10/05/23 Full Edition

Old Gold&Black “Covers the campus like the magnolias”

WA K E F O R E S T ’ S S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 1 6

VOL 110 , NO. 3

OCTOBER 5, 2023

“Telling Our Story:” Wake Forest & the U.S. News Rankings HARSHIL JANI & CHRISTA DUTTON Contributing Writer & Editor-in-Chief

Wake Forest dropped 18 spots in the U.S. News & World Report “Best National Universities” rankings list, which was released two weeks ago. This list has earned immense popularity among prospective university students since its launch in 1983, and this year, the news organization significantly changed its methodology.

The Old Gold & Black examined how U.S. News crunches the numbers and exactly what changed this year.

The U.S. News Method According to U.S. News, the organization evaluates 1,500 four-year bachelor’s degree-granting American institutions.

This year, these institutions were measured by 19 metrics, and the top 439 were ranked.

See Rankings, Page 3

Cami Bender/Old Gold & Black

Winston-Salem and Wake Forest cash in on state budget The impact of North Carolina’s longdelayed 2023 Appropriations Act came into clearer focus this week for Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

In a joint release by Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines and Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-NC75), it was revealed that the city would be appropriating $123 million in state funding to three city projects.

One appropriation is $35 million specifically set aside for “economic development activities and infrastructure.” The money is earmarked for improving tourism, sports and entertainment that will serve the Triad and beyond.

The funds are not specifically allocated for Wake Forest, but language in

NEWS Beth Hopkins honored at 2023 US Open Page Four

the release seems to indicate an unspecified amount will be going toward Wake Forest’s high-profile Deacon Boulevard project.

“The $35 million appropriation will enhance the infrastructure in the area surrounding Baity Street, north of Coliseum Drive and south of Reynolds Boulevard…” the release reads.

The Deacon Boulevard redevelopment, announced in August, is in partnership with two firms and is slated for the university-owned property near Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, David F. Couch Ballpark, the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds — precisely where the announcement articulates.

The redeveloped area will feature mixed-use residential and commercial spaces, complementing the sports venues already on the property.

FEATURES Deacon Profile: Jackson Buttler Page Five

At this time, however, there is no timeline for the project nor an estimate of how much it will cost.

Wake Forest and its affiliated ACC sporting events were listed as some of the “major attractions” that warranted further tourism investment.

The Demon Deacons are one of the fastest growing brands in the ACC, according to data from YouGov. Wake Forest Athletic Director John Currie said in his blog “The Quad” that the fanbase has experienced a 115% increase in growth since 2019.

“Across the nation, over 2.7 million people now identify as Wake Forest fans,” Currie said.

Wake Forest President Susan Wente applauded the funding in the press release.

See State Budget, Page 3

See Campus Safety, Page 4

What's Inside

ENVIRONMENT Sabin endowment for CEES Page Eight

MADDIE STOPYRA & WILLOW DIXON News Editor & Contributing Writer

For freshman Camille Rogers, campus security was a key factor when applying to colleges and universities.

“In light of some of the tragic events at other colleges and universities across the United States, it was important for me to know that I would be in a protected and safe environment,” Rogers said. “I did look into campus safety to see what certain protocols and precautions were in place for students on campus, and what has been done to keep them safe.”

Wake Forest has recently added a few elements to help students feel safer on campus — a new app called Wake Safe, an extended and updated blue light emergency call system and the addition of more than 130 addresses for campus buildings, parking lots, plazas and field locations. Previously, not all campus locations had a designated address.

“It’s been really important as a student to see where University Police is involved in all areas of campus and how they try to make their students feel important and seen,” said junior MaryAnna Bailey.

The state budget allocates more than $100 million for city-wide tourism investments JAMES WATSON Arts & Culture Editor

Campus safety gets an update

OPINION Wake and Hena must be held accountable Page Eleven

SPORTS MBB announces charity scrimmage Page Sixteen

ARTS & CULTURE

Eerie secrets reach a fever pitch in WFU production

Page Seventeen

Old Gold & Black This column represents the views of the Old Gold & Black Executive Editors

Celebrations bring vibrancy to campus If you noticed a certain energy on campus these last few days, you probably were not the only one.

While the fall leaves and cooler temperatures have likely contributed to some of this spark, we at the Old Gold & Black contend that the numerous celebrations of culture and heritage these past weeks are the real driving force behind the energetic feeling in the air.

The period of mid-September into early October marks an overlapping of numerous celebrations and holidays. Going by the Gregorian solar calendar, Sept. 15Oct. 15 marks Hispanic Heritage Month, and the month of Octo-

ber is recognized as Queer History Month. By lunar calendars, Sept.

29 marked the Asian Mid-Autumn Festival, and Sept. 25 marked the Jewish high holiday of Yom Kippur (10 days after the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, which occurred Sept. 15-17).

Across the board, for each and every holiday, student cultural organizations and campus institutions have raised the bar for celebrations. The Harvest Moon Festival event, put on by the Asian American Student Association on Sept. 30, was a huge success. Hillel tabled outside the Pit with apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah

and put on multiple events for the High Holy Days. The Organization of Latin American Students has partnered with multiple student organizations and campus offices to produce programming for Hispanic Heritage Month, including a soul food fiesta with the Black Student Association today, Oct. 5. Last but not least, the LGBTQ+ Center kicked off Queer History Month yesterday and has a slew of events planned for the rest of October.

As if all of that were not enough, students got to learn about, engage with and sample delicious food from a host of different cul-

tures at the World Cultural Festival on Sept. 28. Student cultural organizations and campus offices alike had educational tables set up to advertise services, teach about their respective cultures and even to play a few games.

In an age where some question the value of diversity in higher education, events like these, and the energy they have brought to campus, should silence debate. Our campus community is richer for the numerous cultures that make it up, and that is to be celebrated, as it has these past few weeks. We at the Old Gold & Black are eager for more.

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News | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, October 5, 2023 | Page 3

State Budget: Rankings: Dr. Susan Wente says the Funds will be university will reflect on submitting data allocated towards

Continued from Page 1

The rankings are assembled using data reported directly from schools and federal third-party sources. Wake Forest President Dr. Susan Wente told the Old Gold & Black that Wake Forest did submit data to U.S. News this past spring.

Some universities have elected to stop submitting data. The law and medical schools at Stanford, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and Duke all have boycotted the rankings, and Columbia University became the latest undergraduate school to drop out of the rankings this summer.

Even if a school does not submit data, it can still be ranked.

Wente said that Wake Forest is evaluating whether it’s time to also quit the rankings.

“We have had discussions at the institutional level on should we or should we not [submit data], especially last spring when the law schools [at Stanford, Harvard, Duke and others] were withdrawing from them,” she said. “But then, seeing how U.S. News was reacting to that, and they’re pivoting to using only publicly accessible data, we thought that by submitting data, we would at least know that the data…is accurate.”

She continued: Wente also said that the university will reevaluate its relationship to the U.S. News rankings, a flawed system Wake Forest leaders have criticized since last week. While our overall national university declined, Wake Forest’s School of Law ranking improved, moving from 35 to 22.

“Do you celebrate that? We’ve got to think about this as an institution,” Wente said. “Now is the time to think about that.”

The schools are ranked using data from each measure that are then standardized and weighted from 0-100. The best college(s) receive a score of 100, and the rankings are scaled from there. Other institutions receive a score anywhere from zero to 99 — “reflecting the distance from their ranking’s top-performing schools.”

The metric with the most weight is the “peer-assessment score,” comprising 20% of the total calculation. U.S. News defines peer assessment as “a two-year rolling average of ratings on academic quality [the university] received by presidents, provosts and deans of admissions.”

Wente has completed peer assessment surveys since her time as a provost at Vanderbilt University. She described the survey as being “qualitative and subjective,” having just a few questions for all 435 institutions. Administrators are asked to rank each institution on a scale of one to five.

Wente said Wake Forest participates in the rankings because she believes that if we’re submitting data for other metrics, then Wake Forest should also submit data for the peer assessment.

Wente ranks other schools based on what she knows about their commitment to educational quality.

“I based it off things like their focus on instructional, pedagogical approaches that benefit all students on their campuses —

• • • •

not only in terms of working to build diverse, representative student bodies, but also ensuring the success of those student bodies in that way. It’s very subjective.”

If an administrator is unfamiliar with a school, they can select “not applicable” and skip the question. Wente says she does this for schools with which she is not familiar.

According to Phil Handwerk, assistant provost of institutional research at Wake Forest, Wake Forest has received a 3.7 out of 5 for at least three years, including 2023.

This score stays mostly the same year to year, and the survey uses similar questions every year.

Wake Forest also fell 10 spots in the U.S. News in its undergraduate teaching ranking, which is calculated solely on peer assessment scores. Administrators are asked to nominate 15 universities they believe have a strength in undergraduate teaching.

“Each year, our ranking depends upon who chooses to answer that question and who’s top of mind when they do it,” Wente said. “That ranking will be very variable.

It’s not really an assessment of the undergraduate teaching. It’s people’s opinions.”

How Wake Forest stacks up using the new methodology The new methodology helped many public universities rise considerably in the rankings while many private universities like Wake Forest fell.

This year, U.S. News no longer considered the following criteria, many in which Wake Forest excels, which collectively accounted for 18% of last year’s rankings: • Class size • Professors with terminal degrees (the highest degree achievable in their respective fields) • Alumni giving average • Graduate debt proportion borrowing • High school class standing “U.S. News no longer measures things that make us who we are,” Wente said in a Sept. 18 email to the university community.

Wake Forest’s average student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1 — compared to the national average of 18:1. Additionally, 99% of all undergraduate classes at Wake Forest have fewer than 50 students, and 95% of faculty have a terminal degree at Wake Forest.

During the 2021-22 academic year, Wake Forest saw a 24% alumni giving rate, which is 124% higher than the national average of 11%. In the same year, alumni gave a whopping $91,820,239 in charitable contributions — making up 36% of the total charitable contributions to the university.

According to the U.S. News website, the average debt at graduation for a Wake Forest student is $31,476 — lower than the national average of $37,718.

In addition to removing some metrics, U.S. News added the following criteria: • First-generation graduation rates • First-generation graduation rate performance • College graduates earning more than a high school graduate • Citations per publication

• Field-weighted citation impact • Publications cited in the top 5% of journals • Publications cited in the top 25% of journals Wente especially raised concern with the third metric, which measures if a university’s graduates earn more than a high school graduate.

“Does that mean we don’t value K-12 teachers,” Wente said. “Nationally, we underpay our K-12 teachers. But if you’re going to make $40-50k a year as a starting K-12 teacher, you can’t do that with a high school diploma. But does that mean your college education was not worth it?”

“Pro humanitate is at the core of what we do, and that inspires a lot of Wake Forest graduates to go into a range of career paths,” Ashleigh Brock, chief of staff to the Office of the President, said. “Not everyone’s going to be an investment banker in their first year after college. I don’t think our motto would suggest that we want that.”

U.S. News also gave slightly more weight to the graduate rates of students receiving Pell Grants. According to the Office of Institutional Research, Wake Forest’s six-year graduation rate for Pell Grant students is 93%.

“Wake Forest has long been committed to social mobility, but our scale and scope are different from those with huge enrollments,” Wente said. “I’m proud of where we are. Over the last three years, the percentage of Pell students has gone up. We’re at 12%. That’s a 10-year-high watermark for us.”

Wente said that the Pell Grant graduation is dependent upon scholarship funding and that the university is focused on raising $25 million this year. Wake Forest launched the “For Humanity” initiative last March, raising $50 million for scholarships.

The fifth criteria, field-weighted citation impact, is a way to measure how influential or essential a research paper is within its specific field of study. This measurement considers how often other researchers have cited a paper but adjusts this number to make it fair for different research areas.

Wake Forest has 62 publications in the top 25% of journals and 21 in the top 5%.

U.S. News ranks journals solely based on how many citations it has within its field.

For example, a journal with more citations than 75% of journals in said field is ranked in the top 25%, and so on.

Moving forward Wente expressed that Wake Forest must discover new ways to “tell its story.”

Wente told the New York Times last week that Wake Forest is not going to “chase rankings.” She told the Old Gold & Black what she means by that is that “We’re going to continue to focus on our values and our strategy, and we’re not going to change our mission based on what U.S. News is doing, or what it’s deciding to measure.”

Contact Harshil Jani & Christa Dutton at: janih23@wfu.edu duttcd20@wfu.edu

POLICE BEAT

Deacon Boulevard project Continued from Page 1 “Wake Forest is proud to be a partner in these important commitments to the collective well-being of our community and to be one of the many reasons people come to visit and fall in love with Winston-Salem,” she said.

The property slated for redevelopment is adjacent to the fairground — the site of the Carolina Classic Fair. The city has significant interest in maintaining the space, listing the fair as another marquee tourist event in the press release.

Mayor Pro Tempore and Councilmember Denise D. Adams, who represents the ward in which Wake Forest is located for the city council, mentioned the fairgrounds by name in the release as an area in need of improvement.

“We will use these funds to address parking, traffic and pedestrian issues for the coliseum/fairgrounds area,” Adams said.

Winston-Salem has previously been ranked as one of the least walkable cities in the country.

The budget fight, explained The North Carolina state budget passed on Sept. 22, going into effect 10 days after without Gov. Roy Cooper’s signature, following months of arduous legislating.

The bill was delayed in both General Assembly chambers because of a highstakes battle to expand legal gambling across the state. While the casino advocates eventually conceded, it left the budget intensely delayed.

The more than 600-page, $30 billion state budget passed nearly three months after it was due.

Funding is being directed to other universities in Winston-Salem as well for restoration projects — $37 million for work on Winston-Salem State University’s Kenneth R. Williams Auditorium and $51 million for the city’s efforts to restore the University of North Carolina School of the Arts’ Stevens Center.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will also be receiving a little more than $1 million in grants for repairs.

Additionally, hanging in the balance was a massive new expansion of Medicare in the state, which would give healthcare to more than 600,000 North Carolinans when implemented. The expansion will take place on December 1.

But based on the press release, more was at stake for Winston-Salem and Wake Forest in the state budget process than previously known.

Contact James Watson at watsjc22@wfu.edu

An underage individual consumed alcohol. Medical personnel allowed the student to refuse transport. The report was filed at 12:07 a.m. on Sept. 28.

