Wake Forest remains out of the top 30 for the second year in latest U.S. News ranking
Wake Forest is ranked No. 46, one spot higher than last year
SKYLER VILLAMAR-JONES News Editor
Wake Forest nds itself below the top-30 line for the second consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best National Universities list, which was released late last night. e media company ranked Wake Forest No. 46, one spot higher than its 2024 ranking of No. 47.
Wake Forest tied with four other universities for the No. 46 spot — Lehigh University, Purdue University Main Campus, University of Georgia and University of Washington.
Most of the metrics were consistent with last year’s methodology, which introduced a new way of ranking schools, changing 17 of the 19 measures. is year, many top-ranked universities maintained their positions on the ranking. Princeton, MIT, and Harvard all took the No. 1, No.2 and No. 3 spots for the second consecutive year.
e U.S. News Best National University Rankings are used every year by high school students to determine what undergraduate programs best t their needs. After Wake Forest’s signi cant drop from last year, currently enrolled students voiced a range of concerns, including tuition costs and the validity of their degrees.
Last Fall, Wake Forest’s ranking dropped 18 spots from its No. 29 spot in 2023. is was the rst time the university has been ranked out of the top 30 since 1996 and its lowest ranking since joining the National Universities list.
New methodology solidi ed
Beginning last year, U.S. News no longer considers factors such as small class sizes, instruction by professors with a terminal degree, alumni giving average, graduate debt and students’ high school standings. Wake Forest highlights and prioritizes many of these elements, according to Vice President of Communications & Chief Communications O cer Brett Eaton.
e algorithm also added 7 new indicators — four related to faculty research, two related to rst-generation graduation rates and one related to graduate income.
is year, the most signi cant change to the algorithm is that the six-year graduation rates and graduation rates performance for rst-generation students (students who are the rst in their families to attend college) were dropped from the formula. U.S. News explained that they removed this metric, after introducing it to last year’s ranking, in order to make their data more standardized. First generation student data
is not currently used in any other rankings.
e weight formerly allocated to rst generation graduation rates was reallocated to six-year Pell Grant graduation rates and graduation rates performance, which increased from 3 to 5.5% of the overall formula to calculate the ranking.
University administration responds
In a Sept. 24 post on Inside WFU, Eric Maguire, vice president for enrollment, emphasized that the consistently lower ranking is in direct contrast with the high demand for a Wake Forest education. According to a recent Washington Post article, some well-regarded universities have missed their enrollment goals by 20% or more.
“ e Class of 2028 was selected from a record applicant pool of 18,735, a seven percent increase over last year,” Maguire said. “Twenty-two percent of applicants were selected for admission, matching last year’s acceptance rate.”
As explained after last year’s ranking, President Susan R. Wente reiterated that the ranking is not re ective of the Wake Forest experience and in uence. According to Insider WFU, 97% of the Class of ‘23 were employed or enrolled in graduate programs within six months of graduation.
“Wake Forest sits in an enviable spot among colleges and universities,” Wente said. “We have a strong culture, embodied in our Pro Humanitate ethos, that calls to those who seek to be catalysts for good. Our approach to developing students to lead with character and integrity is rooted in our liberal arts foundation and deep faculty engagement.”
According to Provost Michele Gillespie, the U.S. News Ranking does not factor in the invaluable faculty expertise Wake Forest has.
“Nearly 95% of Wake Forest’s full-time faculty have a doctoral or other terminal degree,” Gillespie said. “Our talented faculty teach and produce outstanding research and scholarship that makes an impact on society. ey bring that research into the classroom and embrace experiential learning.”
Wake Forest was also ranked in the following categories:
• No. 35 in Best Value Schools (64th last year)
• No. 31 in Best Undergraduate Teaching
• No. 252 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (301st last year)
• No. 83 in Economics
• No. 18 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs
Wake Forest was placed consistently lower in other top-ranking lists. Wake Forest is currently ranked No. 137 in the Wall Street Journal’s ranking (61st last year) and No. 88 in Forbes’ ranking (86th last year).
Old Gold & Black
is column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Editor-In-Chief Maddie Stopyra
From the editor: Banned Books Week
Amid annual university rankings and academic discourse, I wanted to bring attention to a topic that did not make its way into this week’s print edition — Banned Books Week. Launched in 1982, Banned Books Week highlights the myriad of titles that have been challenged or banned from schools and libraries across the country. e Banned Books Coalition, which runs both a website and nationwide programming, named this week, Sept. 22-28, Banned Books Week.
is year, Banned Books Week’s theme is “Freed Between the Lines,” drawing attention to the dangers of
censorship, an issue that is prevalent in both literature and journalism. As an English major, aspiring journalist and lover of books, several banned books changed my life growing up. I vividly remember mustering the courage in high school English class to discuss books such as To Kill A Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, Animal Farm and e Great Gatsby, which are all frequently challenged or banned. ese class discussions not only fostered my love of reading and challenged me to share my ideas in an academic setting, but they also taught me to broaden my perspective and embrace several points
of view.
I believe that literature has the power to help people learn from history and each other. Authors use books to communicate truths about the social and political moment, which is critical to helping the wider public understand the world around them. Journalism does something similar. As writers, we do our best to cover events and issues in the most digestible and accurate way possible. We do this in service to our readers and to the public. I am proud to have spent my four years at Wake Forest in service to our community through journalism.
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Both freedom of literature and freedom of the press is critical to the future of our country. e spread of ideas and information allows individuals to make decisions for themselves, their families and their communities. Censorship both in literature and journalism limits the perspectives that are widely spread, possibly leading to misinformation. I believe that promoting an array of ideas in literature fosters diversity in thought, which remains imperative in both schools and the wider public. I hope you will join me in promoting Banned Books Week and the advocacy it inspires.
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Not only do we hold our newspaper and its contents to a high standard, but we also expect that those who choose to use us as an outlet for their ideas, opinions and skill hold themselves and their content to a high ethical standard.
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Peyton Manning inspires and entertains at Face to Face forum
2024-25 Face to Face season kicks off with NFL legend in LJVM Coliseum
CAITLYN WALL Contributing Writer
Two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning shared pivotal moments in his 18 year-long NFL career on Sept. 11, 2024 in the LJVM Coliseum for the 202425 Face to Face speaker forum.
Manning, widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos, earning ve MVP awards and breaking numerous records throughout his career.
Moderated by CBS Sports reporter Tracy Wolfson, Manning re ected on pivotal moments such as his decision to stay at the University of Tennessee for his senior year, inspired by advice from NBA star and former Wake Forest student Tim Duncan.
“I think asking questions — that’s how you gure things out and uncover potential solutions,” Manning said. “Preparation is key, whether you’re on the eld or in life.”
Manning shared his experiences of overcoming adversity, including dealing with a neck injury and multiple surgeries. He recounted how he adapted his game despite these challenges, emphasizing the importance of resilience.
“One of the biggest lessons I learned was the value of being exible and adaptive,” Manning said. “Even when I was struggling, it was about nding ways to stay e ective and lead my team.”
Manning recounted his famous audible call “Omaha,” which became a signature part of his play style. e term, often shouted at the line of scrimmage, signaled changes in the play to his teammates and has become a cultural reference beyond football ever since.
He also discussed his inclination to write apology letters to referees after disputes and highlighted his philanthropic e orts, including his Payback Foundation and Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.
e audience was particularly engaged when Manning discussed his relationship with his brother and fellow NFL player Eli Manning, highlighting the emotional complexities of competing against family.
“It was tough playing against Eli,” Manning said. “It’s hard on [our] parents and us, but that’s family. We’ve always had each other’s backs.”
Sophomore Sam Sellers, who has been a Broncos fan for years, found Manning’s stories motivational and insightful.
“I was excited to hear Peyton Manning speak because he’s been such a role model for me,” Sellers said. “His
During the event, the Wake Forest football team captains presented Peyton Manning with locally sourced gifts and a custom Wake Forest football jersey.
POLICE BEAT
advice on leadership and preparation was engaging and applicable to all aspects of life, not just football.”
During the event, the Wake Forest football team captains presented Manning with locally sourced gifts and a custom jersey. e captains expressed their gratitude, re ecting the deep respect and admiration they have for Manning’s contributions to football and mentorship.
Community member Michael Morgan appreciated how the forum gave him an opportunity to learn about Manning’s experiences in the NFL.
“What I like best about these events is that they provide a platform for people to hear di erent perspectives without pushing an agenda,” Morgan said. “Peyton Manning’s insights were incredibly valuable.”
Freshman Tom Hollingsworth also enjoyed hearing how Manning’s values shaped his career.
“It was really cool to hear him talk about the strategies he used in the league and how his family in uenced his approach,” Hollingsworth said. “His advice on leadership and preparation was incredibly inspiring.”
Addressing the high school players in the audience, Manning shared advice on preparation and perseverance, encouraging them to embrace their passions, work hard and remain adaptable.
“Pressure is something you feel only when you don’t know what you’re doing,” Manning said. “So prepare thoroughly, and when you face challenges, remember that you can out-prepare your opponents.”
e evening concluded with Manning’s closing thoughts on nding purpose and giving back.
“If you don’t, I’d encourage you to nd something that you’re passionate about, give your time, money, talent — and give all three if you can,” Manning said. “You can make such a big di erence on the bene ciary, but it could also have a big impact on you, as well.”
Contact Caitlyn Wall at wallce23@wfu.edu
• An individual consumed too much alcohol and became sick. ey were evaluated by Engine 8 and Forsyth County EMS 41. ey were allowed to stay in their room at Deacon Place Apartments. e report was led at 12:36 a.m. on Sept. 20.
• An underage individual had been drinking at a Kappa Delta date party. After vomiting several times, the individual wanted to be checked by EMT’s and refused transport. e report was led at 12:04 a.m. on Sept. 21.
• An underage individual was passed out in the grass on Long Drive and was transported by EMS to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. e report was led at 1:44 a.m. on Sept. 21.
• An underage individual had been drinking at a Sigma Pi house somewhere in the Long Drive area and vomited several times walking back to their dorm near Worrell Professional Center. e individual was transported by EMS to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. e report was led at 1:50 a.m. on Sept. 21.
• An underage individual had been drinking o campus and was transported to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. e report was led at 4:56 pm. on Sept. 21.
• An individual had 5 liquor drinks and a few beers to celebrate a 21st birthday. e individual was evaluated from North Campus Apartments and was advised to stay in their room. e report was lled at 3:44 a.m. on Sept. 22.
• Unknown individual stole a bicycle from Deacon Place Apartments. e report was led at 11 a.m. on Sept. 22.
Petyon Manning spoke with CBS Sports reporter Tracy Wolfson on Sept. 11, 2024 in the LJVM Coliseum for the 2024-2025 Face to Face speaker forum about overcoming adversity.
Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black
Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black
Wake Forest Jewish students create petition to cancel Oct. 7 event featuring Rabab Abdulhadi
At the time of publication, the event has not been canceled or rescheduled
MARIA SILVEIRA News Editor
Wake Forest students on the Hillel and Chabad student executive boards created an online petition early this week urging the administration to cancel an event scheduled for Oct. 7 featuring speaker Rabab Abdulhadi. e petition, which has garnered over 7,000 signatures, pushes for the event to be canceled due to claims of Abdulhadi spreading antisemitic rhetoric and supporting Hamas.
e event, titled “One Year Since al-Aqsa Flood: Reections on a Year of Genocide and Resistance,” will be held in the ZSR Auditorium on Oct. 7. e date marks the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ surprise attack on Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of 1,200 Israelis and the capture of more than 200 hostages. Israel’s counterattack has resulted in the death of over 40,000 Palestinians, according to the o cial Health Ministry.
Five departments are sponsoring the speaker event — Wake Forest University’s Humanities Institute, the department of history, the department of politics & international a airs, the Middle East South Asian studies program and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Chabad Student President Isabelle Laxer, Hillel Student President Andrew Orfaly, Hillel Treasurer Jake Shulkin, Chabad Executive Board Member Ben Sharon and Hillel Religion & Education Chair Maverick Cortes created the petition in hopes of gathering support for the event’s cancellation through digital signatures.
“We felt we had to do something to draw attention, not just within our community, but also put pressure on those that have the power to make change,” Orfaly said. Abdulhadi is the founding director and senior scholar of the Arab and Muslim ethnicities and diasporas studies program at San Francisco State University. She is also on the advisory board of the U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.
e Anti-Defamation League and Campus Watch have denounced Abdulhadi for being antisemitic, pushing an anti-Israel agenda and promoting terrorism. She came under re for organizing a virtual event on Zoom in 2020 featuring Leila Khaled — a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which, like Hamas, is a designated foreign terrorist organization by the United States. Khaled is well-known for hijacking a commercial airplane in relation to this group in 1969. e virtual event was eventually canceled by Zoom for violating the platform’s terms of service.
In the rst 48 hours of the petition being live, it surpassed 5,000 signatures. e Old Gold & Black could not con rm that Wake Forest students were the only signatories. e undergraduate population is made up of approximately 5,500 students. At the time of publication, the number of signatures on the petition surpassed 7,000.
“We know that a petition alone will not do anything. However, we believe it is a starting point of conversation and awareness,” Laxer said.
According to the Director of the Humanities Institute (HI), Dr. Jennifer Greiman, the lecture was proposed by one of the HI’s interdisciplinary faculty seminars made up of seven faculty members from four di erent departments. e group researches the topic of “genocide and memory studies.” As the Israel-Hamas war continued, the seminar members felt it was necessary to examine the question of genocide in Gaza and engage with the work of Abdulhadi.
