capital, building companies and making it onto flagship lists like Oprah's Favorite Products and Forbes 30 under 30.
neys in Startup Lab. They had already signed onto full-time jobs in New York City when they developed the Nori press in Cohen’s class. What started as the casual exchange of ironing hacks in a sophomore dorm turned into a thriving business that has sold thousands of units and garnered national media attention.
“To watch [Toll and Love] forge their own path and make it to where they are has been incredibly inspiring to watch,” Cohen said.
Cohen also mentioned the co-founders of Storage Scholars, Sam Chason (‘20) and Jake Ramberg (‘20), who also launched their idea in Startup Lab before negotiating a deal with Mark Cuban on Shark Tank in 2022.
According to Cohen, entrepreneurship is all about the pursuit and execution of opportunity. Of the students Cohen coaches through the startup process, those who have ambition but do not let it overpower their work are among the most successful.
“The entrepreneurs I've coached, who have had uncommon success, have a combination of humility and confidence,” Cohen said. “They've been humbled because entrepreneurship is difficult, but they also have an unshakable belief in themselves.”
To help students in the early stages of building a business, Cohen and his colleagues Greg Pool and Heidi Neck developed the IDEATE teaching method. The phrase is an acronym for: identify, discover, enhance, anticipate, target and evaluate. It is intended to help young entrepreneurs identify high-potential ideas. The IDEATE method won the National Innovation Award in 2023.
“The IDEATE method makes up for an experiential gap,” Cohen said. “It helps them figure out where these great ideas are hiding in plain sight.”
The first and fourth steps of the IDEATE model, identify and anticipate, are the most crucial, according to Cohen. The identification stage is where most entrepreneurial ideas either fall flat or gain traction. To properly identify an entrepreneurial opportunity under the IDEATE method, the students must master pattern recognition.
This process enables an entrepreneur to identify subtle trends in a data set that is typically omitted by others. Anticipation encapsulates the idea of market forecasting, where entrepreneurs predict future needs based on compounding factors. Cohen cited the shift toward Electrical Vehicles and the aging population of the United States as examples.
“It’s been said that entrepreneurs live comfortably three to five years in the future,” Cohen said. “I think the ‘anticipate’ section really summarizes that idea.”
Cohen’s motivation to expand the Center for Entrepreneurship is the students. When scheduling time on his calendar, he ensures that he is prioritizing students before anything else.
“The number one reason I am at Wake Forest is for the students,” Cohen said. “A lot of my drive and motivation as a professor is to help smooth the path for the next generation of student entrepreneurs.”
Photo courtesy of Dan Cohen Cohen gives keynote address at The Summit for Transformative Learning to students interested in learning the fundamentals of starting a company.
Sit and stay awhile at Tucker’s
Tap
Yard
Winston-Salem’s premiere dog bar is a social place for owners and pups alike
VIRGINIA NOONE Senior Writer
When the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm, approximately 23 million American households adopted a pet as they waited for the quarantine restrictions to be lifted. Tucker Parsons, a four-year-old beagle mix, was luckily one of the many millions of pets that found a forever home during the pandemic. Four years later, he’s credited as the inspiration for WinstonSalem’s first and only dog bar, which is owned and operated by his owners Cole and Kim Parsons.
The idea for Tucker’s Tap Yard came to the Parsons after they visited a dog bar during their travels. They quickly recognized the brilliance and market for a business where owners and dogs can spend time.
“At a dog park, your dog may be having fun, but you may not be, and if you go to a bar, then you might be having fun, but your dog is not,” Cole Parsons said. “So, the idea behind a dog bar is that they’ll have a good time, and you’ll have a good time.”
The tap yard, which is located in East Winston, was formerly Smith Auto Paint and Body Shop for 30 years. One day, Kim Parsons tapped on the window and convinced Arbie Smith, the previous owner, to sell the plot after his wife forced him to post a small for sale sign in hopes that he’d finally retire in his ‘80s to spend more time with her in their elderly age.
“We stumbled across [the property] on a Sunday, and I said we should just call the number tomorrow, and we’ll figure it out. But, my wife’s like, ‘No, I’m gonna go in there.’ And that’s how she is,” Cole Parsons laughs. “So she just comes walking in, and she says, ‘excuse me, sir, is this place for sale?’ and [Smith] says, ‘well, there’s a damn sign out front there.’”
They purchased the space and saw their vision slowly come to life. The Parsons, with the help of their children Ashley and Ryan, renovated the space and added fencing, artificial turf, a bar and TVs and officially opened for business in August 2022.
To celebrate their grand opening, they hosted a VIP
party with the 36 founding members and their pets. Now, there are hundreds of members and upwards of 60 dogs at the tap yard, depending on the weather. The only requirements are that the dogs must be friendly, vaccinated and fixed if they’re older than a year, but all breeds are welcome. There are monthly and annual membership packages as well as day passes offered. Non-dog owners may also visit the tap yard if they want to hang out or have a beer from a local brewery.
“Being a family-owned small business is certainly in our minds a very positive thing,” Cole Parsons says. “Everyone who comes here has an instant bond because of their love for dogs.”
Tucker’s Tap Yard has amassed a loyal stream of regulars who frequent multiple times a week and have formed long-term friendships with other members. Whether it’s for a themed night, trivia, or bingo — owners and their pups keep returning to the tap yard.
“ Tucker’s is like a home. My dogs and I both have friends here who are part of a larger support system,” patron Olivia Toler says. “[The Parsons] really care about the animals, and to do a lot of give-back with the shelters and humane society.”
Anna Thrower has been a regular at Tucker’s Tap Yard since its opening. She and her dog, Hamilton, have found it to be a fun, social and safe place compared to public dog parks where dogs could be unvaccinated, and owners can be approached by strangers without others watching.
“It’s just a safe place for my dog and a safe place for me to come when I’m by myself as a single woman,” Thrower said. “I feel like [Tucker’s] is doing a lot for the community, especially for this side of town. I think the development for this side of town is really lovely.”
Their business model and unique concept are what originally drew dog owners to Tucker’s Tap Yard. However, the friendliness of the community that’s been formed through the tap yard is what truly makes the place somewhere you and your dog will want to sit and stay for a while.
Contact Virginia Noone at noonvc21@wfu.edu
“
I feel like [Tucker’s] is doing a lot for the community, especially for this side of town...the development for this side of town is really lovely.
Photo courtesy of Tucker’s Tap Yard
Tucker’s Tap Yard. Winston-Salem’s premeire dog bar, has an outdoor space for dogs to play with one another as their owners enjoy the shade and a drink.
The rescue dog Tucker on the bar at Tucker’s Tap Yard.
Photo courtesy of DesiLu Photography
Cole and Kim Parsons holding their rescue dogs, Tucker and Millie.
Photo courtesy of The Winston-Salem Journal
ENVIRONMENT
10
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2025
Mia Springer, spriml21@wfu.edu
Beza Zelalem, zelam22@wfu.edu
What does Trump’s second term mean for the future of climate policy?
Trump signs an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from the Paris Agreement
On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement. This move sent shockwaves through global climate advocacy efforts.
This decision marks a stark departure from the Biden administration’s climate policies and raises concerns about the future of national and international environmental initiatives. While Trump’s stance on climate policy is well known, his return to power reignites debates over America’s role in addressing global warming.
Trump’s history with climate policy
Trump initially announced the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement in 2017, citing concerns that it would undermine American economic interests. The agreement allows countries to set targets for reducing coal, oil and natural gas emissions with progressively stricter standards. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. proposed reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 60% by 2035.
Instead of participating in a global accord, Trump emphasized national interests.
“The United States will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris Accord and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country,” he stated at a 2017 White House briefing. “This includes ending the implementation of the nationally determined contribution and the Green Climate Fund, which is costing the United States a vast fortune.”
Wake Forest Law Professor Scott Schang suggests that policy experts could persuade Trump to support climate innovation.
“Many environmental policy professionals could argue to President Trump that the U.S. needs to lead on innovation around climate change to remain competitive internationally — both economically and from a national defense standpoint,” Schang said.