An underage individual consumed alcohol at an off-campus location while attending a Chi Omega event. The report was filed at 11: 46 p.m. on Sept. 28.

A victim and subject that are acquaintances had previously exchanged phone numbers. The subject has been increasingly texting and following the victim but has not been violent or threatening. The report was filed at 1:42 p.m. on Sept. 29.

The subject exposed himself to the victim. The suspect was later identified and issued a trespass warning at his residence with the Winston Salem Police Department, and his vehicle was added to the license plate recognition (LPR). The report was filed at 5:58 p.m. on Sept. 30.

Page 4 | Thursday, October 5, 2023

Old Gold & Black | News

Campus Safety: Recent safety initiatives include the Wake Safe app and additional blue light emergency call systems Continued from Page 1 The free-to-download Wake Safe app allows users quick and easy access to the Wake Forest University Police Department. Replacing LiveSafe, the Wake Safe app displays resources such as emergency contacts, local resources and campus maps.

“The Wake Safe app makes you feel safe because it has plenty of different options and resources to use all in one place, which makes it easy to access in the time of a potential crisis or danger,” said freshman Caroline Khalaf.

On the app’s homepage, users will find four features unique to Wake Safe — Social Escape, Friend Walk, Virtual Walkhome and Mobile BlueLight.

When users activate the Social Escape feature, the device will ring as if the user is getting a phone call — giving users an excuse to leave their current situation. Once the user answers the call, an audio message will play multiple times.

“I think the social escape provides a benign way of removing yourself politely from awkward, uncomfortable or scary situations,” said Wake Forest University Police Chief Regina Lawson.

Virtual Walkhome can be found under the “Safety Escorts” tab on the homepage.

Upon activation, University Police will be

notified to monitor the device until the user reaches their end destination. If the user needs to call 911 at any time, they can tap the “emergency” tab.

Similarly, Friend Walk is also located under the “Safety Escorts” tab. The app will send the user’s location to the chosen contact who can monitor the user until the user signals that they have finished their trip. The user and the monitoring contact can trigger an emergency call at any time.

“I’ve been recommending [Wake Safe] to my friends and it helps me feel more safe about them knowing that the college police department will be more involved through the app,” sophomore Luke Miller said.

In efforts to keep campus connected, the Wake Safe app features a Mobile BlueLight system that sends the user’s location to and calls the WFPD, who will talk to the user on the phone. This feature is in addition to Blue Light Emergency call boxes (DEACStations) already stationed around campus.

“For example, if your phone is dead, and you’re in your car, and you are having some kind of mechanical issue or see something suspicious, you can still go to the blue light phone, press a button, and you can talk to the communication cen-

ter,” Lawson said. “What this device does is it activates the location, so we know where you are. And it also activates the camera, so we can start scanning the location where you’re reportedly at.”

Alongside the mobile update, the university has upgraded Blue Light stations and added 14 around campus — five of which are at or near Deacon Place.

“I feel like it’s going to help decrease crime on Long Drive,” Miller said.

Khalaf explained that the extension makes her feel safer walking to the freshman parking lot at Winston-Salem First Church.

“I feel more comfortable walking to my car parked near this area at night because the blue light emergency call systems are there now,” Khalaf said.

To help emergency responders pinpoint accurate locations, more than 130 addresses have been added to campus. The project began in the summer of 2022 and was completed on June 14, 2023. A list of these addresses can be found on the Reynolda Campus maps.

According to Lawson, Wake Safe features are not limited to on-campus use.

Many features — including Social Escape and Friend Walk — can be used at any location with cell service. Additionally, emergency calls from the app notify the closest emergency call center.

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

“Our vision is that every student, faculty, staff, graduate student — even [visitors] at our summer camps and conferences that come in the summer — will download this app and use it as a safety tool,” Lawson said.

Contact Maria Silveira at silvmt23@wfu.edu

Beth Hopkins honored at 2023 US Open Distinguished Wake Forest alum Beth Hopkins is named Champion of Equality by USTA at US Open SKYLER VILLAMAR-JONES Contributing Writer Wake Forest alumna and former law professor Muriel-Beth Hopkins was named Champion of Equality by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) at the U.S. Open early last month.

After more than 30 years of service as a professor at Wake Forest, Hopkins now works with the USTA’s southern state associations. She focuses on implementing projects that promote diversity in the tennis community, including holding a tennis carnival for Indigenous children in Pembroke, repairing cracked tennis courts at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and organizing club tennis teams at HBCUs in North and South Carolina, which, according to Hopkins, do not have competitive teams.

Hopkins was honored alongside 16 other women representing different geographic districts of the USTA for her efforts to promote equality. Hopkins represents the largest section of the USTA — the southern section — which encompasses nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Hopkins says that she has been a lifelong advocate for diversity and inclusion and is dedicated to creating a community with more equality.

“I came through the Civil Rights Era, and I was with the NAACP youth group,” Hopkins said. “I marched on institutions like Dairy Queen and Holiday Inn [at] 12 years old. So, I continued the fight through college, through law school and through teaching at law school.”

Hopkins’ passion for tennis began at

Wake Forest. According to her, spaces to play tennis were largely unavailable to Black locals, and she did not play until she became an undergraduate student and took a tennis class.

“Had we played on those [local] courts, we probably would've been arrested,” Hopkins said. “It was not until I got to Wake Forest that I really began an interest.”

After her undergraduate years at Wake Forest, Hopkins applied to but was rejected from Wake Forest’s Law School, since they had already admitted two Black students, according to the Winston-Salem Chronicle.

She attended the Marshall-Wythe School of Law and would not return to teach at Wake Forest until more than 20 years after she applied to the law school.

At Wake Forest School of Law, Hopkins started several initiatives, including the Pro Bono and Public Initiative Programs. Her work has earned awards such as the “Law Student Group Pro Bono” and “A Day of Service” awards, from the North Carolina and American Bar Associations, respectively.

Despite these accomplishments, Hopkins had to fight for her position of authority.

“There were students who were not accustomed to Black people being in charge,” Hopkins said. “As long as I was fair, and I followed whatever institutional rules were in place, then I would be okay.”

Her efforts and character are recognized by her students, as well. Carson Smith, an assistant public defender in Mecklenburg County and a former student in Hopkins’ pro bono program says that Hopkins is a “woman of action.” “​​She was much more than an advisor to me and the other students in the program,” Smith said. “I would sit down with [Hop-

kins] to discuss an idea, and by the end of the meeting, she had already sent three emails and made a phone call to put a plan in action.”

Smith continued: “I learned a lot from her about leadership, selflessness and service. Wake Forest School of Law was incredibly lucky to have her as she exemplified the Pro Humanitate spirit.”

Wake Forest’s Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Isaiah Greene recognized Hopkins’ efforts within the local athletic community.

“Beth Hopkins, who was a distinguished faculty member of the Wake Forest Law School for over 30 years and graduated cum laude from our university in 1973, is a trailblazer and someone that everyone in our community has tremendous respect for,” Greene said. “The legacy Hopkins made at Wake Forest is well-known and so widely respected.”

The USTA is doing lots of work to make their organization more diverse for not only people of color but for other marginalized groups who have not had the opportunity or resources to play tennis. Current initiatives include implementing a supplier diversity policy, providing grants in each regional section for underprivileged youth and diversifying and training their staff.

Hopkins applauds these efforts, but recognizes that this is not the end of the road to the fight for equality.

“Tennis is a sport for everybody, and our goal is to do as much outreach for as long as we can and as far and wide as we can,” Hopkins said. “I have great support from North Carolina and from the southern section and from the USTA, so we are marching forward.”

Contact Skyler Villamar-Jones at villsc22@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

FEATURES

Isabella Romine, romiie21@wfu.edu Natasha Heisenberg, heisng20@wfu.edu Eli Leadham, leadey22@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

PAGE 5 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2023

DEACON PROFILE

Jackson Buttler

ISABELLA ROMINE Features Editor When Student Body President Jackson Buttler reflects on his time at Wake Forest, it’s impossible to imagine his experience without Student Government.

Yet his Student Government career could have come to an end before it started. Freshman year, he tied to become a senator in his first election. Out of Angelou Residence Hall, he won by one vote in a run-off election.

His first year in Student Government coincided with a critical time at the university. Entering in the fall of 2020, he arrived on campus during a tumultuous period of Wake Forest history that resembled no other.

Buttler enrolled at Wake Forest confident in his decision to become a Politics & International Affairs major, even writing about it in his Common Application essay.

However, he did not know what a traditional college experience looked like, or that he would go on to become a Student Government senator. When a friend mentioned his intent to run, Buttler recognized the need for student input and decided that he would enter the race, as well.

Though his margin of victory was small, his efforts to improve campus have been anything but. Right away, Buttler threw himself head-first into Student Government, and it wasn’t long before his dedication was noticed.

“The Speaker of the House and the President at the time pulled me into one of their offices — which is now my office,” Buttler said. “[They said] ‘Hey, I would love to see you in a higher leadership position, especially as a first-year student. Would you be interested in being the COVID-19 liaison?’”

Alongside fellow freshman Cate Pitterle, Buttler became a point of contact with high-level administration members. As a result, he was able to see his feedback on COVID-19 issues translate to changes in university policy.

“I thought I would really be able to have impact in a way that would make the experience of my peers better, and that was most important to me,” Buttler recalled.

Still, when asked about his greatest accomplishment, Buttler quickly points to his work on the Campus Climate Survey.

“We know sexual violence has been a pretty pervasive issue on this campus for a while. Getting to work on that and see results and see that this is something…the rest of the student body is passionate about [as well] is a really rewarding experience,” Buttler said.

The survey, which was conducted in Spring 2022, sought to provide insight into sexual misconduct on campus. This also addressed the efficacy of sexual assault prevention training, Title IX policies and student awareness about resources for those affected by sexual harassment or assault.

The survey has since become a permanent aspect of the SAFE Office’s services, meaning that it will be readministered every four years to provide a better understanding of how these issues evolve over time.

Getting the project off the ground required a tremendous amount of effort from students, staff and faculty across the university — Buttler worked to see the Campus Climate Survey come to fruition since he was a sophomore.

While the survey was being administered, he worked on a Student Government committee whose purpose was to encourage students to take the survey, ultimately yielding a response rate of 38%. In a similar study that the Association of American Universities (AAU) administered to 33 colleges and universities, the response rate was 21.9%.

After the survey was completed, Buttler collaborated with his Student Government peers and the administration on how to best communicate the results and their implications to the study body. Though the initial survey has concluded, responding to the results to create a better on-campus environment continues to be a priority for him in his role as president.

“I’m working on a lot of different resource-advertising projects,” Buttler said. “Trying to communicate what Wake Forest offers to our students — especially those who have undergone sexual violence — is incredibly important

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

because Wake Forest has so many amazing resources. I feel like a lot of people don’t know what is offered.”

Another one of his projects involves using the data obtained through the Campus Climate Survey to work on providing an institutionalized intermediary between the Title IX office and professors. “[This would mean] that it is not incumbent upon students to communicate that they are undergoing a Title IX process with professors,” Buttler explained. “That’s coming around the bend.”

Additionally, a new Campus Climate Survey measuring inclusivity on campus will be conducted next spring, the lack of which Buttler also described as a pervasive problem on campus.

“I plan to use the experience that I gained on the Campus Climate Survey to inform what is done moving forward for the inclusion Campus [Climate] Survey,” Buttler said. “I think it’s also going to be really rewarding.”

Buttler continued:“I see [the Campus Climate Survey] as a legacy that I can leave behind as something that I worked on as a sophomore and a junior and a senior; something that will continue to happen every four years after I leave.”

Other improvements that Buttler has helped spearhead are centered within Student Government itself. In his role as Speaker of the House last year, the organization was focused on making internal changes to lay a stronger foundation on which future leaders can rely. As part of this initiative, two new branches were established: the Student Organizations Judicial Assembly and the Student Organizations branch. “[The new branches] make things a lot more streamlined,” Buttler said. “And I’m really happy with how that has translated from an idea that I had when I was Speaker of the House. We put a lot of work into it.”

Still, the work that Butter and his peers have put into their organization to make student experiences better isn’t always recognized. Though many place the pandemic in the past, Buttler notes that its effects linger.

“It’s really hard, especially after COVID, to get buyin from students about what we’re doing,” Buttler said.

“There have been many events that we’ve put on, [such as] mental health panels, [Diversity Equity and Inclusion] panels, town halls that [Wake Forest] President [Susan] Wente and Dr. [Shea Kidd Brown] attended where we had zero student attendance. For those events that did get student attendance, it was small.”

This year, one of Buttler’s focuses is on communicating the importance of Student Government to the greater student body to increase engagement — an obstacle with which he imagines other student governments across American universities also struggle.

“I think the political dynamic which we find ourselves in today has made people tired of organizations like student government,” he said. “Trying to reframe that narrative is so important to me. [Engaging] with our organization will make your college experience better.”

Buttler’s future is not entirely clear, as he promised himself a break between his undergraduate experience and graduate school if he became Student Body President.

In the long-term, though, he hopes to attend law school.

Until then, his goal is to return to Capitol Hill, where he served as an intern for Congresswoman Valerie Foushee in the summer of 2023. “[My work] will definitely be something in the political realm,” Buttler said. “That’s definitely my calling.”

Contact Isabella Romine at romiie21@wfu.edu

Page 6 | Thursday, October 5, 2023

Old Gold & Black | Features

National hero Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker visits Wake Forest The rabbi, who was held at gunpoint during a hate crime, shared his experience with Wake Forest students EVE DARKE Contributing Writer On Jan. 15, 2022, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three members of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas were held hostage at gunpoint during a religious service. For 11 hours, Rabbi Charlie and his congregants feared for their lives at the hands of an armed and violent antisemite.

Now, one and a half years later, Cytron-Walker has embraced his position as an advocate for gun control and a leader within the Jewish community. On Sep. 4, 2023, Wake Forest students had the opportunity to have an intimate conversation with Cytron-Walker at the Rosenblatt Family Hillel Lounge about his experience and how it changed his life.

The dinner, which was organized by Wake Forest Hillel Director Gail Bretan, commenced with small talk and introductions. Cytron-Walker told Wake Forest students about his childhood growing up in Michigan, his travels to Israel to study being a rabbi, the pride he holds for his alma mater the University of Michigan and how much he loves being part of the Jewish community.