“ e seminar then put together a proposal, listing Dr. Abdulhadi’s quali cations and the importance of her scholarship to their seminar, which was evaluated and approved by the Humanities Institute’s faculty committee for co-sponsorship with other departments,” Greiman said. “Such co-sponsorship involves helping to pay travel, lodging, modest honoraria and other expenses.”
A member of the faculty seminar and Rubin Presiden-
tial Chair of Jewish History, Barry Trachtenberg, told the Old Gold & Black holding the event on Oct. 7 is an opportunity for scholarly growth.
“Over the last 12 months we’ve heard the claim repeatedly that this was the worst of violence that Jews have su ered since the Holocaust, and I get that — I’m a scholar of the Holocaust; I am Jewish. Oct. 7 was an incredibly horrible day” Trachtenberg said. “We also must recognize that, since then, at least 42,000 Palestinians have been murdered, the vast majority of them being noncombatants. It is the largest loss of life in Palestinian history ever, and I believe that makes it worthwhile for us to be able to talk about it.”
He also expressed his disappointment in the statements being made against Abdulhadi.
“I have seen some of the comments on the petition, and it is heartbreaking to me to see such vile, racist, sexist, Islamophobic statements made without any kind of pushback against a highly respected scholar simply because she’s a Palestinian woman who speaks out about the experience of Palestinians living under Israeli rule,” Trachtenberg said. “I think there’s no place for that in a university setting. I think accusing her of being a terrorist supporter is an extreme form of Islamophobia.”
Greiman explained that she was slightly surprised by the reaction of community members towards the event.
“In the 13 years since the HI was founded at Wake Forest, it has demonstrated a deep and longstanding commitment to Jewish Studies scholarship at Wake Forest, funding about three dozen projects in the broad elds of Jewish studies [...],” Greiman said. “I am surprised that there are members of our community who would deny the value of gaining such perspectives on Palestinian society and culture from a Palestinian scholar at this moment in time.”
Laxer and Orfaly shared their concerns that the content of the event would re ect antisemitic sentiments.
“Posters were put up with the Wake Forest logo onto our campus and were being seen by Jewish students,” Laxer said. “Jewish students were getting emailed about this event, and the language in the title was blatantly antisemitic and pro-Hamas. at’s when we felt like we needed to do something and that this event had ventured over from the realm of free speech into the realm
By the time of publication, the petition gained over 7,000 signatures.
of hate speech.”
Laxer continued to emphasize the positive responses that she has received from the petition since it has gone live.
“I’ve felt like I have received an outpour of positive feedback from students feeling that their views have not been heard, and students who didn’t know this was even occurring and are now very upset and want to take action,” Laxer said.
At the time of publication, the event planned for Oct. 7 has not been canceled or rescheduled. e Old Gold & Black has reached out to administrators for comment and will continue to cover the development of the event. is is a developing story. e Old Gold & Black will update the article with any new information and statements.
Contact Maria Silveira at silvmt23@wfu.edu
Abdulhadi is the founding director and senior scholar of the Arab and Muslim ethnicities and diasporas studies program at San Francisco State University...The ADL and Campus Watch have denounced Abdulhadi for antisemitism.
Photo courtesy of Palestine Legal
Oliver Hale/Old Gold & Black
CITY & STATE
James Watson, watsjc22@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
e North Carolina Attorney General race
A closer look at the battle to be the state's top prosecutor
MORGAN MOSER
Contributing writer
In North Carolina, all eyes are on the gubernatorial race between Republican candidate Mark Robinson and Democratic candidate Josh Stein, but, while this race holds great political importance, it’s also important to highlight races not engulfed by mainstream media, such as the North Carolina Attorney General race between U.S representatives Je Jackson (D) and Dan Bishop (R).
is race is especially important as the governor of North Carolina has limited unilateral control over legislation, appointments and budget-related a airs compared to governors in other states. e attorney general (AG), however, holds a great deal of power. As the state’s chief legal advisor, decisions made by the AG play a crucial role in legal a airs involving state agencies, departments, commissions and in other state-associated legal matters.
e Candidates
Je Jackson (D) represents North Carolina’s 14th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. is district includes parts of Gaston and Mecklenburg counties. In 2014, he became the second youngest North Carolina senator to be elected into o ce.
Honesty and decency are at the forefront of Jackson’s campaign as he emphasizes “Principle before Politics.” He’s also focused on issues such as criminal justice reform, public education, economic development and mental health care. Jackson gained popularity with young voters through TikTok videos but quickly faced backlash after voting in favor of a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban of the app.
Jackson was born in Miami, Fla. but was raised in Chapel Hill, N.C. He attended Emory University where he obtained his B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy. After a oneyear tour in Afghanistan for the U.S. Army, Jackson returned to North Carolina where he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Law.
Jackson shared with the Raleigh News and Observer that, if elected, he would support a two-front approach that targets both the supply and demand of fentanyl.
“ at means aggressively pursuing the elements of organized crime that tra c fentan-
yl into our state by identifying and breaking apart the distribution cells that exist within our state as well as advocating for e ective addiction treatment for users,” Jackson said.
Additionally, he shared that he believes the work of the attorney general is fundamentally nonpartisan. “ e job is to be a shield for the public against those who mean them harm,” he said.
As of mid-September, Jackson raised nearly $764,000 for his campaign. Retired individuals are his primary funding source, providing $118,000 total. Other top industry contributions include lawyers and law rms, health professionals, real estate and education.
Dan Bishop (R) serves as a U.S. Representative of North Carolina’s 8th district. e district encompasses parts of Anson, Hoke, Mecklenburg, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Scotland and Union counties.
Bishop prides himself on his conservative views and honesty. In addition to his time in the U.S. House, he has also served in the Mecklenburg County Commission and the N.C. Senate, where he most notably authored House Bill 2 (HB2), a bill that required individuals to use public restrooms corresponding with their sex assigned at birth. While HB2 faced immense backlash, Bishop remains unapologetic about his traditional conservative social ideals.
Bishop is originally from Charlotte, N.C. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for both his undergraduate and J.D. degrees.
In an interview with the Raleigh News and Observer, Bishop said that his top priority, if elected, will be “restoring law and order in North Carolina.”
e Republican nominee has raised $203,000 toward his campaign. His top donors come from Republican and conservative individuals and PACs. is is followed by retirees and individuals in real estate, law and Leadership PACs.
North Carolina’s attorney general has the power to directly impact policy through legal interpretations, enforcement of state laws and decisions on whether to defend or challenge certain laws in court. e outcome of this election could have signi cant impacts on North Carolina’s political and legal landscape.
e last time that North Carolina elected a Republican attorney general was in 1896 — back when the Republican platform would have been viewed as progressive — meaning that if Dan Bishop is elected, it will be the rst time in more than 125 years that a Republican will hold the position.
Both candidates have extensive legal and political experience. In a swing state like North Carolina, in uential races are often won by a razor-thin margin. According to a September SurveyUSA poll, Jackson is leading in the polls by seven percentage points while 21% of individuals remain undecided. While the race for attorney general may not be the most publicized, it is certain to be one of the most consequential to be decided on the ballot this November.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
e North Carolina Supreme Court race
Contributing writer
A high-stakes battle over a number of issues including voting rights, abortion access, and education funding is heading to the ballot. But it's not happening at the top of the ticket.
is year, the N.C. e Supreme Court election is between Democrat Allison Riggs and Republican Je erson Gri n. Riggs was appointed to the State Supreme Court by Governor Roy Cooper in 2023 and Gri n is a judge seated on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
Ever since Republicans swept judicial elections in 2022, locking in a 5-2 majority in North Carolina’s highest court — which is uniquely partisan — they've been able to rede ne key laws on voter ID requirements for elections.
North Carolina became the rst state in nearly 100 years to make Supreme Court races partisan in 2016 — in response to Democrat Mike Morgans’ upset against Republican incumbent Bob Edmunds.
Some proponents of partisan judicial elections say elected judges are better at providing service to the voters — like politicians. Others say appointed judges are more focused on their legacy in crafting historic opinions, making elected judges better to provide for the average citizen, according to a paper published by the University of Chicago Law School.
However, opponents of this policy suggest that judicial races have simply become “increasingly political and partisan.” ey argue that, in states with partisan judicial elections, judges will not be able to “avoid political biases when they sit in the courtroom,” according to a paper published by the Brennan Center for Justice.
Both Riggs and Gri n have raised upwards of $1 million, with Gri n in a slight fundraising lead, but they are, in reality, tied in state-wide polls. A YouGov poll commissioned by the Progressive organization Carolina Forward showed Riggs in the lead by one point, while the conservative Carolina Journal, which commissioned a Cygnal poll, previously showed Gri n with a 3-point lead. Now, Riggs has a 3-point lead in a recent September poll. However, both leads are within the margin of error.
Unlike recent judicial races with the possibility of reversing partisan majorities, this election is likely to attract less attention because Republicans don’t have much to lose and Democrats don’t have much to gain. But, Democrats must keep Riggs’s seat this year — and fellow Democrat Anita Earl's seat in 2026 — if they want a chance at regaining their majority in 2028. Incumbent Democrats have failed since 2018 to do this crucial feat, causing many losses in every level of the North Carolina judiciary.
Gri n is a self-proclaimed “consti-
tutional originalist,” meaning he interprets the law as it is written, regardless of modern context. In an interview, he said, “we need jurists who are committed to the rule of law, who are committed to judicial restraint, who are committed to interpreting the law, not making the law from the bench.”
Gri n has attempted to paint his opponent as a constitutional activist, one who makes decisions with the interest of advancing social change. But, Riggs has pushed back on this assertion, putting the spotlight on the State Supreme Court and saying, “any public aspersions cast on the impartiality, independence and dignity of our state courts are wellearned.”
As both sides try to convince voters that they will better provide for their constituents and uphold the rule of law in the state’s highest court, they’re also ghting to convince voters to tune in. It’s worth remembering that Chief Justice Cheri Beasley lost in 2020 by 401 votes out of 5.4 million. Democrats and Republicans will need every last vote for this hotly contested seat.
Rulings in North Carolina restricting voting rights for felony convictions, upholding the state’s voucher program that diverts public school funding to help pay families for private education, and the Leandro school funding case that has plagued North Carolina for 30 years and would give poorer school districts more funding all come down to a simple majority on the N.C. Supreme Court. e average citizen might only think about the courts when thinking about criminal activity, but these courts can in uence how much funding children’s school receives, who gets to vote in elections or if someone has access to an abortion. e North Carolina Supreme Court race may take a backseat compared to ashier races like the Presidential election or the gubernatorial race, but as has been demonstrated in recent years, courts across the country hold signicant power in shaping the everyday lives of citizens.
Oliver Hale/Old Gold
NICK COSTANTINO
Oliver Hale/Old Gold & Black
6
FEATURES
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
Over the summer, four new sta members were appointed in the O ce of the Chaplain. Following a national search, Rev. Chris Donald was hired as the new university chaplain, succeeding Tim Auman, who served the university for 25 years. Akshay Gupta was hired as the rst assistant chaplain for Hindu Life and Religious Engagement, spearheading the new position. Stephanie Marshall was brought on as the new assistant chaplain for Jewish Life, following Gail Bretan’s retirement. Imran Haq was hired as the new assistant chaplain for Muslim Life, lling the position after Naijla Faizi.
For this issue, the Features section of the Old Gold & Black conducted interviews with all four of the new hires.
Q&A with Assistant Chaplain for Hindu Life and Religious Engagement
ELLA KLEIN Features Editor
Akshay Gupta recently became the rst assistant chaplain for Hindu Life and Religious engagement at Wake Forest University. A North Carolina native, Gupta’s last position was as an academic researcher at the Bhaktivedanta Institute and as a priest and youth minister at the New Goloka Temple in Hillsborough, N.C. is interview was conducted over email and edited for brevity and clarity.
e Old Gold & Black: Give me a bit about yourself — where are you from, and what are your hobbies and interests?
Akshay Gupta: I have lived in North Carolina for most of my life. I grew up in Asheville and did my undergrad and my master’s degree in the Triangle area. I wouldn’t consider myself particularly religious growing up, but that changed during college.
As far as interests go, I enjoy spending time with my wife, reading, doing music, hiking and playing tennis, though I don’t consider myself too good at the latter three. I’m not much of a TV or movie person, but I recently started watching e Chosen. It’s a series about Jesus and his followers. ough I’m not a Christian myself, I enjoy watching and think it’s well done. I also have a daily practice of chanting the names of God, which is a big part of my faith, so that’s a big part of who I am, as well.
You are the rst assistant chaplain for Hindu life and religious engagement: how do you envision this position? What are your goals? How do you plan to further the Hindu community on campus?
I see it as my role to oversee and guide Hindu life here on campus. A big part of my role is o ering support to students and facilitating their growth here at Wake Forest.
My goal is to provide opportunities for Hindu students to explore Hindu life more deeply by holding various events throughout the year, giving various talks and meeting with students one-on-one to talk to them about Hinduism. I’m also one of the advisors for the Hindu Students Association (HSA) and am available to help them out in any way that I can.
I aim to further the Hindu community on campus by having regular lunches with students as well as gatherings where students can discuss di erent issues related to Hinduism and have an opportunity to participate in various Hindu practices. I also intend to help the HSA plan its events, which have created a sense of community among Hindu students for many years.
In your website bio, you talk about the importance of interfaith dialogue. How are you planning on cultivating this at Wake Forest?
I’m in the process of planning an interfaith initiative and hope to have a series of regular events. e goal of the events is to get people together to dis-
cuss issues of relevance. I am hoping that these events can be valuable for students who are exploring their spirituality and want to hear di erent faith perspectives. I also hope these events could be a good way for the students and speakers to learn more about other religious traditions apart from their own.
I’m also aiming to partner with other o ces here at Wake Forest, like the Women’s Center, LGBTQ+ Center, O ce of Wellbeing, Program for Leadership and Character and others.