During a rally at the Capital One Arena shortly after retaking office, Trump declared, “I’m immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris Climate Accord rip-off.” He argued that remaining in the agreement would harm American industries while allowing major polluters like China to increase emissions with little accountability. Trump has long criticized global climate agreements, asserting that they put the U.S. at an economic disadvantage while benefiting foreign competitors.
Key aspects of the agreement
A significant focus of the agreement is achieving global peaking and climate neutrality, meaning countries must aim to reach peak emissions as soon as possible and eventually balance emissions with carbon sinks, effectively achieving net-zero emissions. To do this, mitigation efforts require developed nations to take the lead in reducing emissions while developing countries work toward enhancing their reductions.
At the same time, adaptation strategies play a critical role in helping nations cope with the inevitable consequences of climate change, such as extreme weather events and rising sea levels. The agreement also formally acknowledges the necessity of addressing loss and dam-
age — a recognition of the irreversible impacts climate change has on vulnerable communities.
Officials regularly conduct a global stocktake to track progress and assess collective advancements based on the latest scientific data. The agreement also establishes a transparency framework to ensure accountability by requiring nations to accurately report their emissions and climate efforts.
Beyond emissions reductions, the Paris Agreement prioritizes climate change education and the expansion of public awareness on environmental issues. Additionally, developed countries commit to providing finance, technology and capacity-building support to help develop nations transition to sustainable energy sources and strengthen their climate resilience.
Global and Domestic Implications
The exit of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement has far-reaching consequences, particularly for international climate diplomacy. With green political parties in the European Union losing momentum and other global powers like China positioning themselves as climate leaders, this could create a leadership vacuum in international climate action efforts.
For developing countries, the withdrawal of the U.S. is especially alarming. The Paris Agreement includes provisions for wealthier nations to assist developing countries in reducing emissions and adapting to climate change impacts. Without U.S. participation, critical funding and technological support may decline, making it harder for vulnerable nations to transition to clean energy and implement necessary climate initiatives.
Domestically, Trump’s climate policy rollback will likely face resistance from state and local governments. Many states, notably California, have implemented stringent climate policies and forged independent agreements with international partners.
“One of the strengths of our system is that it’s a federal system, meaning that the majority of power under the Constitution is supposed to reside in the states, including power over the environment,” Schang said. “Mayors and governors have their seats at the table regarding climate change issues.”
Looking ahead
While Trump has the executive power to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, his broader environmental agenda may face legal challenges. During his first term, the courts blocked numerous attempts to weaken environmental regulations. Experts predict a similar pattern this time around.
“He was very ineffective in his first years in making significant policy changes. The courts struck down almost everything he tried to do with the environment,” Schang said. “He can slow down climate progress but can’t stop it.”
As the world grapples with the consequences of climate change, Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement signals a shift in U.S. climate leadership. While federal climate action may stall, state-level initiatives and international pressure could continue to drive progress.
Contact Beza Zelalem at zelam22@wfu.edu
BEZA ZELALEM Environment Editor
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Photo courtesy of AP/Sean Gallup
On Monday following his inauguration, President Trump signed multiple executive orders, including one initiating the process of the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
‘Understanding the world around you is fundamental to being a global citizen’
Lindy Westenhoff speaks on what sparked her interest in geography and expanding the GIS curriculum at Wake Forest University
SHAILA PRASAD Senior Writer
At around seven years old, Lindy Westenhoff took a trip with her parents to the Valley of Fire State Park in Moapa Valley, N.V. She remembers being awe-struck by the 2,000-year-old petroglyphs — images carved into stone — and glowing red rock formations.
The child of parents in the military, she moved around the United States often. With each move, she always asked herself: what are the things that make this place different?
At the Valley of Fire, Westenhoff found the beauty symbolic of something worth protecting and preserving. While surrounded by these formations, her heightened sense of place was an integral experience in her pursuit of understanding geography.
Geography can be divided into three subtopics. Physical geography studies landscapes, mountain tops, water quality and similar features. Human geography concerns where people end up and what they’re doing there, such as what kind of zoning is present in different cities and how that can be racialized or stigmatized. Lastly, the technical aspects include fieldwork, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). The fundamental aspect of them all, according to
Dr. Westenhoff, is “place.”
Dr. Westenhoff’s focus at Wake Forest is an introductory course on GIS. However, while pursuing her PhD at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, she was exposed to specializations she had never considered. One of her professors was an expert on dendrochronology, the study of how trees age and what can be understood from tree rings. Another professor specialized in street names and studied what cities name their streets and why.
The Old Gold & Black sat down with Dr. Westenhoff to understand what makes the study of geography so special.
Prasad: What would you say is the connection between geography and the environmental sciences?
Geography tends to have a human focus and a natural focus. I like having a foot in both of those worlds, so the connection comes through the development of what I thought a complete, rounded geographer should be.
Prasad: How do you try to make that connection more tangible for your students in the classroom?
In my courses, I focus on bringing the abstract to the physical or the immediately applicable aspects of whatever we’re
talking about. For instance, we could be talking about a spatial statistic technique like clustering — which is just where we have concentrations of things such as reports on wildfires in a particular area; they might be scattered around, but they have a very spatial pattern.
I’ll try to find some spatial examples, either some existing maps or data for students to then map out those relationships themselves. I want them to see how what we’re learning reflects in the lab or application environment.
Prasad: Do you have plans to teach more classes at Wake Forest?
I would be interested, but a more permanent position is one I have to apply for. If I were going to stick around for about four or five years, what I would like to do is have a two-part GIS course, where we have one course that focuses mainly on the concepts and some elemental labs. Then the second course focuses more on the nuts and bolts of the software and more immediately applicable labs. As far as I know, we’re the only GIS course that’s offered at the undergraduate level, so I would love to see that expand.
Prasad: You placed an emphasis on application within the classroom. Combined with your vision for an expanding environmental science and
sustainability program, how do you plan to help students embrace geography outside of the classroom?
At my previous institution, I taught a world geography class, a humans and sustainability class and a couple different levels of GIS. So when it comes to bringing students to geography, I think a huge question is “Where does your worldview come from?”
Is this something that you developed yourself? Is this something you originated through readings or lived experience? Is this something that is influenced by different important people in your life? Those are all important categories and important parts that inform who you are. But understanding the world around you is a fundamental part of being a global citizen. Recognizing that the world is a lot more complex than, honestly, what you can learn in a geography class, is really important.
If I were to teach those courses at Wake Forest, I would probably spend a lot of time focused on those types of questions about worldview and agency — and mobility in some aspects. The ability to go and explore places; there is a certain amount of privilege that is often tied to that.
Contact Shaila Prasad at prassp21@wfu.edu
Policy in flux: a look into former President Biden’s climate agenda
Biden set goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than 60% by 2035
CAYDEN HART
Contributing Writer
In 2024, President Joe Biden’s administration embarked on a series of bold climate initiatives aiming to solidify the United States’ position as a global environmental leader. These efforts combatted greenhouse gas emissions, promoted clean energy and conserved natural resources.
As President Biden’s term drew to a close, his administration set an ambitious goal: to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60% by 2035. He subsequently enacted many policies of environmental protection and conservation. Were they effective?
The policy and the response
In March 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced stringent tailpipe emission standards for vehicles. These regulations targeted greenhouse gas emissions despite mixed public pushback. The automobile industry opposed federal government intervention, and many pointed to fracking companies as another target. So the
Biden administration listened.
The following month, the Interior Department increased fees for oil and gas companies operating on federal lands. By raising royalty rates and lease bond minimums, the administration encouraged more sustainable resource extraction practices. However, whether these regulations effectively deterred major industry players remains a matter of debate.
The administration also expanded conservation efforts and launched a new leasing program that allowed environmental groups to lease federal lands for restoration projects. The EPA also finalized new power plant standards to curb carbon emissions from fossil fuel-fired plants, which projections indicate will significantly reduce emissions over the coming decades.
Recognizing the need for modernized energy infrastructure, the Department of Energy streamlined the permitting process for power transmission projects. This move enhances grid reliability and efficiency. At the same time, new energy efficiency standards for large water heaters were introduced, paving the way for
a considerable reduction in carbon emissions over the next 30 years.