Cytron-Walker moved to North Carolina in July 2022, and became the Rabbi of Temple Emanual in WinstonSalem. While he shared his stories, students and faculty laughed alongside the Rabbi, enjoying the enormous spread of food.

As we began eating dessert, one of the students asked Cytron-Walker if he would tell us the story, so he bravely recounted the hostage incident.

“I thought I was going to die that day,” Cytron-Walker said.

Students’ jaws dropped and eyes wandered away from the apple crisp to focus on his words. Cytron-Walker started from the beginning — when he let in a man who appeared to be houseless and in need of a place to sleep in the doors of his temple.

Many people were shocked to discover that CytronWalker willingly let the man into the temple. Despite the criticism that this action garnered, Cytron-Walker explained his decision through the lens of religion.

“It is hard to love yourself. It is even harder to love your neighbor, let alone the stranger,” Cytron-Walker said.

Of course Cytron-Walker could not have predicted this man was carrying a gun, but he emphasized that being kind to the wandering stranger is a core value of the Jewish tradition.

“We understand strangers are an unknown quantity, and because they are unknown, they can be dangerous,” Cytron-Walker said. “Our brains are wired to throw caution, but our tradition tells us to love the stranger. It is a hard value to live [by], but we are supposed to try to do that. It is very important to balance safety and security with hospitality and love.”

After letting the man in the door and offering him tea and a warm place to sit, the gunman took action, flashing his loaded gun to the congregation and threatening them with bombs if they did not help him to supposedly free a woman who was convicted of attempted murder.

Cytron-Walker could not address this man’s demands, and as a result, was held hostage.

“He really believed lies about the Jewish community,” Cytron-Walker said. “I want to help people understand how hurtful lies about any community can be because words do get turned into actions.”

Cytron-Walker continued to tell the table that throughout the standoff, the gunman allowed the hostages to call their families, get up to go to the bathroom one by one and even call 9-1-1. Cytron-Walker’s phone was used to call the FBI in an attempt to negotiate with the gunman.

This standoff proceeded all day, during which the gunman realized the things he believed about Jewish people were, in fact, lies. Cytron-Walker told the table how he witnessed the gunman FaceTime his own family, saying goodbye to his young son.

A miracle occurred at the 11th hour, when the gunman took his finger off of the trigger for the first time all day. Cytron-Walker seized the opportunity, throwing a chair at the man and yelling “RUN” — allowing for

himself and the other hostages to escape to safety outside of the temple.

“It is easy to be grateful about the situation because everybody survived,” Cytron-Walker said. “I am big on gratitude. I don’t feel like I am living on borrowed time, but I feel that every day is a day to be grateful for.”

Unbeknownst to Cytron-Walker, the entire world was aware of the hostage situation, with many communities holding prayer services worldwide.

Cytron-Walker began to laugh as he looked around the table and asked, “did you guys attend one?”

The students chuckled and nodded their heads at the irony of the situation.

“Well, I would have done the same thing,” CytronWalker said.

Cytron-Walker became a national hero. That night, from the safety of his home and alongside his family, he watched President Joe Biden announce that he had been trying to get in touch with Cytron-Walker. He had no idea, as his phone remained in FBI custody, and proceeded to call the White House from a different number.

“I think I am the only person in history to just call the White House and actually get on the phone with the president,” Cytron-Walker said.

Since that day, Cytron-Walker has been to the White House multiple times and is an advocate for gun safety and active shooter training, which he claimed saved his life.

“It is surreal that I’ve spoken at different places across the country,” he said. “It’s about helping people understand the balance between security and hospitality. To

be able to speak about those kinds of issues and have people listen and care about what I say is humbling.”

Cytron-Walker also expressed his gratitude for the support he received from the community after the incident.

“Imagine if you were in a situation like me, and nobody was there for you,” Cytron-Walker said, as he told the table the importance of reaching out to people during difficult times. “People experience trauma all of the time. They need love and support. If people witness blatant racism, and if people just say nothing instead of affirming it was unjust, people feel alone.”

When asked to expand on building that sense of community and support, Cytron-Walker said, “We have to do what we can to feel that [sense of community] more often. We need to understand the sanctity of human life, and we need to recognize that in each other.”

As we said our goodbyes and cleaned up the food, the room was pensive, reflecting on the incredible story we had just heard. Cytron-Walker expressed his appreciation for the love he has received in Winston-Salem and reminded us that he will always serve as a resource and confidant.

The table at the Rosenblatt Family Hillel Lounge that night will always remember Cytron-Walker’s story and the kindness with which he treated us. We will strive to create that sense of community at Wake Forest and elsewhere in our lives, and — as Rabbi Charlie said — be grateful for every day.

Contact Eve Darke at darkev23@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of Temple Emmanuel

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-walker was held hostage in Texas on Jan. 15, 2022, during a religious service. His actions allowed him and other hostages to escape without casulaties.

Features | Thursday, October 5, 2023

Old Gold & Black | Page 7

Meet the 'Mag Room Munchers' A group of Sigma Pi brothers find good food and community with each other in the Magnolia Room

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

The Magnolia Room is located on the third floor of the Reynolda Building. The dining option serves lunches exclusively during the week in a more formal dining environment than other places on campus.

JIMENA ELMUFDI Staff Writer

Many places on campus have their own version of “the usual suspects.” But the Magnolia “Mag” Room, located on the second floor of Reynolda Hall, has a much more dedicated audience.

Known by most of the staff as the “Mag Room Munchers,” the brothers of the Sigma Pi Fraternity have been devoted Magnolia Room attendees for years.

They live, eat and breathe the Magnolia Room.

“The Mag Room is a cultural space for us,” said Sam Hennig, a senior and self-proclaimed “Mag Room connoisseur.” “It’s a place where we can sit down and engage with each other in a classy manner — something you can’t find anywhere else on campus.”

The Wake Forest campus is full of university-wide activities that never fail to make everyone feel connected, whether it’s rolling the quad after a big win or putting on your dancing shoes for Wake N’ Shake. But it’s niche traditions between groups like the Mag Room Munchers that make campus a special place — you just have to look close enough to find them.

“The Mag Room is all about being close-knit, having more home-style cooking and getting to know our students,” said Catering Manager Joanne Dagostino.

Greeted by a “home sweet home” sign, bottomless sweet tea, buffet-style food and chandeliers galore, the Magnolia Room is the epitome of Southern hospitality.

This welcoming environment is exactly what the Mag Room Munchers love.

“Let’s break it down: [the] coffee is excellent, [there’s] ice cream on Fridays, [there’s] consistently good food and fancy white tablecloths,” Hennig said. “We are quite literally above the Pit.” It’s without a doubt that the Sigma Pi brothers appreciate the quality of the Magnolia Room. In fact, they are there every day.

The Magnolia Room staff expects the Mag Room Munchers daily at 11 a.m. sharp. With commitment comes great perks, and through befriending the Magnolia Room staff, the brothers of Sigma Pi have made sure to leave their mark.

“I think [Dagostino] loves that we’re here — she loves

how passionate we are,” said senior Matthew Gajewski.

“Last year, she told us the Valentine’s Day menu two weeks in advance, and this week offered us to take over the music.”

Planning and Exclusivity According to the brothers, it’s no easy feat to become a Magnolia Room regular — with its specific hours, it requires lots of planning. However, this is an effort that they’re willing to make.

“

It’s always a surprise when you come to the Mag Room — you don't know what to expect. It's like Christmas morning every day.”

- Colby Consolati ('26) “It’s part of my day. I have it in my Google Calendar, scheduled as ‘Mag Room,’” Gajewski said. “A lot of the brothers schedule their classes around the Mag Room hours. It doesn’t really matter what’s on the menu, it’s always good.”

With a longstanding group chat composed of Sigma Pi brothers dedicated to the Magnolia Room, you might think that Sigma Pi membership and a seat in the Mag Room Munchers go hand-in-hand. This is not the case, as they have separate group chats to which only select brothers gain access.

“There’s probably 45 people in [Sigma] Pi that come to the Mag Room, but only around 25 are actually in the group chat,” said sophomore Colby Consolati.

By establishing such exclusivity, the Mag Room Munchers set high standards for those hoping to be part of what they call a hidden gem. Although the Mag Room Munchers have made it clear that anyone who wishes to join them is more than welcome, they also

emphasize the distinctive role of being an active member of the Magnolia Room chat and described their group dynamic as a fraternity within the fraternity.

Christmas Day, every day Senior Matt Buchanan is known by his brothers as the “Mag Room Chair.” This is a position he stepped into this year after taking over from Matt Kilduff, a Sigma Pi brother who graduated last year.

“I try to foster the culture in this place,” Buchanan said. “It’s an exclusive chat, so you have to show lasting and persevering commitment to be part of it.”

The food is the main attraction. According to Dagostino, the chicken parmesan trumps everything. But for the real Magnolia Room devotees, every meal is worth trying. As the Mag Room Munchers express, it is important to show up each day — not just for the notorious crowd-pleasers. For dedicated brothers, these days are comparable to weed-out classes.

“You can’t just come for chicken parm day and expect to be part of the group chat,” sophomore Hayden Blair said. “That’s not fully embracing the culture.”

While all classes of Sigma Pi brothers take pride in how often they frequent the Magnolia Room, the seniors have set a notable example when it comes to their pristine attendance.

“I know a senior who just shows up on Fridays… with a beach chair, comes to the Mag Room for lunch and then hangs out all day on campus,” Consolati said.

Other seniors have meal plans that are calculated uniquely for the Magnolia Room, with six swipes a week for Magnolia Room lunch and one for postchapter Pit on Sunday.

“It’s kind of funny because we don’t try to be that dedicated, but at the same time we are,” Buchanan said. “I can guarantee you that at least 10 of my friends will be here any day of the week.”

The sheer excitement is passed down like a legacy, and the passion for the Magnolia Room is continuously spread amongst the brothers of Sigma Pi. “It’s always a surprise when you come to the Mag Room — you don't know what to expect,” said Consolati. “It's like Christmas morning every day.”

Contact Jimena Elmufdi at elmujm20@wfu.edu

ENVIRONMENT PAGE 8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2023

OLD GOLD & BLACK

Una Wilson, wilsui20@wfu.edu Ella Klein, kleiek22@wfu.edu

Endowment gives new life to WFU sustainability $5 Million gift from Andrew Sabin Family Foundation revamps the Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability NATASHA HEISENBERG Features Editor

The Wake Forest Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (CEES) has become the Andrew Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability, following a $5 million donation.

The endowment from the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation was given with the intent to support Wake Forest’s education, research and outreach initiatives surrounding the climate crisis and sustainability.

The renamed center will be led by co-executive directors Dr. Stan Meiburg and Dr. Miles Silman.

“I am most excited about what this gift says about environment and sustainability at Wake Forest and the university’s commitment to lifting that up as part of its major purpose,” Meiburg said. “That’s a significant statement on the part of the university, and everything else will flow from that. To have Wake Forest recognize that Pro Humanitate is, in fact, a very broad engagement with the world really makes a big difference.”

“

To have Wake Forest recognize that Pro Humanitate is, in fact, a very broad engagement with the world really makes a big difference.

Meiburg, who has had 39 years of experience working at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), previously served as the Executive Director of CEES. Silman, the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation professor of conservation biology, has spent his career studying biodiversity and ecology in the Peruvian Amazon and was a founding director of CEES. With his extensive background in research, Silman will direct research initiatives at the Sabin Center.

“Before, the centers would come and go … (they) didn’t come with long-term support, and the mechanisms for getting support were highly variable through time,” Silman said. “This [donation] gives us the abil-

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University

ity to operate in the future and know that we will have the chance to be creative over long periods of time.”

Both Meiburg and Silman expressed optimism regarding the Sabin Center’s commitment to promoting sustainability at Wake Forest and beyond. The Sabin Center will seek to improve environmental health and justice on campus and on the local, national and international scales, as well.

“You’ll see a deepening connection of Wake Forest research to globally important problems. Not that we aren’t already doing it, but it allows us to do that better,” Silman said. “You’ll also see us being more of a regional player and a local player in these kinds of questions.”

Meiburg echoed this sentiment.

“The use of science to inform decisions about policy … is of use at all scales, from local to community to regional to national to global,” Meiburg said. “I think this will enable Wake Forest to play a larger role in those kinds of discussions. And beyond that, the scope is almost endless.”

Similar to CEES, the Sabin Center will serve as a connector between departments, allowing for collaboration among faculty and students on solutions to contemporary environmental and sustainability concerns.

“I tend to think of everybody at Wake Forest as scholars,” Silman said. “[The endowment] really allows us to connect our expertise to the world in meaningful ways.”

Silman says the overarching goal of fostering interdisciplinary cooperation in the face of the climate crisis aligns closely with Wake Forest’s mission statement and underscores the importance of Wake Forest’s liberal arts curriculum. “[The Andrew Sabin Family Foundation] approached us because they saw Wake Forest had a truly transdisciplinary way of addressing this problem,” Silman said. “...The ability to use our talents at the university and the power we have of knowledge and innovation in order to make change in the world — that, to me, is what has happened with this center.”

Among these issues are the focus areas of renewable energy, environmental law, biodiversity, wildlife conservation, policy, enterprise and markets, clean and safe water and remote sensing and computational sustainability, according to the Sabin Center’s website. These areas of interest have not only been identified within the new center, but served as the impetus for this endowment.

“In this case, we already knew that the donor was passionate about the environment,” said Associate Vice President of Corporate and Foundation Relations Linda S. Luvaas. “You do talk about their passion and their vision for their philanthropy, but then it’s our responsibility to help sort out where is the goodness of fit for that with Wake Forest.”

Like Silman and Meiburg, Luvaas voiced her enthusiasm for the Sabin Center and the impact it will have on the Wake Forest community and the world. Luvaas also credited the center’s survival and success to the faculty and the former board members of CEES. “The faculty’s dedication and expertise, and their desire to work together on environmental and sustainability problems from multiple points of view … that’s why this happened,” Luvaas said. “They built this.”

Contact Natasha Heisenberg at heisng20@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University

Former EPA Acting Deputy Administrator Stan Meiburg will serve as co-director of CEES.

Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University

Professor of Biology Dr. Miles Silman was selected as Meiburg’s co-director of CEES.