“My doors are also open to any students who are not Hindu, so if a student ever needs someone to talk to, I’m happy to o er a listening ear.
Tell me about your spiritual journey — how did you come to be a leader and caretaker in your faith? I know you trained with the Karuna Care Association; if you would like to share how that impacted you, I would love to know!
I was raised Hindu but didn’t really get into my faith until college. After my rst year of college, my perspective changed a lot, and I became a lot more inquisitive about questions like: What is the goal of life? Is there a God? Is there more to life than just making money? en, during the summer after my rst year of college, I started reading the Bhagavad Gīta, which is like the Hindu bible.
It really spoke to me, and I got deeper and deeper into Hinduism. Speci cally, I got interested in Vaishnavism, which is one of the traditions under the larger banner of Hinduism. I got a lot more serious about my faith in the beginning of 2015, which was the start of the second semester of my second year. My experience practicing Vaishnavism was so powerful for me that I chose to get ordained within my tradition within a couple years of practicing.
I also eventually decided to pursue a Ph.D. in Religious Studies. During my Ph.D., my wife got into chaplaincy, and I noticed how much of an impact it had on her. After writing my dissertation, I also started to get chaplaincy training with the Karuna Care Association, and I found that to be a transformative experience in many ways. It helped me to develop more empathy and compassion for others, and it also gave me a new perspective on how to practice my faith.
Also in your bio, you mention the head and the heart approach. Can you tell me more about that? How did your studies lead you to this approach?
e head approach is a heavily intellectual approach to spirituality. I think that it is important to have a rm intellectual basis for one’s faith. is does not necessarily mean that one has to have an advanced degree in
religious studies or theology, but it does involve being knowledgeable about the doctrines and tenets of one’s faith or having good intellectual reasons.
I also think that the head approach involves being introspective and re ective about one’s faith. e heart approach, as the name indicates, is an approach that is mainly rooted in the heart and has a more emotional side to it. Part of this is having compassion for others — not just an intellectual understanding that someone is su ering, but a felt concern for others.
In my studies, I found that I was heavily in the head approach, which makes sense given how much reading and thinking this involves. I decided to get some [chaplaincy] training as well after I nished writing my dissertation. I initially started by taking a few brief courses. I felt right away that this was something important for me and decided to continue my chaplaincy education further. It also helped me strike a balance between the head approach and the heart approach.
Beyond only Hindu students, how do you plan to support all students at Wake Forest?
As mentioned earlier, I plan to start an interfaith initiative that I hope will serve students from a wide variety of faith perspectives here at Wake Forest. Aside from that, I hope to raise awareness of Hinduism by giving various public talks at di erent times throughout the year. My doors are also open to any students who are not Hindu, so if a student ever needs someone to talk to, I’m happy to o er a listening ear.
Contact Ella Klein at kleiek22@wfu.edu
Ella Klein, kleiek22@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University
Q&A with the new Assistant Chaplain for Jewish Life
ELLA KLEIN Features Editor
Stephanie Marshall recently started her position as Assistant Chaplain for Jewish Life, after Gail Bretan’s retirement in Spring 2024. Marshall’s last position was as a Jewish education manager for the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and has worked in several synagogues and religious schools. is interview was conducted over email and edited for brevity and clarity.
e Old Gold & Black: Tell me a bit about yourself!
Marshall: e rst thing I would say about myself is how happy I am to be at Wake Forest and how much I look forward to getting to know everyone, especially the Jewish Community here. I also look forward to exploring Winston-Salem and the surrounding area.
For fun, I love going to art, music and cultural festivals. I enjoy hanging out with friends and getting to know new people. I also love cooking and trying new foods and recipes. I am very committed to living an authentic Jewish life and continuing to learn and grow.
I currently share my house with two very demanding and vocal cats, Simcha (Joy) and Neshama (Soul).
Can you talk about your journey — what led you to this role, being a leader and guide in your faith?
I often say that my career as a Jewish professional is as much of a calling as a choice. I started in an unconventional way. Shortly after I graduated from college, I was asked
to teach a Sunday School class. My initial response was that I didn’t know enough, as I had never gone to religious school. I was assured that if I stayed one chapter ahead of my students, I would be ne. I discovered I loved teaching and creating lessons and programs.
As I grew in my career, I found that I loved helping others engage and grow in their own faith. I also developed a passion for social justice and interfaith dialogue. I love engaging with students of all ages. While most of my experience has been with families and K-12th grade students, I was ready for a shift in my career. e role as the Assistant Chaplain for Jewish Life allows me to do what I love while growing and learning.
What about the Jewish community here at Wake Forest drew you in — was there a moment of realization that this was where you needed to be?
ere are so many things that drew me to Wake Forest. e Jewish Community may
“ I want to make sure that Jewish faculty and sta know they have my support, and I am invested in continuing to build a strong community.
be small, but it is very active. I am impressed with the passion of the student leaders and all the Jewish students I have met so far. I am also very pleased with the support that the Jewish community has here at Wake Forest. e Jewish community here is not homogeneous, which means we can all learn from each other. I really appreciate all the ways that Wake Forest supports its students, faculty and sta at was de nitely part of the draw for me. I also think we are in a time when all college students, and particularly Jewish students, need support, and I am very happy that I can use my skills and experiences to be part of that support system.
In Spring 2024, Assistant Chaplain for Jewish Life Gail Bretan retired, after 10 years of working within the University’s Jewish community. Bretan was a pillar of the Jewish community, how do you plan to help students with this shift in guidance?
While Gail left big shoes to ll, I am looking forward to getting to know the students here and building relationships. I listen to what each person has to say. While I certainly want to continue with successful programs that have been done, I am eager to hear what students want and create programs that meet their current needs. I am also building strong connections with the whole Triad area Jewish community and creating partnerships.
Beyond engaging Jewish students, what do you hope to do with the broader campus, in terms of engagement and support?
I hope to o er something for everyone by creating a variety of opportunities. I want to make sure that Jewish faculty and sta know they have my support, and I am invested in continuing to build a strong community. I also want to partner with many departments on campus. With the other Chaplains, I want to help build bridges and create interfaith dialogues and o erings.
What is your goal in this new role? How do you plan to support and engage the Jewish community here at Wake Forest?
My goal is to open the doors for learning about Judaism and Jewish topics and to engage as many people as possible. I want everyone on campus to feel supported by the work I do.
Contact Ella Klein at kleiek22@wfu.edu
Q&A with the Assistant Chaplain for Muslim Life
ANITA DOGINEUX Staff Writer
Imran Haq is the new Assistant Chaplain for Muslim Life, succeeding the former Assistant Chaplain Naijla Faizi. Haq was formerly an interfaith chaplain at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Va. Haq also worked as a chaplain at the Muslim ird Space, Center DC, in Washington, D.C. is interview was conducted over email and edited for brevity and clarity.
e Old Gold & Black: First o , tell me a bit about yourself!
Haq: My name is Imran Haq, a name that was actually given to me by my grandparents!
I have been married for one year to my wife Amanda, and we just moved to WinstonSalem only a month ago.
Perhaps an unexpected hobby of mine is that when I was younger I did tournament archery, and I still enjoy it, even if I’m not quite as good.
Tell us about your faith journey: what initially led you on this path and what were your expectations/aspirations?
I was born into a mixed-religious household: my mother was born Catholic,
and my father was Muslim. From a young age, I was exposed to both the church and the mosque. For a large part of my life, I was not particularly religious, but after a personal experience in college, I decided to learn more about faith and ended up dedicating myself pretty strongly to Islam!
I personally identify as a Zaydi Shia, which is a minority expression of a minority school of Islam. From the beginning, I think being a chaplain was always something I wanted to do.
How has your Muslim identity shaped who you are as a person?
For me, my Muslim identity has shaped everything about me. My ethics, morals [and] overall worldview was a gift given to me by my faith. In particular, it shaped my care and concern about social justice. In fact, I view chaplaincy as a form of community building and care: connected to both my faith and my care.
How did you move from working at a hospital in Virginia and communities within Washington D.C. to moving to Wake Forest? How were your goals/ expectations di erent in this new setting?
Even in the hospital and the community, I
“ I hope to create spaces of learning and engagement with Islam for everyone, whether it helps with spiritual development or simply engaging curiosity.
provided care to people and served as an educator and mentor to others. What I discovered was that I very much enjoyed those roles, and I wanted to explore what university chaplaincy could look like.
When I saw that Wake Forest University was looking for a Muslim chaplain, after learning about Wake Forest’s goals of hearing and honoring di erent voices, I knew I wanted to become a part of that.
As for my expectations, things de nitely move slower on a college campus versus a hospital. Especially in the emergency room or ICU, life happens and decisions are made second by second, but I am learning to adapt to a more relaxed pace here!
What would you like students to know about you and the work you do here at Wake Forest?
I would like all students to know that I am here for them as an advocate, support and resource.
As for the Muslim students on campus, whether they are Sunni, Shia, Ahmadiyya, practicing or not, I hope to be someone they can trust and rely on! I hope to create spaces of learning and engagement with Islam for everyone, whether it helps with spiritual development or simply engaging curiosity.
Contact Anita Dogineux at dongap21@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University
Q&A with University Chaplain Rev. Chris Donald
WILL HESS Contributing Writer
Following a national search, Reverend Chris Donald was named University Chaplain in August 2024. Donald spent the last ve years working as the university chaplain at Vanderbilt University, where he focused on a multi-faith approach to help faculty, students and sta . Donald has over 25 years of experience, centering on community and individual support. is interview was conducted over email and edited for brevity and clarity.
Tell me a little about yourself –– what was your life and career like before coming to Wake Forest?
I grew up not far from here in Blacksburg, Va., where both my parents worked for Virginia Tech.
I met my wife when we were both in seminary, although she ended up becoming a physician. I’m the dad of two girls, ages six years and 18 months. My oldest daughter and I are on a quest to nd the best cheeseburger in Winston-Salem.
I am a United Methodist pastor, and I’ve been in ministry for almost 20 years – the last 10 in higher education.
Previously, I was an administrator at the University of Virginia School of Nursing, then moved into full-time chaplaincy at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., and then at Vanderbilt University.
What drew you to Wake Forest? Is there anything you nd interesting here so far?
I was attracted to the commitment Wake Forest has to the holistic development of students. e
University provides a rigorous academic experience but also provides space and opportunity for students to learn and grow in other ways, which includes exploring meaning, purpose, worldview and the life of the spirit.
e warm welcome I’ve received here has been so a rming. I’ve stepped into this role and been accepted fully into this community — on campus and in Winston-Salem. I’m grateful for that.
What was your journey in your faith like? What lessons did you learn about religion and life?
I grew up in the church, and both my parents were active lay leaders in our congregation. I did all the stu children growing up in church do — Sunday school, Bible school, youth group, kids’ choir and so on.
When I went away to college, I sort of fell away from faith. Not that I rejected it. I was just sort of apathetic about it. It was nicer to sleep in on Sunday mornings or skip campus ministry meetings to crank out another page of a paper.
In the middle of my sophomore year of college, as fall semester exams were wrapping up, my father had a major stroke. It was the rst time I ever had to confront mortality — my father’s, but also my own. I realized the choices I was making with my life would not leave a meaningful legacy. Not that I was making terrible choices, but I wasn’t living with any sort of purpose or intention. I wasn’t making any meaningful di erence in the community I was a part of.
My father recovered from his stroke, with some de cits, but I realized I needed to change some things about my life. After that, I rededicated myself to participation in the church and community service. I got involved with my campus ministry. I sought out opportunities for community service during the semester and at breaks. at’s what led me to Teach for America (TFA) when I graduated from college.
I decided to get involved with a church in my new city. I joined a church and they encouraged me to have a systematic approach to nancially supporting the church, studying the Bible and praying with a small group, and doing the work of a church through a ministry committee.
At the same time, with TFA, I was working with children in an under-resourced school and community and praying like crazy because I had no idea what I was doing as a teacher. Studying the Bible, praying, giving, serving — that’s when I heard a call to ministry.
After my TFA obligation, I went to seminary at Duke and then served local congregations in the United Methodist Church in Virginia. Working with college students was a really life-giving part of what I was doing. I worked at Duke Chapel for two years in seminary and then as a member of an active board of directors at the United Methodist campus ministry at Virginia Commonwealth University. It was my supervisor at the UVA School of Nursing who nally nudged me to explore how to work with college students full-time.
What do you hope others can learn from your journey and experience?
I guess I would say that what I learned along the way is that young adulthood is when we make really critical decisions about what is important in our lives.
We can do that in a way like I did as a rst-year
student, which is to just go along with the default of what family or society or our own comfort says. Or we can be intentional and re ective about who we are, where we belong and how we live our beliefs out in ways that are meaningful and helpful to others.
For me, my faith has been an important part of understanding those things. I see my job as a religious and spiritual life leader at Wake Forest, to make space for that same kind of critical re ection for our students. Especially as they begin to discover and embrace worldviews that help them understand their own identity, place and purpose.
What any given student’s worldview is is not as important as that they engage in that process of reection and making that framework of belief and ethical action their own.
“I was attracted to the commitment Wake Forest has to the holistic development of students. e University provides a rigorous academic experience but also provides space and opportunity for students to learn and grow in other ways, which includes exploring meaning, purpose, worldview and the life of the spirit.
How do you hope to engage both religious and non-religious students at Wake? Any goals as chaplain?
For this rst year, I will try to be present and participate in campus life. My hope is that that being out in the community means I will meet a lot of students regardless of their religious or spiritual perspective. As I think with my colleagues about what the future of spiritual life at Wake Forest should be, getting input from students — even students who are not the “usual suspects” for spiritual life — will be very important.