The administration also made notable trade policy decisions, including increased tariffs on solar cells and lithiumion electric vehicle batteries imported from China. This measure sought to bolster domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains, which is an increasingly controversial topic, as many feel that the U.S. is falling behind global partners in the green-tech race. Water conservation was also a key priority; a comprehensive plan was unveiled to protect and restore millions of acres of wetlands and thousands of kilometers of rivers and streams. This initiative enhances natural water sources and promotes biodiversity, both sources of growing concern.
What now?
The beginning of President Donald Trump’s term ushered in swift policy reversals. On his first day in office, Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement and rolled back several environmental regulations enacted by
the Biden administration.
The future of U.S. environmental efforts remains uncertain and is shaped by the ongoing tensions between economic growth and ecological responsibility. As the nation moves forward, the balance between these competing interests will continue to evolve, leaving open questions about the long-term trajectory of climate action in the United States.
Contact Cayden Hart at hartco24@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of Susan Walsh/AP Photo
Former President Biden speaking on climate change in CA during June of 2023.
OPINION
OLD GOLD & BLACK
PAGE 12
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 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
Is “new year, new me” a real thing?
On Jan. 1, many people quote the popular phrase, “New year, new me.” But is it achievable?
REESE LILE Contributing Writer
We all say we want to reinvent ourselves for the new year. We have ambitions, set goals and invent resolutions to improve our lives. Most often, these improvements involve physical health, nutrition, intellectual growth, saving money, or pursuing new hobbies. We approach the new year as a fresh slate — a chance to start again and to fix all that was wrong with ourselves last year.
To signal this fresh start, we often say: “New year, new me!”
Essentially, our goal is to make ourselves unrecognizable to a point where we are no longer the “loser” we were last year. Many people adopt this mindset, and “new year, new me” has become an annual occurrence.
But should it be?
In mainstream culture, the phrase “new year, new me” suggests that we will be able to accomplish a radical behavior change as soon as the sparkly ball drops in Times Square. It is easy to set goals, but it is much, much harder to put them into action. Behavior change is a gradual process, and it is easier to achieve growth when we begin with measurable goals.
To some degree, the belief that major lifestyle changes are necessary to improve one’s life may be attributed to the prevalence of social media and the hours spent watching other people boast about their accomplishments. We all have seen the aesthetic “get ready with me” videos, where the creator runs four miles, cooks a gourmet meal and rescues a puppy, all before 7 a.m.
“
It is important to remember that what we see online is staged, and no one wakes up with the camera rolling.
In comparison, viewers are left feeling inadequate. However,
This idea of “new year, new me” toes the line between a genuine desire to improve one’s mind and body and the desire to be perceived as “better” and therefore acceptable to other people. This is problematic.
Improvement should be something we do to make ourselves feel good, not because we want to fit a standard set by someone else. Societal pressure can be a powerful motivator for change, but it is not the most fulfilling. What is rewarding, however, is setting achievable goals that can be integrated into daily life, and waking up one day realizing that you have made at least one aspect of your life better.
To accomplish this, I would suggest the Transtheoretical Model. This model outlines the stages of change through habitual behavior and was developed in the late 1970s to explain why some people were able to quit smoking while others were not. I favor this model because it
In
allows for gradual shifts in behavior, which makes resolutions more approachable.
The Transtheoretical Model has five stages, where each stage provides the most effective approaches for accomplishing it, and then prepares you for the next one. For example, imagine someone resolves to save money. If they approached this using the Transtheoretical Model, they would follow the five stages in this way:
1. Precontemplation — In this stage, people are unaware of a “problem” or a behavior that needs to be changed and do not intend to make a change. They would be unaware that they need to save and would not be making any effort to reduce their spending.
2. Contemplation — In this stage, people become aware of a change that needs to be made and consider how to go about changing it. In the example, the person may realize their spending habits are unsustainable and that maybe they should start to pay attention to their finances.
3. Preparation — In this stage, people prepare to make a change in the next 30 days and begin taking small steps towards improvement. Perhaps the person discussed budgeting with their friends and family and created a plan to reduce their spending each month.
4. Action — In this stage, people have made the initial behavior change and continue to act accordingly. The person has spent a month budge ting under a plan they formed with their parents and checks their bank balance every few days.
5. Maintenance — In this stage, people work to sustain the habits they have formed in the
action stage. The person has a set budget each month and is always looking for new ways to save (coupons, cooking at home instead of eating out, etc.).
Rather, change occurs gradually, built upon good habits and with room for error. We are human, after all. It takes us a while to learn, including learning how to improve ourselves. It isn’t possible to become an entirely new person when the calendar flips and we start a new year. But it is possible to make small changes to build up good habits and become better versions of the people we already are.
Photo courtesy of the Associated Press
mainstream culture, the phrase “New year, new me” suggests that we will be able to accomplish a radical behavior change as soon as the sparkly ball drops in Times Square.
Photo courtesy of the Associated Press Societal pressure can be a powerful motivator for change, but it is not the most rewarding. We should want to improve to make ourselves feel good.
Prioritizing mental health abroad
I came back home two weeks into my semester-long program. You must understand why.
BEZA ZELALEM Environment Editor
I was ecstatic when I was accepted to study journalism at Casa Artom in Venice. It felt like a dream come true — not just because I would study what I loved, but because I’d finally live in a city I’d only ever dreamed of visiting.
To prepare for my semester abroad, I thoroughly researched all the materials I might need in Venice. From mosquito repellent to a handheld fan, I was beyond ready for any circumstance.
I’ll never forget my first Vaporetto ride from Venice Marco Polo Airport to Casa Artom. I was exhilarated but also overwhelmed, excited because I didn’t know what to expect and anxious because I had no idea what to expect. That was the first moment I realized I might have underestimated how difficult this experience would be.
The whole first day, I felt anxious. Being in the house was suffocating, as privacy was limited. Exploring the city’s winding alleyways was also intimidating. Despite this, I tried to keep a brave face and mirror the excitement of my housemates.
That night, I found myself up at a late hour — kept up by my anxiety — on a Reddit forum. “Is it possible to leave your study abroad and continue your semester?” the top of the screen read.
With covers over my head to not wake up my two roommates, I had a pit in my stomach as I sat the phone down and stared at the ceiling.
When I woke up, the first few moments were filled with that familiar disorientation — the kind where you forget where you are, only to have the truth crash over you in waves. 'Oh right, I’m in Venice. This is real.' The realization always came with that familiar pit in my stomach. And then I repeated it all the next night.
This happened over and over and over. It felt like a never-ending cycle.
When classes began a few days after we arrived, I found comfort in the structure of our schedule, distracted by fascinating lessons on the history and art of Venice.
But this comfort was always short-lived. As soon as I stepped out of the blanket of academia, I felt lost again.
To make matters worse, it appeared that I was the only one going through this wide range of emotions. Of course, I had strong suspicions that some of my peers felt similarly, but we weren’t close enough for me to bring it up.
Amidst the chaos in my mind, I found small pockets of peace during my lone walks through the city. A slice of pizza from the corner shop, the serenity of the Grand Canal, or the sound of Montell Fish's “We Are Still in Love” — these moments were fleeting but vital.
I knew I needed someone to share these feelings with, so I’d call my mom. But it never felt the same. It wasn’t the same as having someone beside me, experiencing it all in real-time.
One night, about two weeks into my semester abroad, I’d taken my usual walk and found my spot overlooking the Grand Canal, but this time, something inside me cracked. When I called my mom, I couldn't hold it together. And when she said, “Ayzosh yene konjo” (hang in there, my beautiful), everything felt even heavier. She felt so close yet so far.
That night, I returned to the house and immediately searched for my professor. We had a long talk on the terrace about the conversation with my mom.
I opened up to her and explained that I hadn’t been honest with myself, her or anyone about what I was going through prior to the trip. We decided that, at that point, the best decision was to go home so I could be closer to my support system.
Why am I telling you this? Mental health abroad matters.
My challenging experience abroad wasn’t just a bad
My challenging experience abroad wasn’t just a bad case of homesickness or culture shock.
case of homesickness or culture shock. According to research from the University of California, Berkeley, roughly one in four students experience mental health challenges while studying abroad. The pressure of adapting to a new culture and living in an unfamiliar environment, coupled with pre-existing mental health issues for some, often exacerbates feelings of loneliness and anxiety.