Thursday, October 5, 2023 | Page 9

Environment | Old Gold & Black

Tiny worms generate large lab research legacy Retired Wake Forest professor Dr. Wayne Silver’s lab studied linkages between worms and the human brain MADDIE SAYRE Staff Writer

Earthworms have long been a symbol of healthy, nutrient-rich soil. However, many earthworm species inhabiting the United States soil are invasive. As global temperatures rise and pollutants accumulate in the atmosphere — warming the soil of temperate forests — earthworms migrate further north.

At Wake Forest, Professor of Biology Dr. Wayne Silver began research on earthworms to determine how they sense stimulants — specifically, chemical irritants — through chemesthesis. Silver retired last year after working 38 years in Wake Forest’s biology department. His lab has greatly impacted ecology research in chemesthesis today, and students continue to contribute to his research.

According to Silver, “Chemesthesis is the sense of irritation produced by chemicals which activate pain nerve fibers.”

All organisms have senses that allow for the detection of and reaction to stimuli. Our sense of taste as humans, for example, is stimulated when we eat sugar, which has chemical properties that produce a sweet taste, activating our taste nerve fibers. In contrast, chemesthetic stimuli have chemical properties that activate pain nerve fibers.

“When you bite into a chili pepper, your mouth feels like it’s on fire,” Silver said. “When you put wasabi on your sushi, there’s a burn in the back of your nose. Have you ever cut an onion? It burns your eyes. That’s chemesthesis.”

Silver continued: “If you actually measure the temperature of your mouth, it hasn’t changed at all. Your brain doesn’t know that something hot is in your mouth — all it knows is those heat receptors have been activated.”

Prior to Silver’s studies at Wake Forest, little research had been done on an earthworm’s ability to sense, especially in regard to sensing heat and pain through chemesthesis.

“This was very surprising to me because earthworms are supposed to be [ecologically] important animals,” Silver said. “Some people have claimed that they play as big a role in agriculture as honeybees.

Aristotle called earthworms the intestines of the soil. Earthworms were [Charles] Darwin’s favorite animals.”

According to “Cancel Earthworms,” an article published by “The Atlantic,” earthworms in North America had been wiped out by the ice age that lasted until 10,000 years ago. In the last hundred years, humans have intentionally and unintentionally reintroduced earthworms to North America, many of which have been brought by settlers or in shipments, plants and livestock.

Their return has disrupted the food chains of organisms native to the United States.

Climate change is also affecting the migration patterns of earthworms. As the soil of northern temperate forests in the U.S.

and Canada warms, earthworms have moved even further north, interfering with these ecosystems. Further, pollutants from runoff and emissions released by factories directly affect the behavioral patterns of earthworms.

To accompany Silver’s study on chemesthesis, undergraduate biology students have looked at how earthworms detect Roundup, a weed killer.

This study could reveal how earthworms react to fertilizers and other pollutants in the atmosphere killing earthworms or causing disturbed migration patterns. “[Roundup] really negatively affects how earthworms live in the soil,” said Olivia Laun, a senior biology major and member of Silver’s lab. “They will die or try to escape the soil whenever the weed killer is applied, even in lower concentrations.”

Laun continued: “That’s why we’re looking at neuropeptides and how they can either speed up or slow down the rate of digestion and if that has an impact on the soil and how fast they’re able to cycle nutrients.”

According to Laun, earthworms have a linear structure and rely on the process of peristalsis, the contraction of passing food through the digestive system. By dissecting the worm, Laun and other students are able to measure the earthworm’s contractions and how compounds affect their behavior.

See Lab, Page 10

Photo courtesy of CanStock

Old Gold & Black | Environment

Page 10 | Thursday, October 5, 2023

Lab: Wake Forest neuroscience lab studies worms Continued from Page 9

Abby Wilder, a senior biology major, was a research assistant for Silver in the fall of 2021. She studied earthworms on a molecular level to examine how compounds from soil affect their digestive systems.

“I worked on putting different chemicals in the soil to see if the worms would burrow or not,” Wilder said. “If they were sensitive to those chemicals, they would not burrow.

We were able to take different concentrations of chemicals and different amounts to test the result of these compounds on the earthworms.”

Wilder enjoyed researching earthworms and learned the full extent to which earthworms affect our environment by participating in this lab.

“Although they may seem really small, earthworms are really important to the ecosystem,” Wilder said.

“Knowing that earthworms are able to detect chemicals and whether or not they want to be in certain soil is crucial for understanding soil composition.

It’s also important to understand the aversion of these earthworms to certain chemicals to understand how these types of changes to soils are going to affect the rest of the ecosystem.”

Because earthworms offer several benefits to gardens and agriculture,

knowing what chemicals repel and/or attract earthworms can inform people on what fertilizers to use in their gardens and when farming for a sustainable ecosystem.

“If you can produce more food, you’ll make people happy,” Silver said. “They talk about what happens if the honeybees

Photo courtesy of Ellis Butler

Members of Dr. Wayne Silver’s worm neuroscience research lab remember his legacy and appreciate his academic guidance.

die…we’re in real trouble. Same thing you can argue with earthworms.”

Leo Silenzi is a Wake Forest alumni who worked in Silver’s lab as an undergraduate student. He believes Silver’s work significantly contributed to the field of ecology and the world’s knowledge of chemoreception.

“His lasting impact on the field and on his students will be remembered by Wake Forest,” Silenzi said. “I know I will carry his academic advice with me for a long time.”

Silenzi describes his experience working with Silver as invaluable, and he attributes much of his success post-graduation to Silver.

“He was a fantastic mentor and also a fantastic person,” Silenzi said. “I will always remember Silver’s passion for teaching and passion for giving students opportunities to express themselves and to be able to do science.”

Worm microscopy photos (Page 9) courtesy of Ellis Butler Contact Maddie Sayre at sayrmm20@wfu.edu

A hitchhiker’s guide to vegan eats on campus The highs and lows of vegan dining options on Wake Forest’s campus MARYAM KHANUM Multimedia Managing Editor Maintaining a vegan diet can be incredibly difficult when you live on a college campus. Vegan college students often have to get creative in order to ensure that they are getting all of their nutrients. However, Wake Forest University campus hosts a variety of dining locations you can go to to get a clean plant-based meal any day of the week.

In 2017, Wake Forest unveiled a brand-new vegan station at the central dining hall, the Pit. This station is fully dedicated to providing plantbased meals to the student body and contributed to Wake Forest’s 2018 ranking as one of the top 10 most

Every day, the vegan student favorites, such

vegan-friendly universities. Popular menu items include the sesame-soy soba noodle salad, homestyle pancakes (exclusive to Sunday mornings) and a tuna (but not actually tuna) poke bowl with tons of toppings.

While the station is consistent, it does not represent the only vegan food options within the Pit. The black and gold grill station stocks plant-based meat substitutes, including Beyond Burger patties, and will prepare a plantbased burger any day of the week Other stations frequently serve vegan side dishes, such as mixed vegetables and potato wedges, for a well-balanced meal.

“I think wake does a pretty good job with vegan options! The vegan station at the Pit has good variety and most restaurants on campus have at least 1-2

station presents a as “Taco Tuesday”

options, so there’s always something!”

Said Senior Charlotte Calder.

On-campus vegan options are by no means limited to the Pit. The Benson food court hosts a plethora of restaurants that offer vegan options, or provide meals that can be made vegan with a few simple tweaks. One such example is Bento Sushi, which includes a variety of vegan friendly dishes within its menu, including a tofu poke bowl and tofu donburi. If that doesn’t seem inviting, you can always head over to La Sabrosa and build any kind of salad, burrito or bowl you want including their vegan chorizo. Just make sure to avoid the sour cream!

Contrary to popular belief, Forest Greens, while providing great vegetarian options, does not compare well to its food court counterparts when it comes to vegan options. Surprisingly, the restaurant does not stock any vegan protein options, and so if you really wanted to eat there, you’d be largely limited to vegetables and lacking texture and variety in your meal.

“I do think more vegetarian options could be available, but that Wake Forest does do a better job than other campuses I know of to provide different options. Off the top of my head I can think of at least 5 places on campus with customizable vegetarian options.

My personal fav is the benson vegetarian dumplings” said Senior Chloe Menzies.

Over at North Campus, vegan options can also be located. Village Juice is prolific amongst the on-campus vegan community, with its selection of vegan smoothies, salads and prepackaged snacks. Some of the most popular plant-based options offered by Village Juice are their toast meals. These include the avo-vegan toast slathered Zaina Singh/Old Gold & Black in housemade avocado spread, herb oil vegan twist on and microgreens, and the nut butter (pictured above) and banana toast that is served with

Zaina Singh/Old Gold & Black

The Pit’s vegan station has been ranked 10th in the nation. cashew butter, banana slices and honey.

Furthermore, if you find yourself on North Campus looking for a vegan bite to eat, you can always head over to Einstein Bros Bagels and grab an avocado bagel to be eaten on the go, or to be enjoyed slowly in Farrell Business School.

If you are in search of a simple snack to eat between classes instead of committing to a full meal, Smith’s Coffee shop in ZSR stock a limited amount of vegan pastries, including a chocolate chunk cookie and an oatmeal cream pie. Furthermore, all coffee shops on campus offer plant-based milk options, so you can still get a latte wherever you are.

Despite how vast vegan options on campus may seem, vegans still occasionally feel as if there is nothing for them to eat. This often has to do with the types of foods that are offered at on-campus dining areas at different times of day, or additional dietary restrictions that some vegans students may be limited by. However, being aware of what’s good, where things are and when to get them is always helpful.

Contact Maryam Khanum at khanmg20@wfu.edu

OPINION

Shaila Prasad, prassp21@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

Lauren Carpenter, carple21@wfu.edu

PAGE 11 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2023

The views expressed in all opinion columns represent those of the article’s author, not the opinions of the Old Gold & Black Editorial Board

Wake Forest and Dr. Omaar Hena must be held accountable It is unknown whether this complaint is related to his online behavior or something else entirely, but it should be taken seriously regardless SOPHIE GUYMON Senior Columnist Since Wake Forest students discovered and publicized Wake Forest English Professor Dr. Omaar Hena’s Reddit, which was filled with explicit videos and photos, Hena has been subject to a lot of unfair criticism.

The subreddits Hena was posting on were age-restricted to 18+ accounts, and the communities were designated for sharing and discussing users’ sexual content.

He did not violate any boundaries of consent, nor did he break any laws. His account was not monetized, and even if it was, sex work is a perfectly legitimate profession — one that many people turn to because it is their best option for generating a liveable income.

It is also important to remember Hena’s positionality as a queer man of color. Were he a cisheterosexual white man, it is hard for me to imagine that his actions would have received the same level of criticism. While some of the criticism Hena has received is well-argued and reasonable, some is just thinly veiled bigotry. Hena is entitled to the same level of respect and privacy as anyone else on this campus and does not deserve to be shamed for his sexuality.

With all that being said, I do not believe Hena should return to Wake Forest without first apologizing for his behavior and promising to more effectively compartmentalize his online presence from his professional life moving forward. His conduct both preceding and following the discovery of his Reddit account has violated appropriate student-teacher boundaries, and his status as a tenured professor and expert in his field does not excuse that. And Hena is not the only person at fault here.

The university has not once addressed the controversy surrounding Hena and there is no explicit policy regarding his behavior.

When I first heard about Hena’s Reddit, my reaction was not disgust at his sharing of explicit content, but shock that he had shared explicit content in which he was so easily identifiable. If Hena had not publicly shared his Snapchat with other Reddit users and posted

content showing his face, he could have preserved his online anonymity. It is likely that students never would have discovered his Reddit account at all, it would not have altered their opinions of him as a professor, and he would have never gone on leave in the first place.

Professors should be judged solely on their instructional competency, fairness and ability to foster a safe and inclusive learning environment; however, because Hena failed to separate his inappropriate online persona from his professional life — and has not addressed that failure — that kind of judgment is no longer possible on a large scale.

Whether a student’s opinion of Hena is positive or negative, it will most likely be colored by the controversy surrounding him. It is not fair to expect students to separate their feelings about Hena’s online presence from their assessments of his teaching ability.

Once Hena’s account was discovered, there are a number of things he could have — and should have — done differently. He should have immediately put his Instagram account on private, rather than waiting until he no longer had a choice. He should not have let students follow him, nor should he have Direct Messaged them. He certainly should not have invited an underage student out for drinks — of all his behavior, this is perhaps what I find the most egregious.

Also of concern is the Title IX complaint filed against Hena, which the Old Gold & Black learned of from an anonymous source in the English department. It is unknown whether this complaint is related to his online behavior or concerns something else entirely, but it should be taken seriously regardless. Wake Forest has swept far too many Title IX cases under the rug and has not fostered a safe environment for survivors of sexual violence, as evidenced by the results of the 2022 Campus Climate Survey. This cannot continue.

Additionally, while Hena’s Instagram content was tame in comparison to his Reddit profile, many of his posts and stories were sexually suggestive. One such photo was even taken in his classroom, with the university geotagged. Just as he did on Reddit, Hena failed to cre-

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

ate and maintain an appropriate boundary between his personal life and professional life. Again, the issue is not that he was sharing sexual content but that it was shared in a space students could easily access.

Some might argue that if a student does not support Hena’s behavior or feel comfortable taking a class with him, they can simply choose not to do so. However, due to divisional and major requirements, no student is granted complete freedom in the classes they take. Every first year student has to take a first-year seminar (FYS), and not every student is able to enroll in the seminar of their choice. It is entirely possible that students who do not want Hena as their professor next semester will still have to take his class to fulfill their FYS requirement.

English majors and minors — or even non-English students fulfilling their Division II requirement — may face a similar dilemma in Fall 2024. While Wake Forest prides itself on providing students with a well-rounded liberal arts education, and that is certainly admirable, students should not have to compromise their personal comfort and safety in order to receive this education.

University policy is too unclear It is also worth noting that the university does not have a clearly outlined social media policy for faculty members, just a directive that “Faculty … conduct themselves in a manner consistent with generally accepted standards of conduct and behavior for profession” stated in the most current edition of the faculty handbook. Due to the absence of this policy, Hena may not be wholly responsible for any violation that may have occurred.

For the benefit of students and professors alike, it would be in the university’s best interest to address this gap by adding a clear social media policy to their faculty handbook, regardless of whether such a policy condemns or absolves Hena’s behavior. While Hena’s behavior is questionable, the university’s failure to address the questions and concerns surrounding this behavior and clarify their policies to students, parents, staff and faculty members is inexcusable.