Along with getting to know students, I want our o ce sta to get to know one another! We have a lot of new members on our team in spiritual life — new Jewish life, Muslim life and Hindu life chaplains — and getting us all working as a team is a major priority this year.
ere is a lot of potential at Wake Forest for a more robust interfaith engagement and connection across lines of di erence through non-sectarian stories and narratives. I’m interested in exploring those areas with Wake Forest faculty and students.
Is there anything else important you think Wake Forest students should know about you or your role?
Chaplains serve all students, faculty and sta , regardless of religious, spiritual or secular perspective. My daughter and I are at a lot of Wake Forest sporting events, especially eld hockey and women’s soccer. I have lunch in the Pit most days. I’m out and about on campus all the time. Come say hello!
Contact Will Hess at hessww24@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University Reverend Chris Donald is currently serving as the new University Chaplain.
ENVIRONMENT
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Mia Springer, spriml21@wfu.edu
Addison Schmidt, schmac21@wfu.edu PAGE 9
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
The “Crystal Palace” returns
The Brown Family Greenhouse at Reynolda Gardens is set to reopen in October
REESE LILE Contributing Writer
On Tuesday, Oct. 8, the Brown Family Greenhouse in Reynolda Village is set to open its doors again after being closed to the public for renovations. e revamped greenhouse will be accompanied by a new Reynolda Welcome Center where visitors can purchase Reynolda-branded merchandise, including plants from the garden and honey from beehives located on the property.
e greenhouse is an original 1913 Lord & Burnam greenhouse and was built for R.J. and Katharine Reynolds. e renovated greenhouse still pays homage to the historical aspects of the building.
e curved glass and dome from the original have been re-added — features that inspire the nickname “Crystal Palace,” given to the greenhouse by Director of Reynolda Gardens Jon Roethling. e plant benches that line the interior of the building were ordered using the original molds, and the aluminum blinds that most recently lined the roof and exterior are gone — replaced by clear tinted glass, allowing for a naturally-lit interior and improved air ow.
Alongside these nods to the original structure, the new greenhouse will operate using modern, sustainable technologies. Roethling said the new technologies re ect Katherine Reynolds’ approach to agriculture and learning.
“You had this woman that was extremely progressive and ahead of her time,” Roethling said. “She would have been looking at new plants. She would have been looking at new technologies. She would have been adapting.”
Temperature-triggered vents in the lower walls allow e cient air ow from oor to ceiling, and automatic shades o er a convenient alternative to the old handcranked shades. Once light reaches a certain level,
shades across the ceiling begin to automatically pull closed, which provides protection to more light-sensitive species. In the case of the underground boilers, the technology is so new that installation instructions have not yet been formally written.
In past years, the greenhouse featured a consistent display and functioned primarily as a production house. Now, however, the garden sta plans to frequently shift the ora in the rooms.
“We will have a chrysanthemum show at the Christmas holiday time [with] poinsettias [and] amaryllis … and then, orchid season will just really blow out the
doors with orchids,” Roethling explains. “What I want is [for] someone that comes here in the fall to get a di erent experience when they come in the winter.” e largest display room will be the palm house — featuring species of palms and ferns in various hues of silver, white and green. Stepping into the next room, the elegance of the palms is gone — quickly replaced by the eccentric feel of the arid house. e arid house features vegetation from all ve areas of the world that experience Mediterranean climates: Southern California, the Mediterranean Basin, Southern Australia, South Africa and Chile.
e greenhouse will also feature a tropical house, an orchid house and a room that features plants found in a traditional conservatory. Traditional conservatories were production houses for food not readily available in an area, and they would typically contain orange and lemon trees. is room will stay true to this idea but will also feature a few exotic species like Australian nger limes.
Plants that are not in use will be stored in one of the side buildings in front of the main conservatory, which is a ectionately called the “Melon House” by the sta due to an old press clipping that refers to its plethora of melons at the time. ese unused plants may also become retail items that can be bought by visitors.
e immense variation in species, especially in the tropical and arid houses, allows kids and adults alike to wonder at the nature before them. Questions are encouraged, and the greenhouse sta hopes that visitors will leave knowing more than when they entered. “ is is where education comes into a lot of this. Bringing little kids in, we’ve got a bunch of di erent species, and you can kind of get them to start thinking critically,” Roethling said.
Despite a few roadblocks, including issues with the installation of the tinted glass and power supply, the greenhouse is well on its way to being open to the public on Oct. 8. e opening ceremony of the “Crystal Palace” will be attended by the Mayor of Winston-Salem and Wake Forest University President Susan Wente.
Contact Reese Lile at lilerl24@wfu.edu
One room of the renovated Brown Family Greenhouse will contain plants typically found in a conservatory, like lemons and limes, but also include some exotic varieties.
The renovated greenhouse returns to the spirit of the original greenhouse by showcasing a glass roof and the latest technologies.
Addison Schmidt/Old Gold & Black
Addison Schmidt/Old Gold & Black
North Carolina earthquake reverberates
Dr. Scott Marshall tells us about western North Carolina’s unique geophysical circumstances
BREANNA LAWS Managing Editor
Following a magnitude 5.1 earthquake in Sparta, N.C. four years ago, the Appalachian region has seen a perceived rise in seismic activity.
e 2020 earthquake was the largest recorded earthquake in North Carolina in almost 100 years. e damage was severe, impacting roads and utility lines, and damaging the foundations of many homes. e N.C. General Assembly provided $24 million for post-earthquake recovery.
Since this event, several smaller earthquakes, including three this past June, have been reported in the region.
But are earthquakes in western North Carolina increasing on average? Should residents be concerned about a rise in seismic activity? According to Dr. Scott Marshall, a geophysicist and professor at Appalachian State University, the answer to both questions is largely no. However, the region is an interesting place in terms of seismic activity — with large-scale earthquakes tending to have longer-term impacts.
In the following interview, Dr. Marshall explains the cause of Sparta’s earthquake and the unique circumstances in this part of the state that have led to a perceived uptick in earthquakes.
is interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Breanna Laws: I want to talk about the Sparta earthquake a little bit. Could you describe it?
Dr. Scott Marshall: If I recall, I think it was on a Sunday morning. It was a magnitude 5.1. Typically, a magnitude- ve earthquake is not going to cause that much damage, but this one did, and part of that is because it was very shallow.
With deeper earthquakes, you’re farther away from the source, so the waves sort of die out before they get to you. Shallower earthquakes are more dangerous, and this was on the very shallow end for earthquakes — the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has it at 4.1 kilometers, which is about two and a half miles.
Laws: In my reading about Appalachian earthquakes, I learned about a newly discovered fault line. Can you tell me how that was discovered and what that means for the region?
Marshall: When the Sparta earthquake happened, a group went out and looked at where the fault had ruptured and cracked the ground, and they did some mapping.
I think the media quoted it as being a new fault, but the question is new to who? It’s new to society because nobody had ever mapped it before, but it’s certainly not to imply that a new crack just popped open and started having magnitude- ve earthquakes. It was an existing crack.
Laws: How are these fault lines typically formed?
Marshall: If you have a slab of any material and you pull the top and the bottom in di erent directions, the material is going to change shape, and it can only bend so much before it breaks. And they break by forming fractures. If they’re sliding on that fracture, we call it a fault — and faults are ubiquitous. You can’t go anywhere without nding a fault.
Laws: How are faults created in an area like Appalachia that isn’t technically on a plate boundary?
Marshall: e Appalachians aren’t on a plate boundary now; however, when they were built, they were a major plate boundary. Africa ran into North America hundreds of millions of years ago, and when those two plates ran together, they crumpled and formed very tall mountains.
ere are probably hundreds of thousands of faults in the Appalachians. ey’re all left over from when the mountain ranges were formed, and some of them occasionally slip and produce earthquakes. We call these intraplate earthquakes because they’re within a plate, and they are notoriously di cult to study because we don’t get as many earthquakes.
Now, if I were to show you a map, you’d say ‘ at’s a lot of earthquakes,’ but then if I show you California, you’d realize there are 100 to maybe 1000 times more earthquakes in that region. Seismometers are incredibly sensitive. ere are probably millions of earthquakes that people never feel, but the instruments do.
Laws: I read that earthquakes in the Appalachian region are becoming more commonplace. Is that a
trend you’ve noticed?
Marshall: I have not noticed that trend. After the Sparta earthquake happened, I plotted all the earthquakes from that year and compared them to previous years, and they looked about the same. e thing people forget about is the aftershocks. When you have a magnitude ve, it’s going to create aftershocks. And people are going to say, ‘What’s going on? We didn’t used to have earthquakes all the time.’ But that earthquake in Sparta is still popping o aftershocks today, and the frustrating part of the eastern U.S. is the rate at which aftershocks decay with time. e decay time is very fast at plate boundaries; If you have a magnitude ve in California, its aftershocks are probably over in a month. But if you have a magnitude ve in the eastern U.S., those aftershocks can continue for years.
ere are still some di erent ideas about why that happens — earthquake science is de nitely one of those areas where we don’t have all the answers. So being an earthquake scientist requires a sense of humility because we are still often surprised by new discoveries. is is what makes studying earthquakes fun.
Photo courtesy of Appalachian State University
OPINION
Virginia Noone, noonvc21@wfu.edu
OLD GOLD & BLACK
PAGE 11
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
e views expressed in all opinion columns represent those of the article’s author, not the opinions of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board
Letter to the Editor: Wake Forest — please protect your Jewish students
ISABELLE LAXER
Chabad Student President
ANDREW ORFALY
Hillel Student President
JAKE SHULKIN
Hillel Treasurer
BEN SHARON
Chabad Executive Board Member
MAVERICK CORTES
Hillel Religion & Education Chair
We are writing to you as concerned Jewish student leaders who feel the need to speak up for the Jewish and Wake Forest communities. On Oct. 7, an event sponsored by Wake Forest University’s Humanities Institute, Department of History, Department of Politics & International A airs, Middle East South Asian Studies Program and the National Endowment for the Humanities is scheduled to host terrorist sympathizer and antisemite, Rabab Abdulhadi. Abdulhadi’s support for Hamas, a U.S. Department of State designated terrorist organization, makes our students unsafe.
is is not a political issue.
is is a dangerous speaker—both physically and emotionally dangerous to students. Lawsuits against San Francisco State University by Jewish students in 2017 and 2018 exemplify the disruptive implications of Abdulhadi’s actions. e lawsuits claimed that the university “has not merely fostered and em-
braced anti-Jewish hostility — it has systematically supported these departments and student groups as they have doggedly organized their e orts to target, threaten and intimidate Jewish students on campus and deprive them of their civil rights and their ability to feel safe and secure as they pursue their education.”
Jewish students have the right to feel safe on campus. We urge the university administration to cancel this event.
Abdulhadi is a self-proclaimed Hamas sympathizer who makes her support of terrorism evident. In 2020, Abdulhadi praised Leila Khaled, the world’s rst female plane hijacker: “we really idolize somebody like Leila Khaled, someone who actually stands up for herself, speaks for herself, actually goes to a plane and hijacks it.” Furthermore, Abdulhadi claims she “wanted to grow up to become another Leila Khaled.”
Abdulhadi’s yearning for violence extends into campus life as well. She has publicly threatened San Francisco State University students in the past, tweeting, “Zionists are NOT welcome on our campuses.”
As a result of her past actions, the title of the event at Wake Forest comes as no surprise. e event, titled “One Year since al-Aqsa Flood: Re ections on a Year of Genocide and Resistance,” refers to the attack carried out by Hamas on Oct. 7, resulting in the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust. e title equates the murder, rape and kidnapping of innocent Jewish and
Arab life on Oct. 7 to resistance. Students at Wake Forest have both family and friends who have been murdered and are currently being held hostage. ere remain over 90 hostages in Hamas’ captivity, including American and Israeli Jews. is event not only disrespects the 1,200 people murdered on Oct. 7, but also blatantly disrespects the hostages who remain in captivity and their families grieving at home.
Oct. 7 marks a year since Hamas’ atrocious attack on Israel in which terrorists murdered, raped and kidnapped men, women, children and babies. Because they are both considered terrorist organizations by the U.S. Department of State, hosting Abdulhadi to speak on Oct. 7 is no di erent than having an alQa’ida supporter speak on 9/11.
Hate is hate whether it’s Oct. 7, 8 or 9; however, the date of this event is truly a slap in the face to our community during a day of mourning.
We attend a university that prides itself on its motto “Pro Humanitate,” yet we have opened our doors to an individual who promotes terrorism. We believe the university administration is failing to protect its students by choosing to host this event, fostering a hostile environment that endangers its students. By following through with this event, the school would be betraying its own values.
In October 2023, Syracuse University canceled an event featuring none other than Ab-
dulhadi due to safety concerns. is month, the University of Maryland reversed its decision to allow anti-Israel protests on campus on Oct. 7. Will the university administration protect student safety by canceling the event, or will they follow in the footsteps of university presidents at Harvard, M.I.T. and Penn? Jewish student leaders have been told time and time again that once hate speech becomes a disruption to campus life, the school must intervene.
Well, Wake Forest Administration… Over 6,000 individuals from both your community members and beyond are here to tell you that Abdulhadi’s presence is a disruption to campus life.
Walking to class and seeing posters that advertise a speaker who plans to glorify the very attack that killed our close family and friends is a disruption.
Professor Barry Trachtenberg sending out emails advertising an event that praises the terrorist group that rapes women and children is a disruption.
Our inability to focus on academics because our university is compliant with hosting a speaker who doesn’t belong on our campus is a disruption.
We call upon members of the Wake Forest University community to help call for the cancellation of this event, as terrorism has no place here.