I know what you may be thinking if you're preparing to go abroad. New people and a new environment provide the perfect opportunity to forget your problems back home — an escape from reality, if you will. But studying abroad should only add to the contentment and happiness of your life. It shouldn’t be used to take yourself out of a mentally bad place.
My experience abroad taught me a valuable lesson: mental health should always be a priority, no matter where you are. Studying abroad can be transformative, but only if you’re mentally prepared to handle the challenges it brings.
Here are some things I wish I had known before going abroad:
1. Know your resources Research the mental health services offered at Wake Forest and determine whether you can set up meetings abroad. Your abroad program might have a nearby clinic, so you’re not going through these challenges alone.
2. Build a support network with your group Don’t wait until you feel isolated to connect with others. It’s easy to assume everyone is having the time of their lives, but they are likely going through similar challenges.
3. Create familiar routines In my short-lived time abroad, I found that maintaining small, comforting routines from home ma de a huge difference. This can bring a sense of normalcy and control to a foreign environment.
4 . Reach out early and often — Stay in touch with loved ones who understand you. Talking it out is the best thing you can do.
If you’re getting ready for your experience abroad, don’t consider it an escape. Don’t use it to run away from your problems. Use it as an opportunity to grow and to take care of yourself.
When I arrived back on campus just over two weeks into the fall semester, I was able to ground myself and find my footing again. Initially ashamed of myself for giving up, I quickly realized that it was an act of bravery to admit when I needed help and take the steps necessary to get it.
While I can’t change the past, I’m glad I can offer advice to anyone who plans to go abroad (and who knows, maybe even myself if I decide to embark on another academic overseas experience).
Beza Zelalem//Old Gold & Black
Snow day or snow week?
A Southern girl learns the true meaning of snow
CAROLINE GOTTSMAN Staff Writer
I can count the number of times I have seen real snow in my hometown on one hand (probably on just three fingers if I exclude the occasional dustings). Needless to say, I’m a Southerner at heart, no matter how much I try to deny it.
The South is great for music, food and summertime, but one thing it has always missed is a winter wonderland.
Throughout my childhood and teenage years, my biggest wish every winter season was to get just a speck of snow.
I was a big proponent of wearing pajamas inside out, flushing ice cubes down the toilet and sleeping with a spoon under my pillow - all of the superstitions that supposedly led to snowfall. There was nothing more soul-crushing than waking up the next morning and seeing the disgustingly green grass outside my window.
It was not until I started at Wake Forest that I came face to face with the snow of my dreams. Though it took until sophomore year, I eventually found out that the snow that I so desperately longed for could sometimes be more trouble than it was worth.
While sophomore year began with heat and mostly sunny weather, I was greeted with a few flakes of snow towards the end of the semester. I remember jumping from my chair in a study room, abandoning some overdue homework and dragging my friends outside to witness the magic with me. My other Southern friend was almost as amazed as I was, and we laughed, danced and stuck out our tongues to catch snowflakes while our two northern friends watched in confused amusement.
After a mad rush to the quad, we found other people also entranced by the sight, gathering ammo for snowballs and taking millions of pictures. It was hilariously easy to tell who was from where. The Northerners stayed on the outskirts of the Quad, hands stuffed in their pockets, eyebrows furrowed at each snowflake and faces nonchalant.
On the other hand, the Southerners were running around, flopping down to make snow angels and losing their minds with joy. I scoffed at the Northerners’ disinterest and jumped into the Southerners’ snow-crazed madness.
The next morning, the snow was mostly gone, except for the shady spots and the tops of buildings. The whole thing felt like a wonderful dream, and I left for break, hoping for more magical Wake Forest snow when I returned.
My wish was more than granted. Snow fell once again at the very start of the second semester, and I once again ran out into the winter wonderland to do every snow-related activity I could dream of. Once my nose was sufficiently red and my fingers were nearly frostbitten, I said goodbye to the snow and retreated to my dorm for hot chocolate.
The next morning, though, I was shocked to find out that even more snow had accumulated on top of the previous night’s flurry. That day, I once again trekked out into the snow with friends and repeated snowy activities, even cardboard box sledding down a hill with some very southern friends, before realizing that I had checked off my imaginary snow bucket list. A snowman had been built, at least 10 snow angels had been made, snowballs had pelted at least all of my friends once, and I had even gotten some pretty pictures of Wait Chapel cloaked in its wintertime attire.
I retreated early to my dorm again that night, starting to feel like I had seen all that snow had to offer. The magical charm that snow used to hold was starting to become a bore and, eventually, a nuisance.
The first betrayal of the snow came in the form of an ice patch in the Davis courtyard.
A few days after the novelty of the snow wore off,
I decided I needed to go on with my usual campus routine. I was on my way to pick up a quick lunch from Benson, bundled in a heavy coat and the thermal socks my mom had shipped me when she saw the forecast when my feet fell out from underneath me. The way I slipped on the ice was nearly cartoonish. I might as well have slipped on a banana peel. From that day on, the snow and I became archnemeses.
No matter where I went, snow seemed to follow me. Even as I drove my car, the snow haunted me as it tried to send me sliding into oncoming traffic. My shoes were continually drenched by slushy, dirty snow, and my eyes were always searching the ground for dangerous patches of black ice.
“The
first betrayal of the snow came in the form of an ice patch in the Davis courtyard.
Once again, it was blatantly obvious who was from the North and who was from the South. The northerners were ready with their ice scrapers for their cars and fitted with winter boots to protect from the slush. They didn’t even need to glance down to clock a patch of ice. Now, I understood their less-thanthrilled reactions to the snow. They were used to this menacing, annoying type of snow instead of the Hallmark movie magical dusting that I had grown up imagining.
I’m both proud and sad to say that I’m a reformed snow believer. While I still can’t entirely snuff out that giddy Southerner in me who wants nothing
more than to jump into the snow, I’m also learning to channel my inner Northerner and recognize when the snow has overstayed its welcome. I’ve learned that snow is a wonderful guest but a terrible roommate. It can be fun to spend a day with, but I’m not sure if I want to wake up to it every morning.
I’m always happy for another snow day, as long as it doesn’t turn into a snow week.
Snow at Wake Forest University is rare. However, maybe that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Caroline Gottsman// Old Gold & Black
A magical Wake Forest snow sends students running to Hearn Plaza.
Caroline Gottsman// Old Gold & Black
Blake Robinson, robiba24@wfu.edu
Sean Kennedy, kennsm21@wfu.edu
Demon Deacon Baseball preview
SEAN KENNEDY & BLAKE ROBISON
Sports Editor & Asst. Sports Editor
Wake Forest Baseball is back once again.
After a season that resulted in a trip to the Greenville regional of the NCAA Tournament last spring, the Demon Deacons look ahead to a new start and a hopeful track to Omaha.
The Demon Deacons will look to not only reset expectations but also reset their lineup, losing MLBworthy players on both sides of the plate. Last June, six players were chosen in the 2024 MLB Draft, including former ACC Pitcher of the Year Chase Burns (2nd overall, Cincinnati Reds), star first baseman Nick Kurtz (4th, Athletics), Seaver King (10th, Washington Nationals), and pitchers Michael Massey (Tigers) and Josh Hartle (Pirates, traded to Guardians).
Head Coach Tom Walter and the Demon Deacons have an exciting slate ahead of them and look to improve on impressive results the past few seasons.
Pitchers
This year, Wake Forest’s pitching staff is like a modified deck of cards. It may not have many aces, but they’re a jack of all trades.
Wake Forest lost quality pitchers at the top of their staff to the 2024 MLB Draft, where ACC Pitcher of the Year Chase Burns and multi-year starter Josh Hartle were each drafted early by their respective organizations. Despite the loss of firepower, this year’s pitching staff is incredibly deep with talent, thanks in part to recruiting and pitching development in the Wake Forest Pitching Lab.
“We're going to have to figure out who our 12 guys are,” Walter said at preseason media day. “We're as much as 18 deep, you know, where I feel really good about them having plenty of stuff to win at a high level… it’s huge because you can always have injuries.”
Experience is not scarce as pitchers like senior Will Ray look to continue the team’s emphasis on culture and development.
“[We’ve got] a lot of brand new guys, a lot of guys that are coming from different places,” Ray said. “Get ting the culture down early was something that we poured a lot of our energy into, and I think it's gone re ally well. I think it's going to show early in the season.”