This past summer, I had the privilege of student-teaching seventh grade math and psychology. My students were eager to know the details of my personal life, and many of them made repeated efforts to follow me on Instagram and find my TikTok account. Unlike Wake Forest, the non-profit organization (NPO) for which I was working had clear policies prohibiting student-teacher interactions on social media unless we specifically created a separate, classroom-friendly account for engagement with students. We were repeatedly reminded that our students were not our friends, and we should not treat them as such. It would be a lie to say that I always respected these boundaries, although I certainly tried my best. Because I have a little sister who is around the same age as my students were, I sometimes forgot myself and engaged with them the way I would engage with her.

However, whenever I realized that I had crossed a line, I always apologized to both my students and my superiors. Hena should be held to the same standard.

Our situations are not entirely comparable — I am a student in the process of getting my college degree, I do not have a pornographic online presence and I was employed by an NPO, while Hena is an experienced professor with a Ph.D. employed by a private university.

However, it would not be difficult for the university to clarify their policies, nor would it be difficult for Hena to apologize for his behavior. In order for Hena to return and for Wake Forest to collectively move beyond the controversy surrounding him, it is necessary that the university clarify their policies and that Hena express remorse for his behavior.

Wake Forest has not fostered a safe environment for survivors of sexual violence, as evidenced by the results of the 2022 Campus Climate Survey. This cannot continue. Contact Sophie Guymon at guymsm20@wfu.edu

Old Gold & Black | Opinion

Page 12 | Thursday, October 5, 2023

It’s time for Wake Forest to turn to ChatGPT OVAL OFFENSE We must leverage AI for a more comprehensive liberal arts curriculum

ALEXANDRA MEIER Contributing Columnist

ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence softwares have revolutionized the typical college learning environment. The infiltration of ChatGPT into higher education has prompted an ongoing conversation — at Wake Forest and beyond — about the role artificial intelligence should play in earning a college degree.

In the Wake Forest community, there are growing concerns about academic integrity in the age of artificial intelligence. At the start of the school year, Wake Forest’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching released a series of guidelines for professors to develop “strategies for preserving academic integrity” amidst the rise of ChatGPT. This trend of combatting AI has continued to grow in the classroom.

Almost every one of my course syllabi for the Fall 2023 semester includes a disclaimer prohibiting the use of artificial intelligence to complete assignments. That suggests to me that fears surrounding AI are growing among professors, administrators and other members of the Wake Forest community.

In a technology-driven era where only change is constant, it is increasingly necessary for universities to embrace technological advancements and stop viewing them as a threat to quality education.

Although most professors fear the infiltration of ChatGPT into their classrooms, there is also growing acceptance for the platform among educators at other national universities.

There seems to be two dominant approaches to the question of artificial intelligence in higher education.

The first solution, essentially, is to turn back time and retreat to in-class exams, taken with pen and paper without the interference of technology. The second is to confront the reality of the present, adjust to the times and find innovative solutions that incorporate ChatGPT into college curriculums rather than prohibit the chatbot entirely.

In a Scientific American article, UCLA School of Law Professor John Villasenor states that he encourages the use of ChatGPT for the completion of writing assignments, stating that “the time when a person had to be a good writer to produce good writing ended in late 2022.”

It is worth exploring how AI tools can complement — as opposed to replace — human talent in higher education. It is often overlooked that artificial intelligence can be leveraged to generate positive outcomes in an academic setting. While many educators view the software as an unethical source and a potential site for plagiarism, ChatGPT can actually enhance critical thinking and digital literacy skills among students. For example, chatbot can generate practice materials to help students prepare for exams, provide writing feedback and summarize research.

Truthfully, college culture has become so fast-paced that exerting entirely human effort into every single task is simply not feasible. Where ChatGPT can play a supporting role is helping to brainstorm the early stages of a research paper or troubleshooting computer code errors. It is less about copying an essay prompt into the chatbot and pasting the outcome on Canvas and more about leveraging artificial intelligence as a learning tool for academic support.

Another argument for AI-inclusive curriculum is that students will likely encounter softwares like ChatGPT in the future job market. According to the Academic Bulletin, the Wake Forest College mission is stated as “preparing young people to develop their knowledge and hone their skills as they become leaders of character.” The reality is that it would be difficult to harness the skills of emerging leaders in a community that is resistant to change and innovation. Furthermore, artificial intelligence has its limitations and simply cannot outcompete the likes of human talent.

For example, ChatGPT can produce misleading or biased answers.

A Forbes article talks about ChatGPT’s inclination to generate different forms of bias, which would require a human to discern the difference between fact and prejudice. This design flaw is particularly prominent when asked about sociological or political topics. While the chatbot has ample capabilities of addressing existing questions, it cannot generate new questions.

ChatGPT is essentially a storage unit of most current human knowledge, although the software lacks the intellectuality to devise new theories and thought patterns. Ultimately, ChatGPT requires support from a human to function properly, which is where artificial intelligence has potential to complement a liberal arts education.

Wake Forest has long been prized for its deep commitment to liberal arts and training students to think critically. The rise of AI puts Wake Forest students in an advantageous position in the future job market due to the timeless value of a liberal arts education.

Evidently, the software would never be able to completely replicate human talent because it lacks empathy, social cues and emotional awareness.

Artificial intelligence does not have the same human instincts that has led to some of society’s most impressive innovations. Ultimately, a machine will never be able to rival the complexity of the human mind.

Banning ChatGPT in the classroom as a response to the rise of artificial intelligence may not be the most beneficial outcome for students. The more favorable approach would be leveraging it to complement the enriching liberal arts curriculum that Wake Forest community members have worked so hard to upkeep.

In a technologically-driven society, it is time for Wake Forest to implement an AI-inclusive curriculum.

Contact Alexandra Meier at meieam22@wfu.edu

Shaila Prasad/Old Gold & Black

Trump tells indictment: You’re backfired DILLON CLARK Senior Columnist Following Jan. 6, 2021, it seemed unfathomable to many that former President Donald Trump would have a chance in the Republican primaries and — even further — the 2024 election.

Yet, even with his numerous indictments following Jan. 6, Trump appears to have a strong hold on the Republican party.

Indicative of his 2016 campaign, his presidency and even his character, Trump continues to do the impossible.

He has turned his indictments into a campaign tool that has largely backfired against Democrats.

Before Trump’s indictments, in February 2023, Trump had a narrow twopoint lead over Gov. Ron Desantis of Florida in the Republican primaries.

Nearly eight months and four indictments later, Trump now has a 30-point lead on DeSantis, who continues to be the closest competitor to Trump.

Similarly, before the indictments, in December 2022, President Joe Biden held a 2.8-point lead over Trump in the General Election polls. After the indictments, however, Biden trails by a margin of 1.1 points.

How is it possible that Trump gained ground after his indictments?

Trump’s campaigns have relied heavily on conservative populism — a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people through a narrow focus on nationalism, social conservatism and economic nationalism. For example, Trump has utilized the phrase “drain the swamp” throughout his campaign — an attempt to appeal to his conservative audience by exposing the “corruption” of the “controlling” or “deceiving” Democrats on Capitol Hill.

These phrases are an effective tool to appeal to ordinary people who are discontent with or feel limited by their government.

The problem with phrases like these is that they demonize the government and invalidate their proceedings.

The indictments against Trump are perceived not as swift processes of justice but rather as attacks on an ideology and a person who spoke out against “corruption.”

In many ways, the indictments haven’t dissuaded voters from Trump but have instead reinvigorated their loyalty and confirmed their belief of corruption and deception within national politics.

The global trend of conservative populism –– whether in the United States, Brazil or the United Kingdom –– has been a formidable test against the principles of democracy.

It regresses us back to the core question at the center of every democratic election: do you have faith and trust in our government and its processes?

Contact Dillon Clark at clardj@wfu.edu@wfu.edu

Opinion | Old Gold & Black

Thursday, October 5, 2023 | Page 13

Unraveling the equation: Why is math hated?

A combination of psychological, social and pedological factors are at play in society’s distaste for math SYED ABDULLAH Contributing Columnist

Picture this: a classroom filled with students, each nervously fidgeting with their pencils, contemplating the impending doom of a math exam. It's a scenario to which many of us can relate, one where math often takes center stage as the subject that strikes fear into the hearts of students.

But what lies beneath this universal distaste for math?

In my math class this semester, I believe what we’re learning is undeniably important, but the way it’s being taught just isn’t keeping students engaged. The class often feels dry and uninspiring, with the professor predominantly relying on traditional lectures and bland presentations of mathematical concepts.

I’m going to dive deep into the labyrinth of psychological, societal and pedagogical factors that contribute to the prevalent dislike of math among students — and even explore some possible solutions.

The fear factor One of the main reasons why math frequently receives a negative reputation is because it induces fear in students. It's those early experiences that lay the foundation for this enduring dread. Remember the first time you encountered an inscrutable algebraic equation or a complex geometric proof? The struggle was real.

"Every time I open my math textbook, it's like stepping into a dark forest with no way out,” freshman Taixi Shen said. “I just can't seem to see the point of it all, and it terrifies me."

Here's the thing, early math-induced panic doesn't just haunt your classroom days. It has a sneaky way of creeping into everyday life, making you question your abilities and creating a sense of inadequacy that lingers. This lingering sense of inadequacy can have far-reaching effects, impacting individuals' confidence in decision-making, problem-solving and their overall approach to challenges outside of the academic realm.

The cultural narrative Math’s unpopularity isn't just about numbers and equations; it's also about the stories we tell ourselves about it. Society has played a significant role in shaping these narratives.

Certainly, the portrayal of the “math nerd” in movies and TV shows, exemplified by characters like Sheldon Cooper from “The Big Bang Theory,” has become a recurring trope in popular culture. The socially awkward genius who's always hunched over a calculator?

That stereotype has subtly seeped into our collective consciousness, casting math enthusiasts in an uncool light.

Moreover, the relentless emphasis on grades and standardized tests adds fuel to the fire. The pressure to excel in math can emanate from parents who may have high academic expectations for their children, peers who unknowingly perpetuate stereotypes about math and even individuals’ own internal expectations and fear of failure.

“Even though I have taken dozens of math classes at Wake [Forest], it can sometimes take me until the final exam or even in a later class for a concept to really click,” senior physics major Emily Foley said. “This is something that I wish parents who put pressure on children to do well in math would realize— that the process of struggling through a problem is more important than the answer.”

they often are.

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Sitting in a classroom, eyes glazed over, as a teacher fervently explains the intricacies of a mathematical concept that seems as remote from real life as a UFO sighting. The inevitable question forms in our minds: "When are we ever going to use this in the real world?”

Certainly, we can all concur that in our day-to-day lives there are limited occasions where we’ll find ourselves applying the formula for the slope of a line in coordinate geometry, much like how we seldom need to calculate the speed of light while preparing breakfast.

But here's the intriguing part — while you might not find yourself scribbling equations on a napkin during a picnic, the skills you develop through learning math have a profound impact on your everyday life, whether you realize it or not.

According to Professor of Mathematics Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education Dr. Jo Boaler, students learn math best when they work on problems they enjoy, rather than exercises and drills they fear. Boaler places significant emphasis on the concept of “number sense,” describing it as the ability to employ numbers with flexibility.

For instance, when confronted with the task of calculating seven multiplied by eight, individuals with number sense might indeed recall the product as 56.

However, they also possess the skill to employ alternative strategies, such as working out 10 multiplied by seven and subtracting two sevens (70 minus 14). This approach emphasizes problem-solving over mere rote memorization, as Boaler contends that relying solely on distant memory proves to be a less effective avenue in mathematics.

Boaler further dispels the common misconception surrounding math fluency. Contrary to the prevalent belief that adept math students must be exceptionally quick in their calculations and memorization, she emphasizes that such a notion is both misleading and detrimental to a comprehensive understanding of mathematics. In essence, Boaler contends that true math fluency extends beyond speed and memo-

rization, emphasizing the importance of a deeper and more holistic grasp of mathematical concepts.

Seeking solutions So how do we salvage math from its doom and gloom reputation?

Picture a world where math is not just about formulas but about solving real problems. Imagine a classroom where teachers inspire critical thinking rather than rote memorization. Envision math as a tool for navigating life's challenges, from budgeting and cooking to understanding data and making informed decisions.

After conversing with numerous students, a recurring theme emerged — the age old saying of “practice makes perfect.” When discussing a student's strategy for studying mathematics, freshman Jeremy Cao emphasized this.

“Practice is key,” Cao said. “Mathematics is a language, and just like any language, you improve by using it. So work through as many problems as you can to reinforce your understanding and build confidence."

To make classes more engaging, incorporating interactive elements such as real-world problem-solving examples and practical applications of the theories discussed will undoubtedly breathe life into the material. Furthermore, it would be fantastic if Wake Forest could harness multimedia resources and bring in guest speakers from relevant industries. This would genuinely invigorate what can otherwise be a somewhat lackluster learning experience.

The question of why math is often hated is not onedimensional. It presents a complex puzzle rife with psychological hurdles, societal narratives and pedagogical challenges. But here's the twist — math isn't the villain.

It's the unsung hero of our everyday lives. By reshaping how we teach and perceive math, we can unlock its true potential to inspire curiosity and confidence, rather than fear and disdain, among students.

Contact Syed Abdullah at abdusm23@wfu.edu

The teaching conundrum The way math is taught also bears a significant share of the blame for its unpopularity.

Traditional teaching methods, with their emphasis on rote memorization of formulas and procedures, Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black can turn even the most intriguing math concepts into monotonous chores. Ever wonder why those equa- "Picture a world where math is not just about formulas but about solving real problems. Imagtions seem so disconnected from real life? It’s because ine a classroom where teachers inspire critical thinking rather than rote memorization."

SPORTS

PAGE 14 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2023

Follow us on Twitter @wfuogbsports OLD GOLD & BLACK

Cooper Sullivan sullcg20@wfu.edu Aaron Nataline nataae21@wfu.edu Sean Kennedy kennsm21@wfu.edu

Volleyball splits weekend homestand Wake Forest sweeps Clemson, falls to No. 11 Georgia Tech in five sets ANDREW BRAUN Contributing Writer

Wake Forest volleyball embraced the spirit of pro humanitate this past weekend as the program raised awareness for both breast cancer and mental health, respectively, during a win against Clemson and narrow loss to No. 11 Georgia Tech. While Wake Forest made a statement by sweeping Clemson and contending with a ranked conference powerhouse, the greater message from the team was to their community.