Link to petition: https://www.change.org/ oct7wakeforest
Letter to the Editor: Community vision becomes shared reality
GRAY LOWDER Class of 2027
Last year, I attended the rst studentfacing conversation regarding the Deacon Blvd. redevelopment project. After learning about the project, we launched questions at the team, demanding more details. Whose idea was this? How will students be a ected? What does this mean for local communities?
I viewed the team of real estate developers as out of touch, and my initial reaction to the project was skeptical at best. Concerns about sustainability, socioeconomic diversity and safety were primary concerns. In advisory committee meetings, I kept asking questions. Will housing be a ordable, or will it disrupt the lives of current residents? What happens to Last Resort? Who loses?
My questions were answered, and then some. is summer, I remained in contact with the real estate development rms, Carter and Front Street Capital (FSC). One week before the public announcement of e Grounds, I was granted an exclusive interview with the leadership team, Adam Parker, vice president of Carter, and Coleman Team, president & managing partner of FSC.
Here are the unanswered questions, now answered:
Whose idea was this?
e Grounds was born from discussion,
debate and visionary leadership that began at Wake Forest University decades ago and has been shaped in church basements, neighborhoods and board rooms. With Wake Forest donating the land, the state providing infrastructure funding and Carter and FSC nancing private investments, everyone has skin in the game. is is a community venture, not just a redevelopment project.
“ e Grounds is a Wake Forest initiative that will bene t everyone around us,” Student Trustee Stella Ross says.
Who loses?
Over the past two years, project leaders have sought the input, feedback and approval of hundreds of stakeholders. Make no mistake, due diligence is the war cry of the project leadership. Over 200 stakeholder meetings have occurred and will continue with local residents, elected o cials, environmentalists, businesses, students, sta members and more. From my experience in several of these discussions, project leaders did not just check boxes, they absorbed and implemented the counsel of those most impacted by this change.
“I’ve got family at Wake Forest University in every generation going back to the ‘40s, I grew up in Winston-Salem,” Coleman Team, president of FSC and Wake Forest graduate, said.
From a fan perspective, e Grounds will
revolutionize the gameday experience. Kiss goodbye to tra c, endless parking lots and waning stadium atmospheres. Instead, get ready for local restaurants, boutique shops and brewpubs that will keep fans engaged year-round.
Environmentally, e Grounds bring a $35 million dollar appropriation from the state of North Carolina that will directly address the erosion of Silas Creek. Stream banks will be regraded, vegetation replanted and invasive species removed. Most notably, retail and residential spaces will be surrounded by a greenway which will reduce sediment disposition and replace parking lots with nature.
In the early stages of discussion, safety was a contested topic. Imagine yourself walking the Reynolda Village trail at night. Dim lights, few people and eerie wind blowing through the trees. Crossing University Parkway evokes the same experience, except with hundreds of cars.
Now, picture yourself taking a two-mile stroll along a brightly lit, open, and busy walkway through a Silas Creek-adjacent greenway. When you look around, you see trees, people, residences, shops and bluelight systems. e scare of crossing University Parkway will cease with a new signalized pedestrian crossing that leads directly to e Grounds.
Finally, the project is a metaphorical gold mine. e state appropriation coupled with the nancing e orts of Carter and FSC will
bring thousands of construction jobs, stimulate local businesses and attract millions in private investment. Residents, community members, students and professionals will nd job opportunities in the retail, dining and o ce spaces. e 240-unit residential community will target graduate students and seniors seeking furnished rentals. Looking forward, hundreds of additional housing units will be built to accommodate students, professionals and families from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. Can a parking lot do that?
“We’ve got decades of Wake Forest experience, this is our home,” Adam Parker, vice president of Carter and Wake Forest graduate, said.
Yes, we have lost Last Resort, a storied part of the Wake Forest experience. If this is the price for a rejuvenated economy, natural vibrance and new opportunities for everyone, then I am for it.
Of course, there will be speed bumps along the way; that is the nature of progress. Still, this is the future of the Wake Forest experience. is is what will keep fans, residents, alumni and their families coming back year after year. is is not only a redevelopment project, but a lifetime venture that re ects the shared vision of our community. e groundbreaking for e Grounds will occur in December of 2024.
Widening our grounds
The Grounds will help facilitate college-town culture and connect the community.
SHANI SCHWARTZ Contributing Columnist
ere is one thing I found to be abundantly clear after touring Wake Forest last spring: it is a bubble.
A bubble lled with beautiful greenery, world-class facilities and a wealth of opportunity, but nonetheless, a bubble. It felt like its own universe where the greatest escape was a local donut shop in a small nearby village. I felt trapped. e Grounds will x that.
After being here for over a month, I have discovered gems in Reynolda Village beyond Dough-Joe’s, but still, it is no Franklin Street or Ann Arbor. It does not have the college town appeal other cities do, making Wake Forest less attractive to students who want to be able to explore beyond the 340-acre campus. While Winston-Salem is rich in culture and hidden treasures o campus, they are dispersed and di cult to access without a car. e Grounds will centralize o -campus entertainment and make the campus community feel less con ned.
On Sept. 10, President Wente sent a letter to the community formally announcing the plans to create e Grounds, “a transformative mixed-use development and community hub with retail, residential, commercial and dining options in addition to community gathering and green spaces,” after rst announcing plans for expansion in August of 2023. e Grounds will hold 100 acres of retail, dining, residential and o ce space and will be located adjacent to WinstonSalem landmarks — including Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Al-
legacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, David F. Couch Ballpark, Wake Forest Tennis Center and Winston-Salem Fairgrounds & Arena.
is development is exactly what Wake Forest and Winston-Salem need, despite the disruption its construction may cause. e Grounds will give Wake Forest students a new outlet for social activity, retail and additional o -campus workspaces with its creation of 35% more academic space and 50% more student gathering and dining space, widening the world of Wake Forest by at least 100 more acres.
Additionally, its proximity to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum and Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium — Wake Forest’s basketball arena and football stadium — will amp up the gameday culture by providing a new gathering space before and after games, increasing excitement and thereby game attendance.
e Grounds will give Winston-Salem a new sense of liveliness and foster a greater feeling of connectedness between Wake Forest students and the WinstonSalem community, one of President Wente’s main goals. e Wake Forest campus is nestled into its own borders, separating the students from the community. Students rarely interact with Winston-Salem residents, causing tension and division between the two parties, and o -campus student housing taking over residential neighborhoods has heightened this tension. e Grounds will help to foster a new connection and allow students to feel more a part of the Winston-Salem community, and Winston-Salem com-
munity members to better accept Wake Forest students.
Not only will the bene ts of e Grounds be felt here on campus, but future prospective students who had previously been turned o by the seclusion of the school and its campus will think differently. e Grounds is our new Franklin Street, and the more that is bought into and manifested to be true, the more
truth it will hold. e bubble must be popped, and e Grounds is the way to do it. It will transform Deacon Boulevard into the perfect college town development, and its impact will be felt in all aspects of campus and community life.
Contact Shani Schwartz at schwsr24@wfu.edu
The case for African American studies
A new discipline has immense potential to diversify knowledge on the Black experience
BEZA ZELALEM Staff Columnist
When I rst walked into Introduction to African American Studies freshman year, I had no idea I was part of its second class to ever exist at Wake Forest University.
To give context, the discourse on implementing a program in African American Studies (AAS) started in the 1960s. In a 1987 Old Gold & Black letter to the editor, the Minority A airs Advisory Board, an executive board of Student Government at the time, called on the university to examine its racial attitudes in light of recent racially motivated attacks across the U.S.
“We could begin by showing support for a strong Black Studies department […],” they wrote.
In 1991, when faculty eventually convened to discuss requests of creating an AAS major, they opted for an American Studies minor, arguing that it “would be a broader-based approach to examining elements that have come together to make this country what it is today.”
Exactly three decades later, after “the culmination of a decades-long e ort by students and faculty,” a program in AAS was brought to Wake.
At Wake Forest, we pride ourselves on
the small class sizes and close student-professor relationships that form as a result. It truly shapes our experiences in positive ways and often impacts what disciplines we pursue.
M Intro to AAS course is where I was introduced to Professor Corey D. B. Walker.
Dr. Walker is the inaugural director of the program in AAS.
He introduced me to Black scholars like Toni Cade Bambara and Abdul Alkalimat who were the framework of many class discussions and who continue to inform my thought processes in AAS classes two years later. More than just a professor, he became a mentor, and I found this to be true with many of the department's faculty.
Following Intro to AAS, I took Black Autobiographies with Dr. Shanna Benjamin. In her course, we explored both historical and contemporary contexts through the medium of autobiographies. In doing this, we learned about the achievements and everyday struggles of Black people.
It was empowering to read about topics that are often taboo in the Black community like body image issues, questions of sexuality, mental health struggles and the reality of being a Black woman at the intersection of race and gender discrimination. Even more empowering was engag-
ing in discourse that allowed us to make connections between the text and our personal lives — opening up about the experiences that have shaped who we are today.
A unique aspect of the African American discipline that I greatly appreciate is its interdisciplinary approach to learning. As an AAS major and environmental studies and journalism double minor, I’ve learned just how important this approach is.
When I started taking environmental courses, I realized how red up I was about the disproportionate environmental injustices that low-income communities of color face. is fueled my desire to understand both topics in conjunction — using them to inform each other. In journalism, I realized I could take what I was learning and use it to uplift these a ected communities and inform the public.
I want people to understand that African-American Studies is not one-dimensional. ere are a variety of major and minor combinations that pair well with this discipline.
After telling someone I’m majoring in AAS, I’ve often been told, “ at's great but what are you going to do with that degree?” or “How will you get a job in that eld?”
It’s frustrating.
For far too long, AAS has been either
dismissed or oversimpli ed — hindering the opportunity to educate students on the historical contexts that help inform the Black experience today. In the long term, this lowers the chances that they’ll consider pursuing AAS as a serious option.
e AAS courses I have taken at Wake Forest have worked against what compulsory education systems have taught me and have impacted my understanding of topics in a positive way. is discipline now being o ered at Wake Forest provides many students the opportunity to unlearn harmful notions.
Like many graduating high schoolers, I came to college with a narrow plan careerwise. Within a few weeks, that completely changed, and that's okay.
I hope that anyone reading considers broadening their scope and not limiting themselves to what they think they should do. I come from an immigrant household, so trust me — I understand what it’s like to think there's only one career for you in order to ensure success for the greater cause and future generations.
With the long overdue implementation of the AAS program comes the opportunity to recognize the unique perspective and opportunities the major has to o er.
Contact Beza Zelalem at zelam22@wfu.edu
"The Grounds will centralize off-campus entertain-
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University
Baseball hats: America’s newest political
The marketing war between the Midwest Princesses and the MAGAs is playing out in rural communities
VIRGINIA NOONE
Opinion Editor
Within thirty minutes of being released, soon after Tim Walz was selected as Kamala Harris’s VicePresidential nominee, 3,000 camou age hats with “HARRIS WALZ” written in orange lettering sold out online.
American-made and Union-printed, nearly $2 million worth of the hats were sold quickly after. e product, which can be found on the Harris campaign’s website, is now on backorder until mid-October and has taken the internet by storm.
e brilliance and duality of this hat is the reason for its branding success — for certain Gen Z supporters, the hat is perceived as “camp” and alludes to LGBTQ rights, and for other rural supporters, the hat appeals to their country roots.
No matter which category voters fall under, this hat is the rst substantial marketing success the Democrats have had since the beginning of Donald Trump’s political career.
To understand why the hat appeals to younger voters, you must understand who Chappell Roan is and how her ‘80s synth, hyper-pop music has taken the music world by storm. Similar to Walz, she experienced a rapid rise to notoriety and is seen as providing refreshing authenticity within her industry, garnering a large fan base.
Born in Missouri, Chappell Roan (Kayleigh Rose Amstutz) loved music from an early age and grew up in a highly Christian, conservative family before eventually moving to Hollywood, Calif. where she felt more comfortable and accepted in her queer identity.
“I grew up thinking being gay was bad and a sin,” she told e Guardian. “I went to a gay club once, and it was so impactful, like magic. It was the opposite of everything I was taught.”
She wrote “Pink Pony Club” describing this experience, now featured on her break-out album “ e Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” Her music gives light to the queer experience in the Midwest and other traditionally conservative areas of the country, a story that breaks the typical expectation of what Midwesterners are “supposed” to act like and identify as. As a play on her upbringing, she began selling camou-
aged hats that read “Midwest Princess” to fans — a style the Harris-Walz campaign would soon recreate.
A year before Chappell Roan was even born and a few states north of Missouri, Mankato West High School’s principal was in the process of selecting an advisor for the new gay-straight alliance club. He selected the school’s football coach and geography teacher — Walz.
“It was important to have a person who was so wellliked on campus, a football coach who had served in the military,” said Jacob Reitan, a former member of the alliance, to e New York Times.
Walz was chosen to be the advisor for many of the same reasons many speculate he was chosen for Harris’s Vice-Presidential nominee: he de es the stereotype of what a modern-day liberal looks like and is popular, having been repeatedly re-elected as governor of Minnesota.
Walz was born in a conservative state, served in the military, identi es as straight, is working class and owns no stocks, bonds or a home. He o ers an alternative identity to J.D. Vance’s version of rural America, outlined in his highly controversial memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” Recently, the Pew Research Center has found that Walz is viewed more positively than Vance.