In addition to Ray, the Demon Deacons also return experienced relievers like Haiden Leffew, Zach John ston, Josh Gunther, Blake Morningstar and Joe Ariola, each having made routine relief appear ances last season.
Wake Forest hasn’t shied away from the trans fer portal to re cruit pitchers. Both Missouri transfer Lo gan Lunceford and Tennessee transfer Matthew Dallas have racked up praise throughout the preseason as both for mer SEC pitchers look to make an imme diate impact on the Demon Deacons.
“In terms of hardest to hit, I’d start with [Lunsford] or [Dallas],” Houston said at me dia day. “Dallas doesn't throw a ball that goes straight- you never know which way it's gonna go. They both have improved, a lot over just over the break… I think they're gonna come out here and show everybody what they have.”
The Demon Deacons also added talent from inside the Atlantic Coast Conference, landing Matt Bedford (Notre Dame), Griffin Green (Virginia Tech) and Luke Schmolke (Georgia Tech).
In terms of freshmen, names to know include Chris Levonas and Duncan Marsten, two highly-touted pitchers who contributed to Wake Forest’s 11th-ranked recruiting class (according to Perfect Game). Levonas chose to attend Wake Forest over signing with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he was chosen with the 67th overall pick in last year’s draft.
“I think the most excit
losing the likes of Kurtz, King, Jake Reinisch and Adam Tellier and causing a massive turnover in terms of the lineup.
Despite losing so much quality, the Demon Deacons still have batting prowess in shortstop mainstay and top batter Marek Houston (.326 BA, 57 R) and Marist transfer Ethan Conrad (.389 BA, 55 R).
Houston was a 2024 Third Team All–ACC selection, set the team freshman record for games played (65) and was instrumental in Wake Forest’s success during his sophomore season.
“This year, my goal is to be a leader,” shortstop Marek Houston said. “Taking after [Nick] Kurtz and Seaver [King], I’m trying to be the guy that will be a vocal leader, and that's what I've taken to this fall.”
Conrad enters his junior season as a Demon Deacon after spending his first two years with the Marist Red Foxes. Conrad was selected to the 2024 All-MAAC First Team, led his team in all major batting statistics except home runs and set the NCAA single-game record for most triples (4).
“I really like his speed, his bat-to-ball [ability] and his ability to kind of find different ways to get hits,” Walter said. “He has a great feel for the game, and he can beat you in a lot of different ways.”
Wake Forest also lost four of their five top home run-getters, with just Jack Winnay (.297 BA, 20 HR) remaining, meaning the Demon Deacons are hoping for more power from the transfer portal in the new season.
During the offseason, the Demon Deacons grabbed catcher Jimmy Keenan (St. John’s), outfielder Matt Scannell (Princeton) and infielder Kade Lewis (Butler). Both Keenan and Lewis were all-Big EAST selections last season.
“We've got a really good club, a talented and deep club, and I really like our group,” Walter said.
Wake Forest Men's Baseball takes on another season starting against Long Island University on February 14th. The Demon Deacons won 38 games in the 2024 campaign.
Isabella Parolini/Old Gold & Black
Katie Romhilt/Old Gold & Black
Men’s Basketball battles, outlasts Pittsburgh
Demon Deacons now head west to face new ACC foes Stanford, Cal with chip of momentum
BLAKE ROBISON Asst. Sports Editor
After back-to-back losses to No. 2 Duke and No. 21 Louisville, Wake Forest men’s basketball (16-6, 8-3 ACC) was able to bounce back with a 76-74 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers (14-7, 5-5 ACC).
“We overcame a lot of adversity this week, and I thought our team handled the adversity with a lot of class and a lot of toughness,” said Wake Forest Head Coach Steve Forbes.
“You have to give credit to [Wake Forest], they made big shots,” Pittsburgh Head Coach Jeff Capel said. “They made big plays down the stretch, and big free throws.”
The Demon Deacons’ first points of the game came off of a three-point connection from Cameron Hildreth (24 PTS, 3-3 3FG). Hildreth left the matchup against Louisville early due to illness, only playing 22 minutes of Tuesday night’s contest.
In the victory against the Panthers, the Demon Deacons converted seven more shots from beyond the arc — the second consecutive game in which Wake Forest hit eight three-pointers. During their matchups against UNC and Duke, the team only mustered a combined five.
“[Hildreth] was just all over the floor, guarded the best player on the floor and led us in scoring,” Forbes said.
Though illness spread through their roster, the Demon Deacons played a muchneeded complete game, starting the game efficiently and playing that way throughout the whole 40 minutes.
However, Wake Forest did not find their path to victory without turmoil.
“[Pittsburgh is] so good on offense, with violent drivers at every position, and they can shoot the three,” Forbes said postgame. “It puts you in a really tough spot. We just couldn’t get away from them.”
While Wake Forest’s 52.2% from the field surpassed their season average (44.4%), Pittsburgh shot 42.9%, eclipsing Wake Forest’s points-allowed average (39.1%). The Panthers were aggressive and finished the game with ten more shots than the Demon Deacons. This effort helped Pittsburgh achieve a 36-34 halftime lead.
“Tonight, I felt like I was just playing more so within the flow of the game,” Hunter Sallis said postgame. “I feel like we’re really good when that happens.”
However, one thing did change in the second half. With under 10 minutes to play, Hunter Sallis (13 PTS, 5 REB) got to one of his hottest spots from the court and drilled from the mid-range. From that point on, he went on to score nine of his 11 second-half points.
Pittsburgh’s Damian Dunn boosted the scoreboard with his season-high 24 points. Despite his performance, Wake Forest was able to prevent a team offensive surge while also boasting their most efficient box score since their 88-78 win over Miami.
Wake Forest heads west next week with a pair of ACC battles against the Stanford Cardinal and California Golden Bears.
Contact Blake Robison at robiba24@wfu.edu
Men’s Tennis beats No. 4 Ohio State
Program-record turnout at Indoor Tennis Center witnesses huge momentum boost in ranked win
SEAN KENNEDY Sports Editor
No. 2 Wake Forest men’s tennis rose to their high expectations early in the season, winning an early test against No. 4 Ohio State at Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center Sunday afternoon.
The match started quickly for the Demon Deacons, with USC transfer Stefan Dostanic and star junior DK Suresh Ekamabaram winning their doubles court against Ohio State’s Aidan Kim and Will Jansen, 6-1.
After falling for the first time this season in Saturday’s match against Georgia, Wake Forest’s No. 3 doubles team Luca Pow and Luciano Tacchi bounced back against the Buckeyes, taking their court and the team doubles point 6-3.
With the doubles point in hand, the Demon Deacons needed to win three of the six singles courts to win the match, and the team carried the momentum into their singles matches, taking four out of six first sets.
One of the most dominant performances of the day for the Demon Deacons occurred on court one, as No. 17 Dostanic commanded a victory against No. 22 Kim. After an unconventional point allowed Dostanic to clinch a game late in the second set, Kim pleaded with the umpire to change the ruling to no avail. Dostanic finished off the set to seal the Demon Deacons’ first singles point, 6-3, 6-3.
On court three, Wake Forest freshman No. 98 Charlie Robertson found his stride
in the first set as well, breaking No. 47 Alexander Bernard early on. Robertson cruised through the set from there despite a slight hiccup after Bernard broke one game back late on. Robertson clinched his court in the second set, 6-3, 6-3, allowing the Demon Deacons to need one more court.
Elsewhere on other courts, though, Ohio State made things tight. Despite winning his first set, Tacchi fell 6-3, 1-6, 5-7 against the Buckeyes’ Preston Stearns. Both Stearns and Tacchi broke serves from each other late in the third set, but Stearns was able to come back and claim the Buckeyes’ first point on court six.
Minutes later, the Demon Deacons dropped another opportunity to seal the match when Ohio State’s Jack Anthrop battled back to beat No. 100 Ioannis Xilas. Xilas had initially won his first set 6-2, but Anthrop came from behind in the second set and brought momentum to the third, finishing the match off, 6-2, 5-7, 2-6.
“We jumped on them early, and it looked like it was going to be a convincing win, but it never truly is,” Wake Forest Head Coach Tony Bresky said in a post-match statement. “They fought back and made things super tight.”