The first of the two matches was a three-set win over Clemson in Friday night’s Dig Pink Match. The “Dig Pink” theme drew attention to breast cancer research and awareness while honoring Heather Holmes, the Wake Forest volleyball head coach from 2005 to 2012, who passed away from breast cancer in 2019.

In a message posted to social media before Friday’s game, current Head Coach Randi Smart remembered her former colleague as “the driving force of the program,” and above all, “tenacious.”

The Demon Deacons commemorated Holmes and her legacy by presenting the annual Heather Holmes Tenacity Award to Wake Forest senior Olivia Franke shortly before the match. Franke has been a longtime piece of this Wake Forest squad, reaching a milestone 500 career kills earlier this season.

The first set, which featured seven lead changes and four ties, was eventual-

ly knotted up at 19 to set up a thrilling, back-and-forth conclusion in which neither team led by more than two points at one time. Wake Forest finally claimed the first set over Clemson, 26-24.

The second of three sets was also kept close. Neither team took a lead greater than four points until Wake Forest went on a 5-0 run to reach 20 points first.

Clemson had a short-lived comeback on the back off consecutive Wake Forest errors, but the Demon Deacons finally took the second set 25-21. Wake Forest would go on to take the third and final set in a commanding 25-16 win to seal the sweep.

Sophomore Paige Crawford recorded her third double-double of the season (16 kills and 11 digs) while leading Wake Forest in kills on Friday. Crawford ranks eighth in the ACC with a 3.39 kill/set average. In her season debut, senior Kylie Adams had a career outing, posting a career-high 36 assists and tying her own personal best two aces.

After setting the tone with a sweep of Clemson on Sept. 29, Wake Forest headed into a major match on Oct. 1 against No. 11 Georgia Tech. The Demon Deacons were sporting green uniforms for their Mental Health Awareness match but continued honoring the tenacious legacy of Holmes through their play on Sunday. Facing a ranked conference opponent, Wake Forest remained relentless in their efforts and put up a season-best performance.

Despite losing the match in the fifth set, Wake Forest recorded the most kills

in a single match this season with 66, tied for the fourth-most by a team in the ACC this year. Wake Forest also had a season-high 60 assists against the Yellow Jackets. Not only did Wake Forest force the conference leaders to play five sets for the first time this season, but they also managed to lead the game in kills, assists, digs, points and hitting percentage.

Not shying away from the challenge, freshman Ava Carney had a breakout

performance on offense as she led the team in kills (19), blocks (7) and points (22.5). Those marked season highs for Carney in each category. Crawford recorded another double-double, her fourth of the season.

Now 11-4 (2-2), the Demon Deacons will travel north to face Boston College on Friday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m.

Contact Andrew Braun at brauar23@wfu.edu

Hamilton Bretherton /Old Gold & Black

Emmy Ogogor (No. 23) and Olivia Fish (No. 12) go up to defend a Georgia Tech attack. Ogogor and Fish combined for six blocks during the match.

Men’s soccer starts road trip 2-0 Wake Forest defeats Campbell and Boston College, moves to No. 6 in rankings AVIKAR KHAKH Staff Writer The No. 6 Wake Forest men’s soccer team (7-1-3, 2-1-1 ACC) has been steamrolling through the season and continued its winning ways this past week with a 3-1 victory against Campbell (2-3-4, 1-2-2 CAA) last Tuesday, Sept. 26 and a 1-0 victory against Boston College (2-4-3, 0-3-1 ACC) on Friday, Sept. 29.

The Demon Deacons got right to work, dominating the start of the game.

Freshman Jeffrey White notched Wake Forest’s first shot of the game at the 52-second mark. The Demon Deacons took an early lead at the 11-minute mark as senior Jake Swallen, in his first start since Nov. 28, 2021, found the back of the net.

Swallen continued to help the Demon Deacons get on the board. At the 19-minute mark, he struck a corner to the back post. Junior Prince Ampon-

sah received and hit a header back into the box for his fellow teammate, senior Garrison Tubbs, who found the back of the net through a header of his own.

Through a pretty passing play on the corner, Tubbs earned his first goal of the season, along with Amponsah earning his first assist of the season, and the Demon Deacons went up 2-0.

Wake Forest continued to press for a 3-0 lead, and the Demon Deacons had a great opportunity at the 29-minute mark after sophomore Cooper Flax stepped up to take a free kick and nailed the post.

Campbell finally came up with a response to the Demon Deacon lead and capitalized on a scoring opportunity during the 47th minute — taking advantage of a miscue by the Wake Forest back line.

“We went up 2-0 in the first 20 minutes of the match, and when the game was a little bit in our control towards the end of the second half, they found a little bit of life,” said Wake Forest Head Coach

Bobby Muuss. “But I give our guys a lot of credit. They had a lot of perseverance and a lot of resilience to come back and really put the game away.”

The Demon Deacons, however, quickly quelled any chance of a Campbell comeback and nearly earned back their two-goal lead after White had a clear shot barely blocked in the 71st minute. Just two minutes later, junior Julian Kennedy earned his first goal of the season to make it 3-1 Wake Forest, which ended up being the final score.

Following the win, the Demon Deacons traveled north to the Newton Soccer Complex to play Boston College (2-4-3, 0-3-1 ACC), where they earned a clean sheet through a 1-0 victory on Friday, Sept. 29.

Wake Forest got off to a hot start once again after Flax found the back of the net with a one-timed shot through a cross into the box from senior Jahlane Forbes.

Senior Hosei Kijma had a golden chance inside the 18 to double the Demon Dea-

con lead, but it was deflected.

Wake Forest went into the half with a one-goal lead, along with an 8-2 shot advantage — including three of those eight shots being on target. Flax’s early goal allowed for a 1-0 Demon Deacon victory as the Eagles finished the game with only one shot on target saved by junior Trace Alphin.

“I'm really proud of the way the boys competed on the road again on short rest in an early kickoff and in pouring rain for 90 minutes, “ Muss said.

This recent pair of wins moved men’s soccer up from No. 10 to No. 6 in the United Soccer Coaches poll.

The Demon Deacons will have a week off to reset and recover in order to be ready for this Friday, Oct. 6, when they will face N.C. State to finish their threegame road trip. The game will kick off between at 7 p.m.

Contact Avikar Khakh at khakas22@wfu.edu

Thursday, October 5, 2023 | Page 15

Sports | Old Gold & Black

Between student and athlete How two Wake Forest freshman are learning to juggle academics and athletics

Piper Saunders/Old Gold & Black

At an academically rigorous institution like Wake Forest University, there are some student athletes who have a difficult time acclimating to their busy schedule of classes, athletics and everything in between.

KENLEY MCCLURE Contributing Writer

The transition to college is difficult for everyone, including student athletes. When they are not adjusting to Division I athletics in places like Allegacy Federal Credit Union or Spry Stadium, they are trying to balance a college-level workload. While a few individual experiences certainly do not reflect the reality of all freshman student-athletes, cheerleader Alina Kazarian and soccer player Sierra Sythe spoke about the effort it takes to find success both on the field and in the classroom.

There is no one way to begin the journey to college athletics. While Kazarian tried out for the cheerleading team via video submissions after being accepted into Wake Forest during the regular decision cycle, Sythe had already been committed to play soccer in Winston-Salem for well over a year.

“I knew in my heart this was the place I wanted to be,” Sythe said about committing during her junior year of high school, “And I was lucky. I figured that out so soon, but for everyone, it’s different.”

Both Kazarian and Sythe moved in early, giving them time not only to adjust to living away from home but also to bond with their teammates. Sythe had the opportunity to come up to school in the spring, but chose to wait until this summer because the COVID-19 pandemic already took so much of her high school experience. After moving in on July 6, Sythe lived in a residence hall with the entire women’s soccer team, where she discovered how much of a resource her teammates could be — and not just on the field.

“Even if it’s not related to soccer, and I just need someone to be there for me or to give advice, they will

100% drop everything they’re doing and be there,” Sythe said.

Kazarian had a similar experience with the cheerleading team after moving to campus a week early.

She felt that having a group that was welcoming allowed her to more easily open up to other individuals she would later meet on campus.

“They taught me what true friendship is in such a short amount of time,” Kazarian said. “I’m kind of an introvert, but with them, I can be more extroverted.

So that helped me meet other people too.”

Even with their new friends, the first few weeks at Wake Forest did not come without challenges for Kazarian or Sythe, who tore her ACL during the first soccer game of the season. After going through surgery, not only could she not play soccer, but she also had to navigate campus with a leg brace and crutches.

“The first two weeks were a little mentally challenging,” Sythe said. “I didn’t feel like I really was completely a student or completely an athlete.”

Sythe said that her crutches made her stand out and made it difficult to get to class on time. She said her conversations with new people revolved solely around her injury. However, Sythe has maintained a positive attitude despite her freshman year not shaking out as planned, learning the importance of “finding the silver lining.”

Kazarian also dealt with the mentally exhausting aspects of her sport, mentioning her desire to avoid the specific stereotype often associated with cheerleaders.

However, others on the cheerleading team showed her that cheerleading is not synonymous with one academic path or future.

“We have engineering majors and math majors,” said Kazarian, who is currently planning on pursuing a pre-medical path. “Every single possibility you

could think of, we have people [on the team who are] currently in law school and studying for the LSAT.” Wake Forest’s rigorous course load is something with which Kazarian and Sythe must contend in addition to practices and games. Kazarian said she prefers a more individualistic approach to staying organized, opting for a Google Sheet. Alternatively, Sythe mentioned the academic resources provided to athletes and how she enjoys the communal feeling of seeing other student-athletes in the facilities doing coursework.

Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services Jane Caldwell is in charge of making sure all Wake Forest athletes remain eligible to participate in competition. She says her main goal is to make sure student athletes have the same opportunities as other students to access academic services.

Student athletes have their own equivalents of offices like CLASS and the Counseling Center but with more flexible hours to accommodate their extensive travel schedules. Caldwell also cited the importance of athletes being able to learn about internships and hear from career-readiness speakers.

“Education is only as good as the job you get after you leave,” Caldwell said.

While acquiring a good job is a goal for many, Kazarian and Sythe are more focused on the present at the moment, simultaneously enjoying their sports and working toward their futures. Kazarian and Sythe made it clear that this dual student-athlete experience is truly made possible by the individuals involved in athletics, which includes both the staff and their teammates.

Contact Kenley McClure at mcclkj23@wfu.edu

Page 16 | Thursday, October 5, 2023

Old Gold & Black | Sports

MBB announces scrimmage for charity Demon Deacons to play Alabama in home exhibition match benefitting stroke research COOPER SULLIVAN Sports Editor Even though the games won’t count until November, Wake Forest men’s basketball will face one of its toughest tasks at the end of this month.

On Oct. 29, the Demon Deacons will host reigning SEC champion Alabama in a Sunday afternoon scrimmage at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Admission to the 1 p.m. showdown is free; however, there is a $20 suggested donation, as all proceeds of the exhibition game will be donated to the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Wake Forest Basketball Head Coach Steve Forbes became emotional when

FOOTBALL

AP Poll rankings in parentheses; as of Oct. 1 ACC W-L (Conf.) PF PA Louisville (25) 5-0 (3-0) 185 86 Florida State (5) 4-0 (2-0) 173 90 UNC (14) 4-0 (1-0) 143 88 Duke (19) 4-1 (1-0) 163 56 Virginia Tech 2-3 (1-0) 124 121 NC State 3-2 (1-1) 127 100 Georgia Tech 2-3 (1-1) 162 154 Clemson 3-2 (1-2) 176 104 Boston College 2-3 (1-2) 139 166 Miami (17) 4-0 (0-0) 175 50 Syracuse 3-0 (0-0) 148 27 Wake Forest 3-1 (0-1) 116 91 Pitt 1-4 (0-2) 117 130 Virginia 0-5 (0-2) 107 178

MEN’S SOCCER

United Soccer Coaches rankings in parentheses; as of Oct. 3 Atlantic W-L-D (Conf.) GF GA Wake Forest (6) 7-1-3 (2-1-1) 22 9 Clemson 7-3-1 (2-2-0) 30 11 Syracuse (18) 5-2-3 (1-1-2) 18 13 Louisville (21) 7-2-1 (1-2-1) 23 13 NC State 6-5-0 (1-3-0) 20 19 Boston College 3-4-3 (0-3-1) 7 9 Coastal W-L-D (Conf.) GF GA Notre Dame (11) 6-1-3 (3-0-1) 18 7 Virginia Tech 3-3-3 (2-1-1) 12 17 UNC (13) 5-0-4 (1-0-3) 16 6 Duke (14) 6-2-1 (2-2-0) 24 10 Virginia 6-3-2 (2-2-0) 34 10 Pitt 4-3-3 (1-1-2) 21 13

WOMEN’S SOCCER United Soccer Coaches rankings in parentheses; as of Oct. 3

ACC W-L-D (Conf.) GF GA Florida State (2) 8-0-1 (3-0-1) 26 9 UNC (1) 8-0-4 (3-0-1) 27 7 Notre Dame (11) 7-1-3 (3-0-1) 25 10 Clemson (9) 9-1-2 (3-1) 37 7 Wake Forest (17) 8-1-2 (2-1-1) 24 6 Pitt 9-2-1 (2-1-1) 33 11 Virginia Tech 5-4-3 (2-2) 16 9 Miami 3-5-3 (2-2) 9 14 Duke (22) 5-3-2 (1-1-2) 12 11 Louisville 2-6-4 (1-2-1) 11 17 Virginia 5-2-4 (0-2-2) 20 8 NC State 1-6-5 (0-2-2) 11 22 Boston College 3-7-2 (0-4-0) 13 19 Syracuse 2-9-1 (0-4-0) 12 26

talking about the importance of the upcoming charity scrimmage, a cause that has become personal over the last few months.

On Aug. 8, Steve Forbes was in Kuwait participating in Operation Hardwood, a basketball outreach program for military service members, when his wife, Johnetta Forbes, suffered a stroke. It took the basketball coach nearly 24 hours to reunite with Johnetta Forbes in Destin, Fla., where she was hospitalized for 10 days. She was transferred to the Shepherd Center, a neurorehabilitation facility in Atlanta, Ga., before being released on Sept. 22. After 45 days in two hospitals, Johnetta Forbes is still recovering back in Winston-Salem.