Although no singular area can be generalized as holding one speci c set of ideals, rural America is often seen as more conservative whereas urban areas are seen as more liberal. Walz represents populations in the Midwest who don’t believe Donald Trump’s values align with the spirit of their communities and character — embodying an overlooked experience, similar to Chappell Roan.
us, he’s been deemed the Democrat’s “Midwest Princess,” and the iconic hat was born.
e camou-
aged hat is brilliant marketing from the Democrats as it represents two di erent, yet overlooked groups in an area of the country that is also often misrepresented or stereotyped. It also functions as an opposition to arguably the most infamous American political marketing: Trump’s bright red “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hat.
e red hat and accompanying phrase have come to be loaded with political implications and is associated largely with rural, working-class communities.
e new Harris-Walz hat serves as a literal and metaphorical retort to how their communities and beliefs are represented — the Democrats are attempting to rebrand to nally catch up to the republicans.
e Harris-Walz hat is a result of a conscious change in the marketing of the Democratic party and in many ways, Walz is in the forefront of the shift. He’s called Trump and Vance “creepy” and “weird,” and news organizations such as Vanity Fair and e Atlantic have dissected the ways in which Walz is fundamental to the party’s rebranding as normal and non-elitist.
e Democrats have stopped playing by the old rules and niceties of American politics and are ready to play by Trump’s rules. @kamalahq on TikTok has used Charli XCX and Chappell Roan’s music to make edits making fun of Trump and fangirling Harris and Walz, a tactic that has been used by Trump’s team for awhile.
As America’s political landscape seems to stray further from a battle of policies and closer to a battle of internet memes and strategic marketing, time will tell who wins the war of the baseball caps.
Contact Virginia Noone at noonvc21@wfu.edu
“As America’s political landscape seems to stray further from a battle of policies and closer to a battle of internet memes and strategic marketing, time will tell who wins the war of the baseball caps.”
Photo courtesy of Virginia Noone
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
“[Chappell Roan’s] music gives light to the queer experience in the Midwest and other traditionally conservative areas of the country...”
Sean Kennedy, kennsm21@wfu.edu
Andrew Braun, brauar23@wfu.edu
Women's Soccer takes down No. 1 Stanford
WILL KUNISAKI Contributing Writer
After returning from a successful trip to Charlottesville, Va., and their 3-0 triumph over the then-No.2 Virginia Cavaliers, No. 5 Wake Forest Women’s Soccer (7-2-2, 2-1-1 ACC) continued on an unprecedented run, including knocking o the top-ranked team in the country.
In the rst match of their return to Winston-Salem, the Demon Deacons beat No. 1 Stanford (8-1-0, 1-1-0 ACC) in a historic 1-0 win.
e Demon Deacons clamped down on the Cardinal early. Freshman goalkeeper Valentina Amaral recorded a diving save in the ninth minute. She had four on the night, securing her second straight clean sheet. Amaral has a .824 save percentage on the season thus far.
e Wake Forest o ense seemed to gain con dence as the rst half progressed. Between the 18th and 25th minutes, the Demon Deacons had three shot attempts.
In the 30th minute, senior mid elder Emily Colton red a perfectly placed ball into the top-right corner of the net to put the Demon Deacons up 1-0. Senior defender Kristin Johnson and junior forward Caiya Hanks recorded the assists on the play. Hanks now leads the team in total assists on the season with four. e goal was only the third allowed all season by Stanford.
Hanks out-ran her defender to the box in the 40th minute, but came up short at the goal. Senior forward Emily Murphy nearly scored in the 59th minute on
a kick that hit both the top and left crossbar of the goal. A few possessions later, Murphy attempted another shot that forced back-to-back corner kicks for the Demon Deacons.
In the 74th minute, Amaral batted a Stanford corner kick against the top crossbar. e Cardinal brie y gained possession but missed a contested attempt just feet away from the goal. Hanks almost connected with Colton again in the 79th minute. However, Stanford goalkeeper Haley Craig made a terri c save to keep the Cardinal in the game.
Wake Forest held strong defensively in the closing minutes, forcing several turnovers to counter an aggressive attack. e Cardinal had a decent look in the 89th minute, but pushed the shot way to the right and over the goal.
At the sound of the nal horn, the Demon Deacons sideline rushed onto the pitch in celebration. ey nished with advantages in time of possession, total shots, corner kicks and fouls drawn.
“Our team put in a committed performance tonight,” Head Coach Tony Da Luz said. “We played great soccer, tackled with great timing and pressed a very good Stanford team. We are improving each game and sustaining high performances each ACC game.”
Stanford had been unbeaten in 44 of its previous 45 matches entering the contest, with the only loss coming in the 2024 national title game against Florida State. Wake Forest is now 3-0-1 all-time against the Cardinal dating back to 1997.
After their historic win, the Demon Deacons followed that performance up with another match against a new ACC opponent: the California Golden Bears (7-2-2, 2-1-1 ACC).
e Demon Deacons took control early on. In the 10th minute, Murphy scored her rst goal of the season, after scoring six goals last year. A corner kick set up a shot attempt for senior defender Zara Chavoshi, and the rebound bounced to Murphy who sent a shot into the top-right corner of the goal. ough initially being ruled o side, the decision was overturned after review, giving the Demon Deacons a 1-0 lead.
Hanks drew contact on the edge of the box in the 36th minute, resulting in a foul against the Golden Bears. Colton converted on the penalty kick, extending the lead to 2-0. Colton now leads the Demon Deacons with four goals and 11 total points on the season.
In the 70th minute, a corner kick from Colton rolled directly to Murphy, who made a quick move and narrowly missed the goal wide to the right. Colton took a deep leftfooted shot of her own, hitting the top of the crossbar a few possessions later.
e Golden Bears rst scored in the 79th minute when California defender Courtney Boone kicked a oater over Amaral. It was the rst goal allowed by the Demon Deacons in over 320 minutes of game action.
Six minutes later, the Golden Bears were awarded a free kick from long range. e ball was launched into the box before it ricocheted o multiple players. California midelder Campbell Carroll secured the loose ball and scored, equalizing the game at 2-2.
Neither team was able to maintain steady possession for the remainder of the match, nishing the game at a draw.
Laurel Ansbrow, Chavoshi, Sythe and Kristin Johnson all played the full 90 minutes for the second-consecutive game.
Wake Forest is now unbeaten in 14 straight home contests, tying the longest streak in program history, set in the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
e Demon Deacons currently hold third place in the ACC standings behind North Carolina and SMU. ey will travel to upstate New York to take on Syracuse (6-5-1, 0-4-0 ACC), on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Demon Deacons continue at-home streak
Junior forward Caiya Hanks (9) looks to dribble around Stanford Cardinal forward Allie Montoya (3). Hanks contributed an assist on the only goal scored in the Demon Deacons' 1-0 win.
Senior Emily Colton (3) converts a penalty kick against California, her fourth goal of the season.
Will Kunisaki/Old Gold & Black
Walker Liggitt/Old Gold & Black Contact
Football ‘mismatched’ against Ole Miss
Quarterback Jaxson Dart and the Rebels offense drive past Demon Deacons, win 40-6
ANDREW BRAUN Sports Editor
After su ering the wrath of ranked Ole Miss, Wake Forest Head Football Coach Dave Clawson didn’t hold back about the lopsided level of competition his team faced.
“ ey’re just a lot more talented than us across the board,” Clawson said after the loss. “ ey’re better than us.”
Put just as plain, Wake Forest just
couldn’t keep up with the No. 5 team in the nation as they fell 40-6 at home on Saturday. While Ole Miss found ways to score ve touchdowns from all over the eld, the Demon Deacons disappointed on o ense, failing to nd the end zone even once.
After just one minute of football, the feared blowout for Wake Forest appeared imminent. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart (377 YDS, 2 TDs, 26/34) threw from a perfectly clean pocket before run-
Running back Tate Carney (30) attempts to break a tackle from a diving Ole Miss defender. The Demon Deacons only had 46 rush yards on the day.
ning back Henry Parris Jr. dashed through Wake Forest defenders for a touchdown. It looked like it would be a long night for the sold out home crowd at Allegacy Stadium.
“ at was a mismatch,” said Clawson. “Our kids played hard but like I said, they’re really, really talented. ey’re certainly a level above us right now.”
e Demon Deacons defensive line was something to celebrate after the blowout loss. While Wake Forest’s secondary bled yardage to Dart and Ole Miss, the Demon Deacons defensive line didn’t come so quietly. A botched snap and fumble recovery by Wake Forest defensive lineman BJ Williams gave the Demon Deacons defensive front their second consecutive game recording a turnover. Other defensive contributions included Bryce Ganious’ single sack of the game for Wake, and linebacker Dylan Hazen’s third quarter interception.
Despite much-needed defensive playmaking to keep Wake Forest in the game through the rst half, Hank Bachmeier (239 YDS, 22/39) and the Demon Deacons couldn’t recuperate hardly any points on o ense, despite making it deep into the red zone on multiple occasions on each side of halftime.
“I think it potentially could be a di erent game, might be a lot closer,” Bachmeiersaid said, addressing his team’s failures in the red zone. ”When you play a great team like this you can’t get in your own way, and I think a couple times we did.”
Clawson and his team also attributed their o ensive impotence to Ole Miss’ apparent slew of injuries. As Clawson and others observed, time taken to address injuries interrupted gameplay, delaying the Wake Forest o ense after almost every rst down they picked up midway through the game.
“In some of those cases, guys were clearly opping,” Clawson said. “I’m sure the SEC isn’t gonna address it because it’s against an ACC team, [but] I’ve always been in favor of if a guy gets hurt in a drive, he should be out the entire series.”
While Clawson and his players addressed college football’s larger problems, a more obvious issue — one more pertinent to this program — remains: Wake Forest’s o ense has big problems nishing out critical drives.
Bachmeier says that’s the biggest part of his game that he plans to address as Wake Forest heads into their rst of two bye weeks this season.
“We’re close, we’re really, really close to being a very, very good o ense,” Bachmeier said. “I think we’re an extremely explosive o ense. We just got in our own way tonight.”
After their week o , Wake Forest will face the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at home in Winston-Salem on Saturday, September 28th.
Contact Andrew Braun at brauar23@wfu.edu
Men’s Soccer falls short at No. 4 Clemson
TEE JOHNSON Contributing Writer
“I’m just disappointed with our rsthalf performance and lack of details,” Head Coach Bobby Muuss said after su ering a 1-0 defeat at Clemson. Despite a strong performance, Wake Forest Men’s Soccer (2-3-3, 0-1-1 ACC) was unable to overcome the wrath of the No. 4 Clemson Tigers (4-2-1, 2-1-0 ACC).
is was the Demon Deacons’ second match against a top-ten-ranked opponent this past week, this time on the road at Historic Riggs Field. is was the Demon Deacons’ second Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) match of the season and turned out to be one of their most challenging games so far.
e rst-half statistics favored the Tigers, as they led total shots nine to four and corner kicks two to one. ey forced a total of ve saves from Wake Forest senior goalkeeper Trace Alphin.
In the 12th minute, the Tigers attacked down the Wake Forest right side, dribbling past defenders and ring a shot that would strike the inside of the post, and then cleared away. Just a minute later, the Tigers worked their way through the Wake Forest defense again, this time forcing a leg save from Alphin. Alphin was called into action once
more in the 23rd minute, as the Tigers’ rst attempt was blocked, and their follow-up shot required a diving save. e
Demon Deacons started to show some ght as the half went on and worked a decent shot from outside of the box for junior Cooper Flax.
Early in the second half, senior midelder Ryan Fessler attempted a tackle inside of the box, but was called for a foul and conceded a penalty kick to the Tigers. Unfortunately for the Demon Deacons, Alphin was sent the wrong way, and the Tigers converted the penalty kick, taking a 1-0 lead.
“We’ve got to do a better job defensively than what we did in that situation,” Muuss said. “... We just had unforced turnovers, silly decisions and kept stepping in defensively.”
Wake Forest responded well to the setback, creating a great chance for Flax to score, who saw his powerful e ort saved in the bottom left-hand corner. It was a good counter attack from the Demon Deacons.
e Tigers responded with some pressure of their own and forced another diving save from Alphin. His ngertip save pushed the ball onto the post, and it bounced away to be cleared by the Wake Forest defense.
Despite a stronger second-half e ort, it would not be enough for the Demon
Deacons. is defeat keeps Wake Forest on one point in ACC play, tied for last place in the standings.
Although disappointed with the defeat, Muuss applauded his team, saying “I think we settled down at halftime. I’m happy with the e ort in the second half.”
Next up for Wake Forest Men’s Soccer is Syracuse, another team that has gotten o to a slow start in ACC play. e match in New York is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday evening.
Contact Tee Johnson at johntg23@wfu.edu
Isabella Parolini/Old Gold & Black
The Demon Deacons Men’s Soccer team groups up during their matchup against a top-ranked Clemson team.
Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
Former quarterback Hartman ready for NFL
Sam Hartman breaks down the transition from college to NFL and his mindset for the future
AARON NATALINE Senior Writer
Entering a professional sports league without a starting job means that the game is about chanc es. Chances, which can disappear as quickly as they appear, break down a league like the NFL into many shifting gears and ever-chang ing goals.
Sam Hartman awaits that chance, but until then, the once star college quarterback remains a backup for the Washington Commanders.
Overquali ed here means that Hartman holds every Wake Forest passing record and is second in passing yards in ACC history. A four-year starter in Winston-Salem with a fth at Notre Dame, Hartman went undrafted in the 2024 NFL draft before making the Commanders roster.
Hartman holds a disadvantageous hand compared to the Commander’s starter, Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman win ner, but the 25-year-old Charlotte native retains con dence in both his dream and his ability.
“I still see myself playing in the league, becoming a starting quarterback,” Hart man said. “It’s going to be a long road. But if you know anything about my career, you know it’s never going to be an easy jour ney. So I wouldn’t expect anything less, but I know my leadership abilities.”