The match then came down to its two tightest courts, with Pow facing No. 107 Chris Li, and No. 7 Suresh Ekambaram against No. 106 Jansen.
Pow got off to a hot start against Li, leading 4-1 in the first set- but Li bounced back.
The Buckeye clinched the first set, 6-7 (72), and the two players found themselves in a case of deja vu- heading to tie-break in the second set. Despite Pow’s best efforts, Li won match point, 6-7, 6-7 (7-5).
The matchup then came down to Suresh against Jansen, the most back-andforth match of the day. Each player made incredible shots and recoveries throughout the first two sets while Jansen took the first set on tie-break. Suresh managed to
prevail in the second set, setting up a decisive third frame. Suresh served aces and laced balls down each line to best Jansen, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2.
“It was a full team effort,” Bresky said. “It was great to be at home and get that win before we match up next week against a tough Columbia team.”
Contact Sean Kennedy at kennsm21@wfu.edu
Christopher Wallace/Old Gold & Black
Ty-Laur Johnson (8) celebrates after his team made an open basket. Johnson had 16 points in the contest, a season-high for the sophomore.
DK Suresh Ekambaram, ranked No. 7 in the nation, defeated Ohio State’s Will Jansen in the third set, winning his court 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2.
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
Weathering a tie-dye storm
Athletic department revitalizes student fan base with promotions and added security
MATT POSTMAN & JAMES LOMBARDO Contributing Writers
Last February, the court inside the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum was flooded by a storm shortly after Wake Forest Men’s Basketball’s 83-79 victory over the Duke Blue Devils.
It was a court storm.
Students wildly rushed onto the court with little regard for fan or player safety. Duke star and forward Kyle Filipowski was injured in the madness, sparking a national debate over the legality of court-storming in college sports.
“When are we going to ban court-storming?” said Duke Men’s Head Basketball Coach Jon Scheyer in a post-game interview. “It’s a dangerous thing.”
Two weeks ago, the North Carolina Tar Heels and the No. 2-ranked Blue Devils came back to Winston-Salem to battle against the Demon Deacons. The matchups between these fierce in-state rivals promised a massive turnout from the student body. Like last year against Duke and Kyle Filipowski, tie-dye nation showed up.
The revitalization of tie-dye nation
Wake Forest Athletics hasn’t always been like this. Tie-dye nation, which started in 2003, was a signature theme for home basketball games that fizzled out during the 2010s due to poor team performance and a lack of student involvement.
From 2010 to 2020, Wake Forest’s basketball team did not achieve a single 20-win season, with nine of those seasons finishing with a record below .500.
After COVID-19, the University made a massive change. First, when Head Coach Steve Forbes was hired in 2020, the school and its high-profile donors directed more funds toward student engagement in athletics.
“We view our students as one of the most important parts of our athletics department,” Associate Athletic Director of fan experience and revenue generation Corey Raymond said. “We’re not afraid, even if students aren’t direct revenue for us, to make our students a priority.”
Raymond recognized that student voices are crucial to everything he and his team do. That’s why Wake Forest has begun to enlist student help. Screamin’ Demons is a student-run organization that promotes the involvement of Wake Forest's students in athletics. After the organization was halted during COVID-19, William Burns and Clay Matthews, two lifelong Wake Forest fans and current students, took the initiative to bring it back to life.
“Screamin’ Demons is the heart of the student section at Wake Forest,” Matthews said. “It's getting Wake Forest students involved in athletics and creating events to incentivize students to come to games.”
Both Burns and Matthews outlined some of the organization's accomplishments within the past year of operation. The largest includes obtaining
part of a $5 million donation this past year from Wake Forest superfan Mit Shah.
This donation also revitalized the tie-dye nation. Burns, a Winston-Salem native, described how reigniting the tie-dye tradition was a goal of his ever since the return of Screamin’ Demons.
“When I was a kid, I would watch Chris Paul, Jeff Teague, and Ish Smith,” Burns said. “The student section was always packed. It was all tie-dye.”
Junior forward Owen Kmety talked about how he and his teammates feel the energy from students, especially during tie-dye games.
“Going out on the floor, and seeing people go nuts like that, it gets you juiced up,” Kmety said. “Like I can even feel it, and it makes me just excited to be there.”
Shah’s donation also funded the student tailgates for basketball games. Every football game in recent years had a successful student tailgate, making its addition desirable for the basketball program.
“How do we make the atmosphere even better?” Raymond said. “We know that people are going to line up hours before the game, why not give them some free food? Why not play some music?”
Prioritizing safety
Though the athletics department encourages fan enthusiasm, they remain committed to safety.
“Safety is going to be a really big priority for this
game,” Raymond said. “We know what happened last year when Duke came, and we want to try to avoid that at all costs this year.”
Raymond emphasized the attention to detail that Wake Forest puts toward restricting court access to only allow authorized personnel. He spoke about the university’s mission to maintain a safe environment before, during and after each game.
The university even hired local security personnel to ensure strict access to the floor at all times. Much of the safety regulations in and around the stadium were coordinated with Rhino Security, explained Sophomore Clio Rao, who is the fan experience and sales intern for the athletic department.
“Every student got a wristband and was handed a slip of paper that was a reminder to stay off the court,” said Rao. “Only authorized personnel are allowed on the court."
Even after a tough loss against an impressive Duke team, both Burns and Matthews had a positive reflection of the game and its atmosphere.
“Those memories from [the Duke game] are moments that make it all worth it,” said Matthews. “You feel like you've made a difference.”
“I cried [on the day of the game],” Burns said. “It makes you emotional because you realize how much it means to the university, to the school and every single student.”
Contact Matthew Postman & James Lombardo at postmd22@wfu.edu & lombjp23@wfu.edu
WORDS OF THE WEEK
18.3 25 4
The program-record attendance for Men's Tennis vs. Ohio State.
Hunter Sallis' scoring average on the season, as of 02/05.
Career-high point total for Rylie Theuerkauf against NC State.
Top-5 finishes for Men's Golf during the 2024-25 season.
Dostanic had a dominant week that deemed him a worthy recipient of ACC Player of the Week honors and a No. 17 singles ranking.
The USC transfer won in straight sets in two ranked matches over the weekend. After beating out Georgia’s No. 23 Thomas Paulsell, 6-2, 6-2, Dostanic then handled Ohio State’s No. 22 Aidan Kim, 6-3, 6-3. Dostanic also teamed up with DK Suresh Ekambaram in doubles to win against both the Bulldogs and Buckeyes, making him undefeated on the weekend.
I’d say we have the best home crowd in the country. They were amazing and pulled us through to the end."
Piper Saunders/Old Gold & Black
"Tie-Dye Nation" looks on as Wake Forest's Tre'Von Spillers (25) and Duke's Cooper Flagg (2) get tied up for that ball in Wake Forest's 63-56 loss to the Blue Devils.
STEFAN DOSTANIC
Men's Tennis Head Coach Tony Bresky after his team's win over No. 3 Ohio State
Isabella Parolini/Old Gold & Black
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
ARTS & CULTURE
PAGE 18
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2025
Lydia Derris, derrlf23@wfu.edu
Grace Schuringa, schugh24@wfu.edu
What’s trendier: conservative style or politics?
Signs of America’s return to traditionalism were folded neatly in my own closet.
VIRGINIA NOONE Senior Writer
President Donald Trump’s inauguration was a grandiose spectacle where billionaires, political enemies and significant figures in the U.S. government were forced together. It was filled with warnings against oligarchy from the left, lengthy speeches outlining the new “Golden Age” of America from the right and an unsettling “Roman salute” by Elon Musk, amongst other contentious events. While watching the political drama unfold, I received a text from my mom that surprised me.
“Oh my god… Melania’s hat is hideous,” she texted in my family’s group chat.
Much to my mother’s surprise, my older sister and I immediately responded that we actually “kinda” liked her wide-brimmed black hat, which Eric Javits designed. It reminded me of Miranda Blake’s iconic hat from “The Parent Trap,” and felt striking yet elegant despite being mocked online.
In fact, her entire outfit and most of the other Trump-adjacent women in attendance were on par with the current trend of extremely modest, classic looks that hint at luxury. The Washington Post wrote that they put “the fashion in oldfashioned,” and compared their outfits to those of the 1980s.