“It’s been tough, so it does mean a lot,” Steve Forbes said through tears after

FIELD HOCKEY

NFHCA Coaches Poll rankings in parentheses; as of Oct. 3 ACC W-L (Conf.)

Duke (4) 10-1 (3-0) UNC (1) 8-1 (2-1) Louisville (5) 9-1 (1-1) Syracuse (12) 8-3 (1-2) Boston College (11)7-4 (1-2) Virginia 7-4 (1-2) Wake Forest 4-5 (0-2)

GF GA 32 10 28 9 20 8 44 22 32 10 25 14 8 13

VOLLEYBALL

AVCA Coaches Poll rankings in parentheses; as of Oct. 1 ACC W-L (Conf.) PTS/SET Georgia Tech (11) 13-1 (4-0) 17.99 Pitt (7) 13-2 (4-0) 18.33 Florida State 10-6 (4-0) 17.84 NC State 13-2 (3-1) 17.18 Louisville (6) 12-2 (3-1) 17.51 Miami 10-4 (3-1) 17.95 Wake Forest 11-4 (2-2) 16.22 Notre Dame 8-4 (2-2) 15.53 Boston College 12-6 (1-3) 16.69 Duke 10-5 (1-3) 17.22 Clemson 10-6 (1-3) 15.71 Virginia 8-6 (1-3) 16.84 UNC 7-6 (1-3) 16.57 Virginia Tech 10-5 (0-4) 16.18 Syracuse 2-12 (0-4) 11.89

DEMON DEACONS AT HOME THE NEXT TWO WEEKS Men’s Soccer vs. Wofford Tuesday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Virginia Tech Wednesday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m.

Field Hockey vs. Virginia Friday, Oct. 13, 5 p.m.

Women’s Soccer vs. UNC (1) Friday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs. Robert Morris Tuesday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.

Women’s Soccer vs. Boston College Thursday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m.

Field Hockey vs. Boston College Friday, Oct. 20, 5 p.m.

Tuesday’s practice. “It didn’t start out that way, really. Alabama contacted me before I went to Kuwait, and we wanted to play. We were just trying to figure out what to do and how to do it.

Forbes continued: lBut you know, I’ve seen a lot in the last couple of months, not just my wife but places that I’ve been. There are some people in some tough situations, not just with strokes, but with brain injuries.

We can help alleviate somebody’s pain, and it means a lot.”

Alabama Head Coach Nate Oats shared similar sentiments in a statement, saying “we are excited and honored to partner with Wake Forest for this meaningful event. To be able to play an exhibition game and help people in need is a great opportunity that goes beyond basketball. At the same time,

it will also give us an opportunity to test ourselves against a quality program in Wake Forest.”

The Crimson Tide spent all of the 202223 season ranked in the AP Poll, including 10-straight weeks in the top five. Alabama earned the No. 1 overall seed of the NCAA Tournament but ultimately lost to national runner-up San Diego State in the Sweet Sixteen.

“I can’t wait,” said Cameron Hildreth, Wake Forest junior guard. “I’m itching to play a game. I say to these guys all the time, ‘I’m tired of playing against you guys, I’m ready to have an opponent.’ I’m really excited to have that first test to see where we stand as a team.”

Contact Cooper Sullivan at sullcg20@wfu.edu

Kennedy: FB still floating Reflection is necessary to understand shortcomings SEAN KENNEDY Asst. Sports Editor

Through the first four weeks of the season, fans of Wake Forest football have learned a lot about the state of the ACC and a lot about themselves.

The Atlantic Coast Conference is much different than it was when the Demon Deacons made the conference championship two years ago. The Atlantic and Coastal divisions are no more; there is a new frontrunner — Florida State — and Sam Hartman is no longer a Demon Deacon or in the ACC. Despite the chaotic nature of this year, Wake Forest fans must reflect on the good and the bad of the first few games.

A major talking point among Demon Deacon fans has been the play of redshirt sophomore Mitch Griffis.

Griffis has been inconsistent, but at his best, he has been a top quarterback in the ACC. A number of throws have been highlight-reel material, including throws to wideout Jahmal Banks, who himself has three touchdowns on the season so far.

Griffis has been able to throw for 999 yards and nine touchdowns through four games at the helm of the offense.

However, it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows for Griffis. He committed a measure of errors in his last outing against Georgia Tech, including a calamitous, game-clinching interception in the late stages of the game. Additionally, he’s been subject to pressure in the pocket and has found himself on the wrong side of sacks.

Ultimately, Griffis’ struggles represent growing pains that are needed for the Demon Deacons to learn and flourish. No player is perfect, and every player battles adversity in one way or another.

Former Demon Deacon quarterback John Wolford had 10 interceptions within his first five starts. Riley Skinner only had two touchdowns in his first five starts. Each ended up etching their names into program history, and the latter was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.

Nonetheless, a spotlight should continue to be cast upon the Demon Deacons running game, which ran for 224 yards

against Georgia Tech, including a careerhigh 137 rush yards from Justice Ellison.

His 5.7 yards/carry ranks fifth in the ACC this season, a testament to the newfound ability to run the ball effectively.

Ellison’s performance two weeks ago also marks three different rushers who have had over 100 rushing yards in a game this season — along with Claiborne and Tate Carney against Vanderbilt. The running game’s effectiveness has added an extra layer to a previously pass-heavy offense under Hartman.

Despite the offensive struggles against Old Dominion and Georgia Tech, the Demon Deacons are not appreciably worse than they were last year when it comes to total yardage. Wake Forest’s average total yards per play is only down 0.3 yards in comparison to 2022 (5.9 total yds/play), per SportsReference.

On another good note, the Demon Deacons had a bye week to work out problems. In the past, bye weeks have come later in the season, splitting the season into two halves. Although the bye week occurs earlier this year, it does come at a great time, before some major tests.

The Demon Deacons have multiple big matchups in the latter half of their schedule, including away games at No. 10 Notre Dame, No. 19 Duke and Clemson, whom they have not beat on the road in a quarter century. They also face the aforementioned No. 5 Florida State at home. Each of the matchups could go awry, and the Demon Deacons need confidence and stability to weather through the tough schedule.

“These are the games that force you to be better,” Head Coach Dave Clawson said on Tuesday.

If there is any lesson to be learned for the Demon Deacon fanbase, it’s not to jump to conclusions too early, after both wins and losses. It’s not the end of the world after losing unexpectedly to Georgia Tech, just as we were not national champions after beating Vanderbilt or Old Dominion. After all, as the great Hartman used to say: “Water always finds its level.”

Contact Sean Kennedy at kennsm21@wfu.edu

ARTS & CULTURE Follow us on Twitter @wfuogbsports

Adam Coil coilat21@wfu.edu James Watson watsjc22@wfu.edu

OLD GOLD & BLACK

PAGE 17 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2023

Eerie secrets reach a fever pitch in WFU Theatre’s production of 'Witness for the Prosecution' WFU theatre’s fall show steps into the intriguing world of Agatha Christie

LYDIA DERRIS Contributing Writer Nestled in the confines of Scales Fine Arts Center, the Tedford Stage emanated an uncanny, almost sinister aura on the opening night of “Witness for the Prosecution.” When the show began, jazz noir emanated through the room.

The chambers of Sir Wilfred Robarts’ defense counsel were bathed in ambient blue light, lending it a touch of Lynchian intrigue. Against this backdrop, the court convened to try Leonard Vole for the murder of the reclusive Emily French.

Defense attorney Robarts was portrayed with exceptional finesse by senior Evan Souza, while senior Nathaniel Avery’s towering presence as the prosecuting attorney, Mr. Meyers, symbolized the unwavering strength and resilience of justice. “Witness for the Prosecution” emerged as a production steeped in a shadowy blend of truth and deceit, culminating in a shocking and unforgettable finale.

Robarts proved to be a captivating audience favorite. The audience first encounters him in his office, framed behind his desk. This introduction, coupled with Souza’s inquisitive countenance and judicious austerity, instantly transformed Souza into a living embodiment of his role.

The play’s central suspect, Leonard Vole, portrayed by sophomore Joe Bruno, lent a discomforting presence, effectively embodying the very qualities of a voleish, or “rodentlike,” nature. Leonard Vole’s inclination to navigate life with a penchant for deceit and manipulation was evident early on. Trapped in a cycle of opportunism, he remains incapable of rising to the occasion with honor and integrity, a flaw that sets the stage for the dramatic twists and turns that follow.

Romaine Vole, portrayed by sophomore Lauren Veldhuizen, boasted a compelling East German accent, a vivid reminder of her past trials under Cold War-era Berlin. Alongside Romaine Vole, Janet Mackenzie, skillfully embodied by senior Alexandra Battisti, stands as another pivotal suspect who undergoes rigorous cross-examination. Battisti's per-

Sir ble

Wilfrid Robarts, played history of his defendant

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

The defense team, led by Sir Wilfrid Robarts and Ms. Mayhew, departs after a lengthy debrief on the sudden death of the wealthy widow Ms. French. formance as the eccentric and unyielding Mackenzie was carried out with precision, down to her bellowing Scottish accent and unrelenting animosity toward Leonard Vole. The play crescendos to its climax, driven by the gradual unveiling

by senior Evan Souza, Leonard Vole, played by

Evan Harris/Old Gold & Black

questions the sophomore Joe

unstaBruno.

of Leonard Vole's concealed secrets.

In the realm of hair and makeup, the crew under the expert guidance of sophomore Maggie Payne masterfully transports the audience to the glamorous 1950s. The characters effortlessly embody the iconic beauty trends of the time with a grace that harkens back to Hollywood's golden age.

Their lips are adorned with vibrant shades of rouge, paying homage to screen legends like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.

First-year Emma Engle, a member of the wardrobe crew underneath Costume Designer Alice Barsony, shared insights into the meticulous attention to detail behind the scenes.

Engle explained the use of black cream-based makeup to enhance the mustaches of male crew members, contributing to the immersive detective noir ambiance. Moreover, Engle underscored the necessity of layering stage makeup to allow actors to convey emotion and facial expressions effectively underneath “the unforgiving harshness of the stage lights.”

As the final gavel fell in “Witness for the Prosecution,” the audience was left dissecting more than just the guilt or innocence of Leonard Vole. This riveting courtroom drama, masterfully rendered on the Tedford Stage, proved itself a tapestry of deception and intrigue, illuminated by the brilliant performances of its cast.

Souza's Robarts navigated the complex web of truth and deceit with tact, leaving the audience pondering the blurred lines of justice. “Witness for the Prosecution” not only captivated us with its enigmatic narrative, but also compelled us to question the nature of truth and the shadows it casts, making it a production that will not easily be forgotten.

The Wake Forest Theatre production of Agatha Christie’s courtroom drama commemorates the retirements of Sharon Andrews — who served as director for Wake Forest Theatre productions 25 times — and Mary Wayne-Thomas.

Contact Lydia Derris at derrlf23@wfu.edu

Page 18 | Thursday, October 5, 2023

Old Gold & Black | Arts & Culture

BoJack Horseman is a philosophical rollercoaster The acclaimed series' vivid depictions of life's absurdities still captivate audiences well after its finale SYED ABDULLAH Contributing Writer

plexity that strikes a resonant chord with viewers, creating a bond that transcends the animated realm. As we follow BoJack Horseman's journey, we find ourselves empathizing with his struggles, laughing at his misadventures and ref lecting on our own lives.

A 17th-century philosopher, Blaise Pascal, who is by many considered to be a precursor to the existentialists says, “I have discovered that all the unhappiness of men arises from one single fact: That they cannot stay quietly in their own chamber. I have found that there is one very real reason, namely, the natural poverty of our feeble and mortal condition, so miserable that nothing can comfort us when we think of it closely.”

Bojack’s whole life is a series of distractions.

The show asks a question commonly directed at celebrities: “They have everything, so how can they not be happy”.

Pascal addresses the unhappy celebrity question, though he uses kings instead of movie stars. “Yet, when we imagine a king attended with every pleasure he can feel, if he be without diversion and be left to consider and ref lect on what he is, this feeble happiness will not sustain him.”

Like a king, Bojack has no serious struggle to occupy his life; instead, he has to spend all of his time trying to distract himself so that he never has to think

​​From the swear-happy “South Park,” to the constant f lashbacking of “Family Guy,” to the zany escapades of “Rick and Morty,” many animated shows for adult folks have become enduring 21st century classics. "BoJack Horseman” is the brainchild of the ingenious Raphael Bob-Waksberg and brilliantly brought to life by the unmistakable voice of Will Arnett. The show, whose finale was released in 2020, is an artistic masterpiece that seamlessly blends humor, satire and unexpected philosophical depth.

At first glance, you might be tempted to disAll photos courtesy of IMDb miss "BoJack Horseman" as just another animated about the reality of his situation.

Although he sucshow featuring anthropomorphic animals living ceeds in doing this for years, the whole charade in a world alongside humans. But hold onto your comes crashing down when Diane Nguyen, ghostreins, because this show is far from ordinary. “Bowriter and later a friend of his, writes BoJack’s Jack Horseman” is way more than just a cartoon biography called “One Trick Pony.” In the book, — its meaning is sometimes so deep that you actuBoJack sees an honest ref lection of himself. He is ally have to rewatch the episode, or even the entire forced to face all the things he really is and is not series, in order to comprehend what philosophical and to confront the extent of his self-deception. viewpoint it is based on. In BoJack Horseman’s After reading Diane’s book, he wants to know case, it is existential nihilism. that deep down, he is a good person. For an exLet's dive into the enigmatic character of istential nihilist, they exist just because. There is BoJack Horseman, the show's namesake. no purpose underlying BoJack’s existence, nothHe's not your typical protagonist — he's ing he is meant to do and nothing forcing him a multi-faceted, multi-species persona who to do things, either. BoJack has complete conbecomes a ref lection of the intricate chaltrol over every action he takes, and that is what lenges we all confront in our daily lives.