Hartman started for a Power Five school for ve years, leading Wake Forest to a No. 10 rank ing and ACC Championship appearance in 2021. With this experience often comes the dawning of a leader mindset, but the quarterback has noticed that he needs to lead di erently from his current depth role in Washington.
“When practice is over is when I nd my ability to shine,” Hartman said. “[It’s] an older guy grabbing me and saying, ‘Hey, I need to work on my hands.
Can you throw to me?’ [It’s] a practice squad guy that doesn’t get any reps I can go out with and do the script over at’s been a huge way for my leadership to show.”
When Hartman was set to return from a sidelining medical condition in 2022, Wake Forest Head Coach Dave Clawson told 247Sports that Hartman was “one of the best leaders we’ve ever
e college numbers and intangibles are there, but Hartman still needs lightning to strike for him to get a proper opportunity in the NFL in 2024. Until then, it’s a game of patience, discipline and, maybe most of all, keeping
“At the moment, it’s kind of a waiting game,” Hartman said. “As long as you stay healthy and keep progressing, it’s just seeing ere’s a lot of di erent things that can happen in this league … I’m just happy to be a
Hartman continued: “It’s a unique position, where you have three guys that are ahead of you, and you’re not really looked on or called upon to do anything. It’s more about every single day showing up with a great attitude; you bring a good sense of energy
e chance that Hartman awaits is not utterly uncommon. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft,
stumbled into a starting position that same year and then led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2023. To be more realistic, turn to quarterback Gardner Minshew, a 2019 sixth round pick that has started 37 games since and currently holds the starting position on the Las Vegas Raiders.
“ It’s going to be a long road. But if you know anything about my career, you know it’s never going to be an easy journey.
Now a part of the Commanders’ o cial 53-man roster, it does mean his progress is on display for every potential suitor in 2024. And he believes his Washington coaches are rooting for his chances anywhere, not just with the Commanders.
“You’re not only trying to make this team, and especially speaking from an undrafted [perspective], you just stay as long as possible, and get money and play the game,” Hartman said. “So that’s a really weird deal where your coaches are telling you, ‘Hey, this is a big opportunity, but not just for [this team], but for somebody else’s, too.’”
Contact Aaron Nataline at nataee21@wfu.edu
Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black
Former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman led the Demon Deacons to an ACC Championship game on the way to earning every Wake Forest passing record.
Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black
ARTS & CULTURE
OLD GOLD & BLACK
Adam Coil, coilat21@wfu.edu
Lydia Derris, derr 23@wfu.edu
PAGE 17
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” tries to resurrect the franchise
The ‘80s classic makes a return to theaters, but does it compare to the original?
WILL HESS Contributing Writer
Can you resurrect the dead? is is a question many lm studios have asked themselves in recent years as companies begin to rely more and more on bringing back old intellectual property in lieu of original concepts. Such is the case with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the 2024 legacy sequel to the 1988 lm “Beetlejuice” starring Michael Keaton.
Somewhere between silly and scary you will nd Tim Burton, director of both lms, and it is his personal touch that makes me love the original so much. I watch the lm every Halloween, in fact, just to get myself in the mood. So for a devout “Beetlejuice” fan like myself, all I want to see is the same charm and character found in the original. However, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” seems to su er from a lack of focus found in so many revival lms of the 2020s.
e new movie follows an adult Lydia Deetz, played once again by Winona Ryder, as she returns to her hometown for her father’s funeral. Alongside Lydia is her es-
tranged daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega). Astrid’s dry humor and jaded personality play well against the other aloof cast members. Catherine O’Hara returns as Lydia’s mother, and for me, her humor was the highlight of the movie.
One of the best qualities of the movie is its humor. Tim Burton’s characters are all cartoonish and full of personality — qualities that recall much of the original’s charm. Michael Keaton makes a return as Beetlejuice, and despite his aging since the original, he still plays the titular character well: energetic, hyper and crude as always. Yet, it is the cast, the greatest strength of the lm, that is also its greatest weakness.
A problem I continue to see in so many movies nowadays is a lack of focus, and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is no di erent. What’s better than one good villain? Perhaps, it is three boring, underdeveloped ones. In comparison to the original where Beetlejuice is the primary antagonist, the new movie introduces two new villains. ere’s Beetlejuice’s ex-girlfriend and another character, Jeremy, who leaves the story as quickly as he appears — only introduced as a plot device
to lure Astrid into the underworld. e quantity of villains means none of them get enough screen time to feel threatening; thus, the audience loses engagement and interest in the central con ict. In its rush to add more big names to the cast, it seems the writers forgot to give these big names (Monica Belluci, speci cally) anything to do. By the third act, I had to remind myself she still existed because she had not appeared or done anything relevant to the plot in a while. Instead, I was focused on seven other characters and what they were doing. e true appeal of the original movie is the genuine themes of love and family displayed between the ghosts and Lydia Deetz. Despite its unnerving claymation gures and Beetlejuice’s perversity, the movie has just as much heart as scares. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” however, only explores its themes on a surface level. Once again, lack of focus means characters can’t have deep interactions with each other or expand upon the themes of death and loss that sometimes appear in the movie as very basic lip service. However, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” succeeds as much as it fails. e set design has
the same ‘80s aesthetic that makes the original distinct, especially during the sequences in the afterlife. Similarly, the costumes and makeup on many of the undead characters are both gruesome and creative — background actors can be just as fun to watch as the main cast. Every actor seemed to be having a great time, and their energy came across to the audience. Our theater was dying of laughter, with two of my friends completely astonished by the insanity that was taking place. e $10 I paid for admission was well worth it.
Maybe you can resurrect the dead, but you can also bring them back as half-alive zombi ed reincarnations of themselves — which can be just as fun. In the spirit of Beetlejuice himself, a half-alive zombie demon thing unto his own, this movie lays its charm heavily onto a bloated and unfocused script, but it runs wild with imagination and campiness. If you love the original or just want a good theater-going experience, I recommend you check “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” out — but if you are new to the franchise, stick to the classic.
Contact Will Hess at hessww24@wfu.edu
“I Saw the TV Glow” empowers queer youth
TABITHA CAHAN Staff Writer
As the nal scene faded out in Jane Schoenbrun’s psychological horror lm “I Saw the TV Glow,” I was stunned into silence. Never had I seen a movie where queer experiences and gender dysphoria were so perfectly and devastatingly articulated. As LGBTQ+ rights are hotly debated worldwide, “I Saw the TV Glow” is not only a powerful representation — but a vital voice in the ongoing conversation. e main characters, Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine), nd refuge in watching e Pink Opaque, a Bu yesque young-adult TV show in the world of the movie. Schoenbrun noted that they were inspired by the role that “Bu y the Vampire Slayer” played in their journey and their connection to ‘90s popular culture. ey wrote “I Saw the TV Glow” after their “egg crack” — the moment when they saw themselves clearly as trans — and through their early months on hormones. e lm serves as a cautionary tale about the horrors of living behind a façade and denying one’s true identity.
Watching Owen and Maddy immerse themselves in the world of e Pink Opaque, weep openly at ghts with monsters and stare at characters they wish they were all made for a pitch-perfect encapsulation of how queer people gravitate toward and obsess over works of art early in their youth. For many queer viewers, sci- and fantasy worlds become symbolic of liberation — places where di erent forms of love and gender expression are possible, providing a sense of freedom they don’t experience in daily life.
Many queer kids lived inside internet forums, TV shows and various other fandoms, longing to escape into oblivion and not grapple with the confusing world around them. Schoenburn knows there is something a little less scary about connecting with others through these interests. All of a sudden, it doesn’t matter who you are or if you know who you are. All that matters is that you’re a fan. e horror comes from knowing who you are, but being too scared to embrace it — the terror of spending every day wondering if it's too late for you or if you’ve been deceiving yourself. is is an experience that many queer people can relate to, but the lm serves speci cally as a trans allegory, exploring gender expression and societal expectations.
Trans kids can nally see themselves on screen in a way that has never been done before. e majority of trans cinema in Hollywood is made by cisgender people. ere is this Hollywood idea of someone gazing into the mirror and knowing they were born in the wrong body, but this narrative grossly oversimpli es the trans experience. What it means to be trans — and what gender dysphoria feels like — is much more complex and intangible.
e lm intimately understands the feeling of not knowing who you are and feeling like your life isn’t your own. It understands the sense of watching your memories unfold from a distance and feeling like a spectator in your existence. It is also a heartbreaking rejec-
tion of the classic coming-of-age movie — it might be the rst LGBTQ+ lm I have seen that never lets its characters fully come to terms with their true selves.
“I Saw the TV Glow” speaks to the internet generation of queer people, making it not just a lm but a cultural touchstone. It is abundantly clear that Jane Schoenbrun is one of the most original voices in lm in the last decade. roughout writing this article, I have read countless reviews of this lm on various forums, and I was brought to tears. Users shared intimate details about their own queer experiences and how this lm made them feel seen in a way that words cannot describe.
“My name is Julie. I am a trans woman. And tonight is the rst time I’ve said those words to anyone other than myself… As the credits rolled, I knew what I had to do. I couldn’t hide anymore,” Letterboxd user Julie said, after watching the lm.
“Trans art is so, so essential — especially in times like these — and I can’t emphasize that enough,” another user, Zoë Rose Bryant, said. “It feels like I’ve been waiting for a lm like this my whole life. But hey, always better late than never.”
“I Saw the TV Glow” provides a space for LGBTQ+ fans on whatever part of their journey they might be on, just as “Bu y the Vampire Slayer” provided a space for Schoenbrun and many others. Overall, the lm’s unique approach to the intersection of identity, the digital age and media consumption makes it a must-see for 2024.
Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) watch The Pink Opaque, a TV show within the world of "I Saw the TV Glow."
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Wake Forest theatre department stabs into the Fall season
“The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” pulls off humor and suspense
ADAM COIL Arts & Culture Editor
The Wake Forest Theatre Department opens its Fall catalog with Cindy Genrich’s interpretation of “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” a potent mix of satirical silliness and Nancy-Drew-esque mystery.
The story centers around a group of grandiose and problematic celebrities who reconvene in upstate New York to rehearse for their upcoming musical. It has been two years since the failure of their last production, “Manhattan Holiday,” which was marred by the scandal of three murdered dancers. Here in the luxurious estate of patron Elsa Von Grossenkneuten, the killer is sure to be among them. To make matters worse, there is a blizzard raging outside the mansion, cutting all communication and transportation…
Before the play even begins, mid-century croonings and a delightfully vintage parlor steep the audience in the atmosphere of wealthy, World War II America. A certain subplot concerning German espionage and transatlantic tensions sucks you in even further, while costume & hair/makeup designer Jacquelyn Loy makes sure everyone on stage looks the part. I found the costume design surprisingly pleasant and entertaining — not only does everyone look convincing, but a couple of the costumes even made me laugh out loud. Tweed and trench coats abound. Indeed, the crew behind the scenes really shines through in this production. When the lights go out or the characters frantically scramble across the stage
waving lanterns, senior Vir Gupta, lighting designer, elevates the drama and keeps it convincing. Lighting alone makes the stage feel either invitingly warm or eerily cold. On the same note, senior Sarah Cadena, sound designer, fills the space with noise that expands the world of the story, with the crackle of voices on the radio and the distant creeks of secret doors.
While the production has Whodunnit suspense in spades, its real strength is how easily every aspect of the show dips into comedy and then keeps going. Junior Casey Salzman plays the part of Eddie McCuen, a struggling (like, really struggling) comedian looking for his big break. He spends the entire play vacillating between his cowardly survival instincts and his desire to impress Nikki Crandall, an up and coming dancer played by senior Isabella Biricik, who makes the musical portions of the show come alive.
Alongside Salzman, sophomore JM Stowers plays Roger Hopewell, a defamed and licentious musician who brings heaps of wit and lively banter to the stage. Their respective entrances are worth the ticket price alone, and so much of the fun of this play is watching them fully embody the goofiest, most extreme aspects of their characters.
My only real critique of the play is that it tries to do too much in too little time, which is more a critique of the playwright John Bishop than the Wake Forest cast and crew. By the time the second act really gets going, there are simply too many loose threads to keep up with. In a way, there are too many loose threads to be fully invested in the unsolved
puzzles. With secret identities, hidden motives, encoded journals and identical twins popping up out of nowhere, at a certain point there is an overload of stimulus that makes one apathetic to the main plotline.
A partial spoof of the Whodunnit genre, I think the play does this on purpose to make sure the audience is fully leaning into the humor of the show (which I certainly did). However, I would have enjoyed the satisfaction of a big reveal at the end as well, something akin to last year’s production of “Witness for the Prosecution,” perhaps.
This is all to say that one should not show up to “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” looking for a suspense thriller on par with Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes — the play really has no interest in such precision. It certainly is entertaining to follow along as the puzzle unravels, but that puzzle is mainly a vehicle to set up punchlines and slapstick scenarios. What one should really expect from this play is a whole lot of fun, a whole lot of energy. Don’t take anything too seriously and just enjoy the show as Wake Forest talent embodies some of the distinct caricatures of twentieth-century show-biz.
I encourage everyone to come out to Tedford Stage in Scales for two hours of thrills and laughs. The play begins at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Its last showing will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29.
Contact Adam Coil at coilat21@wfu.edu
Isabella Parolini /Old Gold & Black
Isabella Parolini /Old Gold & Black
Isabella Parolini /Old Gold & Black
Isabella Parolini /Old Gold & Black
Isabella Parolini /Old Gold & Black
Art alumna shares her story in the world of art sales
Wake Forest’s stArt Gallery hosted Paschal’s talk, “From Scales to the Sale Room”
GRACE TAYLOR
Contributing writer
On Sept. 12, Wake Forest alumna Mattos Paschal (‘14) — who currently works as head of sales management for classics at Christie’s Auction House in New York City — returned to campus to share her story “From Scales to the Sale Room” with students and faculty alike.