On the newly unbanned TikTok, multiple posts compared Ivanka Trump’s dark green, monochrome dress, jacket and hat to the outfit sported by Serena Joy from Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” The character in the show is the wife of a conservative, religious member of the governing body of the nation, inciting com-
menters on one post, which amassed 2.1 million views, to draw a comparison between Ivanka Trump and Joy. While this visual comparison is fair, it sows seeds of discomfort when considering the context of Margaret Atwood’s frequently banned novel and the significance of Joy’s mandated attire in the dystopian narrative, where women are stripped of all rights. By using women’s clothing as a literary device in her story, Atwood makes a statement on the significance of fashion trends. Given the historical importance of this Inauguration Day, I understand it seems a bit superficial to be picking apart the fashion choices made by these women. But their choices are inspired by recent pervasive trends that reflect a larger shift in society.
What they wear isn’t merely a fashion statement — it’s also a political statement. Conservatism and “quiet luxury” have become mainstream in the fashion world, a trend that was once accredited as resistance and exhaustion from the constantly evolving nature of micro-trends and the trend cycle at large. This “no-trend trend” formerly consisted of timeless, capsule wardrobes with staples such as blue jeans, white fitted shirts and other classic pieces. It’s been coined by celebrities such as Sophia Richie Grainge and Paige Lorenze and has spawned tangential styles such as the “coastal granddaughter” trend and the “old money aesthetic.” The necklines are higher, the skirts are longer and the hair is never messy. It's preppy. It’s chic. But it’s also derived from
The religion of the self
conservatism and elitism.
I was admittedly surprised by the results of the recent presidential election, specifically Trump’s winning the popular vote, and spent the first few days wondering how I did not predict a red sweep. Then, I began looking around and instead wondered not what I missed, but how I missed it.
I put on ballet flats, non-ripped jeans, a blazer and styled a perfect slick-back low bun on the day I went to the polls to cast my vote. My social media feed was filled with tradwives, younger marriages and holistic medicine tips, amongst other trends birthed from traditionalism.
A return to conservatism was sitting right in front of my very eyes and even manifesting in my wardrobe, much to my own ignorance.
Although some of this can be accredited to me getting closer to adulthood and further away from the Brandy Melville cropped tops of my teenage years, there has undeniably been a shift towards modesty in the fashion world.
Whether these trends were indicators or symptoms of this cultural shift, I’m not qualified to say. However, fashion has always been a mirror that reflects society while also influencing it. Women’s clothing has always been at the center of political commentary surrounding gender issues.
To dismiss fashion as a superficial industry ignores its historical and societal value. Instead of isolating fashion as a separate entity, we need to consider its broader implications within the political sphere and view it as a cultural thermometer.
Contact Virginia Noone at noonvc21@wfu.edu
What if self-sacrifice instead of self care could make you more complete?
LYDIA DERRIS Arts & Culture Editor
Editors note: This article represents the view of Lydia Derris, not the Old Gold & Black.
Most people look forward to relaxing in bed with a cup of tea, cozying up alone with a book. Is it not curious that they’re fantasizing about being alone?
In an age increasingly defined by the commodification of spirituality, self-care mantras and the relentless pursuit of personal wellbeing, the acts of giving ourselves to and loving others are becoming misunderstood and overshadowed by self-indulgence. There has been a slow eradication of faith, love and devotion, replaced by a deep-rooted allegiance to the self. A culture of self-worship has overtaken pious and religious traditions, leading to the degradation of moral principles and tenets of genuine interpersonal connection. We have lost true communion within the community, and have entered the age of The Religion of the Self.
The modern mind, conditioned to perceive challenging emotions as life-threatening, has grown increasingly fragile. In shield-
ing and coddling ourselves from the probing terrors of reality, we are forfeiting our capacity for true vulnerability. We as a society have become unable to give ourselves fully to others– only to our whims, desires and curated identities. We've built an environment where the rules of engagement are bent to suit our agendas, reinforcing the belief that we need only to prostrate ourselves toward individual inclinations and proclivities.
This “New Age” culture is open to endless interpretation, molded to fit the individual and has made us beholden to no one but ourselves. Love requires self-abandonment, and yet we have come to believe that to protect our peace is to prioritize our well-being above all else. True generosity, rooted in selfsacrifice, is immune to burnout because it asks for nothing in return. If you give without expectation, you cannot be worn down, because you have already elected, definitively and with full agency, to give.
In our quest for self-preservation, we have forgotten what it means to give deeply. We have convinced ourselves that discomfort is intolerable, and that self-preservation is the highest virtue. This focus on the self has replaced spiritual fulfillment and moral
grounding, leaving us with a hollowed-out form of existence. In this world, we lose the ability to commune with others authentically, and we remain trapped in the isolation of our curated selves.
Institutions, once designed to mediate axioms of morality, have become corrupt.
Technology has amplified the self-worship culture, with the algorithmic identity reinforcing this self-centered worldview. We are bound to our devices, forever functioning parallel to the algorithmic worldview that permeates our feeds, music, and interactions. We are not cultivating ourselves, but absorbing information and curating our identities to appear attractive to onlookers, to jobs and society at large.
This is compounded by a pervasive sense of isolation — an epidemic of self-curation. We are bound to our vices by our devices, and the very tools that promise connection only serve to reinforce our disconnection from real relationships and meaningful communion. Love, faith and devotion have never been transactional; yet, we have come to see them as such. The fallacy lies not with the blind believer or the faithful pilgrim, but with the individual who has armored
themselves against the world, mistaking self-protection for strength and selfinterest for wisdom.
Sartre argued that love, in its truest form, leads us to a fuller realization of the self. “The Art of Loving” says that to lovedeeplyis to transcend ego and restore our deepest human nature. Kierkegaard in “Works of Love” suggests that true love transforms us and returns us to an authentic, ethical ex-istence.
Love, in its most profound sense, requires self-abandonment and only by giving of ourselves can we regain our humanity.
As we retreat into the self, we continue to value only that which is most convenient, personal and self-serving. In this culture, the collective good is overlooked and the im-portance of communal sacrifice is ignored. We have elevated individual well-being to the point that we sacrifice the well-being of others.
Itisthroughself-sacrificethatwetruly be-comecomplete.
Contact Lydia Derris at derrlf23@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Virginia Noone/ Old Gold &Black Women's fashion has evolved through trends and decades, but conitnues to refelect popular societal beliefs and attitudes.
TikTok ban raises questions for the future of influencers
While the future of TikTok is uncertain, how would influencers respond to losing the platform?
RILEY BIEGER Contributing Writer
Comparing the 1950s, an era of elite Hollywood starlets, to today's measure of stardom — where everyone has a real shot at their fleeting 15 minutes of fame — makes it hard not to wonder just how far people will go for a few likes.
You don’t have to look far to understand our society’s new system of fame. Picture this: once-adored YouTubers or celebrities now make bizarre noises and plead for “roses,” sacrificing their dignity for virtual currency. Some eat absurd amounts of food or drop to their knees, hands clasped in a prayer-like pose, begging for diamonds on TikTok Live.
How did celebrities and influencers fall so far from grace that they are now essentially begging children — kids who, unfortunately, have saved credit card information — to unwittingly spend exorbitant amounts of money on these streams? Watching the demise of celebrity culture, recently highlighted by the TikTok ban, only elucidates the lengths people will go for fame and money.
Consider influencers like Alix Earle, who, alongside her team, strategically incentivized followers to migrate to Meta platforms by telling them to “follow me on Instagram so you can see when I get engaged,” as a transparent attempt to maintain relevance amidst new regula-
The TikTok ban brought up exestential questions of how to measure self worth were the platfrom to be banned for good.
tions enacted by the Supreme Court.
Other TikTok creators with larger platforms point to the censorship that banning TikTok will cause. The app is said to be a space where everyone’s voice matters, largely through the video documentation of poorly faked sobs as influencers see their bank accounts depleting.
Ironically, their “voice” often includes recommending a new moisturizer that one NEEDS in order to produce collagen. This is particularly perplexing given that the target demographic for this ad
is young twenty-somethings who are already at the age of peak collagen production. The collective verbiage pumped out by these creators around the ban is interesting, especially considering the political implications.