20th-century French philosopher JeanBoJack Horseman's life is a rollercoaster Paul Sartre meant by radical freedom ride through the highs and lows of fame saying, “That is what I mean when I and fortune. He's not just a washedsay that man is condemned to be free. up actor — he's a representation of the human condition, complete with Condemned, because he did not creall its f laws and aspirations. His onate himself, yet is nevertheless at libgoing battle with addiction is like erty, and from the moment that he is a relentless undertow pulling him thrown into this world, he is responinto the depths of despair, while his sible for everything he does.” unquenchable thirst for fame drives But BoJack Horseman’s character him to the edge of sanity. is just the tip of the iceberg. Princess In his never-ending quest for Carolyn, Todd, Diane, Mr. Peanutmeaning, BoJack Horseman often butter — they're not your run-offinds himself lost in a world where the-mill animated characters, either. superficiality reigns supreme. He They're stars of their own existential grapples with the same existential dramas, each possessing enormous questions that haunt us all. What is depth. These characters aren't just the purpose of it all? Where do we pixels on a screen — they're relatNew & Gently Used Books & Bookish Gifts find meaning in a world that someable, they're f lawed and they're mirtimes seems devoid of it? rors ref lecting our own hopes, fears, His character is a complex web dreams and dilemmas. of contradictions — much like the As you navigate the eccentric world world around us. And it's this comof "BoJack Horseman," you'll find yourself pondering over your own existence. It's like having a latenight discussion with your buddies — only the setting is Hollywoo, and your companions are anthropomorphic animals.

As a college student navigating the twists and turns of academia and adulthood, "BoJack Horseman" offers you more than just entertainment — it provides profound insights, wrapped in a package that's as extraordinary as it is entertaining. It's a show that will make you Sherwood Plaza Shopping Center laugh, cry and contemplate life's Between Burke Street Pizza and H&R Block deeper questions — all while being 3354 Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem thoroughly entertained by a cast of characters like no other. So, saddle www.bookferret.com up for a journey you won't soon forget! Though the curtain may have Hours fallen on the series, it has left behind Tuesday through Friday – 11am-7pm a legacy that will be remembered for Saturday – 10am-7pm years to come.

Sunday & Monday – Closed

All photos courtesy of IMDb

Contact Syed Abdullah at abdusum23@wfu.edu

Thursday, October 5, 2023 | Page 19

Arts & Culture | Old Gold & Black

Teezo Touchdown’s newest project is as eccentric as him The Texas-based musician releases debut album “How Do You Sleep At Night?”

COOPER SULLIVAN Sports Editor Unless you’re Teezo Touchdown’s stylist, it is impossible to nail him down.

The Beaumont, Texas-native’s music is not the most genre-bending or sonically pioneering by any means, but it feels like a disservice to label his sound as commonplace. From his breakout hits “SUCKA!” and “Strong Friend” to his features on Travis Scott’s “MODERN JAM” and Lil Yachty’s “the ride-”, Teezo Touchdown has shown his ability to not just gel with different artists and sounds, but to elevate the song, supercede his fellow musicians and then move on seamlessly to the next project.

Teezo Touchdown’s official debut album “How Do You Sleep At Night?” is just the latest example of this musical chameleon’s masterclass. The 13-track, 39-minute project jumps from affirmational punk vocals with bruising heavy rock chords to smooth R&B runs and hypnotic 70s basslines with an ease that shouldn’t work. It’s not seamless — each switch is jarring and disruptive — but just like his other works, Teezo Touchdown makes it all come together.

“OK” — the album’s opening track — is a fitting intro-

duction to Teezo Touchdown’s general attitude. References to fun and goofy movies like recent summer blockbuster “SpiderMan: Across the Spider-Verse” or cult-classic “American Pie” over heavy metal power chords mask Teezo Touchdown’s wrestling with whether to conform or

to self-express authentically. The catchy from a Graham Central Station recordchorus “Uh huh, okay / I’m gonna do it ing session in the 70s? Got two of them anyway” prevails and serves as a mantra (“Neighborhood” and “Mood Swings”). for the entire album.

Extremely emotional and painful lyrThe heavy riffs and driving bass ics about familial fights immediately drum carry onto his track with Janelle followed by a computerized funk song Monae, “You Thought,” and, again, the with just as goofy lyrics? Definitely playful metaphors mask the hurting (“Daddy Mama Trouble” to “Nu Nay”). emotions Teezo Touchdown feels. He speeds through the first verse, yelling “Don’t try to talk to me in the club each line out angrily, before the second The music is too loud in the club half of the song becomes a plea with Why are we even in the club? the relationship he “thought was better What year is it? 2000 and uh” than that.”

Track 3, “UUHH,” begins with anThere’s an undeniable relatability other continuation of metal riffs and between the listener and Teezo Touchdrums, creating a boring consistency down, even if they don’t dress or act atypical of the creative-shock artist. anything like him. Behind his prickly, If everything is going to sound simi- eccentric outfits, intimidating music lar, what is the point of even listen- visuals and newfound fame, there’s just ing to the rest of the album? Teezo someone trying to navigate an uncerrecognizes this and gives 80s synth tain world, feel accepted by those he machines the driving sound with cares about, ignore those who don’t care impressive technical singing rid- about him and have a little fun along ing passenger. There is no telling the way. what’s next.

It’s only right the album outro “The An airy summerlike Foush- Original Was Better” — an exploration ee feature that sounds like it of personal progress and reminiscing of could fit right on Steve Lacy’s the past — ends on a techno club beat “Gemini Rights?” Check drop. (“Sweet”).

A grooving slap bassline Contact Cooper Sullivan at that could be ripped straight sullcg20@wfu.edu

Photo courtesy of GQ

Zach Bryan revives outlaw country The singer/songwriter returns with “Boys of Faith” a month after his latest album MARGRETHE JENSEN Contributing Writer The devil works hard, but Zach Bryan works harder.

Less than a month after the release of his self-titled album, Zach Bryan has blessed us with his EP, “Boys of Faith.”

Although it’s rare to see an artist churn out songs this fast, he’s done it before … maybe he’ll do it again.

After his release of “American Heartbreak” in May 2022, he quickly followed up with “Summertime Blues” two months later. “American Heartbreak” reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 200 and “Summertime Blues” reached No. 34, while his latest LP, “Zach Bryan,” skyrocketed him up to No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart.

Based on his post on social media, it seems that he created “Boys of Faith” within a week.

“Locked myself in a studio all week, wrote myself through a notebook, walked around with people I love in the city then went campin, felt restful and hopeful, thankful for breathing no matter the day,” Bryan posted on Instagram.

The first song “Nine Ball” has his classic sound, as he doesn’t take many risks. While the electric guitar is a great touch, and I always love the harmonic, this will probably fade into the background.

Be that as it may, I always found Bryan to be more Bob Dylan-esque. I think his true talent is in the lyrics. “Nine Ball” is about a son overcoming his fear

of becoming like his father — who is a gambler — and learning to be independent. The lyrics lack frills and flair, and I think that is exactly what makes it so poignant.

This is followed by “Sarah’s Place (ft.

Noah Kahan).” I would consider this song as the one that strays the most from his usual sound on the EP. It’s more up-tempo than most of his other songs, which I find refreshing. It sounds more like Indie-Folk than his regular country-Americana-rock. It’s like if Mt. Joy and the Beatles collaborated in a dingy bar in Boerne, Texas.

The song draws you in with his standard acoustic guitar, and Kahan’s introduction in the second verse brings the song to life with the accompaniment of the upbeat drums and guitar. The lyrics are nostalgic for a past time with an ex and the hollowness he feels without her in their hometown.

He’s proud of her for the life she is making for herself, and by the end of the song, we receive a happily ever after with his de-

cision to sell his Gibson and fly to see her.

Next is “Boys Of Faith (ft. Bon Iver).”

Now, I want to love this song. Maybe this is a hot take, but I think this song is like the Taylor Swift and Lana del Rey “Snow on the Beach” fiasco.

Maybe not exactly to that caliber, but Bon Iver is barely audible as a background vocalist. Although his voice is less prominent throughout the song, his influence is conspicuous in the music with the stray piano keys. This melancholic song — even more nostalgic than the last — is about Bryan’s life changing and his appreciation for his friends.

Bryan posted an X reply stating that the Bon Iver collaboration was formulated about four days before the release.

However, some of the songs on the EP have been in Bryan’s back pocket for a while.

“Pain, Sweet, Pain” is believed to have been written around 2020, as there is a post of Bryan playing it while he was in the Navy.

Next up is “Deep Satin.”

Honestly, I don’t love Photo courtesy of Tulsa World

it. I think it sounds just about the same as most of his other songs — gripey with some growls that make my skin absolutely crawl. Just like in “Burn, Burn, Burn,” he belts out some of the verses but, plainly said, it just does not sound good. Then again, his strengths are in the songwriting. “Deep Satin” is a longing for past relationships and the human connection it provides. He’s reminiscing on this past relationship, but he’s also lonely and misses home.

He closes out with “Pain, Sweet, Pain” — my personal favorite. The sound is evocative of Mumford and Sons with the drums and guitar and a hint of Charles Wesley Godwin with the violin. After the first couple of verses with his trademark acoustic guitar, the song picks up and sounds exactly like the beginning of “Little Lion Man”

by Mumford and Sons. Unfortunately, at the end of the song, he does that growl I despise so much, but I am willing to overlook this aspect. The lyrics are about introspection — he’s pushing himself to keep going through the hardships of life, wanting someone else to take on the burden for a bit but also knowing he’ll soon reach his destination.

Overall, I think this EP is amazing.

His writing is concise and accessible with a melancholic, nostalgic theme connecting each song. I would love to see him deviate more from his regular sound and test the limits of this new revival of outlaw country.

Contact Margrethe Jensen at jensmm22@wfu.edu

Page 20 | Thursday, October 5, 2023

Old Gold & Black | Arts & Culture

Bookmarks festival gives voice to the unheard The 18th annual festival was a big success, drawing in big crowds and big sales ADAM COIL Arts & Culture Editor Around 9:32 a.m. this past Saturday, I descended upon First Baptist Church, where the 18th annual Bookmarks Festival kicked off. I strolled inside with a press pass of indeterminable power and freshly watered hair, as a thick, pleasant mist had been falling all morning. I arrived late, so I had to sit up in the balcony, which proved to be the optimal spot for admiring the church architecture and doing a little people-watching below. The whole church was packed. There were more than 250 people crowded together, wearing masks, scooching into cramped pews just to watch two paid professionals speak about books.

It was a little unbelievable.

The keynote was a discussion between Celeste Ng and Jason Mott. The two fiction writers came to discuss their latest novels — Ng’s “Our Missing Hearts” and Mott’s “Hell of a Book” — but the conversation quickly pivoted to the craft of writing and the importance of public libraries. One of the main topics of discussion was their shared frustration with the literary world’s insistence on labeling them as minority writers.

Ng, whose parents immigrated from Hong Kong, said that there is no such thing as the Asian American experience, and thus she could not possibly write it. Instead, she invoked the metaphor of a sculpture in a museum — you can never see all of the sculpture at once, but you can walk around it, view it from different angles and then try to piece together an image of the entire structure in your mind. She conveyed how in her writing, she tries to do something similar, letting each character speak to a different truth, so a more holistic cultural image might be produced.

Ng is reminding us that the subtle use of the definite over the indefinite article has the potential to be a violent act when it reduces entire cultures or ethnicities to a single entity. Mott was in agreement. He talked about how, in our current world, we tend to over-simplify things for the sake of convenience. When we hear that someone is Black or Asian or LGBTQ+, we like to imagine that we know everything about that person, even though they are so much more.

Between events, I wandered along the rows of tents, chatting with attendees as I went. There was a fairly clear consensus — attendance was slightly down this year, probably because of the rain. Most of the people to whom I spoke were not there for any writers in particular but were general supporters of the event.

Indeed, I think everyone was just happy to be a part of a literary celebration. There were customers carrying comically large piles of books, parents reading to their children, a book-signing line that seemingly extended into infinity and a great deal of consumption by the food

trucks. Despite the weather, everyone seemed to be having a blast.

After the keynote, I headed to the “Your Voice Matters” panel, featuring Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr., Jonathan Conyers and Crystal Simone Smith, all of whom have faced some form of censorship for their work.

Carver Jr., a gay man living in Kentucky, was bombarded with threats after he won the Teacher of the Year award in 2022. Smith, whose poetry collection used George Saunders’ “Lincoln in the Bardo” to respond to the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests, was censored by Random House, even though Saunders pushed to get her book published.

Conyers spoke about his non-profit work, as well as the political importance of giving a platform to minority and LGBTQ+ voices.

But what struck me about this panel was the inspirational current running underneath the bigotry. All three writers told stories of overcoming unbelievable obstacles, as well as their sense of duty to propagate those stories to the younger generations. I got the sense that they viewed themselves as living testaments to the power of marginalized voices when combined with hope.

My final event of the day was “Hell of a Panel,” featuring Jason Mott, Brando Skyhorse and R. Eric Thomas.

Maryam Khanum /Old Gold & Black

Jason Mott, the author of “Hell of a Book,” answers questions during the Q&A portion of the “Hell of a Panel” event alongside Brando Skyhorse and R. Eric Thomas.

Maryam Khanum/Old Gold & Black

Maryam Khanum/Old Gold & Black

Many local volunteers sat in tents outside of Bookmarks to support the event.

This was by far the most light-hearted of the panels I attended, mainly because R. Eric Thomas is so effortlessly hilarious. His humor spread among the rest of the group, and pretty soon all three were cracking jokes about how people should go buy their books (which I sense is the ultimate fourth-wall break for these kinds of events).

This panel also seemed to keep coming back to hope — or the necessity of art that articulates some strain of it.

Thomas spoke about how, while his book, “Congratulations, The Best Is Over!” is often dark and grief-stricken, it also attempts to provide a lot of light.

“If I can’t imagine a better world, then I’m not going to stick around for long,” Thomas said.

And while this could be interpreted negatively, the atmosphere of the panel seemed to say that fiction writing is one of the most effective vehicles for exactly that kind of imagining.

Organizations like Bookmarks do the equally crucial work that exists on the other side of the novel. Books are great because of their ability to give and challenge ideas, but without a readership, those ideas might as well be locked away underground.

What makes the festival special is not the big names that Bookmarks draws in every year, or even the astonishingly large crowds, it’s the potential energy created by the proximity of the two. Inherent in all of the wonderful conversations, extravagant book purchasing and thoughtful listening was a tiny pocket of hope, a reminder that the book-reading community is not at all voiceless.

At least not when everyone comes together.

Contact Adam Coil at coilat21@wfu.edu