Paschal’s visit included an intimate “Coffee Chat” in the morning, as well as a larger presentation and reception hosted by the stArt Gallery in Hanes Gallery later in the evening. In this presentation, Paschal shared her journey working within the many sectors of the art world with an eager audience.
Paschal developed a reverence for the arts at an early age. Her father, who had taken classes in the Wake Forest art department, would often bring her to local art museums.
ese frequent visits cultivated a deep appreciation for the creativity and materials involved in making art.
However, it was not until Paschal began her undergraduate education at Wake For-
est that she discovered the true expanse of the art world and market. Paschal initially took a stArt art management course, where she learned to weigh the business transactions behind collections. She then took ART 297, Management in the Visual Arts, a high-level course known for its “art-buying trip.”
e trip allows students to immerse themselves in the New York City art scene and explore a career in art management or auctioneering. Here, Paschal was able to meet an employee at Christie’s and imagine herself in their position. Paschal remembers this trip as a transformative experience.
After graduating from Wake Forest with a Bachelor’s in Art, Paschal interned and worked in various areas of the art world. She initially took on an internship at the Cristin Tierney Gallery in New York City and later moved home to South Carolina to work as an elementary school art teacher.
Despite enjoying her time in education, Paschal longed to return to the larger art world beyond her home state. Consequently, she moved back to New York City to at-
tend a masters program at the Institute of Fine Arts in 2016. Over the course of her graduate degree, Paschal interned at the Gagosian Gallery and Christie’s during her nal semester.
Paschal attributes her success landing these internships to her professional philosophy, which is based on two key principles: “no task is too low, no task is too challenging” and “always come from a place of yes.” ese two phrases allowed her to take on an extensive workload, demonstrate a commitment to creating results and impress her supervisors is dedication is what led Paschal to move into her current position in 2023.
As head of sales management for the classics department, Paschal works to develop proposals, which are documents used by artists or galleries, to secure commissions or exhibitions from clients. Paschal is also a licensed auctioneer, which allows her to run charity events at the Bronx Museum of Arts and the Brooklyn Public Library.
She enjoys working in the art market due to its fast pace, rolling deadlines and “dramatic air” attributed to the highly-valued collections that she sells. Some of these col-
lections include e Collection of André Leon Talley and e Collection of Elton John and Gen One: Innovations from Paul G. Allen, among many others.
Despite collections diverging from her traditional education in Contemporary Art at Wake Forest, Paschal says that she applies her knowledge every day as she writes proposals and considers the business perspective of art sales. After all, art historians are those who make art commercially viable, imbuing them with the value to be sold at auctions like Christie’s.
Paschal’s event “From Scales to the Sale Room” was well attended by some of her past professors, other members of the Art Department faculty and students with an interest in art as a potential career path. Her story demonstrates impressive achievement that could not have been reached without a steadfast commitment and persistence. Once the presentation concluded, the reception commenced, and students and faculty had the opportunity to speak with Paschal further.
Contact Grace Taylor at taylge24@wfu.
El Camino De Santiago requires a new perspective
CAROLYN MALMAN Staff writer
On Sept. 19, I attended a talk presented by e Medieval and Early Studies Program titled “Reinventing the Camino De Santiago — for Modern Problems, Medieval solutions?” in Greene Hall. A Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Spanish at Wake Forest, Dr. Ryan Goodman, delivered a thought-provoking presentation on the motivations of pilgrimage and how cultures shape the desire to seek out a speci c place away from home.
His presentation distinctly di ered from my expectations. Instead of o ering a perspective isolated in the time of the Middle Ages, Goodman integrated the historical background of the pilgrimage to the Camino De Santiago into modern-day discourse. At rst, Goodman described his own story as a pilgrim. He himself traveled to Spain, and made the pilgrimage to the Camino De Santiago. On the way, he met people from every walk of life. For many, this pilgrimage holds a spiritual signi cance. Christians travel to view the shrine of the apostle James. However, Goodman outlined, many do not complete the pilgrimage for religious motiva-
tions. For example, he encountered a Muslim woman on the way, in addition to other travelers who either wanted to escape the con nes of reality or reconnect with nature. On his pilgrimage, he noted a gap in historical knowledge about Galicia, Spain from the Medieval times to the modern day. For most of his talk, he outlined the culture of Spain throughout this time highlighting the
Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. Goodman drew attention to the impact tourism has had on the region, as almost all jobs relate to tourism in some way. e current system forces local people to depend on tourism. According to Goodman, the area surrounding the Camino De Santiago is desolate, occupied by only AirBnBs for people traveling to the area. e current economic
situation in Galicia exploits the people working in order to preserve bustling tourism in the region. Goodman refers back to the Medieval motivations for pilgrimage as a potential source of solutions to the economic situation in Galicia. As an English major taking a course in Geo rey Chaucer, I’ve already learned so much about the Medieval pilgrimage from careful examination of e Canterbury Tales. Pilgrims in Medieval times came from all walks of life. While some came for spiritual reasons, many desired the ability to learn through experience. Like a pilgrim in one of Chaucer’s stories, Goodman learned from his travels. He learned to appreciate a new part of the world and its culture. He also learned the importance of appreciation instead of exploitation. e tourist culture aims to exploit the area of Galicia, while pilgrims aim to appreciate the place they seek out. ough people often assume that the Medieval period lacks cultural relevance, Goodman describes how Medieval motivations may even be the solutions for modern day problems.
Contact Carolyn Malman at malmci22@wfu.edu
Mattos Paschal met with students after her talk, “From Scales to the Sale Room” in the main lobby of lower Scales.
Photo courtesy of Grace Taylor
Isabella Parolini /Old Gold & Black
Mattos Paschal spoke of her experiences journeying from
Photo courtesy of Grace Taylor
Where to go in Winston-Salem
Senior Morgan Moser gives suggestions for activities in the city, courtesy of her three years of expertise
MORGAN MOSER
Contributing writer
As you may know, a major side e ect of going to Wake Forest is living within the “Wake Bubble.” It’s where we sleep, eat, socialize, exercise, work and go to class. Without even realizing it, days and weeks go by without ever stepping o campus. After a while, it is nice to get away and explore Winston-Salem. At rst glance, Winston-Salem might not seem like much, but as someone who has lived here for three years, I can attest that it is actually a vibrant city bursting with culture and excitement. So if you are looking for something to do o -campus, here are some suggestions from me to you!
Eats
Possibly one of my favorite parts of the city is the restaurant options. If you are a foodie, then you came to the right place — Winston-Salem is packed full of hidden gems with great food. If you are craving pizza on a Friday night, de nitely check out Cugino Forno or Mission Pizza downtown. If you are looking for a more traditional, American-style meal, Cin Cin Burger Bar is the place to go. ey have the best burgers, sandwiches and salads
“Baduizm”
around and have plenty of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options!
On nights when you are looking for some Mexican or Tex-Mex food, I suggest Mi Pueblo, Taco Mama or e Porch. Taco Mama is a ton of food for a decent price so you will likely go home with a meal for later. If you are looking to spice it up a little, Nawab Indian Cuisine is amazing, and I highly recommend their Tikka Masala. For sushi lovers, Mizu is a staple. And if you are just looking for somewhere a little nicer to go for a date night or when you have family in town, Fratellis Italian Steakhouse and Mozelle’s Southern Bistro are no-brainers.
Cafés
An absolute must for Wake students is nding an o -campus place to escape to during study time. ere are countless co ee and tea shops within a few miles of campus, but my personal favorite is Chad’s Chai. ey opened a few years ago and the vibes are immaculate.
If tea isn’t your thing, Anchor Co ee is delicious, and it is a quick Wake Line ride to Wake Downtown away. Also not far from campus is Dough Joe’s. A Wake Forest favorite, they have amazing seasonal beverages and doughnuts. If you
are looking for a more upbeat atmosphere, Krankies is perfect. ey have co ee, pastries and delicious chicken biscuits. It is my Saturday morning goto.
Shopping
Looking for a little retail therapy? Winston-Salem is full of shops — from artsy thrift stores to upscale boutiques. ere are, of course, your classic thrift stores: Goodwill, Uptown Cheapskate and Plato’s Closet. However, there are also some fun hidden places like Putting on the RITZ, e Snob Shop and O the Rack.
If thrifting isn’t your thing, but you still want somewhere fun and local to visit, I highly recommend the Mast General Store in downtown. As a North Carolina native, the Mast General Store holds a special place in my heart. ey have everything from outdoor equipment to clothes, accessories, bulk candy and so much more. Another place to check out would be Hanes Mall. ey have most of your major retailers and lots of shops in the surrounding area.
Getting Outside
For all of the nature lovers, you will be happy to know that Winston-Salem
is surrounded by plenty of opportunities to get outside. Most close to home, Reynolda Village and Gardens is a great place to get away from the stress and chaos on campus. You will never get bored walking on their miles of trails and it somehow only gets prettier as the leaves begin to change!
If you do decide to take an adventure down to Reynolda Village, you could extend your trip by walking over to the Graylyn Estate. e rolling hills and castle-like buildings will make you feel like you are in a storybook.
If you are more of a history bu looking for somewhere to explore, I recommend Old Salem or Bethabara Park. Both are remnants of the early Moravian population dating back to the mid17th century. Occasionally there will be events that you can attend like the Annual Apple Festival on Sept. 28 or popup History Workshops.
For those who are more interested in planning an adventure, you are in luck! Winston-Salem is only 30 minutes from Pilot Mountain and 40 minutes from Hanging Rock State Park. Both are great places to visit if you are looking for a hike or appreciate high altitudes!
Contact Morgan Moser at moseme21@wfu.edu
continues to have radical impact on Black women
Exploring Erykah Badu’s debut album nearly three decades later
BEZA ZELALEM Staff writer
“Double discrimination” is a phenomenon that describes the simultaneous gendered and racial discrimination that Black women are subjected to.
Long-term exclusion from feminist discourse and various social movements has led Black women to express themselves through a di erent platform — music. A platform through which Black women can unapologetically and authentically voice their ideas and beliefs.
Enter Erykah Badu, aka Badulla Oblongata, aka FatBellyBella, aka SHE ILL.
Nearly three decades ago, Badu debuted her talent in the music scene with her 1997 album “Baduizm.”
e moment her opening track “Rim Shot” begins, her eclectic sound is undeniable — leaving listeners in a trance. With ease, she uses sultry tones and jazzy melodies, adding her own edge and completely transforming the trajectory of neo-soul.
e reason why Badu’s artistry is so unique is because she’s broken barriers both musically and culturally. Using her creative talents, she challenges stereotypical notions of Black femininity and sexuality while simultaneously embracing them.
One way that Badu challenges the over-sexualization and objecti cation of Black women is in her celebration
of “Afro-centrism” by emphasizing selflove through her stylistic choices.
From rocking the natural fro to oorlength braids to locks to arguably her most notable hairstyle — the trademark head wrap — Badu tosses away American beauty standards and encourages sisters to embrace Afro-centric styles.
“We are making a political statement when we wear an afro or locks,” Badu said in an interview at the 2015 BET Experience. “We’re being who we are, especially in a society that does not encourage that part of our beauty.”
is sense of con dence that Badu emphasizes can be found in one of my favorite songs o “Baduizm.” e opening of her song “Appletree” plays on the analogy of comparing her wisdom to fruits on a tree.
“I have some food in my bag for you. Not that edible food. at food you eat? No. Perhaps some food for thought. Since knowledge is in nite, it has in nitely fell on me,” Badu melodically states.
She goes on to explain that she is condent in who she is and has zero interest in conforming to t in with others.
“I don’t walk around tryna to be what I’m not. I don’t waste my time tryna get what you got,” she sings. As a Black girl who is what some might describe as artsy, these sentiments of individuality stuck with me.
If you’re familiar with Badu’s repertoire, her 1997 live performance of “Tyrone” will forever be a classic. If you
haven’t seen it, I encourage you to do yourself a favor and watch it.
Badu was freestyling at a show in London when she created “Tyrone.” Despite not being on the original album, it appeared on a live version of “Baduizm,” released a few months later.
“My sister and I always imitated our aunts,” Badu said in a 2023 interview. “ ey would be fussing and talking about a guy and what he needs to do better. Ya know, tearing him down. at was my homage to that.” is one is meant to have a lighter, less serious feel, and Badu’s lesson is quite simple: don’t let anyone walk all over you or take advantage of you.
Seeing Badu perform “Tyrone” this past summer was de nitely a pivotal point in my life. It was an insane experience to see all the melanated women around me blinged out in jewelry, waist beads and intricate head wraps waving their arms around while belting the lyrics.
Even in her use of imagery, she makes implicit statements about the objectication of Black women like in the music video for “On & On” (her most played song on “Baduizm”). Wearing a long-sleeve shirt, ankle-length skirt and work boots, she makes it a point to conceal her body. At one point, she goes to a “juke joint” and performs to a crowd wearing a green patterned tablecloth.
is message was impactful. Despite the one-dimensional perspective placed
on us, the essence of Black women — our intellect, aura and style – speaks for itself. We shouldn’t need to go above and beyond just to be categorized as feminine, but we also have the capacity to be exceptional. at is what Badu exemplies so well in challenging stereotypes of Black women in her artistry. Despite the erasure of Black women’s experiences in many spaces, music has been and will continue to be an outlet where artists highlight how multi-faceted Black women are. I would highly recommend everyone to give this timeless album a listen. Regardless of whether you pick up on all her clever lyrics and double meanings, there is much to take away from “Baduizm.”
Contact Beza Zelalem at zelam22@wfu.edu
Photo courtesy of Pitchfork