Another narrative pushed is that TikTok is a place where women can finally make their voices heard, given that many CEOs have emerged from the app. While it's true that the more women in every field, the better, was it all sunshine and roses on the platform before the ban?
No. These creators consistently exacerbate overconsumption due to the nature of their jobs. This not only impacts the environment but also contributes to climate change caused by the constant whispers of “the next best product.”
The smoke and mirrors provided by these influencers hide their true motive: to encourage the average TikTok user to retaliate against the ban. Why, might one ask, would they be so opposed? The truth is that in today's world, anyone can become someone with the infinite content produced, and these creators know that with the app gone, they lose their fame as well.
History repeats itself, as is seen with the “death” of apps like Vine and Musical. ly. The top creators on those platforms slowly faded away as the apps became less relevant. While TikTok does have a lot to offer, these influencers aren't scared about the censorship or whatever narrative they are pushing–only that they will lose their money and fame if the app is banned.
The chance for Hollywood to perfectly orchestrate the star of tomorrow is over, and now the beauty of social media is that everyone can become someone—a fact that is the biggest fear of those who rose to the top on TikTok.
Contact Riley Bieger at biegrm24@wfu.edu
The failed return of the Golden Globes
The winners of the 2025 Golden Globes reflects Hollywood elite's inability to connect with the public’s interests
ALLY WERSTLER Staff Writer
It is no secret that award shows have lost their popularity among general audiences within the past decade.
Hollywood’s three biggest nights: The Academy Awards, The Emmys and The Golden Globes, are all facing record-low viewership rates, and such numbers continue to decline yearly. There are several reasons for the decline, including a disinterest among 18 to 34-year-olds in tuning into a three-hour-long show, and many growing tired of Hollywood’s pretentious picks that ignore popular projects.
2024 marks the second year of the Golden Globes’ return to primetime television after being dropped by NBC in 2022 due to several controversies. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the voting party behind the television and film award show, has reportedly updated its rules regarding committee members receiving lavish gifts from potential nominees and formed a diverse voting body after an LA Times article revealed that the group had no Black members. However, it seems that these longneeded changes to the award show’s operation cannot save it from praising undeserving creatives whose pieces
are inaccessible to the public.
This year’s Golden Globes nominees and winners certainly reflect the latter complaint, with the internet fuming over Jacques Audiard’s offensive “Emilia Pérez” winning a staggering four awards, including the Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy award. The audience-hated film, with the current abysmal IMDb score of 5.7/10, shockingly won over fan favorites “A Real Pain,” “Anora,” “Challengers,” “The Substance,” and “Wicked”.
“Emilia Pérez’s” frustrating accumulation of awards at the Golden Globes, as well as the painfully unfunny jokes throughout the night by host Nikki Glaser and other presenters, certainly demonstrate Hollywood’s inability to connect with the interests of the public. Such mistakes have led the Golden Globes to become a laughingstock on social media. The awards show is getting much-needed social media attention but for all the wrong reasons.
Sadly, no one is talking about Demi Moore’s much-deserving Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture–Musical or Comedy win for her incredible role in “The Substance,” or Kieran Culkin’s Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture award for “A Real Pain.” Instead, “Emilia
Pérez’s” stilted musical numbers and horrendous dialogue are the topics that are making headlines across the world and further demonstrating the poor judgment and taste of Hollywood’s elite.
It seems that the Academy Awards has not learned from the mistakes of the Golden Globes, as “Emilia Pérez”
has been nominated for a recordbreaking 12 awards. It will be an uphill battle against the continued disappointment among moviegoers who simply cannot connect with the interests of the Hollywood elite.
Contact Ally Wrestler at wersaj21@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of The Associated Press
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
The Golden Globes grow more and more irrelevent each year as viewship and credibility is on the decline.
ACROSS
1. Home of the Chiefs
8. Turnpike turnoffs
9. Work ____
14. Penis with an N
15. "F*** you" abbr.
16. Add _ ___ of salt (2 words)
17. Regal betting platform
20. Fashion/swag, slang
22. "This __ ___ a drill!"
23. Canadian ending
24. Newport flavor
26. Opposite of LoFi
28. "Rub _ ___ dub!"
30. Eucalyptus eater
34. Fancy Feast maker
35. Namesake of Super Bowl trophy
37. Percents, abbr.
38. Shapiro of NPR
39. Mascot of Philly team
41. A.D. secular alternative
42. Chiefs quarterback Patrick
44. ChatGPT technology
45. Old internet service provider
46. *clears throat*
47. Travis of Chiefs
50. China ruling party, abbr.
51. Make bubbly
53. "This is so great!" (2 words)
55. ___-Fridays
56. Stuff from last week's paper, e.g. (2 words)
58. Unexpected sports win
OLIVER HALE Deisgn Chief
DOWN
1. Halftime show headliner
2. One who axes
3. Singer Simone
4. Suppress
5. Assistant, abbr.
6. "Beats me!" (2 words)
7. Dough riser
10. Touchdown
11. Possessed
12. Land of Tel Aviv (abbr.)
13. Kansas City mascot (singular)
15. Suspicious
18. First-aid ___
19. Fútbol score
21. Home of Eagles
24. Florida basketball team
25. March Madness org.
26. Philly QB Jalen
27. Nile wading bird
28. Job applier
29. Mussolini moniker
31. Marine Corps battle cry
32. Pound abbr.
33. Spy org.
36. Home PC
40. ___ Gadot of "Wonder Woman"
41. ____ - Cola
43. Alpha and _____
45. High ca4rds
48. Snakelike fishes
49. Female sheep
52. Smallest state abbr.
54. You're welcome abbr.
57. Delaware or Germany
Contact Oliver Hale at haleop21@wfu.edu
Acadia Foods: A vegan-friendly sandwich haven in Winston-Salem’s Washington Park
Nestled in the heart of Washington Park on the Southside, Acadia Foods is a hidden gem that few Wake Forest students know about.
COLLYN BALLENTINE
Contributing Writer
Just a 15-minute drive from campus, this cozy deli, coffee shop and market offers a laid-back vibe and plenty of options for those seeking vegan-friendly fare. Acadia Foods also serves wine and beer for those over 21, making it a versatile spot for everything from a midmorning coffee run to a relaxed evening hangout.
Whether you're a vegan in the mood for a hearty sandwich with tempeh, vegan cheese and mayo –– or a quick grab-and-go snack from their market –– Acadia Foods has something for everyone.
For vegans, Sundays are especially exciting, featuring specials like plantbased biscuits and vegan pop-tarts that will make your weekend brunch unforgettable.
I recently visited Acadia last Monday and ordered the vegan BLT with a side of crispy potatoes. My sandwich was full and flavorful. The potatoes were served hot, with a crispy exterior and fluffy interior. Previously, I have ordered the Sunday special of vegan pastries, such as the cherry pop-tart, all of which have been indistinguishable from regular pastries.
While Acadia offers a bounty of vegan options, its menu also caters to those without dietary restrictions. The
deli sells high-quality meat from local vendors, making it the perfect place for vegans and non-vegans to gather.
Beyond its deli offerings, Acadia Foods boasts an excellent selection of local, healthy snacks and drinks in its market. You’ll find farm-fresh meat and eggs alongside typical convenience store items, all with a focus on locally sourced ingredients.
Acadia Foods is also a refreshing alternative to Winston-Salem favorites like Dioli’s or Krankies, which often get packed during peak times. While Acadia can fill up on weekends, it typically doesn’t have as long of a wait. You’ll find yourself surrounded by locals who appreciate its understated charm.
As a senior, I’ve admittedly gate-kept Acadia Foods for years, relishing in its low-key vibe and incredible menu. Thanks to the limited traffic from other Wake students, Arcadia Foods has become my go-to spot for debriefing a night out and catching up with friends. But as graduation looms, it’s time for me to pass this gem down to the next generation.
So, if you’re looking for vegan-friendly eats, casual vibes and a little slice of Washington Park, Acadia Foods should be at the top of your list.
I recently visited Acadia last Monday, and ordered the vegan BLT with a side of crispy potatoes... [which were] served hot. Contact Collyn Ballentine at ballcs21@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of Collyn Ballentine